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Which Chromebook is best for Onshape?

caradoncaradon OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 300 PRO
I'm thinking about getting a Chromebook. For use at home, in the office and on the go.
I'm sure some Onshape users and/or staff members are already using Chromebooks...

Are there particular models I should look at?
Google's Chromebook Pixel looks very impressive, but sadly it is not sold in Europe.
Many other Chromebooks feel quite flimsy...
Do any of the Chromebooks have dedicated graphics? (May come in handy for Onshape/Workbench.)

Dries

Best Answer

Answers

  • caradoncaradon OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 300 PRO
    Or... a MacBook Air. Not really decided yet.

    Dries
  • billy2billy2 Member, OS Professional, Mentor, Developers, User Group Leader Posts: 2,014 PRO
    edited February 2015
    Here's my criteria for choosing a new computer

    -how much does it weight? 3.5lbs
    -16 gig ram
    -fastest cpu 3.0gig i7 3.6gig turbo (always pay extra for the fastest cpu)
    -nvidia graphics (retina resolution)

    I've just searched for a high powered chromebook and can't find one. Seems like they cater to the <$500 market. I'm interested in them but don't see me buying one for work. I'll stick with a 13" macbook pro.

    Please prove me wrong,


  • john_f_carrjohn_f_carr Onshape Employees Posts: 74
    The number-crunching on the client is in webgl and depends on graphics performance rather than CPU performance.   My 2012 Samsung Chromebook can generate about a quarter the frame rate of a high end laptop.  (From memory -- we don't have a client benchmark database.)  We have been working on improving interactive performance of complicated models, so relative or absolute speed may change.
  • pete_yodispete_yodis OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 666 ✭✭✭
    @John_F_Carr can you share what about video cards computationally?  Is there a benchmark from someone else that correlates to better graphics performance in Onshape?
  • john_f_carrjohn_f_carr Onshape Employees Posts: 74
    @John_F_Carr can you share what about video cards computationally?  Is there a benchmark from someone else that correlates to better graphics performance in Onshape?
    We have a little test that reports how many frames per second webgl can animate a model.

    We don't have a number saying how visually pleasing the result is, and that's a reason we don't track test results.

    Another reason is, in some circumstances we would rather change quality than speed in response to a change in the ratio (model complexity / graphics performance).   My old, slow Chromebook has a smaller screen than my MacBook Pro.   It doesn't need as much detail in the rendered model.  What if in the next release we give my Chromebook a lower resolution model to render?  Then it could keep up with my Mac.  And any graphics advice we gave last month would be invalidated.

    Would you even notice a small resolution difference?  What our graphics developers consider horrible artifacts I hardly notice.

  • joe_dunnejoe_dunne Onshape Employees, Developers, csevp Posts: 198
    I have been using the Acer c720 to log into cad.onshape.com... It was the most inexpensive model I could find at our local computer store In 2013. works great for Onshape. 

    Here is the cool thing. Go to your local computer store and just log into your onshape account and try each model they have on display.... You can see for yourself how each performs.

    My experience is that low cost to hi costs hardware, makes far less difference in Onshape than tradition installed applications.

    Joe



    Joe Dunne / Onshape, Inc.
  • devon_sowelldevon_sowell Member Posts: 52 ✭✭
    Perusing online the Acer c720  is highly rated with used ones starting at $175 to new ones only $225. That sure beats the $2400 I paid for my SolidWorks laptop, nice
    Devon Sowell
    Engineering Consulting Partner
    Professor, Engineering Technology, Palomar College, San Marcos, CA
    sowelldevon@gmail.com
    760 809 9046
    CarlsbadCAD Carlsbad,CA
  • ales_1ales_1 Member Posts: 9 ✭✭
    I tryed OS on cheap ThinkPad E530 - Intel HD Graphics 3000 (2 years old) and open Sample - Lightweight CNC assy. Rotating with model is slow with delay. At work on workstation with nVidia GeForce K2000 - everything smooth.
  • Brian_1Brian_1 Member Posts: 5
    I went to BestBuy and tried a number of Chromebooks head to head. Yeah, the model load time took a bit due to the slow connection at the store but I was just interested in trying things once the model was loaded.

    I found that Chromebooks with real graphics worked best. I have an Acer CB5-311 with a Nvidia Tegra K1 chip in it and runs just fine ... $300. I tried ones with just an Intel graphics chip and OS didn't perform well.

    As Joe suggested, if you have the option to try out some Chromebooks at a store, do it.

    I've tried a number of graphics cards for OS and it does better with a good graphics card but nothing crazy. GeForce cards do well as do entry to mid-level Quadros (K600 or K2000, for example).

  • caradoncaradon OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 300 PRO
    Thought I'd let you guys know that I ordered a new MacBook Pro 13-inch. I wanted something like the Chromebook Pixel, but since it isn't available in Europe, the Macbook Pro seemed like the most sensible alternative...

    Dries
  • kylemoorekylemoore Member Posts: 5 ✭✭
    I am using onshape on both a work laptop (HP 8750w with nvidia quadro graphics card) and my 2008 hp 8510p running ubuntu 14.04 LTS with a Quadro FX 570M/PCIe/SSE2 graphics card with only 256 mb onboard.  I use just 4gb ram on the ubuntu laptop running chrome browser and I am amazed at how quick onshape runs.  It is a bit jerky especially with a large assembly but very workable. The whole onshape team should be happy that a laptop from 2008 can run onshape with very little problems.
  • lougallolougallo Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 2,001
    @kylemoore That is great to hear.  Thanks for sharing..
    Lou Gallo / PD/UX - Support - Community / Onshape, Inc.
  • caradoncaradon OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 300 PRO
    Btw, new Macbook Pro 13" is brilliant with Onshape.

    Dries
  • billy2billy2 Member, OS Professional, Mentor, Developers, User Group Leader Posts: 2,014 PRO
    That's what I have, I really like it. No moving parts and nothing to ware out. Did you get the retna display?
  • JPC204JPC204 Member, Developers Posts: 8
    sorry for bringing this thread back to life but wanted to ask a bit more about hardware

    kyle above says " I use just 4gb ram on the ubuntu laptop running chrome browser and I am amazed at how quick onshape runs.  It is a bit jerky especially with a large assembly but very workable."

    is onshape CPU or GPU bound when it comes to delivering the actual graphics stream in the browser? IE is it better to look for a computer for a better graphics card or CPU to have the best possible performance? this assumes most or all other actions are done "in the cloud"....

    thanks!
  • pete_yodispete_yodis OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 666 ✭✭✭
    @JPC204 I believe Onshape is ascertaining how well your device functions and offloading more or less to the local device based on how it's doing.  I think the cloud and local device are  melded and are automatically optimizing your experience.  That said, my guess would be to look for a device with decent graphics compute performance that supports WebGL quite well - Browser support of WebGL is important too - which is why Onshape won't run on IE at the moment.  I think the graphical data is being cached locally and manipulated as much as can be locally.  My bet (correct me if I'm wrong Onshape) would be that CPU won't be as important as GPU, because model creation/rebuild is being handled by the Onshape cloud system and graphics and view manipulation is largely being handled by your local device.  Maybe @John_F_Carr will set us straight.
  • JPC204JPC204 Member, Developers Posts: 8
    thanks for the input pete, will keep my eye on the thread for more info.

    an interesting test would be to run onshape through a remote desktop where there is no graphics support, that would be a true test!
  • 3dcad3dcad Member, OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 2,470 PRO
    What would be the best full HD $500 chromebook to replace laptop? I would like to give it a try..
    Quick search gave me ACNXMPRED008 13,3" Acer Chromebook with 4gb ram - I would like to have 8gb or more ram if the price is reasonable since I tend to collect a lot of tabs in my browser for reading later.. New Pixel is too expensive and I'm glad they don't ship to Finland (might be too tempting if they did)
    //rami
  • chris_aicherchris_aicher OS Professional, User Group Leader Posts: 23 PRO
    Has anybody tried running OS on a Chromebox?
    ASUS CHROMEBOX-M004U perhaps?
    http://www.amazon.com/Asus-CHROMEBOX-M004U-ASUS-Desktop/dp/B00IT1WJZQ

    Chris Aicher
    aicher@battleaxe.com
    Tigard, OR
  • 3dcad3dcad Member, OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 2,470 PRO
    edited April 2015
    Just begin testing with Acer Chromebook 13, Full HD, 4gb ram, $399 at amazon, 449€ in Finland

    At first glance everything seems to run just fine. Opened Porsche model from public and gave it a spin, works like a charm. 

    Only thing bothering (if not having external mouse) is turning model with two fingers pressed over touchpad since two finger press acts like RMB.
    Does anyone know any workaround to better use of the touchpad for turning model?

    //rami
  • lougallolougallo Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 2,001
    @3dcad This is going to be two finger click drag will be rotation.
    Lou Gallo / PD/UX - Support - Community / Onshape, Inc.
  • andrew_troupandrew_troup Member, Mentor Posts: 1,584 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2015
    @3dcad
    On my Chromebook, where the trackpad serves also as the mouse button, I do the initial two-finger, snakebite click (near the bottom LH corner of the pad) with an index finger from each hand. Then I can keep the pressure on with the left finger, which keeps the rotation feature "alive", so that I can use multiple swipes with the right finger until I have the desired orientation. Easier to do than to describe.

    ON EDIT:
    Even if you begin with a one-handed snakebite, you can change horses in midstream.
    The one-handed snakebite has to be near the bottom, because the hinge is at the top of the trackpad, otherwise you cannot hold the 'button' down.
    But once you are holding the pad down, which keeps rotation alive, it is no longer necessary to use two fingers. If you need more time or room at this point, you can bring in the left index finger to take over holding the button down, so your right finger can perform repeated swipes anywhere on the pad.
  • 3dcad3dcad Member, OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 2,470 PRO
    @Andrew_Troup  Hey, that's working. Needs some practise to get muscle memory on 2to1 finger turn.. Thanks for tips!

    //rami
  • lougallolougallo Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 2,001
    +1 on the "Snake bite click"
    Lou Gallo / PD/UX - Support - Community / Onshape, Inc.
  • andrew_troupandrew_troup Member, Mentor Posts: 1,584 ✭✭✭✭✭
    We might all end up concert pianists!
  • 3dcad3dcad Member, OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 2,470 PRO
    It's all good until we need six finger clicks =) 
    //rami
  • anthony_douglasanthony_douglas Member Posts: 10 ✭✭
    ok, so back in 2015?  My computer is doing 55 million triangles per second, and still having real issues just drawing a couple boxes.  I am trying to figure this out; if cheap chromebooks 2 years old were working ok for various assemblies with curves etc.  there has got to be something more to the picture here than insufficient horsepower of my ux305f laptop.
  • Jake_RosenfeldJake_Rosenfeld Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 1,646
    Hi Anthony,

    I'm sorry you're having trouble with graphics performance on your laptop.  There are a lot of factors in play with these kinds of issues, so your best bet may be contacting our support team from the '?' menu in a part studio. 
    Jake Rosenfeld - Modeling Team
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