HELP! My 3D won't work on other computers!

<- PLEASE HELP! ->

My Blitz3D program works perfect on my crappy laptop (WITHOUT gfx board in 800x600x16) - but won't render correctly on CGI workstations with proper 3D cards installed (Ati's, nVidea's, GeForce's, Wildcats, Matrox).

All my models are shown inside out as if in some negative space (looks like ZBuffering went out the window?!).

On my laptop I get something problems in 16bit if I don't use the WBUffer toggle-thingy to correct that Zbuffer inaccuracy when in 16bit.

But in 24bit for example, this shoudn't happen should it?!

My 3D models are okay (faces and normals all pointing in the right direction), build in LW then converted to 3DS using DeepExploration. The program is relatively small and simple. Memory used for textures doesn't seem to affect the problem (or solution;).

I've got a deadline for next wednesday, so any help or tips GREATLY APPRECIATED!

My code is compiled in XP and run on a W2000 computer. Does that make a difference?

Once I've seen some 'system requirements' for Blitz3D - any idea where I can find them?

regards,
Desperate Danny.--

http://www.blitzbasic.com/faq/faq_entry.php?id=15

AFAIK z-buffer accuracy isn't dictated by the screen depth. I think W-buffer only works if the hardware supports it.

I have heard of models inverting before, it could be due to moving them too far away from the origin (0,0,0). Maybe, maybe not.

Danny,

Can you be a little more specific? Can you post a couple of screenies (use savebuffer command) so we can get an idea of exactly what you mean?

We need information such as Version of Blitz, DirectX installed on workstations, memory on graphics cards, ram, and do anyone else's B3d programmes when compiled work or not work?

What happens if you go in to window mode or smaller sizes.

IPete2.

I originally made it a 'window-mode' application, but that seems to give more problems on other computers than fullscreen.

I've had to re-do my double buffering system to support full-screen (why that should be any different is still don't know) but anyway, by models are no longer 'inside out' - but they still have some awfull noise on it.

I've tried any possible resolution/color depth/hardware acceleration setting on a Matrox Millenium G450 with 32Mb - but no luck so far.

OK, I understand the Matrox 450 is not everybody's prefered card for doing 3D. But MAYA, Lightwave and commercial games work perfectly on that machine.

My Laptop is half the speed, only 8Mb gfx mem, no 3D acceleration, basically an absolute piece of #### but at least my app runs perfectly smooth & clean on it?!

Using Blitz3D 1.85, app developed on Windows XP home edition, tested on W2000 proffesional computers. All gfx boards I tested have at least 32Mb or memory.

:(

Danny
ps. HOW do I add a screen shot to this post?! ;)
pps. What are those two buttons on my mouse for???

AH! Ok, ITS WORKING NOW! pfff....

Seems that my textures were too big in total! Most of them are small (256x256) but I also had a couple of big ones (1024x1024) in my scene.

Since my 8Mb laptop didn't complain I though I was cool.

Still doesn't make sense to me since the computer with the Matrox card (wich supports 3D) has 32 Mb and shows noisy textures. My laptop with 8Mb and no 3D gfx card shows it perfectly!!!!

Go figure ;)

THANKS IPete2 & Masterbeaker for your replies!

D.

Danny,

Glad to hear it. Thats Matrox cards for you , and why most of us would say - upgrade...

With textures, the number of surfaces and textures you have is also important. Try to put all textures for one object in the same texture.

regards,

IPete2.

Sounds like the non-3D card laptop was running in a DX software rendering mode...meaning it likely never put the textures into video memory and only needed enough vidmemory for the frame buffers...all the textures, Zbuffer and such were just stored in system memory with DX software rendering handleing the rest...

Then you got to the 32MB 3D card PC and it couldn't handle it...mip maps take up space too, as would a 3D card Zbuffer...

Might try to reduce the textures to half size (reduce a 256 X 256 to 128 X 128, 1024 X 1024 to a 512 X 512) and load these instead...yeah they will be a bit blurry...but you should be able to fit them all on the card, and not invoke the "noise" generated from some possable Blitz/DX texture swapping problems

HI Guys,

Thanks again for your responses!

After running DXDIAG.exe on 4 different computers, I found out that 3 of them DID NOT SUPPORT DIRECT3D !!! Doh!
Minor detail ;)

Although they have good 3D boards (it's a 3D animation studio!) they were relatively old. So after running it on a computer that DID support Direct3D everything was running sweeeeet as honey!

So yes Darren, sounds like you were absolutely spot on!

Another lession learned ;)

thanks again,

Danny.

I use a Matrox card and have upgraded twice, but switched back to my trusty Matrox when things have gone wrong with the new ones (nVidia drivers as usual). Its still solid to work with, altho slower.

Blitz3D doesn't support software rendering mode. Bellieve it or not, your laoptop card does have 3D hardware, and DirectX compatible drivers.
Age has nothing to do with it. Professionals use OpenGL, because it's extendable, and will support any features of their 3D hardware. Not nessecarilly so for Direct3D.
Some (most?) Matrox cards are several orders of magnitude faster at reading from Memory, because they have better RAM. It's true that their hardware might be considerably slower, but at least it works, is relatively quite, has a built-in port for frame grabbing hardware and support multiple hardware displays. None of this is (unfortunately) supported by many (if any!) games tho'.

DirectX has software rendering walkarounds for much of the basic Direct3D functions....which is what Blitz3D supports...Blitz3D tells Direct3D what to to and it does it (through the hardware driver)...But, if D3D can't do what it is asked (for a lack of hardware support, etc)...D3D calls on the software rendering side of DX to provide support...

all of this is spelled out in the DirectX SDK (Software Development Kits) that can be downloaded freely from Microsofts website for C/C++/VB etc..It's what developers like Valve to use for DX support in their games...