============= Release Notes ============= Quantum3D Obsidian(R)2 Professional Series Release 5.5P for Windows NT 4.0 Built 07-Aug-2000 Copyright 1998-1999 Quantum3D, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ===================================================================== Quantum3D, Inc. 6810 Santa Teresa Blvd San Jose, California, 95119-1205 Voice: +1 (408) 361-9998 Fax: +1 (408) 361-9980 Web Site: http://www.quantum3d.com Technical Support: support@quantum3d.com ===================================================================== The Quantum3D Obsidian(R)2 drivers included with this release are based on 3dfx Interactive Glide 2.53 and Glide 3.01 RC1 drivers. This release also includes SimGL(tm) 4.3. Information on SimGL can be found in C:\Program Files\Q3D\Obsidian.2P\WinNT\Q3dSimGL.txt . --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a description of the changes/modifications/fixes made from Release 5.2P to Release 5.5P for Windows NT 4. GENERAL ======= - Added support to identify Obsidian2 200SBiM correctly. These adapters have support for maximum SwapLock(tm) capability. - Updated the implementation of the Quantum3D Driver Extensions to SDK Release 1 Beta 1. - Modified device mapping scheme to support systems with multiple PCI buses and different bus topologies. - In order to keep it as "lean" as possible, SimGL has been removed from the "lean" update. GLIDE ===== - When Glide needs to display an error message box, it now assumes that VGA passthru is being used on channel 0 and therefore it must enable it in order for the message box to visible. - Fixed a problem in Glide2 and Glide3 with mip-mapped edge anti-aliasing where the wrong LOD was being used when rendering the edges. - Multiple calls to grSstWinOpen no longer fail when made without matching calls to grGlideShutdown. OTHER ===== - Q3dInfUt.exe is now installed in C:\Program Files\Q3D\Obsidian.2P\WinNT instead of in the Windows system directory. - Added a multi-channel test utility (Q3dTst02.exe) to the release. It is installed in C:\Program Files\Q3D\Obsidian.2P\WinNT Until supported by the property sheet, this utility should be used as the confidence test for multi-channel systems, in particular, to confirm SwapLock operation. It runs from the command line. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a description of the changes/modifications/fixes made from Release 5.1P to Release 5.2P for Windows NT 4. GENERAL ======= - None. GLIDE ===== - Inverted SwapLock(tm) ring signal indicating master present. OTHER ===== - None. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a description of the changes/modifications/fixes made from Release 5P to Release 5.1P for Windows NT 4. GENERAL ======= - VGA output is now dimmed only when a monitor is not connected and TV out has been enabled. - Further improved reliability by not using write combining for linear frame buffer access. - Release contains the final SimGL 4.3 drivers (build 161). GLIDE ===== - Writing to the linear frame buffer using the pointer returned by grLfbLock() is now significantly slower, as it is no longer set up to be a write combining memory region. Use grLfbWriteRegion() instead. - Fixed SwapLock(tm) hang when there were multiple Obsidian2 adapters in a system. OTHER ===== - Fixed GMojo detection of Obsidian2 Consumer Series adapters. - Fixed bug where property sheet would crash if "Adapter Info" was clicked twice. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a description of the changes/modifications/fixes made from Release 5P Beta 4 to Release 5P for Windows NT 4. GENERAL ======= - Further improved reliability by the correcting the algorithm used by the drivers for automatic selection of a set of critical timing parameters. - Changed the spelling of "Obsidian2" to "Obsidian(R)2" now that it is a registered trademark. - Added pre-release SimGL 4.3 (build 153) drivers to the release. GLIDE ===== - None. OTHER ===== - The resolution and refresh listboxes on the property sheet now have new titles that make it clear what is being set: the refresh rate to use when an application chooses to run at a given resolution. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a description of the changes/modifications/fixes made from Release 5P Beta 3 to Release 5P Beta 4 for Windows NT 4. GENERAL ======= - Fixed intermittent Genport I/O Initialization failure. GLIDE ===== - Updated the implementation of the Quantum3D Glide Extensions to SDK Release 1 Alpha 7, including grSstAlternateVideoTimingsQ3D(). - Updated the implementation of Glide3's grGet() and grGetString() to that of 3dfx 3.01; in particular, this means that grGet(GR_NUM_BOARDS,...) returns the number of channels instead of the number of FBI chips. OTHER ===== - Improved the online help. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a description of the changes/modifications/fixes made from Release 5P Beta 2 to Release 5P Beta 3 for Windows NT 4. GENERAL ======= - This file (RelNotes.txt) now contains these release notes. The previous contents are now in ReadMe.txt . - This release adds support for the Obsidian2 200SBi. Some early 200SBi-s are incorrectly detected as 200SB-s; these must be reworked to use this release. - The Obsidian.2P subdirectory has been removed from the Installation CD layout and the files are now distributed uncompressed. - Installing the Obsidian2 drivers no longer removes Obsidian1 or other manufacturers' files or registry settings. - The property sheet was renamed to Q3dPs2.dll. - Registry keys and registry items moved to standard locations. - Added a table of contents to the online help. - Added Quantum3D utility programs Q3dMtrr.exe and Q3dInfUt.exe. - DirectX5 is no longer included on the Installation CD. - You are now prompted to continue when uninstalling the drivers. - Uninstalling the drivers now unsets all environment variables referenced by them. - Modified the frame-buffer memory allocation scheme to improve reliability. The old frame-buffer memory allocation scheme can be reinstated by setting the environment variable SSTV2_USE_OLD_MEMOFFSET_Q3D=1. GLIDE ===== - The release includes Glide 3.01 RC1 for both Win32 (GLIDE3X.DLL) and DOS/4GW (GLIDE3X.OVL). It works correctly for multiple adapters (unlike the 3dfx reference version). The default Glide3 gamma is the same as that of Glide2 (1.7). - Added support for the functionality exposed by Release 1 of the Quantum3D Glide Extensions SDK to both Glide2 and Glide3, except for custom resolutions. In particular, Glide applications can now set (and get) the SwapLock(tm) state (which can be overridden using the property sheet). - The argument to grBufferSwap() is now only overridden (to 0) when the Wait for Vertical Retrace check box on the property sheet is cleared. Previously, it would also be overridden (to 1) when the box was set. - The Glide edge anti-aliasing functions (grAA*) now work correctly when the auxiliary buffer is configured as an alpha buffer. - Setting the environment variable FX_GLIDE_DEFAULT_CHANNEL_Q3D to will swap the meaning of grSstSelect(0) and grSstSelect(). - Glide applications can now call SetEnvironmentVariable() or _putenv() before the first Glide call to affect the Glide environment. Note, however, we recommended using the routines in the Quantum3D Glide Extensions to do this, as we do not guarantee that environment variables names and semantics will remain the same across releases. Another disadvantage is that many have different names across different graphics architectures. - Fixed multiple-adapter shutdown in Glide2. OTHER ===== - The number Pentium II and Pentium III Memory Type Range Registers (MTRRs) needed per adapter has been reduced. Now it is possible to run the maximum number of SLI adapters supported by Glide (4) in a single system at full performance under both Windows 9x and Windows NT 4.0. (MTRRs are used to set the caching mode of the memory ranges occupied the adapters, and there are a limited number of them. If the caching mode can not be set for an adapter because an MTTR is not available, the adapter will run at less than full performance.) In multiprocessor systems, the MTRRs are set on all processors on which the affinity mask of the thread that calls grGlideInit() allows it to run. The affinity mask of the thread that calls grGlideShutdown() must allow it to run on same processors so that the MTRRs can be cleared. - A 1024x1024 @ 60Hz video timing is now supported. - The graphics clock adjustment slider has been removed from the property sheet. - The control of SwapLock(tm) and SyncLock on the property sheet has been rationalized. - To prevent hanging, all property sheet tests are disabled when there are multiple Obsidian2 200SB-s and the current one has SwapLock(tm) enabled. - FT and TF clock delays use an auto-selection method for determining optimum performance values. - MOJO.EXE now displays the correct physical and virtual addresses, board ID, and graphics architecture name, and will report on up to the maximum number of chip sets supported in a single system. - The section in the WIN.INI file from which settings are read has been changed from [Obsidian2] to [Q3dObsidian2]. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a description of the changes/modifications/fixes made from Release 5P Beta 1 to Release 5P Beta 2 for Windows NT 4. GENERAL ======= - MGV-PCI correctly controls TV Out. NOTE: If there are multiple Obsidian2's, the output from a MGV-PCI is required to pass through board 0 (as shown by the Display Properties Sheet). - The operation of the MGV Property Sheet has been improved. For example, the APPLY button is not enabled when non-retained settings are changed. - Fixed a memory corruption problem that occurred when using more than two 200SBs in a system. DIRECT3D ======== - None. GLIDE ===== - Setting the environment variable FX_GLIDE_TEXTABLE_POINTCAST_Q3D will force Glide to direct texture table downloads done by the routines GrTexDownloadTable(), grTexDownloadTablePartial(), and grTexNCCTable() to the TMU specified in its parameter list instead of being broadcast to all TMUs. OTHER ===== - The 200SBi is now recognized by the property sheet and GMojo. - Gdetect, detect, and pcirw display Subsystem and Subsystem Vendor IDs in place of the Device and Vendor IDs when they exist. Subsystem Vendor IDs can be given to pcirw in place of Device and Vendor IDs using the new -D and -V options. The -s option to pcirw now displays the Subsystem and Subsystem Vendor IDs config space registers if they are set, as well as, the AGP and other 3dfx-specific config space registers. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a description of the changes/modifications/fixes made from Release 4P to Release 5P Beta 1 for Windows NT 4.0. GENERAL ======= - None. DIRECT3D ======== - Changes were made to accommodate Microsoft WHQL issues. - Registry key HKLM\Software\3Dfx Interactive\Voodoo2\D3D is now used for all Direct3D settings for Windows 9x drivers. - Fixed the problem of disabling vsync when running in SLI mode. The setting used to be ignored. - Fixed Glide failure when Direct3D was used during a user session. - Fixed Windows 98 performance. It was now performing as well as Windows 95. The problem occurred in write combining. - Fixed Master and Slave SLI monitor detection. - Fixed Ctrl-F9 and Ctrl-Alt-Del not switching the pass-through when running in SLI mode. GLIDE ===== - Fixed Glide Performance Problems related to triangle culling. - Fixed various mutual exclusion errors. - Fixed Master and Slave SLI monitor detection. - Fixed Ctrl-F9 and Ctrl-Alt-Del not switching the pass-through when running in an SLI configuration. - Fixed running a D3D or Glide application then running a Glide app after reboot. "Voodoo2 Expected Not found" message would appear if the Glide application (or the Control Panel) was started after the reboot. - Fixed system hang caused by shutting down Windows when a Glide app was run in SLI mode. - Fixed the Glide driver version where it was listed as 2.44 instead of 2.5. - Fixed Swaplock(tm) hanging problem when there were more than one "slave" in a system. OTHER =====