ELSA Synergy II User manual

ELSA SYNERGY
TM
II
User Manual

© 1999 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 the documentation and software supplied with this product and the
use of its contents is subject to written authorization from ELSA.
ELSA is DIN EN ISO 9001 certified. The accredited TÜV CERT certification authority has confirmed ELSA
conformity to the worldwide ISO 9001 standard in certificate number 09 100 5069, issued on June 15,
1998.
This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by method claims of certain
U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights owned by Macrovision Corporation and other right
owners. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision Corporation, and
is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise authorized by Macrovision
Corporation. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.
Trademarks
OpenGL®is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Windows®, Windows NT®and Microsoft®are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Corp.
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 technical errors or omissions.
Aachen, May 1999
No. 21602/0599
ELSA AG
Sonnenweg 11
D-52070 Aachen
Germany
ELSA, Inc.
2231 Calle De Luna
Santa Clara, CA 95054
USA

Preface
Thank you for placing your trust in this ELSA product.
With the
ELSA SYNERGY II you have selected a graphics board which was designed as
an entry product for professional CAD and visualization. The graphics processor on the
board ensures high-speed generation of on-screen graphics making this board ideal for
advanced CAD and visualization applications as well as for fast animation. ELSA prod-
ucts are subject to the highest of standards in production and quality control which are
the foundation for consistently high product quality
ELSA SYNERGY II .
About this manual
This manual provides all the information you will need to get the best out of your ELSA
graphics board. For instance, which resolution is best for which monitor, or how is the
board upgraded? The accompanying ELSA utility programs are described, and you will
find detailed information about 3D acceleration.
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.
Current information about updates can always be found in the README files on the ELSA
CD.
If you have further questions or need additional help, you can rely on our online services
which are available to ELSA customers.
In very urgent cases the ELSA Hotline can be reached under the following number:
[phone]

Before you read on...
The installation of the ELSA SYNERGY II hardware and software drivers is described in
full in the Installation Guide which accompanies this manual. You should refer to that
document before attempting to install your board, and before reading this manual

ELSA SYNERGY II
V
Inhalt
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1
ELSA SYNERGY II highlights................................................................................... 1
What's in the box? .................................................................................................. 1
What hardware do I need? ..................................................................................... 1
CE conformity and FCC radiation standard............................................................. 2
After installing the drivers ........................................................................................... 3
Software installation from the CD.......................................................................... 3
The right settings.................................................................................................... 3
What are your options?...................................................................................... 4
What makes sense?........................................................................................... 4
Changing the resolution.......................................................................................... 5
Windows 95 and Windows 98........................................................................... 5
Windows NT 4.0 ................................................................................................ 8
ELSA tools ....................................................................................................................... 9
Fine-tuning for performance freaks ........................................................................ 9
Application settings under Windows NT................................................................ 9
ELSA POWERdraft for AutoCAD ........................................................................... 10
ELSAview 3D™...................................................................................................... 12
What does ELSAview 3D offer ?...................................................................... 12
Installation ....................................................................................................... 13
ELSA MAXtreme driver for 3D Studio MAX/VIZ™............................................... 14
All about graphics ....................................................................................................... 15
3D graphics representation................................................................................... 15
The 3D pipeline................................................................................................ 15
3D interfaces......................................................................................................... 18
What APIs are available?................................................................................. 18
Direct 3D .......................................................................................................... 18
OpenGL............................................................................................................. 19
Color Palettes, TrueColor and Gray Scales........................................................... 19
VGA .................................................................................................................. 20
DirectColor ....................................................................................................... 20
VESA DDC (Display Data Channel) ....................................................................... 21
DDC2B.............................................................................................................. 21
DDC2AB............................................................................................................ 21
Technical data ............................................................................................................. 23
Characteristics of the graphics board ............................................................... 23
ELSA graphics board addresses............................................................................ 23

ELSA SYNERGY II
VI
Ports on the graphics board ............................................................................. 24
The VGA D-shell socket .................................................................................. 24
Appendix .......................................................................................................................25
DOC–Declaration of Conformity........................................................................... 25
Warranty conditions ............................................................................................. 26
Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 29
Index .............................................................................................................................. 33

Introduction
ELSA SYNERGY II
1
Introduction
ELSA SYNERGY II
highlights
KNew NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 graphics processor
KThe raw power of 16/32MB of synchronous video memory plus up to 128 MB of AGP
texture space
K100% ELSA OpenGL drivers
KPixel clock frequency up to 300 MHz
KELSA drivers for Windows NT, Windows 98 and Windows 95
KApplication drivers for AutoCad and 3D Studio MAX/VIZ
KOptimized SIMDream™ driver for OpenGL which supports Pentium III processors
KTwo independent 3D rendering pipelines for maximum performance
KProduct support via ELSA LocalWeb and Internet WWW site
KSix-year warranty
KThis board complies with the CE and FCC rules.
What's in the box?
You will notice if your graphics board is missing. But you need to check that the box con-
tained all of the following:
KGraphics board
KInstallation Guide
KUser Manual
KCD-ROM with installation and driver software and utilities
If any part is missing please contact your dealer. ELSA reserves the right to vary the prod-
ucts supplied without prior notice.
What hardware do I need?
KComputer: Minimum requirements are a Pentium 166 or compatible. The
SYNERGY II only really comes to life if your computer has a Pentium II or compatible
processor or even better.
KBus: The
SYNERGY II is available as an AGP version. Your computer must have an
AGP bus.
KMonitor: The
SYNERGY II works with the standard IBM VGA compatible horizontal
scan frequency of 31.5 kHz while booting and in DOS operation.

Introduction
ELSA SYNERGY II
2
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.
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:
KReorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
KIncrease the distance between this equipment and the receiver.
KConnect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit other than that to which the receiver
is connected.
KConsult your dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician.
KCaution: 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.

After installing the drivers
ELSA SYNERGY II
3
After installing the drivers
In this chapter you will find descriptions of
Kwhere you can find the software for operating your ELSA graphics board,
Kthe performance characteristics of your graphics board, and
Khow you can most effectively tuning for the combination of monitor and ELSA gra-
phics board.
Software installation from the CD
The ELSA graphics board is normally supplied with software on a CD-ROM . You will find
all the utilities described in this manual on the WINNERware CD – unless they are a com-
ponent of the operating system
.
Once you have successfully completed the steps described in the Installation Guide, your
ELSA SYNERGY II is integrated into your computer system with installed drivers. In this
way, you have very likely come to know the program ELSA CD setup. This program should
start automatically after inserting your
WINNERware CD, but if not, then you can run the
SETUP.EXE from the CD’s root directory.
The CD setup recognizes the operating system and the ELSA graphics board. Based on
this information, the program displays the driver and the selection of software supported.
All of these programs are on the
WINNERware CD.
The right settings
Our tip is: Invest a little time at this stage and you won’t regret it. Take your time to set
up your system just right. Your eyes will thank you for it, and you are guaranteed to have
more fun in front of your screen.
List of software which can
be installed
Information about the ent-
ries listed

After installing the drivers
ELSA SYNERGY II
4
To set up your system properly, the following questions should be answered:
KWhat is the maximum resolution I can set on my system?
KWhich color depth do I want to use?
KWhat value should I set for my display refresh rate?
To help you find the answers to these questions, this chapter has been divided according
to the operating systems available. Just look for the section about the operating system
you use. All the information you need is here and all the software you need, if not already
a part of your operating system, is on the
WINNERware CD.
What are your options?
The tables below show the maximum possible resolutions for the ELSA graphics board.
Note that these resolutions cannot be achieved under all operating conditions.
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 guidelines, although nowadays these are
met by most systems, and on the other hand there are limitations inherent to your sys-
tem, e.g. your monitor. The question of whether your applications need to run using large
color depths––perhaps even TrueColor––is also important. This is an important condition
for many DTP or CAD workstations. We recommend that games and “normal” Windows
applications are operated in HighColor with 65,536 colors.
max. refresh rate (Hz)
for
HighColor/TrueColor
3D resolution with Double Buffering
HighColor (16bit) TrueColor (24bit/32bit)
16MB 32MB 16MB 32MB
1920 x 1200 96 ✓✓ –✓
1920 x 1080 107 ✓✓ –✓
1600 x 1280 109 ✓✓ –✓
1600 x 1200 116 ✓✓ –✓
1600 x 1000 139 ✓✓ –✓
1280 x 1024 170 ✓✓ ✓ ✓
1152 x 864 200 ✓✓ ✓ ✓
1024 x 768 200 ✓✓ ✓ ✓
800 x 600 200 ✓✓ ✓ ✓
640 x 480 200 ✓✓ ✓ ✓
HighColor = 65.536 colors, TrueColor = 16,7 million colors

After installing the drivers
ELSA SYNERGY II
5
“More Pixels, more fun”
This is an opinion which is widespread, but which is not entirely true under all circum-
stances. The general rule is that a refresh rate of 73 Hz meets the minimum ergonomic
requirements. The resolution to be selected also depends on the capabilities of your mon-
itor. The table below is a guide to the resolutions you might select:
Changing the resolution
You set the resolution of your graphics board in the Control Panel under Windows.
Windows 95 and Windows 98
The ' Settings' are automatically integrated into the Control Panel during the instal-
lation of the
WINman Suite . You can use these Settings to tweak your graphics system
for the best performance. The ' Settings' provide some great features. Once you
have specified the graphics board model and the monitor data, the program will automat-
ically 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.
aClick on Start, then select Settings EControl Panel.
bYou will find the Display icon in the Control Panel. When you start this program,
you are shown a dialog box where you can modified the display settings.
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

After installing the drivers
ELSA SYNERGY II
6
cHere you should click on the ' Settings' tab.
Under Windows 98, you can reach the ' Settings' by selecting the Settings tab and
then clicking on the
Advanced...
.
It is important to carry out the following settings or checks step by step:
Kthe monitor type
Kthe resolution of the monitor
image (Scheme, Data Set) and
Kthe color depth
Kthe refresh rate.
Choosing the monitor
If your monitor supports DDC, the preset values will be displayed under 'Scheme'. If this
is not the case, click on Change... to call up the database of monitor types. You will be
presented with a list of monitor manufacturers and monitor models. If your manufacturer
is present, click on the entry and then select your model. If your monitor is not listed,
there are two options. One option is to select the '_Standard monitor' from the list of
manufacturers and then select the resolution you wish to work with.
A second option requires information about the technical specifications for your monitor.
Consult your monitor manual to ensure that you have the correct information. Click on
Change... in the 'Monitor type database' window. In addition to the information regard-
' Settings' has all the options
for setting up the graphics board
for your monitor.
Windows 95
Windows 98

After installing the drivers
ELSA SYNERGY II
7
ing the monitor manufacturer, and the model designation, you will have to enter the fre-
quency ranges for the horizontal and vertical scan frequencies and specify the diagonal
size of your monitor.
Check your entries for the image frequencies carefully, as otherwise you might damage
your monitor
. Look these up in your monitor manual or consult the monitor manufacturer.
If your monitor type is not listed in the
monitors database you can enter the
monitor manufacturer and model type
here.
The vertical and horizontal frequency
ranges and the diagonal size of the
screen are the important settings.

After installing the drivers
ELSA SYNERGY II
8
Windows NT 4.0
The settings for the graphics driver are included in the Control Panel under Windows NT
4.0. Use the command sequence
Start ESettings EControl Panel
to call the dialog window where you should find the icon for Display. Double click on
this symbol to open the window with its various tabs. Click on the '' Settings' tab.
You can select the possible settings for 'Color palette', 'Font size', 'Resolution' and 'Dis-
play frequency' from this dialog box. The available selection is determined by the ELSA
driver you have installed. You should always check the configuration you have selected
by clicking on the Test button.
You will find further information on how to customize your graphics settings under Win-
dows NT 4.0 in your system manual.

ELSA tools
ELSA SYNERGY II
9
ELSA tools
Fine-tuning for performance freaks
After installing the ELSA graphics drivers under Windows 95 and Windows 98 you will
find a new tab in the 'Display Properties': The ' 3D Settings'.
Because Windows 98 allows the operation of multiple graphics boards, the 3D Settings
for the Erazor are to be found in another location. Under 'Display Properties' select in
turn:
'Settings' EAdvanced... E' 3D Settings' .
These settings let you set up the optimal 3D performance on your system. In most cases
you don’t need to adjust anything. Once in a while if you see display errors on screen or
if there are problems with the speed, you can adjust the Direct3D and other settings. The
settings which are optimal for any application can be saved under an identifiable name
and quickly recalled without having to restart your system.
Application settings under Windows NT
The ' AppSet' are part of the control panel and are automatically installed when you
install the ELSA driver. Use the commands
Start ESettings EControl Panel
There’s more!
Click on this button for additional dialog
windows.
The question mark provides the answers!
Click on this symbol and then on the area
of the dialog about which you want more
information.

ELSA tools
ELSA SYNERGY II
10
to open the 'Control Panel' folder, in which you will find the 'Display' icon, among others.
Double-click on this icon to open an index card with a number of different tabs. Click on
the ' AppSet' tab.
The ' GLoria Settings' features a selection of many common CAD applications. The
settings for these applications have already been optimized and set up for the ELSA
drivers.
You can also add your own entries with customized 3D settings to this list. Just click on
Add, enter the name of the application and enter the settings you require. Click on
Apply to include the new entry in the selection list.
Press F1 or click on the Help button to call up the Online help. The Online help has more
detailed information on the Application Settings.
ELSA POWERdraft for AutoCAD
ELSA POWERdraft is one of the most powerful productivity enhancement tools for Auto-
CAD R13 for Windows and AutoCAD LT 3 for Windows 95.
ELSA POWERdraft for AutoCAD supports the following environments:
KAutoCAD R14 under Windows NT 4.0
Seamlessly integrated into the AutoCAD environment, your
POWERdraft driver offers
significant improvements over existing driver technology.
POWERdraft is an extremely
fast and reliable driver platform for AutoCAD. Proven 32-bit display list technology and
an intimate knowledge of your ELSA graphics adapter combine to provide an excellent
solution for the most demanding AutoCAD users.
Use the ' AppSet' tab to
specify the 3D parameters indi-
vidually for each application you
have installed.
The Add button is available for
you to enter and configure your
own application entry.

ELSA tools
ELSA SYNERGY II
11
Additionally, your POWERdraft driver includes the powerful utilities, SuperView , Magni-
View
, MultiView and Cockpit , each designed to accent the AutoCAD drafting environ-
ment without inhibiting it. Fully dynamic and integrated through ELSA's SmartFocus
technology, each utility is fully transparent to AutoCAD and available during any Auto-
CAD command.
SmartFocus
ELSA's SmartFocus technology, which is used in all
POWERdraft windows, keeps you
from having to switch the focus between driver windows and the AutoCAD windows.
After using a function in one of the driver windows, any keyboard entry or crosshair
movement automatically makes AutoCAD the active window again. You don't have to
expressly click in a window to activate it, as is in the case with other drivers.
MagniView
Unique among spy glass devices, the MagniView offers maximum functionality with a
minimum size. ELSA’s SmartFocus technology makes the MagniView completely mode-
less allowing the MagniView to update dynamically, tracking the AutoCAD cursor to dis-
play a zoomed in view of the editing area. This magnified view can aid the drafter in
picking AutoCAD entities including grips and other editing artifacts, or in finding special
information within the drawing.
Multiview
Enclosed within the Cockpit window, the Multiview offers a configurable visual history
of previous views. Displaying a record of one to one hundred prior views, the MultiView
represents each view visually on a button face. This gives instant access to any previous
view and can be used to record and playback selected views consistently.
Cockpit
The Cockpit tools offers dynamic zooming and panning of the current viewport with just
a flick of the mouse, even while sized small enough to fit within the AutoCAD scrolling
area. Shaped to resemble two joysticks, adjusting your view is as easy as pick, drag and
release. Through ELSA’s SmartFocus technology, the Cockpit is completely transparent
and fully dynamic, making it perfect for small adjustments to your view while editing.
Installation
The SETUP.EXE program is found in the root directory of your
WINNERware CD. Start
this program, and continue as described below from step d. Otherwise, or in the case
of difficulty, please do the following:
aStart Windows.
bSelect File ERun... in the Program Manager.

ELSA tools
ELSA SYNERGY II
12
cInsert the
WINNERware CD, change with Browse... to the directory \ELSA-
WARE\ACAD\R14\DISK1 and start SETUP.EXE from there.
dConfirm with OK and follow the instructions.
eSelect the language to be used in the installation dialogs.
SETUP finds your AutoCAD by reading the association for the file extension DWG.
You will have to modify the path accordingly if you wish to set up
POWERdraft for a dif-
ferent AutoCAD installation.
We recommend that you do not specify the AutoCAD directory as the target directory.
After the successful installation of ELSA POWERdraft , the next start up of AutoCAD will
automatically load the
POWERdraft driver. If you wish to switch between the original
AutoCAD driver and
POWERdraft , look in the Windows Start menu for the program group
'ELSAware'. Under POWERdraft you will find the option to select either of the two
drivers.
If you wish to uninstall POWERdraft, please make sure you activate the AutoCAD driver
first!
ELSAview 3D
™
ELSAview 3D is a 3D viewer that can be run either as a standalone program or in con-
junction with AutoCAD.
What does ELSAview 3D offer ?
Checking objects in 3D is a time-consuming business when designing 3D objects in the
AutoCAD desktop. Every view must be rendered and will switch straight back to wiref-
rame representation if the object is moved.
ELSAview 3D is fully integrated in AutoCAD
and allows constant monitoring of drawn objects in three-dimensional space. You can
move the object on all three axes. In addition, you can use different light sources with
different colors to illuminate the object. You can achieve a very plastic representation of
the object through perspective correction and the ability to add 3D filters. The accuracy
of the representation can be further enhanced depending on the resolution selected, the
drawing size and the scale of the drawing.
Operation of
ELSAview 3D makes a significant contribution to user friendliness. The
most important control functions are found on a toolbar. You can move the object freely

ELSA tools
ELSA SYNERGY II
13
through space in real time using the mouse. The new position is automatically translated
to the AutoCAD desktop.
Installation
The ELSAview 3D installation program may be found on the WINNERware CD. Insert the
CD in your CD-ROM drive.
aRun SETUP.EXE from the directory \ELSAWARE\EV3D\STANDARD\DISK1
bYou will be prompted to specify the AutoCAD installation directory in the next dialog
box. The first AutoCAD directory is always offered as a default value. You may con-
firm this or select a different directory with Browse.
cEnter the installation directory for the
ELSAview 3D program files in the next dialog
box.
dThe following dialog box allows you to specify whether the AutoCAD-ARX files
should be updated only in the directory currently specified, on all local drives or over
the entire network.
Once you have installed
ELSAview 3D successfully, you will be able to start AutoCAD
directly and work with
ELSAview 3D .
Press F1 to call up the online help. The online help has context-related information on
the various topics.

ELSA tools
ELSA SYNERGY II
14
ELSA MAXtreme
driver for 3D Studio MAX/VIZ™
ELSA MAXtreme is a special driver for 3D Studio MAX/VIZ Version R2.x which makes the
most of the special features of the
ELSA GLoria and ELSA Synergy graphics boards. It
offers many improvements over standard drivers and thus considerable increases in per-
formance and productivity when used with these applications.
aEnsure that 3D Studio MAX/VIZ has not been started.
bInsert the
WINNERware CD into the CD-ROM drive and start the SETUP.EXE pro-
gram from the directory \ELSAWARE\3DMAX2X\DISK1.
The program guides you through each step of the installation. Read the instructions care-
fully, and answer and confirm each of the questions.
Further information on this special driver can be found in the README.TXT file in the
directory
\ELSAWARE\3DMAX2X\DISK1
.