Ovito app crash at launch on macOS

OVITO
,
1

I am using an Intel-based macbook with macOS Sonoma 14.2 (beta). When the Ovito app (version 3.9.4) launch, it crashes immediately. (showing the main window for 1 second).
Totally unable to work with. Please fix this bug in later updates. Thanks

2

We have observed this type of crash on Mac for some users. However, tracking down the problem has been difficult. It would be great if you could provide us with additional information:

  • Are you using two or more monitors (or an external monitor in combination with the built-in MacBook screen)
  • Did this issue start immediately after updating to OVITO 3.9.4, or did it occur after some time of usage?
  • If so, do you remember what actions you were performing before the crash happened for the first time?
3

Thanks for replying!

  1. yes, I am using an external monitor, together with the macbook built-in display. So 2 monitors in total.
  2. It is my first time of using Ovito in my mac, so I just download the latest 3.9.4 directly. No updating from previous version. No usage at all, the app just crashed when it opened. It did show the main window for about 1 second.
  3. I did nothing special before the crash, since the app didn’t work at all.

More info of my mac: Intel core i7 2.6 GHz, graphic cards: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M + Intel UHD Graphics 630; 16 GB RAM; macOS 14.2 Beta (23C5047e)

4

Oh, I think I track down the reason of the crash:
When I disconnect the external monitor, and reopen the app, it works!
I think this is where the bug located in. Please add support to the external displays and that should work for other users.
Thanks for you hint.

5

More interestingly, when the app is working, and I re-plug the external display, it still works! I can even drag the app window back and forth between the built-in and external displays. Hope this could narrow down the bug.

6

Thank you very much for your detailed response. It’s clear that OVITO should, and typically does, function well with a multi-monitor setup. I’m glad to hear that your issue was resolved by reconnecting the second screen.

We suspected that the crashes might be related to secondary screens, but we have so far been unable to reliably reproduce the crash for debugging purposes.

It seems that disconnecting and then reconnecting the monitor is an inconvenient, yet effective, workaround for now.

7

@ytzhang In case you are able to reproduce the crash on your macOS system, please see here: