Screen Tearing on iMac Pro After Mojave Update

[winkbaufield]

Hello, All,

After updating to Mojave with the general release in late September, I've been experiencing persistent and severe screen tearing across all 3D-intensive applications I use for game development: Unreal Engine 4, Unity, Maya, and Substance Painter. The tearing predominantly occurs when I manually rotate the in-application camera around polygonal objects, and multiple horizontal tears manifest at once.

Even more strangely, when using Maya, dragging the application window around the desktop results in the window itself tearing in numerous places, and, if I toggle between virtual desktops while Maya is open, a massive row of tearing will distort the OS itself, affecting the background and all open windows.

These graphical aberrations have occurred on my previous machine (which I was able to return, hoping the problems were hardware-related) on which I updated from High Sierra (which did not manifest these issues) to Mojave, and on my current machine, which is the same configuration as my previous computer, and which came pre-loaded with Mojave. I installed Unreal Engine 4 on my new, fresh-from-the-factory machine, prior to migrating any data over, and the graphical tearing was present.

To the best of my diagnostic ability, this issue appears baked-into Mojave--it would seem that vsync has been disabled by Apple's developers, for some reason--yet I've found scant accounts in these forums or elsewhere which corroborate my hardships. I find this bizarre, given the immediately apparent and bothersome nature of the tearing.

I'm using a 14-core iMac Pro with a Vega 64 and 64GB of RAM, and am presently running the most recent beta of 10.14.3 (though, as I mentioned, the tearing has endured across all iterations of Mojave).

I'm dying to know: is anyone else experiencing behavior such as this on any hardware running Mojave? Could the issues be localized to the iMac Pro line, or perhaps even just my specific configuration? Whatever the case, it's lingered for more than three months now, and Apple seems in no rush to provide a solution.

Help?

 

[shaunp]

I'm assuming you've logged a call with Apple? If so bug them for an update, and keep at them until they come back with an answer. If this is effecting your livelihood then as a business user you should be demanding answers.

 

[winkbaufield]

I reached out to both an Apple Store-specific Business Team representative and AppleCare Technical Support yesterday, given that my January 8th return deadline is now looming.

The Business Team representative asked his manager whether they could extend my return window at that store, but the manager declined, stating that I've already been granted an extended return period due to my order having been placed within the "holiday" timeframe. Such generosity.

AppleCare stated that they couldn't attempt any troubleshooting via screenshare because I'm running the 10.14.3 beta (they're "not trained" to do so, apparently), and that only Developer Support could help me. Naturally, Developer Support can only be reached via email, and two agents in that department stated that they only handle high-level administrative issues for iOS developers, and that Technical Support incorrectly referred me to them.

A Senior Support Specialist also contacted the Apple Online Store (since my machine was BTO), and I was again told that my return window could not be extended--I was given the "holiday extension" rationale, once again.

I'll attempt to re-engage with Technical Support tomorrow, but they'll likely designate that I downgrade to 10.14.2, which I'm not willing to do for time and sanity reasons. Given that the tearing was immediately present on a brand-new iMac Pro with a clean installation of Mojave as well as on my previous machine, the issue clearly seems OS-derived, so any troubleshooting would almost certainly prove fruitless, anyway.

I'd love to demand answers, but, at this point, no one within the Apple Support hierarchy even appears willing to take ownership of my case.

 

[SecuritySteve]

Was the tearing present in a non-beta installation of macOS?

 

[campyguy]

OP, have you added the apps to the System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Accessibility > Privacy application well?

There are several apps that caused me a lot of grief and poring through Console logs to get to the bottom of why AutoCAD/Maya/PS/Dimension CC/Wacom drivers were going nuts, and I wouldn't update the Macs in my offices. I was in touch with Autodesk until I figured it out, they've posted this workaround for apps that were created before Mojave came out, it should be addressed with newer apps (or so I've been assured...).

Adding problem apps to the application well can be accomplished via drag-and-drop or using the "+" widget...


This addition solved crashing, artifacts, OS freezing and KPs, and general wonkiness... The image was supplied by Autodesk FWIW.

 

[winkbaufield]

SecuritySteve: Yes, the tearing in the problematic applications began immediately after I updated to the release versions of Mojave and Xcode 10, back in September. I initially thought the newest version of Xcode was causing the tearing, as an incompatibility between Xcode and Unreal Engine resulted in very similar behavior earlier in the year (which was resolved via a subsequent Xcode update), but I’ve both rolled back to a previous versions of Xcode and have uninstalled Xcode altogether, yet the tearing remained in both cases. I don’t know what else to conclude other than Mojave introduced the bug.

I only installed the beta versions of Mojave starting with 10.14.3, hoping with desperation that the issue might have been corrected in the newest pre-release OS build. Sadly, it has not.

campyguy: I, too, saw that permissions workaround to other erratic behavior in Maya post-Mojave, but since it didn’t apply to what I’ve been experiencing I don’t believe I’ve tried it. I’ll give it a shot, however, and post the results. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[SecuritySteve]

SecuritySteve: Yes, the tearing in the problematic applications began immediately after I updated to the release versions of Mojave and Xcode 10, back in September. I initially thought the newest version of Xcode was causing the tearing, as an incompatibility between Xcode and Unreal Engine resulted in very similar behavior earlier in the year (which was resolved via a subsequent Xcode update), but I’ve both rolled back to a previous versions of Xcode and have uninstalled Xcode altogether, yet the tearing remained in both cases. I don’t know what else to conclude other than Mojave introduced the bug.

I only installed the beta versions of Mojave starting with 10.14.3, hoping with desperation that the issue might have been corrected in the newest pre-release OS build. Sadly, it has not.

If @campyguy's suggestion doesn't work, then I would try looking into getting the High Sierra OpenGL kext installed on Mojave. I seem to recall that the Unreal Engine uses OpenGL on macOS, which may be why Mojave suddenly seems so horrible with it. The guys in the unsupported Macs on Mojave thread have figured out how to get that kext working in Mojave. You may have to do some considerable digging though to find that post.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-10-14-mojave-on-unsupported-macs-thread.2121473/

 

[winkbaufield]

campguy: I've added Maya to the Privacy application well, and, unfortunately, the behavior remains, unabated.

SecuritySteve: Unreal's been using the Metal API on macOS since version 4.15 of the engine, and it's now on version 4.21, so the transition from OpenGL occurred some time ago.

Any additional suggestions would be welcomed!

Below are videos I've recorded of the tearing in Unreal, Maya, and on the OS itself:

 

[campyguy]

OP, no offense intended - your videos gave me a bit of a headache. A short history of me - I own and run an engineering design company, been using CAD apps for over 30 years now. And now I'm the boss. One of your videos showed multiple spaces with Chrome in one Space and what looked like Maya in another Space - you switched Spaces too quickly. I also use Autodesk apps, from Maya to AutoCAD to Buzzsaw - I have strict rules, based on experience.

Work with an application in a Standard User Account - in either Windows OS or macOS. No additional applications are open at the same time - Chrome is a resource hog, not a new concept. For my production workers, I supply either a slim Win PC client or iPad to sit next to the workstation for email or scheduling. I have an iPad Pro next to my iMP for notifications/email/scheduling/network maintenance.

Chrome is banned from my production computers. There's no debate on this, it's my company. Chrome's caching schema is something you should look at as a source of your issues, and I'm not willing to debate it here - I've used it, it's a resource hog, it complies with no standards. If you need Gmail or, for that matter, email - get a supplementary device.

I should have asked if you use your "problem" apps in an isolated environment. Seeing both Chrome and a bit of what I see as an environment that I don't use, I'm of no further help here. IMHO there's not much foresight put into your workflow - in my offices there's 10 iMPs and 30 PCs that work just fine, I'll look to pick up a couple of refurbs from the iMPs you're returning. Count me out of this thread...

 

[winkbaufield]

OP, no offense intended - your videos gave me a bit of a headache. A short history of me - I own and run an engineering design company, been using CAD apps for over 30 years now. And now I'm the boss. One of your videos showed multiple spaces with Chrome in one Space and what looked like Maya in another Space - you switched Spaces too quickly. I also use Autodesk apps, from Maya to AutoCAD to Buzzsaw - I have strict rules, based on experience.

Work with an application in a Standard User Account - in either Windows OS or macOS. No additional applications are open at the same time - Chrome is a resource hog, not a new concept. For my production workers, I supply either a slim Win PC client or iPad to sit next to the workstation for email or scheduling. I have an iPad Pro next to my iMP for notifications/email/scheduling/network maintenance.

Chrome is banned from my production computers. There's no debate on this, it's my company. Chrome's caching schema is something you should look at as a source of your issues, and I'm not willing to debate it here - I've used it, it's a resource hog, it complies with no standards. If you need Gmail or, for that matter, email - get a supplementary device.

I should have asked if you use your "problem" apps in an isolated environment. Seeing both Chrome and a bit of what I see as an environment that I don't use, I'm of no further help here. IMHO there's not much foresight put into your workflow - in my offices there's 10 iMPs and 30 PCs that work just fine, I'll look to pick up a couple of refurbs from the iMPs you're returning. Count me out of this thread...

campyguy: Innumerable thanks for your buffet of condescension! I'm not entirely certain what useful information I'm expected to absorb from your post. Are you seeking congratulations and adulation from internet-strangers for being "the boss"? Or for performing your 3D tasks in the most ascetic, monastic computing workspace humanly possible?

I'd like to apologize that my impromptu attempts to document my aforementioned issues did not adhere to neither your nor your company's professional standards. And also for your presumption that I'm the cosmos's foremost advocate of Google Chrome because I dared to run it in simultaneity with Autodesk applications. (I'll always wistfully speculate about the debates we might have shared regarding the fairness of your banning of Chrome on your company's machines--naturally, I'd have argued for its compulsory installation--but, hey, you know me and my intractable advocacy of Google so well.)

I'll note in my virtual ledger--a Google Doc--that, in your estimation, the aberrant behavior infecting my "problem" apps is 100% self-inflicted due to the fact that I'm not you.

Should I return my iMac Pro, I'll be certain to request that Apple set it aside for you, pending your future purchase--undoubtedly for your company (because you own a company). You'll ultimately know that you're buying the correct computer because it'll be the one running Google Chrome.

Before you go, can I just ask: Is your company hiring?

 

[SecuritySteve]

campyguy: Innumerable thanks for your buffet of condescension! I'm not entirely certain what useful information I'm expected to absorb from your post. Are you seeking congratulations and adulation from internet-strangers for being "the boss"? Or for performing your 3D tasks in the most ascetic, monastic computing workspace humanly possible?

I'd like to apologize that my impromptu attempts to document my aforementioned issues did not adhere to neither your nor your company's professional standards. And also for your presumption that I'm the cosmos's foremost advocate of Google Chrome because I dared to run it in simultaneity with Autodesk applications. (I'll always wistfully speculate about the debates we might have shared regarding the fairness of your banning of Chrome on your company's machines--naturally, I'd have argued for its compulsory installation--but, hey, you know me and my intractable advocacy of Google so well.)

I'll note in my virtual ledger--a Google Doc--that, in your estimation, the aberrant behavior infecting my "problem" apps is 100% self-inflicted due to the fact that I'm not you.

Should I return my iMac Pro, I'll be certain to request that Apple set it aside for you, pending your future purchase--undoubtedly for your company (because you own a company). You'll ultimately know that you're buying the correct computer because it'll be the one running Google Chrome.

Before you go, can I just ask: Is your company hiring?

Well played.