Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: blakespot on August 17, 2012, 05:11:59 AM
-
I just got a Picasso II to go with my A2000 '060.
I installed two driver disks from web download - recent vers. I see three Picasso II entries for each res in ScreenModes. base, HiColor, and TrueColor.
Whenever I pick a mode, it jumps to that mode and shows just a grey screen. Doing passthru from Indvision ECS. Passthru works.
What is my issue with just grey screen?
Thanks!
bp
-
you have a vga cable from the Pic II to a VGA monitor?
-
Donwload picasso96 and install it. Read docs, you need to attach screenmodes to graphicscard, with settings program.
-
A lot of the preset screen modes that come with Picasso 96 and earlier versions of the Picasso software are designed for 90s CRT monitors. If you have a newer monitor, you will have to tweak the display frequencies. Standardized VESA screen modes are a good starting point.
-
So, I attached the screenmodes to the card via Picasso96Mode in SYS:Prefs after install. That seems to have worked - it found modes that it claimed were not suitable for the card and I told it to erase them. The modes it found seemed indeed not likely to work on the card.
Testing the modes left, it shows the test image fine thru the PII card on my 19" Sony Trinitron CRT. I think the screensaver kicking in even is in a PII mode. I save, reboot.
When I pick a PicassoII mode in ScreenModes, it still just gives me a grey or white screen. It shows on both the 1084 and the Sony attached to the Amiga, so it's showing a ECS mode. This is not the same result as the black screen with warning about sync out of range generated by the Sony when I feed it a test mode with too low a scanrate. It's just not kicking in the PII mode.
I installed Picasso96 from Aminet. Seems to have gone fine. All files seem to be in place.
Any ideas? Thanks.
bp
-
I'm sorry but I'm confused by your wording of the problem. As I read it you get a test screen out of the picasso2 card on a VGA monitor, but after saving it the screen mode is lost on reboot.
You could also be saying when displaying a P2 screen the ECS screen is grey/white which is of normal. If you could be more clear as to the screens, the video output and which monitor is connected to what, one could offer more help.
-
On re-reading, you are getting a P2 test screen in Picasso96, but the modes does not show up in the normal Prefs:ScreenMode program? If it is the latter, then there is a monitor file issue where the Amiga is either not storing Picasso96 info properly or the information is not available to the Prefs:ScreenMode program after reboot
-
On re-reading, you are getting a P2 test screen in Picasso96, but the modes does not show up in the normal Prefs:ScreenMode program? If it is the latter, then there is a monitor file issue where the Amiga is either not storing Picasso96 info properly or the information is not available to the Prefs:ScreenMode program after reboot
This is the scenario.
bp
-
Are you using "LoadMonDrvs" in your Startup-sequence" or the older list then execute code? This would be the same as double-clicking on the correct monitor icon in the Devs:Monitor folder. Once P96 has saved the monitor file in Devs:monitors you can go in and check it; there are guides online to fine-tune it (in the Icon part of the Right-A + I info of the monitor icon). You should have the list of stored properties. You can check for the Devs:Picasso96 file (I can't make sense out of it, but make sure it is there. The Libs: directory should also have a Libs:Picasso96 folder with the card definitions ~ "PicassoII.card"" or the like. If all of the data is in place, check to see if there are ENVARC/ENV Listings for the P96 program. Then if all is present, your should see your new P96 / PicassoII screen modes on running Prefs:Screenmodes
-
So I can confirm, the test screens in Picasso96Modes and the screensaver that kicks in with inactivity run in RII modes. But not the PicassoII screenmodes listed in Prefs SCreenModes. They are listed, and the PicassoII monitor file looks ok as far as its attribs.
All other files are in place. Do I need LoadMonDrv? I dbl-clicked on the PicassoII mon file before choosing screenmode for PII and it made no diff. Oy.
bp
-
Check the modes if their vertical frequency (refresh rate) fits your monitor specs - what's your monitor and which refresh rates does it support?
-
Check the modes if their vertical frequency (refresh rate) fits your monitor specs - what's your monitor and which refresh rates does it support?
They fit. It's a 2005 or so 19" Sony CRT - top end. The thing is, it's not even trying to go to that mode -- there is no click / glitch where the vidcard tries to take control of the screen. When I was in Picasso96Modes and tested a mode with, for instance, too low vertical refresh, the CRT went black and fed me its own "out of scan range" message. Nothing like that going on here.
bp
-
Back to "video modes show up fine in Picasso96 setup test-mode, but not in Prefs:ScreenMode."
You ought to have the Monitors ready by using LoadMonDrvs BEFORE calling/running the "IPrefs" program in S:S-S, otherwise they won't be "seen" by the Prefs:ScreenMode when you use it. Yeah you could do it by hand, but LoadMonDrvs does it simply compared to the older S:S-S code of ~ list Devs:Monitors T:M blah blah execute blah blah.
I learned this doing multiple installs for my mediator board. Either method will work, but some folks with only an NTSC or PAL, delete the code and just let the OS use it's default setting. Trust me, the new monitor settings provided by the P96 program have to be initialized by a "reboot, LoadMonDrvs (or equivalent), and then IPrefs" before being seen in Prefs:ScreenMode. It would be helpful for you to get someone else's explantation than mine, well someone who read the whole thread before commenting, as I can be confusing in the way I talk about a problem.
-
So I re-ran the Picasso II install disk on the system and it copies some files in that it indicated were not there at the time. (Odd, I'd run the install disk before.) It added, among other things, a Picasso monitor type in Devs:Monitors -- there was just a PicassoII there before, added by the Picasso96 installer. Now there's both.
Then when I booted I got a CLI warning that context could not be set for "PicassoII" or some such, and I was in a different, lower res screenmode. The Picasso II screenmodes were gone from ScreenMode - replace with "PICASSO:640 x 480" ... etc. So I re-ran Picasso96Modes and now it can't find a board to bind to, in the menu. Oy.
I then re-ran the Picasso96 installer, but it's made no difference. I can't seem to get the Picasso II modes back in there. RTG modes are there, but they're labeled PICASSO: as opposed to PICASSO II: - so something is different.
I seem to be worse off than I was.
Also, I am using 3.1 which lacks LoadMonDrvs -- instead there are those two code chunks to do with VGAOnly and the list for Monitors that _is_ in place, 3.1 style, and is before IPrefs is called...
Oy. Painful.
bp
-
So you messed with the old Picasso software (?) which is totally incompatible with Picasso96...Now you should get rid of everything what it installed.
-
So you messed with the old Picasso software (?) which is totally incompatible with Picasso96...Now you should get rid of everything what it installed.
It does sound like what happened. Picasso 96 works with no problems in OS 3.1. The old Picasso software does as well but not both together. The Picasso 96 installer has has an uninstall option and I would remove it completely. The old Picasso software will have to be removed file by file. The most important one will be the monitor file in Devs/Monitors. Next will be the Picasso library files in the Libs drawer. Then you will have to get the files in the Prefs drawers. The env-archive files are normally hidden in this drawer and you will have to go into the workbench menu with this drawer opened and change Window/Show/Only Icons to Window/Show/All files. An env-archive drawer will appear and you will have to delete the Picasso files which, as I remember, are in a Picasso drawer.
The Picasso II also works with Cybergraphix 4. I have partitions with both systems on both my A2500 and A4000. Comparing them is like apples and oranges. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Picasso 96 is faster and easier to program screen modes with but Cybergraphix is more like native Amiga modes with dragable screens. It also can do Deluxe Paint IV AGA and Deluxe Paint V in 8 bit RTG modes. If you try that with Picasso 96, it just crashes.
-
So you messed with the old Picasso software (?) which is totally incompatible with Picasso96...Now you should get rid of everything what it installed.
I think that is a bit harsh.
Picasso96 should work great for your board; a clean install may work best, but that takes deleting the Monitor file and the Devs:Picassosettings file. A full install of Picasso96 (the last version is something like 2.1c) will have a guide for checking the board and settings after "setup" and before the "reboot" to select ScreenMode. Just Google Picasso96 ver 2.1c or whatever it really is. At least you will have the latest files. There is help file on AmiBay about selecting resolutions you might want. Then reinstall slowly checking the locations.
I am afraid that I haven't done the install in OS 3.1 in many years, but have done a dozen times this year in 3.9 (in OS 4.1 one only needs P96 for non-VESA modes). Searching Aminet you will find programs similar to LoadMonDrvs, since H&p copied one of those to use in OS 3.9 -- it makes for easier code to read and understand.
Post back when you have researched those things
-
"Before installing Picasso96 you will have to disable or remove your
previously used graphics card software, if any. We regret that there
is no way to use different graphic card software systems at the same
time.
Please consult the documentation of your software about disabling or
uninstalling.
If you use the old Picasso software, then you will have to do this:
* Remove the file named Picasso from the Devs:Monitors or WBStartup
directory.
* Remove the file village.library from the Expansion or Libs
directory "
-
erase the screen saver that came with the picassoII card it is junk, and use the picasso 96 software as it had a lot of bug fixes
-
I figured it out. Problem was the damned ChangeScreen app sitting in WBStartups... I removed it -- boom -- things work. (After I removed the old Picasso II driver stuff.)
bp
-
Yep, use ModePro if you need promotion.
-
Yep, use ModePro if you need promotion.
Hi i have to ask how fast is your 2000? it must be some machine you got there :)
-
Hi i have to ask how fast is your 2000? it must be some machine you got there :)
I just added a 68060 50MHz w/ 128MB fastmem to it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/7809604298/in/photostream
Was running with a ~14MHz 68020 for a while, before.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/7802866670/in/photostream
Been fun playing lately!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/7818702416/in/photostream
bp
-
I just added a 68060 50MHz w/ 128MB fastmem to it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/7809604298/in/photostream
Was running with a ~14MHz 68020 for a while, before.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/7802866670/in/photostream
Been fun playing lately!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/7818702416/in/photostream
bp
Yes it most have been fun plying, i could imaging :)
-
It's easy to overclock at least upto 57 MHz ; 60 MHz is still quite safe, I got lockups with 62 or 64 MHz - might also be because it is sitting on Micronik ZorroII busboard for my A500.
-
Is it possible for me to define a res in Picasso96 of my own? I'd like something between 800w and 1024w -- maybe 920w. If so, how do I do that?
Using a Picasso II on the A2000.
Thanks.
bp
-
Yes it's possible.
-
For different resolutions there is a sticky guide in the AmiOracle section of Amibay that will talk you through it using P96