Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site

New Feature: SMS Notification alert

New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist

FM Forums | Post-processing & Printing | Join Upload & Sell

Screen sharing with Mac ...

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

Does anyone have any experience with using screen share on a Macbook and either a Mac Mini or Studio.

Thinking about the new 15" Macbook Air, but it lacks some horsepower. Wondering if using screen share with with a desktop unit would let me have the form factor of the laptop, with the power of the desktop (when needed).

And, yes I know I could just get a Macbook Pro / Max. But, the 15" form factor is ergonomic Goldilocks for me, and it isn't offered yet with MBP performance.

NOTE: I've purchased BOTH a 16" and a 14" MBP, so I've already been down that road ... if I KNEW that a 15" MBP was coming to market in the fall, I'd likely wait. Apple's "next carrot" keeps extending things for me. That, and if I combine the Laptop with Desktop, synchronized files could be a benefit for backup strategy

Thoughts

I have a 13" Mac Air (different family member) that I could use to try out the screen share function (iPad Pro also) with a Studio or Mini, if I picked up one of their desktops (which would essentially be like using it as a server / client relationship).

Wondering if I want to go ahead a get the 15" Air and find out how "restrictive" it is for my workflow, or get a desktop and try out using a lightweight laptop with it and find out how the interface between them is?

Work demands are NO VIDEO, just typical "large" PS with filters, layers and photomerges, etc.

Of course with a 14 & 16 MBP, coupled with a 13 & 15 Air ... they may have their long game set and NEVER bring a 15 MBP to market.

Jul 22, 2023 at 11:55 AM

rscheffler
Online
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

So what you want to do is photo editing on the desktop's software to take advantage of its horsepower but control/do the edits via screen sharing on the 15" laptop?

I use screen sharing a lot across a few Macs but it's generally to keep an eye on a process running on one when I'm in a different room (or in bed and don't want to get up

). I haven't used it for 'real' photo editing where things would be color critical. I have not tested to see if color management is maintained this way. Things can sometimes be slightly laggy or the screen will look a bit lower resolution if there's a bit of bandwidth problem on the network (my assumption). You'd probably be doing this over wifi for the convenience but I feel it works better when everything is via ethernet. It's also a bit inconvenient if there is a huge resolution difference between the display resolutions of the two devices. If the remote is low res, it will be a small window on the laptop. If the laptop is lower res, you'll be scrolling around the remote's view, unless you set it to show the entire screen, which then would make everything look smaller (you could modify the remote's display resolution to more closely match that of the laptop's).

BTW, you can do this with a 'headless' desktop unit (without a monitor), you just need an HDMI terminator (display emulator) plug.

Do you still have both MBPs? You could set it up with both of those to test, since it doesn't really matter if the remote is a laptop or a desktop. If it works, then perhaps you could ditch the 14" and get the 15" Air.

Jul 22, 2023 at 05:29 PM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

rscheffler wrote:
So what you want to do is photo editing on the desktop's software to take advantage of its horsepower but control/do the edits via screen sharing on the 15" laptop?

That's the gist of it.

Thanks for the input Ron.

I don't think the Ethernet is an option with the Air, but I could still be hardwired via TB4, instead of wifi speeds. Mostly, I do not use a desk, so I do not have any place for a monitor (except my laptop) with a desktop unit (i.e. curious about headless, w/emulator).

Proximity can be within an arms reach or so ... so Bluetooth / Air might be viable, too if speeds aren't too laggy. Coming from the i5 8400H, and a small dedicated GPU, so my performance already gets laggy right now (i.e. certain 4-5 seconds for editing updates) with my larger file sizes that have outgrown my rig. I'd imagine the performance gains would more than offset the sharing lag. Just trying to get a vibe for if that's an option ... should I need to go down that path, if I pick up the 15 Air.

I don't have the 14 / 16 MBP's anymore ... was waiting to see if the new 15 would be MBP flavor, or Air only flavor. Of course, since I wanted the more robust MBP, they only released the Air.

Jul 22, 2023 at 10:33 PM

OntheRez
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

When I set my MacBook Air next to my iMacPro, they automatically connect (option to ignore) so not quite sure what the problem is. 13.4 (Ventura).

Jul 23, 2023 at 10:16 AM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

OntheRez wrote:
When I set my MacBook Air next to my iMacPro, they automatically connect (option to ignore) so not quite sure what the problem is. 13.4 (Ventura).

I'm assuming that's the "Airdrop" or similar bluetooth type connection.

When you EDIT / PROCESS your files while on the MacBook Air ... are (can) you using the processors in your iMacPro (via the MBA keyboard / touchpad)? Or, are you still using the hardware in your MBA, just pulling files from the iMP?

In other words, if the MBA isn't enough horsepower (now or later), can I hitch more horses with the Studio (or Pro) to the MBA (and still drive from the MBA)?

Jul 23, 2023 at 10:42 AM

Abbott Schindl
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

RustyBug wrote:
When you EDIT / PROCESS your files while on the MacBook Air ... are (can) you using the processors in your iMacPro (via the MBA keyboard / touchpad)? Or, are you still using the hardware in your MBA, just pulling files from the iMP?

In other words, if the MBA isn't enough horsepower (now or later), can I hitch more horses with the Studio (or Pro) to the MBA (and still drive from the MBA)?

I'm pretty sure that it depends on which machine has your source files. If the files AND the pp program are on the iMac Pro and you're screen sharing from your MBA, then the processing will be done on the iMac and you can "drive" from the MBA.

If the files are on the iMac and the pp program is on your MBA, then screen sharing won't cut it because the MBA (where the processing happens) has to keep going (via network) to the iMac for data.

If both the files and pp software are on the MBA, then I don't think screen sharing buys you anything at all.

It sounds like what you want to do is have your photos AND processing software on the iMac before you start your processing job. If the photos start out on your MBA and you intend to process them using the iMac (via screen sharing or whatever), then you'll need to first copy the photo files to the iMac. Alternately, you could mount the MBA's "Photos" volume on the iMac (I'd recommend Ethernet rather than WiFi) and either copy the photos to your iMac (if that's where you want them), or point your pp software at the MBA and have it work the files "remotely" (slower, but you don't have to move the source files).

What I do (I have a MBP and an older MP with dual monitors and other goodies): 2 ways:
- Store source files on a portable SSD and move the SSD between the 2 machines. Of course I also synchronize the SSD with a MP-based SSD regularly.
- Again using the removable SSD, transfer the files to the MP's "main library" disk and then work on it.

Jul 23, 2023 at 11:00 AM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

Abbott Schindl wrote:
I'm pretty sure that it depends on which machine has your source files. If the files AND the pp program are on the iMac Pro and you're screen sharing from your MBA, then the processing will be done on the iMac and you can "drive" from the MBA.

Ah-ha moment. files AND the pp program are on the iMac Pro

Thanks.

I've also got a LaCie One Dock 10TB that I can park the files on and can always pick up an external SSD to shuttle etc. ... but, the salient point is that it sounds like I can drive the desktop from another device, should I need to go down that path.

Jul 23, 2023 at 03:31 PM

rscheffler
Online
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

On my hodgepodge prior Mac system I had an old 2010 iMac 27" that had limited internal storage and the fastest interface for external drives was FireWire 800, but finding enclosures or docks that supported FireWire was becoming difficult. Instead I took an old 13" 2011 MacBook Pro that had Thunderbolt but only USB 2 (like the iMac), attached it to a TB dock and in turn attached a USB 3 multi-bay enclosure to turn the MBP into a file server. I would have skipped the MBP file server if the iMac had TB, but unfortunately it did not (in hindsight I probably should have just bought a used one with TB).

For years I processed images served by the MBP to Lightroom on the old iMac. This was over 1Gb ethernet and it worked perfectly. In theory, I could access those files from a third system and do edits there, too, so long as the changes are saved to the files (if DNGs) or the sidecar XMPs before each system switch, and updated on the current system's LR catalog before resuming editing, though edit history from one system won't carry over to the other, I believe.

I think with editing via screen sharing the question of color management should be answered before committing to it.

For using a headless desktop, just search HDMI display emulator on Amazon and you'll see a ton of dongle options. It's cheap and easy. Prior to the 2011 MBP above, I used a Mini as a headless file server with one of these dongles and managed it via screen sharing.

Jul 24, 2023 at 01:50 AM

Abbott Schindl
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

rscheffler wrote:
I think with editing via screen sharing the question of color management should be answered before committing to it.

Excellent point. I've always assumed that if the screen you're using (i.e. the display you're working on) is calibrated, ColorSync would take care of things and you should be fine. But I don't recall ever seeing that addressed in Apple or other docs.

There's also the question of color space, which should be the same on both machines (assuming that you expect images edited via screen sharing to look virtually the same when viewed directly on the iMac).

Jul 24, 2023 at 09:08 AM

OntheRez
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

Haven't specifically checked but it appears to me that only the windows I bring over work on the Air. Speed of Ps seems the same as without the Air. Now if Apple would just build a program that would harness both processors! Yeah, Real soon now.

Jul 24, 2023 at 10:13 AM

OntheRez
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

Jul 24, 2023 at 10:14 AM

Gregory Edge
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

I use screen sharing all the time. Not for photos but I have a Plex server on one Mac mini and I transcode media on another Mac mini. Both of them are dead headed and I work them from my desktop mini.

All 3 are plugged in via Ethernet. The two deadheaded Minis live in my server rack in the basement.

Works fine. I am not sure how color rendition is but as far as working them it is fine.

Jul 24, 2023 at 10:47 AM

RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Screen sharing with Mac ...

Thanks for the continued input.

As to the color issues ... if the MBA is the only display (i.e. headless for Studio), there shouldn't be any visual conflict.

Seems like so far, most folks are taking about connection via Ethernet ... what about direct connection between devices via Thunderbolt?

Jul 25, 2023 at 01:11 AM


FM Forums \| Post-processing & Printing \| Join Upload & Sell

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.