RELEASE NOTES FOR THE BETA 2 MACH8 FLEXDESK WINDOWS DRIVER

ATI TECHNOLOGIES INC
3761 Victoria Park Ave
Scarborough, Ont.
CANADA. M1W 3S2

Head Office, Sales and Marketing ...... (416) 756-0718
Customer Support ...................... (416) 756-0711
FAX ................................... (416) 756-0720
ATI BBS ............................... (416) 756-4591
Compuserve............................. GO ATITECH
     Corilee Fox....................... 76004,3656 Beta Coordinator
     Fred Weigel....................... 74740,652  Engineering
     Allan Nelson...................... 74740,667  Customer Support
     Rob Levings....................... 74220,2561 Multimedia

..............................................................................


Contents

1.0     Introduction and Installation
2.0     Bug Reporting
3.0     Contents of Distribution Diskette
4.0     Requirements
5.0     Manual Installation of Files
6.0     Configuration Settings
7.0     Crystal Font Installation
8.0     Errors


1.0     Introduction and Installation

This is the second beta release of the mach8 FlexDesk Windows Driver.

The mach8 FlexDesk Windows Driver is an enhanced mode driver that will 
work only on 80386 and 80486-based systems.  

Unlike previous mach8 drivers, where the user must go into Windows Setup 
and select another driver every time a resolution or font environment 
change is required, the mach8 FlexDesk Windows driver is a single driver 
that contains all resolutions, font environments, color depths, and 
additional features.

Once the mach8 FlexDesk driver is installed and Windows is started, you 
will notice an ATI Utlities Group that contains the ATI mach8 FlexDesk 
icon.   

Clicking on the icon will open the FlexDesk Control Panel.  
This panel gives you easy access to color depths, screen resolutions,
CRYSTAL Fonts in all resolutions (256 color modes only), different font
environments (in logical dots per inch - LDPI), and the ability to 
disable the color pallette for greater performance.

The FlexDesk Control Panel will automatically edit the WIN.INI file and 
restart Windows.

We are confident this beta release will solve most of the problems you 
have been experiencing with the current mach8 drivers, as well as provide 
more features, flexibility, and significantly increased performance.

If you do come accross any problems, please report them as soon as 
possible by fax or CompuServe to the mach8 beta coordinator, using the 
attached form.  This will give us the opportunity to clear up any 
remaining problems and ensure that the production release of this driver 
is as clean as possible.
                                                                            
Installation
                    
To install this release, if it was downloaded from Compserve, please
unpack the distribution files onto a diskette, or to a separate directory,
prior to running the INSTALL Program. (See next paragraph)

Run the supplied INSTALL.EXE utility. Specify the diskette or directory 
containing the driver, then your Windows directory.

Use the Microsoft Windows SETUP utility (from DOS), and select the "ATI
mach8 Driver". This will complete the driver installation. To restore your
previous display driver, run SETUP, and reselect the old driver.

To change resolution or color depth, please run the FlexDesk Control Panel
that was installed into Windows. The driver initially comes up in 640x480
16 color mode. Other modes can be easily selected from the FlexDesk
Control Panel.

This driver supports the ATI 38800 (mach8) with 512KB or 1MB of memory.
Both 16 and 256 color modes are supported in resolutions of 640x480,
800x600 and 1024x768. 1280x1024 support is provided in 16 colors only.

Only modes supported by your card will be enabled in the FlexDesk driver.
Unsupported modes will be greyed out.

FlexDesk will only work with Windows in 386 Enhanced Mode. To use the
mach8 on a 286 based processor, or in Windows Standard Mode, use the
supplied Microsoft 8514/A driver.

Crystal Fonts is supported in this beta.


2.0     Reporting Bugs

When reporting problems with this driver, please reference the driver
build number. When in doubt about the build number, call up the FlexDesk
Control Panel, and read the build number. If the build number is not
available (NA), then

(a)     You may not be running the FlexDesk driver. Check that one of the
        MACH-??.DRV files is referenced in SYSTEM.INI.

(b)     Your bug may be preventing the Control Panel from reading the
        driver build number. Try restarting Windows, and if this does not
        remedy the problem, report the Date, Time and Size of the driver
        (MACH.DRV file).

(c)     You may be using BitStream Facelift 2.0. If you are using this
        Typeface Manager, report the Date, Time and Size of the driver
        (MACH.DRV file).

BETA TESTER'S RESPONSIBILITIES

In order to make the mach8 Beta Program successful, ATI needs your 
prompt action on the following:

     - Install and use the drivers promptly.
     - Test the product for reliability, useability, and robustness.
     - Complete and return the enclosed Problem Report Forms.

Although we have put much effort into the verification of this driver, 
it is still pre-release software.  We strongly suggest you back up any 
important existing data/programs before installing or running the mach8 
driver.

WARNING !  ATI is not responsible for any problems resulting from the 
use of this software. PLEASE MAKE COPIES OF YOUR FILES!

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Technical Support for the mach8/mach32 Beta Program will be provided by 
ATI's Customer Support and Engineering development team.  Communicating 
the problems you experience while using mach8/mach32 is essential.  

The mach8/mach32 Beta Response Form is provided for you to report problems.  
Make multiple photocopies of the form and use a separate form for each 
problem being reported.  

Please mail or fax your completed forms to us as soon as possible.  

ATI Customer Support will take complete details of problems experienced and 
forward them to our Engineering development team for testing and resolution.

PROBLEM REPORT FORM

Please complete this form and return it to ATI Technologies Inc. at 
the address or fax number listed below, or return via CompuServe.  
Make multiple copies of this form.  

Please attach C-INFO output to all problem reports submitted. 
Use a separate form for each problem being reported.

ATI Technologies Inc.
3761 Victoria Park Avenue
Scarborough, Ontario
Canada  M1W 3S2
Attention:  mach8/mach32 Beta Coordinator 

FAX:  (416)756-0720

Product Name:  mach8/mach32 Windows driver
Rev. Number: beta 2
Customer Name:
CompuServe Address:
Fax Number:
Address:

My Hardware is Configured as follows:
CPU/Speed:
Hard Disk Space:
Memory:
Video Adapter (Make and Model):              BIOS #:
Audio Adapter (Make and Model):
CD-ROM Drive (Make and Model):
Software:

Other system/software Information:

Problem description:



Impact of problem:

 

If you are sending any dumps, test cases or documentation associated 
with this problem, list them here:


3.0     Contents of Distribution Diskette

The following files are on the distribution diskette. The files are
decompressed into the appropriate directories by the INSTALL utility.

        install.exe             Driver installation utility
        install.vsf             Installation utility file
        install.hlp             Installation utility help
        machw.lzh               Mach driver components that go to WINDOWS
        machs.lzh               Mach driver components that go to SYSTEM
        readme                  Initial Instructions
        readme.com              Utility to read readme file
        lharc.exe               Decompression utility


4.0     Requirements

FlexDesk requires an ATI 38800 (mach8) based graphics controller. The
driver is designed to work best with Windows 3.1. Windows 3.0 operation is
possible, at the expense of some features and performance. Windows must be
in Enhanced mode for FlexDesk to run.

A minimum of 512KB of Video Memory is required for FlexDesk operation.

Video Memory Required:

                        16 color        256 color    Crystal Fonts
        640x480         512KB           1MB          1MB
        800x600         512KB           1MB          1MB
        1024x768        512KB           1MB          1MB
        1280x1024       1MB             ---          ---

The FlexDesk Control Panel will grey out modes which are not valid based
on the modes supported by your card and available memory.


5.0     Manual Installation of Files

This should only be attempted if the Automatic Install Fails!!

Manual installation of the FlexDesk driver is not recommended. Use the
Microsoft SETUP utility to initially install the driver, and then use the
FlexDesk Control Panel to make modifications to the setup. This section
serves to document the various changes that are made to the SYSTEM.INI and
WIN.INI files. For more information on the [Mach] settings, see the
Configuration section.

Copy all files EXCEPT

        mxxpanel.exe    mxxpanel.hlp

to the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. Copy the listed files to the WINDOWS
directory.

Modify WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI.

        [boot]
        386grabber=mach.3gr
        oemfonts.fon=8514oem.fon
        fixedfon.fon=8514fix.fon
        fonts.fon=8514sys.fon
        display.drv=mach-80.drv

        [boot.description]
        aspect=100,120,120
        display.drv=ATI mach8 Driver

        [386Enh]
        display=machvdd.386
        device=mach.386

Add a section to WINDOWS\WIN.INI.

        [Mach]
        PixelDepth=8
        DesktopSize=1024
        ScreenSize=1024

This sets the driver up for 1024x768, 8 bpp, 120 ldpi. To use other pixel
depths and ldpi settings, change the settings as appropriate. Select the
[boot] display.drv from this table:

                4 bpp        8 bpp        8 bpp         Crystal
                             no palette   palette       fonts
96 ldpi         mach-46.drv  mach-36.drv  mach-86.drv   mach-g6.drv
120 ldpi        mach-40.drv  mach-30.drv  mach-80.drv   mach-g0.drv
128 ldpi        mach-48.drv  mach-38.drv  mach-88.drv   mach-g8.drv

When changing ldpi, select the fonts and aspect ratio used:

                        Large Font      DTP             Small Font
                        120 ldpi        128 ldpi        96 ldpi
        [boot]
        oemfonts.fon=   8514oem.fon     8514oem.fon     vgaoem.fon
        fixedfon.fon=   8514fix.fon     8514fix.fon     vgafix.fon
        fonts.fon=      8514sys.fon     8514sys.fon     vgasys.fon

        [boot.description]
        aspect=         100,120,120     100,128,128     100,96,96

Each of the shell drivers (MACH-??.DRV) has suggested Windows default
colors. In order to make use of these colors, you can delete the entries
in the WIN.INI [colors] section. This will prevent inadvertently selecting
colors that make the menu entries disappear.


6.0     Configuration Settings

WIN.INI [Mach] Entries


NOTE:
 
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT CHANGES MADE TO THESE SETTINGS MAY TRIGGER ACTIONS
THAT AFFECT THE OPERATION OF WINDOWS. IF PROBLEM APPEAR AFTER CHANGES
HAVE BEEN MADE, WE SUGGEST THAT YOU CHANGE THEM BACK TO ORIGINAL SETTINGS
PRIOR TO CALLING ATI.

WE ALSO SUGGEST YOU SAVE COPIES OF YOUR WIN.INI AND SYSTEM.INI PRIOR TO
MAKING ANY CHANGES.

The [Mach] section of WIN.INI has many switches which can be tailored to
change FlexDesk. Most of the switches are alterable via the FlexDesk
Control Panel, and this is the preferred way to change them.

CacheCharacters         = on | off                      Default on

Allow for caching characters into the off-screen memory area. Edit WIN.INI
[Mach] directly to modify this setting.

DesktopSize             = 640 | 800 | 1024 | 1280       Default 640

Choose size of Windows work area. The screen may be smaller than the work
area (see ScreenSize setting), in which case the Virtual Desktop feature
is activated. Use the mouse to pan the display over the desktop. 640
selects 640x480, 800 selects 800x600, 1024 selects 1024x768 and 1280
selects 1280x1024. All modes have 4:3 aspect (which results in square
pixels), except 1280. (1280x1024 is a 5:4 pixel ratio. Square pixels 4:3
with 1280 would be 1280x960). Edit WIN.INI [Mach] directly to modify this
setting.

Dithering               = on | off                      Default on

Allow for disabling color dithering. This results in faster performance,
at the expense of color fidelity. Edit WIN.INI [Mach] directly to modify
this setting.

DeviceBitmap            = on | off                      Default on

Allow for realizing bitmaps in the off-screen memory area. For some
applications (for example BitStream Facelift), this feature must be turned
off. Use the FlexDesk Control Panel to modify this setting.

DeviceBitmapDraw        = on | off                      Default off

Allow the drawing engine to draw into realized bitmaps. DeviceBitmap=on
must be set for this to have any effect. Edit WIN.INI [Mach] directly to
modify this setting.

EngineBlt               = on | off                      Default on

Use the blit engine. Edit WIN.INI [Mach] directly to modify this setting.

ErrorFatal              = on | off                      Default on

When set on, all startup errors are treated as fatal, and will result in
returning to the DOS prompt. When set to off, a message is displayed and
the user is invited to press <D> to return to the DOS prompt, or <I> to
ignore the error and continue. Edit WIN.INI [Mach] directly to modify this
setting.

PaletteManager          = on | off                      Default on

Enable palette management when PixelDepth=8. This allows applications to
control the physical palette, and permits applications such as After Dark
to do palette cycling animation. When the PaletteManage is off, the color
mode will use a fixed 332 (3 bits Red, 3 bits Green, 2 bits Blue) palette.
Use the FlexDesk Control Panel to modify this setting.

Pixel                   = on | off                      Default off

Enable put and get pixel through the engine. Can improve performance when
aperture is disabled.

PixelDepth              = 4 | 8                         Default 8

Choose number of bits per pixel. 4 allows 16 colors, and 8 allows 256
colors. Use the FlexDesk Control Panel to modify this setting.

Polygon                 = on | off                      Default on

When set on, Polygons are accelerated by the drawing engine. Edit WIN.INI
[Mach] directly to modify this setting.

PolyLine                = on | off                      Default on

When set on, PolyLines are accelerated by the drawing engine. Edit WIN.INI
[Mach] directly to modify this setting.

ScreenSize              = 640 | 800 | 1024 | 1280       Default DesktopSize

Select the screen size (screen mode). Use the FlexDesk Control Panel to
modify this setting.

ScanLine                = on | off                      Default on

Use the mach8 engine to assist in scanline drawing. Edit WIN.INI [Mach]
directly to modify this setting.

SlowDither              = on | off                      Default off

When on, VGA style dithering is used (when in 256 color palette manager
enabled mode). When off, a faster dithering algorithm is used. Use the
FlexDesk Control Panel to modify this setting.

StretchBlt              = on | off                      Default on

Enable driver StretchBlt when on. If set to off, GDI StretchBlt will be
used instead. Edit WIN.INI [Mach] directly to modify this setting.

VGADAC                  = on | off                      Default off

Program VGA DAC in synch with 8514/A DAC registers. Edit WIN.INI [Mach]
directly to modify this setting.

WIFE                    = on | off                      Default off

Support Windows Intelligent Font Extensions (MBCS support). This allows
FlexDesk to be used with Asian Windows versions. Do not turn this switch
on with North American Windows. WIFE will just slow down your system. Edit
WIN.INI [Mach] directly to modify this setting.

CrystalFonts            = on | off                      Default off

When set on, enables the CRYSTAL Font feature. When CRYSTAL Fonts is
enabled, the palette is fixed in 8 bpp non- programmable mode. 5 gradients
of red, blue and green (125 colors) are available in the palette. Also the
usual 20 Windows system colors are supported, and 16 shades of gray
(including black and white). The remainder of the palette is unused.

GSFonts                 = <path: c:\gsfonts>            Default NONE

If this entry is specified, the directory path is used to search for the
CRYSTAL Font outlines. If not specified (normal), the environment variable
GSFONTS is used instead.

MinFontSize             = <number: 0..255>              Default 8

Minimum height of a font in pixels to be anti-aliased (CRYSTAL Fonts). If
a font renders to less than MinFontSize, it is not anti-aliased. This
allows very small characters to remain legible.

SystemFont              = <font>                        Default HelveticaBold

Allows the Windows System Font to be specified when CrystalFonts=on. This
font is used for Icon titles, menus, etc. This entry should be used with
Windows 3.0 only, because Windows 3.1 allows changing the System font
through its own mechanism.

TextGamma               = <number: 20..300>             Default 100

This setting controls the edge sharpness for the CRYSTAL Fonts feature.
Higher values lighten up the edge pixels, giving you "thinner" characters.


The following settings are recommended to maximize performance on mach8
hardware:

        CacheCharacters=on
        DeviceBitmap=on
        DeviceBitmapDraw=on
        EngineBlt=on
        Pixel=on
        Polygon=on
        Polyline=on
        ScanLine=on


7.0     Crystal Font Installation

If you've installed this beta then crystal fonts is ready to go. Bring up
the FlexDesk Control Panel and choose 256 colors then click on the Crystal
Font button. Set this dialog box as desired and Crystal is running.

To set System Font for program manager edit your WIN.INI file, [MACH]
section, SystemFont value.

         WIN.INI file:

         [Mach]
         SystemFont=<FontName>                  Defaults is HeveticaBold


To set Icon title font and size for program manager edit your WIN.INI
file, [DESKTOP] sectiont, IconTitleFaceName and IconTitleSize values.

        WIN.INI file:

        [DESKTOP]
        IconTitleFaceName=<FontName>            Defaults is MS San Serif
        IconTitleSize=<number>                  Defaults is 8 points

The CRYSTAL Fonts feature can use Windows 3.1 TrueType fonts and ATI GSF
format fonts. Use of GSF fonts requires that the CRYSTAL fonts be placed
in a directory. In the WIN.INI file set GsFonts in the [Mach] section to
the directory the fonts are in prior to running the driver. GSFONTS are
not currently distributed, as they have been superceded by TrueType. See
Configuration setting of this document for details on the Crystal Fonts
settings (CrystalFonts, GSFonts, MinFontSize, SystemFont and TextGamma).


8.0     Errors

All FlexDesk error messages are issued at startup. The error message is
displayed, and the system speaker is beeped. You are then invited to press
a key to return to DOS. This behavior can be modified to allow the
operator to ignore the error and proceed (see the ErrorFatal switch).

Errors:

The ATI FlexDesk Windows Driver requires an ATI 68800 or 38800 based
video board or product.

The BIOS ROM cannot be accessed. Please refer to your owners manual
for hardware setup assistance.

The ROM BIOS Query has returned a failure. Please ensure that the BIOS ROM
is enabled, and that you have set up at least one video mode.

You have insufficient Video Memory to run a ???x???/??? video mode. Run
Windows SETUP from DOS and select a lower resolution mode.

The ATI FlexDesk Windows Driver requires Windows to be run in 386 Enhanced
Mode. Select the Microsoft 8514/A Driver to use your video board with
a 286 based processor, or to use Windows in Standard Mode. If necessary,
Windows Enhanced Mode can be forced on a 386 base processor by starting
Windows using the WIN /3 command. This is required on machines with less
than 4 Mb of system memory.

The ATI FlexDesk Windows Driver cannot be started. No additional information
is available. Probable cause is insufficient resources or general
system failure. Please ensure system integrity and retry. If the
problem persists, contact customer support services with the following
error code: ???.

The ???x??? mode cannot be started. Please ensure that you have
installed the requested mode using the Mach8 or Mach32 INSTALL utility.
Your selected monitor may not be capable of operating in the requested
mode - if this is the case, run Windows setup from DOS and select
a compatible mode.

The ATI FlexDesk Windows Driver cannot be started. The BIOS ROM has failed to
activate the requested mode. Please contact customer support services.

The BIOS ROM on your ATI Accelerator does not appear to support the
functions required by the ATI FlexDesk Windows Driver. Please install the
Microsoft 8514/A driver using the Windows SETUP utility.
