Launch Flame on Mac from a Terminal

[andymilkis]

Just trying to solve muscle memory problems . I’m so used to reaching for the esc key on linux.

[greg]

I don’t think you can change it in Terminal but iTerm lets you change hotkeys so it might let you. Haven’t tried it myself yet though

iTerm2 - macOS Terminal Replacement

[andymilkis]

Thanks!

[dave]

having a quirk with my Wacom tablet after launching from the terminal and wondering if others have or know a work around.
I had my Wacom mapped to use a single monitor for the screen area when using Flame in the Wacom preferences. Works how it should when launching Flame from the App folder.
When I launch Flame using the terminal command, it’s almost like the Wacom doesn’t see it as the same app and the mapping preference for the screen area doesn’t stick to the monitor that’s selected.
Has anyone else run into that with launching from the terminal?

[randy]

Hmm…is it possible that you have multiple versions of Flame installed on your machine?

[dave]

at one point I had 2020.3 and 2021.1 on my machine, but uninstalled them both. Now I only have 2021.2 installed. though, when I set up the flame terminal command, I did noticed there was still a folder for both those old versions in the /opt/Autodesk folder. Not a lot in them, seems like a few leftover files.

[randy]

Okay. Long shot. Open the Autodesk Flame Setup App. I’d check there that single ui is checked, and, in Flame Preferences / Input, does it say use OS settings?

[vkastrup]

A little late to the party, but a while back I made a flame launcher for Mac, which also has a debug/log window running in the background, so a bit like the linux experience.
It is available right here: RGBa
The content needs to be modified to match the version you want to launch.
Luckily that is easy.

1. unzip
2. right click the app and select “show package contents”
3. go to contents/resources and open the file “script” with a text editor.
4. modify the version part of the path (/opt/Autodesk/flame_xxxx.x/bin/flame.app/Contents/MacOS/startApplication)
5. save

[dave]

I do have the “use OS settings” selected. but I can’t seem to find where the single ui preference is in the flame setup app. which tab should I see it in?
side note, in there it does still have a drop down for the old versions that used to be installed. so I guess it does think there are multiple copies of flame.

[randy]

Oh dear…is my memory failing? Isn’t it on the 1st page? Single Screen UI or something like that? Towards the bottom? @Cory_Davis

[dave]

I found “Single Monitor Keyword” in the manual edit, but nothing in the GUI

[Cory_Davis]

sorry, late to the party and trying to make sure i’m answering correctly. I know there is an option under General/Media Panel/Display on 2nd Monitor that should be off if you only use one monitor. I feel like there is a click box in the flame setup app that controls the preference for one or two monitors. i’ll poke around in there and see what i can find.

[randy]

Okay then Flame doesn’t realize you have 2 monitors then. Something else is up. And, long shot, you are certain that flame via applications and flame via terminal is the same version?

[johnag]

To see that tick box item in the flame setup utility your OS system settings / notifications needs to be configured without spaces on seperate displays:

Then you will see the option come up in the flame setup utility AFTER you logout and in again.

[dave]

thanks for all the help trying to figure this it out!

Terminal is pointing to the correct version of the app, but the Flame setup tool sees all the ones that “aren’t installed” so I dunno if there is lingering things from the old versions effecting stuff?

I had no idea about the mission control stuff and letting flame see and use dual monitors! I might not need to keep the Wacom restricted to one screen anymore anyway, haha.

I’ll play around a bit more, it almost seems like it’s a Wacom thing vs flame thing. Seems something about launching it from the terminal it doesn’t see the app the same way.

[PlaceYourBetts]

@johnag At the top of this thread @randy explains it beautifully.

I do it slightly differently because I launch Flame via startApplication so that I can have the same code injected into Flame on every launch.

/opt/Autodesk/flame_2020.3.1/bin/startApplication

It is possible to add snippets of code to this “Unix Executable File”. I use this method to set my DL_OPENEXR_COMPRESSION environment variable. This isn’t relevant now that we can choose what type of compression we get from our write nodes but it was a way of forcing PIZ compression on my EXR renders.

You don’t have to change anything to have it work. It will just launch flame for you but keep a terminal open showing you all of the print out and error messages as they happen.

Anyways since I am just running startApplication each time, I have made an alias on the desktop and I have given it the Flame icon and you can rename it from startApplication alias.

I just run startApplication by double clicking this icon on my desktop.