The Oxygen GVX210 Graphics Accelerator User’s Guide TM 3Dlabs,® Inc. 480 Potrero Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408 - 530 - 4700 www.3dlabs.
Copyright 2000 by 3Dlabs, Inc. 3Dlabs, GLINT and Permedia are registered trademarks, and Oxygen and PowerThreads are trademarks of 3Dlabs, Inc. or 3Dlabs Inc. Ltd. Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel. OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc. Soft Engine is a trademark of Vibrant Graphics, Inc. AutoCAD is a registered trademark of AutoDesk Inc. Colorific is a registered trademark of E-Color, Inc. Microsoft and Windows NT are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation.
CONTENTS Introduction......................................................................................................................... v Welcome to 3Dlabs!......................................................................................................... vi System Requirements ................................................................................................... ix Software Partners ..................................................................................................
Online Information ........................................................................................................25 Appendix A - Specifications ................................................................................................26 Oxygen GVX210 Specifications......................................................................................26 Monitor Resolutions .......................................................................................................
INTRODUCTION
Introduction Welcome to 3Dlabs! ® ™ Thank you for selecting the 3Dlabs Oxygen GVX210 graphics accelerator card! Oxygen GVX210 delivers high-end geometry and rasterization graphics acceleration on a single AGP/AGP Pro card for the most demanding workstation professional. By integrating two 3Dlabs GLINT R3 rasterizers, the new generation GLINT Gamma G2 geometry processor and 64MB of memory on a single card, Oxygen GVX210 boosts the interactivity of huge models with a 256-bit memory bus.
Introduction Overview Your Oxygen GVX210 card has the following features: • Seamless Dual-head support Oxygen GVX210 supports dual high-resolution displays under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 from a single card, seamlessly supporting a total multi-monitor true-color desktop size of up to 4096 x 1536. • Dual GLINT R3 rasterization processors The dual GLINT R3 rasterization engines accelerate tasks like true-color shading, texture mapping, anti-aliasing, and transparency operations.
Introduction viii • 16, 24, and 32-bit linear Z-buffer The Z-buffer provides the highest level of depth-precision, even at the highest resolutions. • Full AGP sideband addressing Sideband addressing ensures high-performance 3D acceleration through the advanced features of the AGP bus. • SoftEngine AutoCAD support SoftEngine enhances AutoCAD R12, R13, R14, and LT performance by up to four times on Windows NT systems.
Introduction System Requirements Your system needs a minimum of the following features in order to support Oxygen GVX210: • Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon or compatible, 166 MHz system • Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 or later or Windows 2000 or Windows 98* operating system. (The Windows 2000 driver will be available on www.3dlabs.com shortly after introduction.
Introduction Software Partners Your Oxygen GVX210 card and drivers are designed to optimize the performance of a variety of software applications, several of which are listed below. Many of these applications are also tuned to the Oxygen GVX210 to further improve the performance that you will see when using the card, drivers, and application together. For the most current information about applications support, testing, and certification status, please visit www.3dlabs.com.
CHAPTER 1 - INSTALLATION
Installation Getting Ready To successfully use your new Oxygen GVX210 card, you must install the card and the accompanying driver software. Whether you install your new card or the driver first depends on whether a video card is already present in your system. If there is a video card in your system: Uninstall the drivers for the existing card, then install the Oxygen driver. Once the new driver is loaded, remove the old card and install your Oxygen GVX210 card.
Installation Installing Hardware Your Oxygen GVX210 card will work in either AGP or AGP Pro compatible systems. Check the documentation for your system to locate the AGP or AGP Pro expansion slot(s). To remove an old card from your system 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Make sure you have uninstalled any old drivers and installed the Oxygen driver in their place. Turn off and unplug the power source for your system and each of its peripherals. Unplug the monitor cable from the old card.
Installation 3. Locate the AGP or AGP Pro slot you are going to use and remove its slot cover. 4. Attach the anti-static strap to your wrist, and attach the other end to a bare, conductive (as opposed to painted or sticker-covered) area of your system’s chassis. Remove the card from its anti-static packaging. Write down the serial number for registration and future use. Align the connector on the Oxygen GVX210 card over the AGP or AGP Pro expansion slot and seat it firmly. 5. 6.
Installation 7 8 Remove the anti-static strap and replace the cover on your system. Connect the video cable from your monitor to one of the video connectors on the card. If you are connecting only one monitor, you must use the connector labeled #1. VGA monitor connector #1 VGA monitor connector #2 Stereo connector 9. Oxygen GVX210 supports multi-monitor functionality on one card for Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000. If you want to attach a second monitor, connect the second monitor to connector #2.
Installation Installing Software The Oxygen Product CD-ROM for the Oxygen GVX210 includes Oxygen PowerThreads video driver software, which lets you set image quality and performance preferences for your card. It also includes the Soft Engine AutoCAD accelerator and productivity tool package, and Colorific screen-to-print color matching software.
Installation Registering Oxygen GVX210 When you register your Oxygen GVX210 card you: • Activate your warranty • Receive notification of software updates • Qualify for technical support You can complete the registration card and return it to us in the mail, or register on-line once your hardware and software installations are complete. (You must have Internet access to register on-line.) 1. 2. 3. Open your Internet browser. Go to http://www.3dlabs.
CHAPTER 2 - SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION
Software Configuration The Oxygen GVX210 Driver The OxygenGVX210 driver software lets you optimize the working relationship between your card, your system and your applications. The 3Dlabs Display Control Panel allows you to customize and create driver settings. The Taskbar based Configuration Manager provides quick and convenient access to most of the Display Control Panel features, and allows you to quickly switch between alternative driver settings.
Software Configuration The Display Control Panel When you first click the 3Dlabs tab in the Display Control Panel, this introductory page appears: It provides software version and basic hardware specifications, and a point-of-entry to the full set of Oxygen driver customization tools. Click the Advanced button for access to these panels: Information Setup Direct3D (Windows 98 and Windows 2000 only) OpenGL Support Monitor (Windows NT only) The following sections describe each in detail.
Software Configuration Information Screen The Information screen provides in-depth information about your selected (or the default) settings, as well as detailed hardware, software, and Direct3D specifications. This information can be especially useful if you should need to contact technical support about your Oxygen GVX210 card.
Software Configuration Setup Screen The Setup screen lets you configure settings that are not specifically related to Direct3D or OpenGL. If there are two monitors connected to the Oxygen GVX210 card, the Window Manager option appears on the Setup screen. You can enable (check) and disable (uncheck) the 3Dlabs multi-monitor Windows Manager, which requires a system restart.
Software Configuration Direct3D Support Screen The Direct3D Support screen controls Direct3D application specific driver settings for Oxygen GVX210 Windows 98 and Windows 2000 users, and lets you create your own settings. When the panel first appears, the Defaults, Add New and Remove Settings buttons, as well as the Advanced Options section, are hidden. They appear when you click the Advanced button.
Software Configuration For best performance this option should only be enabled for applications that will not operate correctly otherwise. Disable Direct3D Gamma Controls lets you turn off DirectX gamma control if you experience an extremely dark screen, potentially caused by an application’s use of an incorrect default. Gamma adjustment for this application affects the entire screen display.
Software Configuration OpenGL Support Screen This screen controls OpenGL-application-specific driver settings and enables you to create your own settings. When the panel initially appears the New and Remove Settings buttons, as well as the Advanced Options section, are hidden. They appear when you click the Advanced button at the top of the screen. Click Driver is optimized for application to reach a drop down list of applications, then select the one you want to use.
Software Configuration Wait for Vblank lets you determine whether the OpenGL driver will attempt to synchronize screen updates to the vertical blanking interval. Smooth animation of 3D applications can be achieved by rendering (drawing) to an off-screen window/ desktop-sized color buffer and copying or swapping the contents to the displayable front buffer at the completion of each frame. Visible “tearing” can occur if Wait for VBlank is not selected.
Software Configuration Monitor Screen These two panels allow Windows NT and Windows 2000 users to specify a monitor type and display the available settings, but they do not permit the actual selection of different monitor modes. To select modes, click the Settings tab at the top of the Display Properties panel. A second monitor tab appears when two monitors are connected to the GVX210 card.
Software Configuration Configuring Multiple Monitors If your operating system is Windows NT or Windows 2000, you can configure your system to support two nd monitors by clicking the Enable 2 Monitor Output checkbox on the Setup screen of the 3Dlabs Display Control Panel. (Dual-monitor support is not available for Windows 98.) To configure a second monitor 1. In the Display Properties Control Panel, click the Settings tab. 2. Click List All Modes. 3.
Software Configuration 6. 7. Click OK if you saw the test bitmap correctly. In the Display Properties Control Panel, click OK. Your second Oxygen GVX210 card is now configured for dual monitor mode. Using the Window Manager The 3Dlabs Window Manager provides enhanced control over the positioning of windows and dialog boxes in multi-monitor systems. When running in single monitor mode, the Window Manager is disabled.
Software Configuration Configuring your Oxygen GVX210 Card for Stereo Viewing The Oxygen GVX210 card supports 3D stereo viewing. This requires that the appropriate equipment such as stereo glasses be connected to the 3-pin miniature DIN connector on the Oxygen GVX210 card. It is recommended that you use a monitor with a screen refresh frequency of at least 100 Hertz. In addition, it is recommended that you turn off fluorescent lighting before viewing stereo images to prevent a possible headache.
Software Configuration 5. In the OpenGL Support screen, click Advanced. 6. 7. 8. 9. Click the checkbox to the right of Stereo View Support to select it. Click Apply and then click OK. In the Display Settings Control Panel, click the Settings tab. Click List All Modes. 10. Select a screen refresh frequency of 100 Hertz or higher and then click OK. If you are using a DDCtype monitor, modes with suitably high refresh rates should be available in the List of Valid Modes.
Software Configuration 11. On the Display Properties Panel, click Test. This tests the new mode on the monitor screen for five seconds. 12. Click OK to test the new mode. 13. Click OK if you saw the test bitmap correctly. 14. In the Display Properties Control Panel, click OK. Your Oxygen GVX210 card is now configured for stereo viewing.
CHAPTER 3 - TROUBLESHOOTING
Troubleshooting Troubleshooting If you have trouble using your Oxygen GVX210 card or a 3D application, you may find the answer to your problem in the following sections. Always start your problem- solving efforts with the simplest solution and work up to the more complex ones. Monitors and Display Resolutions Question: My monitor is either blank, or the displayed image is distorted, scrambled or smaller than I expected.
Troubleshooting 5. Shut down, remove your old graphics card, and reinstall your Oxygen card. 6. Make sure that you are not using an old graphics board driver, and that you have uninstalled any other graphics drivers — particularly those provided by other companies using 3Dlabs chipsets. 7. Please see the Oxygen and Permedia System Integration Guide in the Troubleshooting FAQ section at http://www.3dlabs.com/support 8. You may need to update your system BIOS.
APPENDIX A - SPECIFICATIONS Oxygen GVX210 Specifications Item Specification Card size Full-length ATX form factor, single slot AGP and AGP Pro compatible 18.
Software License APPENDIX B - SOFTWARE LICENSE 3Dlabs Oxygen GVX210 User's Guide 27
Software License SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT THIS IS A LEGAL CONTRACT BETWEEN YOU, THE END USER, AND 3DLABS, INC. BY USING THE SOFTWARE ACCOMPANYING THIS GUIDE OR PRE- INSTALLED ON YOUR SYSTEM, YOU ARE ACCEPTING AND AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT.
Software License Limited Warranty 3Dlabs, Inc. warrants that the SOFTWARE AND FEATURES licensed to you under this AGREEMENT will perform in accordance with 3Dlabs, Inc. published specifications for use on the same operating system as used by you at the time of purchase of the SOFTWARE or the system on which the SOFTWARE is initially mounted or installed (WARRANTY) for a period of ninety (90) days after the date of delivery to you as evidenced by your receipt (WARRANTY PERIOD).
Software License General This AGREEMENT will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of California without regard to conflicts of law principles or the UN Convention on the Sale of Goods.
APPENDIX C - REGULATORY STATEMENTS
Regulary Statements Declaration of Conformity We, 3Dlabs, Incorporated, 480 Potrero Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Phone 408-530-4700 Fax 408-530-4701 United States of America declare under our sole responsibility that the product 3Dlabs Oxygen GVX210 to which this declaration relates are in conformance with the following standards: EN 55024:1998, clause 4.2.1 EN 55024:1998, clause 4.2.2 EN 55024:1998, clause 4.2.3 EN 55024:1998, clause 4.2.3.2 EN 55024:1998, clause 4.2.
APPENDIX D - GLOSSARY
Glossary Terms and Definitions AGP Advanced Graphics Port. A dedicated graphics bus that transfers data at significantly higher speeds than the PCI bus. Alpha Blending This means to create transparent objects by allowing for the blending of pixels to simulate the transparency characteristics of an object. With alpha information, an object can be designed from being totally transparent to opaque.
Glossary Depth Cueing A technique used to give the illusion of depth. With depth cueing, the part of an object that is farther away is displayed with a lower intensity to give the effect of depth. Digital Flat Panel Display A digital, flat-panel display uses a digital (instead of analog) cable connection to transfer data to the display screen. This can eliminate some display artifacts. Flat panel displays occupy less desk space than conventional monitors.
Glossary Geometry The intermediate stage of the 3D pipeline, geometry determines the location of the object and the frame of reference of the viewer in relation to the object. Gouraud Shading This method of shading, more complex than flat shading, shows subtle color changes across an object. Gouraud Shading is accomplished by adding pixels in a graduated scale of colors.
Glossary Point Sampling The basic method of adding texture to an object. Point sampling does not include any filtering of textures. RAMDAC The final component in the graphics subsystem that translates a digital image into an analog representation. Rasterization A method to fill in colors for all pixels bound by vertices. Rendering The final and most rigorous stage in the 3D pipeline where an object undergoes shading, texturing, etc. RISC Reduced Instruction Set Computing.
Glossary Texture Mapping A technique that enables 2D graphic images to be “wrapped” around or “pasted” on to a 3D primitive. Perspective correction and lighting calculations allow for added realism. Transformation The change in rotation, size, position, and perspective of an object in 3D space. Transparency A function that refers to the rendering of transparent (non-opaque) objects.
INDEX 3D stereo viewing, 20 AGP, vi, viii, ix, 3, 4, 24, 26 AGP bus, viii AGP Pro, ix, 3, 4, 24, 26 AGP/AGP Pro expansion slot, ix API, 34, 35, 36 BIOS, 24, 25 Colorific, viii Configuration Manager, 9, 12, 13, 15, 24 Control Panels, viii DDC monitor, 17 Direct3D, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 24 Display Control Panel, 9, 10, 18, 24 Display Properties, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 DMA buffer, 15 Dual-head support, vii Dynamic load balancing, vii Gamma, vi, vii, 12, 14, 26, 35 Gamma Adjustment, 12 geometry processing, vii G
