VOGONS


First post, by FeedingDragon

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

There are games I would like to play that do not work with Voodoo 2, so I installed a Voodoo 1 card. The card works just fine (tested with the V1 EXE for Tomb Raider.) However, if I have both types of cards installed, and 2 pass through cables attached, I don't get any video (once 3DFX mode is enabled,) when running a Voodoo 1 game. A game that is directed to the Voodoo 2 card (GLIDE2X.OVL,) it works just fine. This is the case whether the Voodoo 2 comes first or second in the chain. If I disconnect the pass through cable to the Voodoo 2 (2D card to Voodoo 1 to monitor,) it works just fine. But once I include the Voodoo 2 card in the loop, it stops.

It would make sense to me if reversing the order changed things, but it doesn't. If both pass through switches were being disabled, then putting the V1 last should give me the V1 image. If both were being disabled, and the 3D data was going to the V2 and not the V1, then I wouldn't get the image when the V2 was removed from the monitor chain (card still in the system,) or I should have gotten "something" when the V2 was last in the chain.

If only 1 pass through is being disabled, then it would have to be the card that isn't getting the 3D data (or I would still get that video.) If that was the case, then removing the V2 (with the card still in the system,) I still wouldn't be getting video, as either the data would still be going to the V2, or the V1 wouldn't have it's pass through switch disabled.

Right now, the only way I can get it to work is to physically move the monitor cable from card to card depending on the game I want to play. I would "really" like to avoid that if I possibly can. Currently, it is a moot point with the Voodoo 1 being "removed" as I can't seem to get Blood 3DFX to work anyways (Blood non-3DFX works just fine.) But I'm hoping I can find a fix for that eventually. Though I would end up facing this again anyways if/when I any of the other games that don't work with the V2.

Anyone know of a utility or some such that would disable the V2 card allowing the V1 card to be the only 3DFX card?

Feeding Dragon

Reply 1 of 4, by ratfink

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I guess you're after a software solution but what about a three-way monitor switch and avoid passthru altogether?

Reply 2 of 4, by obobskivich

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

If I remember right there's an application on falconfly.de that lets you choose/force which card you want to do 3D; it won't disable the Voodoo2, but it may accomplish your goal nonetheless.

Edit:

Quick looksie and yes indeed they still have it, actually a few options, look under Misc Utilities:
http://falconfly.de/tools.htm

3D Control Center is what I was remembering, but the Creative or Guillemot Glide switcher application might be worth looking at too.

If none of the above works, have you tried setting up separate hardware profiles?

Reply 3 of 4, by FeedingDragon

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I guess I didn't mention.... I'm booting to DOS 6.22 and not Windows 98 🙁

Feeding Dragon

Reply 4 of 4, by FeedingDragon

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
ratfink wrote:

I guess you're after a software solution but what about a three-way monitor switch and avoid passthru altogether?

A software solution would be preferable. I used to use a mechanical Monitor switch. It was probably faulty or cheap, but would reboot my system every other time I used it. It's what I used for my PCs & Amigas before I got my KVM (got tired of having 4 keyboards & 4 mice.)

I've been thinking, and it seems that a 3DFX specific tool may not be the way to go. Maybe a tool that could disable a specific PCI slot? But would that also disable it's ability to pass the signal through? I doubt that such exists though. I guess the sites stating that it's possible to have a V1 & V2 in the same system aren't completely accurate. The only "instructions" for doing so, that I could find, only work in Windows 9x.

Feeding Dragon