www.ssontech.com

[ssontech]

I thought it about time to pass along what I've been up to for a while now: working to be able to offer a 64-bit version for Mac OS X. As you may have gathered from some of my past postings on 64-bit and OS X, I don't think a whole lot of many of Apple's actions in this area---and most other commercial developers don't either. Even some of their smallest actions were "think different" enough to drive up costs for no useful reason.

But never the less, the name of the game is to provide you, the customers, the tools you need to do your jobs. To be honest, I've been stunned to see the vast amounts of memory Mac OS X customers have on their machines---when it is only indirectly usable at best.*** And the number one reliability issue for SynthEyes is .... running out of 32-bit address space. It's an especially severe issue on OS X with Quicktime source; Quicktime doesn't play nice. It is crazy to have a machine run out of 32-bit address space (<4GB) when it is loaded with 16 GB of RAM.

So after a substantial period investigating possible ways to accomplish a 64-bit version, I have been working away on one. (Apologies if I've lost some of your email in the meantime.) It's a very complex task with a lot of tiny details to get right. At least Apple's Cocoa documentation is a bit better than its Carbon documentation, which is basically saying something is better than nothing.

And I am happy to report that I am making substantial progress on it, so that eventual success is likely (not obvious to start). I have been able to load some 10 GB shots into RAM, and track and solve successfully. Of course, that's the easy part, because SynthEyes already has a 64-bit Windows version. So the technical part works immediately. It's all those user-interface details that are the devil incarnate.

I'm not 100% on which machines are actually 64-bit capable yet: early Intel iMacs are definitely not, current Mac Pros are OK, earlier Mac Pros, not obvious. I don't think Apple posts a list. Regarding PowerPCs: I haven't decided yet whether to include a 64-bit PowerPC binary. Note that Leopard is REQUIRED for 64-bit (not my rule).

From a business standpoint, none of this comes free. Like the Window 64-bit version, the 64-bit OS X version will be more expensive. I'll have the usual upgrades from 32 to 64-bit. Pricing to be announced, but keep in mind that 64-bit OS X has been just a ton more complex to offer than 64-bit Windows. There's no reason for anyone to "wait for the 64-bit version" --- at least for starters the cost of 32bit + cost of upgrade will = cost of 64-bit.

The next customer-visible step will probably be a short beta for existing OS X customers only. I'll email people with suitable-looking machines at that later time, don't hold your breath.

I hope all the Mac users will be as excited as I am about this; I thought people would like to know.

Now, if I could just get Apple, Crucial, and Micron to give me a cut of all the memory sales I just made possible. javascript:emoticon('')

-Russ

*** There are still very very few 64-bit apps on the market, and Leopard is still 32-bit. A lot of people misread Apple's ads which talk about "64-bit ready" and think it means "is 64-bit now". But no. Kinda reminiscent of "Vista capable", eh? The kernel is 32-bit and there are zero 64-bit processes running on 64-bit-capable machines. Even XCode, which has 64-bit binaries, is configured to start as 32-bit to avoid the overhead of loading the 64-bit binaries. If you have a lot of memory, it can act as a disk cache, or let you run a couple separate big processes at once, but doesn't help you run a single large app.

[ssontech]

Hurrah! The first 64-bit OS X beta is posted! This SynthEyes-64 version should be identical to the present SynthEyes-32 release (except as noted in this thread), but with the ability to utilize 4+ GB of RAM, and hopefully with a small speed advantage in the 10% range.

It is available to licensed SynthEyes 2008 OS X users only, you must have a valid license installed for it to work. You must log into the support area to see how to get it --- that means you must locate your permanent license information mail with "SAVE THIS MAIL" in the title. Please DO NOT mail me for this information, I have a lot to do and will probably just hit DELETE if you do. Sorry in advance.

PRELIMINARY:

How to tell if your Mac is capable of running 64-bit code or not:
1. Leopard (10.5) is required for 64-bit applications, AND,
2. Open the Finder
3. Click on Applications
4. Click once on "Chess"
5. Right click it and select "Get Info"
6. In the "General" area, look for a checkbox labeled "Open in 32 bit mode"

If your machine HAS this checkbox, it CAN run 64 bit apps. If it does NOT have this box, it can NOT run 64-bit apps. (The box only appears if OS X sees that it is able to run as either 32 or 64 bit---if the machine is 32-bit only, there's no point in showing this option.)

GREAT FOR INTEL MACS --- WHAT ABOUT MY G5?

This beta version has both 32 and 64 bit versions for both Intel Macs and PowerPC macs. The 64-bit PowerPC version seems to run OK on a 1GB G5 iMac, but has not been tested extensively. 64-bit PowerPC apps run around 5% slower than the 32-bit version, unlike Intel machines, which have instruction set changes that make 64-bit code run more rapidly. So 64-bit PowerPC is worthwhile mainly for large shots. It is not certain whether or how long a 64-bit PowerPC version will be available commercially. If you want to use 64-bit on a G5 Mac, let me know!

INSTALLATION

Download the DMG, unpack, and run the installer as is customary. It will not overwrite your existing installation (keep reading).

Note that there is now a SynthEyes FOLDER in Applications, that folder includes the actual 64-bit application. The scripts and documentation are now in this SynthEyes folder. (Virtually no one ever knew to look in the official Apple-spec location, /Library/Application Support/SynthEyes, so I've dropped that scheme.)

As a result of this, note that there are now two scripts folders on your machine---the prior 32-bit one in Applications Support and the new one in the Applications/SynthEyes folder. If you have your own custom scripts you may need to copy them over, set up symbolic links, etc as appropriate.

STARTING SYNTHEYES

You can drag a shortcut from the app in the folder to your desktop and rename it SynthEyes 64 so you can start either one.

When you start SynthEyes, if you see SynthEyes64 on the main window title, the 64-bit code is running. You'll also the full memory size in the Shot Setup dialog, and you'll see SynthEyes listed as Intel64 in the Application Monitor's process listing.

Warning: the first time you start SynthEyes64 after a system reboot, it will take a substantial time to start up---10 seconds etc depending on your system. Do not be concerned. That is normal for Leopard --- because Leopard is largely 32-bits, this delay occurs as it brings in all the 64-bit libraries and code etc when the first 64-bit app starts. It will chew up a bunch more memory for this also. (The Activity Monitor's memory consumption numbers have some flakiness in 64-bit mode too.)

When you start SynthEyes the 2nd, 3rd etc times, it will start in its usual instantaneous fashion because OS X is already ready to go.

KNOWN ISSUES

1. No Quicktime movies (see below)
2. No TIFF writing (used to use QT)
3. OpenEXR uses current 1.6.1 --- possible problems sending files from SE-64 back to SE-32 versions using 1.2.2?
4. Tracker Cleanup dialog's Unlock UI button doesn't
5. No Click On/Click Off preference option support

QUICKTIME

Quicktime is a problem. Just like 64-bit Windows has no Quicktime, there is no 64-bit Quicktime for OS X either. Apple is forcibly migrating developers to its QTKit API on 64-bit, but unfortunately QTKit has dramatically reduced functionality --- and implements that functionality by passing all 64-bit QT requests down to a 32-bit client process for execution.

I will be experimenting to see if it can do anything usable at all. The good news about Apple's approach is that if I can get it to work, you will be able to use your existing 32 bit codecs, rather than having to try to find 64-bit versions of your higher-end codecs. Codecs are the bleeding edge of 64-bit in Win and Mac --- codecs are tightly optimized assembly code that's often old and not easy for their developers to mess with.

If you are particularly concerned about this issue, you can enter "Quicktime X" into your favorite search engine and you'll know as much about that as I do.

INTENTIONAL CHANGES

1. Font is slightly smaller (good or bad?)
2. Text for radiobuttons and checkboxes is now the correct white
3. Some differences in key accelerator equivalents listed in the menus---use OSX symbology

MISCELLANEOUS

- For some performance results, see http://www.ssontech.com/bench8.htm
- This is a beta version that will expire in due course
- Running the beta does not entitle you to any rights to any subsequent commercial version
- See the earlier post for some comments on the likely business aspects

TESTING AND PROBLEM REPORTING

Note that the SynthEyes application itself is nearly identical to the standard 32-bit version on PC and OS X. What is dramatically different here is a lot of user interface code, which had to be completely rewritten to meet Apple's demands for 64-bit operation.

So the kinds of problems expected are not whether tracking works, but whether tooltips work, or little checkmarks change state the right way, or buttons have the wrong text or pictures are upside down, all sorts of fascinatingly annoying minutia.

If you have a problem, please try to capture a screen shot and record EXACTLY what you were doing for the few seconds before the crash --- what you were doing with the mouse and keyboard.

Please EMAIL me reports of both successes and problems at support, please do not post here.

Thanks and have fun!

[ssontech]

The 64-bit OS X version is now released and available through the online store. Access to the beta version is discontinued and that code will time out.

Changes in the released version:
* Quicktime support (read/write)
* TIFF writing
* OpenEXR 1.6 codecs can be selected for output
* A small collection of tiny niggles fixed.

QUICKTIME

64-bit codecs continue to be the bleeding edge of 64-bit computing. Quicktime support goes through Apple's current "64-bit Quicktime solution" which ferries all Quicktime access to a separate 32-bit server process. If this doesn't sound fast, you're right.

There's another limitation as well, in that 64-bit SynthEyes can not determine the list of installed (32-bit) codecs --- it can only see 64-bit codecs, and there aren't any. Until Apple addresses this, SynthEyes can only output to a factory-supplied list of codecs --- those on my development machine (which includes the Final Cut codecs, especially ProRes). If you try to use a codec that doesn't exist, something unpleasant will probably happen.

The product includes the 32-bit binaries; those binaries are set up to use the prior 32-bit Quicktime APIs, so you can output using all the codecs that way if needed.

For the occasional use of "64-bit" Quicktime, Apple's approach suffices. I continue to favor image sequences as a speedier and more robust approach. Presumably "Quicktime X" will materialize at some future time and hopefully make possible a more robust and speedier solution.

POWER MACS

The 64-bit OS X version is sold as Intel-Mac only. However, it currently includes a PowerPC binary as a convenience for a few customers who still have large G5 machines. [Note that 10.5 Leopard is REQUIRED for 64-bit.]

It is possible that I will find it necessary to freeze or discontinue the 64-bit PowerPC binary at any time at my sole discretion. For example, Apple might change its software at any time in such a way that makes supporting 64-bit PowerPC impossible or inconvenient. Support for OS X 10.3 ended abruptly a while back after an insidious incompatible "Apple Update" to Quicktime. If the Intel Mac version can be improved but only at the expense of the PowerPC, see ya PPC, sorry.

In the event of change or termination of PowerPC support, there will be no refunds, offsets, etc --- let me be 100% clear that the product is sold only on the basis of Intel Mac support, and as always, "AS IS".

LICENSING

The 64-bit Mac version is a new M6-8-... license. You can upgrade from a current Mac or PC 2008 license using the "Switch Platforms" line on the ordering form, after selecting the 64-bit Mac OS X platform. There's no discount for recent license purchasers---the price is currently exactly the same to go from your existing license to the 64-bit license as if you'd bought the 64-bit license now anyway, got it? You can also upgrade from earlier SynthEyes 2004/2006/2007 versions as indicated.

Please be sure that you check that your machine is 64-bit capable before upgrading to the 64-bit version. Do a 'Get Info' on Chess.app. If an 'Open in 32-bit mode' checkbox is present, the machine can run 64-bit apps.

Note that you can not install both Intel and PowerPC versions, or 32 and 64-bit versions, except possibly if these conditions apply: http://www.ssontech.com/simultan.htm

HAVE FUN

As always, email me at support with any problems, suggestions, etc. I've been handling tech support work with (various versions of) the new version for some time now with good results. I confess to a certain amount of satisfaction as I get to vastly increase the queue length settings from customer-supplied sni files....

I don't know about you, but I'm happy to now see all my Mac's memory get put to good use!