Frequently Asked Questions

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TriDef Visualizer

What is TriDef Visualizer?

TriDef Visualizer enables selected third party applications to work on 3-D Displays. Up until now, the 3-D objects and scenes in various Computer Aided Design and other such modelling applications (and games) have been 'flattened' out as they are shown on conventional 2-D displays. Now, using 3-D Displays and TriDef Visualizer, these same 3D models appear to have a real physical depth to them, just like the actual objects they are modelling.

Which applications does TriDef Visualizer currently work with?

The current list of TriDef Visualizer Enabled Applications are available from the TriDef Visualizer Enabled Applications webpage.

Applications that are not listed can be tested for suitability throuh the TriDef Access Program, available from your TriDef Home Page.

Why does an orange DDD logo appear in the corner of a window?

The presence of this orange DDD logo indicates that TriDef Visualizer has successfully enhanced this application and you should be experiencing a 3-D effect. If not, please check the 3-D settings (3-D Scene Depth, Percent Behind Screen) for this application in the TriDef Control Panel.

Why does a gray DDD logo appear in the corner of a window?

A gray DDD logo indicates that TriDef Visualizer is enhancing this application, however it is currently in 2-D mode. It can be switched back into 3-D mode by right-clicking the TriDef Control Panel icon in the System Tray and selecting 'Switch Visualizer to 3D'.

Why does a DDD Logo with a ! appear in the corner of a window?

This logo indicates that there are insufficient system resources to run TriDef Visualizer properly. There are a few things you can try to remedy this:

  • Try quitting all open OpenGL applications, then restart just the one that Visualizer is working with.
  • If you are in NVIDIA DualView mode, try span mode.
  • If span mode is not available try this (the exact steps may vary between video cards and drivers):
    1. Make sure that the 3-D Display is the Primary display. If not, this will not work.
    2. Right-click the desktop and choose Properties
    3. Click the Advanced button.
    4. Click the GeForce tab.
    5. Select Performance and Quality Settings/OpenGL Settings
    6. Under Multi-Display Hardware Acceleration, choose Single-Display Mode
    7. Click Apply and OK to exit.
    8. Try opening the application Visualizer is working with, but only on the Primary display.
  • If you were not in DualView mode originally then your video card and/or drivers will require an update.

TriDef Visualizer used to work with my application and now it doesn't do anything at all. Why?

These are a few of the most likely causes:

  • Each Visualizer license is specific to a particular version of a third party application. If you upgrade that application Visualizer will no longer work, but you may be able to obtain an update. Contact Support for more information.
  • Some third party applications have the option to switch between OpenGL and DirectX modes. If you have switched to DirectX, Visualizer OpenGL will not be able to produce 3-D.
  • TriDef Control Panel settings are user-specific - you may have seen different effects because you were looking at someone else's settings. If you have multiple Internet Explorer plug-in windows open, not all of them will necessarily display in 3-D. Click here for more information.
  • If Visualizer is working but is just set to 2-D Mode, you will see a gray DDD logo in the bottom right corner of the image for a few seconds after it is switched. Right-click the TriDef Control Panel icon in the System Tray and choose 'Set Visualizer to 3D'.

TriDef Visualizer is doing something to my application, but it doesn't look much like 3-D. What's wrong?

Make sure that you have set the TriDef Control Panel to the correct type of 3-D Display.

Make sure you are in the correct viewing position. See the 3-D Display manufacturer's documentation for more information.

If you have a switchable 2-D/3-D Display, make sure that the screen is set to 3-D mode. Press the 3-D Button (or other control) a few times to check.

Check the 3-D Settings on the TriDef Control Panel Visualizer panel: they may be incorrectly set. Do this:

  1. Start the affected third party application and open a file so there is something displayed on the 3-D Display which should be in 3-D. Open the TriDef Control Panel Visualizer panel
  2. Click to select the application name.
  3. Set 3-D Scene Depth/3-D Strength to 15. This is a low setting which should eliminate the distortion caused by very high 3-D Scene Depth settings.
  4. Set Percent Behind Screen/3-D Focal Point to 90. This will place 90% of the image behind the screen. This should eliminate much of the distortion caused when too much of an image is in front of the screen.
  5. Click Apply.
  6. Look at the 3-D Display. If you can see some 3-D now it is likely your settings were just too strong. Experiment now to find the best 3-D effect without breaking up the image. You may also want to look at Adaptive 3-D Focus.

When I use the zoom control or rotate my model the 3-D effect seems to break. How do I fix it?

Use Adaptive 3D Focus.

What is Adaptive 3D Focus?

Adaptive 3D Focus ensures that the same relative 3-D Settings are applied to a model or data set, even when you change the view to a different angle or distance. This allows you to zoom and navigate freely while maintaining a high impact yet comfortable 3-D effect. It will also improve the 3-D effect when there is a lot of empty space around your data.

This per-application setting is available on the Visulizer tab of the TriDef Control Panel.

The Adaptive 3D Focus options reflect how quickly the 3-D Settings in an image are updated. If the model is moving quickly, then choose faster settings. Here are some recommended starting values:

  • For 1st person navigation, choose Slow or Off
  • For automatic model rotation, choose Medium
  • For manual model manipulation and navigation, choose Fast or Instant.

The 3-D effect is very jumpy. How do I fix it?

Review your Adaptive 3D Focus setting.

Why doesn't changing the Percent Behind Screen/3D Focal Point setting seem to make much difference to the 3-D effect?

There may be a lot of empty space around your data which is absorbing most of the 3D Settings changes. Use Adaptive 3D Focus. If 3D Scene Depth/3D Strength settings are too low it may be difficult to perceive a change in Percent Behind Screen/3D Focal Point.

Where can I find 3D Scene Depth, 3D Strength, Percent Behind Screen or 3D Focal Point settings?

All of these controls are on the TriDef Control Panel's Visualizer panel. 3D Scene Depth and 3D Strength are alternative labels for the same control. If you prefer one over the other, click the label and it will change. The same applies for Percent Behind Screen and 3D Focal Point.

Why does using Google Earth and TriDef Visualizer cause Google Earth to crash or stop responding?

Older or lower performance Graphics cards are sometimes capable of running Google Earth in normal 2-D, but will not function in 3-D. Google Earth will lock up or hang soon after starting. Unfortunately, there is no solution apart from using a more capable Graphics Card.

One known example is the NVIDIA GeForce4 440 Go used in the Sharp RD3D.