SURFCAM Velocity - Minimum System Requirements:
- Operating System: Windows® 2000 Service Pack 4
- Processor: Pentium® III, 800 MHz or Athlon® 800 MHz
- Memory: 128 MB RAM
- Hard Disk Space: 800 MB Free
- Video: 32 MB Windows® 2000/XP DirectX® 9.0c or higher compatible display adapter capable of 1024x768 resolution in 16bit color
- DirectX®: DirectX® 9.0c (included) or higher
- Pointer: Windows® Compatible Mouse
- Communications Port: USB
- CD-ROM Drive
SURFCAM Velocity - Recommended System Requirements:
- Operating System: Windows® XP Professional Service Pack 2
- Processor: Pentium® IV, 3.4 GHz or Athlon® 64 2.6 GHz
- Memory: 1 GiG RAM
- Hard Disk Space: 1 GiG Free
- Video: 256 MB Windows® XP DirectX® 9.0c or higher compatible display adapter capable of 1280x1024 resolution in 32bit color
- DirectX®: DirectX® 9.0c (included) or higher
- Pointer: Windows® IntelliMouse Optical Mouse with wheel
- Communications Port: USB
- CD-ROM Drive
Verifying Your Graphics Settings
SURFCAM® Velocity™ uses the latest version of DirectX® technology from Microsoft’s
ActiveX® technology suite. The move to use ActiveX® vs. Open-GL is due to its broad
support of modern color cards supporting this technology, modernization, and
capabilities. When using SURFCAM® Velocity it is important to verify that the
following settings are properly configured:
DirectX® 9.0c
SURFCAM Velocity requires Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0c. If your Operating System is
XP® Service Pack 1a or later DirectX® 9.0c should already be installed. When installing
SURFCAM® the Installation Manager automatically detects if the required version of
DirectX is available. If it isn’t, the ability to install SURFCAM® is disabled
requiring DirectX® to be installed first. If installing from the CD isn’t an option
the latest version of DirectX® is also available from the Popular Download section on
Microsoft's main page.
Color Quality
When shading a model a color setting of Highest(32 bit) will provide the desired
quality. A lower setting will appear as if there are distinct bands of color. A gradient
background will also reflect this.
To change the color quality (These steps apply to Windows XP®. Windows 2000® may differ slightly):
- Right-click on the desktop and selecting Properties from the menu.
- Select the Settings tab from the Display Properties dialog.
- Select the Highest (32 bit) selection from the Color Quality list of choices.
- Select OK.
Hardware Acceleration
Windows XP® Professional uses hardware acceleration to improve display performance.
If SURFCAM fails to start or the graphics are slow to react increasing the hardware
acceleration can resolve the problem. Hardware acceleration for your graphics hardware
has six settings. The following table shows the settings and their meanings:
| Setting | Description |
|---|
| None | Disables all accelerations. Use this setting only if your
computer frequently stops responding or has other severe problems. |
| 1 | Disables all but basic accelerations. Use this setting to
correct more severe problems. |
| 2 | Disables all DirectX® Graphics accelerations, as well as all
cursor and advanced drawing accelerations. Use this setting to correct severe problems
with DirectX accelerated applications. |
| 3 | Disables all cursor and advanced drawing accelerations. Use
this setting to correct drawing problems. |
| 4 | Disables cursor and bitmap accelerations. Use this setting to
troubleshoot mouse pointer problems or corrupt images. |
| Full | Enables all acceleration features. This setting is recommended
if your computer has no problems. |
To change hardware acceleration (These steps apply to Windows XP®. Windows 2000® may differ slightly):
- Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
- In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Settings tab, and then click the Advanced button.
- Click the Troubleshoot tab, and then choose the desired level of hardware acceleration. For best results choose Full.
NOTE: If you use multiple monitors, changing hardware acceleration settings affects all monitors.
Video Card Drivers
The color card must be DirectX® 9.0c compatible. The latest video drivers should be
installed. Most video card manufacturers provide the ability to download drivers from
their website. If you know which card you are using you can, in most cases, access driver
updates by answering a few simple questions.
nVIDIA® chipset drivers can be downloaded here.
ATI® chipset drivers can be downloaded here.
If unsure about how to update the video drivers there are other steps available that
can automatically update the system (These steps apply to Windows XP®. Windows 2000® may differ slightly):
- Select start
- Select Control Panel
- Switch to Classic View
- Select Administrative Tools
- Select Computer Management
- From the tree in the dialog that has opened select Device Manager
- Expand Display Adapters
- Right-click on the current adapter
- Select Properties
- From the Driver tab the "Update Driver..." button can be chosen to install the current Microsoft provided driver.
Another method available that can automatically update the system
These steps apply to Windows XP®. Windows 2000® may differ slightly
- Select start
- Select Control Panel
- Switch to Classic View
- Select Display
- Select the Settings tab in dialog that has opened
- Select the Advanced button. Depending on your video card and existing driver setup there may be a tab specifically suited for configuring maintaining it. From this tab it may be possible to update the driver from the supplier’s web site.
- From the Driver tab the "Update Driver..." button can be chosen to install the current Microsoft provided driver.
Diagnostics
The Microsoft DirectX® Diagnostic Tool gives information about the DirectX® application
programming interface (API) components and drivers on your system. It enables you to test sound
and graphics output and Microsoft DirectPlay service providers. It also enables you to disable some
hardware acceleration features.
You can use the diagnostic tool to gather information for a technician during a support call.
You can save the information gathered by the tool and paste it into an e-mail message.
To run the Microsoft DirectX Diagnostic Tool:
- Click start
- Click Run…
- A dialog will appear. Type “dxdiag” and select the OK button
The Diagnostic tool will load and scan the system for information. When finished it
will display similar information as in figure 1. In most cases it would be best to review
what version of DirectX® is installed, 4.09.0000.0904 or later is required.
Figure 1The second tab in the diagnostic tool dialog checks the validity of the DirectX® file
set. Optimally the Notes at the bottom of the dialog should report that there are no
problems found as show in Figure 2. If problems are found, it is recommended, depending
on the note itself, that DirectX® be reinstalled.
Figure 2The third tab in the diagnostic tool dialog checks the color card device, its driver,
and provides testing tools. Optimally the Notes at the bottom of the dialog should report
that there are no problems found as show in Figure 3. From this dialog it is important to
verify that the minimum video requirements are met. Direct3D® should also be tested. When
the Test Direct3D button is pressed the system will offer to test the three different
hardware-accelerated interfaces. Although interface 9 is the requirement, testing
interface 7 and 8 is recommended. At the bottom of the dialog the test results will be
listed offering useful information.
Figure 3The last tab in the diagnostic tool dialog offers additional troubleshooting tools (Figure 4). Selecting
the Troubleshoot button will attempt to diagnose problems using a wizard-style process.
If all the diagnostics fail to offer a solution then it is recommended that the "Save All Information..."
button be chosen to generate a detailed system description that can be sent to the appropriate support
provider to evaluate.
Figure 4 |