visualpython-users

[Visualpython-users] IDLE works, but video demos freeze

[<Sus...@un...>]

Hi,

I just installed VPython on Windows2000. I have this problem, listed
under FAQ: IDLE works, but video demos freeze. I did what is listed
under FAQ: 
I tried to set the hardware acceleration in Display Properties to "none"
and then the demos work. 
Now, I run glinfo.py and the output is the following: 

Visual-2001-02-09
  c:\python20\visual\__init__.py Thu Feb 08 23:27:40 2001
  c:\python20\visual\graph.py    Tue Jan 16 21:37:36 2001
  c:\python20\dlls\cvisual.dll   Mon Feb 05 09:41:16 2001
  c:\winnt\system32\opengl32.dll Wed Oct 04 05:00:00 2000
OpenGL renderer active.
  Vendor: S3
  Version: 1.1 7.30.36
  Renderer: SavageMX
  Extensions:
                            GL_EXT_abgr
                            GL_EXT_bgra
                GL_EXT_clip_volume_hint
           GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array
                   GL_EXT_packed_pixels
                    GL_EXT_stencil_wrap
                    GL_EXT_vertex_array
                   GL_KTX_buffer_region
                             GL_S3_s3tc
                     GL_SGI_cull_vertex
             GL_SGI_index_array_formats
                      GL_SGI_index_func
                  GL_SGI_index_material
                   GL_SGI_index_texture
                       GL_WIN_swap_hint


The demos freeze completely if I run them with hardware acceleration,
therefore I cant send you a screenshot. 

Can anyone help me with this? 
thanks 
Susanne

PS: I also went to see the page www.glsetup.com, but I didn't do
anything with it because there is that warning: "You may experience
SERIOUS problems with your computer, including being unable to run
Windows"... 

PS2: I just sent you an email about the shell. Well, I found it. No
answer is needed concerning this. 

RE: [Visualpython-users] IDLE works, but video demos freeze

[David S. <dsc...@vy...>]

> I just installed VPython on Windows2000. I have this problem, listed
> under FAQ: IDLE works, but video demos freeze. I did what is listed
> under FAQ:

Yes, this is an excellent problem report, thanks.

> I tried to set the hardware acceleration in Display Properties to "none"
> and then the demos work.

As mentioned in the FAQ, this means the problem is almost certainly your GL
drivers.

>   Vendor: S3
>   Version: 1.1 7.30.36
>   Renderer: SavageMX

This is a mobile chipset, so I assume you have a laptop.  (You probably
already know that :)  The safest place to get the latest drivers for a
laptop is the *laptop* manufacturer's web site, since they are generally
compelled to provide support if anything goes wrong.  I suggest that you
look there first.  If you can't find anything there that fixes the problem,
you could try the latest SavageMX drivers from S3's web site
http://s3graphics.com/.  The latest drivers for Win2K appear to be version
7.31.17 (vs. the 7.30.36 you have installed).

> PS: I also went to see the page www.glsetup.com, but I didn't do
> anything with it because there is that warning: "You may experience
> SERIOUS problems with your computer, including being unable to run
> Windows"...

Since working video drivers are needed to run Windows, any source of video
driver upgrades will come with a similar caveat.  However, you may find it
comforting that in my fairly wide personal experience with video driver
problems, I haven't seen a case where the system didn't work well enough to
reinstall the older drivers.

> PS2: I just sent you an email about the shell. Well, I found it. No
> answer is needed concerning this.

Oops.

Dave