Creator Graphics Accelerator

5

This chapter describes how to change the Creator^(TM) and Creator 3D^(TM) Graphics Accelerator screen resolution to work properly with different monitors.

You can change the Creator X11 screen and associated graphics hardware through the ffbconfig utility. Options are specified on the command line. The specified options are stored in the OWconfig file. You use these options to initialize the Creator device the next time Xsun is run on that device. Updating options in the OWconfig file provides persistence of these options across Xsun sessions and system reboots.

You use the ffbconfig utility to specify the following:

Video mode (screen resolution and refresh rate)
Type of visuals (linear or nonlinear)
Whether to use 8-bit pseudocolor visual (overlay visual)
Whether linear visuals will come before their nonlinear counterparts
The maximum number of Creator X channel pixels reserved for use as WIDs

Default Screen Resolutions

Table 5-1 lists the default screen resolutions by monitor ID sense code.

Table 5-1

Code	Screen Resolution
7	1152 . 900 at 66 Hz
6	1152 . 900 at 76 Hz
5	1152 . 900 at 66 Hz
4	1280 . 1024 at 67 Hz
3	1152 . 900 at 66 Hz
2	1280 . 1024 at 76 Hz
1	1152 . 900 at 66 Hz
0	1024 . 768 at 76 Hz

If the Creator is unable to determine the monitor type, such as for non-Sun monitors, it defaults to a resolution of 1152 . 900 at 66 Hz.

Supported Screen Resolutions

Table 5-2 lists the screen resolutions the Creator Graphics Accelerator supports.

Table 5-2

Screen Resolution	Vertical Refresh Rate	Description
1280 . 1024	76 Hz	Non-interlaced
1280 . 1024	67 Hz	Non-interlaced
1152 . 900	76 Hz	Non-interlaced
1152 . 900	66 Hz	Non-interlaced
1024 . 800	84 Hz	Non-interlaced
1024 . 768	77 Hz	Non-interlaced
1024 . 768	70 Hz	Non-interlaced
1024 . 768	60 Hz	SVGA

Table 5-2 (Continued)

Screen Resolution	Vertical Refresh Rate	Description
960 . 680	112 Hz	Stereo, non-interlaced, 56 Hz field rate per eye
960 . 680	108 Hz	Stereo, non-interlaced, 54 Hz field rate per eye
768 . 575	50	Interlaced - PAL
640 . 480	60 Hz	Interlaced - NTSC

Changing the Screen Resolution Temporarily

This example changes the screen resolution temporarily, for example as a test to determine if the monitor supports the specified resolution.

ffbconfig -res video-mode try

Table 5-3 lists the video-mode options.

You will have 5 seconds to confirm the video mode by typing y.

Table 5-3

Video Mode
Built-in	Symbolic Name	Resolution
`1280x1024x76`	`1280`	1280 . 1024 at 76 Hz
`1280x1024x67`		1280 . 1024 at 67 Hz
`1152x900x76`	`1152`	1152 . 900 at 76 Hz
`1152x900x66`		1152 . 900 at 66 Hz
`1024x800x84`		1024 . 800 at 84 Hz
`1024x768x77`		1024 . 768 at 77 Hz
`1024x768x70`		1024 . 768 at 70 Hz
`1024x768x60`	`svga`	1024 . 768 at 60 Hz
`960x680x112s`	`stereo`	960 . 680 stereo at 112 Hz per eye

Table 5-3 (Continued)

Video Mode
Built-in	Symbolic Name	Resolution
`960x680x108s`		960 . 680 stereo at 108 Hz per eye
`768x575x50i`	`pal`	768 . 575 at 50 Hz, interlaced
`640x480x60i`	`ntsc`	640 . 480 at 60 Hz, interlaced

Changing Screen Resolution to Stereo

This example changes the screen resolution to 960 . 680 at 112 Hz, stereo the next time Xsun is run.

ffbconfig -res stereo

Changing the Visual List Order

By default, the nonlinear visual comes before the linear visual on the screen visual list. You can modify the order of the visual list by using the ffbconfig command.

Most 3D applications want to use a linear visual. Some 3D applications do not search for a linear visual using XSolarisGetVisualGamma(3). Instead, most of these applications simply search the screen visual list for the first 24-bit TrueColor visual they find. To allow these applications to run with the correct visual, the -linearorder option allows you to change the visual list order so that the linear 24-bit TrueColor visual is the first one the application finds.

OpenWindows should not be running when you run the ffbconfig script. Start OpenWindows after ffbconfig has set the linear order you desire.

To change the setting, enter the ffbconfig command with one of the -linearorder options. For example:

ffbconfig -linearorder first