Pc vs Mac for VW?

[jpccrodrigues]

I started using Vw Landmark around 6 months with  my pc with Windows 10. But from the begining I heart about the optimization of Vw for the Mac plataform.

As I’m going throught increansingly complex projects, I would like to know your opinion: is there really a difference between plataforms or is it just “fan talk”? What is the “best suite for the Vw 2018?

 

Thank you very much!!!

 

ps: I tried to search the theme on the forum and didnt found any discussion.

Edited November 21, 2017 by jpccrodrigues

[zoomer]

There are little differences between both systems and each has its little advantages

and drawbacks over the other. Most of it is more generally System wide, not directly

VW related but will influence VW also.

I would not see it as different quality on Mac or PC. I think the number and severeness

of bugs specific to a certain System are quite equal.

 

Generally I am happy that VW or C4D run equally well on Mac as they do on PC as they

always had a large Mac user base. I have also Apps originating from Windows where

the Mac versions do not run as smooth as they do on a PC.

[Christiaan]

Yes, none of the above. As zoomer points out there are some little pros and cons for each.

[Jim Smith]

^

As a Mac User I'm used to the OS, & I like having my palettes free to move around - not sure if you can do that yet in Windows OS - Otherwise very similar in my past experience 

[Matt Overton]

From chatting with other users I'd say depends entirely on version. One version the Mac runs better next it might be Windows but could equally be Mac.

Go with the system you feel more comfortable with.

[LarryO]

If you are adding or editing significant quantities of text you should explore the interface of each before deciding upon which functions best for your use. On a Win platform if the capslock is on the shift key will switch to lower case not so on the MAC. If you are accessing anything more than the a basic american/roman character set the Win10 will require a support application to get any real amount of work accomplished. Typing pi, degrees, diameter, approximately equal, delta, jot are simple extended keyboard functionality on the MAC but require the character viewer on Win10 without a helper app because ALT+ sequences do not always bring up the expected character.

Multi-screen functionality has change in the past few years on the MAC too, used to be that one could have a second screen with palettes on it to leave the primary screen solely for the drawing area but changes have resulted in unresponsive activation of tools if they are not on the same screen shared with the drawing environment. This is the case with 2013 and may have improved. The Win platform uses the extended desktop concept but MAC is migrating to second/3rd desktop concept with multiple screens.

There are certainly other variations related to system integration aspects, printing has been a common one, but network access and your other programs also play into it all. Like substandard Outlook functionality on the Mac.

Hope that helps.

[nrkuhl]

The windows PC I have at home and occasionally work remotely from is far better spec'd than my Mac at work, and VW is far LESS stable on it.  More unexpected behavior and crashes on windows than Mac in my experience.

[PVA - Admin]

This is a hard topic since it includes a lot of subjective opinion, especially related to OS preference and cost, but I can offer the following insight from our Analytics. I didn't bother with 2018 Sp2 since the others have been out longer and have more data, whereas 2018 Sp2 is still fresh and doesn't have enough data points to give a clear picture yet.

 

Average crashes per unique user, by version, who have reporting enabled:

 

2018 SP1:

Windows: 5.8

Mac: 3.5

 

2018 SP0:
Windows: 4.3
Mac: 3.3

 

2017 SP4:

Windows: 6.2
Mac: 5.6

2016 SP6:

Windows: 5.3

Mac: 4.4

I'd say my personal experience would match with this fairly well as far as CRASHING goes, where Windows in general does seem to tap out more readily than Mac. However, I can't pull data on things like when Vectorworks was Force Closed, which I find myself doing more on Mac than on Windows.

Now, this is a very coarse way of extracting data from the database, but I thought it might prove useful in this discussion.

[rgcn]

I would love for @Jonathan Pickupto chime in, since he uses both Mac and Windows.  I am uncertain which he uses more, although I know he uses his windows machine for his webinars.

 

Rob

[Jonathan Pickup]

Hi Rob,

I have a Mac desktop for my office and I have a windows laptop for travel and webinars. I have a few more crashes on the windows machine, but as you can see from the data from Jim, the Mac is not immune to crashing. Some software works better on the windows machine and some software works better on the Mac. So I tend to jump from machine to machine depending on the software that i want to run. Some programs are the same whatever you use. 

 

I like to use my Mac, I like the interface. I also like to use my windows machine, now that I have gotten used to it. The struggle is learning where to find what you want, usually system preferences. When you get used to it, they both work fine. My new laptop has a good i7 quad core, 4GB graphics GTX1050 and 16GB ram. I got a machine that will allow me to upgrade the RAM to 32GB when I need it. It was similar specifications to the 15” MacBook, but it was about 1/3 the price. The Mac is a Mac Pro and was really expensive. 

 

Windows has a habit of hiding settings from you, so you have to be an expert to find your way around. The Mac is much more straight forward, and you dont need an expert. I believe this is the reason experts want you to buy windows.

 

Neither is perfect, and neither is terrible flawed... I really think that when you get used to it, either one is acceptable. 

[Ross Harris]

I've had instances in the last version (2017) where my windoze desktop would hang and crash performing some operation - i think the last one was a roof - and it would crash every time I went to do the same edit. I learnt from other similar issues to have a crack at it on my wife's elderly 2009 iMac to see it that would get around the issue - it worked like a champ. Finished the roof and popped back on windoze and continued on...

I also find the palettes don't blink like they do on windoze and the interface is generally better behaved; so when the new iMac Pro or Mac Pro comes out with some great specs, I'll be jumpin' back on board the ol' apple wagon.

[Matt Overton]

On 11/30/2017 at 4:13 AM, JimW said:

This is a hard topic since it includes a lot of subjective opinion, especially related to OS preference and cost, but I can offer the following insight from our Analytics. I didn't bother with 2018 Sp2 since the others have been out longer and have more data, whereas 2018 Sp2 is still fresh and doesn't have enough data points to give a clear picture yet.

 

Average crashes per unique user, by version, who have reporting enabled:

 

2018 SP1:

Windows: 5.8

Mac: 3.5

 

2018 SP0:
Windows: 4.3
Mac: 3.3

 

2017 SP4:

Windows: 6.2
Mac: 5.6

2016 SP6:

Windows: 5.3

Mac: 4.4

I'd say my personal experience would match with this fairly well as far as CRASHING goes, where Windows in general does seem to tap out more readily than Mac. However, I can't pull data on things like when Vectorworks was Force Closed, which I find myself doing more on Mac than on Windows.

Now, this is a very coarse way of extracting data from the database, but I thought it might prove useful in this discussion.

 

I thought Windows Crash report wasn't as streamlined as MacOS so it didn't have the board spread of users like the MacOS version has?

How does the unique users on each platform compare from say the update system compare to crash reporter?

 

[PVA - Admin]

8 hours ago, Matt Overton said:

I thought Windows Crash report wasn't as streamlined as MacOS so it didn't have the board spread of users like the MacOS version has?

 

These are from the Vectorworks Analytics reported crashes, the ones logged and sent to us directly by the application separate from the OS reports.
 

 

8 hours ago, Matt Overton said:

How does the unique users on each platform compare from say the update system compare to crash reporter?

 

I am not permitted to give certain exact figures, apologies. However: It looks like of the total users we get analytics from, which can be determined by the Update checks, about 40% of those also have crash reports enabled. This stays about the same, within 2-3% if I split the unique users by OS as well. Did that give you enough to answer your question, or did I misunderstand?

[Matt Overton]

14 hours ago, JimW said:

These are from the Vectorworks Analytics reported crashes, the ones logged and sent to us directly by the application separate from the OS reports.
 

 

I am not permitted to give certain exact figures, apologies. However: It looks like of the total users we get analytics from, which can be determined by the Update checks, about 40% of those also have crash reports enabled. This stays about the same, within 2-3% if I split the unique users by OS as well. Did that give you enough to answer your question, or did I misunderstand?

 

 

Yes that answers my question. So no reason to think there might be a reporting skew.

[Francisco J. D. Rogers]

The same model working in VectorWorks 2020, in Windows monster PC vs a MacBook Pro with not al all features, works better in the MacBook Pro. It is incredible. My Mac with only 1.5 Mb VRAM loads a 536 Mb model and did not have troubles with Open GL. Meanwhile the same view in the PC appears with scratches.

 

I do not know why. But it is my experience.

[CMesureur]

Hi, i'm newbee on this software...

I have a question : if i work on my MAC - can i work after on a PC ?  Do PC can work with a file generated on a MAC ?

Thanks a lot

 

[michaelk]

Yes.  Vectorworks files can be shared back and forth between Macs and PCs.

[CMesureur]

6 minutes ago, michaelk said:

Yes.  Vectorworks files can be shared back and forth between Macs and PCs.

 

Without data lost ?

And what are the minimum prerequisites for installing on a PC. Is a dedicated graphics card necessary?

[rDesign]

31 minutes ago, CMesureur said:

 

Without data lost ?

And what are the minimum prerequisites for installing on a PC. Is a dedicated graphics card necessary?

Yes, it is the same file format between Mac and PC. So as long as both Mac and PC are using the same version of Vw, then there will be no lost data.

 

Here’s a link to the Vw Knowledgebase article about Vectorworks 2021 System Requirements

If you are doing only very simple 2D drawings, then you might be able to get by with an integrated video card, but a dedicated video card would be preferred, as explained on that page under the minimum requirements. HTH.

[michaelk]

System requirements:  https://www.vectorworks.net/sysreq

 

I share files between Macs and PCs frequently.  I've never seen any data loss.  When I open a file I can't tell if it was started with a Mac or PC.

[Joe-SA]

Make sure the fonts you are using are equivalent on both platforms.