The Zygote Media Group has provided samples of their 3D models on the Micrografx Simply 3D 2 CD. Twenty of these models are in the Zygote20\s3d directory in Simply 3D's .s3d project format. To view sample images of other available models, use your web browser to open the file Catalog.htm in the Zygote20 directory.
Direct3D Acceleration in Simply 3D
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Simply 3D 2 can use Windows 95 Direct3D for acceleration in both software and
hardware support modes. These modes and issues specific to each are
discussed below. At the time of the release of Simply 3D 2, Microsoft's Direct3D is not supported under Windows NT. Under Windows NT 4.0 or 3.51, use OpenGL acceleration instead.
Direct3D with Software
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In software-only mode, all the 3D computations necessary for
displaying the scene are handled by the CPU.
To enable Direct3D software-only mode in Simply 3D 2:
1 On the Tools menu, click Options.
2 Under Drawing Mode, click Solid Shaded.
3 In the Acceleration box, select Direct3D.
4 Make sure that Double Buffered and Texture Map are also selected.
Direct3D with Hardware
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In hardware mode, the 3D computations are handled by dedicated
3D-acceleration hardware (typically found on a specialized video
card) instead of by the CPU. With appropriate 3D hardware, Direct3D
can significantly speed up the drawing of your 3D scenes.
If you are unsure whether your video card has 3D acceleration,
you should contact your video-card manufacturer before attempting to
use Direct3D hardware support in Simply 3D 2.
To use Direct3D hardware support, follow the steps above in the
"Direct3D with Software" section, and then do the following:
1 In the Acceleration section of the Options dialog box, click the
Advanced button.
2 Deselect "Force 'Software Only' Acceleration".
If your hardware drivers are set up properly, you should get faster
performance when previewing your 3D scenes. There are two issues to
remember about hardware Direct3D support:
* Most Direct3D-enabled hardware works best in 16-bit video modes
(65,000 or 35,000 colors). True color (24 and 32 bit) and 256
color (8 bit) may be slower and, in fact, may disable hardware
support altogether or even cause system crashes.
* Many 3D accelerated cards only provide 3D acceleration at or below
certain resolutions. Check the documentation that came with your
3D acceleration hardware or contact your hardware manufacturer
to make sure you are running in an appropriate video mode before
attempting Direct3D hardware support.
Saving a Simply 3D Scene as a Bitmap File
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When you save a scene as a bitmap file, Simply 3D saves the most
recently rendered image unless you change the width or height
settings in the Save As dialog box.
This characteristic can save time, especially for a scene that takes
a long time to render. However, if you make changes to a scene after
rendering it, the saved bitmap file will not reflect those changes.
Cannot Undo after Deleting a Parent Object
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Setting the Undo Object Deletion option lets you use Undo to restore
a deleted object, However, you may not always be able to undo after
deleting a parent object. You can undo if the deleted parent object
is the top parent in the hierarchy, but you cannot undo deletion
of a parent object that is also the child of another parent.
Problems with Playback of Simply 3D AVI Files
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The Windows 95 Media Player has problems playing back AVIs at some
sizes when compressed using Microsoft Video1 or Indeo compression
types.
If you experience problems, you can either re-save the AVI
using a different type of compression, or play the AVI with
Microsoft's ActiveMovie player. The player is available on
Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web site.
Simply 3D Catalogs Stored on CD
-------------------------------
Simply 3D catalogs contain professionally designed 3D objects,
materials, lighting schemes, and animations that you can use in your
3D scenes. Depending on the installation options you select while
installing Simply 3D, your hard disk may not receive copies of all
the catalogs.
All of the Simply 3D catalogs are on the installation CD.
To use a catalog stored on a CD:
1 Insert the Simply 3D 2 CD.
2 In Simply 3D, click Open Catalog on the File menu. The Catalog
Browser is displayed.
3 Click the Browse button and navigate to the S3D2ART folder.
4 Double-click the catalog that you want to use.
Note: If you have trouble using a catalog stored on a network drive, even after successfully browsing to the catalog's folder, try mapping a drive letter (such as P: or Q:) to the drive.
Double-byte character sets
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Simply 3D 2 supports double-byte character sets. This means that if you run the program on the Chinese or Korean versions of Windows 95, you can use native non-English character sets.
Online Help -- The Simply 3D context-sensitive, online help system is designed so you can easily find the information you want. Using the new Windows help system, it's easier than ever to find exactly what you're looking for with a few mouse clicks.
Technical Support -- Micrografx offers a number of technical support services. Please call (972) 234-2694 for further information regarding free and fee-based support options, fax support, and online services.
