Platform Support

Graphics Accelerators - Windows NT

PTC works with enterprise platform partners to certify an entire hardware configuration (processor, graphics and operating system) that will be sold and supported by the workstation manufacturer.

Any Microsoft approved graphics card running with Windows NT and Win32 GDI graphics software will allow the Pro/ENGINEER software to provide some enhanced graphics capabilities. However, this is not hardware acceleration, and the shaded rotation/zoom/pan capabilities may not be "real time."

For 3D-hardware acceleration, an OpenGL graphics card must be used that has been tested in a PTC-certified configuration. If working with simple parts, drawings and assemblies, an OpenGL graphics card with a minimum of 8MB memory in a workstation running Windows NT may be used. For better graphics performance and when working with more complex parts or larger assemblies, a graphics card with more memory that has been tested in a PTC-certified configuration should be used. (OpenGL support on Windows 95b/98 is very limited.) To ensure the compatibility of a graphics driver with Pro/ENGINEER, a PTC-certified hardware configuration is recommended.

Summary of Supported OpenGL Graphics Accelerators

The following graphics accelerators have been tested with Windows NT and OpenGL in specific PTC-certified hardware configurations.

Vendor

Current

Legacy

3Dlabs

Oxygen GVX1, VX1

Oxygen GMX, RPM, 402, 202, 102; V192

3Dlabs

(formerly Intense3D)

Wildcat 4110, 4110 Pro, 4210, 5110

Wildcat 4000, 4105

ATI

Mobility, Mobility 128 graphics, Rage Pro LT

Compaq

PowerStorm 300, 600

Digital Equipment Corp.

PowerStorm 4D20, 4D30T, 4D40T, 4D41T, 4D50T, 4D51T, 4D60T

ZLX p-E3, p-L1, p-L2

ELSA Inc.

GLoria II, GLoria II Pro, Synergy Force, Synergy II

GLoria Synergy, GLoria Synergy+, GLoria-XXL, GLoria-XL, GLoria-L/MX, GLoria-L, GLoria-8

Evans & Sutherland

Tornado 3000, Lightening 1200

AccelGALAXY, AccelGMX 2000, AccelECLIPSE, AccelECLIPSE II, AccelSTAR II

AccelPRO 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 2500TX, MX

Hewlett-Packard

VISUALIZE-fx5, fx10

VISUALIZE-fx2+, fx4+, fx6+

VISUALIZE-fx4, fx6

MaxGraphix

TITAN II

GLmax88T, 3DmaxPD8

NEC

TE4E, TE4, TE3AL, TE3VL, TE3L

Permedia2(AGP)

NVIDIA

NVIDIA Quadro2 Pro, Quadro2 MXR, Quadro2 EX, GeForce2 GTS, GeForce2 MX

S3 Professional Graphics (Diamond Multimedia) (SonicBlue)

Viper 770, Fire GL1, Fire GL2

Fire GL 4000, Fire GL 1000, Permedia 2, Permedia 2 8MB AGP

Siemens

CELSIUS GL 1

STB/Symmetric

Glyder MAX 2 (Permedia 2)

Current: Graphics cards listed in the "Current" column are cards that can currently be purchased from a graphics vendor, their channel, or one of their OEM's. Support for these cards is provided by PTC, the graphics vendor and the system vendor(s) that completed the official PTC-certification.

Legacy: Graphics cards listed in the "Legacy" column are cards that may no longer be available to purchase from a graphics vendor, their channel, or one of their OEM's, but are still supported by PTC, the graphics vendor and the system vendor(s) that completed the original PTC-certification.

OpenGL Graphics Drivers

PTC works with enterprise platform partners to certify a specific version of a graphics driver for use with PTC software. After the initial certification is completed, PTC and the vendor perform ongoing quality testing to verify that PTC software remains fully compatible with new driver versions that may be released by the hardware vendor. Graphics drivers for supported graphics accelerators can be downloaded from the following web sites:

3Dlabs

http://www.3dlabs.com/drivers

Digital Equipment Corp.

http://www.service.digital.com/open3d/

ELSA Inc.

http://www.elsa.com/AMERICA/WELCOME.HTM

Evans & Sutherland

http://www.es.com/wg/drivers.html

Hewlett-Packard

VISUALIZE Workstations: http://www.hp.com/visualize/support/

Kayak Workstations: http://www.support.kayak.hp.com/kayaksupport/level1/home.html

Intense3D

http://www.intense3D.com/drivers.asp

MaxGraphix

http://www.maxvision.com/support/FTP/support_index.html

NVIDIA

http://www.nvidia.com/Products/Drivers.nsf

S3 Professional Graphics

(Diamond Multimedia)

http://www.firegl.com/content/page=tech_mbar=yes.html

Siemens

http://www.siemens.com/pc/service/software.htm

STB/Symmetric

http://www.stb.com/drivers/workstation/ws.html

OpenGL - 3D Graphics Capabilities

Enhanced graphics capabilities, which may be available with supported graphics accelerators, include the following categories:

ROTATION:

Ability to dynamically rotate, pan and zoom shaded images.

LIGHTS:

Ability to define and display multiple light sources and surface properties

TRANSPARENCY:

Ability to define and view surfaces transparently.

CLIPPING:

Ability to "CUT" through a model.

WIREFRAME DEPTH CUE:

Ability to display receding wireframe objects in a "fog".

SHADED DEPTH CUE:

Ability to display receding shaded objects in a "fog".

THRESHOLDING:

Ability to peel away model surfaces.

ANTI-ALIASING:

High quality graphics capability which smoothes jagged lines.

PHOTORENDER:

Ability to create photorealistic images (requires true color graphic support).

Win32 GDI - 2D Graphics Capabilities

Workstations running Windows NT 4.0, Win32 GDI graphics software and a Microsoft approved graphics will have the following graphics capabilities:

ROTATION:

Ability to dynamically rotate, pan and zoom shaded images. (Must use config.pro option "save_triangles_flag" . This will enable software rotation - not necessarily real-time.)

LIGHTS:

Ability to define and display multiple light sources and surface properties.

(Single point or directional type light only, white light only, define position & intensity only.)

ANTI-ALIASING:

High quality graphics capability which smoothes jagged lines. (Must use config.pro option "edge_display_quality". This will enable software anti-aliasing)

Use optional graphics config.pro setting "WIN32_GDI".