ELSA GLoria-L User manual

ELSA GLoria
TM
-L
ELSA GLoria
TM
-L/MX
ELSA GLoria
TM
-XL
ELSA GLoria
TM
-XXL
User Manual

Copyright © <CopyrightYear> ELSA AG, Aachen (Germany)
While the information in this manual has been compiled with great care, it may not be deemed an assur-
ance of product characteristics. ELSA shall be liable only to the degree specified in the terms of sale and
delivery.
The reproduction and distribution of this handbook and the use of its contents, as well as that of the soft-
ware included with the product, is subject to ELSA written authorization. The right to modifications in
the interest of technical progress is reserved.
ELSA is EN-ISO 9001 certified. The accredited TÜV CERT certification authority has confirmed ELSA con-
formity to the worldwide ISO 9001 standard in certificate number 09 100 5069, issued on 16 May 1995.
Trademarks
AutoCAD®and Autodesk®are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.
Windows®, Windows®95, Windows NT®and Microsoft®are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Corp.
OpenGL®is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc.
All other names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The
ELSA logo is a registered trademark of ELSA AG. Subject to change without notice. No liability for tech-
nical errors or omissions.
ELSA AG ELSA Inc.
Sonnenweg 11 2231 Calle De Luna
D-52070 Aachen Santa Clara, CA 95054
Germany USA
Internet www.elsa.de Internet www.elsa.com
Aachen, May 1998
No. 21564/0598

Preface
Thank you for placing your trust in this ELSA product.
By buying a graphics board from the
GLoria range, you have decided in favour of a graph-
ics board designed for professional use in high-end 3D applications. The graphics pro-
cessors and the video memory on these cards provide rapid graphics generation and
ensure that the
GLoria can be used for demanding applications in three-dimensional visu-
alization and animation of complex objects.
The highest quality requirements in manufacturing and stringent quality control are the
basis for our high product standards and consistent product quality.
About this Manual
This manual provides all the information you will need to get the best out of your ELSA
graphics board. It will describe the ELSA utilities supplied and give you a short introduc-
tion into 3D imaging.
Changes to this Manual
ELSA products are subject to continual further development. It is therefore possible that
the information printed in this manual is not current in all respects. However, information
about the latest changes is always to be found in the README files on the
WINNERware
CD.
If you have questions to the topics covered in this manual or require additional help, our
online services are at your disposal around the clock. The complete range of support and
services provided by ELSA can be found in the "Advice and Help" chapter.
In very urgent cases the ELSA support hotline can be reached under the following num-
ber:
[phone]

Before you continue
The installation of the ELSA GLoria and the associated drivers are described in the Instal-
lation Guide. Please read this information first before you start reading this manual.

ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
V
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1
A Look at the
GLoria-L , GLoria-L/MX ...................................................................... 1
A Look at the GLoria-XL .......................................................................................... 2
A Look at the
GLoria-XXL ........................................................................................ 3
Highlights of the ELSA GLoria Graphics Boards..................................................... 3
System Requirements............................................................................................. 4
Package Contents ................................................................................................... 4
CE Conformity and FCC Radiation Standard........................................................... 5
Installing the Graphics Board and Adding Memory ............................................... 7
For Your Safety ....................................................................................................... 7
Installing the Graphics Board ................................................................................. 7
Memory Expansion ................................................................................................. 7
When Will I Need More Memory? .................................................................... 7
Installing the Memory Chips in the
GLoria-L and GLoria-L/MX ........................ 8
Installing the Memory Module in the GLoria-XL and GLoria-XXL ..................... 8
Setting Up Your Graphics System ............................................................................ 11
What are Your Options? ....................................................................................... 11
What Makes Sense?............................................................................................. 12
Multi-Screen Operation ........................................................................................ 12
Requirements ................................................................................................... 12
Application....................................................................................................... 13
Changing the Resolution....................................................................................... 14
Windows 95..................................................................................................... 14
Windows NT 4.0 .............................................................................................. 16
Windows NT 3.51 ............................................................................................ 17
ELSA Tools .................................................................................................................... 19
Windows 95.......................................................................................................... 19
Installation ....................................................................................................... 19
ELSA GAMMAman .......................................................................................... 19
Windows NT 4.0 ................................................................................................... 21
ELSA GLoria Settings....................................................................................... 21
ELSA DESKman................................................................................................ 22
Windows NT 3.51 ................................................................................................. 23
ELSA WinCtrl ................................................................................................... 23
ELSA Programming Toolkit POWERlib.................................................................. 24
ELSA POWERdraft for AutoCAD ........................................................................... 25
SmartFocus ...................................................................................................... 25
Installation ....................................................................................................... 25
ELSAview 3D......................................................................................................... 26

ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
VI
What Does ELSAview 3D Offer ? .................................................................... 26
Installation ....................................................................................................... 27
ELSA Driver for 3D Studio MAX/VIZ..................................................................... 28
All About Graphics ...................................................................................................... 29
3D Graphics Representation................................................................................. 29
The 3D Pipeline................................................................................................ 29
3D Interfaces......................................................................................................... 31
What APIs Are Available? ............................................................................... 32
Direct 3D .......................................................................................................... 32
Heidi................................................................................................................. 33
OpenGL............................................................................................................. 33
Color Palettes, TrueColor and Gray Scales........................................................... 34
VGA .................................................................................................................. 34
DirectColor ....................................................................................................... 34
VESA DDC (Display Data Channel)....................................................................... 35
DDC1 ................................................................................................................ 35
DDC2B.............................................................................................................. 35
DDC2AB ........................................................................................................... 36
.............................................................................................................................. 36
Technical Data ............................................................................................................ 37
Characteristics of the Graphics Boards ................................................................ 37
Address Assignment for the ELSA Boards ........................................................... 38
Ports on the Graphics Boards ............................................................................... 39
The VGA D Socket ........................................................................................... 39
The VGA D Sub Plug ....................................................................................... 40
Port for 3D Shutter Glasses ............................................................................. 40
Switching Off the Integral VGA Adapter ......................................................... 40
Appendix .......................................................................................................................41
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers........................................................... 41
Installation Problems with your ELSA Graphics Board.................................... 41
Problems with Windows 95............................................................................. 41
General Questions and Answers ..................................................................... 42
Advice and Help.................................................................................................... 43
Who to Contact? .............................................................................................. 43
The ELSA LocalWeb......................................................................................... 45
Driver Updates ................................................................................................. 45
Repair? ............................................................................................................. 45
DOC–Declaration of Conformity ........................................................................... 46
Warranty Conditions............................................................................................. 47
Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 49
Index .............................................................................................................................. 53

Introduction
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
1
Introduction
The graphics boards in the ELSA GLoria range are designed for professional CAD use.
ELSA GLoria boards really show their strengths in 3D applications. The GLoria-XXL is the
flagship product in the range. It is intended for high-end operations and offers uncom-
promising workstation power. The powerful 3Dlabs processors are at the heart of all the
ELSA GLoria boards.
A Look at the
GLoria-L, GLoria-L/MX
The RAMDAC converts the digital signals into analog signals at a maximum clock
speed of 220 MHz.
The video memory ensures rapid image generation in the graphics board.
GLoria-L has 8MB VRAM
GLoria-L/MX has 8 MB VRAM
S3's ViRGE VGA graphics chip with 1 MB video memory.
One of the BIOS's functions is to ensure that the graphics board can be recognized.
The GLINT Delta graphics coprocessor takes over many of the graphics processor’s
tasks. It is particularly useful in complex 3D calculations.
The graphics processor
GLoria-L has a 3Dlabs GLINT 500TX
GLoria-L/MX has a 3Dlabs GLINT MX
8MB additional EDO-DRAM memory for the Z buffer and textures and the sockets
for memory expansion
The four sockets on the graphics boards will accept a further 8 MB EDO-DRAM to
give a total of 16 MB EDO-RAM.

Introduction
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
2
A Look at the
GLoria-XL
S3's Trio64V2/DX VGA graphics chip with 1 MB video memory.
The RAMDAC converts the digital signals into analog signals at a maximum clock
speed of 250 MHz.
The video memory ensures rapid image generation in the graphics board. The
GLoria-XL has 16 MB VRAM.
A 3Dlabs GLINT MX graphics processor.
One of the BIOS's functions is to ensure that the graphics board can be recognized.
It provides full VBE 2.0 support.
The GLINT Delta graphics coprocessor takes over many of the graphics processor’s
tasks. It is particularly useful in complex 3D calculations.
The
GLoria-XL will accept an additional 16 MB DRAM to a total of 40 MB DRAM.
24 MB EDO-DRAM additional memory for the Z-buffer and textures
Interface for 3D shutter glasses

Introduction
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
3
A Look at the
GLoria-XXL
The RAMDAC converts the digital signals into analog signals at a maximum clock
speed of 250MHz.
The video memory ensures rapid image generation in the graphics board. The
GLoria-XXL has 16 MB VRAM.
A 3Dlabs GLINT MX graphics processor.
24 MB EDO-DRAM additional memory for the Z-buffer and textures
The
GLoria-XXL will accept an additional 16 MB DRAM to a total of 40 MB DRAM.
The Permedia 2 graphics chip from 3Dlabs with 2 MB video memory.
The GLINT Gamma graphics coprocessor takes over many of the graphics proces-
sor’s tasks. It is particularly useful in complex 3D calculations.
Interface for 3D shutter glasses
Highlights of the
ELSA GLoria
Graphics Boards
쮿Multi-screen operation for Windows NT with identical ELSA GLoria graphics boards
쮿Ergonomic refresh rates over 100 Hz are possible in high-resolution graphics modes
쮿Detection of VESA DDC compatible monitors under Windows 95
쮿Support of power-saving monitors conforming with the VESA DPMS standard
ELSA drivers for Windows NT and Windows 95
쮿
ELSAview 3D for 3D visualization under AutoCAD R13/R14, Autodesk Mechanical
Desktop and as a stand-alone application
쮿
ELSA POWERdraft display list driver for AutoCAD for Windows

Introduction
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
4
쮿Support Direct 3D under Windows 95 and OpenGL Windows NT. All boards support
the Heidi interface except for the
GLoria-XL.
쮿Hardware accelerated Z-buffering, Gouraud shading and texture mapping
쮿Optional ELSA 2D/3D programmer's interface (
POWERlib Toolkit)
쮿ELSA LocalWeb, Internet WWW page and CompuServe Forum
쮿Six-year warranty
쮿The graphics boards comply with the CE and FCC guidelines.
System Requirements
쮿Computer: The ELSA GLoria boards are intended for use in computers with Pentium
and Pentium-compatible processors. The
ELSA GLoria-XL requires a Pentium II pro-
cessor.
쮿Bus: Your computer must comply with the PCI 2.0 specifications. The
GLoria-XXL
requires a computer with AGP bus.
쮿Monitor: ELSA graphics boards work with the standard IBM VGA compatible hori-
zontal scan frequency of 31.5 kHz while booting and in DOS operation. In addition,
the monitor must be able to display the graphics mode selected.
Package Contents
Before installing your ELSA graphics board, please ensure that the package is complete.
It should contain the following:
쮿Graphics board
쮿Documentation: Installation Guide and manual
쮿CD-ROM with installation and driver software, and utilities
쮿optional: Cable to connect the external VGA adapter and the
GLoria-L/MX
If any part is missing please contact your dealer. ELSA reserves the right to change the
supplied contents without prior notice.

Introduction
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
5
CE Conformity and FCC Radiation Standard
CE
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of the European
Council Directive on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to elec-
tromagnetic compatibility (89/336/EEC) according to EN 55022 class B.
FCC
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules.
The testing of this compliance involved the following procedures:
쮿Equipment Authorization
쮿Declaration of Conformity
CE and FCC
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against radio frequency inter-
ference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate
radio frequency energy. It may interfere with to radio communications if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions. However, there is no guarantee that interfer-
ence will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference
to radio or television reception (this can be determined by turning this equipment off and
on), the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the follow-
ing measures:
쮿Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
쮿Increase the distance between this equipment and the receiver.
쮿Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit other than that to which the receiver
is connected.
쮿Consult your dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician.
쮿Caution: To comply with the limits for an FCC Class B computing device, always use
a shielded signal cable.
Caution to the user: The Federal Communications Commission warns the user that
changes or modifications to the unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
GLoria-L KJGGLORIAL
GLoria-L/MX KJGGLORIALMX
GLoria-XL KJGGLORIAXL
GLoria-XXL see page 46

Introduction
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
6

Installing the Graphics Board and Adding Memory
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
7
Installing the Graphics Board and
Adding Memory
For Your Safety
Please take note of the following guidelines in the interests of your safety and the correct
operation of your new ELSA graphics board and your computer system:
쮿Because expansion boards are sensitive to static electricity, it is important to dis-
charge (earth) yourself before touching the expansion board with your hands or
tools. Simply touch a metal part of your computer housing.
쮿Always unplug the power cable before opening your computer so as to avoid contact
with hazardous voltages.
쮿The devices should only be installed in or connected to those computers that fulfil
all necessary technical requirements.
쮿Only use a shielded monitor cable to connect the monitor to the computer.
쮿Make sure that the slot into which you intend to install your board complies with the
PCI specifications.
쮿During the warranty period, repairs should only be made by ELSA, otherwise your
warranty and your entitlement to ELSA's product support will be void.
Changes or modifications to the device not expressly approved by ELSA AG can void your
authority to operate the equipment.
Installing the Graphics Board
Installation of the ELSA GLoria is described in the enclosed Installation Guide. This will
explain how to fit the board in your computer and how to install the ELSA drivers.
Memory Expansion
The texture memory of the GLoria-L , GLoria-XL and GLoria-XXL can be expanded by fitting
additional memory chips of 8 MB or 16 MB . To expand the memory, you must insert chips
into the free socket or sockets.
When Will I Need More Memory?
Generally it is useful to expand the graphics board memory if you wish to use a higher
resolution with greater color depth. When you are working in 3D, the Z buffer will benefit
from the additional memory. This will give you greater speed in texture representation.

Installing the Graphics Board and Adding Memory
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
8
Only use the memory expansion developed by ELSA for upgrading the graphics memory
on ELSA graphics boards. ELSA accepts no responsibility for warranty and support if you
use third-party memory chips.
The memory chips developed by ELSA are specially designed for use in ELSA graphics
boards. This practically excludes the risk of problems such as incorrect colors for individ-
ual pixels. Please consult our Support service in the unlikely event that you still experi-
ence video errors.
Installing the Memory Chips in the
GLoria-L
and
GLoria-L/MX
You can add 8 MB texture memory if your GLoria-L or GLoria-L/MX has free sockets (40-
pin SOJ sockets).
Make sure that the chip is correctly oriented in the socket
when you are fitting the memory chips. The socket and
the memory chip are marked with a notch, a chamfer or
a dot. These must match up when the memory chip is in-
serted in the socket.
Installing the Memory Module in the
GLoria-XL
and
GLoria-XXL
The socket for the 16 MB memory module on the GLoria-XL and GLoria-XXL is located at
the back end of the graphics board (opposite the mounting bracket).
Position of the four DRAM sockets
for texture memory upgrade
Memory module socket

Installing the Graphics Board and Adding Memory
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
9
햲The memory module has two memory chips on
each side. Match up the position of the notch on
the memory module with the peg on the socket.
Slide the memory module gently and at a slight an-
gle into the socket. Push the module forwards un-
til you can no longer see the memory module
contact strip.
햳Carefully press the back end of the
memory module downwards until
you hear it snap into the retainers on
each side.

Installing the Graphics Board and Adding Memory
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
10

Setting Up Your Graphics System
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
11
Setting Up Your Graphics System
This section will explain how you can optimize the settings for the ELSA GLoria and cus-
tomize it to your monitor after you have successfully installed the drivers as described in
the Installation Guide.
What are Your Options?
The tables below show the maximum possible resolutions for the graphics boards. Note
that these resolutions cannot be achieved under all operating conditions.
GLoria-L
and
GLoria-L/MX
GLoria-XL
and
GLoria-XXL
GLoria-L
8 MB VRAM + 8 MB EDO-DRAM
GLoria-L/MX
8MBVRAM+16MB
EDO-DRAM
Resolution Colors Refresh-
rate (Hz) Colors Refresh- rate (Hz)
1920 x 1080 – – 256/32K 75 75 –
1600 x 1200 256/32K/16M 80 80 80 256/32K/16M 81 81 81
1600 x 1000 256/32K/16M 90 90 90 256/32K/16M 97 97 91
1280 x 1024 256/32K/16M 117 113 113 256/32K/16M 117 117 117
1152 x 864 256/32K/16M 160 149 149 256/32K/16M 163 163 163
1024 x 768 256/32K/16M 188 188 188 256/32K/16M 200 200 200
800 x 600 256/32K/16M 200 200 200 256/32K/16M 200 200 200
32 K = 32,768 colors, 16 M = 16.7 million colors,
쏋
= Z buffer/double buffering
Resolution Refresh rate with
32 K / 16 M colors Available texture memory with
24 MB DRAM 40 MB DRAM
1920 x 1200 76 Hz * 7 MB 23 MB
1920 x 1080 85 Hz 8 MB 24 MB
1600 x 1280 78 Hz 8 MB 24 MB
1600 x 1200 84 Hz 8,5 MB 24,5 MB
1600 x 1000 104 Hz 10 MB 26 MB
1280 x 1024 131 Hz 11 MB 27 MB
1152 x 864 184 Hz 12 MB 28 MB
1024 x 768 231 Hz 13 MB 29 MB
32 K = 32,768 colors, 16 M = 16.7 million colors,
쏋
= Z buffer/double buffering, *32 K only

Setting Up Your Graphics System
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
12
What Makes Sense?
There are some basic ground rules for you to follow when setting up your graphics sys-
tem. On the one hand, there are the ergonomic guide values, although nowadays these
are met by most systems, and on the other hand there are limitations inherent in your sys-
tem, e.g. your monitor. The question of whether your applications need to run using
large color depths––perhaps even using TrueColor––is also important. This is an impor-
tant condition in many DTP or CAD workstations.
The general rule is that a refresh rate of 73 Hz meets the minimum ergonomic require-
ments. The resolution to be selected is, furthermore, dependent on the capabilities of
your monitor. The table below is a guide to the resolutions you might select:
Multi-Screen Operation
The ELSA GLoria boards are capable of multi-screen operation. This option enables you
to extend your desktop over two or more monitors and so increase your working ergonom-
ics.
Requirements
If you plan to realize a multi-screen solution you should consider the following points:
쮿Operating system Windows NT 4.0 or NT 3.51
쮿Identical graphics boards, including memory equipment
쮿A suitable number of unused PCI slots on the computer’s mother board
The monitors used should also be of the same type. It is recommended that at least the
screen diagonal of the monitors should be the same. When using monitors which feature
Monitor
size Typical image size Minimum resolution Maximum resolution Ergonomic resolution
17“ 15.5“ - 16“ 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1024 x 768
19“ 17.5“ - 18.1“ 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 1152 x 864
20“/21“ 19“ - 20“ 1024 x 768 1600 x 1200 1280 x 1024
24“ 21“ - 22.5“ 1600 x 1000 1920 x 1200 1600 x 1000

Setting Up Your Graphics System
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
13
differing sizes or level of performance, the system will orientate itself according to the
"weaker" unit.
Application
If you have the ELSA driver for Windows NT installed already, then you have all the soft-
ware required for multi-screen operation. When you start the computer, the ELSA driver
recognizes the graphics boards. The ’Display’ dialog in Control Panel contains entries for
the additional resolutions used in multi-screen operation. To use one of these resolu-
tions, you can select it from the list, or you can move the slider in the ’Display’ dialog.
How do you know if it is a single-screen or multi-screen resolution you are considering?
To answer this question, just follow this formula: the horizontal resolution in multi-screen
operation results from the horizontal resolution of the graphics board multiplied by the
number of boards.
If, for example, the graphics board supports a resolution of 1600 x 1200 in TrueColor
mode, then the resulting resolution for dual-screen operation would be 3200 x 1200.
Further information about setting up multi-screen operation with your operating system
can be taken form the section see “ELSA DESKman” on page 22.
Using two monitors makes a
significant increase in the
size of your desktop
On each screen you can operate
an application in full-screen
mode.
Of course, you can also let one
application take up the full width of both screens.
e.g. 1600 x 1200
results in a resolution of
3200 pixels x 1200 lines

Setting Up Your Graphics System
ELSA GLoria-L, -L/MX, -XL, -XXL
14
Changing the Resolution
You set the resolution of your graphics board in the Control Panel under Windows.
ELSA GLoria graphics boards are normally supplied with software on a CD-ROM. You
will find all the utilities described in this manual on the CD––unless they are a compo-
nent of the operating system.
Windows 95
Under Windows 95, the 'ELSA Settings', which you may use to set up your graphics sys-
tem, are automatically added to the Control Panel when you install the graphics drivers.
The 'ELSA settings' function brings a significant benefit: Once you have specified the
graphics board model and the monitor data, the program will automatically detect which
settings are possible and which are not. This means, for instance, that it is impossible
for you to select an incorrect refresh rate which might damage your monitor.
햲Use the commands Start 왘Settings 왘Control Panel
햳In the Control Panel you will find the Display program, among others. Double-click
on the icon to open the Display Properties window which features various tabs.
햴Click on the ' Settings' tab.
You must check or set the following settings:
' Settings' has all the options for
setting up the graphics board for your
monitor.