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Old 4th November 2005, 07:00 PM   #1
Hawk
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Default Problems with new motherboard display

Yesterday I installed a new motherboard (With onboard video) in my computer and a new hard drive, it displayed the desktop. then I transfered AC3D from the slave to the master to increase stowage space.
However when I click on AC3D icon two ortho ports are greyed out completely. Closing AC3D and reopening it now only one port is grayed, closing and opening again or the third time AC3D shows a normal screen, any one have an idea of what is going on? :?:
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Old 4th November 2005, 10:23 PM   #2
Thaellin
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Your video driver is buggy. You can try to get an updated driver from your board vendor or the chipset manufacturer for your graphics device.

Good luck,
-- Jeff
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Old 5th November 2005, 08:19 AM   #3
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Default Problems with new motherboard display

Thanks for you input.
That's the first thing I did, meaning I down loaded the newest video drivers for the board and installed them. It didn't change a thing, I still get the grey blocked out view ports on first booting up AC3D.
I bought a new mouse and rechecked all my connections? Thanks again
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Old 5th November 2005, 03:09 PM   #4
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There used to be a setting in the interface for using a shared rendering context for all windows. I can't find it right now, but if you can tell the program to NOT use a unique context for each display window then you would have enough to get you past your problem... probably would not be able to create new (arbitrary) views, though.

I'm guessing your on-board chipset is one of the Intel graphics solutions?

You might do better to get an add-on card. A low-end nVidia or ATI adapter should have better OpenGL support.

Sorry I'm not of more help. Again, good luck.
-- Jeff
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Old 5th November 2005, 04:08 PM   #5
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Default Problems with new motherboard display

I called the motherboard tech rep and he advised me to move the motherboard out of the case and onto a piece of cardboard and reconnect every thing and restart, that was friday and I'll have to get back to him on monday as it didn't change a thing. It is not an intel, the cpu is the same AMD that I was using with AC3D before (And the same memory).
An odd thing occurs...if I minimize AC3D and then make it full size, I am able to see through the grayed out viewing ports and see the decktop with all its icons, like looking through a window pane. strange.
I don't need a graphic card as AC3D has worked fine without it in the past, nor is there one in my IBM laptop which will also run AC3D for I must have one that is working. So I don't think a graphic card is the solution to the problem. I somehow beleive it is something to do with the way the onboard graphic chip is functioning, of posible something missing in the AC3D, as my photo programs (And others) work fine. I'll let you know when I find out.
Besides that my optical mouse was jumping all over the screen, what I discovered was I was moving it over a desk surface that has a wood pattern, placing it on a plain sheet of paper and it now worked fine. Some times it's the smallest of things.
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Old 5th November 2005, 05:00 PM   #6
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Regarding the AC3D display:
- AC3D uses the OpenGL API to perform rendering of 2D and 3D views.
- OpenGL provides the concept of multiple contexts and context sharing, which are not always well implemented by video drivers, since games (primary application for OpenGL on low end graphics adapters) almost never use multiple contexts or shared context resources.
- When your video driver does not properly implement mutliple context support, you will see problems such as windows not redrawing (the grey background and 'see-through' windows).

Standard 2D applications (photo editing and such) do not use the OpenGL API (they use a 2D API). They will not show this problem. Most other OpenGL applications will also not show this problem (AC3D uses features most consumer-grade software ignores).

The graphics card is not the solution to your problem, no. The video driver is the solution. Purchasing an add-on card from a major vendor (ATI/nVidia) means you get easy access to a higher quality OpenGL driver implementation.

The tech who suggested you reconnect everything is very confused about your problem - he is providing hardware support, when what you need is updated software (drivers). What make/model motherboard have you purchased? The video drivers provided by motherboard vendors are often out of date (they ship what's available when they package the board and tend not to update the driver later).

If you can determine who manufactured the graphics chipset (not the motherboard), you many find updated drivers on their site. If the motherboard has a VIA chipset, you probably have an S3 graphics chip, in which case you need to go to VIA's site (not S3) to get the updated driver.

I don't expect you have an nVidia or ATI chip, since this is a basic problem which I would not expect to see in their drivers (and I guess it's not an intel graphics chip, since you said it's an AMD CPU).

At any rate, good luck. If you are not comfortable chasing down this stuff, please don't, since attempting to wrestle the wrong driver into place can cause trouble with (e.g., 'break') your computer.

-- Jeff
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Old 5th November 2005, 07:32 PM   #7
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Default Problems with new motherboard display

Thanks, It is a Via chipset. As I have said earlier the MB video drivers were updated as soon as the display problem was noticed, it is a Via 4-1 which was obtained from Viaarena.com fresh, and carefully installed. The MB's tech rep gave me specific instructions for the new driver, and the web page for theVIA 4-1 video drivers.

I have no problem messing with stuff like this as I have built three computers. This kind of problem is a new one on me.

I looked into my old download folder, and found an older version of AC3D so I removed 5.0.21 and installed the older version 4.0, it also has a grayed out viewing port. Which kind of tells me it is not AC3D but elsewhere.

Now all I can do is wait until the tech rep reviews on what has transpired since last talking with him (Friday).
The reason he suggested removing the board and running it outside the case was to make sure the MB was not touch any metal.

I did have a non-open GL video card before and it worked just fine. I just letting you know this kind of stuff in search for an answer to the problem. Could it be a bios setting or a Windows problem?
Thanks for your suggestions and input
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Old 6th November 2005, 12:22 AM   #8
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Hm - I'm afraid it sounds like you've done all the right things.

It is possible that you might get around the problem (with a potential performance impact) if you grab mesa3d and place its opengl32.dll in the folder with AC3D.

I'm not sure where to get a precompiled binary, though. Any chance you're a programmer (and have gcc or msvc installed)? You could grab source from www.mesa3d.org

-- Jeff
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Old 6th November 2005, 02:27 AM   #9
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Hawk,
I'd only add to whats been said, by suggesting dropping in a vid card as a test. Any nvid or ati card of recent years would do. Your local puter assembly business should have something older for peanuts or a friend who'll lend his to test.
As you've said it should work as is but if the tech wont give you a replacement mobo, any 9 series ati or G4 onwards nvid is your cheapest solution.
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Old 6th November 2005, 08:17 AM   #10
Hawk
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Default Problems with new motherboard display

My thinking is if I type a letter "A" this information is handled by the display chip and I see an "A" appear on my monitor. Therefore, the display function is faulty.
I have decided to purchase a video card, but I shouldn't have to for I had AC3D working fully on the lowest of computers with no video card whatsoever (On board video). I think this was mentioned in another thread, meaning AC3D will work on just about anything.
In any case, after I speak with the MB tech rep on monday I will place an order for a video card (Open GL) as the MB manufacture also makes excellant video cards, but I just would like to know why this is happening, and why.
Thanks to all that took the time to reply to my messages.
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