T h e O x y g e n TM R P M Graphics Accelerator U s e r ’s G u i d e 3Dlabs, Inc. 480 Potrero Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408 - 530 - 4700 www.3dlabs.
Copyright 1998, 3Dlabs, Inc. All rights reserved. 3Dlabs, GLINT, and the 3Dlabs logo are registered trademarks, and Oxygen and Power Threads are trademarks of 3Dlabs, Inc. Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel. OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc. Softimage and Softimage 3D are registered trademarks of Softimage, Inc. Microsoft and Windows NT are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation.
Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Welcome to 3Dlabs! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi Oxygen RPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Software Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Chapter 1 - Installation . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 4 - Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Terms and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Appendix A - Oxygen RPM Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Supported Resolutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Appendix B - Warranty and Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction
Welcome to 3Dlabs! Welcome to 3Dlabs! Thank you for selecting a 3Dlabs® Oxygen™ RPM 3D graphics accelerator card! Oxygen delivers a high-performance power boost to the complex 3D graphics applications running on Windows NT systems. The huge design files – with millions of triangles – created with these applications can challenge even multipleprocessor systems.
System Requirements and ensures seamless acceleration of even single-threaded 3D applications. • 1,600 x 1,200 true-color maximum resolution RPM supports true color resolutions from 800x600 up to 1,600x1,200 at a variety of refresh rates. • Dual monitor support The dual RAMDACs let you drive two monitors from a single Oxygen RPM card, delivering seamless performance across one 2,048 x 768 (maximum resolution) desktop.
Software Partners Software Partners Your Oxygen RPM card has been tested with a variety of graphics software packages, several of which are listed below. As testing continues and performance optimizations are made, the results and techniques are posted on the 3Dlabs, as well as the appropriate software partner’s, web site. Software Application Web Site Address 3D Studio MAX http://www.ktx.com Lightscape http://www.lightscape.com LightWave 3D http://www.newtek.com Maya http://www.aw.sgi.
Chapter 1 - Installation
Getting Ready Getting Ready The order in which you install your new card and driver software depends on whether a video card is already present in your system. If there is a video card in your system: Install the drivers first. Once the drivers are loaded, remove the old card and install the Oxygen RPM card. The driver installation instructions begin on page 6.
Installing Hardware ➤ To install your Oxygen RPM card Turn off and unplug the power source for your system and each of its peripherals, if you have not already done so. 2. Remove the cover from your system so you can access its AGP expansion slot. (See your system documentation for details.) 1.
Installing Hardware 3. Determine which slot you are going to use and remove its back panel cover. You must use an AGP slot: AGP cards will not fit in PCI slots. Attach the anti-static strap to your wrist, and attach the other end to a conductive metal (not painted or sticker-covered) area of your system’s chassis. 5. Remove the card from its anti-static packaging. Write down the serial number for registration and future use. 6. Place the card into the AGP slot, and seat it firmly.
Installing Hardware 8. Connect the video cable from your monitor to the primary monitor connector on the card. Oxygen RPM cards have primary and secondary monitor connectors. If you have a second monitor, you can connect its cable to the secondary monitor connector on the card. 9. Plug in and start up your system, including peripherals, and log in to Windows NT.
Installing Software Installing Software Your Oxygen RPM card includes driver software, which you must install and configure. This OpenGL driver allows your system to harness the acceleration potential of your Oxygen RPM card, as well as set image quality and performance preferences. This section describes the installation process for systems running the Windows NT 4.0 (or later) operating system.
Chapter 2 - Software Configuration
The Oxygen RPM Driver The Oxygen RPM Driver The Oxygen RPM driver allows you to balance image quality and performance for all your 3D applications, or optimize for a specific application. The Setup and OpenGL screens work together to bring you this flexibility. When you select Custom Settings on the Setup screen, you have control over each option on the OpenGL screen, in addition to the image quality/performance balance.
The Oxygen RPM Driver Setup Screen When you select one of the first three Applications options on the Setup screen, your choice affects any 3D application you run.
The Oxygen RPM Driver If you selected any other option and have one monitor connected to your card, click OK to close Display Properties and use your new settings. If you selected an option other than Custom and have two monitors connected to your card, click OpenGL in the Configuration box and select “Enable dualmonitor mode.” Click Apply to preview the setting, or OK to close Display Properties and use your new settings.
The Oxygen RPM Driver • • • • • Adjust for model imprecision eliminates distortion in your images by processing them at sub-pixel levels. Sub-pixel precision “catches” the pixels that may fall out between triangles, smoothing the jagged edges that distort a shape, but prioritizes image quality over acceleration. Use mip-mapping texture calculations allows texture calculation when requested by an OpenGL application.
C h a p t e r 3 - Tr o u b l e s h o o t i n g & Te c h n i c a l S u p p o r t
Troubleshooting Troubleshooting If you have trouble using your Oxygen RPM 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.
Systems and Networks Question: When I restart my system, an “Invalid Display Settings” message appears on-screen, followed by “The default display resolution has been temporarily used by the system.” Solution: Within a few seconds, the error messages should be replaced by a window that allows you to set a display resolution. Pick your preferred resolution from the list and you should get the sharp results you expected.
Reaching Technical Support Enter an unused address in the setup box (check your system documentation for a list of valid IRQ addresses) and click OK twice. The control panel will close and a restart prompt appears. 7. Click Yes to restart your system. 6. Solution: Question: You may need to reinstall or update your Ethernet driver. See your system or Ethernet adapter documentation for more information. I am experiencing intermittent system hangs, even though my system and Oxygen RPM card are new.
Chapter 4 - Glossary
Terms and Definitions Terms and Definitions AGP: Accelerated Graphics Port. AGP Sideband Addressing: A method of data transfer where the graphics controller can issue new addresses and requests simultaneously as data continues to move from previous requests on the main data/address wires. Alpha Blending: This means to create transparent objects by allowing for the blending of pixels to simulate the transparency characteristics of an object.
Terms and Definitions Dithering: The process of converting an image with a certain bit depth to one with a lower bit depth. Dithering enables the application to convert an image’s colors that it cannot display into two or more colors that closely resemble the original. Dithering works because the mind is tricked by the pattern of colors into thinking it’s a different color.
Terms and Definitions Gouraud Shading: This method of shading, more complex than flat shading, shows subtle color changes across an object. Gouraud Shading is accomplished by incrementally changing pixel color values smoothly from one vertex to another across the polygon. Graphics Accelerator Card: A graphics accelerator performs 3D functions in the hardware, thereby relieving the CPU of repetitive, complex and intensive calls. This results in enhanced performance and speed.
Terms and Definitions RAMDAC: The last component in the graphics subsystem pipeline that translates a digital image into an analog representation. This component contains a color table RAM and the DAC that converts digital signals to analog signals (see DAC). Rasterizer: A chip that controls the rasterization process. Rasterization: A method to fill in colors for all pixels bound by vertices. Refresh Frequency: The rate at which the monitor refreshes the screen. Generally quoted in Hz.
Terms and Definitions Transparency: A function that refers to the rendering of transparent (nonopaque) objects. Transparency is generally accomplished on a polygon rendering system using either screen-door transparency (stipple masking) or alpha blending. Trilinear Sampling: A process whereby texture mapping is done through filtering a group of texels sampled from the texel buffer in 3 dimensions. This technique is commonly used to sample texels from MIP-maps.
Appendix A - Oxygen RPM Specifications General Specifications Feature/Function Implementation Card size Full-length AGP Power requirement 0.25W @ 12V, 10W@ 5V, 15W @ 3.
Appendix B - Warranty and Licenses Three (3) Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty 3Dlabs warrants that the Product will be free from defects in materials and/or workmanship for a period of three (3) years from the date of purchase. During the warranty period, 3Dlabs will correct any defects in material or workmanship, or any failure of the product to conform to hardware specifications, at no-charge for in-house labor and materials. Shipping costs must be pre-paid by Buyer.
Software License Agreement Software License Agreement THIS IS A LEGAL CONTRACT BETWEEN YOU, THE END USER, AND 3DLABS, INC. BY USING THE SOFTWARE PACKAGE ACCOMPANYING THIS GUIDE OR PRE-INSTALLED ON YOUR SYSTEM, YOU ARE ACCEPTING AND AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE.
Software License Agreement Limited Liability NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION IN THIS LICENSE TO THE CONTRARY, 3Dlabs, Inc. OR ITS LICENSORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED, OR ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER OR NOT 3Dlabs, Inc. HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE OR LOSS. IN NO EVENT SHALL 3Dlabs, Inc. LIABILITY ARISING UNDER THIS LICENSE EXCEED THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU FOR THE SOFTWARE GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY.
Appendix C - 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™ RPM to which this declaration relates are in conformance with the following standards: EN55022:1987 EN50082-1:1992 IEC801-2:1984 IEC801-3:1984 IEC801-4:1987 following the provisions of the 89/336/EEC Directive. San Jose, California, September 30, 1998 3Dlabs, Inc.
dual . . . . . resolutions Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 O A anti-static procedures applications setup . . ..............2 ..............9 B back buffer copy mode . . . . . . . . . . . . bilinear sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . buffer sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 11 10 C control panel, display properties OpenGL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi, 8, 10 Oxygen RPM driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
