To run Blender 2.3, you will need to have an IBM compatible computer that is MPC Level 2 compliant. Our understanding of this "standard" means your computer must have at least a:
486SX/33 processor or faster
5Mb of FREE RAM (4Mb will get you almost everything)
Windows compatible 16-bit Sound Card (Soundblaster compatible pref.)
Double Speed CD-ROM drive
VGA display (640 X 480 with 256 colors), set to 256 colors
Windows 3.1 or later with DOS 6.2 or later
QuickTimeª 2.03 for Windows (included on the CD-ROM)
To run Blender, you can choose the "Run" command from the "File" menu in the Program Manager, and type:
[CD-ROM]:\BLENDER\BLENDME.EXE
where [CD-ROM] is the CD-ROM drive Blender is in.
If you do not have Quicktime for Windows installed, you will not be able to see the videos in Blender. You can install QuickTime 2.03 for
Windows manually from this CD by returning to Windows and choosing the "Run" command from the "File" menu in the Program Manager, then typing:
[CD-ROM]:\BLENDER\GOODIES\QTW_203\QTINSTAL.EXE
where [CD-ROM] is the CD-ROM drive which contains Blender 2.2.
We recommend installing QTW 2.03 to take advantage of the smoother playback and smaller loadtimes, unless you have a later version already installed on your computer.
Videos in Blender will not play without Quicktime for Windows.
SOUND VOLUME TOO LOUD
----------------------
You may have your speaker jack in the wrong outlet from your sound card, and that your soundcard is SoundBlaster compatible.
MOVIE PROBLEMS
------------------
The installer for QuickTime 1.1, which was included in Blender 1.1, is known to conflict with some network drivers. We have included the QuickTime 2.03 installer on this disk, and have we are been unable to duplicate the problem with this Apple installer, we are unsure if the problem still exists. If you have problems installing QuickTime, de-install your network drivers, and try to install QuickTime again.
If you get "DYNALINK" errors while playing quicktime movies, the QTW 2.03 installer has not deleted the 2.01 files from your system correctly: All components for Quicktime 2.03 should install into your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory- check if any of QT*.*, QC*.* or MCIQTENU are present in your \WINDOWS directory. If they are, deleting them should fix the problem.
Apple's Quicktime for Windows readme includes some suggestions for modifying the QTW.INI file to improve performance/compatibility problems. We have found additionally that changing the monitor color depth to 256 colors will help if you are having problems seing the video.
Remember to reboot your computer (DOS & Windows) completely after installing Quicktime.
There are readme files included with Blender that list known incompatibilities with hardware and both Quicktime and Macromedia Director.
CD-READ SLOWDOWNS
--------------------
Macromedia have suggested a 2 meg PERMANENT swapfile may improve performance on most PCs. A temporary swapfile may cause crashes.
If Blender begins to slow down dramatically, or crashes, we have found that restarting your computer to clear memory will improve performance, as will maximising the available RAM by temporarily disabling network drivers etc.
OTHER ERRORS & GPFS
--------------------
This section is reproduced from Macromedia Technotes.
Blender is authored in Macromedia Director, and those GPFs not caused by Quicktime incompatibilities are usually related to the following:
TN3130 - Tips for Troubleshooting GPFs with Director for Windows
Director is a high-end multimedia application. Because it is a multimedia application and uses your machine to its fullest potential, you may encounter a variety of errors if your computer is not optimally configured. In addition to this TechNote, your Windows documentation and a Windows troubleshooting guide can be great sources of information for an setting up the optimal authoring environment.
What is a General Protection Fault?
A General Protection Fault typically occurs when the active application, let's call it MYAPP, is reading or writing to a section of memory that is unavailable at that time. The way Windows manages memory is it holds all of the active applications in one large partition. When an application steps out of its allotted area of memory, Windows might issue a General Protection Fault message. Windows users will need to know how to deal with these errors.
General Protection Faults can vary in degree of severity.
You might be able to choose Ignore and continue working, if the memory indiscretion is a minor one. If the application wrote to an area of memory that Windows owns or another application was using, you might have a more serious problem.
What to do after the General Protection Fault Occurs
1. Write down the entire error GPF message (you'll need this later).
2. Note exactly what you were doing when you got the error message.
3. Quit all open applications.
4. Save any open files with new names.
5. Quit Windows.
6. Restart the computer and stay in DOS before reentering Windows.
--7. Run SCANDISK from DOS to fix any errors.
8. Launch Windows again and begin troubleshooting.
When you see a General Protection Fault you should understand that each word of the error message is important and can lead you directly to the solution to the problem. Good thing you wrote it down, right?!
"MYAPP" This is usually the name of the application running. This can be BLENDME.EXE, DIRECTOR.EXE, MYMOVIE.EXE, FH5.EXE, or any application.
Module GDI.EXE: The module where the error occurred is the usually the key to solving the General Protection Fault. GDI stands for Graphic Display Interface. If you receive this error, set up the Microsoft VGA video card drivers, and try to recreate it. (See the next page for details on how to do this.) There is a good chance you have found a display driver conflict, the most common reason for a GPF with Director.
OO5B:0CD2 This is an example memory address. This is the place in memory where the application found conflict. It is possible to trace the different places in memory that the error takes place, but understanding which application and which module the error occurred in can usually solve the problem.
Video Card Display Driver Conflicts
Most General Protection Faults encountered when using Director for Windows involve a conflict with the video card's display driver. Macromedia certifies that Director for Windows will run in a standard Windows system with the Microsoft drivers: SVGA (640x480x256), or VGA (16 colors). If you, or your enduser, decide to run a different driver, you may need to switch over to the standard drivers to see if the other driver is the problem.
How to switch your video card drivers to VGA:
1. Open the Windows Setup program in the Main Group of the Program Manager (Windows 3.1 or 3.11).
2. Under Options, choose "Change System Settings."
3. Under Display, select "VGA", not "VGA 3.0". (VGA provides only 16 colors; this is only a test.)
4. Restart Windows and try to reproduce the General Protection Fault.
Most of the time, after doing this test, the problem will go away. This means that you should be using a different video card driver. You will need to contact the manufacturer of your video card for more recent drivers, which may solve the problem. In the meantime, it is not necessary to run in 16 colors (VGA). You should be able to set up the Microsoft SVGA driver (640x480, 256 colors) that ships with Windows and continue working.
Additional Common Windows Issues
Following are some other known issues reported to occur while working with Director for Windows. This information is subject to change when new video drivers, sound drivers, devices, and applications arrive on the market.
The important thing to remember is that some sort of memory violation has occurred. Knowing what was happening when the error occurred and the complete error message will help. Fine tuning your Windows machine with the latest sound and video drivers might be the most important step of all.
1. MYAPP.EXE caused a General Protection Fault in module MYAPP.EXE at memory location.
This is the most generic error you could receive. Windows is telling you that there is a memory conflict on that machine. You should test under VGA first, then look through the other common errors in this list, and finally, consult item #10 of this document for other ideas.
2. MYAPP.EXE caused a General Protection Fault in module ADRIVER.DRV at memory location.
Windows is giving you a clear sign here that the particular driver in the error message was loading or trying to run when the conflict occurred. If it is a display driver, select a different one and restart Windows. If it is different type of driver, you may need to reinstall it. Search for that driver in your Windows directory and reinstall it or application that uses it.
3. DIRECTOR.EXE caused a General Protection Fault in module DIR4WIN.DLL at memory location.
It is important to know what was happening when you get this error message. There were early reports of some printer drivers causing this error message, upon launching Blender. These were:
-- The HP LaserJet Driver, version 5.0
-- Windows QMS PS printer driver, version 2.4.7.06-01, or version 2.4.8 CTA
-- QMS 810 black & white printer driver
-- Bitfax fax driver (Setting Epson dot matrix driver as the default should solve the problem)
Selecting a different printer, or no default printer, and restarting Windows will usually fix the problem.
4. Specific Video Card Settings
A. Cirrus Logic video card drivers
Early versions of the Cirrus Logic drivers were reported to cause problems. Make sure that you have one of the latest display drivers from Cirrus Logic when working with Director for Windows.
Many Compaq machines ship with these video cards.
B. ATI MACH video cards
Details on the specific settings for MACH boards can be found in the "vidsound.wri" document that comes with Director for Windows 4.0.4. You will read that:
"For all MACH boards, you will need to set DeviceBitmap=OFF in the Windows SYSTEM.INI file [MACX] section after card software installation if using this driver version."
You can also find this in the ATI documentation. If this setting is different, you might get a General Protection Fault.
C. Compaq Qvision 2000 and Matrox MGA cards
The settings for these cards are similar to that for the ATI cards. In the SYSTEM.INI, you will need to set "DevBits = OFF" in the [MGA] section. This is also described in the documentation for the individual cards.
D. Compaq Qvision video cards
It is recommended to run with DISPLAY.DRV = CPQLQV08.EXE and not DISPLAY.DRV = CPQHQV08.EXE in the SYSTEM.INI when using this video card. Please do not change these settings by hand; instead consult the documentation that ships with the latest version of the driver.
5. Ensoniq Soundscape sound cards
Certain Ensoniq Soundscape sound drivers have been known to cause GPFs. The Ensoniq Soundscape card does not appear on the list of tested and recommended sound cards for Director for Windows. If you choose to use this sound card, it is recommended that you use the latest versions of the Ensoniq Soundscape sound driver. The latest version as of July, 1995 is 1.30.
6. "Undefined Dynalink" error, or General Protection Fault when launching a projector
Use QuickTime for Windows version 2.0 or later to resolve this problem. You should choose to delete old copies of QuickTime when asked to do so while installing version 2.0. Insure that the "Read Only" property is not checked on the QuickTime files before reinstalling them.
7. Virus Protection Software
Director for Windows projectors copy the DIRDIB.DRV and MACROMIX.DLL driver files into your WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ directory before trying to load them. If your virus protection software keeps the projector from copying into this directory, the projector will simply put up an alert and then quit. It should not cause a GPF.
Turn off virus protection, and if it still crashes, it is recommended to set up a different sound driver.
8. MYAPP.EXE caused a General Protection Fault in MMTASK.TSK
MMTASK.TSK handles multimedia background tasks, such as cueing MCI calls and timing events, all as a background test. Applications do not write to it; it is part of the untouchable Windows internal system.
You should examine the application or system for corruption, paying particular attention to the MCI device drivers. (For instance, outdated Windows sound card drivers can lead to GPFs in MMTASK.)
If all else fails, copy the BLENDME.EXE application to your hard drive. If that does not help, reinstall Windows.
9. Finally, other things loaded on the Windows machine
Once again, memory conflicts encountered when running Director for Windows are most likely due to video card display driver conflicts. That, however, could be only one of the reasons for the Windows flag.
Other reasons for General Protection Faults would include:
--Printer driver conflicts
--Incorrect memory exclusion settings for a particular video card
(See particular card documentation for recommendations)
--Other applications running or TSRs resident in memory
--Startup items conflicts
--Network software conflicts
--Corrupted fonts
--Anything else loaded on the Windows machine
Testing the video card driver and looking for the most common problems are two good places to start. Simplifying your Windows system to a base system is always a good idea. You may also consider reinstalling Windows and running Director in that partition to eliminate whatever might be conflicting at that time.
IF BLENDER STILL ISN'T WORKING
-----------------------------
If you have any trouble, or questions, call Blender Technical Support on 1-800-461-4038 (7am-1am), or e-mail us at Blendme@echonyc.com.
In either case, please leave your name, the time & date of your call, a contact phone number and a brief description of the problem.
