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Operation (Windows NT)
PowerStorm 300 AGP and 300/350 PCI Graphics Controllers 5–9
5.3.2.2.2 Overlay Planes
The PowerStorm 300 AGP graphics controller on the Intel platform provides hardware
support for 2-bit double-buffered overlay planes. Note that for performance reasons, not
all pixel formats support overlay planes. If you do not require overlay planes, selecting a
pixel format without overlay support will ensure maximum performance. The availability
of pixel formats with overlay planes can be disabled by using the Display Applet.
5.3.2.2.3 Stencil Planes
The PowerStorm display driver provides hardware support for a 4-bit stencil buffer. Note
that for performance reasons, not all pixel formats support stencil planes. If you do not
require stencil planes, selecting a pixel format without stencil planes will ensure maximum
performance. The availability of pixel formats with stencil planes can be disabled by
using the Display Applet.
5.3.2.2.4 SoftImage Customizations
When using the PowerStorm 300 AGP graphics controller on the Intel platform with
Microsoft’s SoftImage, you should enable SoftImage Customizations using the Display
Applet. In addition, you also need to enable 4-bit overlay using the Display Applet.
Before starting Softimage, you need to make sure that the following environment variable
is set:
SI_OVERLAY = USE_ONE_BIT
When SoftImage Customizations are enabled, other OpenGL applications may not behave
correctly. Therefore it is recommended that SoftImage Customizations be disabled before
running other OpenGL applications.
5.3.3 Developing OpenGL Applications on Alpha Platforms
This section provides information for developing OpenGL applications that optimize the
performance of PowerStorm 300/350 PCI graphics controllers on Windows NT Alpha
platforms. If you have a PowerStorm 300 AGP graphics controller on an Intel platform,
see Section 5.3.2.
5.3.3.1 Pixel Format Support
The PowerStorm 300/350 PCI graphics controllers and display drivers for the Windows
NT Alpha platform support a fully compliant implementation of OpenGL in combination
with Windows NT OpenGL. Color index mode support is provided by the Windows NT
generic OpenGL implementation, and thus is not hardware-accelerated.
The display driver on the PowerStorm 300 PCI graphics controller for the Windows NT
Alpha platform supports the pixel formats listed in Table 5-5. The display driver on the
PowerStorm 350 PCI graphics controller for the Windows NT Alpha platform supports the
pixel formats listed in Table 5-6.