8.2 S3 ScreenToys Rotation Rotation of the desktop screen image is available through the S3 Graphics S3 ScreenToys Rotation page. ACCESS: To rotate your desktop screen image, right click on the desktop and select to open the S3 ScreenToys window. In the left menu column, select Advanced, Rotation. The S3 ScreenToys Rotation orientation options are now available for selection. Rotation control is also accessible from the S3 taskbar icon menu.
Monitor orientation options: OPTIONS: Each connected and enabled device may be rotated independently. The Display to be changed can be selected through the Monitors: dropdown list located in the upper left corner of the S3 ScreenToys Rotation page. S3 ScreenToys Rotation options are: Image area Orientation reference image CW CCW Use this group to step through orientation options and view the result. View this bitmap image of a desktop to see the effects of any proposed screen orientation selection.
Orientation area This group contains four radio buttons, one for each of the orientations available for selection. Normal (Primary landscape) Click the Normal (Primary landscape) button to orientate the screen image to the default rotation position. This image has 0 degrees of rotation. Click the 90 degrees (Primary portrait) button to orientate the screen image to a vertical format as if the image were turned 90 degrees clockwise.
SECTION 9 TOOLS FOR THE VIDEO ENTHUSIAST 9.1 Video Requirements Install up-to-date versions of Microsoft’s DirectX and Media Player for your Windows Vista or Windows XP. DirectX Updates Your S3 Graphics software is designed to take full advantage of the advanced features available with DirectX. For the best possible performance and visual experience, be sure you have installed DirectX and are using a level compatible with your driver. http://windowsupdate.microsoft.
9.2 Video Viewing with Application Software The advanced high quality ChromotionHD 2.0 programmable video engine of the CHROME 500 Series GPUs is fully compatible with Microsoft DirectX-VA 2.0 media acceleration and supports Protected Video Playback (PVP) of a wide range of video codecs, including Windows Media VideoTM 9 HD (WMV9-HD), MPEG-2 HD, VC-1, and H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC). High definition playback of Bluray Discs is possible with lower CPU utilization.
9.3 S3 ScreenToys Video Color Settings With S3 ScreenToys Video Color Settings you can adjust the brightness, contrast, hue and saturation of the display of video. S3 ScreenToys Video Color Settings include ChromoColor™ support using the front-end pixel shader for these adjustments. ACCESS: To adjust video settings, right click on the desktop and click from the menu to select S3 ScreenToys. From the left panel Basic menu, select Video Color Settings.
Select the device whose video adjustments you wish to configure. (You can test the selection by experimentally moving a slider to detect which monitor is currently configurable.) ChromoColor image This image shows a graphic. This is a non-functional user interface element. Profiles area Video Color Settings Profiles can be created at any time, and saved for future re-use.
Hue slider Drag the slider thumb along the bar to the right to adjust the hue of the display output towards purple. Drag the slider bar to the left to make the hue greener. Saturation slider Drag the slider thumb along the bar to the right to increase the intensity of the colors in the display output. Drag the slider thumb along the bar to the left to decrease the color intensity of the display output.
value has been increased, and the overall image shadows appear darker. Original: Black Point Threshold increased: White Point Enhancement slider The White Point Enhancement control allows you to adjust the range of white values which are displayed in the highlight areas of the image. The adjustment lets you expand the value range to make the whites in the image appear either more intense (whiter whites) or clip the value range to make the highlights darker (darker with lower contrast).
9.4 S3 ScreenToys ChromoVision for HDMI ACCESS: To enable ChromoVision capabilities for your HDMI device, visit the Advanced/Options settings page accessible from the S3 ScreenToys Device Management window. In the Display Devices area, click the HDMI icon. Next check the Device Status checkbox underneath the icon. In the lower device settings area, click the Advanced button. Locate the ChromoVision checkbox.
Normal Select Normal to display 4:3 source on 16:9 wide screen with no scaling and no change to aspect ratio. With Normal view, vertical black bars will appear on both sides of the 4:3 image to fill the unused areas of the wide screen. Zoom Select Zoom to display letterboxed 4:3 source which would otherwise show black bars all around the wide screen image (such as a 4:3 letterbox DVD). Zoom uses equal amounts of horizontal and vertical linear scaling to expand the image to fill the wide screen 16:9 area.
User Guide for Chrome 400/500 Series Graphics SG195-B.
9.5 S3 ScreenToys Chromotion Video S3 Graphics’ hardware support for video acceleration is optimized for compatibility with DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA). The Chromotion Video Engine provides IDCT support and post-processing capabilities for de-interlacing, subpicture blending, video scaling, rotation, color conversion and video effects.
Effect/Filter dropdown list Select an effect or filter from this dropdown list. Then use the slider to set a value for the amount of visual effect to be used during display of any video playback. A slider bar allows you to adjust the amount or intensity of the effect. The slider thumb can be moved to the right to increase (More) or the left to decrease (Less) the amount of the effect. Each filter may have a different number of allowed steps between left (Less) and right (More).
Complex Picture Smoothing Click Complex Picture Smoothing to use offset deblocking which affects both the block boundaries and the inside of the block. Use this method for flat images. Complex Picture Smoothing should resolve image artifacts propagated from the previous frame. Move the slider thumb along the bar to the right to increase the amount of the applied effect. (seven step). User Guide for Chrome 400/500 Series Graphics SG195-B.
SECTION 10 TOOLS FOR THE 3D ENTHUSIAST 10.1 S3 ScreenToys 3D Settings Use the S3 ScreenToys 3D settings configuration page to configure or toggle 3D-related capabilities to compensate for differences in the requirements and behaviors of various Direct3D and OpenGL applications. ACCESS: To adjust 3D Settings, right click on the desktop and select S3 ScreenToys from the menu. In the Advanced dropdown list in the left panel, click 3D Settings.
Application area The application area allows you to specify an application for which you can select custom 3D feature settings. Application dropdown list Click on the down arrow to view a dropdown list of application names whose features you can customize. Three types of applications may be listed: Overall setting is the default “application.” The settings established for Overall setting are applied to all applications’ features which do not have a customized setting.
10.1.2 S3 ScreenToys 3D Settings Features and Settings You can customize 3D features both globally and by application using the Feature and Setting portion of the S3 ScreenToys 3D Settings page. Feature and Setting table: general notes To change the globally-applied settings, make sure Overall setting appears as the target application in the application list in the upper right area of the 3D Settings page.
The Setting column reports the values you have currently selected. These are not active values until after you have clicked Apply All to set your new parameters To customize a setting: After you right click a row in the Feature and Setting table, the selected Feature row will have a blue highlight, indicating this is the feature available for customization. In the Setting column, right click again and a dropdown list will appear which contains the values available to customize the selected Feature.
Overall setting default value Setting list for an application with default values Overall setting with custom value Setting list for an application with one global custom value and one application-specific custom value Overall custom Application custom Click Apply All and the new settings will take effect immediately. Apply All Note: If you have an open 3D application, you should restart the application to be sure the new settings take effect for that application. 10.1.
screen. Setting options include: By Application (default) – Select By Application if you want the Vertical Sync Control setting to change on application requests. If Vsync OFF is requested, the back buffer is flipped without waiting for vertical retrace. If the application requests VSync ON, then the back buffer is flipped while in vertical retrace. ON – Select ON to always force a wait for monitor sync. This option will reduce “tearing” artifacts.
results can be downscaled to the original size, producing sub-samples of high quality. Setting options include: By Application (default) – Select By Application to allow the application to specify which level of supersampling should be applied. Otherwise, the driver selects an optimized value. This is the default. OFF – Select OFF to disable anti-aliasing. Image quality usually suffers, but performance may increase because less pixel processing occurs.
OFF – Select OFF to force anisotropic filtering to be always off. 2X – Select 2X to enable anisotropic filtering at its lowest level. With this setting, 16 texture samples (taps) selected from a non-square pattern will be averaged to generate one texture element (texel) that is then applied to a single pixel. 3X,4X,…– Select intermediate sampling levels to match your preferred balance between quality and performance. The higher the sampling level, the greater the degree of filtering.
OpenGL Limit Extensions This OpenGL-only feature allows limiting of extension reporting as an aid in improving compatibility with older applications. OFF – Select OFF (default) so that the driver does not limit the number of extensions. This value provides optimal performance for newer OpenGL applications. ON – Select ON to have the driver trim the number of extensions reported.
SECTION 11 POWER MANAGEMENT CONTROLS The S3 ScreenToys Power Management controls provide an aid for conserving power on notebook (laptop) and other power-sensitive systems. It is available on selected systems running Windows Vista and Windows XP. 11.1 S3 ScreenToys Power Management S3 ScreenToys Power Management has two basic modes for controlling the level of power conservation: Automatic Power Conservation Mode (Default setting) which lets the S3 Graphics software decide the optimal setting for you.
System Status Power Source This area shows the current graphics power management status. The power source may be reported as: AC power Battery, or Unknown. If the power source is not Battery, then the Battery and hours remaining options are blank and disabled. Battery remaining If the power source is Battery, then the battery life remaining (as a percentage) is shown. Hours remaining If the power source is Battery, then the time remaining for the available battery power is shown.
GPU Power Settings area When the Let me change… checkbox is checked, you are in Advanced manual mode and the slider bar will be available to adjust and change power settings. A dropdown list will appear along the area’s title bar, which will contain a menu of the available power options. Power source bitmap A bitmap to the left of the slider bar represents the current power source.
Power Plans Below are the power plans which may be available. Power Saver setting Use the Power Saver setting to reduce power consumption. This setting will reduce speed and may lower performance. Balanced setting The Balanced setting provided the default setting provided by the driver to provide an optimal balance between power consumption and high performance. High Performance setting Increase the High Performance setting by moving the slider bar to the right.
SECTION 12 DISPLAY IDENTIFICATION & INFORMATION Use S3 ScreenToys Information, Control Panel System tools or WinS3ID to identify your Display Adapter. This information is useful when troubleshooting or locating compatible driver updates. 12.1 S3 ScreenToys Information S3 ScreenToys Information page and tab both tell you information about the S3 Graphics adapter and associated software. The S3 ScreenToys tab has been discussed previously, see Display Settings Advanced S3 ScreenToys tab.
System Configuration area This area includes information related to the system and BIOS configuration. Chip type Shows the S3 Graphics chip type name. ID string Shows the PCI Vendor ID, Device ID, Subsystem ID and Subsystem Vendor ID for the graphics hardware. BIOS version System memory Shows the S3 Graphics video BIOS version. Shows the amount of detected system memory. Video memory Shows the amount of detected video memory.
Additional Info: Direct X version Reports the version of Direct X installed in the system. Direct X Media version Display the current version number of the installed Direct X Media files. Processor information These lines contain detailed information about the system processor, including manufacturer, speed, cache detail and key features. User Guide for Chrome 400/500 Series Graphics SG195-B.
12.2 Information from Control Panel System To use Windows Vista or Windows XP Control Panel System information to identify your graphics device: • • • In Windows Vista, click Start. Right click on Computer, click Manage. In the left panel, select Device Manager, or In Windows Vista, click Start, click System & Maintenance, then click System. In the left panel Tasks list, select Device Manager, or In Windows XP, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click the System icon.
12.3 WinS3ID for Chip Identification WinS3ID is a Windows-compatible utility that you can run to identify the S3 Graphics product installed in your system, even when no S3 Graphics software drivers are installed. This tool is not included in driver packages, but is available for download from the www.s3graphics.com drivers download access page. User Guide for Chrome 400/500 Series Graphics SG195-B.
SECTION 13 MAINTENANCE GUIDE 13.1 Finding Driver Updates Periodic software updates may be issued by your vendor as new features or bug fixes become available. Places to check for driver updates available for installation with your hardware might include: Your OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) board vendor’s website. This is often the only location where drivers customized for specific OEM hardware are available.
Step 3. Follow the install tool’s direction. Steps for this install are similar to those outlined for initial installation using your vendor supplied CD, except that the hardware is already in use. Step 4. Click Start, Shutdown, Restart to fully initialize your update. 13.3 Software Removal Use one of the following procedures if you want to remove your S3 Graphics software. 13.3.1 Software Removal with Vista Uninstall Step 1. With Windows Vista: Click Start, then Control Panel. Step 2.
Step 6. For the changes to take full effect, you must now reboot. If you are going to physically remove your S3 Graphics hardware: Click Start, Shutdown, Shutdown. Remove the board from your system now before rebooting the computer. If you will keep your current S3 Graphics hardware in the computer: Click Start, Shutdown, Restart. Your computer will restart. Caution: Windows will not physically delete the S3Graphics Driver and Utilities files.
Step 12. For the changes to take full effect, you must now reboot. If you are going to physically remove your S3 Graphics hardware: Click Start, Shutdown, Shutdown. Remove the board from your system now before rebooting the computer. If you will keep your current S3 Graphics hardware in the computer: Click Start, Shutdown, Restart. Your computer will restart. Caution: Windows will not physically delete the S3Graphics Driver and Utilities files.
Step 5. The Confirm Device Removal window will appear. Click OK. Step 6. The System Settings Change window will appear, asking “Do you want to restart your computer now?” Select No. Step 7. For the changes to take full effect, you must now reboot. If you are going to physically remove your S3 Graphics hardware: Click Start, Shutdown, Shutdown. Remove the board from your system now before rebooting the system. If you will keep your current S3 Graphics hardware in the computer.
SECTION 14 TROUBLESHOOTING Below are some of the common answers and solutions available for questions and problems that can occur with display driver installation and use. No Display on System Boot Verify that your graphics card is properly seated in its slot. Verify that all display cables are properly connected to your card. Verify that connected displays are plugged-in and receiving power.
HOW TO References Many answers to common Windows questions are provided in the searchable Microsoft Knowledge Base. http://support.microsoft.com/ then click on Search Knowledge Base Windows Driver Roll Back feature If you encounter problems after updating your drivers under Windows Vista or XP, you may use the Driver Roll Back feature to reinstall the previous “good” driver and restore any driver settings that were changed when the new driver was added.
Step 4. You will be prompted to confirm that you would like to roll back to the previous driver. Click Yes. Step 5. Windows will then restore the files and settings for the previously installed display driver. Once the previous driver is restored, click Close. You will then be prompted to restart your computer to complete the driver roll back.
Step 1. Windows Vista: Click the Start button. In the search box that appears just above the Start button (for Windows XP, click Run), and type dxdiag. This opens the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window. Step 2. Click Display tab. (If you are using Multi-Monitor, then there may be more than one Display tab.) On each Display page you can view information about the currently installed hardware and drivers for that device. Step 3.
SECTION 15 GLOSSARY This glossary includes definitions for only a few of the terms used in the S3 Graphics User Manuals. Numerous on-line glossaries are available if the graphics term you are looking for is not listed below. Brightness - Visually, brightness reflects the intensity (or luminance) of the image going from darker to lighter. In S3 ScreenToys Desktop color, brightness represents the lowering or raising of the gamma curve.
Multi-Monitor – A Windows feature that allows multiple video cards to be active, each one displaying a portion of the entire desktop. Support for two monitors can be accomplished through the use of either two separate or one dual head adapter. With two separate display adapters, there are two separate drivers driving the separate displays, with each one displaying a portion of an extended desktop. Dual Head adapters, such as S3 Graphics GPUs, simulate the presence of two video cards with a single chip.
