# First Observations on MacOS Shapr3D

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [January 25, 2021, 11:18pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064 "2021-01-25T23:18:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Steamflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Steamflyer](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steamflyer)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 11:18pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/1 "2021-01-25T23:18:14Z")

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Background - I use SW daily for assembly review (75%) and part/assembly creation (25%). Have used Shapr3D off and on using iPad for year; first go on MacOS. A few initial thoughts:

First notes on MacOS Beta of Shapr3D.

- · Zoom out direction with scroll should be settable – scrolling back/down should be allowed to make things smaller, forward/up, make things bigger. This is an aviation centric convention but fairly common. Suggest a choice be provided otherwise.
- · Please add support for magic mouse and its virtual scroll. Right now it treats swiping up/down or left/right as panning, as in a Word document. For a magic mouse “scrolling” in or out should automatically be zoom with no modifiers. Similar for trackpad (haven’t tried the trackpad yet as generally run clamshell).
- · Rotate camera should just be right mouse and drag. No modifier. In my experience, models (aka camera) are rotated much more than they are panned (aka move camera).
- · Conversely, use the shift modifier to pan/move camera.
- · The hover-space sequence for sketching normal to a face is very powerful. Thanks!
- · On both the ipad and the MacOS versions, please update the file handling so that an assembly will at least first try to see if the parts are in the same directory as the assembly itself before asking the user to browse to find each part. The ability to use Shapr3D as an assembly viewer (where you might be in the assembly for five minutes before closing and therefore not inclined to spend ten minutes browsing for each part) is fantastic in concept, but not yet in execution. If I’m doing it wrong, apologies.
- · There’s a blurriness I’m seeing in the beta as seen in the attachment. I know, it’s only beta software.

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**Author:** ![Philip](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/philip/32/1100_2.png) [@Philip](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Philip)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 11:22am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/2 "2021-01-26T11:22:19Z")

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> [@Steamflyer](#):
>
> Rotate camera should just be right mouse and drag. No modifier. In my experience, models (aka camera) are rotated much more than they are panned (aka move camera).

I’d also prefer this behaviour.

> [@Steamflyer](#):
>
> Conversely, use the shift modifier to pan/move camera.

I agree on this one also. Both are great suggestions - and would make it much easier for a Rhino user also 😉

Philip

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**Author:** ![droussel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/droussel/32/8714_2.png) [@droussel](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/droussel)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 4:02am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/3 "2021-02-01T04:02:41Z")

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I second this proposition. For now, it is a bit awkward and un-mac like how you can move around. In PrusaSlicer for example, everything can be done one-handed on the trackpad without resorting to key modifiers.

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**Author:** ![zombiRon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@zombiRon](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/zombiRon)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 1:28pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/4 "2021-02-01T13:28:30Z")

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These are great suggestions, however I feel the pan on the magic mouse is a great use of the device. Comparing to any other mouse with a scroll wheel, then zoom is a better use in that case. Also, if I was using a mouse with a scroll wheel, then I’d have a 3rd button so pan would go there. For magic mouse though, you’d be wasting half of the feature setting it to zoom. You know magic mouse supports two finger gentures too? so maybe two finger scroll for zoom and single finger stay as pan?? Add to this rotate on right click and that’s all motions without keyboard modifiers.

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**Author:** ![Steamflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Steamflyer](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steamflyer)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 2:13pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/5 "2021-02-01T14:13:44Z")

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Agree that Magic Mouse controls are about the best around - it’s the only input device I use in fact. For CAD, however, I think the best paradigm would be to have the single finger up/down scroll be zoom, and it should work just like in SW - the focal point of the zoom is the local point at which the cursor resides when the zoom is activated. That is, it is NOT just zooming the whole window at its center. If somehow ones model is off center or too zoomed in, just click on the cube to get found (like the dotted magnifier in SW).

I would never want to have to use two finger scrolling to use zoom, but that’s me. With cursor-focused zoom and right click to rotate model, I find I almost never have to pan anyhow.

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**Author:** ![zombiRon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@zombiRon](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/zombiRon)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 11:52pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/6 "2021-02-02T23:52:40Z")

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What about when sketching? Surely you don’t rotate when moving around a sketch??

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**Author:** ![Steamflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Steamflyer](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steamflyer)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 12:03am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/7 "2021-02-03T00:03:02Z")

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Generally sketch normal to the plane and generally don’t move around to your point. The little I’ve used the MacOS version of Shapr3D I’ve like the hover to select the plane to sketch on. But there are still bugs and so forth that have me not quite diving in all the way. Also I find the renderings a bit pixelated, but maybe that’s my machine. Here is an example of a part, the lines seem a little “blurry.”

 ![Shapr3D Blurry Lines](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/0/0c18621e447056ecb6ee52a12bbd5dc5530f638a.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![zombiRon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@zombiRon](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/zombiRon)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 12:18am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/8 "2021-02-03T00:18:42Z")

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Yeah that does look a bit blurry. If you get info on shapr3d in finder, is it set to open in low resolution?

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**Author:** ![Steamflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Steamflyer](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steamflyer)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 1:00am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/9 "2021-02-03T01:00:49Z")

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I looked - the box is not checked for low resolution. Thanks for the suggestion.

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**Author:** ![Bjorn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/bjorn/32/8734_2.png) [@Bjorn](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Bjorn)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 10:22am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/10 "2021-02-16T10:22:55Z")

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Hi, and thanks for building this for MacOS 🙂  
I am Struggling with the resolution. Low Res is not ticked, so should be HiRes then. Side menus etc are ok, but everything in my workpiece is blurry. Even the lines of the workpiece. Please se attached pic.

 ![Shapr3d res](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/1/115470a51c7ab817a650cc2e5ce31e93fb0fa6b0.png)

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**Author:** ![JohnVR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4491bb/32.png) [@JohnVR](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/JohnVR)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 3:58am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/11 "2021-02-24T03:58:51Z")

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I found rotating and panning camera while holding shift or option frustrating. So much so that I altered the behavior on my Logitech mouse’s extra two buttons. I can now use extraButtons+leftMouseButton+drag to alter camera angle and pan.

I think Apple Magic Mouse is not so great for power users. I would base UI on what better mouse devices can do. $34 Logitech mouse has more buttons, scroll wheel, better feel and non sharp device edges!

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**Author:** ![Steamflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Steamflyer](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steamflyer)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 4:27am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/12 "2021-02-24T04:27:37Z")

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I agree that there may be better mice for CAD, but think that a macOS version of Shapr3D should support the Magic Mouse as well.

I too am suffering from the “low resolution” problem still.

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**Author:** ![Laci\_K](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/laci_k/32/8196_2.png) [@Laci\_K](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Laci_K)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 3:08pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/13 "2021-02-24T15:08:01Z")

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Hi Bjorn!

We have made some changes on the rendering side, please check the new build (3.60) and let us know if your problem got fixed. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Steamflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Steamflyer](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steamflyer)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/14 "2021-02-24T15:48:32Z")

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Dumb question - how do I update? Note that I initially had to get a direct link from your team for the MacOS Beta as the “sign up” process never yielded a link. But that’s a permalink to 3.57.

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**Author:** ![Steve](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/steve/32/2446_2.png) [@Steve](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steve)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/15 "2021-02-24T15:56:01Z")

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Just open Shapr3D on your Mac. It should automatically check for new versions.

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**Author:** ![Steamflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Steamflyer](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steamflyer)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/16 "2021-02-24T15:57:07Z")

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Does not appear to do so ☹

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Laci\_K](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/laci_k/32/8196_2.png) [@Laci\_K](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Laci_K)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/17 "2021-02-24T15:59:04Z")

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The upload might still be in progress 🙂 But it will do as Steve said, as soon as it’s processed and ready, it will show up once you open the app.

Update:

It should be available already:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/6/65aa5694ad908b562c87adf1c0559e79ab5956c6.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steamflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Steamflyer](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steamflyer)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/18 "2021-02-24T16:14:13Z")

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Ok, will try again booting later. So far no offer to upgrade on launch.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/steve/32/2446_2.png) [@Steve](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steve)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/19 "2021-02-24T16:27:13Z")

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Not sure if this will help, but is there any chance that the small “Upgrade ???” window got shoved in the background behind another window? That happens to me sometimes with other programs.

Also, I think it might be a good idea for Sharp3D to add a “Check for Upgrades” menu item to the main “Shapr3D Beta” drop down menu (“About”, “Prefs”, etc.). Seems like most Mac apps do that.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steamflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Steamflyer](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Steamflyer)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064/20 "2021-02-24T16:30:39Z")

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Haven’t found it, maybe will reboot the machine and see if that helps. I rarely reboot, maybe once a month, so it’s a pain to do so. Agree that there should be a “check for upgrades” menu item under “help” like most MacOS programs.

[Next page](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/first-observations-on-macos-shapr3d/11064.md?page=2)