Mac M1 Load OBJ Nothing Happens

[nightshining]

Mac M1 15.7.4
Built with older CMAKE, app opens but GLFW issues, can't load up an OBJ

Running in GUI mode, start with -h for instructions on batch mode.
GLFW error 65544: Cocoa: Failed to retrieve display name
GLFW error 65544: Cocoa: Failed to retrieve display name
Compiling shaders .. done. (took 17.0ms)
Unable to load image data: Could not open image directory!
UNSUPPORTED (log once): POSSIBLE ISSUE: unit 0 GLD_TEXTURE_INDEX_2D is unloadable and bound to sampler type (Float) - using zero texture because texture unloadable

[projectcad]

The owner doesnt help.

by the way,

Claude AI advises some.

instant_meshes_build_guide.pdf

And Gemini AI says,,

Compiling older OpenGL/GLFW-based projects like instant-meshes on an M1 (Apple Silicon) Mac frequently leads to these kinds of errors due to changes in Apple's graphics architecture. Let's analyze the log outputs you encountered step-by-step and look at the solutions:
Issue Analysis

1. GLFW error 65544: Cocoa: Failed to retrieve display name

Cause: This error occurs because the project uses an older, bundled version of GLFW (as a submodule), which struggles on newer macOS versions (especially Monterey and later) and Apple Silicon devices. Due to Apple's changes in their display APIs, this outdated GLFW version cannot retrieve the display name.

Impact: It is generally not a "critical" error that causes the application to crash, but it indicates that the windowing system isn't operating smoothly.

2. Unable to load image data: Could not open image directory!

Cause: The program cannot find the resource files (like icons or fonts) it needs to render the user interface (NanoGUI).

Impact: The interface fails to load properly. This error typically happens when the program is executed from the wrong working directory. The application searches for the resources folder relative to its execution location.

3. UNSUPPORTED (log once): POSSIBLE ISSUE: unit 0 GLD_TEXTURE_INDEX_2D is unloadable...

Cause: This is a combination of macOS's limited OpenGL support on M1 (which relies on translation via Metal) and the previous error. Because the resource files from the second error are missing, the program tries to send an "empty" or "unloaded" texture to the GPU while drawing the interface. The macOS OpenGL driver doesn't support this state and throws a warning.

Impact: This is highly likely the reason why you cannot load an OBJ file or why the interface might appear black or corrupted.

Solution Steps

To overcome these issues, you will need to make a few updates to your build environment and the codebase:

Step 1: Fix the Working Directory

First, let's resolve the interface (image directory) loading issue. When running the application in the terminal, ensure you are executing it from the root directory or pointing to the correct path.
If you are inside the build folder, try running the application like this:
Bash

./instant-meshes ../

Alternatively, if you are in the project's root directory, ensure the resources folder is accessible. Many OpenGL-related drawing errors resolve themselves once these resources are successfully loaded.

Step 2: Update the GLFW Version

instant-meshes uses nanogui, which bundles an outdated glfw. You need to update this to an M1-compatible version. You can update the submodule by opening your terminal in the project's root directory and running:
Bash

cd ext/nanogui/ext/glfw
git fetch origin
git checkout 3.3.8 # or you can checkout the current master branch
cd ../../../../

After updating, delete everything inside your build folder (rm -rf *), reconfigure the project with CMake from scratch, and rebuild it.

Step 3: Ensure a Native ARM64 Build

Make sure CMake is compiling the project natively for Apple Silicon (arm64) and not falling back to Rosetta 2 (x86_64). When running CMake in your build folder, append the architecture flag:
Bash

cmake -DCMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES=arm64 ..
make -j4

Would you like to try applying these steps and running the project again? If the error messages change or if you encounter a different TBB/C++ mismatch during the new compilation phase, we can look at the new logs together.

[nightshining]

Thanks, actually for users having issues with the mac UI as above, you can just run it in terminal:

1. open terminal
2. cd "to the build path"
3. run the following command

./Instant\ Meshes ~/Desktop/input.obj -o ~/Desktop/output.obj