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Aug 27, 2001, 3:59pm

Hi,

While I am not a 3.2 beta tester, I read the preliminary manual at
http://www.activeworlds.com/help/aw32/ with extreme interest.

I observed that Software mode is making a comeback and is the
new default mode.

I think this is a bad idea because new users are the ones most likely
to be using newer computers with less problems.

You will get many new people with new computers turned away from
ActiveWorlds; because they observe slow performance and are too
impatient to reconfigure the browser. Which means slower revenue
growth for AWLD.

Why not:

- Autodetect the prescence of DirectX 8 or later
(This is a good indicator that the computer's recent or been kept up to
date)

or

- Autodetect an nVidia/RADEON graphics card and other high-compatibility
cards
and select Direct3D automatically.

or

- Query the Direct3D driver for supported capabilities.
If multitexturing and T&L is supported, then automatically enable Direct3D
(The prescence of T&L is a good indicator of a recent graphics card;
and recent drivers; which means fewer problems)

I urge you to keep Direct3D the default, or at least automatically detect
the problem cases. Nowadays, there's just two main cards in new computers:
RADEON or nVidia Geforce2/3 .... They are usually very problem-free nowadays
so it is a prudent idea to at least automatically detect this (query
graphics
driver maybe, and search for "RADEON" / "Geforce" in driver name string?)

Just making an observation!

Thanks!
Mark Rejhon

Aug 27, 2001, 4:10pm

Hi,

In a nutshell, my post solves:
- Good Out of Box Experience for New Users (business goal)
*and*
- Keeping Tech Support Volume Down (programmer goal)

It is easy for a programmer (like myself or Roland) to forget business goals
which is essential in the long term - there needs to be major improvements
to the immersion / out of box experience to attract an audience .... And
going to software mode default is a definite step backwards in a business
perspective.

Easiest solution: Automatic detection for common cases of problem-free 3D
configurations. (Thankfully we're down to two main competitors: nVidia and
ATI, so autodetect is easy)



[View Quote]

Aug 27, 2001, 6:59pm

there's a simple mode for ppl that shouldn't be using the software anyway in
3.2... if they don't know how to switch rendering mode they're in trouble
because then they truly won't be able to change any of the other settings
either... oh, and there are help files that anyone can read...

KAH
PS. what about the ppl upgrading from 2.2 that wonder why it doesn't work,
which would mean the AWC would get like hundreds of mails every day "hey,
everything is white, some object won't load, AW is broken, fix it!"...

[View Quote]

Aug 27, 2001, 7:29pm

ActiveWorlds needs to make money; most new computers and new users
will get impatient with slow 3D, especially if they also play 3D
videogames....

So there's incentive to cut tech support complaints by BOTH the 2.2
upgraders,
the completely-new users who expect a good "out of box" experience
(that requires enabling 3D acceleration), the 3.0 users who needed to
reinstall
Windows and reinstalled ActiveWorlds complain about loss of performance;
etc.
You have to look at the WHOLE picture ;-)

At the very least, detect for the common cases of recent problem-free
configs.

Roland could easily err on the side of caution; but you could at least
make sure that Direct3D mode is defaulted on most computers
purchased today from DELL and Gateway (basically, recent drivers /
recent DirectX / recent Radeon or Geforce2/3).
I have observed that it's starting to get pretty problem-free
with recent nVidia/ATI systems as I buy new computers for friends
and family members. Things seem to run right off the bat on these
2001-purchased computer systems.

///////////

Here's another idea for idiot-proofing:

Automatically revert to software on the next execution.
Basically, you would simply set an AWORLD.INI setting called
"StartupCount" upon startup and "ExitCount"
upon exit, to automatically detect (1) whenever AW starts for
first time, (2) whenever AW crashed on previous execution.

Basically, if you start AW for the second time, and it
finds StartupCount=1 and ExitCount=0 that means it crashed
on the last time it ran (because it never had a chance to increment
ExitCount). You can then execute a "safe mode" ActiveWorlds
configuration in this event! And people won't have to
spend hours trying to figure out how to fix their installation.
The only problem, is that it might have crashed for other
reasons. So you might want to prompt a confirmation
dialog "Your ActiveWorlds did not shut down properly on
the previous execution. Do you want to reset ActiveWorlds
configuration to maximum compatibility (slowest performance)
settings? [Yes] [No]"

Could cut down tech support volume...


[View Quote]

Aug 27, 2001, 9:31pm

i downloaded 3.2 and the default was directx... i
couldnt even get software mode to work at all and
the other mode was way too slow

and i know im not in beta bnut the grid thing was
a good idea but how its used is very poor you
should be able to decide whether the grid overlaps
the objects or not... with the way it is now i
dont find it very useful at all

[View Quote]

Aug 27, 2001, 11:11pm

If you were already using Direct3D with 3.1 you will have automatically been using it in 3.2 by default since it just takes your 3.1 settings.

[View Quote] > i downloaded 3.2 and the default was directx... i
> couldnt even get software mode to work at all and
> the other mode was way too slow
>
> and i know im not in beta bnut the grid thing was
> a good idea but how its used is very poor you
> should be able to decide whether the grid overlaps
> the objects or not... with the way it is now i
> dont find it very useful at all
>
[View Quote]

Aug 28, 2001, 4:23am

well then those people who it starts off with
software mode by default probably dont have
directx... unless theyre installing for the first
time BUT it asks you what video mode you want when
you first run it so this person obviously didnt
pay attention to that

[View Quote]
[View Quote]

Aug 28, 2001, 4:31am

sorry i just realized all he did was look at the
help files :/

[View Quote]

Aug 28, 2001, 10:29am

AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! it's a Microsoft employee!!!!!!! *hides*

KAH

[View Quote]

Aug 31, 2001, 6:54pm

That's quite impossible, maybe you did it using the upgrade mechanism? If so, D3D will be the
default, for new installations (downloading awb[xx].exe) will start in software. There's a
slight chance I could be wrong, slight :)
--

Young Phalpha

[View Quote] and i know im not in beta bnut the grid thing was
a good idea but how its used is very poor you
should be able to decide whether the grid overlaps
the objects or not... with the way it is now i
dont find it very useful at all

[View Quote]

Aug 31, 2001, 7:22pm

You have no ability to make comments/judgements as you're not on the beta list.

-Agent1

[View Quote]

Aug 31, 2001, 7:47pm

So since when did you own the AW browser? If they have access to the software, on beta list or
not, they are welcome to do so I believe. Its all in in the first amendment! Freedom of Speech!
(USA, that is, but that is where AW operates at...)

--
Young Phalpha

[View Quote] -Agent1

[View Quote]

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