graphics card

[HEAVY METAL]

my computer here at the shop has a ATI-3d rage card in it.i just got done doing some 3d surface. machining and my verify of the tool path made the surface appear alot worse than it cut out at the machine. is this a video card problem or is mc's verify not up too par yet. i'm using mc 9.0 sp1.if it's a card problem i'm going to try to talk my boss into a upgrade. thanks heavy

[Mark H]

ATI Rage cards are not recommended for use with Mastercam, see link below...

http://www.emastercam.com/info/hardware.php?section=video

[Mark H]

Something to check, make sure you have the quality turned up to the highest position in Verify.

[jadaro]

I wouldn't reccomend an ATI card no matter how good they say it is.

 

Its the video card drivers that count the most, bad drivers will make even the fastest card worthless- And ATI is nutorious for having underperforming and pathetic drivers, as a matter of fact almost every single 3D game or application has erratta very specifically noting the ATI graphical anomalies-and believe me, there are usually quite a few.

 

I personally advocate using Nvidia cards myself, they have very stable WHQL drivers and always perform very well.

 

If you're considering getting new computers, don't get any with builtin video cards (On the motherboard- SiS in peticular)! For true 3D applications, onboard video cards just don't cut it-they simply aren't built for the bandwidth like AGP cards. Likely in the next MasterCam release, they will have better support for 3D - so I would think they might actually use hardware acceleration.

 

Its probly easy to say that since they're trying to convert to a more windows based/integrated environment, that they might as well use DirectX.

 

Althought I can probly say that it would be easier and more worthwild for them to use OpenGL, because its sources available and are not PROPRIETARY(confound Micro$oft)! OpenGL - Open Graphics Library is probly a good soultion for them, though under liscense agreements they may have to divulge the altered sources for the (IF they) create specialized graphics runtimes.

 

I would like to mention that the RAGE PRO was one of the worst ATI cards ever made. It may sound harsh, but that chipset has likely got the most bugs of any ATI has ever made. I've seen the rage pro listed more times in glitches section than any other single card. I would indeed get a new card, the choice is up to you or your boss on the brand though.

 

[ 02-12-2003, 07:41 PM: Message edited by: jadaro ]

[jadaro]

Mark,

I just noticed Mastercam already uses OpenGL

 

Those reccomendation are quite a bit high, not alot of shops will have PC's running that fast unless they've upgraded withing the last 6 months, and if they had gotten that speed of processor, they would have been spending a pretty penny on them.

 

 

I'm just money concious on PC's, its like Buying milk now days anyway, you might as well go ahead and put an expiration date on the hardware!

[Rick Damiani]

quote:

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Those reccomendation are quite a bit high, not alot of shops will have PC's running that fast unless they've upgraded withing the last 6 months, and if they had gotten that speed of processor, they would have been spending a pretty penny on them.

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MasterCAM likes big, fast computers alright. But it can also be very happy with smaller, slower, and cheaper ones if that is what you want to run it on.

 

'Course, one wonders why a shop interested in productivity would spend the kind of money it takes to acquire MasterCAM only to nickle-and-dime the computer to run it on. Kinda like getting a top-of-the-line CNC mill and then limiting yourself to cheap, trashy tooling.

[Bullines]

I wrote the recommendations based on hardware that would run Mastercam effortlessly in typical situations (not simply satisfactorily nor bleeding edge). Formula-1 drivers don't race with Chevettes, and I would think CNC Programmers would expect the same kind of performace out of their CAM software/hardware.

[Guest]

My workstation had an ATI card and the card has been sent back to Dell for refund. I understand I am not the only on to have returned them. I now have a mid priced Nvidia card and am happy with it.

[Richie21]

I have the same card as above, it isn't even mentioned anywhere to compare it against anything of a known value, even by the manufacturer. It may have been a special deal, el cheepo for the computer manufacturer, better than nothing kind of a deal.