What Graphics Cards do you recommend for use with Rhino?
Rhino V3 and V4 both make liberal use of the OpenGL graphics system within Windows. Most graphics cards on the market are designed for "game" usage and support the OpenGL system with varying degrees of success. The best cards for Rhino are designed for "workstation graphics" and place a high emphasis on robust OpenGL support. The following is a list of graphics cards and their details that work with Rhino.
As you add your listing, please use all of the table entries and add as much detail as you can. Here is a link to a Rhino script that will give you more information about your video system than you probably want to know: http://en.wiki.mcneel.com/content/upload/files/video.zip
In V3, sometimes the Status Bar labels (Snap, Ortho, etc.) do not show but still are active. Also surface selection in shaded mode has highlight problems.
Comments
This card works fine on all versions of Rhino. It supports Rhino's special graphics modes. Even though it is a "game" card its performance is good and it is not very expensive. This was one of the cards that was used for testing the new V4 display pipeline. We found lots of little details during the V4 development with this card. Mine is running in a Dell Dimension 4600 system.
Submitted by:
John Brock, jb@mcneel.com
Brand
NVIDIA
Model
Quadro FX Go 700 128MB
BIOS version
4.31.20.52.C2
Driver version
6.14.10.4424
Operating system & SP level
Windows XP Pro Service Pack 2
Special Rhino settings
None
Special driver settings
None
Rhino versions used with
V2, V3, V4
Known problems
None
Comments
This card works very well and is one of the few "workstation graphics" cards available on laptop computers. The "Quadro" line of cards is designed for OpenGL graphics applications like Rhino. This was one of the cards that was used for testing the new V4 display pipeline. This card has always been a solid performer for me. It is running in a Dell Precision M60 laptop.
I use v4s TestSetAAlevel at 8 and it looks pretty good and does not slow down too much.
Special driver settings
Vertical sync turned off, AA set to be controlled by applications
Rhino versions used with
V2, V3, V4
Known problems
None
Comments
So far so good- it drives a 1900 by 1200 screen and seems to work well.
Submitted by:
Pascal Golay pascal@mcneel.com
Brand
NVIDIA
Model
PNY Quadro FX 330 64 MB RAM
BIOS version
4.34.20.84.06
Driver version
6.14.10.6693
Operating system & SP level
Windows XP Pro Service Pack 2
Special Rhino settings
None
Special driver settings
None
Rhino versions used with
V2, V3, V4
Known problems
None
Comments
PCI-Express card, passive cooling (no noise), in my opinion a great OpenGL CAD-graphic card with a very good price/performance relation.
Submitted by:
Michael Meyer AT flexiCAD com
Brand
NVIDIA
Model
BFG 6800GT OC 256MB
BIOS version
5.40.02.15.05
Driver version
7.1.8.9
Operating system & SP level
Windows XP Pro Service Pack 2
Special Rhino settings
None
Special driver settings
Vertical sync turned off, AA set to be conctrilled by applications
Rhino versions used with
V2, V3, V4
Known problems
None
Comments
I am seeing some odd slowdowns and viewport blackouts after pushing unreasonably large models all day relating to maximized viewports only
Submitted by:
Sam Page
Brand
ATI
Model
Mobility Radeon 9700 128Mb
BIOS version
BK-ATI VER 008.017M.109.000
Driver version
8.162.0.0 Catalyst 5.8 - using the original ATI drivers for the standard Radeon graphic cards and Patje's Mobility Modder (http://www.driverheaven.net/patje/)
Operating system & SP level
Windows XP Pro Service Pack 2
Special Rhino settings
None
Special driver settings
Disable AA or set AA to application controlled
Rhino versions used with
V3, V4
Known problems
In V3: disappearing Objects and Screen-Smudge in rendered viewports when AA is enabled
Comments
This graphics card is often found in consumer notebooks and has very good general 3D performance. If it weren't for the glitches when using AA it would be an excellent budget solution for using Rhino on a latop
No matter what drivers I try, I run into problems. Had problems any time four viewports used openGL (crashed Rhino), then changed drivers and now I cannot get any anti-aliasing. I cannot recommend this card at all.
If you make sure to turn iff vertical sync, no problems at all. It's an old card by now, but still works
Submitted by:
Jakob Normand
Brand
ATI
Model
RADEON X800
BIOS version
113-AA61300-101
Driver version
6.14.10.6517
Operating system & SP level
Windows XP Pro Service Pack 2
Special Rhino settings
None
Special driver settings
None
Rhino versions used with
V3, V4
Known problems
None
Comments
This card works fine, All the settings are defaults or let Application decide. I use 2 TFT Monitors each runing at 1280 x 1024 and can stretch Rhino across both with no problems or artefacts
Submitted by:
Mark Sharman, msharman@bom.co.uk
Brand
ATI
Model
RADEON 7000
BIOS version
unknown
Driver version
6.14.10.6599
Operating system & SP level
Windows XP Pro Service Pack 2
Special Rhino settings
None
Special driver settings
Dual display
Rhino versions used with
V3, V4
Known problems
Toolbar child positioning, floating viewports
Comments
This card worked fine with V3, but was very buggy with V4. Performance was mediocre on a 2.8 GHz P4. With 2 monitors and the 2nd monitor housing a floating perspective viewport, there was often corruption of the display requiring a re-start. Child menus for the toolbar buttons also do not appear at the cursor location when using the ATI dual monitor desktop manager (Hydravision).
This card was installed to improve the performance over the 7000 series card. 3D display is much faster, but ultimately limited by the main processor speed when drawing complex scenes. Corruption of the viewport contents seems to no longer be a problem with this card, although child menus for the toolbar buttons also do not appear at the cursor location when using the ATI dual monitor desktop manager (Hydravision). Enabling full antialiasing on the card improves the 3D display (shaded, ghosted, etc) while not significantly reducing the performace, however, in wireframe viewports the lines suffer a lot of blurring. Antialiasing can not be enabled on only one monitor in a dual monitor display using the graphics driver (TestSetAALevel does work, however). Tooltips for the object snap display worked initially, but now are corrupted and unreadable. The official workaround of adjusting the windows video performance slider one step to the left seems to work.
Submitted by:
B. Gom
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11/25/2006 11:15:04 AM - Mitch Heynick-68.164.84.5
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11/25/2006 11:15:04 AM - Mitch Heynick-68.164.84.5
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11/25/2006 11:15:04 AM - Mitch Heynick-68.164.84.5
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6/11/2007 2:28:38 PM - Mitch-85.0.177.210
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2/22/2008 8:06:55 AM - -204.177.179.95
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6/11/2007 2:28:38 PM - Mitch-85.0.177.210
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11/25/2006 11:15:04 AM - Mitch Heynick-68.164.84.5
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6/11/2007 2:28:38 PM - Mitch-85.0.177.210
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11/25/2006 11:15:04 AM - Mitch Heynick-68.164.84.5