TM
ELSA ERAZOR II
TM
ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Preface
Thank you for placing your trust in this ELSA product.
To make sure that you have undiluted fun with your ELSA board, we insist on the high-
est quality requirements in manufacturing and stringent quality control to ensure 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. The accompanying ELSA utilities are described, and you will find
detailed information about 3D and video.
Changes to this Manual
ELSA products are subject to continual further development. It is therefore possible that
the printed documentation does not always correspond to the latest release. However,
information about the latest changes is always to be found in the README files on the
ELSA 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:
+49-241-606-6131
Before you continue
Installation of the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT and installation of the
associated drivers are described in the Installation Guide. Please read this information
first before you start reading this manual.
V
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1
Highlights of the Erazor Graphics Boards............................................................... 2
What Hardware Do I Need?.................................................................................... 2
What's In the Box?.................................................................................................. 2
CE Conformity and FCC Radiation Standard........................................................... 3
After Installing the Drivers .......................................................................................... 5
It's Time to Get Moving!......................................................................................... 5
What is Possible?.................................................................................................... 5
What Makes Sense?............................................................................................... 6
Changing the resolution.......................................................................................... 7
Windows 95/98.................................................................................................. 7
Windows NT 4.0 .............................................................................................. 10
The Multimedia Player.......................................................................................... 11
Fine-Tuning for Performance Freaks..................................................................... 12
3D Graphics Representation................................................................................. 13
The 3D Pipeline ................................................................................................ 13
3D Interfaces......................................................................................................... 16
What APIs Are Available?................................................................................ 16
Direct 3D .......................................................................................................... 16
Color Palettes, TrueColor and Gray Scales........................................................... 18
VGA .................................................................................................................. 18
DirectColor ....................................................................................................... 18
VESA DDC (Display Data Channel) ....................................................................... 19
DDC1 ................................................................................................................ 19
DDC2B .............................................................................................................. 19
Characteristics of the Graphics Boards ................................................................ 21
Ports on the Graphics Board ................................................................................. 22
The VGA D-Shell Socket ................................................................................. 22
Appendix ....................................................................................................................... 23
Advice and Help.................................................................................................... 23
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
VI
Who to Contact? .............................................................................................. 24
The ELSA LocalWeb......................................................................................... 25
Driver Updates ................................................................................................. 25
Repair? ............................................................................................................. 25
DoC–Declaration of Conformity ........................................................................ 26
Warranty Conditions............................................................................................. 28
Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 31
Index .............................................................................................................................. 35
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Introduction
1
Introduction
“Reading the manual is a waste of time.” A prejudice you are proving to be wrong right
now by reading this manual. And rightly so. In this case, it is really worth the effort.
Because the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT has some smart features that
are only described here in the manual.
So only those who read the manual will truly be taken with this card. We'll make it as
short and easy as we can–promise.
A Look at the ERAZOR II and VICTORY Erazor LT
Just what are you sticking into your computer? The boards are getting smaller, but at the
same time more powerful. In the diagram and legend below, we explain the functions of
the board's chief components
ERAZOR II
VICTORY Erazor LT
³
³
»
·
»
·
ᕡ The video memory. This checks out which image is being displayed on the screen
and thinks one step ahead. Only in this way can rapid graphics generation in the
graphics board be ensured.
ᕢ The graphics processor. The heart of the board. The RAMDAC is integrated in it.
The monitor is not able to process the digital signals from the graphics processor
directly. The RAMDAC comes in here and translates the digital signals into analog
signals. All this at a clock speed of 250 MHz.
ᕣ The BIOS. One of its tasks is to ensure that the system recognizes the graphics
board.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Introduction
2
Highlights of the Erazor Graphics Boards
Wide data flow – True 128 bit graphics acceleration for Windows NT,
Windows 95 and Windows 98
A giant with potential for growth – the performance of the RIVA 128ZX grows
with processor power. This can be summed up in a phrase: “The more powerful the
CPU, the more powerful the Erazor”.
A games arcade on your living room – arcade quality 3D graphics wtih high-
speed direct 3D support
Fast video – High quality, multiple filtered MPEG and AVI play.
When things get tight – Textures are dynamically stored in the computer's work-
ing memory
Superfast – DOS with VBE 3.0 BIOS
24-hour access – To ELSA Support in the ELSA LocalWeb and Internet-WWW
Guaranteed – 6 years warranty on the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA
VICTORY Erazor LT
Protected – The ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT meet CE require-
ments.
What Hardware Do I Need?
Computer: The ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT only really come to
life if your computer has a Pentium 166 or compatible processor or even better. Less
muscular processors will not get the best out of the board.
Bus: The ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT can be had in AGP versions.
Your computer must have an AGP bus.
Monitor: The ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT works with the stan-
dard IBM VGA compatible horizontal scan frequency of 31.5 kHz while booting and
in DOS operation.
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:
Graphics board
Documentation: Installation Guide and electronic manual on CD
CD-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.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Introduction
3
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:
Declaration of Conformity (➞page 24)
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:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the distance between this equipment and the receiver.
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit other than that to which the receiver
is connected.
Consult your dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician.
Caution: 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.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Introduction
4
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
After Installing the Drivers
5
After Installing the Drivers
You will have completed the most important steps once the Installation Guide has piloted
you safely through the hazards of driver installation. Your operating system knows about
the Erazor, the ELSA drivers are installed and ...
It's Time to Get Moving!
We have a tip for you at this point: A few minutes' patience will pay for themselves. Take
a few moments' time to optimize your system settings. Your eyes will thank you for it
and you will certainly enjoy playing games and working on your computer much more.
In this chapter you will learn:
What is the maximum resolution I can get from my system?
What color depth should I use?
How frequently should the monitor redraw itself?
This chapter is divided up into operating systems to allow us to answer these questions
for you as simply as possible. Turn straight to the heading for your operating system. You
will find everything you need there. The software you need will be on the WINNERware
CD – unless it is already included in the operating system.
What is Possible?
The table below shows the maximum possible resolutions for the ELSA graphics board.
Note that these resolutions cannot be achieved under all operating conditions.
ERAZOR II
Refresh rate (Hz) / Z-Buffer, Double Buffering
Color depth:
256 Colors
HighColor
TrueColor
8MB
16MB
85/–
8MB
16MB
85/✓
8MB
16MB
85/✓
1600 x 1200
1280 x 1024
1152 x 864
1024 x 768
960 x 720
85/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
85/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
85/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
120/✓
800 x 600
640 x 480
HighColor = 65536 colors, TrueColor = 16.7 million colors
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
After Installing the Drivers
VICTORY Erazor LT
6
Refresh rate (Hz) / Z-Buffer, Double Buffering
Color depth:
1600 x 1200
1280 x 1024
1152 x 864
1024 x 768
800 x 600
256 Colors
HighColor
85/–
TrueColor
–/–
85/–
100/–
120/–
120/–
120/✓
100/–
75/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
120/–
HighColor = 65.536 colors, TrueColor = 16,7 million colors
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 high
color depth – perhaps even using TrueColor – is also important. This is an important con-
dition in many DTP workstations, for instance. A color depth of 64K is recommended for
games and “normal” Windows applications.
“More pixels means more fun”
This idea is widely held, but is not always true. The general rule is that a refresh rate of
73 Hz meets the minimum recommended ergonomic requirements. 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:
Monitor
size
Typical
image size
Minimum
recommended
resolution
Maximum
recommended
resolution
Ergonomic
resolution
17“
19“
15.5“ - 16“
17.5“ - 18.1“
19“ - 20“
800 x 600
1024 x 768
1024 x 768
1600 x 1000
1024 x 768
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1200
1920 x 1200
1024 x 768
1152 x 864
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1000
20“/21“
24“
21“ - 22“
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
After Installing the Drivers
7
Changing the resolution
You set the resolution of your graphics board in the Control Panel under Windows.
The ELSA graphics card 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.
Windows 95 and Windows 98
If you have installed the OpenGL driver, you should be aware that this version of OpenGL
only supports games which are suited. A sleek and minimal range of functions guaran-
tees a rapid games performance.
The '
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
Settings' are automatically integrated into the Control Panel during the instal-
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.
ቢ Click on Start, then select Settings ̈ Control Panel.
ባ You will find the Display program in the Control Panel. When you start this pro-
gram, you are shown a dialog box where you can modified the display settings.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
After Installing the Drivers
8
ቤ Here you should click on the '
Settings' tab.
'
Settings' has all the options
for setting up the graphics board
for your monitor.
Windows 95
Windows 98
Under Windows 98, you can reach the '
Settings' by selecting the Settings card and
then clicking on the Advanced....
It is important to carry out the following settings or checks step by step:
the color depth
the monitor type
the resolution of the monitor image
(Scheme, Data Set) and
the 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-
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
After Installing the Drivers
9
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.
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.
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.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
After Installing the Drivers
10
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 ̈ Settings ̈ Control 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 ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Useful Stuff and More
11
Useful Stuff and More
You have received a CD with your ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT. On the
WINNERware CD you will find all the drivers you will need for the use of the
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT under various operating systems and the
tools you can use to exploit all the features on the graphics board.
On the following pages we will introduce the tools and their uses.
The Multimedia Player
Until now, a variety of programs for the playback of CDs, videos and other media was
available under Multimedia in the Accessories folder of the Windows start menu. These
have now been succeeded by the Microsoft Multimedia Player. It handles the most com-
mon multimedia formats, all under one common user interface—regardless of whether
the data is coming from the Internet or the local hard disk. The Multimedia Player is
responsible for the playback of RealAudio and RealVideo, as well as WAV, AVI and
Quicktime files.
Video playback or Internet live radio: The
Microsoft Multimedia Player handles all
common multimedia formats.
After the installation, the file extensions of media files are permanently associated with
the Multimedia Player. You can thus double-click the media files in the Windows
Explorer or My Computer folder to conveniently launch the Player and start the playback.
The use of the Multimedia Player is intuitive, and it includes a comprehensive help func-
tion to clarify questions or solve problems while working with the program.
ELSA ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Useful Stuff and More
12
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'.
The question mark provides the answers!
Click on this symbol and then on the area
of the dialog about which you want more
information.
There’s more!
Click on this button for additional dialog
windows.
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' ̈ Advanced... ̈ '
3D Settings'.
These settings let you set up the optimal games 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 or OpenGL
settings. The settings which are optimal for any game can saved under an identifiable
name and quickly recalled without having to restart your system.
Once saved, the settings can be easily
recalled: the individual 3D configurations
for your games can be found in the
ELSA WINman Suite.
Experimentation pays! Give your combatant a little extra “zip” and optimize his chances
against the competition. If the descriptions here are too cryptic, just take a look at the
glossary in this manual or use the comprehensive help system. Simply click on the ques-
tion mark at the top right-hand corner of the dialog window, and then click on the item in
question. If you accidentally dump your system into the crawler-lane, just click on the
emergency button Restore Defaults. The standard settings will be called into action.
ELSA ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
All about graphics
13
All about graphics
This is the chapter where we really get stuck in. Anyone who wants to know more about
graphics–especially in connection with the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA
VICTORY Erazor LT–will find a whole load of technical stuff right here.
3D Graphics Representation
Today it is considered de rigeur to know all about 3D. Your curiosity will be aroused as
soon as you experience the first visual wizardry generated by your new graphics board.
Two features of the 3D display will leap out at you: it's both realistic and fast. The
amount of work required here is known only to the processor, but we will describe it in
detail to you below.
The 3D Pipeline
What actually happens when a monitor displays a 3D object? The data describing the 3D
object are passed through what is known as the 3D pipeline, in which the mathematical
calculations for its representation in space and perspective on the monitor are carried
out. What happens in detail?
3D Pipeline
Geometrical
transformation
Display
on the monitor
Object data
Tesselation
Rendering
Start: The object data
The pipeline starts at the object. The object description is made up of the data (points).
Tesselation
In the first step, the object is broken down into a number of polygons or triangles. The
vertices of the triangles are described by coordinate points (x, y and z) with the 'z' value
containing the depth information. Depending on the representation, these vertices also
contain information concerning the material and texture. The volume of data to be pro-
cessed increases enormously because of this conversion of the image information.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
All about graphics
14
Geometrical transformation
This part of the 3D pipeline is very processor-intensive, as all the calculations for the 3D
scene are carried out at this stage. Described in simple terms, it comprises the following
steps:
Illumination–The illumination of the scene by different light sources is calculated.
Transformation–In transformation, the objects are aligned in perspective as seen
from the observer's point of view.
Back face culling–This process computes hidden surfaces resulting from the
observation perspective chosen. Any object having an invisible front surface is
omitted.
3D clipping–In this process, each polygon is checked to determine whether it is
partially or fully invisible. The invisible faces or parts of objects will be removed.
Scaling on the screen – The above steps are now calculated for three-dimen-
sional space using normalized coordinates. The on-screen image coordinates will
only now be computed.
Rendering
At this stage, the 3D scene is filled with color shades and textures are applied. Different
processes and methods are also applied here.
Texture mapping – At this stage, the 3D object undergoes a sort of "face lift". The
materials and textures are assigned. Different methods are used here to make the
textures appear realistic, even when enlarged or reduced. As a first step, the tex-
tures are computed:
– Point sampling is the simplest method. A pixel-by-pixel comparison is made
between the texture template and the surface to be filled. This method leads to
a very coarse representation, especially when enlarged.
– In linear mapping, a new color value is interpolated from the adjacent pixels (or
texels) of a texture. This gives better results than point sampling, as the hard
boundary between the coarse pixels is blurred.
– The MIP mapping method stores a large number of enlargement stages for the
texture. The depth information of a primitive is then used to determine which
enlargement stages of the texture will be used in drawing. Normal textures sel-
dom contain more than 256 colors.
The first 15 bits of a 16-bit wide color representation are reserved for the colors
(5/5/5 > R/G/B). Information concerning the transparency of the texture is car-
ried in the alpha channel. The last bit is reserved for this information. Finally, a
distinction is made in MIP mapping between bilinear and trilinear filtering. Bilin-
ear filtering interpolates between two pixels of two textures, trilinear filtering
interpolates between four pixels for each of two textures.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
All about graphics
15
– Bump mapping introduces a new dimension. Relief or raised textures can only
be generated with the other methods in two dimensions using light and shadow
effects. In bump mapping, the texture is additionally assigned height informa-
tion, which allows very realistic three-dimensional effects to be created.
The staircase effect is corrected by anti-aliasing. This is either done by interpolating
mixed pixels, in which a new color value is computed from two adjacent color val-
ues, or by using transparent pixels of the same color which are overlaid over adja-
cent pixels.
Shading – Shading takes account of the effects created by different light sources
on the 3D object and provide for a very realistic overall impression. Here, too, there
are different methods which are more or less processor-intensive:
– Flat shading assigns a color value to each polygon. This results in a mosaic-like,
jagged representation, which demands only a short processing time.
– In Gouraud shading, all the vertices of the polygons are assigned a color value.
The remaining pixel information for the polygon is interpolated. This method
gives a very gentle color transition, even with fewer polygons than are required
for flat shading.
– The Phong shading method additionally takes a normal vector of reflectivity into
consideration when interpolating. An even more realistic impression is gener-
ated by the representation of reflections and mirror images.
– Certain applications use ray tracing methods. This is a very computer-intensive
and time-consuming process in which each individual pixel and its reflection in
3D space is calculated.
The frame buffer
The finished image will not be written to the frame buffer until this complex
sequence of steps is completed. The frame buffer is made up of front and back
buffer. The back buffer acts as a buffer page, in which the next image to be dis-
played is built up. This prevents the process of image drawing being visible. The
duplicate storage method is also known as double buffering.
Flipping: Display on the monitor
The content of the front buffer is displayed on the monitor. When the drawing process
in the back buffer is completed, this image is then passed to the front buffer in a process
known as flipping.
The next image will only ever be displayed once the image drawing process in the back
buffer is completed. This procedure should be repeated at least 20 times a second to give
a smooth representation of 3D scenarios. In this context, we speak of frames per second
(fps), a very important value for 3D applications. A cinema film runs at 24 fps.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
All about graphics
16
3D Interfaces
Software interfaces, including 3D interfaces, are known as APIs (Application Program
Interface). The question is what are these interfaces used for, and how do they work.
In simple terms: They make developers' work easier. The methods by which the various
interfaces function, are comparable: In the past it was necessary to address the various
hardware components directly in programming if you wanted to exploit their capabilities
to the full. The APIs are a kind of translator operating between the hardware and the
software.
The specification of standard definitions was the precondition for the proper function of
these translation routines. These definitions are implemented by the hardware manufac-
turers during development and optimized for the hardware concerned. Developers can
implement complex procedures relatively easily by using these definitions. They can use
a uniform command set when programming and do not need to know the characteristics
specific to the hardware.
What APIs Are Available?
There are a good dozen more or less commonly found 3D APIs. However, in recent years,
two formats have established themselves as the favorites: Direct 3D and OpenGL. ELSA
graphics boards support these commonly found 3D interfaces. The functional differences
between the interfaces are slight, as is shown by the table below. The decisive ques-
tions for the user concern extensibility, flexibility and possible portability to existing
applications.
Function
Alpha blending
Direct 3D
OpenGL
˿
˿
˿
˿
Texture mapping
MIP mapping
Video motion mapping
Fogging
Anti-aliasing filter
Flat shading
Gouraud shading
Phong shading
Stencil buffer
Direct 3D
As a development of Mode X and DirectDraw under Windows 3.1x, Direct 3D is a branch
of the DirectX multimedia family which was developed directly for Windows 95 to accel-
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
All about graphics
17
erate the slow 3D display characteristics of the operating system. Direct 3D is based on
Microsoft's Common Object Model (COM), which is also used as the foundation to OLE
technology (Object Linking and Embedding). Direct 3D cooperates with Direct Draw in
two-dimensional display. A typical situation would be, for instance, rendering a 3D
object while Direct Draw is placing a two-dimensional background bitmap. Microsoft
claims to have corrected some of the weaknesses of the old version in the most recent
version 5.0.
Immediate Mode and Retained Mode
As can be assumed from the two terms, immediate mode is a programming mode that is
close to the hardware. Retained mode, on the other hand, is a programming mode that
is largely predefined through an API interface. What does this mean in detail? Looking
at the two systems hierarchically, the immediate mode is also known as the low-level
mode. The programming interface level is close to the hardware level and permits the
programmer direct access to special functions in the hardware component concerned.
The retained mode (high-level mode) makes it possible, for example, to load a defined 3D
object with textures into a Windows application. Here it can be manipulated and moved
using simple API commands. Translation takes place in real time, without the need to
know the technical structure of the object.
OpenGL
Following its success in gaining a good reputation amongst professionals using CAD/
CAM programs, OpenGL is now increasingly penetrating the PC market. OpenGL is plat-
form-independent and makes a distinction between immediate and display list modes. A
display list stores specific sequences that can be recalled again later. The object descrip-
tions can then be taken directly from the list, resulting in very high performance. How-
ever, if objects need to be manipulated frequently, the display list will have to be
generated again from new. In this case, the speed advantage is lost. OpenGL provides
a wide range of graphics features, from rendering a simple geometric point, line, or filled
polygon, to the most sophisticated representations of curved surfaces with lighting and
texture mapping. The some 330 routines of OpenGL provide software developers access
to these graphics capabilities:
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
All about graphics
18
Color Palettes, TrueColor and Gray Scales
Common graphics modes are listed in the following table. Not all graphics modes are
available on the ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT boards.
Colors
(from palette)
Graphics mode
bpp
bpg
Max. gray levels
VGA 0x12
VGA 0x13
4
8
6+6+6
6+6+6
16 of 262,144
256 of 262,144
16
64
Standard
8
8
6+6+6
6+6+6
256 of 262,144
256 of 16.7 million
64
256
HighColor
15
16
16
5+5+5
6+6+4
5+6+5
32,768
65,536
65,536
32
16
32
TrueColor
24
8+8+8
16.7 million
256
(bpp = bits per pixel; bpg = bits per gun)
VGA
In VGA graphics adapters, the digital color information stored in the video memory (4 bits
for 16 colors or 8 bits for 256 colors) is converted into a digital 18-bit value in the graphics
adapter in a CLUT (ColorLookUpTable). The 3 x 6 bits are converted separately for R/G/
B (red/green/blue) in the RAMDAC (D/A converter) and transferred to the monitor as ana-
log signals on just three lines (plus sync lines). The original color values are converted
into completely different values by means of a translation table. The value stored in the
video memory is thus not a color value, but only a pointer to a table in which the actual
color value is found. The advantage of this method: Only 8 bits need to be stored for each
pixel, although the color values are 18 bits wide; the disadvantage: Only 256 colors can
be displayed simultaneously from a palette of 262,144 possible colors.
DirectColor
The situation is different in the case of DirectColor (TrueColor, RealColor and HighColor).
In this case, the value stored in the video memory is not translated but is passed directly
to the D/A converter. This means that the full color information must be saved for each
pixel. The meanings of the terms RealColor, TrueColor, and HighColor can be confused,
as they are not always used unambiguously.
HighColor and RealColor
HighColor and RealColor usually describe a 15 or 16-bit wide graphics mode, while True-
Color should only be used for the more professional 24-bit mode (or 32-bit) mode.
15 bits provide 5 bits each for the red, green and blue values, resulting in 32 levels per
RGB component and thus 32,768 (= 32 x 32 x 32) different color hues.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
All about graphics
19
The 16-bit graphics modes are organized differently. Most common are (R-G-B) 5-6-5
(e.g. XGA) and 6-6-4 (e.g. i860). 5-6-5 means that 5 bits are used for each of red and
blue and 6 bits are used for green. In the case of 6-6-4, 6 bits are used for red and green
and 4 bits for blue. Both ways of assigning the bits correspond to the color sensitivity of
the human eye: this is highest for green and lowest for blue. 65,536 different colors can
be displayed.
TrueColor
The TrueColor mode is more complex, using 24 bits per pixel. Here, 8 bits are available
for each color component (256 levels), resulting in 16.7 million different color hues. There
are more colors available than pixels on the screen (1.3 million pixels at a resolution of
1280 x 1024 ).
VESA DDC (Display Data Channel)
VESA DDC refers to a serial data channel between the monitor and the graphics board.
Required for this is that both components support DDC and that the monitor cable
includes the additional DDC line. An extended monitor cable is used so that the can send
data about its technical specification, such as the name, model, maximum horizontal fre-
quency, timing definitions etc. or receive commands from the graphics board.
There are various standards; DDC1, DDC2B, and DDC2AB.
DDC1
Only the monitor can send data (unidirectional). A line in the monitor cable is used to
send a continuous data stream from the monitor to the graphics board. In the case of a
standard IBM VGA compatible 15-pin monitor connector, pin 12 (formerly used as monitor
ID bit 1) is used for data transmission, and the Vertical Sync signal of pin 14 is used as
transmission clock (VCLK). An EDID data set (Extended Display Identification) of
128 bytes is sent repeatedly, from which the major monitor data can be read in the com-
puter. The computer can then read the most important data, e.g. the monitor size, the
extent of DPMS support and a list of the most important VESA monitor timings sup-
ported, and some freely definable monitor timings.
DDC2B
The data channel is based on the I2C bus type with the access bus protocol and can be
operated in both directions (bidirectionally between monitor and board). In the case of a
standard IBM VGA compatible 15-pin monitor connector, pin 12 (formerly used as monitor
ID bit 1) is used for data transmission (SDA), and the pin 15 (formerly used as monitor ID
bit 3) is used as transmission clock (SCL). The graphics board can request the short EDID
information (see DDC1) as well as the more comprehensive VDIF information (VESA Dis-
play Identification File).
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
All about graphics
20
DDC2AB
With DDC2AB additionally to DDC2B the computer may send commands for controlling
the monitor, e.g. for adjusting the screen position or the brightness (similar to ACCESS
bus).
For information on the pin assignment for the VGA D-shell socket 20 in the “Technical
Data” chapter .
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Technical Data
21
Technical Data
Those of you with a technical bent will find more detailed information regarding the
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT in this chapter. All interfaces and their
assignments are described in detail.
Characteristics of the Graphics Boards
ERAZOR II
VICTORY Erazor LT
Graphics processor
RAMDAC pixel timing
On-board memory
RIVA TNT by nVidia
RIVA 128ZX by nVidia
250MHz
8MB/16MB
1,6GB/s bandwidth
8MB
1,6GB/s bandwidth
BIOS
Flash-BIOS with VBE-3.0-Support
BIOS with VBE-3.0-Support
Bussystem
VESA DDC
AGP, 2x (133MHz)
DDC1 and DDC2B
Address Assignment of the ERAZOR II and
VICTORY Erazor LT
The ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT graphics board are fully IBM VGA com-
patible and occupies the same memory area and specific addresses in the I/O range. The
memory range above 1 MB is automatically assigned through the PCI BIOS interface.
If you come across any address conflicts, try to modify the I/O address of the expansion
board causing the conflict. The addresses of the ELSA graphics boards cannot be
changed! The ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT also requires an interrupt
(IRQ) which is free. This may have to be reserved in the computer’s BIOS. For help with
this theme, refer to the manual for your mainboard.
To ensure that your system functions properly, the addresses and ranges occupied by the
ELSA graphics board must not be accessed simultaneously by other hardware compo-
nents. The following addresses are assigned:
I/O addresses:
Standard VGA I/O (3B0-3DF)
Memory addresses:
Video RAM (A000-BFFF)
Video BIOS-ROM (C000-C7FF)
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Technical Data
22
Ports on the Graphics Board
VGA D-shell socket
Monitor connection socket
(15-pin)
NLX version of the
VICTORY Erazor LT
The VGA D-Shell Socket
Pin Assignment
Connection
Signal
Connection
Signal
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Red
9
+5 V
Green
10
11
12
13
14
15
Sync ground
Monitor ID2
Blue
Monitor ID0
DDC ground
Red ground
Green ground
Blue ground
Bidirectional data (SDA, DDC1/2B)
Horizontal synchronization
Vertical synchronization
Data timing (SCL, DDC2B)
The ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT issue analog signals in accordance
with the requirements of Guideline RS-170. The synchronization information is sent sep-
arately. If your monitor provides a switch for the input impedance, you should select '75
Ohms' (= '75 Ω') for the R, G and B video inputs and '2 kOhm' (= '2 kΩ') for the sync inputs.
You should only try other switch settings at the sync inputs if your monitor expects sync
levels other than those used by normal monitors and does not produce a stable display.
The switches are labeled “Low” and “High” only on some monitors. You can then refer
to your monitor manual to find out what input impedance level this refers to, or you can
experiment to find a position in which a stable image appears in all graphics modes.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Appendix
23
Appendix
Advice and Help
On the WINNERware CD you will find a list of the questions most frequently asked of the
support hotline. In many cases you will quickly find a help for solving problems. The file
can be read with the Acrobat Reader which is also included on the CD.
If you encounter any problems during the installation or operation of your ELSA product,
please consult this manual first. On the ELSA CD or floppy disk you will find a file called
README.TXT, containing late-breaking changes and additional information not available
when this manual was printed.
If you have further questions, you can contact our Support team. Ensure that you can pro-
vide the following information.
Exact model name of your ELSA device.
Version of the used ELSA driver or file date and time of the driver file.
Operating system, hardware environment and bus system.
You can call up information about your system via the ELSA Info program. Click on
Start ̈ Settings ̈ Display to open the Display Properties window. Click on the
Info tab for a display of various information about your system.
Especially important:
The version number of your
graphics board driver
Name and version of the application program with the error.
A detailed error description. To be certain, try to reproduce the error at least three
times and exactly describe the steps you took to deliberately trigger the error.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Appendix
24
Who to Contact?
First you should contact the dealer where you bought your ELSA product. If there are still
questions remaining, contact one of the following:
ELSA on the Internet
The ELSA Internet WWW site
ELSA LocalWeb
+49-241-938800
ISDN
(ELSA’s dial-up WWW site:
no Internet provider required!)
X75, V120, PPP
V.90, V.34
Analog
Protocol
PPP oder MLPPP
guest
User name
No password
ELSA Support Faxline
By fax to the ELSA support faxline
+49-241-606-6399
ELSA AG
ELSA by Mail
Or write to ELSA
Computer Graphics Support
Sonnenweg 11
52070 Aachen
Germany
ELSA Support Hotline
If very urgent, call the
ELSA support hotline
+49-241-606-6131
Mondays to Fridays from: 9.00 am until 5.00 pm (CET)
ELSA World Wide
You can contact the ELSA subsidiaries:
ELSA Inc.
2231 Calle De Luna
Santa Clara
California CA 95054
USA
Phone:
Fax:
+1-408-919-9100
+1-800-272-ELSA
+1-408-919-9120
ELSA Asia Inc.
7F-11, No. 188, Sec. 5
Nanking East Road
Taipei 105
Phone:
Fax:
+886-22-7685730
+886-22-7660873
Taiwan
R.O.C.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Appendix
25
ELSA Japan Inc.
Mita Suzuki Building 3F
5-20-14 Shiba, Minato-ku
Tokyo 108-0014
Phone:
Fax:
+81-3-5765-7391
+81-3-5765-7235
Japan
The ELSA LocalWeb
The ELSA LocalWeb provides direct access to ELSA’s local Internet server, and contains
mation about all ELSA products, the latest drivers, software and documentation, and you
have the opportunity to put questions to our sales and support departments via the ELSA
news server. To access the ELSA LocalWeb, you need a dialer program (e.g. the Dial-up
Network in Windows 95) and an Internet browser.
To make a connection, first start the dialer software. Where information for the DNS
server is requested, enter the IP address as 172.22.1.2. The user name is guest; no pass-
word is necessary. With a successful connection active, the browser software can be
started.
Driver Updates
The latest versions of the ELSA drivers are always available for download from our Inter-
You will also find lots of information and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).
You might also consider the newsgroups on our Webpages. Before you contact the ELSA
Support team, please make sure that you are using the latest driver versions.
Repair?
If you are not sure whether your ELSA expansion board is defective or if the problem is
just a driver which is incorrectly installed, please call the ELSA support hotline before you
send the board for repair. Should you need to send in the ELSA expansion board to be
repaired, please use suitable packing material and the original box to prevent damage
during transport. In addition, please include a copy of the original purchase receipt as
well!
You can help reduce the repair time by including a detailed description of the fault with
the device, which will help us track down the error source.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Appendix
27
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Appendix
28
Warranty Conditions
The ELSA AG warranty is given to purchasers of ELSA products in addition to the warranty conditions pro-
vided by law and in accordance with the following conditions:
1
Warranty Coverage
a) The warranty covers the equipment delivered and all its parts. Parts will, at our sole discretion, be
replaced or repaired free of charge if, despite proven proper handling and adherence to the operat-
ing instructions, these parts became defective due to fabrication and/or material defects. Also we
reserve the right to replace the defective product by a successor product or repay the original pur-
chase price to the buyer in exchange to the defective product. Operating manuals and possibly sup-
plied software are excluded from the warranty.
b) Material and service charges shall be covered by us, but not shipping and handling costs involved
in transport from the buyer to the service station and/or to us.
c) Replaced parts become property of ELSA.
d) ELSA are authorized to carry out technical changes (e.g. firmware updates) beyond repair and re-
placement of defective parts in order to bring the equipment up to the current technical state. This
does not result in any additional charge for the customer. A legal claim to this service does not ex-
ist.
2
Warranty Period
The warranty period for ELSA products is six years. Excepted from this warranty period are ELSA color
monitors and ELSA videoconferencing systems with a warranty period of 36 months. This period begins
at the day of delivery from the ELSA dealer. Warranty services do not result in an extension of the war-
ranty period nor do they initiate a new warranty period. The warranty period for installed replacement
parts ends with the warranty period of the device as a whole.
3
Warranty Procedure
a) If defects appear during the warranty period, the warranty claims must be made immediately, at
the latest within a period of 7 days.
b) In the case of any externally visible damage arising from transport (e.g. damage to the housing), the
transport company representative and ELSA should be informed immediately. On discovery of dam-
age which is not externally visible, the transport company and ELSA are to be immediately informed
in writing, at the latest within 7 days of delivery.
c) Transport to and from the location where the warranty claim is accepted and/or the repaired device
is exchanged, is at the purchaser's own risk and cost.
d) Warranty claims are only valid if the original purchase receipt is returned with the device.
4
Suspension of the Warranty
All warranty claims will be deemed invalid
a) if the device is damaged or destroyed as a result of acts of nature or by environmental influences
(moisture, electric shock, dust, etc.),
b) if the device was stored or operated under conditions not in compliance with the technical specifi-
cations,
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Appendix
29
c) if the damage occurred due to incorrect handling, especially to non-observance of the system de-
scription and the operating instructions,
d) if the device was opened, repaired or modified by persons not authorized by ELSA,
e) if the device shows any kind of mechanical damage,
f)
if in the case of an ELSA Monitor, damage to the cathode ray tube (CRT) has been caused especially
by mechanical load (e.g. from shock to the pitch mask assembly or damage to the glass tube), by
strong magnetic fields near the CRT (colored dots on the screen), or through the permanent display
of an unchanging image (phosphor burnt),
g) if, and in as far as, the luminance of the TFT panel backlighting gradually decreases with time, or
h) if the warranty claim has not been reported in accordance with 3a) or 3b).
5
Operating Mistakes
If it becomes apparent that the reported malfunction of the device has been caused by unsuitable soft-
ware, hardware, installation or operation, ELSA reserves the right to charge the purchaser for the result-
ing testing costs.
6
Additional Regulations
a) The above conditions define the complete scope of ELSA’s legal liability.
b) The warranty gives no entitlement to additional claims, such as any refund in full or in part. Com-
pensation claims, regardless of the legal basis, are excluded. This does not apply if e.g. injury to
persons or damage to private property are specifically covered by the product liability law, or in cas-
es of intentional act or culpable negligence.
c) Claims for compensation of lost profits, indirect or consequential detriments, are excluded.
d) ELSA is not liable for lost data or retrieval of lost data in cases of slight and ordinary negligence.
e) In the case that the intentional or culpable negligence of ELSA employees has caused a loss of data,
ELSA will be liable for those costs typical to the recovery of data where periodic security data back-
ups have been made.
f)
The warranty is valid only for the first purchaser and is not transferable.
g) The court of jurisdiction is located in Aachen, Germany in the case that the purchaser is a merchant.
If the purchaser does not have a court of jurisdiction in the Federal Republic of Germany or if he
moves his domicile out of Germany after conclusion of the contract, ELSA’s court of jurisdiction ap-
plies. This is also applicable if the purchaser's domicile is not known at the time of institution of
proceedings.
h) The law of the Federal Republic of Germany is applicable. The UN commercial law does not apply
to dealings between ELSA and the purchaser.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Appendix
30
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Glossary 31
Glossary
3D – Three-dimensional Bus system – A system of parallel data lines for the transfer of information between indi-
vidual system components, especially to
expansion boards (e.g. PCI bus).
3D clipping – Process in geometric trans- formation in which invisible surfaces or parts of
a 3D object are removed.
Clipping – parts of polygons invisible to the representation are determined in clipping.
These parts are then not displayed.
3D pipeline – Sum of all steps required for the representation of virtual 3D scene on the moni-
tor. These include ➞tesselation, ➞geometri-
cal transformation and ➞rendering.
D/A converter – Digital/Analog converter: A signal converter which converts a digital input
signal to an analog output signal.
AGP – stands for Accelerated Graphics Port and is a further development by INTEL based on
the PCI bus. The AGP bus provides a greater
DDC – stands for Display Data Channel. A bandwidth for data transmission and communi-
cates directly with main memory. The bus is
primarily intended for 3D graphics boards.
special data channel through which a DDC-
capable monitor can send its technical data to
the graphics board.
Aliasing – the familiar "staircase effect". Depth Complexity – refers to the number of Jagged transitions are often formed between
adjacent pixels in the representation of diago-
nals or curves. These "jaggies" can be
smoothed out by anti-aliasing.
objects that are in front of each other within a
scene. For example, a wall behind a group of
people, with yet another person in front of
them, results in a depth complexity of 3. This is
a typical value for 3D environments.
Alpha blending – Additional information for each pixel for creating transparent materials.
DirectColor – Generic term for TrueColor, RealColor and HighColor. The value that is
stored in the video RAM is not translated but
transferred directly to the D/A converter. This
means that the full color information must be
saved for each pixel.
Back buffer – is the name for the image region built up in the background in the frame
buffer during ➞double buffering.
Back face culling – Method used to calcu- late the hidden faces of a 3D object.
Double buffering – means that there are two display buffers. This means that the next
image can be drawn in the page of the display
buffer, which is initially invisible. This image
will be displayed once it is ready and the next
image will be prepared in the other page of the
buffer. Animations and games can be made to
look more realistic with this technique than
with simple single buffer.
BIOS – Abbreviation of Basic Input/Output System. A program code in the read-only mem-
ory (ROM) of a computer which performs the
self-test and several other functions during sys-
tem startup.
Bump mapping – Process by which textures are assigned depth information which allows
the display of relief or raised structures.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
32 Glossary
DPMS – Abbreviation of VESA Display Power Fps – Or frame rate, refers to how many times Management Signaling. This standard allows
an energy-saving operation of monitors in sev-
eral steps. The graphics boards described in
this manual support VESA DPMS.
per second the scene is updated by the render-
ing engine. Frame rates beyond 30 fps achieve
smoother, more realistic animation.
Frame buffer – Part of the graphics memory in which the image next to be displayed on the
screen is generated. In addition, transparency
effects are calculated in the frame buffer.
DRAM – Abbreviation of Dynamic Random Access Memory. Volatile memory for read and
write operations.
EDO-RAM – Abbreviation for Extended Data Front buffer – is the name for the visible Output Random Access Memory (Hyper Page
Mode). EDO-RAM is very common on graphics
boards, as the most recently used data persist
in memory. A number of read accesses to sim-
ilar data occur during the generation of an
image page in ➞double buffering.
Geometrical transformation – The position of the object in space is determined from the
observer's point of view.
image, so that use of EDO-RAM gives a signifi-
Gouraud shading – ➞ 'Shading'. cant speed advantage.
Graphics accelerator – refers to a graphics FCC – FCC compliance means that a device has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules, designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful inter-
ference in a residential installation.
accelerator board, i.e a board particularly
suited for graphics intensive user environ-
ments.
HighColor – designates a 15-bpp or 16-bpp (bits per pixel) graphics mode, i.e. 32,768 or
65,536 colors.
FIFO method – (first in, first out) a system used in batch processing and queues in which
the first signal to arrive is processed first.
Horizontal frequency – The horizontal fre- quency (scan frequency) of a monitor in kHz.
This value must be set in accordance with the
operating limits of the monitor, otherwise the
monitor might be damaged in extreme cases.
Fill Rate – Is the rate at which pixels are drawn into the screen memory, and expresses
the overall performance of the processor. Cur-
rent values are around 50-70 Mpixels/s. With
increasing demands of resolution, ➞depth
complexity and fps, the fill rates will have to
increase dramatically.
Horizontal scan frequency – The horizontal scan frequency of a monitor in kHz. This value
must be set in accordance with the operating
limits of the monitor, otherwise the monitor
might be damaged in extreme cases.
Fixed-frequency monitor – A monitor that can only be operated at a specific resolution
and refresh rate.
Interpolation – A video image must be stretched or shrunk in order to fit into the dis-
play window. If pixels are simply multiplied (for
example, a block of four equally colored pixels
represents the original pixel), aliasing effects
("blocks" and "stairs") will occur. This can be
avoided by interpolation procedures (using
Flat shading – ➞'Shading'. Flipping – The image generated in the ➞back buffer is displayed.
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Glossary 33
average colors for inserted pixels). Horizontal
RAMDAC – The RAMDAC converts the digital interpolation is relatively easy to perform, since
the pixels are drawn to the screen in lines.
Vertical interpolation is more difficult and
requires a complete pixel line to be buffered.
signals to analog signals on a graphics board.
VGA monitors are only capable of processing
analog signals.
RealColor – RealColor normally designates a 15-bpp or 16-bpp (bits per pixel) graphics mode,
i.e. 32,768 or 65,536 colors).
MIP mapping – In MIP mapping a number of textures are assigned to an object depending
on distance. The representation of the object
becomes more detailed as the observer
approaches the object.
Refresh rate – or image refresh frequency (in Hz) indicates how many times per second an
image on the monitor is refreshed.
Multifrequency/Multisync monitor – A monitor that can be operated at various hori-
zontal scan frequencies, or that automatically
adapts itself to different video signals (resolu-
tions).
Rendering – Process for calculating the repre- sentation of a 3D scene, in which the position
and color of each point in space is determined.
The depth information is held in the ➞Z buffer,
the color and size information is held in the
➞frame buffer.
OpenGL – 3D software interface (3D API). E.g. implemented in Windows NT and avail-
able for Windows 95. Based on Iris GL from Sil-
icon Graphics and licensed from Microsoft.
Resolution – The number of pixels in horizon- tal and vertical direction on the screen, for
example 640 horizontal by 480 vertical pixels
(640 x 480).
Page Flipping – The image generated in the ➞back buffer is displayed
RGB – Color information is saved in the Red/ PCI bus – Abbreviation of Peripheral Compo- nent Interconnect Bus. An advanced bus sys-
tem, i.e. a system of parallel data lines to
transfer information between individual system
components, especially to expansion boards.
Green/Blue color format.
ROM – Abbreviation of Read Only Memory. Semiconductor memory that can only be read
and not written to.
Shading – Shading or rendering is a way to define the colors on curved surfaces in order to
give an object a natural appearance. To
achieve this, the surfaces are subdivided into
many small triangles. The three most impor-
tant 3D shading methods differ in the algorithm
used to apply colors to these triangles:
Flat shading: the triangles are uniformly col-
ored.
Phong shading – ➞ 'Shading'. Pixel – Picture element. Dot in the image. Pixel frequency – Pixel clock frequency (number of pixels drawn per second in MHz).
Primitive – Simple, polygonal geometrical object, such as a triangle. 3D landscapes are
generally broken down into triangles.
Gouraud shading: The color shades on a trian-
gle are calculated by interpolating the vertex
colors, resulting in a smooth appearance of the
surface.
RAM – Abbreviation of Random Access Mem- ory. Chip memory of a computer or expansion
board that can be read from and written to
(unlike ROM = Read Only Memory).
Phong shading: the color shades on a triangle
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
34 Glossary
are calculated by interpolating the normal vec-
tor.
example wallpaper on a wall or a wood texture
on furniture. Even a video can be used as a tex-
ture map.
Single buffer – By contrast with double buff- ering, where the image buffer is duplicated, the
TrueColor – Graphics mode with 16.7 million single buffering mode is not able to access the
next image, which has already been calculated.
This means that animations will run jerkily.
colors (24 or 32 bits per pixel). In this mode, the
color information saved in the display memory
is not translated by a look-up table, but passed
directly to the D/A converter. This means that
the full color information must be saved for
each pixel.
Tearing – A distinction is made in double buffering between the front buffer and the back
buffer. The image change between the front
buffer and the back buffer is synchronized in
VESA – Abbreviation of Video Electronics tearing.
Standards Association. A consortium for the
standardization of computer graphics.
Tesselation – The objects for 3D calculations are divided up into polygons (triangles) in tes-
VRAM – Abbreviation for video RAM. Mem- selation. The vertices, color and, if required,
transparency values, are determined for the tri-
angles.
ory chip for fast graphics boards.
Z buffer – 3D depth information (position in the third dimension) for each pixel.
Textures – Wrapping a bitmap around an object, including perspective correction, for
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
Index 35
Index
!
3D Settings ................................................ 12
A
Anti-aliasing .............................................. 15
G
H
B
I
Immediate mode ........................................ 17
Interpolation .............................................. 32
C
L
M
Memory addresses .................................... 21
D
Direct3D ..................................................... 12
O
Double buffer ............................................. 31
P
Page flipping .............................................. 33
Performance .............................................. 12
Point sampling ........................................... 14
E
F
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
36 Index
R
T
Texture mapping ........................................ 14
Transformation .......................................... 14
V
S
Scan frequency .......................................... 32
Shutter glasses .......................................... 33
Single buffer .............................................. 33
Stencil buffer ............................................. 16
W
Z
ELSA ERAZOR II and ELSA VICTORY Erazor LT
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