Apocalypse 5D Sonic Readme

VideoLogic Apocalypse 5D Sonic for Windows 95
November 11 1997

Contents

Introduction
Updates in this driver release
Installing the Apocalypse 5D Sonic hardware
Installing the Apocalypse drivers from the Apocalypse CD-ROM
Upgrading the drivers
Removing Apocalypse 5D Sonic
Hints and tips
Troubleshooting

Introduction

This file contains late-breaking information, detailed installation and removal instructions, hints and tips, system details and troubleshooting information for Apocalypse 5D Sonic.

The Apocalypse installer

Although this file gives instructions for manually installing the card, we strongly recommend that you install the software with the Apocalypse installer, as it is quicker, easier and more comprehensive than Windows Plug and Play. To use the Apocalypse installer, insert the Apocalypse CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive before installing the hardware. (If your Windows systems is set up to automatically run CD-ROMs, it will auto-play, otherwise run the file \autorun.exe on the CD-ROM.) Follow the on-screen instructions to install the card.

If you want to install the card using Windows Plug and Play, follow the instructions in this file.

Before you continue

Windows 95 build

Follow these instructions to find out which build of Windows 95 you are using before installing the hardware, then follow the instructions for that version when installing the software:

Click the Start button, point to Settings and click Control Panel.
Double-click the System icon to open the System Properties Window.
Click the General tab. The build number is located in the System section, under the ‘Microsoft Windows 95’ line.

Updates in this driver release

This section shows the changes in each driver release, up to this one. This means that if, for example, you are currently running 5D drivers that are earlier than v4.0.1, by installing the latest drivers, you will get the cumulative benefits of all the driver releases since then.

Version 4.3.4 of the GrafixStar – Apocalypse drivers

The following problems were fixed in v4.3.4:

General protection faults in Lotus 123 v5

Horizontal black bar on desktop on certain USB motherboards

1280x1204, 24-bit is no longer selectable on a 2MB card, to avoid display problems

AVI playback problems in 1152x864, 16-bit

Screen corruption with the Flying Windows screen saver on Pentium MMX systems

Black toolbars when running CorelDraw! in 24-bit modes

Background color corruption when running Lotus WordPro in 1024x768, 16-bit

Version 4.0.2 of the Apocalypse 5D Sonic drivers

The following has changed in v4.0.2:

Control for Dithering has been added to the Apocalypse page in the Display Properties

Version 4.0.1 of the Apocalypse 5D Sonic drivers

The following were changed in v4.0.1:

New method of translucency sorting. Translucency sorting could be set to ‘High Quality’ ‘Medium’ and ‘Fast sorting’ on a per-application basis

The Vertex Fog and Gouraud Specular Highlights 3D controls were added

The Apocalypse page in Display Properties was redesigned to give access to the new 3D controls and the translucency sorting. The PowerVR HAL and bi-linear control was now on a per-application basis.

430FX chipset problems with certain graphics cards were fixed

Performance increase.

Installing the Apocalypse 5D Sonic hardware

Software installation differs slightly depending upon which version of Windows you are running. You should check which build of Windows you are running before installing the hardware.

Disable on-board sound/joystick port in BIOS.

Before installing Apocalypse 5D Sonic in your computer, please remove your existing soundcard (remember to switch off your computer first) and uninstall the drivers for it. If you have on-board audio in your system, please disable the audio option in the BIOS setup of your motherboard. Refer to your motherboard’s user manual for instructions on how to disable on-board audio.

Switch off your computer, monitor, and any hardware devices such as printers connected to your computer. Leave the power cable connected to the power outlet so that your computer is grounded.

Warning: Always switch off your computer before removing the cover and observe the warnings specified in the manufacturer’s documentation.
Disconnect your monitor cable from your computer.
Remove the computer’s cover. You may need to refer to the documentation supplied with your computer for instructions on how to do this.
Remove your existing display card or disable your built-in graphics controller. Refer to the documentation supplied with your computer for instructions on how to disable a built-in graphics controller.
Locate an empty PCI bus expansion slot and remove the slot cover. Keep the screw, you will need it later to secure the card.
Touch the bare metal chassis of your computer with the back of your hand to discharge any static that may have built up on you or your clothes.
Align Apocalypse 5D Sonic with the slot you have chosen. Firmly press the card into the slot. You will need to use some pressure to push the card into position, but do not use excessive force.
To install the joytick/MIDI port, locate another empty PCI bus expansion slot and remove the slot cover. Keep the screw, you will need it later to secure the port.
Connect the joystick/MIDI port to Apocalypse 5D Sonic with the joystick ribbon connector. Make sure that the red wire on the port connector is aligned with the cut-off corner of the socket on Apocalypse 5D Sonic. If in doubt about this connection, refer to the user guide.
Secure Apocalypse 5D Sonic using the screw that you removed previously.
Connect the CD-audio cable from your CD-ROM drive to the CD IN on the Apocalypse card. The CD-audio cable is usually supplied with your CD-ROM drive.
Replace the cover of your computer.
Connect the monitor cable to Apocalypse 5D Sonic. All video cables connected to Apocalypse 5D Sonic should be properly shielded and comply with radio frequency interference standards.
Connect your speakers or headphones to the line out jack at the back of Apocalypse 5D Sonic.
Connect your joystick to the joystick port at the back of Apocalypse 5D Sonic.
Switch on your computer and your computer monitor. You are now ready to install the software.

Installing the Apocalypse drivers from the Apocalypse CD-ROM

We strongly recommend that you install the software with the Apocalypse Installer, as it is quicker, easier and more comprehensive than Windows Plug and Play. However, if you want to install the card with Plug and Play, follow the instructions below.

Software installation differs slightly depending upon which version of Windows you are running. You should check which build of Windows you are running before installing the hardware.

Software installation for Windows 95 build 4.00.950 or 4.00.950a

When your computer has restarted, insert the Apocalypse CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive (if the CD-ROM auto-plays at this point, close the Apocalypse installer window).
A window is displayed saying that Windows has found new hardware. Select Driver from Disk provided by Hardware Manufacturer, and click OK.
A window is displayed asking for the location of the software. Browse to the folder \a5dsonic\win95\sound on the CD-ROM. After browsing, click OK.
Click OK to install the drivers.
When the drivers have been installed, a message is displayed asking whether you want to restart Windows. Click Yes.
When your computer has restarted, a window is displayed saying that Windows has found new hardware. Select Driver from Disk provided by Hardware Manufacturer, and click OK.
A window is displayed asking for the location of the software. Browse to the folder \a5dsonic\win95\2d\disk1 on the CD-ROM. After browsing, click OK.
Click OK to install the drivers.
When the drivers have been installed, a message is displayed asking whether you want to restart Windows. Click Yes.
When your computer has restarted, a window is displayed saying that Windows has found new hardware. Select Driver from Disk provided by Hardware Manufacturer, and click OK.
A window is displayed asking for the location of the software. Browse to the folder \a5dsonic\win95\3d on the CD-ROM. After browsing, click OK.
Click OK to install the drivers.
When the drivers have been installed, a message is displayed asking whether you want to restart Windows. Click Yes.
When your computer has restarted, Apocalypse 5D Sonic is ready to use.

Software installation for Windows 95 build 4.00.950b (otherwise known as OSR2)

When your computer has restarted, the Update Device Driver Wizard is displayed, saying that a PCI Multimedia Audio device has been detected, and asking whether you want Windows to search for the drivers. Insert the Apocalypse 5D Sonic CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive, and click Next (if the CD-ROM auto-plays at this point, close the Apocalypse installer window).
A message is displayed saying that Windows is unable to locate a driver for the device. Click Other Locations and browse to the folder \a5dsonic\win95\sound on the CD-ROM. After browsing, click OK.
A message is displayed saying that Windows has found the driver for SonicMAX Device Manager. Click Finish to install the drivers.
Windows prompts you to insert the Apocalypse 5D Sonic PCI Multimedia disk. Click OK and browse to the folder \a5dsonic\win95\sound on the CD-ROM. After browsing click OK.
The Update Device Driver Wizard is displayed, saying that a Standard PCI Graphics Adapter (VGA) has been detected, and asking whether you want Windows to search for the drivers. Click Next.
Windows searches for the drivers and finds Standard PCI Graphics Adapter drivers. Click Other Locations and browse to the folder \a5dsonic\win95\2d\disk1 on the CD-ROM. After browsing, click OK.
A message is displayed saying that Windows has found the driver for GrafixStar – Apocalypse. Click Finish to install the drivers.
Windows prompts you to insert the disk labelled GrafixStar Windows 95 Setup disk. Click OK and browse to the folder \a5dsonic\win95\2d\disk1 on the CD-ROM. After browsing click OK.
A message is displayed notifying you of the change to your system’s settings, and asking whether you want to restart the computer. Click Yes.
When your computer has restarted, the Update Device Driver Wizard is displayed, saying that a PCI Multimedia Device has been detected, and asking whether you want Windows to search for the drivers. Insert the Apocalypse CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive, and click Cancel.
Click the Start button, point to Settings and click Control Panel.
Double-click the Add New Hardware icon.
The Add New Hardware Wizard is displayed. Click Next.
You are asked if you want Windows to search for the hardware. Select No, and click Next.
From the list of devices, click Sound, game and video controllers, and click Next (you might have to scroll down the list to find Sound, game and video controllers).
To locate the drivers, click Have Disk, and browse to the folder \a5dsonic\win95\3d on the CD-ROM. When you have browsed, click OK.
At the Install from Disk window, click OK.
At the Select Device window, click OK.
At the Add New Hardware Wizard, click Next.
Click Finish.
Restart your computer.
When your computer has restarted, a message is displayed saying that Windows has detected Apocalypse 5D Sonic.
The System Settings Change window is displayed asking whether you want to restart your computer. Click Yes.
When your computer has restarted, Apocalypse 5D Sonic is ready to use.

Devices added to the Device Manager
After installing Apocalypse 5D Sonic, you can see which devices have been added to your system through the Device Manager.

To access the Device Manager:

Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
Double-click the System icon.
Click the Device Manager tab.
From the list of devices, click Display adapters. You should see the GrafixStar – Apocalypse 2D drivers listed, as shown below.

Now, from the list of devices, click Sound, video and game controllers (you may have to scroll down the list). You should see the Apocalypse 5D Sonic 3D driver and SonicMAX devices listed, as shown below.

Upgrading the drivers

From time to time, VideoLogic may issue upgrades to the drivers.

Upgrading from the World Wide Web

The latest drivers are always available through the software pages of our web site at http://www.videologic.com, or directly through our ftp site at ftp://ftp.videologic.com.

Upgrading the GrafixStar – Apocalypse display drivers

Find out which build of Windows you are running, then follow the instructions for that version.

Upgrading the GrafixStar – Apocalypse display drivers for Windows 95 build 4.00.950 or 4.00.950a

Open the Control Panel window by clicking the Start button, pointing to Settings and clicking Control Panel.
Double-click the Display icon to open the Display Properties Window.
Click the Settings tab. The Settings page is displayed.
Click the Change Display Type button.
Click the Change button for the Adapter Type.
Click Have Disk from the Select Device menu.
Browse to the directory of the disk containing the updates. When you have browsed, click OK
Click GrafixStar – Apocalypse from the list. Click OK.
When the GrafixStar files have been copied to your PC, the Change Display Type window is displayed again. Click Close.
The Display Properties windows is displayed again. Click Apply.
A message appears asking whether you want to restart your computer. Click Yes. Windows 95 restarts with the new GrafixStar – Apocalypse Windows 95 drivers.

Upgrading the GrafixStar – Apocalypse display drivers for Windows 95 build 4.00.950b (otherwise known as OSR2)

Open the Control Panel window by clicking the Start button, pointing to Settings and clicking Control Panel.
Double-click the Display icon to open the Display Properties Window.
Click the Settings tab. The Settings page is displayed.
Click the Advanced Properties button.
Click the Change button to change display driver.
Click Have Disk from the Select Device menu.
Browse to the directory of the disk containing the updates. When you have browsed, click OK
Click GrafixStar - Apocalypse from the list. Click OK.
When the GrafixStar files have been copied to your PC, the Advanced Display Properties window is displayed again. Click Close.
The Display Properties windows is displayed again. Click Apply.
A message appears asking whether you want to restart your computer. Click Yes. Windows 95 restarts with the new GrafixStar – Apocalypse Windows 95 drivers.

Upgrading the Apocalypse 5D Sonic drivers for 3D

Find out which build of Windows you are running, then follow the instructions for that version.

Upgrading the Apocalypse 5D Sonic drivers for Windows 95 build 4.00.950 or 4.00.950a

To upgrade the drivers in Windows 95 build 4.00.950 or 4.00.950a:

Click the Start button, point to Settings and click Control Panel.
From the Control Panel, double-click the System icon.
In the System Properties dialog box, click the Device Manager tab. A list of devices available on your computer is displayed.
From the list, double-click Sound, video and game controllers (you might have to scroll down the list to find Sound, game and video controllers).
From the Sound, video and game controllers list, double-click Apocalypse 5D Sonic.
In the PCI Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab.
From the list of driver files, click Change driver.
In the Select Device dialog box, click Have Disk.
In the Install from Disk dialog box, browse to the directory of the disk containing the updates. When you have browsed, click OK.
At the Install from Disk dialog box, click OK.
At the Select Device dialog box, click OK.
At the PCI Properties dialog box, click OK. The drivers are upgraded on your computer.
When the drivers are upgraded, a message is displayed asking whether you want to restart Windows. Click Yes. When your computer has restarted Apocalypse 5D Sonic is ready to use.

Upgrading the Apocalypse 5D Sonic drivers for Windows 95 build 4.00.950b (otherwise known as OSR2)

To upgrade the drivers in OSR2:

Click the Start button, point to Settings and click Control Panel.
From the Control Panel, double-click the System icon.
In the System Properties dialog box, click the Device Manager tab. A list of devices available on your computer is displayed.
From the list, double-click Sound, video and game controllers.
From the Sound, video and game controllers list, double-click Apocalypse 5D Sonic.
In the Apocalypse 5D Sonic dialog box, click the Driver tab.
Click the Update Drivers button. This starts the Update Device Driver Wizard.
Select Yes, and click Next.
A window is displayed asking you to give the location of the drivers. Click Other Locations.
In the Select Other Locations window, browse to the directory of the disk containing the updates. When you have browsed, click OK
At the Select Other Location window, click OK.

If you are already running the latest drivers, a message is displayed saying that the location you have browsed to does not contain updated drivers. Click Cancel to quit upgrading the drivers.
Click OK.
Click Finish.
A window is displayed asking you to insert the disk. Click OK.
At the Copying Files window, browse to the directory of the disk containing the updates. When you have browsed, click OK
The System Settings Change window is displayed, asking whether you want to restart your computer. Click Yes.

When your computer has restarted, Apocalypse 5D Sonic is ready to use.

Removing Apocalypse 5D Sonic

Insert the Apocalypse CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. If your Windows system is set up to automatically runs CD-ROMs, it should autorun, otherwise run the file \autorun.exe on the CD-ROM. Go to Drivers and click Uninstall.
A dialog box is displayed asking you if you want to uninstall the drivers. Click Yes.
A dialog box is displayed asking you to complete uninstalling the drivers. Click the option to Shut down your computer.
When the message is displayed that your computer is ready to be switched off, switch off your computer, monitor, and any hardware devices such as printers connected to your computer. Leave the power cable connected to the power outlet so that your computer is grounded.
Disconnect the monitor cable, speaker/headphone and joystick cables from your computer.

Warning: Always switch off your computer before removing the cover and observe the warnings specified in the manufacturer’s documentation.
Remove the computer’s cover. You may need to refer to the documentation supplied with your computer for instructions on how to do this.
Disconnect the CD-audio cable on the Apocalypse 5D Sonic card
Remove the Apocalypse 5D Sonic card from its PCI slot.
Disconnect the joystick, and remove the joystick back plate from its slot.
Replace the cover of your computer.
Switch on your computer and your computer monitor. You have uninstalled Apocalypse 5D Sonic.

Hints and tips

Introduction

This section gives late-breaking information on how to get the most out of your Apocalypse 5D Sonic.

Installing games

Some DirectX games currently on the market are supplied with DirectX 2. If the game’s installation forces DirectX 2 to be installed, you should reinstall DirectX 3a or a later release.

Microid Research BIOS

Some PCs with an MR BIOS can give a much lower frame rate with Apocalypse 5D Sonic. Switching to another BIOS can greatly enhance performance.

PCI Burst

Some PC BIOSes allow the user to alter the settings for ‘PCI Burst’. Enabling this feature enhances Apocalypse 5D Sonic's performance.

PCI Latency

Some PC BIOSes allow the user to alter the settings for ‘PCI Latency’. Other typical names for this feature are:

‘Latency Timer (PCI Clocks)’ A term used with AMI BIOS, usually found in the ‘Advanced chipset configuration’ menu.
‘PCI Latency Timer’ A term used with AWARD BIOS, usually found in the ‘PNP and PCI setup’ menu.

Setting this to 80 PCI clocks can enhance Apocalypse 5D Sonic's performance.

16-bit Color

To avoid problems with the Start menu and Windows menus containing corrupted text, or missing text, you should set your display mode to a high-color palette, of at least 65,536 colors (16-bit).

Using the Wavetable

The MIDI interface of Apocalypse 5D Sonic is compatible with the MPU-401 standard and Sound Blaster MIDI interface. Apocalypse 5D Sonic can support Wavetable in Windows 95 and Windows 95 DOS box (default). In Native DOS mode it only supports FM Synthesis.

To make sure Apocalypse 5D Sonic is being used to generate Wavetable audio, follow these steps:

Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
Double-click the Multimedia icon, and click the MIDI tab.
Make sure SonicMAX Wave/WaveTable Synthesis Devices is selected in the Single Instrument entry.

Using the MIDI port

If you want to connect your MIDI keyboard to Apocalypse 5D Sonic, follow these steps:

Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
Double-click the Multimedia icon, and click the MIDI tab.
Click SonicMAX External MIDI Port in the Single Instrument entry.
Click OK.

A MIDI adapter (not supplied) is required to connect a MIDI instrument to Apocalypse 5D Sonic. The MIDI adapter can be purchased from your local computer store and is connected to the MIDI/game port.

Sound Blaster Pro^® compatibility in DOS

Apocalypse 5D Sonic provides complete DOS/Sound Blaster^® support. In addition, Apocalypse 5D Sonic also supports the MPU-401 MIDI standard. These features are enabled by default when you install the Windows 95 drivers.

The Sound Blaster Pro settings (I/O, IRQ and DMA resources) are taken from the Windows 95 settings of the following devices in Device Manager.

SonicMAX DOS Games/FM Devices (DOS)

SonicMAX MPU401 Device (WIN/DOS)

The default resource settings for DOS should work for most games. If you have problems with games you can change the I/O range of Sound Blaster Pro and MPU-401 port settings in the Windows 95 Device Manager. However, you cannot modify the IRQ and DMA channel settings as they are configured by Windows Plug and Play.

For more details on how to configure DOS resources settings, please refer to Problems with Games in the Troubleshooting section of this document.

The mixer settings in DOS (eg. Volume control, muting, 3D Spreader, etc.) depend on the mixer settings in Windows 95. For changing the mixer settings for DOS, please use the Windows 95 Volume Control panel or AudioRack.

Enhancing sound quality

You can enhance the playback sound quality of Apocalypse 5D Sonic by turning on some of the effects controls like Reverb, Chorus and 3D Spreader. You can also adjust the Treble and Bass level of Apocalypse 5D Sonic.

Reverb is an effect applied to a sound signal to make it sound as if the sound signal was being played or recorded in a natural space, such as a nightclub, a hall, a bathroom, a cathedral, or a cave.

Chorus is an effect which makes a sound such as a single violin sound more like an ensemble. 3D is an effect which enhances the 2-speaker stereo effect. The sound is transmitted in a wider arc, creating a resonant 3D sound environment.

It is recommended that you turn on the 3D Spreader as it improves the sound quality of Windows and DOS games. You may want to turn off Reverb and Chorus when playing games as these effects may make the audio in games sound strange.

We recommend turning on both Reverb and Chorus when playing MIDI files.

Note: All the effects controls can only be applied to digital audio generated by the Apocalypse 5D Sonic (eg. Wavetable MIDI playback, speech and sound effects in games, playback of wave files etc.). Analog audio inputs (eg. CD audio, mic and line-in) are not affected by the effects controls.

The GrafixStar – Apocalypse drivers

Introduction

This section describes the display modes available with overlay video acceleration, and how Apocalypse 5D Sonic interacts with DirectDraw.

Display modes with video acceleration

The Apocalypse 5D Sonic uses an intelligent graphics engine which provides true-color video playback even when the display is set to 256 colors. This means that you don’t have to sacrifice speed and functionality by being in a true-color display mode; instead, you can play video clips in true-color while using a 256 or 65k color mode.

Display size	Colors	Refresh rate (Hz)

640 x 480	        256	        60, 72, 75, 85, 90, 100, 120, 150

800 x 600        	256	        56, 60, 72, 75, 85, 90, 100, 120

1024 x 768	256	        60, 70, 72, 75, 80

1152 x 864	256        	60

640 x 480	        65,536	60, 72, 75, 85, 90, 100, 120, 150

800 x 600	        65,536	56, 60, 72, 75

1024 x 768	65,536	60, 70, 72, 75, 80

640 x 480	        16.7m	60, 72, 75, 85, 90, 100, 120

800 x 600	        16.7m	56, 60, 72, 75

All other modes display AVI files using software only, which gives poorer quality playback

Troubleshooting

Introduction

This section describes common problems you may encounter when installing or running Apocalypse 5D Sonic.

Installation Problems

The PC locks up when clicking Cancel at the Update Device Driver Wizard

When you install the Apocalypse 5D Sonic card in your system, it will detect a new graphics card and display the Update Device Driver Wizard. Clicking Cancel at this point might lock up your PC. In this case, please follow the installation instructions in the user guide or in this file.

The Windows 95 Device Manager shows a resource conflict between Apocalypse 5D Sonic and a standard PCI-to-PCI bridge.

This happens due to a problem some versions of Windows 95 have with PCI-to-PCI bridges. Version 4.00.950b of Windows 95 shows up a resource conflict of the PCI-to-PCI bridge on the Apocalypse 5D Sonic card, even though no conflict exists. Your Apocalypse 5D Sonic card will not be affected by this conflict and it cannot be resolved by trying to change the resources.

3D Problems

The application display is corrupted.

Your graphics system may not support the required DirectX version.

Reinstall DirectX 5 by running the program \directx\dx5\dx5eng.exe on the Apocalypse CD-ROM.

When running an application that uses PowerSGL or Direct3D, the system freezes restarts.

You may have installed Apocalypse 5D Sonic into a PCI bus slot that does not have bus-mastering capability.

Install the card into a slot that supports bus-mastering.

I am not given the D3D Hal option with the D3D demos.

Ensure that you have the DirectX graphics drivers installed, and that your computer is in a display mode greater or equal to 16 bits per pixel (65,536 colors).

If your system received an Invalid Page Fault or a General Protection Fault, restart your system.

When running an application that uses PowerSGL the system restarts.

The display driver may not support buffer flipping. To support flipping the amount of free off-screen memory must be greater than the current on-screen memory.

The Use Hardware Accelerator option within an application is grayed out.

The application is currently set to run in a graphics resolution that cannot be accelerated by Apocalypse 5D Sonic. Setting the application’s graphics mode to a lower resolution mode makes the check-box available.

Apocalypse 5D Sonic is not being recognised by the system. If you have sufficient technical knowledge, check that it is in System Properties, check the BIOS, IRQ allocations etc, otherwise contact VideoLogic through one of the points listed in the technical support section of the user guide.

Some textures within the game are corrupt

Enable Automatic MIP Mapping for the game in the Apocalypse 5D Sonic Display Properties page.

All game menus are displayed correctly but when playing a game, but it fails to display the screen correctly.

Enable Render Overlap for the game in the Apocalypse 5D Sonic Display Properties page.

Some textures within a game appear to have joining marks on the edges of the tiles.

Disable Bilinear filtering for the game in the Apocalypse 5D Sonic Display Properties page.

When deleting an entry from the applications list, clicking the OK button has no effect.

After confirming the deletion, select another application setting from the list prior to clicking the OK button.

When running MageSlayer parts of the introduction screens are corrupted.

Enable Render Overlap in the Apocalypse 5D Sonic Display Properties page for MageSlayer. The executable for MageSlayer is called mageslay.exe.

Disabling Render Overlap will make the MageSlayer gameplay slightly slower.

I have enabled bilinear filtering in a game, but the graphics still look "unfiltered".

Enable Dithering for the game in the Apocalypse 5D Sonic Display Properties page.

2D Graphics Problems

Display sizes not supported by your monitor

Windows 95 does not restrict the generic SVGA monitor settings to a given set of display sizes, so allows any display size to be selected. If you have a standard monitor selected, there is therefore a possibility that you could select a display size that your monitor does not support.

Choose the correct monitor type, or contact your monitor supplier for more information.

Corrupt or blank display

Windows 95 does not restrict the generic SVGA monitor settings to a given set of refresh rates, so allows any refresh rate to be selected. If you have a standard monitor selected, there is therefore a possibility that you could restart your system with a refresh rate that your monitor does not support. This usually results in a corrupted or black display in Windows 95. To rectify this problem, restart Windows 95, holding down the CTRL key on your keyboard. This starts Windows 95 in the lowest possible refresh rate for the resolution selected.

QuickTime movies do not run correctly

If you experience problems when viewing QuickTime movies, run the QuickTime Control Panel from the Windows 95 Control Panel, and follow the steps below:

Run the QuickTime Control Panel, click the More button and click the Video tab.
From within the Optimization section, the Draw Method setting will be set to Video Hardware. Change this to Video Driver.
Close the QuickTime Control Panel.

Playing AVI with MS PLUS! pack

If you are using a display mode which is capable of video acceleration and you have the Show Window Contents While Dragging option enabled, you will see the accelerated video displaced from the video window while dragging the video window around the desktop. Disable the Show Window Contents While Dragging on the PLUS page in Display Properties.

Monitor screen centering

Some advanced monitors create a display setting by detecting the horizontal line frequency, and this may change the size and positioning of the Windows 95 screen when task switching from a DOS full-screen session to a Windows 95 session. This problem occurs when the monitor is at the borderline between two settings. To remedy this, use the controls on your monitor to adjust its screen settings.

Xing 3.X

MPEG clips replayed in modes that are not video accelerated may cause Windows to become unstable. If this problem occurs, change the display mode to one that supports video acceleration.

Windows 95 Screensavers

If you are using the 'Mystify your Mind' Windows screensaver with the password option enabled, you may see additional lines appear when the password entry window is active. We recommend that you choose another screensaver if you are using password protection.

If you are using 'Curves and Colors' in 65k colors, you may see some color corruption. Select another color depth, or use another screensaver.

Installing Windows 95 with an Apocalypse 5D Sonic card

If you are installing Windows 95 for the first time from DOS, the Windows 95 auto-detection process will Plug 'n' Play Apocalypse 5D Sonic as an ET4000 Display adapter and an 'Other device: PCI VGA-Compatible display adapter'.

Although this does not affect the Apocalypse 5D Sonic installation or performance, you may want to remove the section 'Other device'. To do this, delete both the 'Other devices' and the GrafixStar - Apocalypse entry in the 'Display adapter' section of your System control panel. After this, Windows 95 will Plug'n'Play the GrafixStar – Apocalypse drivers on the next restart, producing a single entry for the display adapter.

Adobe Type Manager

If Adobe Type Manager is installed with Windows 95, Apocalypse 5D Sonic performance may be degraded.

To maximize performance, make the following changes to your SYSTEM.INI file:

[Boot]
;system.drv=atmsys.drv
;atm.system.drv=system.drv
system.drv=system.drv

Harvard Graphics 4.0

Running Harvard Graphics 4.0 for Windows in a 24-bit color mode (16.7m colors) causes a series of errors. Use a 16-bit (65k colors) mode instead.

Dorling Kindersley

On launching 'The Ultimate Human Body' or 'The Encyclopedia of Science' in 16-bit (65k colors) and 24-bit (16.7m colors) resolutions, you may find that the window background color is incorrect.

In addition, when scrolling the window over the body in the 'The Ultimate Human Body', the main window showing the zoomed portion of the selected window may not show the complete image.

Select an 8-bit mode (256 colors) for running these applications.

cc:Mail v6.0

When using applications with cc:Mail v6 in the background, icons within Windows 95 and other active applications may be drawn incorrectly and, in extreme cases, system integrity problems may occur. This does not happen with earlier versions of cc:Mail.

ActiveMovie

When displaying accelerated overlay video with ActiveMovie in certain display modes, the video may become noisy when moving the video window around the desktop, or by resizing the video window.

Choose an alternative display mode.

Apricot MS540 system BIOS upgrade for compatibility with Apocalypse 5D Sonic

If you are running a GrafixStar 600 or or an Apocalypse 5D Sonic other advanced graphics card with an Apricot MS540 system with IBM SurePath BIOS v1.3 or Apricot 5436 BIOS 5, you get no video output, and the system does not boot:

This is fixed using Patch 237, which has been provided by Apricot Computers Limited / Mitsubishi Electric. This patch contains Flash code to upgrade the system BIOS to v5.07 for both the 5434 and the 5436. The patch can be downloaded from VideoLogic Online website at http://www.videologic.com or copied from the Apocalypse CD in the directory \APOC5D\UPDATES\SN0237\PATCH237\.

Laplink for Windows 95

When using Laplink for Windows 95 and the Client system has a GrafixStar 600 or an Apocalypse 5D Sonic installed, the Client system might lock-up when the host is connected.

This problem can be fixed by disabling bitmap caching in the graphics driver. There are two ways of disabling bitmap caching.

Disabling bitmap caching in systems with SmartTools installed

SmartTools v2.0 or later comes with a feature called SmartMAX. SmartMAX allows you to disable certain parts of the GrafixStar driver. To use SmartMAX, right-click the Windows 95 desktop and click Properties while holding down the CTRL key. In the Display Properties window click the SmartMAX tab and select the checkbox next to "Disable Bitmap Caching". Click OK and restart Windows 95.

Disabling bitmap caching in systems without SmartTools

Add the following entry to the bottom of your SYSTEM.INI file:

[VideoLogic SVGA]
TuningControl=27
RealizeControl=16

Save the changes and restart Windows 95.

Running games without SciTech Display Doctor

GX6VBE.COM, as provided by VideoLogic in Patch 252, is a DOS Terminate-Stay-Resident program (TSR) that adds UniVBE BIOS extensions to the existing GrafixStar 600 or Apocalypse 5D Sonic BIOS. When the TSR is installed, certain DOS games, such as Z or Quake should no longer require SciTech Display Doctor or UniVBE v5.x.

Patch 252 can be downloaded from VideoLogic Online website at http://www.videologic.com or copied from the Apocalypse CD in the directory \APOC5D\UPDATES\SN0252\PATCH252\.

To install Patch 252, copy GX6VBE.COM to the root directory of the hard disk on which you are running Windows, and add the following line to AUTOEXEC.BAT:

c:\GX6VBE.COM

This assumes that the hard disk is your c: drive. Substitute the letter of your disk if it is not the c: drive.

Audio Problems

There is no sound output after installing Apocalypse 5D Sonic.

The problem may be with your audio connections.

Try the following:

Play both a .WAV file and a .MID file to ascertain that there is no sound at all coming from the speakers. If not, try connecting a different sound source to your speakers (such as a personal CD player). If you get sound, then there may be something wrong with your Apocalypse 5D Sonic installation.
Check that the speakers are connected properly to the Line-out phone jack on Apocalypse 5D Sonic.
Adjust the volume controls in the Windows mixer by double-clicking the speaker icon. Make sure the Volume, Wave, MIDI or CD controls are not muted.
If you are playing CD-audio from your CD-ROM drive, make sure you have connected the CD-audio cable from the CD-ROM drive to Apocalypse 5D Sonic's CD in connector.

There might be a conflict between the Apocalypse 5D Sonic and other add-on cards in your computer. This may be caused by non Plug and Play legacy devices or even other PCI devices. Windows 95 cannot detect these add-on cards; therefore, it cannot solve IRQ, DMA, and I/O Port Address conflicts automatically. Go into system configuration and check "SonicMAX Device manager" to make sure that there are no conflicts. For correcting the conflicts, you need to adjust the motherboard BIOS for PCI configuration manually. Refer to your motherboard manual for information.

How can I check if my Apocalypse 5D Sonic is installed correctly?

In Device Manager, check that all the following devices are present and they do not have a yellow exclamation mark or red cross next to them.

Gameport Joystick
SonicMAX Device manager
SonicMAX DOS Games/FM Devices (DOS)
SonicMAX Enumerator
SonicMAX MPU401 Device (WIN/DOS)
SonicMAX Wave / WaveTable Synthesis Devices

What if I get yellow exclamation marks next to SonicMAX devices in Device Manager?

A device in my computer did not work and caused the system to hang after Apocalypse 5D Sonic was installed, or the computer hung during audio output.

Even though Apocalypse 5D Sonic is a plug and play card, the presence of other legacy cards can still cause resource conflicts.

To resolve such conflicts, it’s important to know the settings of other cards (we highly recommend that you remove any other previously installed sound devices and their associated drivers before installing Apocalypse 5D Sonic) and peripherals currently in your system, including the mouse, fax-modem, video accelerator, SCSI adapters etc. Many peripherals come with setup utility programs that investigate and report on the configuration of your system and its peripherals. In either event, make a record of the settings used by all the peripherals in your system for reference when installing new hardware and software or troubleshooting problems.

If this doesn’t work, try installing Apocalypse 5D Sonic in a different PCI slot.

There is no sound output when Windows starts up.

Make sure that the sound card driver is properly installed. To confirm this, click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and double-click the System icon. Check the system configuration for information on the SonicMAX Device Manager.

Make sure the Windows sound is setup properly. Click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and double-click the Sounds icon. Please refer to your Windows manual for how to define the various sounds of Windows’ starting up and other events.

Some distortions come with the recorded file.

Decrease the volume of the recording source in AudioRack. For example, if you want to record Audio CD music, click the Recording Control in AudioRack’s Panel, then choose the CD source and decrease its volume.

Problems with games.

Click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and double-click the System icon. Click the Device Manager tab, click Sound, video and game controllers, click SonicMAX DOS Games/FM Devices, and click Resources.

Now check the settings of I/O, IRQ and DMA. While you are playing DOS games, please be sure that the settings of I/O, IRQ and DMA for Games are the same as the ones under SonicMAX DOS Games/FM Devices.

If the game takes advantage of DirectX or DirectSound, be sure that you have the latest DirectX drivers from Microsoft.

If you have a problem with an external joystick or gamepad, be sure that the Gameport JoyStick is enabled and the Windows 95 Gameport Joystick drivers are loaded and working properly in the Device Manager.

How do I play games under previous versions of MS-DOS (5.0 or 6.22)?

You must finish installing the PCI sound card driver under Windows 95.

Power up the computer, and before Windows 95 starts, press the F8 button to select Previous version of MS-DOS.

In DOS, add Device=C:\AECU.SYS to the Config.sys file, and add C:\SonicMAX.com to the Autoexec.bat file.

My DOS games sound weird!

You may have turned on Reverb or Chorus or both, so try turning them off. Reverb and Chorus are best used for MIDI playback.

I’ve reinstalled/updated DirectX, now my Joystick is not working.

The DirectX installation may have overwritten your existing Joystick setting, please configure your joystick again in the Games Controller in Control panel.

Apocalypse 5D Sonic audio setting information.

The following settings are supported by Apocalypse 5D Sonic in Windows 95 and DOS for users’ selections.

For SoundBlaster Pro (DOS):

I/O Address Settings: 220H, 240H

IRQ Settings: PnP setting

DMA Settings: 0, 1, 3

MPU-401 I/O Port: 300H, 320H, 330H, 340H

For PCI (Windows 95):

I/O Address Settings: PnP setting

IRQ Settings: PnP setting