#OS2/3DS
12 messages in this thread
[reply to # 111770, already scrolled]
James,
"BTW, when I was first setting this up, I used the Pulse program in the
Productivity folder to see if 3DS was tapping my CPU. Turning background
execution on and off for your 3DS session should show a marked difference in
the CPU activity graph. If it does not, then 3DS has been suspended in the
background for some reason. You may find this helpful. "
I think I am having a video driver problem. When ever I alt-esc out of 3DS I
have determined that 3ds "STOPS". BTW I do have background processing "ON".
And I have background processing working just fine in AutoCAD. I guess I will
have to wait 2-more weeks until Diamond makes the driver available. Diamond
has been telling me that Diamond Viper PCI driver has problems with OS/2 for
Windows. It seems likely to me that there is also driver poblems with 3DS and
OS/2 for Windows.
If you have any other ideas let me know.
Stephen Grisez
> When ever I alt-esc out of 3DS I have determined that 3ds "STOPS".
You can find out quickly if this is a video problem. Instead of ALT-ESC out of
3DS, try ALT-HOME. If OS/2 says it doesn't support the video in a window, then
you'll know why it doesn't run in a background.
I've found that the "good" resolutions for 3DS aren't compatible with the
desktop, so when I want to do background rendering, I run a slave session of
3DS. The other solution is to get a video card that has dual-video chips (like
an 8514-Ultra).
— Doug Azzarito
Doug,
"You can find out quickly if this is a video problem. Instead of ALT-ESC out
of 3DS, try ALT-HOME. If OS/2 says it doesn't support the video in a window,
then you'll know why it doesn't run in a background. "
You are right! ALT-HOME suspends the process and the video in a window is not
supported.
"I've found that the "good" resolutions for 3DS aren't compatible with the
desktop, so when I want to do background rendering, I run a slave session of
3DS."
I have not been running in slave mode, but I have tried a NULL display, generic
640x480x16 and still 3ds will be suspended after an ALT-ESC or ALT-HOME. I
have been told that with the new inline drivers from vibrant the null display
will display either nothing or just a text window. I'm not sure which one of
these is right. This does not seem to be consistant with my experience. When
ever I render to a null display it seems as though I have the KEYFRAMER in the
background with the rendering gas gauges in the foreground. At any rate, even
with the render-display set to null or some "bad" resolution, It does not seem
to work. Do you think that the new video drivers will help? <g>
"The other solution is to get a video card that has dual-video chips (like an
8514-Ultra)."
Is this a MGA/MATROX card? I am thinking of buying a new system by September
1. I have heard good things about the Impression series cards but the PCI
version of the impression series card will not be available until the end of
August.
Stephen Grisez
> When ever I render to a null display it seems as though I have the
> KEYFRAMER in the background with the rendering gas gauges in the
> foreground.
Yes – this is the problem. The gauges are drawn in graphics mode. I asked the
Yost Group to set up a slave so that background renderings just use 80×25 text
mode, which would allow rendering slaves to run at all times. No word yet, but
perhaps the new drivers are the answer.
> Is this a MGA/MATROX card?
I don't know if the MATROX has separate video chips. The only one I know of is
the IBM 8514, and the ATI 8514/Ultra. The 8514 design includes separate VGA
hardware, so the background session can use it, even if the foreground is
incompatible.
— Doug Azzarito
Doug,
I was under the impression that OS/2 would only take a 2% hit on performance.
I just rendered a single frame of a 10meg 3DS project file w/ 64 meg of ram:
10 minutes – OS/2 with no other applications active
4 minutes – DOS
This makes no sense to me if I am not running any other applications. Is there
any other settings you would like me to check?
It seems like I am running out of ram in OS/2.
On smaller animations I have not noticed any difference. Stephen Grisez
> I just rendered a single frame of a 10meg 3DS project file w/ 64
> meg of ram:
> 10 minutes – OS/2 with no other applications active
> 4 minutes – DOS
Do you have 64M RAM on your machine, or is that what you told 3DS to use under
OS/2? If you have 64M on your machine, 3DS can't use it under OS/2 unless you
change your DOS setting for 3DS (increase the DPMI memory limit). The only
other explanation could be that OS/2 detected a DMA device that can't use
memory above 16Meg, so OS/2 is limiting memory access to the first 16M (all
memory above that is used by OS/2 internally). The OS20MEMU program (available
in the OS2SUPPORT forum) can tell you exactly how OS/2 is using your RAM.
— Doug Azzarito
Doug,
"Do you have 64M RAM on your machine, or is that what you told 3DS to use under
OS/2?"
I have 64meg of Ram.
"If you have 64M on your machine, 3DS can't use it under OS/2 unless you change
your DOS setting for 3DS (increase the DPMI memory limit)."
DPMI memory limit has always been set to 64meg. DPMI NETWORK BUFFER SIZE is
only set to 8. DPMI DOS API is ENABLED.
I will give the OS20MENU a try. Stephen Grisez
Doug,
"The OS20MEMU program (available in the OS2SUPPORT forum) can tell you exactly
how OS/2 is using your RAM. "
I tried this program and it seems to "sort of" work. It only seems to work 1/2
the time and also when it does work I get lots of strange ascii characters.
Stephen Grisez
If OS20MEMU is not working properly, make sure you have the right driver
loaded. I know the author released a separate driver for each version of OS/2.
If you still can't get it to work, send me the output from the SYSLEVEL command
and your CONFIG.SYS and I'll ask the author if he's ever tried it on a 64M
system.
— Doug Azzarito
I did not know that you were using OS/2 for Windows. I do not have any direct
experience with this version of OS/2. As I understand it, OS/2 for Windows is
still running Windows. That probably means that the video driver
implementation is different than straight OS/2.
I think you are right: The solution will probably be to wait for the new
driver from Diamond. Let me know how it goes when you get the driver. Oh, and
cross your fingers! 🙂
— James E. Coulter — Mindscape Animation Productions —
> As I understand it, OS/2 for Windows is still running Windows.
> That probably means that the video driver implementation is
> different than straight OS/2.
Nope – OS/2 for windows *IS* OS/2, it's just that rather than shipping a
modified WINDOWS system on the OS/2 disks, OS/2 expects to find a WINDOWS 3.11
already installed that it can modify for its use.
— Doug Azzarito
Hmmm. In that case it must be your video card/driver combination. New drivers
might help. Have you been able to run other apps in the background??
Do you have 3DS running in 16 color VGA @ 640×480 when you try background
rendering?
— James — MAP —