Differences

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--- troubleshooting [2026/07/21 21:28] – Michael Böhme
+++ troubleshooting [2026/07/22 20:09] (current) – Michael Böhme
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 ===== General =====
-===== Windows =====
+==== Severe performance drop or slowdown in full-screen mode ====
-==== shapeXT closes immediately after launch (Intel Arc Graphics) ====
+  * **Symptom:** shapeXT becomes noticeably sluggish when entering full-screen mode or running at high display resolutions.
-  * **Symptom:** You launch ''shapeXT.exe'', the main window briefly flashes with a white background, and then immediately closes/crashes.
+  * **Cause:** Running at full-screen (especially on high-resolution displays like 1440p or 4K) significantly increases GPU memory (VRAM) consumption. Because shapeXT uses multiple render buffers alongside multi-sample anti-aliasing, the default setting (**4xMSAA + FXAA**) can exceed your graphics card's available VRAM. When VRAM fills up, the driver swaps memory to system RAM, causing a steep performance drop.
-  * **Cause:** This is a known bug in the current beta (**v2026.06.0**) related to Vulkan initialization on systems using integrated **Intel Arc** graphics.
+  * **Solution:** Try the following steps to reduce VRAM usage:
-  * **Solution:** I am currently investigating this hardware-specific issue. A fix will be provided in an upcoming update.
+    * **Option 1: Reduce Anti-Aliasing (Recommended)**
+      - Go to the menu bar and select **Options -> Anti-Aliasing**.
+      - Change the setting to **FXAA** (or **Off**). FXAA is a post-processing filter that provides clean edge smoothing without requiring additional VRAM.
+      - If your GPU has moderate VRAM headroom, you can also test intermediate options like **2xMSAA + FXAA** to balance visual quality and performance.
+        {{ :aa.png?nolink&209 }}
+    * **Option 2: Reduce the Transparency Alpha Buffer Size (Not Recommended)**
+      - By default, shapeXT reserves **1024 MiB (1 GB)** of VRAM for Order-Independent Transparency (OIT) to correctly render complex overlapping molecular/crystal structures.
+      - Open the configuration file located at ''Config/Vulkan.toml'' in the shapeXT main folder with a text editor.
+      - Locate the ''AlphaBufferSize'' parameter and lower its value (e.g., to ''512'' MiB):
+      - **Note:** Lowering this buffer frees up significant VRAM, but if the buffer becomes too small, transparency effects may exhibit rendering artifacts.
+===== Windows =====
 ==== Verifying Vulkan Support ====
@@ Line 23: / Line 34: @@
     - If it is not checked, please download and install the latest graphics drivers directly from your GPU manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel).
+==== shapeXT closes immediately after launch (Intel Arc Graphics, FIXED) ====
+  * **Symptom:** You launch ''shapeXT.exe'', the main window briefly flashes with a white background, and then immediately closes/crashes.
+  * **Cause:** This is a known bug in the current beta version (**v2026.06.0**) related to Vulkan initialization on systems using integrated **Intel Arc** graphics.
+  * **Solution:** A fix was provided in version **v2026.06.1**.
 ===== macOS =====
@@ Line 29: / Line 43: @@
 ==== Application fails to launch ====
   * **Symptom:** shapeXT cannot be opened, crashes immediately, or macOS displays an architecture/compatibility warning.
-  * **Cause:** shapeXT has been highly optimized for modern Mac hardware and **only supports Apple Silicon chips** (M-series).
+  * **Cause:** shapeXT has been optimized for modern Mac hardware and **only supports Apple Silicon chips** (M-series).
   * **Solution:** Older **Intel-based Macs are not supported**. To run shapeXT, you need a Mac with an Apple Silicon processor. You can verify your processor by clicking the Apple Logo in the top-left menu bar and selecting **About This Mac**.