XANSYS Message: 17059 [Go back to message list]
[bookmark on del.icio.us]
No rating yet
Rate item:

Subject: Re: latest NT graphics cards for ANSYS.... ? inter im result.....
Author: Chris Hawkins
Date: 2000-10-25 15:33:00

With regard to the cursor affecting speed, we think this is due to not
getting
hardware cursor support from the graphics card. It seems to affect all
GL-based
graphics (which would probably include your CAD systems and DesignSpace as
well).

We've notice that this can happen when you are not using a monochrome
cursor.

To test this out on your system...

Go to control panel
Open up the Mouse icon
Select the 'Pointers' tab.

Make sure the 'Scheme' is set to 'none' and see if it makes a difference.

Chris.

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 11:00 PM
To: xansys

im result.....

/DEMO is very cool for graphics performance, but what I've found is that if
using 3D graphics, the cursor should not be on the graphics window;
otherwise, much slower (2x) speed times will be reported. I never bothered
to figure out if this was due to my crappy graphics cards or with ANSYS, but
this was exhibited on a few different PCs using 5.5.x and 5.6.x. (I can't
recall the specific versions since it was a while ago, but I just checked,
and the same thing occurs at 5.6.2 on my laptop -- then again, the ATI Rage
Mobility-P on a laptop isn't one which screams, anyway) You can try this --
issue something like /DEMO,100,1 and move your cursor over the Graphics
window, and the plots will be about twice as slow. Hence, when doing
benchmarks/comparisons, please keep this in mind, if this affects you.

Another thing I've never figured out is why, when comparing /GRAPH,POWER and
/GRAPH,FULL, that speed times don't vary dramatically for 3D graphics.
Attached is a small PDF file showing some differences between win32 and 3D
graphics. (Remember that this is done just now on my notebook, so it's not
with a good graphics card) It's a model of a meshed cube. With 3D
graphics, the differences between Full and PowerGraphics seem minimal. I
see a similar trend with many (but not all) other types of ANSYS models. I
haven't pinpointed why this is so. Maybe because the object is stored as a
"3D" object, rotation speed is negligible for either a "full" model or
powergraphics object, as long as both fit in memory since OpenGL stores
stuff as a 3D array, or something like that, rather than a 2D graphics
algorithm which does a projection into 2D at every rotation (like
z-buffering algorithm, etc.)... I forgot the details of this stuff. Also,
with win32 graphics, contour plots, element plots, etc. seem faster with
/POWER,GRAPH, but actions like multiplots (GPLOT) aren't as dramatically
faster.

Anyways, I was never much of a graphics performance person, but I like using
/DEMO as Paul mentioned below, with different configurations. I use it
mainly for 3D OpenGL drivers since, for x11 or win32, I don't think the
graphics card is used much (or directly) by that driver. However, it's
interesting to use win32 since many of us probably still use it, although,
if I recall correctly, the win32 results tend to be more related to CPU
rather than graphics card (as noted above)...

Like I mentioned above, I used to think I knew this graphics stuff, but
there are so many permutations, I soon gave up. If it plots fast and
correctly, I'm golden -- anything else, I whine loud and persistently to my
boss (in response to a very hilarious posting of Mark Rodamaker's).

Laters,
Sheldon
CSI

----- Original Message -----
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 12:55 PM

result.....

> Mike,

> Try /DEMO,100,1 to compare graphics performance.

> This will rotate the current display 100 times and print out the data to
the
> output window.

> Paul Tallon
> ANSYS Inc.

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Michael W. Hiller [SMTP:mhiller@i...]
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 3:22 PM
> > To: Xansys
> > Subject: [xansys] Re: latest NT graphics cards for ANSYS.... ?
> > interim result.....

> > thanks for all the suggestions last week on video cards.....

> > I went with the NVIDIA chipset... less risk than the "newer" chipset we
> > discussed.
> > rec'd and installed a GeFORCE 32 meg DDR card card card today....
> > (check out UBID.COM - - they seem to be selling a lot of VisionTeks and
> > the
> > prices are lower now than last week - - winning prices now around $179
vs
> > $189 last week)

> > I wrote a do loop macro to compare my old card (Diamond GL1000Pro) to
this
> > new one... this macro rotates a large model (70,000 brick45, 2500
volumes)
> > and alternates EPLOT and VPLOT. The macro then calculates the DELTACPU
> > and
> > DELTAWALL (from the benchmark macros! thanks PADT!).

> > The deltas are about 25% quicker with the new card.... probably CPU or
> > AGPx1
> > limited now. The interactive spinning is incredibly faster...
virtually
> > no
> > delay compared to my old card....

> > results were even about 2% better with new drivers downloaded from
> > Austin////

> > picked up another 1% using ANSYS 5.7 beta2.... will be trying it on
beta3
> > later in week.....

> > well this was the best $200 upgrade I ever saw..... maybe do the Quadro
> > hack in a couple weeks....

> > well thanks for all your suggestions.....

> > I did not mean to turn XANSYS into a hardware discussion, but with all
the
> > consideration being given recently to the batch CPU and Harddrive
> > benchmarks, I thought some "interactive" data might be appropriate....
> > after all, I think most of us spend the majority of our time in front of
> > the
> > tube doing preprocessing anyway......
> > enuf said....

> > take care and regards,

> > Michael W. Hiller
> > In2 Solutions, Inc.
> > MCAE Consultants specializing in Multi-Physics ANSYS FEA and Pro/E
> > Modeling
> > and Design Automation
> > "Offering consulting, training, implementation, and other individualized
> > solutions for your product design and analysis challenges"
> > 229 Strathburgh Lane Suite 201
> > Cary, NC 27511
> > Tele: 919/851-0373
> > Fax: same number, Tele first to arrange
> > or E-FAX: 253/276-9344
> > Email: mhiller@i...
> > Visit our newly expanded WEB site: www.in2solutions.com

Posts possibly associated with message #17059AuthorDateScore
17028Re: latest NT graphics cards for ANSYS.... ? inter im result.....Paul Tallon2000/10/24 
17032Re: latest NT graphics cards for ANSYS.... ? inter im result.....Sheldon Imaoka2000/10/24 
17039Re: latest NT graphics cards for ANSYS.... ? inter im result.....John Sims2000/10/25 
17059Re: latest NT graphics cards for ANSYS.... ? inter im result.....Chris Hawkins2000/10/25 
17065Re: latest NT graphics cards for ANSYS.... ? inter im result.....Sheldon Imaoka2000/10/25