rec.autos.simulators

Could someone please tell my what a rendition chip is and when it will
become available?

Thanks

The Rendition chip is a 2D/3D graphics accelerator chip. Currently, Sierra
and
Intergraph are planning on releasing graphic cards based on this chip...
soon.
October 1st is the ship date for the Intergaph card to the distributor;
it's called
the Reactor. Check out their Web page at
http://www.intergraph.com/ics/reactor.

Brien

Will programs such as Indy Car and Nascar automatically be configured for this
card (Rendition Chip) or will we need a new program?
How about Grand Prix?

Thanks  for any info.

says...

Games will either have to specifically be written for the Verite chip or
utilize Win95's Direct3D.  3D cards will do nothing for regular old DOS
games, although the Verite cards are quite fast at DOS VESA 2.0 SVGA
resolutions (a little faster than the Millennium I've heard).  There will
be a hardware accelerated version of IndycarII shipping with both Sierra's
and Intergraph's boards, and NascarII will be written for these cards as
well.

--

Emory University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Nascar Setups Page: http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/

:Games will either have to specifically be written for the Verite chip or
:utilize Win95's Direct3D.  3D cards will do nothing for regular old DOS
:games, although the Verite cards are quite fast at DOS VESA 2.0 SVGA
:resolutions (a little faster than the Millennium I've heard).  There will
:be a hardware accelerated version of IndycarII shipping with both Sierra's
:and Intergraph's boards, and NascarII will be written for these cards as
:well.
:
Bah Humbug..Verite ; (

VOODOO ; )

I wish.. I wish.. I wish..

Damn, I wonder how would N2 and ICR2 (revised) do with the VOODOO?? Even though
it wasn't optimized for it..Hmm..

take care

Julian Data #0004
 Director of Information Technology, Consultant, "Ace" Test Driver
 Offical Channel Operator (#ivgacsnc, on undernet)

 International Video Gamers Assoiciation, Inc. (IVGA)
 14100 Walsingham Avenue
 Suite 36
 Largo, FL 34644
 Voice: (813) 596-6661

The Voodoo will do nothing for them I would expect.  The games have been
written specifically for the features of the Verite chip, and thus would
not even recognize the Voodoo.  If however there was a Direct3D version of
either, then the Voodoo could be utilized.  It makes economic sense for
Papyrus/Sierra to support Rendition.  With a lower price than the Voodoo,
on board 2D acceleration, and the fact that Sierra is producing their own
board, the Voodoo never had a chance of being used.  It is by far the
superior board, but until Direct3D is in more widespread use we will not
see as much use of it other than native Voodoo ports.  There should be
quite a few released, as the Voodoo looks to be second only to the Verite
in Developer support.

--

Emory University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Nascar Setups Page: http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/

It would make most sense if they just made a D3D version so all the
acellerators will work. Papyrus will make it becuase they want to be
the leaders and not the followers. Whiplash and Burning Road for the
Vodoo will make Papy reconsider since both have better GFX and frame
rates than N2 verite and should be available today.

Any company putting their eggs into 1 3D market especially one that's
not "State of the Art", IMO is making a mistake. But will be corrected
once they understand the mistake they've made. You'll see.

Q.B.M.

True, but the fact is just because something is "state of the art" doesn't
automatically make it the industry leader.  We got stuck with the crappy
Creative Labs standard for soundcards.  Also remember that VHS beat out
Beta, despite the fact that Beta is a better format.  I shouldn't even
bring up the fact that OS/2 Warp is a superior operating system than Win95.
 The best system or hardware doesn't always catch on, and its the consumer
who ultimately loses out as manufacturers and developers make their
economic decisions.

--

Emory University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Nascar Setups Page: http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/

I have never claimed my opinion as fact.  What I have done is to try and
convey information in an unbiased as possible manner to members of this
newsgroup.  I have done extensive research into the 3D Accelerator market,
have you?  Whenever possible, I refer people to the companies web sites so
they can get information directly from the source, or to an alternate
newsgroup where they can get first-hand reviews of the products in
question.  I would never be so arrogant as to assume I could do otherwise.

The examples I gave in that post were not my opinion, but the general
consensus.  The VHS/Beta is probably the most famous marketing decision
that passed up a superior technology.  Ask anyone who uses video on a
regular basis which is better.  Why do you think most news cameras and
other broadcast equipment are Betamax?   Also, few will argue that Win95's
multitasking is on par with OS2/Warp's.  I own and use Win95 because of
it's marketshare however.  

I have no desire to force my opinions on anyone.  If however I can stop
someone from wasting their money on an inferior product, I will.  Consider
someone asking about purchasing on of ATI's RAGE 3D cards unaware that ATI
has scrapped the card in favor of the RAGEII.  If I inform them of this
they will most likely reconsider the purchase of the dying card.  What is
your problem with this?

--

Emory University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Nascar Setups Page: http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/

Matt Howell - Production
WTVD - ABC, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company

The opinions, observations, statements above are my own and in no way
reflect the positions or opinions of WTVD, ABC  Inc., or the Walt Disney
Company

Of course you're right.  I really shouldn't post messages like that late at
night off the top of my head.  Thanks for the correction.  

--

Emory University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Nascar Setups Page: http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/

There is one point that you forget in this argument and is the MAIN reason why VHS and
another important one.

1. Recording time was the big deal at the time. This is why VHS won.

2. There was more saturation of VHS on the market.

Beta had slightly better picture quality, slightly. To a afficinado that's important to
Aunt Bess and Uncle Bob, they could careless. They wanted to record everything, later
found out they couldn't operate the time record option, doooh!. :)

This argument is an ole bad argument, to many people forget the real reasons, don't
forget!!

REPLY:

Sorta the same type of argument. OS/2 does have a better multitasking
mechanism. BUT Aunt Bess doesn't make the whole OS choice on
multitasking. What's more important to her is the abundance of native
apps that run on her system. Win '95 multitasks good enough for most,
IMO would be a safe statement. Heck your reply states the obvious as
well.

REPLY:

Yeah but we weren't talking about an inferior product now were we? Just
a better more expensive product. Hey if you can afford to blow $200 on
games something tells me you can afford to blow $300 for better
gamming.

Q.B.M.

I already got ya on the othe stuff....

So to make it comlete. :)

To a gamer the EYES are the most imprtant thing. Gameplay as well. A
Better GFX's board helps both. Better visuals and smoother gameplay,
who could argue?

Many people are satisfied with a cheap stereo system so the "not state
of the art" soundboard" catching on didn't surprise me. In fact at the
time it wasn't all bad to have a standard since nobody came up to bat
to have some type of universal device to support the soundcard
industry. That's why D3D is a imortant part now, to make sure 3D keeps
advancing as fast as possible and with D3D this whole argument/debate
doesn't even happen since Nascar 2 would be for all 3d boards. So lets
all hope for D3D to work well.

But the Vodoo "State of the art" if very noticeable to even 5 year
olds. It's there and that's that. Now you could kid yourself, but
that's not living up to your end of the bargain and calling things the
way they are. I feel the visual impact of the Vodoo would sway anybody
whose considering the 3D jump into it's corner as of now. There are a
few small exceptions all grant you.

Q.B.M.