v1.1 no wave motion

rleescott · 04-12-2003, 10:49 AM

Hello:
I have 2 different computers, both 266pII, both w/W98se.
v1.1 aquarium is flawless on one computer w/ati rage pro video card. The other computer has Matrox mill2 latest driver and is flawless except there is no wave motion thru the water and lights. It took me a while to even realize what was different, but the flickering light/wave motion is desirable, and I would like it to work on both systems. Any suggestions?

feldon34 · 04-12-2003, 11:06 AM

Those 2 video cards are the absolute bare minimum that will run the Aquarium.

How much RAM does the Matrox have? Are you running the latest drivers from Matrox.com?

rleescott · 04-12-2003, 11:38 AM

As I said, the matrox mill2 is the latest available driver from the web site. The matrox system has 160megs of ram but doesn't have the wave motion. The ati system which runs flawlessly has only 128 ram, so ram is not an issue. I hope you undertand that I am talking about a lack of "flickering light, wave motion thru the water. Fish movement is great.

feldon34 · 04-12-2003, 11:46 AM

Sorry I didn't see the driver version mention.

The amount of RAM your computer has is largely irrelevant to the operation of the Aquarium. The Rage Pro has 4 or 8MB. I think the Millennium 2 also has 8MB.

rleescott · 04-12-2003, 12:27 PM

Ok. Any suggestions onhow I can correct the problem?

Jim Sachs · 04-12-2003, 12:49 PM

Sounds like the Matrox simply doesn't have enough video ram, and is failing to load one of the textures, in this case the lightplay object.

You might try using less fish, or turning off the bubble column.

Tiny Turtle · 04-12-2003, 01:13 PM

The Millennium 2 came with 8MB as standard but a upgrade to 16MB was available. One of those upgrades probably cost more than a new GF MX200 though

/Tiny RAM

rleescott · 04-14-2003, 07:48 AM

Hello:
I understand the situation of not enough video ram with the mill2 card. However, it puzzles me that my other system with ati rage pro, also with 8megs ram will load the light play feature. Why does one work and the other doesn't? Do you think I should go back to the original video card on the mill2 system, also a rage pro, and inactivate the mill2, even though the mill2 was sold to me as an upgrade?

Jav400 · 04-14-2003, 08:19 AM

Rage Pro cards are also close to the limit of what is currently available. I don't understand why someone told you that the Matrox was an upgrade when there isn't much difference between the two. You would be much better off to get one of the nVidia MX cards for $35 or so.

Jim Sachs · 04-14-2003, 09:26 AM

Even if the two cards have the same amount of RAM, the memory may be apportioned differently with different windows open, etc. The Mill2's memory may be fragmented and probably just doesn't have a hole big enough to fit the lightplay texture into.

You didn't mention what resolution you were using. If it's 1024x786, you might try 800x600.

04-12-2003, 10:49 AM	#1
rleescott Registered Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 20	v1.1 no wave motion Hello: I have 2 different computers, both 266pII, both w/W98se. v1.1 aquarium is flawless on one computer w/ati rage pro video card. The other computer has Matrox mill2 latest driver and is flawless except there is no wave motion thru the water and lights. It took me a while to even realize what was different, but the flickering light/wave motion is desirable, and I would like it to work on both systems. Any suggestions?

04-12-2003, 11:06 AM	#2
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,938	Those 2 video cards are the absolute bare minimum that will run the Aquarium. How much RAM does the Matrox have? Are you running the latest drivers from Matrox.com? "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

04-12-2003, 11:46 AM	#4
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,938	Sorry I didn't see the driver version mention. The amount of RAM your computer has is largely irrelevant to the operation of the Aquarium. The Rage Pro has 4 or 8MB. I think the Millennium 2 also has 8MB. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

04-12-2003, 12:49 PM	#6
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,775	Sounds like the Matrox simply doesn't have enough video ram, and is failing to load one of the textures, in this case the lightplay object. You might try using less fish, or turning off the bubble column. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

04-12-2003, 01:13 PM	#7
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	The Millennium 2 came with 8MB as standard but a upgrade to 16MB was available. One of those upgrades probably cost more than a new GF MX200 though /Tiny RAM Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

04-12-2003, 11:38 AM	#3
rleescott Registered Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 20	As I said, the matrox mill2 is the latest available driver from the web site. The matrox system has 160megs of ram but doesn't have the wave motion. The ati system which runs flawlessly has only 128 ram, so ram is not an issue. I hope you undertand that I am talking about a lack of "flickering light, wave motion thru the water. Fish movement is great.

04-12-2003, 12:27 PM	#5
rleescott Registered Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 20	Ok. Any suggestions onhow I can correct the problem?

04-14-2003, 07:48 AM	#8
rleescott Registered Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 20	Hello: I understand the situation of not enough video ram with the mill2 card. However, it puzzles me that my other system with ati rage pro, also with 8megs ram will load the light play feature. Why does one work and the other doesn't? Do you think I should go back to the original video card on the mill2 system, also a rage pro, and inactivate the mill2, even though the mill2 was sold to me as an upgrade?

04-14-2003, 08:19 AM	#9
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	Rage Pro cards are also close to the limit of what is currently available. I don't understand why someone told you that the Matrox was an upgrade when there isn't much difference between the two. You would be much better off to get one of the nVidia MX cards for $35 or so. Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection

04-14-2003, 09:26 AM	#10
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,775	Even if the two cards have the same amount of RAM, the memory may be apportioned differently with different windows open, etc. The Mill2's memory may be fragmented and probably just doesn't have a hole big enough to fit the lightplay texture into. You didn't mention what resolution you were using. If it's 1024x786, you might try 800x600. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium