StudioTools 9.6 for Windows NT and Windows 2000 Qualification

Last Updated: April 4, 2001

StudioTools 9.6 for Windows NT and Windows 2000 Qualification

Products	Version	Software Date
StudioTools (AutoStudio, DesignStudio, Studio, SurfaceStudio, Renderers)	9.6	12/01/2000

StudioTools 9.6 is qualified and supported under Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5 or 6a, and Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 1. See chart below for qualified hardware configurations.
Intel Pentium II, Pentium III, or Pentium 4 cpus are required to run StudioTools 9.6.

Qualified Hardware Configurations

Systems consisting of any combination of the workstations and graphics cards listed below are fully supported for use with StudioTools 9.6. Please consult workstation vendor for available graphics configurations.

Workstations:

Company	Models	Web
Compaq	AP Series[2] SP Series[2]	http://www.compaq.com/
Dell	Precision Workstations[2]	http://www.dell.com/
Hewlett Packard	Kayak[2] Visualize[2]	http://www.hp.com/
IBM	Intellistation E Pro[2] Intellistation M Pro[2] Intellistation Z Pro[2]	http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/intellistation
Intergraph	Intergraph TDZ2000 GX1[2] ViZual Workstation[2]	http://www.intergraph.com/
SGI	ZX10[2]	http://www.sgi.com/
SGI	Visual Workstation (320, 540)[2]	http://www.sgi.com/
SGI	VPro (230, 330, 550)[1][2]	http://www.sgi.com/
[1] Early versions of the SGI 230 had AGP fast writes enabled in the BIOS. Having this setting is NOT recommended as it will likely cause operating system hangs when using StudioTools and other applications. Please consult the documentation that shipped with your workstation to see how to identify and change these settings. Please visit support.sgi.com for any BIOS updates.
[2] There is a serious limitation in StudioTools which may affect you. You may encounter camera control problems which results in a persistent camera dolly, track or tumble after you release your mouse button. In order to reduce the chances of this behaviour disable the Active View Panel and Point of Interest Viewing from the Interface Options.

Graphics Cards and Driver Versions:

The following graphics cards and driver combinations are qualified for use with StudioTools 9.6

Company	Graphics Card	Driver Version[4]		Web
		Windows NT 4.0	Windows 2000 Professional
3DLabs	GVX1	2.16-0388	2.16-0421	http://www.3dlabs.com/
3DLabs	GVX1 pro	2.16-0388	2.16-0421	http://www.3dlabs.com/
3DLabs	VX1	2.16-0454	2.16-0454	http://www.3dlabs.com/
3DLabs	Oxygen GMX 2000	2.12-0733	Not qualified	http://www.3dlabs.com/
3DLabs	GVX420	2.16-0388	2.16-0465	http://www.3dlabs.com/
3DLabs	GVX210	2.16-0388	2.16.0614	http://www.3dlabs.com/
3DLabs	Intense 3D Pro 3400	04.06.01.49	Not qualified	http://www.intense3d.com/
3DLabs	Intense 3D Wildcat 4000	04.06.02.22	Not qualified	http://www.intense3d.com/
3DLabs	Intense 3D Wildcat 4110	04.01.02.05	05.01.02.01	http://www.intense3d.com/
3DLabs	Intense 3D Wildcat 5110	04.02.01.07	05.03.00.15	http://www.intense3d.com/
SONICblue Incorporated	Fire GL1	4.00.1381.1090	5.12.2195.1100	http://www.firegl.com/
SONICblue Incorporated	Fire GL2	4.00.1381.2060	5.12.2195.2060	http://www.firegl.com/
Hewlett Packard	Visualize FX 4+	FX00.02.10	FX00.02.10	http://www.hp.com/
Hewlett Packard	Visualize FX 6+	FX00.02.10	FX00.02.10	http://www.hp.com/
Hewlett Packard	Visualize FX-5/FX-10	FX00.01.10	FX00.01.10	http://www.hp.com/
SGI	Cobalt Graphics	5.2.1	5.2.1	http://www.sgi.com/
SGI	Vpro 64 Graphics	6.5.0	6.5.0	http://www.sgi.com/
Dell	Elsa Gloria II Pro	4.02.05.168(from Elsa, refer to Gloria II)	Not qualified	http://www.dell.com/
Dell	Elsa Synergy Force	5.32	5.32	http://www.dell.com/
Elsa	Elsa Gloria II	4.02.05.168	Not qualified	http://www.elsa.com/
Nvidia	cards based on Nvidia GeForce 256[1][2]	4.00.1381.0532	Not qualified	http://www.nvidia.com/
Nvidia	cards based on Nvidia GeForce 2 GTS[1][2]	4.00.1381.0532	4.00.1381.0532	http://www.nvidia.com/
Nvidia	cards based on Nvidia GeForce 2 MX[1][2]	Not qualified	Not qualified	http://www.nvidia.com/
Nvidia	cards based on Nvidia Quadro[3]	6.46	Not qualified	http://www.nvidia.com/
[1] NOTE: Nvidia has dropped shared back/depth buffer support as of version 6.18 and StudioTools9.6 is NOT qualified with driver 6.18 or later with cards using the GeForce and Geforce2 chipsets. StudioTools9.6 is ONLY qualified on those cards with the driver listed above.
[2] NOTE: There are a large number of OEM and individual board vendors' graphics systems in existence based on the GeForce chipsets. We have tested generic versions of the GeForce cards using the specified NVIDIA reference drivers. At this time we can offer no guarantees of the behaviour or performance of specific cards with StudioTools. Use these cards at your own risk and subject to the Alias Support services guidelines.
[3] NOTE: Alias is currently investigating qualification of NVIDIA Quadro2 Pro and Quadro2 MXR graphics under 6.46.
[4] NOTE: In some cases we have provided direct hyperlinks to the download locations for some drivers. In the event the link is not found, is incorrect, or has been changed, please navigate through the main Web site link provided for that company.

Important Notes:

Notes on Overlay Planes

Using video cards without Hardware Overlay planes can result in poor performance for certain operations within StudioTools including (but not restricted to) use of the SID paint tools. There will also be visual differences compared with Hardware overlays that may result in difficulty seeing or manipulating aspects of the scene or StudioTools interface.

Examples of Graphics cards without Hardware overlays include (but are not restricted to):

NVIDIA based TNT/TNT2/GeForce/GeForce2 video cards

Examples of Graphics Cards where Hardware Overlays can be turned on/off include (but are not restricted to):

3DLabs GVX420/GVX1/VX1, Intense3D Wildcat etc.

Although Studio may be used successfully on systems containing these Graphics Cards, only those specifically listed here have been tested. Please review the notes below carefully as some of these cards have limitations which may make them unsuitable for your purposes.

Please Read

Intel Pentium II processor or greater is required for StudioTools. Any CPU that fails to support the MMX instruction set will likely encounter problems running StudioTools.
A three button mouse is required.
A graphics tablet is recommended for use with the new sketching functionality.
At least 128 MB of RAM is required and 256 MB or more is recommended to run StudioTools for Windows NT and Windows 2000.
It may be possible to successfully use StudioTools for Windows NT and Windows 2000 with a non-qualified configuration, however, support and maintenance programs will be subject to the Alias Support services guidelines.
At time of press Windows 2000 Server has not been tested in any way by Alias and cannot guarantee its performance or stability.
The configurations shown are subject to change, and additional qualified configurations may be added after qualification testing has been carried out.
Where Graphics Controllers are configurable, you must have at least 16MB of texture memory (TRAM). Due to the differences in the manner in which hardware vendors approach display memory, we suggest that you consult your hardware vendor to ensure that your configuration will support your required resolution.
The graphics drivers specified in this table are the drivers that were used for the qualification process. While it may be possible to use StudioTools for Windows NT and Windows 2000 successfully on earlier or later drivers, Alias cannot guarantee their performance.
Alias will continue to explore new candidates for StudioTools for Windows NT and Windows 2000 qualification and will monitor the current configurations. For the most recent information on qualification, please refer to www.aliaswavefront.com.

Specific Driver Information:

Cobalt Graphics

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
Cobalt Graphics (SGI Inc.)	NT4.0: 5.2.1 Win2000: 5.2.1	SGI Settings: Advanced Options -> Apply Swappable on Vertical Retrace Only	x
		Graphics Settings and Memory Reservation Profile-> Properties: > Display Settings -> Color Palette = True Color	x
		Display Settings -> Depth Buffer = 24 bit Depth, 8 bit Stencil	x
		Graphics Options -> Use Back Buffer	x
		Graphics Options -> Enable Overlay Planes	x
The above settings can be set by selecting: SGI Settings -> Graphics Settings and Reservation Profile -> Graphics and Animation Design.
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Visual artifacts(red, green) appear during X-form move, viewport resizing, moving viewports, etc.
Solution/Workaround	Do not use dynamic cursor color inside Preferences->Interface->User Colors
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Quick Render with shadows "on" does not display shadows correctly.
Solution/Workaround	Render image to see correct shadows.

Vpro 64 Graphics, V3, VR3 and V7

Model	Version	Driver Settings
Vpro Graphics: V3, VR3 and V7 (SGI Inc.)	NT4.0: 6.5.0 Win2000: 6.5.0	Default settings
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Prior to the 6.5.0 driver revision the SGI Vpro graphics demonstrated sub-standard performance with image planes. You will encounter very slow refresh with camera controls and inconsistent UI feedback if you use any graphics driver older than 6.5.0.
Solution/Workaround	Upgrade to 6.5.0
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Artifacting when painting over transparent geometry
Solution/Workaround	Adjust transparency to minimize artifacting. This is only a display problem and does not affect final output of image.

Diamond Fire GL1

Model	Version	Driver Settings
Diamond Fire GL1	NT4.0: 4.00.1381.1090 Win2000: 5.00.2195.1089	Select the 'Alias Maya' preset setting configuration in the Display Properties window.
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Action window redraw problems with playback in shaded mode.
Solution/Workaround	Close action window during playblack, or close & reopen action window.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Software crashes when scrolling within Multilister with large number of shaders.
Solution/Workaround	Use small shader swatches or use text labels.

Diamond Fire GL2

Model	Version	Driver Settings
Diamond Fire GL2	NT4.0: 4.00.1381.2060 Win2000: 5.12.2195.2060	Select the 'Alias Maya' preset setting configuration in the Display Properties window.
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitations	No known limitations.

Intense 3D Pro 3400 (VX113-T) (3DLabs)

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
Intense 3D Pro 3400 (VX113-T) (3DLabs)	NT4.0: 04.06.01.49, 4.0.0	Settings -> Performance
		Synchronize Buffer Swap to Vertical Sync	x
		Line 3-Pass Anti-aliasing		x
		GDI Compliant Vectors		x
		Pixel Color Format	BGR	RGB
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT)	Certain buttons in the interactive package may not display correctly. This does not affect the usability of the product.
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT)	Sample text not shown when creating text using Objects->Text
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT)	Scrubbing time slider in action window does now show frame number.
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT)	Transformation information does not display on guidelines when using X-form->move.
Solution/Workaround	Read information from prompt line.

Intense 3D Wildcat 4000

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
Intense 3D Wildcat 4000 (3DLabs)	NT4.0: 04.06.02.22, 4.0.0	Maya(tm) Preset	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT)	Sample text not shown when creating text using Objects->Text.
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT)	Transformation information not displayed during X-form->Move
Solution/Workaround	Read information from prompt line. Guidelines can be disabled from Interface options.
Limitation (NT)	Action window does not display time index when scrubbing time slider.
Solution/Workaround	None.

Intense 3D Wildcat 4110

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
Intense 3D Wildcat 4110 (3DLabs)	NT4.0 04.01.02.05 Win2000: 05.01.02.01	Maya(tm) Preset	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Sample text not shown when creating text using Objects->Text
Solution/Workaround	None.

Intense 3D Wildcat 5110

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
Intense 3D Wildcat 5110 (3DLabs)	NT4.0 04.02.01.07 Win2000: 05.03.00.15	Maya(tm) Preset	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT)	Keyframe statistics do not display in the Action window
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Toggle shade anomolies may appear with user defined tolerances below 0.01.
Solution/Workaround	None.

Visualize FX-4+

Model	Version	Driver Settings
Visualize FX-4+	NT4.0: FX00.02.10 Win2000: FX00.02.10	Select the 'Alias Maya' preset setting configuration in the Display Properties window.
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Overlapping edit windows will occasionally cause the obscured portion of background window to be incorrectly displayed.
Solution/Workaround	Minimize and maximizing will resore the window.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	StudioTools will not run properly at resolutions higher than 1280x1024. You will encounter various refresh and color depth problems.
Solution/Workaround	Use 1280x1024 display resolution
Limitation (Win2000)	Text objects very slow in interactive.
Solution/Workaround	None.

Visualize FX-6+

Model	Version	Driver Settings
Visualize FX-6+	NT4.0: FX00.02.10 Win2000: FX00.02.10	Select the 'Alias Maya' preset setting configuration in the Display Properties window.
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Overlapping edit windows will occasionally cause the obscured portion of background window to be incorrectly displayed.
Solution/Workaround	Minimize and maximizing will restore the window.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	StudioTools will not run properly at resolutions higher than 1280x1024. You will encounter various refresh and color depth problems.
Solution/Workaround	Use 1280x1024 display resolution
Limitation (Win2000)	Text objects very slow in interactive.
Solution/Workaround	None.

Visualize FX-5/FX-10

Model	Version	Driver Settings
Visualize FX-5, FX-10	NT4.0: FX00.01.10 Win2000: FX00.01.10	Select the 'Alias Maya' preset setting configuration in the Display Properties window.
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	StudioTools will not run properly at resolutions higher than 1280x1024. You will encounter various refresh and color depth problems.
Solution/Workaround	Use 1280x1024 display resolution
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Windows Browser causes Studio to crash with Save>As>EAIVisProducts with driver revisions earlier than 1.10.
Solution/Workaround	Driver revision 1.10 has fixed this problem.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Action window has refresh problems while moving the time slider marker.
Solution/Workaround	None.

3Dlabs Oxygen GVX1

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
3Dlabs Oxygen GVX1	NT4.0: 2.16-0388 Win2000: 2.16-0421	3DlabsOpenGL SupportAdvanced
		Maya(tm) Preset	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Pick with lasso may produce visual artifacts.
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Text tool leaves trails
Solution/Workaround	None.

3Dlabs Oxygen GVX1 pro

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
3Dlabs Oxygen GVX1 pro	NT4.0: 2.16-0388 Win2000: 2.16-0421	3DlabsOpenGL SupportAdvanced
		Maya(tm) Preset	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Pick with lasso may produce visual artifacts.
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Text tool leaves trails
Solution/Workaround	None.

3Dlabs Oxygen VX1

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
3Dlabs Oxygen VX1	NT4.0: 2.16-0454 Win2000: 2.16-0454	3Dlabs > OpenGL > SupportAdvanced
		Maya(tm) Preset	x
Limitation (Win2000)	Toggle shade will not accurately display textures.
Solution/Workaround	Rendered images are correct.

Oxygen GMX2000

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
Oxygen GMX2000	NT4.0:2.12-0733, 4.0.0 Win2000: Not qualified	Configuration > OpenGL > Advanced Options
		Number of DMA Sub Buffers= 3
		Wait for VBlank	x
		Configuration > OpenGL > Overlay Support
		Maya + Alpha	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT)	Object textures do not display correctly Display Tgls-> Shade.
Solution/Workaround	Render image to see objects with textures.
Limitation (NT)	Some diagnostic shading modes do not display correctly
Solution/Workaround	None.>

3Dlabs Oxygen GVX420

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
3Dlabs Oxygen GVX420	NT4.0: 2.16-0388 Win2000: 2.16-0465	3Dlabs OpenGL Support Advanced
		Maya(tm) preset	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Playblast with QuickRender ON does not display textures.
Solution/Workaround	Use batch renderer to see correct results.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Poor Quick Render results when Textures, Background, Shadow and Glow passes are turned on.
Solution/Workaround	Render image to see correct results.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Keyframes in action window channel editor missing yellow 'x'
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	2D texture placement in modelling views do not show accurate texture placement.

3Dlabs Oxygen GVX210

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
3Dlabs Oxygen GVX210	NT4.0: 2.16-0388 Win2000: 2.16.0614	3Dlabs OpenGL Support Advanced
		Maya(tm) with Alpha support preset	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT)	Playblast with QuickRender ON does not display textures.
Solution/Workaround	Use batch renderer to see correct results.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Using paint brushes will cause display artifacting.
Solution/Workaround	Use Maya with Alpha support in OpenGL settings.
Limitation (NT)	Pick locator tool will cause display artifacting.
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT)	Poor refresh quality with Text tool.
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Pick artifacting in Action window.
Solution/Workaround	Use Maya with No Alpha support preset in OpenGL display settings. This will cause paint brush artifacting.
Limitation (NT)	Poor Quick Render results when Textures, Background, Shadow and Glow passes are turned on.
Solution/Workaround	Render image to see correct results.
Limitation (NT)	Keyframes in action window channel editor missing yellow 'x'
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (Win2000)	Poor refresh in action window when scrubbing in timeslider.
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (Win2000)	Timeslider may disappear in shaded mode.
Solution/Workaround	None.

Elsa Gloria-II

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
Elsa Gloria-II	NT4.0: 4.02.05.168 Win2000: Not qualified	Default OpenGl settings.	x

*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Pick Boxes in Action Window leave trails
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Modelling windows do not have borders.
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	StudioTools may be slow to start.
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Text tool leave trails
Solution/Workaround	None.

Dell Elsa Gloria-II Pro

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
Dell Elsa Gloria-II Pro	NT4.0: currently testing Dell drivers. Please us 4.02.05.168 from Elsa. See note above for Gloria II limitations Win2000: Not qualified	Default OpenGl settings.	x
		DO NOT select the Maya preset, you will likely encounter serious operating crashes when starting StudioTools with this setting.
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Cascading menus may fail to respond to mouse clicks.
Solution/Workaround	Hold the mouse down when selecting cascading menus.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Pick Boxes in Action Window leave trails
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Text tool leave trails
Solution/Workaround	None.

Dell Elsa Synergy Force

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
Dell Elsa Synergy Force	NT4.0: Not qualified Win2000: We are currently testing Dell drivers. The listed 5.32 driver is NVIDIA's reference driver.	Configuration > OpenGL > Advanced Options
		Use defaults	x
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Refer to Nvidia Geforce256 limitations below.

Nvidia GeForce 256

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
cards based on Nvidia GeForce 256	NT4.0: 5.32 Win2000: 5.32	DIsplay Settings > OpenGL > Advanced Options
		Use defaults	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Pick Boxes in Action Window leave trails
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Can not scroll through palette.(Scroll bar appears to be locked)
Solution/Workaround	Ensure palette is completely drawn on screen.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	StudioTools windows can be very slow to redraw.
Solution/Workaround	None.
NOTE: There are a large number of OEM and individual board vendors' graphics systems in existence based on the GeForce chipsets. We have tested generic versions of the GeForce cards using the specified NVIDIA reference drivers.At this time we can offer no guarantees of the behaviour or performance of specific cards with StudioTools. Use these cards at your own risk and subject to the Alias Support services guidelines.

Nvidia GeForce 2 GTS

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
cards based on Nvidia GeForce 2 GTS	NT4.0: 5.32 Win2000: 5.32	DIsplay Settings > OpenGL > Advanced Options
		Use Defaults	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Pick Boxes in Action Window leave trails
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Can not scroll through palette.(Scroll bar appears to be locked)
Solution/Workaround	Ensure palette is completely drawn on screen.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	StudioTools windows can be very slow to redraw.
Solution/Workaround	None.
NOTE: There are a large number of OEM and individual board vendors' graphics systems in existence based on the GeForce chipsets. We have tested generic versions of the GeForce cards using the specified NVIDIA reference drivers. At this time we can offer no guarantees of the behaviour or performance of specific cards with StudioTools. Use these cards at your own risk and subject to the Alias Support services guidelines.

Nvidia Quadro

Model	Version	Driver Settings	ON	OFF
cards based on Nvidia Quadro	NT4.0: 6.4.6	DIsplay Settings > OpenGL > Advanced Options
		Use Defaults	x
*Limitations and Solutions*
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Pick Boxes in Action Window leave trails
Solution/Workaround	None.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Can not scroll through palette.(Scroll bar appears to be locked)
Solution/Workaround	Ensure palette is completely drawn on screen.
Limitation (NT, Win2000)	Menus at times may fail to respond to mouse clicks
Solution/Workaround	This is a limitation with image planes. If you turn image planes OFF then menu selection should revert to normal.