| Areas in this document that are marked with a '|' in the left column were not
| finalized at the time this document was released. These features may appear
| in a later version of the display driver.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STB Video Driver for Windows NT 4.0
Supported Products: STB GLyder MAX-2/2+
| STB Driver Version: 4.00.1381.6027 (6/1/98)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This file contains the Windows NT 4.0 driver instructions for the STB
GLyder MAX-2/2+ video adapters. For detailed instructions on using the
STB Configurations utility, refer to the on-line help. The STB
Configurations utility controls monitor refresh rate setup and 3D application
optimization and displays information about the video adapter(s).
This driver supports 8 Mbyte STB GLyder MAX-2/2+ video adapters. Up to four
cards are supported.
Product files
-------------
DISK1
-----
| \STB.INF settings file for driver installation over network
\DISK1 disk identification file
\GLYDER.INF driver INF file for Windows NT Setup
\HEIDI.TXT Installation instructions for the 3DStudio Max driver
\README.TXT this file
\READMEJ.TXT this file translated to Japanese (DBCS)
\X86\NTPANEL.DLL STB Configurations Applet driver
\X86\GLINT.DLL display driver
\X86\GLINT.SYS miniport driver
DISK2
-----
\WGLINT.HDI 3D Studio Max Heidi driver
\GLYDER.INF driver INF file for Windows NT Setup -same as disk 1
\UNINSTAL.EXE Uninstall program for the device drivers
\X86\3DOGLDRV.DLL 3D OpenGL ICD driver
\X86\NTPANEL.HLP STB Configurations Applet help file
The entire contents of this document should be read because information
in this file may not appear in printed documentation or on-line help.
------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS
------------------------------------------------------------------
1. INSTALLING THE STB DRIVER
2. CHANGING THE MONITOR SELECTION OR DISPLAY REFRESH RATE
3. CHANGING THE VIDEO SETTINGS
4. REMOVING THE STB VIDEO DEVICE DRIVER
5. ADVANCED FEATURES (For Experienced Users Only!)
STB Configurations Panel
Settings Located in the OpenGL tab of the STB Configurations Panel
Settings Located in the Information tab of the STB Configurations...
Registry Settings
6. NOTES, PROBLEMS, AND LIMITATIONS
7. STB HELP AND SOFTWARE UPGRADES
8. SUPPORTED RESOLUTIONS, COLOR DEPTHS, AND REFRESH RATES
------------------------------------------------------------------
1. INSTALLING THE STB DRIVER
------------------------------------------------------------------
Refer to your Owner's Manual to install your STB video adapter in your
system.
| STB GLyder MAX-2/2+ cards are always VGA-enabled. If you are installing
| multiple STB GLyder MAX-2/2+ cards in your your system, your system BIOS
| must disable all VGA-enabled cards it finds after the first one. When
| Windows NT starts, the miniport driver will find all cards and enable them
| for use. THIS IS GUARANTEED ONLY IF YOUR SYSTEM BIOS IS FULLY PCI-COMPLIANT.
| IF YOUR SYSTEM BIOS IS NOT FULLY PCI-COMPLIANT, MULTIPLE CARDS MAY NOT WORK.
|
| Multiple-card installations are similar to single-card installations.
| The system will automatically assign separate addresses to each card,
| allowing the driver to issue commands to each card. In a multiple-card
| configuration, all cards must be either STB GLyder MAX-2 or STB GLyder MAX-2+
| cards, and all cards must run with the same resolution and pixel depth
| (number of colors). The VGA-enabled card will drive the top left monitor.
NOTE: Before installing the STB video driver, please close all open
application programs and disable any anti-virus software that is
running on your computer until the STB driver installation is
is complete!
The standard Windows NT procedure is used to to install the driver. The
general procedure is the following:
1. Start Windows NT 4.0 in VGA mode: When the "Please select the
operating system to start..." message is displayed, select
WINDOWS NT WORKSTATION VERSION 4.00 [VGA MODE].
2. After Windows NT 4.0 has finished starting, click on the START button,
select SETTINGS, and then click on CONTROL PANEL.
3. Double-click on the DISPLAY icon. The 'Display Properties' window
appears.
Note: You can also display the 'Display Properties' window by
clicking the right mouse button anywhere on the Desktop
background and then selecting the PROPERTIES option from the
pop-up menu.
4. Click on the SETTINGS tab.
5. Click on the DISPLAY TYPE button. The 'Display Type' window appears.
6. Under 'Adapter Type', click on the CHANGE button.
7. In the 'Change Display' window, click on the HAVE DISK button.
8. Insert the STB driver for Windows NT 4.0 diskette 1 into drive A.
Or, if you have copied the driver files to a directory on your
harddrive or to a network drive, enter the correct path and click on
the OK button.
9. From the list of displayed STB devices, select the model of your
display adapter and then click on the OK button.
10. In the 'Third-party Drivers' window, click on the YES button to
proceed. Follow the instructions on the screen until the installation
is complete. You may be prompted for additional STB driver diskettes
during the installation.
o If a message appears stating the driver is already installed
on the system, and asks if you want to use the current or new
drivers, be sure to select the NEW button.
11. When the message "The drivers were successfully installed" is
displayed, remove the driver diskette from the drive; then click
on the OK button.
12. In the 'Display Type' window, click on the CLOSE button.
13. In the 'Display Properties' window, click on the CLOSE button.
14. When the 'System Settings Change' window appears with a message
asking if you want to restart your computer, click on YES.
NOTE: The first time NT 4.0 is restarted after the STB video driver
has been installed, an 'Invalid Display Settings' message box
will appear stating that 'A new graphics driver has been
installed'. Press OK on the message box and OK on the Display
Properties window and the system is ready to use.
| You can customize the installation process by editing the "STB.INF"
| file. For example, you can change the default installation path, default
| driver performance switches, default schemes, and so on. The file is
| self-documented. This type of customization is for advanced users only.
- More Information
For more information on settings and monitor selections, refer to the
on-line bubble help under the STB Configurations tab located under the
Display Properties panel after the driver is installed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. CHANGING THE MONITOR SELECTION OR DISPLAY REFRESH RATE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This section gives a quick overview on how to setup up your monitor for the
optimal refresh rates. For more information on setting up the monitor, refer
to the on-line bubble help under the STB Configurations tab.
To change the monitor refresh rates:
1. Start Windows NT 4.0.
2. After Windows NT 4.0 has finished starting, click on the START button,
select SETTINGS, and then click on CONTROL PANEL.
3. Double-click on the DISPLAY icon. The 'Display Properties' window
appears.
Note: You can also display the 'Display Properties' window by
clicking the right mouse button anywhere on the Desktop
background and then selecting the PROPERTIES option from the
pop-up menu.
4. Click on the STB Configurations tab, then the MONITOR tab.
5. If your monitor supports DDC (Plug and Play) and you want the driver
to automatically decode the monitor's DDC information when NT 4.0 is
started, click on the DETECT DDC MONITOR box.
6. If your monitor does not support DDC or you want to override the DDC
information provided by the monitor:
A) Select a new monitor by clicking the STB MONITOR button
and selecting the approriate monitor manufacturer and model.
OR
A) Click on the CUSTOM REFRESH RATES button to use the Settings
tab under the Display Properties panel to select the refresh
rates.
7. Click on the OK or APPLY button.
8. When prompted, use the TEST button to test the new monitor setting.
If the test screen appears garbled or unreadable, your monitor does
not support the current setting. Select the correct monitor.
10. If the test screen appeared OK, press YES to keep the current monitor
setting. Then press OK to close the Display Properties window.
------------------------------------------------------------------
3. CHANGING THE VIDEO SETTINGS
------------------------------------------------------------------
This section gives a quick overview on how to change your video settings.
To change the video settings:
1. After Windows NT 4.0 has finished starting, click on the START button,
select SETTINGS, and then click on CONTROL PANEL.
2. Double-click on the DISPLAY icon. The 'Display Properties' window
appears.
Note: You can also display the 'Display Properties' window by
clicking the right mouse button anywhere on the Desktop
background and then selecting the PROPERTIES option from the
pop-up menu.
3. Click on the SETTINGS tab.
4. Select the desired resolution, color depth, and font size. If
'Custom Refresh Rates' is selected in the Monitor tab under the STB
Configurations panel, you can also set the monitor refresh rate here.
5. Click on the TEST and the OK button to test out the new video
settings.
If the test screen appears garbled or unreadable, your monitor does
not support the current setting. The desktop will reappear in 5
seconds. Click on NO when asked if you saw the bitmap correctly
and select another setting that is supported by the monitor.
7. If the test screen appeared OK, press YES and then press APPLY to
change the video settings. Then press OK to close the Display
Properties window.
------------------------------------------------------------------
4. REMOVING THE STB VIDEO DEVICE DRIVER
------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Before removing the STB video driver, please close all open
application programs and disable any anti-virus software that
is running on your computer until the STB driver installation is
complete!
To remove the STB video driver:
1. Open a DOS window by clicking on START -> PROGRAMS -> COMMAND PROMPT.
2. Insert the STB driver for Windows NT 4.0 diskette 2 into drive A;
Or, if you have copied the driver files to a directory on your
harddrive or to a network drive, switch to the directory that contains
the files for STB driver. If you are using a CD-ROM, switch to the
directory that contains the STB video driver.
3. Enter UNINSTAL at the DOS command prompt and press Enter. The UNINSTAL
program will remove the STB drivers and registry entries and reset the
system to VGA mode.
4. Follow the instructions to remove the drivers.
5. Shut down NT and reboot the system once the installation is complete.
------------------------------------------------------------------
5. ADVANCED FEATURES (For Experienced Users Only!)
------------------------------------------------------------------
STB Configurations Panel
------------------------
Several settings on the STB GLyder MAX-2/2+ video adapter can be tuned.
Some of these settings are listed in the various tabs located in STB
Configurations panel. Other settings can only be accessed through the
registry. This section discusses each of these settings.
The STB Configurations panel can be accessed by clicking the right mouse
button anywhere on the Desktop background and then selecting the PROPERTIES
option from the pop-up menu. Then select the STB CONFIGURATIONS tab.
NOTE! Be sure to see the Registry section before attempting to change any
of the registry settings directly.
Settings Located in the OpenGL tab of the STB Configurations Panel
------------------------------------------------------------------
Clicking on the OpenGL tab reveals a list of 3D applications that the STB
video driver can be optimized for. Also, custom settings can be selected
and saved as new profiles under the OpenGL tab. Listed below are the
settings contained in the OpenGL tab. For detailed information on any of
these settings, refer to the on-line bubble help under the OpenGL tab.
Simply click on the "?" mark on the upper right corner of the Display
Properties page and then click on the setting you'd like more information
about. Or, select the setting with the mouse and then click the right mouse
button. A box with the question "What's this?" will appear. Click on the
box to get more information on the setting that is selected.
OpenGL Panel Setting Associated Registry Setting Default
---------------------------- --------------------------- -------
DMA Buffers GlintDMA.NumberOfBuffers 8
DMA Buffer Size GlintDMA.SizeOfBuffers 64KB
Support Antialiasing (lines) OpenGL.AntialiasedLines ON
GDI in Single-Buffered Mode 3DExtensions.SupportGDIdouble ON
GDI in Double-Buffered Mode 3DExtensions.SupportGDIsingle OFF
Page Flipping 3DExtensions.ExportSwapCopy ON
Export Alpha 3DExtensions.ExportAlpha OFF
Anti-aliasing Quality OpenGL.TextureCompression high quality
Double Buffer DoubleBuffer.NumberofBuffers ON (2)
Enable Fast Clear Planes OpenGL.UseFastClear OFF
Support Double Write OpenGL.SupportSoftimage351 OFF
Settings Located in the Information tab of the STB Configurations Panel
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
There is also some features included on the Information tab located under the
STB Configurations panel. These features are:
Information Panel Setting Associated Registry Setting Default
------------------------- --------------------------- -------
Display Gamma DisplayGammaValue 1.00
PCI Disconnect Enable DisablePCIDisconnect ON
Export Single Buffered Modes ExportSingleBufferedModes OFF
Again, use the on-line bubble help for specific information on either of
these features.
Registry Settings
-----------------
Information held in the Windows NT registry can have a direct effect on the
whole system. INTRODUCING INCORRECT VALUES CAN CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND
MAY MAKE IT NECESSARY TO REINSTALL WINDOWS NT. The changes outlined below
should have effects limited to the STB video drivers. However, if you
accidentally modify values that make your system unusable, please note that
it is often possible to undo the damage by using the 'Last Known Good
Configuration' option at boot time. It is also possible to save a copy of
your registry settings prior to any modification.
The configuration of the STB driver and STB Configurations panel are saved
in the registry. The most important parameters can be modified through the
STB Configurations panel, but others can be accessed only through the
Registry Editor. Most users will find that the default values are best for
their system. However, specific problems will be solved through these
switches. The values are:
Modifying keys and values in the registry is done through the Registry
Editor. The Registry Editor can be invoked in the following way:
- Use Start/Run..., or open a Command Prompt window, and type
'regedt32'. Alternately, from the Windows NT Explorer, go to
SystemRoot\system32 and double-click on Regedt32. The Registry
Editor will come up.
To examine or to modify the values that govern the behavior of the STB
GLyder MAX-2/2+ driver:
1. Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE window.
2. Travel down to the key named:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\glint\Device0.
You will find the values in the right window pane. To modify any of
them:
1. Double-click on the selected value.
2. In the DWORD Editor, change the value to '0' or '1'. The new value
will take effect the next time you reboot.
STB Configurations settings are kept under the key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\STB
and its subkeys.
The keys contained in the registry are listed below.
FORCE NEAREST NEIGHBOR FILTERING
(registry setting=OpenGL.ForceNNTexFilte, Default=0, OFF)
Turning this feature on will ensure that OpenGL only performs nearest
neighbor texturing operations. In some applications this can improve
performance, at the cost of some visual quality.
PERSPECTIVE CORRECTION
(registry setting=OpenGL.PerspectiveCorrection, Default=1, ON)
This variable is only relevant to PERMEDIA. The accuracy of the
perspective-correction divide performed during textured rendering can be
varied on PERMEDIA. The default option, Force Nicest, enforces the most
accurate divide, resulting in the best image quality. The Force Fastest
option switches to a reduced accuracy divide, which results in best
performance at the cost of lower image quality. The third option gives
control of the divide accuracy to OpenGL applications through the API
function glHint. A smart application can vary the divide accuracy used on a
per primitive basis, since primitives that are heavily "perspected" require
higher accuracy for good image quality than those that are not.
DRAW LINE ENDPOINTS
(registry setting=OpenGL.DrawLineEndPoints, Default=0, OFF)
This option when set can improve the legibility of text rendered by some
applications using stroke fonts, such as Pro/ENGINEER.
NUMBER OF SUB-BUFFERS
(registry setting=GlintDMA.NumberOfSubBuffers, Default=3)
This variable describes the number of sections into which a single DMA
buffer is divided for use by a 3D application. This is used by interrupt
driven DMA to construct a queue of buffers which are to be loaded into
the video chip by the DMA interrupt handler. The maximum size of the queue
is always 2 less than the number of sub-buffers specified. This is to allow
the 3D application to fill one buffer and the video chip to be performing
DMA on another buffer. The remainder can be queued.
Setting this variable to 2 disables interrupt driven DMA since not enough
buffers are available to create a DMA queue. DMA still works but the DMA
buffer is split into two parts so that the video chip can load one while
the 3D application prepares the other. Setting this variable to zero
disables DMA and forces FIFOs to be used. This latter feature is generally
used only for comparing performance of DMA and non-DMA operation (without
needing a reboot).
This variable is read every time a 3D context is created. Thus it is not
necessary to reboot the machine for a change to take effect. Changing
this variable has no effect on any already running 3D applications.
This variable can have considerable 3D performance implications. 2 is
usually ideal for single-buffered applications and 5 seems well suited to
double-buffered applications.
USE BIOS PCI BASE ADDRESSES
(registry setting=UseBIOSAddresses , Default=1, YES)
Normally, the NT HAL allocates PCI base addresses for the video card. These
O/S-assigned addresses override those which are normally supplied by the
PCI BIOS. On some machine configurations these addresses are not valid for
the given hardware. In these instances, the base addresses originally
configured by the BIOS are often valid and allow the machine to boot.
Enabling this feature causes the BIOS base addresses to be used rather than
those configured by NT.
In particular, on machines which use the Intel Multi Processor
Specification 1.4 (MPS 1.4), there is a bug in the NT HAL for many machines
which causes invalid base addresses to be configured. Setting this
variable may fix this problem.
The following registry entries may also appear but they are not used by
the STB GLyder MAX-2/2+ video adapters. These entries are specific to the
GLINT 300SX, 500TX, abd GLINT MX-based products:
OpenGL.UseHiQualityTexture Default=0 (OFF)
OpenGL.DisableDelta Default=0 (ENABLED)
OpenGL.SupportSoftimage Default=0 (NO)
OpenGL.SupportSoftimage351 Default=0 (NO)
------------------------------------------------------------------
6. NOTES, PROBLEMS, AND LIMITATIONS
------------------------------------------------------------------
Listed below are known restrictions associated with this release of the
driver.
DirectDraw on multiple cards
DirectDraw cannot currently handle direct access to a desktop spread
over multiple cards. Applications that require DirectDraw will not
run on such a desktop.
ActiveMovie in full screen
Running clips in full screen at 256 colors with ActiveMovie may
result in a corrupted display while the clip is being played.
The problem appears to come from the application.
Running Winstone 97
The CenterPOPUP feature should be disabled (which is the default
setting) when running the Winstone 97 benchmark. Some tests may
time-out when CenterPOPUP is enabled.
OpenGL textures on Multi-Monitors
Textures are only rendered correctly on the primary display when running
on a multi-monitor setup. OpenGL applications that use textures such as the
3D-Maze screen saver under NT may have corruption on multi-monitor desktops.
OpenGL does not handle moving its window from the primary monitor to a
secondary monitor.
If a particular problem is consistent across resolutions, consult your
application documentation. Most applications are distributed with a READ_ME
file similar to this file. READ_ME files usually contain a wealth of
information regarding potential video conflicts.
If you have a problem that is not described in this file or is unresolved
when you try the suggested solutions, please contact STB or check to see if
there are any driver updates available.
------------------------------------------------------------------
7. STB HELP AND SOFTWARE UPGRADES
------------------------------------------------------------------
Video driver updates can be obtained from IBM at the following web location:
http://www.us.pc.ibm.com/files/html -do a search on "drivers"
For technical problems, contact the IBM HelpDesk at 1-800-772-2227
------------------------------------------------------------------
8. SUPPORTED RESOLUTIONS, COLOR DEPTHS, AND REFRESH RATES
------------------------------------------------------------------
The resolutions and refresh rates supported by the STB driver are dependent
on the monitor that is selected. To display the resolutions that are
supported and the maximum vertical refresh rate for the monitor currently
selected, refer to the "Monitor" tab located under the STB Configurations
panel. The STB Configurations panel can be displayed by right clicking your
mouse anywhere on the desktop background and selecting Properties and then
selecting the STB Configurations tab.
The maximum color depth for each resolution is dependent on many factors.
The factors affecting the maximum color depth are the display resolution, the
total amount of video memory installed and whether or not "Export Single
Buffered Modes" is disabled. Disabling "Export Single Buffered Modes"
enables 3D double buffering in the video memory. This consumes some of the
video memory for and therefore reduces the maximum amount of colors available
for some resolutions. Shown below is a summary of the color depths supported
with "Export Single Buffered Modes" disabled and enabled.
MAXIMUM COLOR DEPTHS - 8MB OF VIDEO MEMORY
+==========+==========+==========+
|Resolution|2D bpp |3D bpp: | bpp = bits per pixel
| (Pels) |(SB) |(DB) | -8=256 colors
+----------+----------+----------+ -15=32768 colors
|640x480 |8, 15, 16,|8, 15, 16,| -16=65536 colors
| |32 |32 | -24=16,777,216 colors
+----------+----------+----------+ -32=16,777,216 colors
|800x600 |8, 15, 16,|8, 15, 16,| + 8 bit alpha channel for 3D
| |32 |32 |
+----------+----------+----------+
|1024x768 |8, 15, 16,|8, 15, 16 |
| |32 |32 |
+----------+----------+----------+ 3D Features:
|1152x864 |8, 15, 16,|8, 15, 16 | -SB =Export Single Buffered Modes
| |32* | | enabled (2D mode)
+----------+----------+----------+ -DB =Export Single Buffered Modes
|1280x1024 |8, 15, 16,|8, 15, 16 | disabled (3D mode)
| |32* | |
+----------+----------+----------+
|1600x1200 |8, 15*, |8 |
| |16* | |
+==========+==========+==========+
* If these modes are used, dragging large windows with the "Show window
contents while dragging" option set could lag the movement of the mouse
to some degree due to the large amount of screen information being
moved. It is recommended that this option be unchecked for these modes.