webgl

walter_randolph

I'm just starting to learn onshape. When I try to load a document or tutorial I get the message that webgl is not enabled. I'm using firefox with XP and when I checked webgl.disabled is set to false as required. This is the default setting although onshape help says I have to set it manually. I would appreciate some help because this is pretty much a brick wall.

andy_morris

Onshape will run on current versions of Mac, Windows and Linux. You don't need hard-end specifications of graphics cards but the following link may be of use

https://cad.onshape.com/help/Content/webgl.htm

One advantage of Onshape is that if the store's demo machines have internet you can test Onshape right there before you buy using https://cad.onshape.com/check or maybe try out some of your documents. That helps if you're buying new hardware.

That said, I had an ancient PC running Win XP, it was too good to mothball, but too old to run the apps I like. I wanted to use it for mail and web apps including Onshape. I ended up installing Ubuntu, which worked great. That's another option open to you.

brucebartlett

Try Chrome

walter_randolph

Thanks Bruce, but I really would like to get it running under firefox. I have now tried it on another machine; newer but still with firefox running on XP. Same result, which makes me think it is not the graphics setup. As I said, the onshape help says you have to set webgl to enable but on both machines it is set to enable by default so there must be something not quite right in the advice they give. If you search for webgl in the config you get about 30 different switches you can set. The only one they mention is webgl.disable set to false, but all the rest enable or disable other aspects of webgl. My guess is I am being directed to the wrong switch but you can really screw up your machine by just going around willy nilly setting switches. Therefore, I need someone who actually knows about this to advise me. Many thanks.

øyvind_kaurstad

XP is seriously outdated, have you tried a more modern platform?

walter_randolph

As Bruce suggested, I did try chrome with the same results. Running further checks through firefox, I believe it is my graphics card/driver in both machines that is rubbish - you would think they would just say that rather than waffling on about webgl. The funny thing is that the driver is the correct version from the point of view of webgl but is still blocked by firefox and presumably Chrome.

The reason I use XP is that it is stable as it is no longer supported by microsoft and doesn't get updates every time you turn around that don't work. This means it is safer for running cnc machines and in a marine environment which is what I use it for. The real answer to all this is to get a Mac which is what I will probably have to do.

lougallo

Firefox is better for older systems but XP just doesn't have the ability to support the drivers and other subsystems that WebGL needs. We have seen it work but on an expired OS there is not much we can do to correct it. 

walter_randolph

Thanks Lougallo, I'm sure you are right. I tried it on  yet another machine I have running Vista and was not surprised to find it didn't work. Vista is just a less reliable version of XP with added bugs.

Never the less, I would still like to use Onshape. It runs on my Tablet and my phone but I need it to run on something with a screen big enough. so you can see something. The problem is just this. If I go out and buy another machine, how can I be sure it will run Onshape. The people in the shops for the most part have never heard of webgl, I've never seen it mentioned in a machine spec and Firefox, for example, seems very cavalier in it's attitude to webgl. Does Onshape runs on Mac or are there exceptions? If I go for windows, do I need high end graphics or will anything work as long as it is running a recent OS? I'm not a cheapskate, but I don't want to have to buy several machines in order to find one that will run this one program. I wish that your website gave a list of minimum specification to run Onshape - that would be a big help. I  would be grateful  for any advice you can give.

andy_morris

Onshape will run on current versions of Mac, Windows and Linux. You don't need hard-end specifications of graphics cards but the following link may be of use

https://cad.onshape.com/help/Content/webgl.htm

One advantage of Onshape is that if the store's demo machines have internet you can test Onshape right there before you buy using https://cad.onshape.com/check or maybe try out some of your documents. That helps if you're buying new hardware.

That said, I had an ancient PC running Win XP, it was too good to mothball, but too old to run the apps I like. I wanted to use it for mail and web apps including Onshape. I ended up installing Ubuntu, which worked great. That's another option open to you.

ellen_timiney

.

walter_randolph

Thanks Andy. I did just what you suggested yesterday afternoon and all the machines I tried seemed to work with no problem. It doesn't appear to require any special graphics since some I tried were pretty basic. Guess it's about time I quit flogging this poor old dead horse. Good suggestion about Ubuntu - I'll look into that.

henry_feldman

walter_randolph said:

Thanks Andy. I did just what you suggested yesterday afternoon and all the machines I tried seemed to work with no problem. It doesn't appear to require any special graphics since some I tried were pretty basic. Guess it's about time I quit flogging this poor old dead horse. Good suggestion about Ubuntu - I'll look into that.

You can also turn it into a "chromebook", although ubuntu is more useful in general, but just to run chrome would work fine...