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Author Topic: A4k Graphics card question.  (Read 2167 times)

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Offline Dr.BongoTopic starter

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A4k Graphics card question.
« on: December 13, 2003, 05:00:36 PM »
Hi, I have an A4k (060,148meg, Retina BLT Z3 4meg, OS3.9) using the Graphics card - Picassso 96 and a TFT screen. Everything works fine with Workbench and any programs that use a WB screen mode but If I try to run, say a game it reverts back to a lower resolution and outputs to the standard 25pin RGB port - freezing the display on my TFT screen. What I`m asking is, if there`s a way to force it to display everything through the graphics card? It seems really bad to have to have two monitors plugged in all the time. In advance - Thanks for your help!
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Offline Matt_H

Re: A4k Graphics card question.
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2003, 05:15:01 PM »
Why would you want a graphics card with only 4k? :-D
Ahem. Sorry. Back on track...

What you're talking about is a Mode Promotion utility. See Aminet. They're fine for native productivity apps, but generally awful for games, as they require native timings, etc. (This is based on experience from PicassoII and CV3D under CGX. You may have slightly better luck with your card under P96)

What I recommend is a monitor switchbox. You can grab one from most computer shops for ~$15 US. Downside to that is you'll need a VGA adaptor on the RGB port to make the connections, and it's a manual switch.

Anyone know any other solutions?
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Offline Dr.BongoTopic starter

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Re: A4k Graphics card question.
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2003, 05:26:29 PM »
Oh, Before someone corrects me I meant 'standard 23pin RGB port' Sorry :-?
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Offline MagicSN

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Re: A4k Graphics card question.
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2003, 05:33:59 PM »
Hi!

Only very few games can be promoted to a GFX Card Screen (which can be done using a utility like NewMode). The reason is that many do not use the API of the OS (like "OpenScreen" and such to open a display) but instead directly hack the chipset hardware. Most modern games support GFX Cards, though (or are sometimes even GFX Card only...), and a few old ones (the old game "Legend of Faerghail", for example :) ). But most old games won't run on GFX Board, taking asides running them on GFX Board using UAE...

Steffen
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Offline Cass

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Re: A4k Graphics card question.
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2003, 06:42:36 PM »
The solution to this problem for me, is the CV3D with scandoubler or the CV64 with passthrough.

As for the other cards, you may try the screen promoters like NewMode (as mentioned above), and the P96 "fake native modes" for WB apps/games that open on Pal/NTSC screens by default.
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« Last Edit: March 18, 2011, 09:55:57 PM by Cass »
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Offline Castellen

Re: A4k Graphics card question.
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2003, 08:22:17 PM »
I don't think the Retina card can pick up 15kHz native video modes and scandouble them?

An (expensive) soloution would be to use a PicassoIV card, which automatically pick up and scandouble all motherboard video, including the early boot menu, etc.
This means that in theory, you can use almost any "PC" type monitor to see all video modes, without using any kind of additional switch boxes, flickerfixers, scandoublers, etc.
I have a 15" Mag LCD monitor on my A4000 with the PicassoIV and it works great.

Beware of some LCDs which refuse to display scandoubled video, even though the signal is within their input specifications.  I had an early Philips monitor which did that.
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Offline Ilwrath

Re: A4k Graphics card question.
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2003, 11:10:54 PM »
Yep, the base CV64, the CV64/3d with ScanDoubler and the PicassoIV are the only cards I know of that output both the Amiga scandoubled signal and the video card signal on the same port.  With the CV64/3d setup, you can even just R-Amiga-M and cycle through screens transparently.  (Amiga screen flipping to a CGx screen, you'd never know the difference.)  I don't know if the other two cards work the same way, as I haven't owned them.

For cards outside those three, though, you will need to use the standard Amiga video for Amiga modes, and the video card for P96/CGx modes.  An external scandoubler and a  monitor switch does help save sanity in those cases.
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Offline Cass

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Re: A4k Graphics card question.
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2003, 11:24:52 PM »
Another solution would be the UAE (for the games only), but should be slow on a 060...

I don`t know if WHDLoad can tweak the video out and redirect it to an RTG display (this is an idea, not a actual option). That would be ideal for the games!
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« Last Edit: March 18, 2011, 09:56:18 PM by Cass »
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Offline Effy

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Re: A4k Graphics card question.
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2003, 01:51:17 AM »
On the other hand it´s very cool to have DirOpus for example running in AGA on your left and Voyager running in gfx card on your right both at the same time  :-D
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Offline Castellen

Re: A4k Graphics card question.
« Reply #9 on: December 14, 2003, 03:04:44 AM »
Or with a couple of PicassoIVs fitted, you could have DOpus in a P96 screen, and Voyager on a seperate monitor and P96 screen :-P

Could you actually do that?  I'm not sure how the keyboard and mouse input would go.  Surely you could only select one at once??
I have two PicassoIVs here and two video slots in my A4000T so thought about trying it once.  Though the P96 software setup would be crazy!
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