StormMESA Frequently asked Questions (and Answers)
StormMESA Frequently asked Questions (and Answers)
Basically many problems can be solved by studying the StormMesa 3.0 documentation. Here some more special problems
are discussed.
Solution:
Often the stack is too low. You should set the stack to 300KB, then these problems should disappear.
Problem:
How should I know, if the demo is using the 3D hardware?
Solution:
After typing the command line
some statistical infos about the use of 3D hardware are printed to the shell.
Problem:
I'm using StormMesa with AGA and the graphics gets corrupted.
Solution:
Due to the missing function 'WriteChunkyPixels' in OS 3.0 and due to a problem with the alternative function 'WritePixelArray8'
it is necessary to install a patch, if StormMesa 3.0 is used with AGA and OS 3.0. The patch is located in the directory
'mesa:AMIGA/misc/NewWPA8'. The Executable 'NewWPA8' should be copied to C: and you should add a line to the startup-sequence,
directly after the SetPatch call:
Problem:
I'm using StormMesa with CyberGFX and the graphics gets corrected in fullscreen mode. Afterwards the Workbench
graphics is often overdrawn.
Solution:
The installed CyberGFX version has a bug in conjunction with OS3.0-compatible multibuffering. Therefore you have
to get a new version of CyberGFX, which should solve the problem, or you can install the graphics system Picasso96.
Problem:
I'm using StormMesa with CyberGFX, when I open a screen in fullscreen mode, then I'm getting a message like 'couldn't
create context'.
Solution:
The fullscreen mode only works with CyberGFX, if the monitor tooltype 'DRAGGING' is set to NO.
Problem:
I would like to run a StormMesa demo in fullscreen mode to see, how fast it runs with 3D hardware acceleration.
But it doesn't run faster at all.
Solution:
There are many potential reasons, why hardware acceleration doesn't work, a lot of them are discussed in the StormMesa
documentation. Often the problem is, that the hardware doesn't support a specific effect well enough, so that the
hardware isn't use for drawing. By typing the following command
a lot of such demos might run hardware-accelerated afterwards. Another reason might be, that the screenmode
is not supported by the 3D hardware. The Virge for example only works in 15 bit mode.
Problem:
I would like to run a demo hardware-accelerated in a window, but it doesn't run accelerated.
Solution:
Under CyberGFX V3 for the CyberVision3D it is impossible to run hardware-accelerated demos in a window, because
the bitmaps aren't usually allocated on the card's video ram. As soon as the 3D driver system is adapted to the
special features of CyberGraphX V4 these problems should go away.
Problem:
I would like to run a demo hardware-accelerated in a window. But if I enlarge the window just a bit, then it runs
a lot slower.
Solution:
Especially for 3D graphics boards with only 4MB graphics RAM there is simply not enough space to run such demos
in big windows, also because the workbench also needs a lot space (especially because it has to run in HiColor
mode). These problems should not appear for newer graphics boards with more graphics RAM.
Problem:
After termination of a demo program, which run accelerated, the workbench graphics is trashed.
Solution:
This should usually not happen with Picasso96. When CyberGFX is installed, this problems happens, when the buffers
for the 3D hardware collide with other areas in graphics memory (i.e. with the workbench graphics). The only solution
is to make the workbench smaller and to close as many windows as possible to save VRAM. Additionaly you should
not select a too high resolution for 3D hardware accelerated games. As soon as the 3D driver system supports the
special features of CyberGFX V4, this problem might be solved.
Problem:
If I'm doing something else while a demo is running hardware-accelerated, the whole system hangs up completely.
Solution:
This problem should only happen with the Virge 3D processor, if text output is done during 3D hardware drawing.
Unfortunately it seems, that this problem can't be solved, it is suspected that the problem is caused by the Virge
itself. Basically 3D hardware accelerated demos should not be interrupted by other events, when using the Virge.
Especially switch off all blankers and terminate all background tasks, which might do text output (the clock, which
is installed by GoldEd also might cause these problems).
When using other 3D accelerators, these problems should not happen.
Problem:
If I run a demo with textures, I only get a black display (the same also happens, if I enlarge a window, if 3D
hardware is used).
Solution:
Due to a missing feature in the 3D driver system, StormMesa currently can't find out, if the textures could successfully
be uploaded to VRAM. Therefore it tries to draw the scene, although it can't work, which results in a black display.
In newer version of the driver system 'Warp3D' this feature should be added and then StormMesa will be enhanced.