[English] PDREADME.TXT MATROX GRAPHICS INC. Matrox PowerDesk for Windows 2000 Revision 5.01.019 Contents ======== - Description of this release - Installation - More information - Notes, problems, and limitations - Help and Software Upgrades Description of this release =========================== Matrox PowerDesk software includes a display driver and display utilities. With this software, you can take full advantage of your Matrox graphics hardware and you can access additional Matrox display-related features. The driver supports the following Matrox video adapters: -Millennium G400 AGP video adapter -Millennium G200 AGP video adapter -Millennium G200 PCI video adapter -Millennium G200 MMS (Multi-Monitor Series) PCI video adapter -Productiva G100 MMS (Multi-Monitor Series) PCI video adapter Installation ============ To install Matrox PowerDesk, start the "setup" program included with it, then follow the on-screen instructions. The setup program will only install software if a Matrox graphics card model supported by the setup program is installed in your computer. There are unattended install options which can be used for a silent mode install. They are: LANGUAGE - Specify a language Automatically selects, in the Setup language dialog, the specified language. Command-line syntax: /LANGUAGE=[3 letters language ID] Short command-line syntax: /LANG=[3 letters language ID] Note that the Language Wizard page (the first one displayed) is always visible by the user. There's no way to force a user to use a specific language (you can only suggest him to use the selected one...) unless the silent mode option is used to run the setup automatically, without any user input. Note that the installation will default to the language specified in the system's Regional Settings option in Control Panel. Here is the list of language IDs supported by the Setup application. However, the availability of those languages is specific to each Driver package. Language Abbreviation (3 letters ID): English ENG French FRE Italian ITA German GER Spanish SPA Portuguese (European) EPO Portuguese (Brazilian) BPO Dutch DUT Finnish FIN Danish DAN Swedish SWE Norwegian NOR Chinese (Traditional) CHN Chinese (Simplified) PRC Japanese JPN Korean KOR Thai THA SILENT - Silent mode setup The Setup will be performed without requiring any user interaction. No user interface will be displayed at all. This is typically used during automated system configuration. Silent mode is disabled by default (equivalent to SILENT=NO) Command-line syntax: /SILENT=YES Short command-line syntax: /S REBOOT - Reboot system If NO, the system will not be restarted after installation, even if it would be required under normal installation procedure. This might be useful when performing many installation steps on a system to minimize the number of system restart during the procedure. If YES, the system will be restarted even if it would not be necessary under the current circumstances. Note that if this switch is set, the final Wizard page will reflect the switch's value without a way for the user to change it. For example, if the switch's value is YES, the user will not have other choice than to reboot his computer at the end of the process. If neither is specified (which is default) the user will be able to choose to restart or finish without restarting. Command-line syntax: /REBOOT=[NO / YES] Short command-line syntax: /N, /R DISPLAYMODE - Set a specific display mode Set the display mode for the newly installed display adapter(s). The mode is composed of the resolution (horizontal pixel number, vertical pixel number), pixel depth (8, 16, 24 or 32), then the font size in DPI (any number is good... Small font is 96, Large font is 120). Note that all parameters must be specified for the switch to be processed. Also, the specified mode will be applied to all installed devices (boards). Command-line syntax: /DISPLAYMODE=[Hres],[Vres],[Pixel Depth],[Font size] Short command-line syntax: /MODE=[Hres],[Vres],[Pixel Depth],[Font size] WARNING: The specified mode will be set even if the display adapter can't support it. There is no validation performed by the Setup. Sample command line Setup: SETUP /S /N /LANG=ENG /MODE=1024,768,16,96 This will run setup silent mode with no reboot, installing in English, and specifying the display mode to be 1024x768 16 bit small fonts (96DPI). Uninstallation ============== To uninstall the Matrox drivers and PowerDesk, open Control Panel, double click the System icon, choose the Hardware page then click Device Manager. In the list of devices, locate Display Adapters, click the plus (+) sign to expand it, then double click any Matrox device you wish to uninstall. Choose the Driver page then click the Uninstall button. Click Ok to confirm uninstallation of this device to complete the procedure. Note that this procedure does not remove the driver files from your system. To do this, you must use a separate uninstall utility which is available from your system vendor or from the Matrox websight at: http://www.matrox.com/mga/drivers/files/ftp_util2.htm. More information ================ For more information on Matrox PowerDesk, see the help file included with it. For information specific to your Matrox graphics card, see your Matrox or system manual. For information on how to change your graphics resolution, color depth, refresh rate or monitor selection, see your Windows 2000 documentation. Notes, problems, and limitations ================================ - Matrox bus mastering This driver supports bus mastering. Bus mastering is a feature that allows expansion cards to perform tasks at the same time as your computer's CPU. If you have a fast Pentium computer (faster than 166 MHz), the display performance of most programs is improved when bus mastering is used. To use bus mastering with 3D (DirectX) programs, your graphics card needs an interrupt request (IRQ). Most computers automatically assign an IRQ to graphics cards, but some do not. If your graphics card hasn't been assigned an IRQ, programs that use Matrox bus mastering may not work properly. For more information, see your Matrox or system manual. - DirectDraw and Automatic Power Management As stated in "Microsoft DirectX Release Notes", September 30, 1995, a DirectDraw game may be unable to restore properly if it is suspended by Automatic Power Management utilities. - Installation in different language versions of Windows If you install software in a language different from the language of your operating system (for example, English software on a Japanese system), you may have problems with text and dialog box controls being cut off. This is because of differences in system fonts. - OpenGL support Note the following limitations related to the OpenGL driver included with Matrox PowerDesk: - OpenGL support may not be included in some versions of Matrox PowerDesk. For a version of Matrox PowerDesk with OpenGL support enabled, see the Matrox Web site (www.matrox.com/mga). - With the "Tribes" game, you may notice some minor display artifacts and the opening video introduction may not display properly. - Using 3D Studio Max 2.0, you may experience problems with the viewports being improperly redrawn. If this happens, simply click in a viewport to properly update their display. (This problem isn't present with version 2.5 or 3.0 of 3D Studio Max.) - DualHead Multi-Display mode under Windows 2000 If you have a DualHead-supporting graphics card and you apply "DualHead Multi-Display" mode under Windows 2000, Matrox PowerDesk automatically clears the Windows check box called "Hide modes that this monitor cannot display". (This check box is in the advanced settings of the "Display Properties" dialog box.) Under Windows 2000, please don't enable this check box while using DualHead Multi-Display mode -- doing so may cause problems. When DualHead Multi-Display mode is disabled, this option will be automatically restored to its previous setting. For more information on DualHead Multi-Display mode, see context-sensitive help. Help and Software Upgrades ========================== - Video driver updates can be obtained from IBM at the following web location: http://www.us.pc.ibm.com/files/html (do a search on "drivers") For technical problems, contact the IBM HelpDesk at 1-800-772-2227 Supported Resolutions, Color Depths, and Refresh Rates ====================================================== - The resolutions and refresh rates supported by the Matrox driver are dependent on the video adapter installed in the system and the monitor that is selected. Access the settings sheet through the display property box. To open this dialog box, click "Matrox QuickDesk" (the monitor icon on the Windows taskbar) -> "Matrox Display Properties". The maximum color depth for each resolution is dependent on many factors. The factors affecting the maximum color depth are the display resolution, the total amount of video memory installed and the 3D features that are turned on. Enabling the 3D features consumes some of the video memory and therefore reduces the maximum amount of colors. Shown below is a summary of the color depths supported with various features turned on for 16MB of video memory installed on the Matrox adapter. MAXIMUM COLOR DEPTHS +==========+==========+==========+==========+ |Resolution|2D bpp |3D bpp: |3D bpp: | | (Pixels) |(SB, no-Z)| DB, 16-Z | DB, 32-Z | +----------+----------+----------+----------+ |640x480 | | | | |800x600 | | 16, | 16, | |1024x768 | All | 32 | 32 | |1152x864 | | | | |1280x1024 | | | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+ |1600x1024 | All | 16, 32** | 16, 32** | +----------+----------+----------+----------+ |1600x1200 | All | 16, 32** | 16, 32** | |1920x1034 | | | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+ |1600x1280 | 8, 16, | 16, 32** | 16, 32** | |1920x1080 | 24, 32* | | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+ |1920x1200 | 8, 16 | 16, 32** | 16**, | |1800x1440 | 24*, 32* | | 32** | +----------+----------+----------+----------+ |1792x1344 | All* | 16, 32** | 16**, | |1856x1392 | | | 32** | |1920x1440 | | | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+ |2048x1536 | All* | 16, 32** | 16** | | | | | | +==========+==========+==========+==========+ * Only on G400 ** Only on G400 with 32 MB bpp = bits per pixel 3D Features: -8=256 colors -SB = single buffering -16=65536 colors -DB = double buffer -24=16,777,216 colors -no-DB = no double buffering -32=16,777,216 colors -16-Z = 16 bit Z buffer +8 bit alpha channel -32-Z = 32 bit Z buffer for 3D