#Which deck is better
14 messages in this thread
Probably this only happens to us, but the Matrox 1024 is, not only buggy in
software, but in hardware. The VESA modes are a complete **** (which are in
hardware) and operation with Animator Pro is completely impossible. We have
tested the card for two months for a magazine article. The 24 bit 1024×768
accelerated Windows modes don't justify the price of this board, specially with
the problems in VESA.
I hope the MGA drivers to be worked soon, and also see a Dynaview type of
application for 3DS Release 3.
ana /krazy images
After hemming and hawing for a week I've decided to keep the Matrox MGA
Impression. The hardware is soooo incredible, and the drivers are so good in
windows and ACAD, that I've decided to suffer with vibrant's vesa drivers for
another month or two, untill selected vertices not turning red bug is fixed.
This card is worth the wait! BTW, there's a new MGA PRO going to be announced
at comdex, I think, that will have 8megs or more (upgradeable?) and should
pound any other card out there into the dust. I tried the 1024-32 and like
some of the features, but found it very slow compared to today's VLB cards. It
is a solid, useful card, though.
I've recieved good words from the Matrox folks that the Vibrant R3 drivers are
coming along nicely, and that there'll be a driver release date sometime @
November.
Hope you're having fun and successfully ducking the bullets in S.FLA, (you
still there?)
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
Good done, John. In the first moment, I thought that say that you
can't get red vertex anyway! But if you can use other drivers to get
the display, I can't see the problem. What Vibrant drivers? They will
support real-time or are you talking about normal drivers?
BTW, I'm very happy with the Truevision 1024. As you have said, it's a
very solid card. Regarding the speed… I don't know. I can be less
perceptive than others, but for me, I can't imagine more speed in a
board. There are not redraws and the image scroll is like see a
panning done frame-by-frame. I really think that there is a point
when speed is not important, but the ability of the board other
things. I'm only wondering if I can do the same with the 20MB images
if I put into 16MB more in the 1024. According to theory, it have to
work (probably Kevin can jump in with a few words about it. He
probably know the board a lot better than me). I also can get full
32bits in 3ds, althought, believe it or not, I only have use the
board once under 3ds (probably a real time driver could be an excuse
to do it more often -I mean, all the day <g>)
ana /krazy images
I'm using Vibrant's "Vesa" mode, which is your avereage, vanilla (and
sloooww) vesa standards compliant driver. This is necessary now, so
that I can model and see my red vertices, which I love so much <g>.
Matrox also will have a new "inbetween" update, even before Vibrant
finishes the MGA driver (November, hopefully), that'll fix the red
vertice bug.
This card, despite current 3DS problems, is too incredible. Working
in windows reminds me of working on an SGI (okay, maybe an SGI cut in
half <g>) because of the lightning speed in 24bits at 1024×768. You
can barely see any redraw in a huge 1000×1000 tga in fractal paint as
it is loaded on the screen, moved around. The card doesn't have
hardware 32bit (I think), but that's the only disadvantage. I think
with the 1024-32 the ISA bus was slowing things down on very large
images, and that's what I was noticing.
There's still no 3DS real-time 3D, but I shell out to ACAD and do
quick DXF's if I want to get "familiar" with an object I'm modelling,
and how it will look in motion. This is a really neat feature,
although I must admit the motion is not true real-time, and gets
quite jerky with large models. But it's the best thing I've seen on
a PC (haven't seen the Spea Fire).
Regards, hope you're having fun in S. Fla (my dad lives in N. Miami)
Since this conversation is on graphic boards, perhaps one can advise
me on a decent graphic combo to work with the Targa+32. I am not
wanting to spend much of anything. Normaly I sell TRIDENT or the
ET4000 chipset boards with one meg. I will need a board to use with
the Targa+ for VGA right? I also want to be able to view on both the
NTSC monitor and the VGA monitor simultaniously as I do now. I would
like to be able to use the Cardinal SnapPlus board that I currently
have but I do not know if this will work or not as the Cardinal will
not be able to connect via cable as thruput to the Targa. There may be
a conflict as well. I only use WINDOWS for my desktop publishing,
accounting, HSC Morph, Wave Sound file creation, and here on the
forum, (and Battle Chess) and only run in 640x480x32. Don't care for
800×600 or 1024×768, although the SnapPlus is capable, I also have a
Creative labs Video Blaster here in stock that no one wants to buy,
but I think that will be the same problem (or worse) because it
requires a VGA board to be connected such as the Targa, whereas the
SnapPlus does not. If you know of anyone running both a Targa and a
SnapPlus, this info I can use, else I will need to sell the SnapPlus
if the two will not work together. I have not tried this yet, just
hoping to save a day of aggrevation. Still waiting on the shipment of
the rest of my equipment, MAN this is taking a LONG time to get here!
Merlin,
I think if you are using two monitors, you don't need to connect the vga card
to the Targa+.
I'd recommend a board that has the capability to draw lines in hardware.
Boards that use the S3 chip, the Hercules Graphite, the Weitek P9000-based
board (Diamond Viper), and the ATI Ultras all can do this. I have an NDI
Volante S3 805 board and it works great.
Bailey
Great, then I just may be able to use my SnapPlus board
with the Targa. I like the SnapPlus as far as the SVGA is concerned
and the NTSC output (s-video/RGB/composite), I just don't like the
quality of the framegrabbing portion. It is an addressable board and
is designed to work with more than one SnapPlus so maybe I will get
lucky and it will just fall right into place with the Targa, or maybe
not and I can sell it for a badly needed 500 bucks. Thanks muchly
for your input on the matter, feeling much better now, my equipment
is never gonna get here, its just never gonna get here, I know the
UPS truck fell off of a cliff somewhere or something, (pacing,
panting, looking out window)
I ended up buying an expensive, high-end graphics card (Matrox MGA
Impression 3ZV), but was considering getting the Hercules Graphite.
The one meg version costs around $250, and is supposedly blisteringly
fast considering it's not a high-end card. Believe me, once you get
a decent card for both 3DS and windows apps, you'll never say you're
not interested in high res graphics! The 2meg version will support
800×600 24bit, the 1 meg version supports up to 640×480 24bit, and
most cards these days besides the generic 512k ones will do 1024×768
in 8bit. If you use any 24bit apps in Windows, I suggest you try the
Hercules.
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
Thanks for the info. I will consider the card. The reason
I do not like 1024×768 in the Windows environment is because my
monitor is only 14 inches and it makes everything too small, (and
resembles a MAC). 800×600 is fine and the SnapPlus board does up to
65,536 colors at that rez, but it looks as if I will have to sell the
SnapPlus to a potential buyer so I will need to replace it.
Oh, John. Yes, I'm still in Florida (medieval battle suit included
<g>) I'm planning to move to Antartida some of this days, but there
are not service bureaus there. Only pinguins and whales! Love
whales… any norwegian, russian or japanese in the forum? >(
Ana,
I thought you were in Madrid. DId you used to be there? When did you
move to Miami?
>> "the Matrox 1024" << Again this is NOT an Illuminator Pro
Card….. I hate to keep bringing this up but All horses are animals
but not all animals are horses. _____It's a different Card and A
different Division_____.
The Illuminator Pro Cards is in what one could consider the
Professional Products Division. This is like me picking on the Targa
16 boards….gimme a break!<g>
Being a heavy supporter of Truevision you should know that the people
in "Professional" Divisions have nothing to do with "Consumer" class
equipment. <g> I'm not even sure that the 1024 is a very new
technology. It doesn't even interest me as a dealer. Speaking of
which…I am a NEW dealer for the Matrox Illuminator Pro card which
is authorized directly through Matrox and DOES NOT GO THROUGH
DISRIBUTION…..like your Truevision cards… so I am expected to
really do my homework on the Illuminator Pro. Therefore I'm got my
hands full what with putting in invisible net and just receiving my
copy or Release 3 3D Studio (Dealer Version Please don't anyone get
excited yet<g>) Plus testing the Sanyo GVR-S950. The 1024 is low on
my list of things to find out about. Maybe you could explain to me
why you wouldn't rather be looking at the MGA card or the Illuminator
Pro cards for a "Review". I find it somewhat curious. Also I got
the impression that you were MAJOR truevision
dealers/supporters….isn't that kind of like asking the Pope to do a
review on Judisim? <BG> LaTER. James M. Murphy
Indeed, I have review one Matrox I card, the impression 1024 (I know,
no Illuminators :), but the previous distributor in Spain was…
mmmh, let's say: good dealers <g> Three months before coming to
Florida, the distributor changed and they were avid of promotion, so
they start to send cards. Unfortunately, I'm in Florida now (only
have the time to review one). BTW, my critic was good… except for
the POOOOOOOR VESA BIOS support. And I mean really poor. A bad point
if you want to use VESA based apps with the board.
And yes, all is a complot to put you to the limit! <g> Let say it
clear, world: WE TRUEFANATICS DON'T WANT MATROX!!! <G> Gimme a real
Vista, don't left me with just the Impression.
Just kidding, James. I will buy when I need next time I need to
upgrade my video (to DVR? 😉