Setting up Picasso II

[danbeaver]

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.

[danbeaver]

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

[danbeaver]

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

[danbeaver]

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.

[danbeaver]

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

[danbeaver]

For different resolutions there is a sticky guide in the AmiOracle section of Amibay that will talk you through it using P96