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Q: What is a 3D graphics accelerator? A: A graphics accelerator is a video adapter that contains a graphics coprocessor.
A graphics accelerator relieves the CPU of the burden of updating the video
display. 3D graphics accelerators are necessary to deliver high-quality interactive
3D. Q: Do I have a 3D graphics accelerator? A: For the best Interactive web 3D experience, we recommend using a graphics
card with 3D acceleration (and at least 8 MB of video ram).
In Win 95/98/2000/ME/XP, from the Start Menu, choose Run. In the dialog box
displayed, type "DxDiag" (without quotation marks). The DirectX Diagnostic Tool application should launch. On the Display tab,
check DirectX Features box to see if Direct3D Acceleration is Enabled. If Direct3D
Acceleration is not enabled, you may have problems viewing interactive 3D content. Q: My 3D graphics accelerator meets the minimum system requirements and I'm
still having problems. What should I do? A: 3D graphics accelerators use hardware and software to render 3D images.
Having adequate hardware is not enough. Drivers are software that allow the
hardware and the operating system to work together. To run the latest software,
users must keep their drivers up to date. Manufacturers may update their drivers
as often as every three months. It may also be necessary to update operating
system components, such as Microsoft's DirectX. DirectX is updated several times
a year. Q: What is Direct3D or What is OpenGL? A: Direct3D
and OpenGL are 3D graphics API's (Application Program
Interface). Direct3D is part of DirectX. OpenGL was initialy developed by Silicon
Graphics Incorporated and is now maintained by The OpenGL Architecture Review
Board. Q: What about MacIntosh support? A: A MacIntosh plug-in for OS X is in Beta testing. If you have comments, suggestions, or need
help, contact The David Rumsey Collection at carto@luna-img.com. home | about | view the collection | recent
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