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Mac ATI cards, OpenGL versions, and CM freezes


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Ok. I've got a Mac (actually one of the old Power Computing clones with a G3 upgrade card) with an ATI Rage Orion video card. I've been running with OpenGL 1.1.2 installed with no problems. I haven't seen any of the problems some Mac users have reported with blacked-out text, for example.

About a week ago, I started having frequent freezes in CM. They can happen watching playback or while issuing orders, and everything just freezes. I can still move the mouse cursor, but CM stops responding completely, I can't ESC out to the Finder, and if I hit interrupt (or command-power) to enter Macsbug I get a blank grey screen. The only way out is to command-control-power to force a reboot.

About that same time, I had upgraded to OpenGL 1.2.1. Several Mac users having problems with CM reported that using this version fixed their problems. In my case, it seems to have created more than it solved (I haven't definitively demonstrated that the newer OpenGL is behind the problem, but I have my suspicions, and I've gone back to 1.1.2 -- we'll see if I get any more lockups).

Are any other mac users seeing similar symptoms to mine? I'm about to get a G4 tower system so this may be a moot point, but I just want to try to narrow things down some if possible.

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Leland J. Tankersley

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I have a new G4 400 SP and I too have experienced the freeze problem when playing the demo. It seemed random initially so I tried all of the recommended trouble shooting procedures. It didn't seem to change much however, as I've gotten used to playing the game the number of freezes has almost ceased. I can't explain it.

I have the blacked out text problem and would like to try the Open GL 1.2.1. Could you possibly e-mail it to me? It would be much appreciated because I have to find out what's going on by using line of sight all the time!

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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GJO:

I have a new G4 400 SP and I too have experienced the freeze problem when playing the demo.

... as I've gotten used to playing the game the number of freezes has almost ceased. I can't explain it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmm, that's odd. What version of MacOS are you running? I'm still running 8.6, that might have something to do with my problem I suppose. I tried reinstalling 1.2.1 last night and the first file I loaded I had the freeze occur. Back to 1.l.2 and it's working fine again.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I have the blacked out text problem and would like to try the Open GL 1.2.1. Could you possibly e-mail it to me?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

On the way! Be warned, it's about 5 MB. Hope you have a fat pipe to pull it through.

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Leland J. Tankersley

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  • 2 weeks later...

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by L.Tankersley:

Ok. I've got a Mac (actually one of the old Power Computing clones with a G3 upgrade card) with an ATI Rage Orion video card. I've been running with OpenGL 1.1.2 installed with no problems. I haven't seen any of the problems some Mac users have reported with blacked-out text, for example.

About a week ago, I started having frequent freezes in CM. They can happen watching playback or while issuing orders, and everything just freezes. I can still move the mouse cursor, but CM stops responding completely, I can't ESC out to the Finder, and if I hit interrupt (or command-power) to enter Macsbug I get a blank grey screen. The only way out is to command-control-power to force a reboot.

-deleted-

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

This sounds VERY similar to a problem I reported in the beta version and still have.It actually made it into the help section of the manual smile.gif. My hardware is almost identical. Powerlogix G3, ATI Xclaim128. The "solution" makes no sense to me, but I have used Conflict Catcher twice and it came up with the same result. (And those were long runs, very time consuming) The solution is to disable the backside cache on your G3 upgrade card. frown.gif

I don't know if this fixes it of just makes it less common, a lot less.

In the manual it has the http address to get the powerlogix utility to disable the backside cache.

Regards

Pat Ford

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Guest Madmatt

I have heard that the OpenGL 1.2.1 drivers cause issues with Orion cards. I have not heard of an Orion card yet that ever had the "text" problem so there is no reason they would need to upgrade to them.

FYI, MacOS 9.1 was just released this week and might be worth a try for those with lockups.

Madmatt

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