========================================================================== Monster 3D README.TXT ========================================================================== Release Notes ------------- This is version 1.10 of the Monster 3D driver for Windows 95/98. New Features ------------ The new drivers contain several features which make game play more enjoyable. The gamma panel has been enhanced along with the technology demonstrations. This driver has been tuned for Pentium Pro processors. Problems Addressed ------------------ The Device Class was changed so that the Monster 3D adapter appears in Media class and not Multimedia. Overview -------- The purpose of this release is to provide a central location for all drivers provided for Monster 3D. Please read the Hardware Installation and Software Installation instructions to get the Monster 3D card and drivers on your Windows system. This release is based on 3DFX GLIDE release number 2.43. Hardware Installation --------------------- These installation instructions are for placing the Monster 3D hardware board into your PC system. 1. Open your computer and find an open PCI slot. 2. Remove the back plate from the free slot and save the screw. 3. Place the Monster 3D graphics board into that slot. 4. Screw the card in. 5. Replace the computer chassis. 6. Use the pass-thru cable to connect the Monster 3D graphics card to your current VGA card. Place the VGA monitor cable into the Monster 3D card. 7. Power up your system and run Windows. 8. Continue to Section 1 of the Software Installation if this is the first time you have installed the Monster 3D card. Software Installation --------------------- Recommended Installation Order ------------------------------ The following are recommended installation orders for Windows 95/98: Windows 95/98 ------------- 1. Graphics board 2. Monster 3D Drivers 3. Microsoft DirectX 5 The following description is only necessary for a Microsoft typical installation via *.inf file. These steps will be done by itself if you run the self-running installation. For the Software Installation if you are looking at the New Hardware dialog in Windows 95 then read section 2 of the Software Installation. If the Monster 3D card shows up in the ? Other section of the Device Manager or you are updating drivers follow the instruction in section 2. If you are looking at the Update Device Drivers Install Wizard in the OSR pack for Windows 95 then read section 3. Software Installation: Section 1 -------------------------------- These installation instructions apply when you are updating the Monster 3D drivers or the Device Manager shows the Monster 3D card in the ? Other section. Please follow these steps to get the drivers updated on your Windows 95/98 system: 1. Start Windows 95/98. 2. Right-click on My Computer and choose Properties. 3. Choose the Device Manager tab and double click on MULTIMEDIA. 4. Double click on the Monster 3D PCI Video Multimedia Device. 5. Click on the Driver tab and then click the Change Driver... button. Monster 3D PCI Video Multimedia Device should be highlighted. 6. Click on the Have Disk... button. 7. Type the appropriate path to the Monster 3D Windows drivers. 8. After the files have been copied, click the OK button to Restart your computer. Software Installation: Section 2 -------------------------------- These installation instructions apply when you are looking at the New Hardware Found dialog box. Please follow these steps to get the drivers installed on your Windows 95/98 system: 1. Windows 95 displays a dialog box indicating: "New Hardware Found - PCI Video Multimedia Device" Choose to install drivers from a disk provided by the hardware manufacturer. 2. Type the appropriate path to the Monster 3D Windows 95 drivers 3. Choose Yes when asked to restart the system. Software Installation: Section 2 -------------------------------- These installation instructions apply when you are looking at the Update Device Driver Install Wizard. If you have the OSR2 or later installed then the Update Device Driver Install Wizard is invoked when Windows 95 first runs with the Monster 3D card in the system. In this case follow these instructions: 1. Windows 95 displays the Update Device Driver Wizard. 2. Make sure to use the Yes (Recommended) option. Click on the Next button. 3. Click on the "Other Locations" button and type the appropriate path to the Monster 3D Windows 95 drivers 4. Choose Yes when asked to restart the system. File List --------- After the Plug & Play install, the following files can be found in the Windows 95 system directory (C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM): File Description ---- ----------- SST1INIT.DLL Dynamic library for SST1 chip GLIDE.DLL Dynamic library for GLIDE API FXMEMMAP.VXD VXD to control pass-thru mode DD3DFX.DRV DirectDraw 5 driver DD3DFX16.DLL Direct3D 16-bit driver DD3DFX32.DLL Direct3D 32-bit driver MONHLP16.DLL Monster 3D help information used in panels MNSTRSET.DLL Monster 3D setup panel MNSTRNFO.DLL Monster 3D information panel _MNSTRNF.LOC Internationalization file for information panel _MNSTRST.LOC Internationalization file for information panel After the Plug & Play install, the following files can be found in the Windows 95 directory (C:\WINDOWS): File Description ---- ----------- MOJO.EXE Version program for technical support MNSTRTST.EXE Test application for resolution, refresh, and gamma MONSTR3D.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE DMMLOGO.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE CYL.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE CYL1.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE CYL2.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE SPH.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE SPH1.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE SPH2.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE TORUS.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE TORUS1.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE TORUS2.3DF Bitmap for MNSTRTST.EXE Running MOJO.EXE ---------------- Mojo will not run without DirectDraw 5 installed. If DirectDraw 5 is not installed then a dialog appears stating that DDRAW.DLL cannot be found. To fix this problem install DirectDraw 5. Mojo is a version application. It will printout the version information about the Monster 3D board. An example follows: HARDWARE Virtual Base Address: 0x???????? (depends on system) Physical Base Address: 0x???????? (depends on system) PCI Device Number: 0x? (depends on system) Vendor ID: 0x121a Device ID: 0x1 FBI Revision: 1 or 2 FBI Memory: 2 MB FBI Video Display Type: 0x0 Scan-Line Interleaved? no TMU Revision: 1 Number TMUs: 1 SYSTEM LIBRARIES C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\GLIDE.DLL 263168 1/21/97 Glide(tm) Version 2.1.1 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SST1INIT.DLL 132096 1/21/97 InitCode $Revision: 3 $ C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DD3DFX.DRV 13088 10/23/97 4.10.01.0013 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DD3DFX16.DLL 4384 10/23/97 4.10.01.0013 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DD3DFX32.DLL 299520 10/23/97 4.10.01.0013 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\FXMEMMAP.VXD 7584 10/23/97 4.10.01.0013 Known Limitations ----------------- The known limitations follows: Gamma Test in 800x600 --------------------- In 800x600 mode the gamma test tool only displays the two spheres. The cylinder and torus do not get displayed. This is not a bug. It is a feature of the test tool. 800x600 cannot support a Z Buffer due to limitations in the amount of memory on the Monster 3D card. Since the gamma tool does not perform software hidden surface removal it cannot display the cylinder, torus and spheres properly in the same frame without a Z Buffer. Thus the cylinder and torus are displayed only when the Z Buffer is available, i.e., in 512x384, 640x400 and 640x480. Refresh Rate in GLIDE Games --------------------------- Refresh rate is completely under the control of the GLIDE games. However, the refresh selection in the panel sets an MSDOS environment variable that modifies the refresh rate according to the user selection at 640x480 only. Click the Apply to DOS... check button to reboot the system and apply the refresh rate to GLIDE games. Gamma Correction in GLIDE Games ------------------------------ Gamma correction is completely under the control of the GLIDE games. However, the gamma selection in the panel sets an MSDOS environment variable that modifies the red, green, and blue gamma values according to the user selection at 640x480 only. Click the Apply to DOS... check button to reboot the system and apply the gamma selection to GLIDE games. Monster 3D Settings Panel ------------------------- The "Test" button in the gamma area of the Monster 3D Settings panel purposely uses 640x480 at 60 Hz. This way the user can test gamma with a consistent resolution and refresh rate that works correctly on any VGA monitor. The "Test" button in the resolution/refresh area brings the display up in the selected resolution/refresh using the current selected gamma. The "Test" buttons effectively change the settings before running the test application. Therefore the meaning of Cancel changes to be the last time any "Test" button was used. NOTE: Glide games have control over resolution/refresh and gamma. Thus, resolution/refresh and gamma selections in the Monster 3D panel may not apply to Glide games. NOTE: Gamma correction does not apply to the following resolutions: 512x384 at 85 Hz and greater 640x400 at 85 Hz and greater 640x480 at 85 Hz and greater 800x600 at 60 Hz and greater Stealth 64 Video GT Drivers --------------------------- The S3 968/868 chip contains a bug. The bug in the chip may cause problems with the Monster 3D card when running the GT drivers. The bug is that the 968/868 states that it requires 32 Meg of frame buffer memory when it actually decodes 64 Meg of frame buffer memory on PCI. Sometimes the Monster 3D card gets mapped by Windows 95 into the 968 upper 32 Meg of decode address. This problem causes a system hang. To duplicate the problem or figure out if you have the problem you can run the test application MOJO.EXE and if it hangs then you have the problem. The fix for this problem is to remap the Monster 3D card. To do this follow these directions: 1. Download the drivers from the BBS or the WEB. The drivers contain two files that can be used to remap the memory addresses of the Monster 3D card. These files are DOS4GW.EXE and FXREMAP.EXE. Place these two files into your windows directory, e. g., C:\WINDOWS. 2. Edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and place FXREMAP.EXE in it. For example the following line added to AUTOEXEC.BAT works for most systems: C:\WINDOWS\FXREMAP.EXE Direct3D -------- Some games do not find the dd3dfx drivers. They only run on the software version of Direct3D or the Direct3D HAL associated with the Primary DirectDraw device. When running the DirectX SDK applications, you cannot get to the menus because the 3DFX Direct3D does not turn off pass-thru mode for a menu command. Technology Demos and the Joystick --------------------------------- The 3DFX Flip/Rotate demos will not work properly if your system has a joystick port configured without a joystick connected. To remedy the problem, either connect a joystick to the port or disable and/or remove the port from your system configuration. Contacting DIAMOND ------------------ Diamond can be reached through a number of ways, for detailed information please refer our Websites: http://www.diamondmm.de http://www.diamondmm.co.uk http://www.diamondmm.fr http://www.diamondmm.com All product names listed are trademarks or copyrights of their respective owners. ======================================================================= Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc. (c) 1993-97, All Rights Reserved =======================================================================