------------------------------------------------------------------ If you cannot read all the text and you are reading this in Notepad, click Word Wrap on the Edit menu. ------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________________________________ *** Be sure to cut out the Special Upgrade Offer for a $20 savings when you upgrade to Micrografx Webtricity - Mind Blowing Graphics For The Web! Webtricity extends the power of Picture Publisher 7 and Simply 3D 2, adding exciting Interactivity with Designer 7 and QuickSilver 3, VideoCraft GIF Animator, and MapThis Image Map Editor. Additionally, Webtricity includes a variety of extra 3D catalogs with hundreds of 3D objects and textures, along with 45,000 other clip art images. ________________________________________________________________________ Direct3D Acceleration in Simply 3D ---------------------------------- 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 ---------------------- 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 ---------------------- 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 Select "Hardware Direct3D Support" and click OK. 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 ----------------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------------------ 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 --------------------------------------------- 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. Double-byte character sets -------------------------- 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. ------------------------------------------------------------ Where to Find Help ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. Special Technical Support Offer: To receive free 24 hour technical support service, visit our web site at www.micrografx.com and choose the option for "Support". Should you require support from a technical advisor for the Micrografx products you received with your Matrox Graphics Accelerator board, take advantage of the following limited-time discount offer: For 60 days, beginning with your first call, our priority 900 line is available from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST with a charge of $1.00 per minute by calling 900-847-5500. After 60 days, the standard rate applies at $2.00 per minute by calling 900-847-8477. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Please visit our Web site (http://www.micrografx.com) for information about other known problems and resolutions. ------------------------------------------------------------------