This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.
Search Results (21 messages)
A PC with 3DStudio is certainly more cost effective that an SGI system but as the others here have said, you need to check your needs. If your output is going to be seen through 256 color MPEG viewers, any visual improvement from the SGI is going to be lost.…
John, I would say 16MB ram the absolute minimum, the absolute fastest processor you can afford. Hard drive and graphic card depend on what you plan to do with the output. If you never need to go past 256 colors for FLICs then any VGA/SVGA card will do. Personally, I…
Actually there is PD/Shareware software that allows a 386 to emulate a math coprosser, and as a gag we actually got it to work with 3DS (s…l…o…w…). DanP
I think Mike Kelley's suggestion is a good one. Try turning off shadowing of the video bios in CMOS. (c000-c7ff). An ATI tech told me they used a 64K ROM that bank selected itself in the 32K address space. Some newer CMOS setups allow you to describe how this area…
You need no special video board to render 24 bit images. Viewing them is another matter. If you wish to view them in 24bit on the ATI you will need to get the 2MB version of the card and the 68875 true color RAMDAC (not sold separately). The card comes…
1. Reduce your device drivers (if possible). Don't use ATI's 8514 device driver. Don't use the VESA driver (unless it's the latest one for the ATI forum) Don't use the ANSI.SYS driver that comes with DOS 2. Using the ATI install to set the powerup configuration: Make sure it's correct…
This could be a conflict in upper memory. Is the network card excluded (particularly it's RAM space). If you're using a memory manager like QEMM make sure no loadhi's use it's address space for initializing. Try IPX /i to make sure IPX is using the configuration you think it is.…
3DS File XFer
Message #47895
I recently recall someone on this forum making reference to a software package that was used to tranfer models from 3D Studio to another modeler (Lightwave). I'm looking for a package that can import and export to packages on the SGI. Current need is for Alias but that may change.…
#46135-
#Pentium/3ds2 Again!
Message #46470
Perris does have nicer weather, but I can't say I was impressed with their safety record. The ultra-paranoid sign-your-life-away on videotape didn't give me any special feeling of confidence, either. If you choose them, go AFF (accelerated freefall program) you get the better gear and more personal attention, not to…
There is a new WINHIRAM.VXD file for QEMM use with Windows. Once installed you, QEMM will no longer require excluding B000-B7FF to be compatible with Windows.
I can't speak for the Gateway/ATI VLB system, but we have used the ATI VLB card w/2MB VRAM and 3DS2 _intensively_ with no problem. There was a problem with their VESA driver, but they made a new one available last week. The major problem is knowing how to set up…
You might want to check out the msg I posted here re the ATI drivers. As far as the ATI drivers for 3DS are concerned, I've never encountered a problem. The ATI VLB cards we have are not connected to Gateway systems. Gateway uses a Micronics motherboard in their system.…
Your video card comes with two disks (drivers and utilities) and a manual. If your dealer didn't give them to you, get them. These disks include the 3DS, Windows, and VESA drivers. If they were used at all (probably only to install Windows drivers) you probably have a mach32 directory…
re: slow speed over a network. The network should have very little impact on rendering speed, unless the swap file is on the network drive. The network volume should only be used to store the final output. All other temp files and the swap file should be on the local…
How about info?
Message #37404
I received your press release in the mail. When I contacted my dealer, they had never heard of it. They called Autodesk, they only information they got was a Fax of the same press release I got. I want to see a demo tape or something that's gonna give me…
Command Line Rendering
Message #35771
I am having a problem calling 3DS from the command line. The situation is this. We have several 486 machines that we want to set up as a render farm over a Novell network. A copy of 3DS has been installed on a network drive all the 486's share. I…
I'm not familiar with Abekas units but I have used different brands that use Exabytes with no compatability problems. Software does vary though. The 8200 stores about 2.5 Gig on an 8mm tape, the 8500 holds about 5 Gig on the same tape and is downward compatible with 8200 tapes.…
Here's my wish list: 1. Faster redraws 2. Faster redraws 3. Faster redraws It was really disappointing to see only marginal improvement switching to a VL-Bus mach32. I'm tired of hitting the ESCape key. Thanks for taking an interest. DanP PIMA/POV
Yep, I know what you mean. I use a batch file to run 3DS with the line "VVESA off". One thing puzzles me, I'm assuming the memory aperture is for sfotware that wants to use 32bit flat model addressing. Does the ISA version also have a memory aperture? AT cards…
Oh well… ATI does keep updating the drivers though. New ones, (BETA aargh), keep appearing on their BBS, and here on Compuserve. They've added true color support (hope you have the 68875 RAMDAC). I've encountered no bugs in Windows other than with a virtual desktop at the higher resolutions. Still,…
#2 Suggestions & 1 Questn
Message #27946
Out of curiosity, is your Gateway/ATI UltraPro a local bus version. I'm using a 2Meg local bus version of the UltraPro. It was a real pain to not have Animator Pro quit or reboot. 3DS tends to reboot playing a .flc. I understand they have had problems with drivers in…