How to get this thing started?

sofasurfer · Post #1by **sofasurfer** » 10.01.2003, 01:36

I just downloaded Celestia. When I click on the file DX81eng I get a dialog box that wants me to choose which application I want to open it with. What do I use??

I am running WinME with 384 Mgs and my video is S3 Savage 3D AGP. Should I be able to run Celestia?

Please post here or feel free to write me at sofasurfer@blclinks.net

Thanks...

Darkmiss · Post #2by **Darkmiss** » 10.01.2003, 02:14

Are you trying to install the program or run the program ?

DX81eng is not part of Celestia, thats Direct X 8.1

Tell us more of what you have done so far.....

sofasurfer · Post #3by **sofasurfer** » 10.01.2003, 05:20

Well I'm glad SOMEONES paying attention cause I guess I'm not.

I should have noticed that was Direct X. I downloaded Celestia (Really I Did) and when I looked for it I had trouble finding it. I don't know how I got so confused. I just looked again and Celestia is NOT in my computer. There IS a shortcut to it in my Windows/Recent folder though and I did NOT put it there.

Apparently Celestia is such a realistic program that it sent a alien to my PC and sabataged me.

I'm downloading it again now. We'll see if I can get it right this time.

Thanks...

sofasurfer · Post #4by **sofasurfer** » 10.01.2003, 06:22

OK...I got it installed. When I try to run it the border around the screen is formed and then my PC hangs up with the desktop still showing.
Any ideas what I do next?

Buzz · Post #5by **Buzz** » 10.01.2003, 11:15

Updating your video driver may help, or tuning the OpenGL settings.

sofasurfer · Post #6by **sofasurfer** » 10.01.2003, 22:03

I didn't think I had Opengl since I have NEVER seen that word before now. But I was just told that all Windows since '95 have had it so I guess my WinME must have it. I was also just told that my old S3 Savage 3D probably doesn't support it worth a dang.

Question...Where do I find Opengl (if its on my pc) and how do I tune it?

Thanks...

Darkmiss · Post #7by **Darkmiss** » 11.01.2003, 01:11

I don't think that card will use OpenGL at all
I think it too old for OpenGL

I may be wrong im not sure, but it sounds like it
A bigger and better card may be in order.

some kind of a Nvidia Gforce card, would work well.

sofasurfer · Post #8by **sofasurfer** » 11.01.2003, 04:19

OK, I'll start looking at Video card prices... But WAIT!!! I don't want to sound too stupid but am I correct in guessing that there IS a differance between video card and graphics card? I'm thinking I need a GRAPHICS card. Or is graphics card just a way of saying "damn good video card'?

You suggest Nvidia Gforce...Please offer some reasons for this suggestion. This will give me some terminology to start relating to. Will Nvidia run everything that new out there now? Is Nvidia low, med or high on the desirability list?

Thanks...

Post #9by **selden** » 11.01.2003, 14:48

sofasurfer,

Indeed "video card" is ambiguous. It's usually used as an abbreviation for "video input card" -- one used to record video signals from other devices. "Video output card" is usually used to indicate a card that generates a video signal that can be recorded by an external device -- e.g. a VCR. The term "graphics card" is usually used when talking about the card that generates a computer's primary display. Of course, many graphics cards include videio input and output options.

Chris Laurel, the graphics expert who is the primary author of Celestia, has explained several times that he only has graphics cards based on Nvidia chips. As a result, Celestia is optimized for cards based on those graphics chips. It'll usually work with other cards, so long as they have a recent version of OpenGL drivers, but not all of Celesita's "visual candy" can be seen. Even ATI's top of the line Radeon 9700 Pro can't show things like the shadows of Saturn's rings. Chris has said that he intends to change to the device-independant vertex and pixel shaders defined for OpenGL v1.4, so there's hope that Celestia v1.2.6 will work better with ATI cards than v1.2.5 does. At the moment, only Nvidia and ATI supply OpenGL v1.4 drivers.

That's why cards using Nvidia chips are recommended. Also, cards with more memory (64 or 128MB) are better if you want to use high resolution textures. And, of course, faster cards are better than slower ones.

To summarize, if you can afford a card based on the Nvidia GeForce4 Ti4600, that'd be the best choice right now. You might want to get something less expensive for the short term, though, since cards based on Nvidia's recently announced FX chipset should be available RealSoonNow.

I hope this clarifies things a little.

sofasurfer · Post #10by **sofasurfer** » 11.01.2003, 21:46

Yes, that answers a few questions and gives me a starting point.
Thanks a lot for the reply.