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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: samanosuke on November 23, 2004, 12:49:47 PM
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Hello Amigans. I am new to this board and I'm a returning Amigan after some 5 or so years. I have an A4000 with a Picasso IV card but I'm not as technical with an Amiga as I'd like to be. I have used up until now the P96 software which came with the card but a lot of software I've noticed requires CybergraphX. Also, I have purchased a CS PPC board from someone (it hasn't arrived yet) and I know that I will need CybergraphX in order to use it fully. I wish I'd researched beforehand as knowing my luck I have probably bought a DCE version (I didn't know they were so flaky until I stumbled upon this board). Anyway, onto the topic... I tried using the CybergraphX demo from the Aminet. I removed the P96 software beforehand and then installed CGX. The problem I had was that if a program used a native Amiga display via the PIV's internal scandoubler it would not display on the monitor. The only way native screens would be displayed was via the original Amiga video port. Which software is better to use and what are the differences between them? And is it possible to still use the PIV scandoubler under CGX?
Many thanks in advance!
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samanosuke wrote:
a lot of software I've noticed requires CybergraphX.
What software "requires" CGX? I have found that pretty much all RTG friendly software works under P96 with CGX emulation. :-?
Also, I have purchased a CS PPC board from someone (it hasn't arrived yet) and I know that I will need CybergraphX in order to use it fully.
:-? I have a CSPPC in my A4000, with Mediator 4000/Voodoo. This setup only has P96 support, but I don't have any problems using WarpUP and PowerUP apps...
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Is P96 better then? I don't know the difference. How do I get P96 to emulate CGX? Sorry, I'm still a novice!
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CGX emulation (up to v3 at least) is simply built in. Just run your CGX application - as long as it doesn't explicitly use any CGX v4 stuff (of which simply opening the cybergraphics.library seems to be the main thing) it will be fine.
As for which is better, in all honesty they are largely the same. They both provide RTG, direct to surface rendering for software that needs it, basic blitter accelerated operations etc.
Neither are particulalry great on the hardware acceleration front but they are much faster than native screenmodes for virtually all normal tasks. This is not so much a bad reflection on them, but on the original graphics.library they patch into.
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And is it possible to still use the PIV scandoubler under CGX?
There are a couple of CyberGraphX settings which affect the passthrough/scan doubler that is built into boards like the PIV. The monitor icon, found in Devs:Monitors, has a PASSTHROUGH tooltype that must be set to "YES", which is the default. Then there is the environment variable NOPASSTHROUGH, found in envarc:CyberGraphX, this must be set to 0 (this is the negative choice, notice the change of sense as it can be confusing) for the passthrough/scandoubler to work. If you set both of those and then reboot then the scandoubler should be used!
More details on CyberGraphX setup can be found on:
VGR (http://vgr.com/cybergfx/)
The page of interest is CGX Files under INFO & ABOUT on the left side, there is also a specific Picasso IV page linked further down.
HTH
Robert
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I personaly preferr P96 cause it's easy to use. I use it in all my machines with CV3D - Voodoo3 except the A1200T with BVision since it doesn't support that board.
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Brian wrote:
I personaly preferr P96 cause it's easy to use. I use it in all my machines with CV3D - Voodoo3 except the A1200T with BVision since it doesn't support that board.
Easy to use? :lol:
I guess it depends on whatever you are used to - my first gfx card was CGX. I find the P96 configuration one big headache.
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I find it smooth for most parts (except for the Voodoo3 for obvious reasons). It's basicly just double click on install, confirm that the card P96 finds is the one I use, click proceed, restart and wolla. ;)
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I've used both at somepoint in time.
Cybergrafx tended to have strange boot problems with my cv3d go figure.
I found P96 to be easy to setup and smooth to run.
P96 gets my vote
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Okey... thanks peeps... I'll stick with using P96.
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God speed :juggler:
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Brian wrote:
God speed :juggler:
Flaming June was better.
/obscure BT song title references
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Oppinions, oppinions.. give me facts. :-D