1. 3D-Analyzer - 22.07.2002
Supplemental Readme Document, Rev. 0.94
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3DAnalyze.exe : Control Application V1.5
dat1.000 : DirectX(r) DX8 Core d3d8.dll
dat2.000 : OpenGL(r) Core opengl32.dll
LiesMich.txt : ReadMe (German)
ReadMe.txt : ReadMe (English)
releasenotes.txt : Version History
beta.txt : Supplemental Information (this file)
Copyright ( 2002 Tommti Systems )
All Rights Reserved
Tommti Systems
http://www.tommti-systems.com
thomas@tommti-systems.com
=======================================================================
What's in this distribution?
=======================================================================
This distribution contains the Beta Release for public testing of
target Applications.
NOTE: DirectX 8.1 redistributable files must be used with this Tool!
=======================================================================
Disclaimer
=======================================================================
This Software is provided "as is" for the sole purpose of evaluation.
Tommti Systems can not be held liable for any damage this program might
cause. It is an unfinished, partly implemented Program meant for beta
testing only. Use at your own Risk!
=======================================================================
Installation
=======================================================================
Requirements
------------
- Windows 95,98,ME,2000,XP
- PC with a Direct3D capable VGA Card
- 1 GigaByte of free Harddisk space if Debug Logging is desired
(warrants approx. 150 seconds of live Debug time)
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Capabilities and Limitations
=======================================================================
The 3D Analyzer Tool was created and refined to overcome limitations
posed by modern 3D Games and other Applications on several current
mainstream 3D Cards.
Basic functionality will equip non-T&L cards with a software substitute.
Advanced functionality will enable User selectable 3D Features not
available in many older Cards.

2. Yet, this is presently achieved not by Emulation but by NUL-Rendering.
This means, advanced 3D Features the Card is not capable of, are reported
as available in Hardware, but have their calls intercepted and the
respective 3D Features will not be rendered.
These functions are based upon the premise and ideas, that :
- 3D Games can be launched, that otherwise would fail due to lack of
Hardware support.
- No 3D Game should solely rely on a few, isolated rendering features, and
therefor loss of image quality by NUL-Rendering 'should' be minimal and
acceptable in most cases.
=======================================================================
Overview
=======================================================================
This version is based on the original V1.3 but has been extended in
capabilities to workaround 3dfx-specific limitations.
It is used for Beta testing to aid in future development.
Feel free to use on any DirectX8 or DirectX8.1 Application for testing.
This Version is provided "as is" and is currently lacking fully
operational implementation of desired features. It currently contains
User selectable options, some of which use can cause the target
Application to behave severely abnormal, crash or fail otherwise.
Before using this Program, make sure all other Programs are closed.
Note - Classic Options are explained in the standing V1.4beta ReadMe.
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What's new ?
=======================================================================
The V1.3 Version has been found to fail with many target Applications
when used with 3dfx Voodoo based Cards.
A "Hardware Limits" Block of Options have been created for each
workaround required to overcome 3dfx Voodoo specific limitations,
as explained below:
- Emulate HW TnL caps
Effect :
This Option will Enable the basic DirectX 8.1 core Emulation.
Status :
Functional
Limiting Factors :
Will be recognized only by DirectX8 or DirectX8.1 applications.
- Emulate Cube Maps caps
Effect :
This Option will report Cubic Mapped BumpMapping Hardware capability
to the target Application.
Status :
Functional
Limiting Factors :

3. Any surface utilizing this Effect will not be rendered. This can
lead to mis-colored Textures, as the Texture beneath is displayed
unmodified.
Future Goals :
undetermined
full Software Emulation is pending evaluation and/or prove-of concept
- Emulate Pixel Shader caps
Effect :
This Option will report DirectX 8 compilant Vertex and Pixel Shader
Hardware capability to the target Application.
Status :
Functional
Limiting Factors :
Surfaces utilizing this effect will be rendered faster, but with lower
Texture detail, as no true Pixel Shader features are being rendered.
- Emulate Bump Map caps
Effect :
This Option will report full BumpMapping and Envroinment Mapped
BumpMapping Hardware capability to the target Application.
Status :
Functional
Limiting Factors :
Any surface utilizing this Effect will not be rendered. In some cases,
this can lead to strongly mis-colored Textures (rainbow effect) as the
original BumpMap is displayed unmodified.
Future Goals :
undetermined
full Software Emulation is pending evaluation and/or prove-of concept
- Emulate Max. sim. Textures
Effect :
This Option will report full single-pass, 4-layer Multitexturing
Hardware capability to the target application.
Status :
Functional
Limiting Factors :
This Option will cause applications to use 4-layer Multitextures, of
which only 2 will be effectively rendered. This will result in untextured
and uncolored Objects, on which 4-layer Multitexturing is applied.
In some cases, basic envroinmental Rendering techniques such as Lightmaps
might not be rendered, causing undue decrease in visual Quality.
Future Goals :
undetermined
Possibly create a workaround to render a full, second multitexture pass,
or comparable rendering techniques as substitute.
- Emulate other DX8.1 caps
Effect :
This Option will enable DirectX 8 Driver compatibility masking,

4. regardless of actual Driver compatibility. It will also enable the
advanced DirectX 8.1 Emulation core.
Status :
limited Functional
Limiting Factors :
Advanced DirectX8.1 Advanced Pixel Shader capability has not been fuly
implemented yet. An Application accessing Advanced Pixel Shader
capabilities can either behave severely abnormal or crash.
Future Goals :
undetermined
Possibly achieve full Advanced Pixel Shader capabilities by CPU
emulation.
=======================================================================
Developer Features
=======================================================================
A Debug Option is included in this Release.
It should only be used for aquiring vital Debug information and is set
to Disabled by default.
When to use :
- Applications failing to initialize or give Error Messages
- Applications reporting missing Hardware Support where some should be
(recheck selected Emulation Options)
- Applications exert severly abnormal behaviour not caused by known
Limiting Factors
How to use :
Depending on selected Application and .dll Directories, a log.out and
a shader.out are generated, as soon as the Application is launched.
Shader.out is presently not implemented and will maintain a file size
of 0 Bytes.
Before debugging, prepare the Application to launch only the 3D scene
in question, if possible. This will isolate the problem as much as
possible, and keep file size to a minimum.
If an Application generates its own specific Logfiles, these should be
retained for additional analysis as well.
Warnings :
----------
When Debug Logging is active, upto several MegaBytes of Debug
Information per Second can be generated! Depending on workload on the
3D Analyzer Tool, this can lead to excessive HardDrive I/O operations.
The Performance hit when using debug logging can be as significant as
slowing 3D rendering down to well less than 1 frame per second!
Do NOT allow Debug File to exceed available remaining Harddrive space!
This can lead to severe crashes, and will render the debug file useless!
One can expect (depending on rendering complexity) upto 400MB per
Minute live rendering time.
Hints :
Even very large (1000 MegaByte) LogFiles can be very effectively
compressed, using common Software like WinZIP, WinRAR or WinACE.
1000 MegaBytes will result in an approx. 12MB compressed Filesize.

5. =======================================================================
Misc. Information
=======================================================================
This Readme complements the standing V1.4 beta Readme File.
Effective use of this Tool requires full understanding of the embedded
Features and Limiting Factors.
When encountering errors or malfunctions, make sure these errors can be
reproduced, and are not caused by any unrelated component of your system.
This includes running Applications, which minimum requirements are not
fully met even with the use of 3D Analyzer.
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This document is subject to change, and may stand to be verified and
corrected by the Developer.
Alpha-Testing conducted by :
FalconFly
falconfly@ewetel.net
http://www.falconfly.de
AmigaMerlin
Amigamerlin@3dfxzone.it
http://www.3dfxzone.it
Document generated in support by FalconFly, 08/06/2002