rec.autos.simulators

Drivers:

I know that Game Girl has a review on the IVGA site about 3D cards, but
I found another one that is more current..  This review has looked at
the VOODOO Chipset from 3DFX.  I dont know if they support all the
features that some of us like with the RENDITION based cards, but
they may be the wave of the future if DIRECT 3D is the FUTURE..

Dave Sparks is more current on this so:

PLEASE DAVE SPARKS CAN YOU GIVE US YOUR TAKE ON THE VOODOO vs. RENDTION!

!!   I am sure you already have....

You've been hearing about it for months now: 3-D hardware that
promises to take your PC game experience to levels never before
imagined. Well, now that the technology is here, what should you do
about it? Buying any new technology can be intimidating, so we put
together this guide to help you sort through the confusing technology
and lofty manufacturer claims, and find the right 3-D card.

Here is the address of the REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

The BenchMarks

The Supplier                Tunnel    Direct 3D     Direct 3D     Twist
                                        (fill)    
(polygon)                                          

Creative Labs 3D Blaster   30.86/39   26.24/26.67   134.6/303.55  49.26
Matrox Mystique*           42/47      30.4/29.04    80.35/136.08  82
Intergraph Reactor         34.24/42   22.64/27.2   105.97/316.94  60
Righteous 3D               60.6/60.6  25.76/32.96  153.26/305     60.6
Diamond Monster 3D         60.6/60.6  28.1/28.1    174.71/260.4   60.6
Apocalypse 3D              29.85/60   18.64/29.93  139.04/267.84  58.82
Diamond Stealth 3D         12 and 17  10.16/29.96  55.06/203.9    36
STB Velocity 3D            12 and 15  20/20.94     92.82/119.93   30
ATI 3D Expression          20/23      26.72/29.77  93.28/109.46   40
Sierra Screamin' 3D        41.32/40   24.8/27.12  140.6/312.41    57.14
Leadtek Winfast 2200       37.87/30   68.08/86.48 225.41/368.67   75.75

GAMESPOT PICK!!!

After rather exhaustive testing, it's pretty clear that the two 3Dfx
Voodoo-based products, Diamond's Monster 3D and Orchid's
Righteous 3D, are the cream of the crop for pure game acceleration.
And although the other chip and board vendors might object to this
statement, Voodoo, along with Rendition, is currently enjoying the most
enthusiastic game developer support, meaning that no matter what the
future holds for Direct3D, you'll still have plenty of titles to play
with any of
these products.

Thanks for your support of the IVGA

Don Wilshe, IVGA

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

You needed a review to confirm this for you?  I though this was
painfully obvious to anyone who has done even the slightest research
into the 3D graphics card arena.  Unfortunately it's not as simple a
choice as which card is faster.  The current 3Dfx cards (the upcoming
Rush will be different) need a 2D card to go along side them, pushing
the total price to about double that of the Rendition cards and will do
no 3D in a window (again the Rush will be different).  Many people
(like myself) had crappy 2D cards to begin with, and couldn't afford to
replace it and add a 3Dfx card.  The Rendition is a compromise.  It
gives good all around performance, all for a very reasonable price
(plus it accelerates N2 and ICR2).  It's no 3Dfx, but no one has ever
made claims that it is.

--

The IWCCCARS Project: Q & A Representative
http://www.theuspits.com/iwcccars/index.html
http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/

Yes, our original "Rendition-guy" left for a hardware company, but
that's a far cry from being the case that we "no longer have a "3D"
programmer"... There is more than ample engineering talent left,
including skilled rasterizer/graphics engineers, that we are not
limited by personnel issues...

---Jim Sokoloff, Papyrus

: I believe you read incorrectly then (or you have a bogus news server,
: or you are seeing news that it not being propogated to my server...
: :-) ).

: Yes, our original "Rendition-guy" left for a hardware company, but
: that's a far cry from being the case that we "no longer have a "3D"
: programmer"... There is more than ample engineering talent left,
: including skilled rasterizer/graphics engineers, that we are not
: limited by personnel issues...

: ---Jim Sokoloff, Papyrus

"Damn it Jim, I cunnu 'ot take et any longggerrr!"  <g>  What does this
mean.  Okay, you got the talent, but does this mean that we "will" see
some improvements in the Rendition port of NASCAR2?  Or does this mean
that they are busy working on another yet "publicly un-announced"
project.

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Hena

From my understanding, it just isn't going to happen.

--

The IWCCCARS Project: Q & A Representative
http://www.theuspits.com/iwcccars/index.html-ssi
http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/

The 4/8-bit command line switch should happen, but further improvements
such as adding anti-aliasing most likely will not.

--

The IWCCCARS Project: Q & A Representative
http://www.theuspits.com/iwcccars/index.html-ssi
http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/

: Eric,
: Did I read that right? Do you have reason to believe that Papy is not going
: to polish up the N2 graphics? I guess I could live with that but I would
: like to see further optimization of the rendition code. Do you know if there
: is going to be any work on improving the fps? If not, how about a 4/8 bit
: texture switch??

Even though there was some early mention by Rendition folks of working
on adding anti-aliasing for N2, I think Eric's comments may have been
based on the the following which I posted here about 1 month ago:

Take it for what it is.  I lifted the following off of Sierra's message
area on AOL:

 Subj:  Re:N2 Anti-Aliasing?
 Date:  97-02-10 12:35:20 EST

Has anyone heard if Anti-Aliasing might be added in a coming N2
version/update?  Is it something Sierra might be able to add with a
patch that we could down-load?
<<<

We currently have no plans to add anti-aliasing to NASCAR 2.

-Mike
Papyrus

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Actually it was based on an e-mail conversation I had with Jim
Sokoloff.  I pretty much begged him to see what he could do to get the
Rendition version tweaked.  He said he would forward my pleas to the
appropriate people, but he seriously doubted anything would come of it.

--

The IWCCCARS Project: Q & A Representative
http://www.theuspits.com/iwcccars/index.html-ssi
http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/