Support Note: 232
Product: Apocalypse 3D
Subject: Apocalypse 3D - Getting StartedMarch 19, 1997
Introduction
This Support Notes contains information for setting up, testing and troubleshooting Apocalypse 3D. If possible, try to read it together with the readme file supplied with the Apocalypse CD-ROM.
Before you start
Before testing the card, make sure your PC can support it. Verify the following:
- The graphics mode is set to 16 bits per pixel or greater
- The graphics drivers are DirectX III compatible
- The graphics card has 2 MB or more of memory
- DirectX 3 is installed.
Testing Apocalypse 3D
When the drivers are installed and you have verified that your PC can run Apocalypse 3D, you can check that your system is ready by running applications designed to use each of the two drivers. Apocalypse 3D has two sets of drivers: Direct3D (D3D, for running applications that use Microsoft's D3D Application Program Interface (API); and PowerSGL, which is VideoLogic's proprietary API for use with titles specifically designed for Apocalypse 3D.
Now try one of the PowerSGL applications provided on the CD-ROM such as Tower4. The application Antworld requires a joystick and the application Tower5 requires a graphics mode greater than 640x480.
Now run any of the D3D applications provided with the CD-ROM. Even if Apocalypse 3D is not working you can still see the application running, because the sample applications can also run using software emulation to simulate a 3D accelerator card. To verify that Apocalypse 3D card is actually accelerating the graphic, click the File menu of the D3D application, and if the entry Direct3D HAL is visible with a tick next to it, the card is working. If the Direct3D HAL text is missing and instead Ramp Emulation is ticked, then Apocalypse 3D is not working.
Troubleshooting
If you have any of the following problems installing, testing or running Apocalypse 3D, try some of these suggestions.
- Games graphics display a halo around objects
The application may have problems with 2D/3D compositing. Run the PowerVR HAL setup utility, as described in the readme file on the CD-ROM. For other graphics problems, access our web site for the latest version of our D3D drivers.
- I am not given the D3D Hal option with the D3D demos
Ensure that you have the DirectX III graphics drivers installed, and that your PC is in a display mode greater or equal to 16 bits per pixel.
- The application display is corrupted
Your PC may not be fully DirectDraw compliant. Test this by running the DirectDraw Compliance utility \drivers\dddiag.exe on the CD-ROM.
- The application looks fuzzy, with lines appearing alongside the active window
The resolution of the window in which the application is running is too high, or the refresh rate of the screen is too high. Lower the resolution or the refresh rate in Display Properties.
- The Start menu and Windows menus contain corrupted text, or text is missing
After playing a game in 8-bit display mode, the PC has changed from 8-bit to 16-bit display mode automatically, which the display driver may not be able to support. Restart the PC.To avoid this problem in future, your PC should be in a 16-bit display mode before playing a game.
- When running an application that uses PowerSGL or Direct3D, the system freezes or restarts
- Apocalypse 3D may be installed in a PCI bus slot that does not have bus-mastering capability.
- The PCI bus speed may be too slow. Apocalypse 3D cannot work in systems where the PCI bus speed is set to 25MHz (e.g. Intel Pentium 75 and Cyrix 6x86 P120)
- 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. A lower screen resolution may free up sufficient memory, however, due to other graphics memory requirements (e.g. hardware cursors), 1 MB cards may not support flipping even in a resolution of 640x480 pixels with 65 thousand colors. This is why we recommend a minimum graphics memory of 2 MB.
- The Use Hardware Accelerator option within an application is greyed out
- The application is currently set to run in a graphics resolution that cannot be accelerated by Apocalypse 3D. Setting the applications graphics mode to a lower resolution mode makes the check-box available.
- Apocalypse 3D is not being recognised by the system. Check that it is in System Properties, check the BIOS, IRQ allocations etc.
Other relevant Support Notes
If your system has any of the features listed below then refer to the appropriate Support Note:
Matrox graphics controller 231 Award BIOS 230 S3 968 graphics card (such as GrafixStar 700, Diamond Stealth 64 VRAM etc.) 230