The collected works of recondas - Page 20

damiga wrote:
Yes! it worked, clone successful and system booted on the new drive! :D
If you ever find yourself needing to clone again or want periodically re-cloning your working drive, BetXen created a very nice commented script that'll walk walks you through the process (not to mention minimize the opportunity for transcription typos): viewtopic.php?f=10&t=11322

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mia wrote:
So, in the end Recondas, is it really usable, or just for fun?
Is there a difference? :D

My personal perspective aside, OpenGL MultiPipe (and the Onyx350 IP) work as advertised. The four-segment desktop is fully (and transparently) functional in two dimensions, and is equally capable with (the limited number) of 3D/OGL apps I have available to try on it.

If I had four projectors and an equal number of adjacent/empty walls I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be too hard to set up a cave.

For those that have four walls/projectors but no Cave suitable app, the OpenGL MultiPipe Software Dev Kit comes with the IRIX source code for Cave Quake Arena III and a molecular visualization app (if you have a smaller adrenaline addiction to feed).

Even if you don't have four walls, CQA3 would probably still look decent on a semi-circular array of four LCD panels. It'd also have the advantage of requiring very little preliminary configuration, left-to-right horizontal is the as-installed/out-of-the-box OGLMP set up (if you want a horizontal monitor configuration you'll have to tweak xservers).

So mia, where do you draw the line between usability and fun? ;)

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mia wrote:
Right, allow me to elaborate. For 2D applications (coding, vnc/rdesktop, administration, photo retouching with barco creator, etc.) and perhaps the occasional movie watching; is it perfectly usable?

I'm not a vnc/rdesktop/barco creator user (the much less capable PhotoShop 3.05 works just fine), but I don't see why they or any of the traditional IRIX 2D desktop apps wouldn't work in the same fashion they always have. The advantage there would be the extra desktop real estate - but for non-OGL apps the same multi-V12-DCD desktop expansion could be achieved without the need for OGLMP.

Not to belabor what I'm sure you're more than aware of as the obvious, but the underlying advantage to OpenGL MultiPipe is the ability to run apps with OpenGL visuals across multiple graphics pipes (something that isn't possible if the pipes are linked using Xinerama w/o OGLMP).

mia wrote:
I'm interested building a similar setup.
I found the installation instructions in the OpenGL MultiPipe User Guide more than adequate. If you're adding a (new) graphics pipe, I'd suggest configuring the new pipe (to match your existing pipes) before the installation of OGLMP.

For anyone who might not have had the opportunity to add a graphics pipe to an existing system, the first time you boot that system the new pipe will display a separate Desktop and Toolchest; any res/refresh changes needed in the new pipe can easily be made by opening xsetmon with the Toolchest attached to the new pipe (or use the new-pipe Toolchest to open winterm and call xsetmon as root if logged in as a non-privileged user).

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mia wrote:
Actually, I didn't know that. I've never really used any OGLMP application, and the ones I might have, I wasn't aware of this differentiation;
Most OpenGL apps should be transparently compatible with OpenGL MultiPipe. Several (of what I consider to be) essential IRIX tools have graphical interfaces that use OGL visuals. Out of habit I keep a copy of gr_osview re-sized to the same width and open immediately below the Desktop Toolchest (a habit acquired when I all-too-frequently wanted to know what had yet again slowed an O2 to a crawl :D ).

mia wrote:
my area of concern was storage, which is something so distant from visualization.
Unless I've (yet again) misunderstood, adding a graphics pipe/extra display won't have any effect on any storage (pre-existing or to-be-added).

mia wrote:
Now, I would love to know how this renders on a T221 or similar high-rez display. Do you think the frequency limitation of those (~48Khz) might be the clincher?
It seems to work well enough for hamei. I suspect most of the tearing-while-crossing-the-DCD-boundry issues he's seeing with his set up are caused because he's feeding a *single* DCD-equipped V12 about as much as (or maybe slightly more than) it'll handle.

If you're considering using your four-pipe Onyx4 with a T221, SGI was kind enough to have published a fair amount of the necessary configuration data - something they didn't do for Tezro/T221 combination from the same era, which SGI didn't provide set up/configuration info, VFO files, etc.

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mia wrote:
here are my options, please let me know if I missed something, should I want to go with a T221:

- Get DCD on each Onyx350 (how much do they go for? - the DCD, not the Onyx350 of course- )
Haven't purchased a free-standing DCD in quite some time, so I'm probably not the most up-to-date source for that info.
mia wrote:
- Use a G2n-brick (I have a few unused), hooked up to Onyx/Origin 350s; those have the unfamous (and unstable) ATI FireGL cards.
As hamei has already mentioned, if your usuage will be focused on non-3D stuff, the the rough road that's been described for 3D apps with Onyx4/ATI graphics will probably be fairly smooth. Aside from the you-already-have-everything-needed/nothing-to-purchase/free issues hamei mentioned, you could also have all four DVI ports (2x FireGL AGP boards) into a single O350 G2N and leave the master O350 headless.

mia wrote:
I do not have any Router, only directly numa connected servers.
No router means a max of two linked O350 modules, but that shouldn't present an issue. Two linked O350 modules will work nicely with the T221 and Onyx350IP/Odyssey/V12 or Onyx4/Voyager/ATI graphics. With Odyssey graphics each module will house a V12 graphics pipe (preferably with a DCD each, though you could get by without the DCDs and run two 1920x2400 stripes like hamei is currently doing); with Voyager graphics all four heads would be in one module (you'll still need a second module for system I/O- no IO9 in the AGP-only G2N).

mia wrote:
... on any of my Onyx350
To my knowledge, there aren't any publicly available photos of the interior of a factory Onyx350 IP (and especially both sides of the graphic boards and the cooling fan arrangement). Next time you're over there *please* consider taking your camera.

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ClassicHasClass wrote:
I got a 4300B card with a TI controller and managed to drag the Fuel up to 6.5.30 and most of the Nekoware essentials. It's recognized as a DM10, so when I get a chance I'll unplug the iSight from the G5 and see how it works. What's your recommended app for testing capture?
As hamei mentioned, there aren't any, but if you installed the vidtogfx example programs in the optional DM10/ML dev stuff you may have enough to conduct some basic tests.

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hamei wrote:
It won't go to 1920 x 1200, either.
jan-jaap wrote:
Why not?
You're right, it should. I be wrong. But the docs I read ages ago said 1920 x 1080. Maybe they thought no one would be interested in them outdated old resolutions ?
Might you have been thinking of IR graphics? Two of the 24"/1920x1200 SGI CRTs (attached to the same DG) exceed IR pixel clock bandwidth, but 2@1920x1080 will fit.

Kind of like ircombine with IR graphics, the Compositor uses sgcombine (rather than setmon/xsetmon) to load configure and load graphics 'combinations'. The default install of sgcombine includes a couple of predefined 1920x1200 combination files.

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mia wrote:
I'm a little surprised, it's just like an origin 350 with a Vpro, just like the rackmount tezro.
The devil is always in the details - and there aren't many details available for the Onyx350 InfinitePerformance. Since the V12 used in the Onyx350 InfinitePerformance has a unique part number (030-1909-00x) and fits into a much more restrictive space (Fuel/Tezro boards overlap the O350's processor cooling shroud), it would be interesting to see:
  • if it shares the same form factor as the Fuel and Tezro VPros;
  • the O350 VPro heat sink (Fuel/Tezro VPro heat sinks foul the O350 processor cooling shroud);
  • the fan and air flow ducting used to cool the O350 VPro;
  • the mounting hardware.

mia wrote:
Next time I open either, I'll snap some picts.
Thanks! It'd be much appreciated
mia wrote:
Do I own a rare beast?
As far as I'm concerned you do - it'd rank right up there with its doppelganger, the rackmounted Tezro.

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If you don't find one and aren't locked into the 40Hz refresh rate for other reasons (an Onyx2 era projector?), I'd be glad to offer assistance with a custom VFO.

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foetz wrote:
jan-jaap wrote:
Code:
part#          eeprom id
V10, Fuel, old rev.    030_1725_00x   ASTODYB
V10, Fuel, new rev.    030_1826_00x   ASTODYV10
V12, Fuel              030_1726_00x   ASTODY
V12, Tezro             030_1884_00x   ODY128B1_2

there's one more. mine reads:
Code:
ODYSSEY     ASTODY          MMP283         030_1996_001          A    00


according to the list of a reseller it's a legit fool v12.
There was a brief discussion on the 030-1996-001 Fuel V12 some time back - as mentioned in that thread Oskar45 has one with that part number in his Fuel.


And here's yet another - also gleaned from a previous thread ....
Code:
030-1909-003; Name:ODY128B1_2
.....taken from the hinv -mvvv of an Onyx350 InfinitePerformance.

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foetz wrote:
anyway i can't complain and didn't notice any curious behavior so far. maybe it just was an early model ...
If you have the opportunity you might consider 'decoding' the 030-1996-001 EEPROM data to see if anything enlightening might lurk within: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16725883

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mia wrote:
I was reading some old posts (2011, 2012) whereas Recondas and Hamei had managed to drive (or did I misread) the V12+DCD to two channels of 1920x2400 (hacking vfo files).
I like to delude myself into thinking that working out the (completely undocumented) method of creating 2@ DCD compatible formats was at least a slightly more elegant than a hack job. :D
mia wrote:
And I still wonder which solution would work best for me (this doesn't exclude trying a few options); those options are:

* V12+DCD (Fuel or Tezro deskside) and two channels of 1920x2400 for a resulting picture of 3840x2400.
It does work, but with a single V12/DCD you risk the occasional fail-to-sync-without-rerunning-xsetmon issues hamei described (earlier in this thread). If you have two Onyx350/V12 systems they might provide a more stable solution, even if neither has a DCD (though two V12s, two DCDs would be optimal).
mia wrote:
* g2-brick on an Origin/Onyx/Tezro rackmount.
Possible with an Origin350, but if the Onyx350 and Tezro have internal graphics, Odyssey/V12/Xsgi and Voyager/ATI/xFree86 aren't compatible in the same system. Combining a RMWS Tezro with an Onyx4 G2N brick will also cause serial number incompatibilities (see below for more info).
mia wrote:
* Onyx 350IR + Tezro rackmount "numalinked" (each having a DCD).
SGI implemented a L1 serial number security routine in IP35 generation hardware (excluding the Fuel). Origin350/Onyx350/Onyx4 systems have serial number string prefaced with an "M", Tezro serial numbers are prefaced with a "P" (and for the record, O3k systems with an "L"). Because of the differing serial number prefixes, the L1 serial number security routine in would prevent one or both from starting if NUMAlinked.

One possible solution would be to convert the RMWS Tezro into an Onyx350 InfinitePerformance system with the L1 command "make rmws 0". The process is described in the following thread, but please note it carries the potential for risk. Even if we set aside issues regarding the rarity of a RMWS Tezro, if you don't have an L2 controller as a recovery device I'd strongly recommend against trying the make rmws procedure. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16721235

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jpstewart wrote:
mia wrote:
* One thing I fear about is that the signal "quality" will be lower on a V12+DCD (please note: single V12) because when pushed at an extreme resolution (1920x2400) it might be a little much per single link dvi cable (please educate me here).

The single-link DVI specification supports a maximum pixel clock of 165MHz. Recondas' 1920x2400 resolution used a low 33Hz refresh rate. Multiplying 1920x2400 pixels times 33Hz gives 152064000 pixles/second, or about at 152MHz of bandwidth required. So it's actually well within the spec for single-link DVI.
It's actually a little fatter than 152MHz - here's the pertinent section of the format analysis run when it was compiled:
Code:
2@1920x2400_33_T221.vfo:
Total lines per frame:   4866
Total pixels per line:   2044
Active lines per frame:  2400
Active pixels per line:  1920
Pixel clock:             164.111 MHz, period = 6.09345 nsec
164.111MHz is bumping right up against the 165MHz ceiling for a single link connection - which is why I think hamei occasionally has issues locking the signal to to his T221 during a cold start.

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hamei wrote:
I'm not up on IR, but iirc one possible hurdle was the way the second head in a deskside is more limited than the primary head ?
Regardless of the number of channels/heads available/in use, the maximum output bandwidth for a DG5 (used in IR2/3/4 graphics sets) is 300 Mpix/sec .

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hamei wrote:
If you want to knock out some more vfo's I don't mind to check them out to see what could be comfortable refresh rates. I can run the 31 hz vfo also, no visual difference to 33 hz for general use but haven't tested against movies. What do you get for bandwidth for 4@1920x1200 @ 31hz ? 30 hz seems to be the limit factor for human eyesight. The T221 will sync to 25 hz if necessary but 31 would seem to be good.
The pixel clock in that 2@1920x2400_31_T221 vfo is 154.165MHz, so it might be worth seeing how it performs under more extensive testing.

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hamei wrote:
Aye aye, skipper ... coming to 31 hz now, sir.
If 31Hz works out, now that you've made some improvements on the font issue it might be worth taking another look at the 2@ 24Hz config :
A while back, hamei wrote:
With a single V12 and dcd and custom vfo of 2 @ 1920 x 2400 24 hz refresh, the monitor runs at full res. The refresh rate is not a problem. The cursor is so small you can't zoom around with the mouse anyhow. Move too fast and the damned thing disappears :) Movies are also fine with one exception (and this is a clue to how the dcd works) - if you display the movie across the center line of the screen, you can see where the two outputs from the dcd alternate. This is not apparent at all in any other operation and I'd bet that if you spread a movie over two monitors you wouldn't be aware of it because the bezels would mask that action. It's just that with the two sections directly adjacent, with motion across the full screen you can see the alternating refreshes.
If it doesn't look too non-functional/ugly, the pixel clock (for each 1920x2400 stripe) is only 119.4MHz. Analog-to-digital conversion issues aside, two channels at 1920x2400@24Hz might fit within the IR display generator bandwidth.

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hamei wrote:
recondas : here's two modelines I found for XFree :

# 1920x2400 @ 25Hz for IBM T221, VS VP2290 and compatible, hsync: 60.8kHz
Modeline "1920x2400" 124.62 1920 1928 1980 2048 2400 2401 2403 2434 +hsync +vsync
# 1920x2400 @ 30Hz for IBM T221, VS VP2290 and compatible, hsync: 73.0kHz
Modeline "1920x2400" 149.25 1920 1928 1982 2044 2400 2402 2404 2434 +hsync +vsync
As is, those are a no-go with VFC and the VPro definition files - both modelines generate crash-n-burn errors.
hamei wrote:
you have an IR ... ?? Will your panels accept analog input ? Probably won't sink at 30 hz tho, hunh :(
Analog input wouldn't be a problem, but regardless of the refresh rate I don't have anything that'll display 1920x2400.
hamei wrote:
If you want to make another vfo I can give it a test.
Sent you another @1920x2400_30, built using another of the SGI-provided modelines in the Onyx4 Porting Guide. That one comes in at 149.192MHz:
Code:
2@1920x2400_30.vfo:
Active lines per frame:  2400
Active pixels per line:  1920
Pixel clock:             149.192 MHz, period = 6.70279 nsec
so if building against the IR definition files doesn't escalate the pixel clock, it ought to be possible to squeeze two of 'em in (just) under the DG bandwidth ceiling.

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hamei wrote:
If you can get your resolution up by getting the refrsh down and the analog-to-digital doesn't care about the frequency, might can do. Would be cool. Would definitely make a good-looking pair with a deskside Onyx2 :D
Ok - if somebody is willing to be the IR/T221 analog-to-digital crash test dummy, I've built a 1920x2400 format using the IR board and chip definitions. This one has a 24Hz refresh rate/119.402 pixel clock to stay well within the DG bandwidth (if it works we can try bumping the refresh right up to the bleeding edge):
Code:
IR-1920x2400_24.vfo:
Total lines per frame:   2434
Total pixels per line:   2044
Active lines per frame:  2400
Active pixels per line:  1920
Frames per second:       24
Fields per frame:        1
Swaps per frame:         1
Pixel clock:             119.402 MHz, period = 8.37505 nsec
Hardware pixel rounding:  every 2 pixels
Line analysis:
Length:                 2044 Pixels, 1 Lines, 17.1186 usec; (line 0)
Frequency:              58.416 KHz, period = 17.1186 usec
Horizontal Sync:         52 Pixels, 435.502 nsec; (line 32)
Horizontal Back Porch:   64 Pixels, 536.003 nsec; (line 32)
Horizontal Active:       1920 Pixels, 16.0801 usec; (line 32)
Horizontal Front Porch:  7.99997 Pixels, 67.0001 nsec; (line 32)
Field Information:
Field Duration:           4.9751e+06 Pixels, 2434 Lines, 41.6667 msec; (line 0)
Vertical Sync:            8176 Pixels, 4 Lines, 68.4744 usec; (line 0)
Vertical Sync Pulse:      8228 Pixels, 4.02544 Lines, 68.9099 usec; (line 0)
Vertical Back Porch:      57232 Pixels, 28 Lines, 479.321 usec; (line 4)
Vertical Active:          4.9056e+06 Pixels, 2400 Lines, 41.0846 msec; (line 32)
Vertical Front Porch:     4088 Pixels, 2 Lines, 34.2372 usec; (line 2432)
If anyone wants to try it everything you need to build your own format is in the build analysis text - or drop me a PM and I'll send you a vfo.

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mia wrote:
Hm, could you point me to a reliable analog to digital converter?
:D While I fully intend to watch, I ain't got a dog (or T221) to put in the fight.

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mia wrote:
Does this means that the Onyx2 deskside is clearly ruled out from the 3840x2400 game?

Clearly ruled out?

If you like the idea of having a T221 on your Desk and an Onyx2 next to it (and I'd agree that they'd make an impressive combination), then before throwing in the towel it might be worth taking a little more time to investigate and/or test a few of the analog-to-digital converters to find out if 1920x1200 was given as the max resolution because the device is limited to single-link/165MHz DVI resolutions.

1920x1200/WUXGA (rather than the pixel clock rate) is commonly cited as the upper limit for single-link DVI. 1920x1200 is the highest given by SGI in list of resolutions published for the the VPro/V12, but because the pixel clock is under the 165MHz limit, hamei's V12 is still able to run 1920x2400@33Hz because the low refresh rate puts it within the single-link pixel clock spec.

If you still want to try, it might be easier to start a test of an analog-to-digital converters at 1920x1200. That'd let you evaluate image quality while using the converter within the stated max resolution. One channel at 1920x1200_60 (using the SGI-provided vfo) will fit in the DG's bandwidth, or you could test the converter against a lower refresh rate using one of the T221 modelines:
Code:
Mode "1920x1200_41": 104.8 MHz, 49.6 kHz, 40.9 Hz
Modeline "1920x1200_41"  104.78  1920 1928 1960 2112  1200 1201 1203 1212
On the odd chance you might find it helpful there's an IR-specific 1920x1200_41 attached.

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mia wrote:
Could you please also provide me with a "IR_1920x1200_48-T221.vfo", I have the DG5 version of this display, which allows 48Hz natively.
I actually pulled the 41Hz version out of the "/var/X11/Xvc/SG2_0_TimingTable" section of the xfree log file from your Onyx4 (and unfortunately it's the only single-tile 1920x1200 modeline in the log file).

I'd be glad to build an IR-formatted 1920x1200@48Hz if we can get the correct single-tile T221 timing. Could you connect the T221 to a PC and capture your T221's EDID?

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Managed to find someone with a no-longer-needed Apple iSight FW camera for sale, so I picked up the iSight for testing under IRIX.

For the record the test platform is a Tezro running IRIX 6.5.30. The 'DM10' is actually a generic PCI firewire board with a Texas Instruments TSB43AB23 chip, the hinv shows "PCI Adapter ID (vendor 0x104c, device 0x8024)". The DM10 software is the later 1.1 revision . While I got away with hot-plugging (and hot-unplugging) the iSight without any adverse effects, there have other mentions of system crashes while attaching or removing firewire devices with IRIX running. The safe bet is to do either with your system shut down.

Connected the iSight to one of the ports on the pseudo-DM10 in my Tezro. Without any additional action on my part the following appeared in the syslog (the Oxford IDE device listed is a pre-existing 2GB CompactFlash card in an MicroTech FW CameraMate CF card reader):

Code: Select all

May  1 12:41:41 6A:tezro unix: Scanning FireWire bus /hw/module/001c01/IXbrick/xtalk/15/pci-x/1/2/ohci/0 (2 nodes)
May  1 12:41:41 6A:tezro unix: FireWire Node [0]: <6>OXFORD SEMICONDUCTOR LTD., OXFORD IDE Device
May  1 12:41:41 6A:tezro unix: Scanning FireWire bus /hw/module/001c01/IXbrick/xtalk/15/pci-x/1/2/ohci/0 (0 nodes)
May  1 12:41:41 6A:tezro unix: Scanning FireWire bus /hw/module/001c01/IXbrick/xtalk/15/pci-x/1/2/ohci/0 (1 node)
May  1 12:41:41 6A:tezro unix: FireWire Node [0]: <6>OXFORD SEMICONDUCTOR LTD., OXFORD IDE Device
May  1 12:41:42 6A:tezro unix: Scanning FireWire bus /hw/module/001c01/IXbrick/xtalk/15/pci-x/1/2/ohci/0 (2 nodes)
May  1 12:41:42 6A:tezro unix: FireWire Node [0]: <6>OXFORD SEMICONDUCTOR LTD., OXFORD IDE Device
May  1 12:41:44 6A:tezro unix: Scanning FireWire bus /hw/module/001c01/IXbrick/xtalk/15/pci-x/1/2/ohci/0 (2 nodes)
May  1 12:41:44 6A:tezro unix: FireWire Node [0]: <6>OXFORD SEMICONDUCTOR LTD., OXFORD IDE Device
May  1 12:41:44 6A:tezro unix: FireWire Node [1]: <6>APPLE COMPUTER INC., iSight

I ran an hinv -vm and it appeared there...

Code: Select all

DMediaPro DM10 FW option: unit 0, revision 1.1.0
IIDC Video Camera: unit 0, revision 1.30, connected to DM10, unit 0
as well as in the output of fwprobe:

Code: Select all

fwprobe
Probing DM10 cards...
Number of cards: 1
Card Info
=========
Card #: 0
Name  : DM10
ID    : 0x0
Ports : 3
Speed : 400 / 400

3 devices attached
Device 0: 0x0
Vendor: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Model: DMediaPro DM10
Proto: HBA
Device 1: 0x30E00100001419
Vendor: OXFORD SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
Model: OXFORD IDE Device
Proto: SBP2
Device 2: 0xA27000402568E
Vendor: APPLE COMPUTER INC.
Model: iSight
Proto: IIDC

Firewire/DM10 video devices don't use any of the classic IRIX video tools (e.g. Media Recorder, videod, et al), instead they use DM10 specific ML video libraries.

The iSight didn't initially appear in an "mlquery", so after a little rtfm quality time I followed the advice found in the DM10 Release Notes and stopped and restarted the mldaemon:

Code: Select all

IIDC devices using 6.5.21+ and ml 1.1 do not have automatic hotpluggable functionality.
If a device is removed or added when the system is up, you must restart the mldaemon by running "/etc/init.d/mldaemon stop"
followed by "/etc/init.d mldaemon start" in order to find or remove the device from the system.

Then ran "mlquery" to get the iSight's ML device name:

Code: Select all

mlquery -d all

DEVICE: iidc-camera
parent: tezro
index: 0
version: 1
location: /hw/firewire/0/iidc/iidc0
jacks: SDSerialDigitalInputJack
paths: SDSerialDigitalInput


So far so good, so I tried the iidc_vidtogfx sample program ( additional background and installation instructions are in this post ) and got:

Code: Select all

/usr/share/src/dmedia/video/iidc/iidc_vidtogfx -d iidc-camera
Input Timing Present = ML_TIMING_525
[iidc-camera] Image Sampling not supported with this device
Couldn't set controls on video jack (ignoring)
ML_IMAGE_SAMPLING_INT32 = ML_SAMPLING_444 (length -1)
ML_VIDEO_TIMING_INT32 = ML_TIMING_525
mlPvToString: ML_STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER
[iidc-camera] Image Sampling not supported with this device
Couldn't set controls on path
ML_IMAGE_COMPRESSION_INT32 = ML_COMPRESSION_UNCOMPRESSED
ML_IMAGE_COLORSPACE_INT32 = ML_COLORSPACE_RGB_601_FULL
ML_IMAGE_SAMPLING_INT32 = ML_SAMPLING_444 (length -1)
ML_IMAGE_PACKING_INT32 = ML_PACKING_8
mlPvToString: ML_STATUS_INVALID_VALUE
mlPvToString: ML_STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER
Not too promising, but since 'sampling' seemed to be the rub, I took a look inside iidc_vidtogfx.c for clues and found:

Code: Select all

available samplings:
444
422
411
Using 411 sampling I was able to successfully display a live video feed from the iSight:

Code: Select all

/usr/share/src/dmedia/video/iidc/iidc_vidtogfx -d iidc-camera -s 411 -D
Input Timing Present = ML_TIMING_525
Timing 2
ML_IMAGE_WIDTH_INT32 = 640
ML_IMAGE_HEIGHT_1_INT32 = 480
ML_IMAGE_HEIGHT_2_INT32 = 0
............................................................Shutdown
Unless you specify otherwise, the iidc_vidtogfx display window auto-closes after approximately 30 seconds. If you want the iidc window to remain open , there's a note inside iidc_vidtogfx.c that defines the command line switches. Adding " -c 0 " (that's a zero) to your command line string will cause the vidtogfx window to remain open indefinitely.

The sample program code for the DM10 also includes iidc_vidtomem. That works in a similar fashion. Using the same 441 sample value (and specifying an output path) I was able to successfully write raw output from the iSight to a file:

Code: Select all

/usr/share/src/dmedia/video/iidc/iidc_vidtomem -d iidc-camera -f /path/of/your/choice/iSight_capture.raw -s 411 -D
Input timing present = ML_TIMING_525
Timing 2
ML_IMAGE_COMPRESSION_INT32 = ML_COMPRESSION_UNCOMPRESSED
ML_IMAGE_COLORSPACE_INT32 = ML_COLORSPACE_RGB_601_FULL
ML_IMAGE_SAMPLING_INT32 = ML_SAMPLING_411
ML_IMAGE_PACKING_INT32 = ML_PACKING_8
buffer 0 @ 0x10040000
buffer 1 @ 0x100c0000
buffer 2 @ 0x10140000
buffer 3 @ 0x101c0000
buffer 4 @ 0x10240000
buffer 5 @ 0x102c0000
buffer 6 @ 0x10340000
buffer 7 @ 0x103c0000
buffer 8 @ 0x10440000
buffer 9 @ 0x104c0000
send buffer 0x10040000/460800
send buffer 0x100c0000/460800
send buffer 0x10140000/460800
send buffer 0x101c0000/460800
send buffer 0x10240000/460800
send buffer 0x102c0000/460800
send buffer 0x10340000/460800
send buffer 0x103c0000/460800
send buffer 0x10440000/460800
send buffer 0x104c0000/460800
.10 buffers transferred
Shutdown
image 640 x 480
write 460800 bytes to /usr/people/tezro/iSight_capture.raw
If you save the output with a .ppm extension IRIX will open a single frame for viewing. There are a number of input and output options discussed inside iidc_vidtomem.c that might prove useful with a little more investigation.
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hamei wrote: Super news, thank you !
You're welcome. Be interesting to see what other IIDC or AV/C fw vid devices can be make to work. Having someone with real programming skills take a look at the iidc/avc_vidtogfx and iidc/adc_vidtomem source code samples will be the next hurdle.
guardian452 wrote: What model and revision isight is it? (IIRC there are 3 revisions, /A, /B, and /C)
Good question - but if google got it right it might not make a difference as far as the DM10 is concerned. The MacRumors iSight wiki and this post in Apple's support forums suggest the revision letter only appeared on the packaging to designate which mounts originally shipped with the iSight. An examination of the iSight I have seems to superficially bear that out, no model/revision appears on the iSight (I don't have the original packaging).
ClassicHasClass wrote: Man, you beat me to it (on a business trip this week).
Couldn't have done it without you - the discussion in your Fuel thread moved fw vid to the top of my one-of-these-days list. If you consider similar tests with your Canopus ADVC-300 and Orange Micro iBOT, it would move this thread beyond the single-lucky-combination-of-hardware stage.
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hamei wrote:
Oh look ! J-J - that's where I got the idea a Compositor could only run 1920 x 1080. Run < sgcombine > and check out the default setups they give you ... File -> Open -> a lot of 1920 x 1154 (I know, 60 pixels. But I was specifically looking for 1920 x 1200 ...)
Gotta poke around some to find it, but there actually is one at 1920x1200:

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ClassicHasClass wrote: So far so good. Next, the Orange Micro iBOT FireWire camera..... it works fine here, as the image proves... TAKE THAT, RECONDAS! 8-)
Nicely done ClassicHasClass, I'll gladly take it (and add it to the IP35 Hardware Aggregator)
In reference to the avc_vidtogfx producing an inverted display, ClassicHasClass wrote: Perhaps it's useable like this in the Southern Hemisphere.
If we can get to the point of capturing a video stream to a useful format with avc_vidtomem, GMplayer has an option under the 'Video' tab in the Preferences Panel to "Flip image upside down'. ;)
ClassicHasClass wrote: Notice that periodically avc_vidtogfx and the device get out of sync and you have to do it again.
Does the Canopus ADVC-300 output a compressed or uncompressed video stream? Probably unrelated, but if you haven't already seen it/tried it, there's a note in the avc program folder that mentions devices that deliver compressed video to the avc_vidtoxxx programs need 411 sampling, and those that deliver uncompressed video need 422 sampling.
The README file in /usr/share/src/dmedia/video/avc wrote: Note that most AVC devices use DV compression, which limits the sampling to 411 compressed DV. 422 is only available for AVC devices that support uncompressed video.



If you'd like another opportunity to beat me to the firewire punch, about a decade ago the fcc mandated that cable HDTV set top boxes include a firewire video-out port (the set top box here has two 1394-out ports, but it's about 25 feet farther than the FW cable length spec).

Comcast even offers STB Firewire Drivers for Windows , and the AVS Forums have a multi-page topic on the same subject . The Win references obviously aren't useful to us, but there's a brief mention on the Comcast page
Comcast wrote: If you simply want to capture a Firewire stream..... then all you need is the AV/C Tuner device."
Life with IRIX is rarely that simple, but it at least opens the possibility of another test source for the DM10 and the avc versions of the sample programs.
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Cable HDTV set top box connected via firewire

Code: Select all

hinv -vm
DMediaPro DM10 FW option: unit 0, revision 1.1.0
AV/C Video: unit 0, revision 5.5, connected to DM10, unit 0

Code: Select all

fwprobe
Device 1: 0x22CECC81E20000
Vendor: 0x0022CE
Model: Explorer(R) 4300
Proto: AV/C
Shows up as an AV/C device, but didn't appear in an mlquery (possibly because I tried this with the cable box powered but not running). The SGI gear is a bridge too far from the incoming cable terminus, so the cable box was tried without a cable connection. Apparently the cable box net boots, because without the cable attached, it hangs with "booting" displayed in the LED panel.

Since not having the cable box booted and running may or may not be the reason that it didn't appear in an mlquery, has anybody else got a firewire equipped system and a (more) conveniently located cable set top box they could test?

If the files produced with the avc_vidtomem program are in mpeg-transport stream format , Mplayer may be able to play them (and if necessary, invert them). ClassicHasClass, if you have the opportunity could you try an avc_vidtomem capture from your Canopus AVDC 100?

ClassicHasClass wrote: I mentioned hot swapping. It doesn't work. In fact, it seemed to hose the FireWire driver so bad that I had to hard-power-down the machine (the console was spammed with tons of FireWire errors about bad or missing targets and the kernel just sat there emitting errors forever until I hit the hard reset). Resetting mldaemon only worked the very first time for me (no devices seen and plugging one in). It wouldn't work for other devices after that.
It's probably lurking right around the corner, but so far (knock on wood) that hasn't happened with the Tezro. No obvious reaction from the system when I hot-disconnect a video device from the DM10. When I hot-plug a new device "Scanning FireWire bus" appears on the console and in the syslog. Here's the entries produced when I hot-unplugged the iSight and hot-plugged the cable set top box:

Code: Select all

Scanning FireWire bus /hw/module/001c01/IXbrick/xtalk/15/pci-x/1/2/ohci/0 (2 nodes)
FireWire Node [0]: OXFORD SEMICONDUCTOR LTD., OXFORD IDE Device
FireWire Node [1]: 0x0022CE, Explorer(R) 4300
Perhaps attributable to differences in the Fuel-Tezro PCI bus topology?
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Using a serial terminal to capture the output of the power on diagnostics session would probably give you a better idea of exactly which part(s) are failing diagnostics.

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As jan-jaap points out, the SCSI and IDE connectors on the IO9 are separate - you should be able to use standard 68-pin (SCSI) and 40-pin (IDE) cables (SGI used 'round' cables in both locations in the O350).

If you haven't already done so, you can get a better idea by removing the IO9 so you can see the connector-side of the board (if you haven't had the chance to pull yours there's a photo in this post ).

The SCSI connector (the silver one on the top right side) and the IDE connector (the black one located at the center top) are pretty obvious. The large white connector (located on the right side just below the SCSI connector) attached to a not-so-common-ribbon-cable that runs from the serial-PS/2 daughter board in Origin 350s. Those ports don't seem to be used/included in the A350 - or at least they aren't discussed or shown in the compute module section of the Altix 350 manual .
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leaknoil wrote: Is the console port standard DB9 serial 9600 8N1 ?
38,400-8-N-1
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Nicely done CHC!

Updated the Fuel (IP35) Hardware Aggregator to change the status of firewire video from questionable/not-working to functioning-with-the-right-device.
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ClassicHasClass wrote: And the best news of all. On a brainwave, based on recondas' prior post, I dumped avc_vidtomem to an .mts file. And guess what can play it?Yes, laydeeez, the MTS file is fully playable by Irix itself.
The situation with the captured video is actually better than I'd hoped.

Rather than capturing a mpeg transport stream, the video stream captured by the DM10 is in DV/DIF digital format.

Here's the results of "Get Movie Info" run against the test sample so kindly provided by ClassisHasClass:

Code: Select all

--------
File Name: /usr/people/work/test.mts
File Format: DIF (DV/DVCPRO data)

PLAYING_TIME: 333.665 msec
BITRATE: 28.771 Mbps
LOOP_MODE: Play Once
LOOP_LIMIT: 0
OPTIMIZED: 0

Audio Track:
TRACK_LENGTH: 16016
DM_AUDIO_RATE: 48000.000Hz
DM_AUDIO_CHANNELS: 2
DM_DVAUDIO_CHANNEL_POLICY: 2 Channel: L R
DM_AUDIO_FORMAT: Twos-complement
DM_AUDIO_WIDTH: 16
DM_AUDIO_BYTE_ORDER: Big Endian
DM_AUDIO_COMPRESSION: DV Audio

Video Track:
TRACK_LENGTH: 9
DM_IMAGE_RATE: 29.970Hz
DM_IMAGE_INTERLACING: Non-interlaced
DM_IMAGE_LAYOUT: Full frame
DM_IMAGE_ORIENTATION: Top-to-bottom
DM_IMAGE_WIDTH: 720
DM_IMAGE_HEIGHT: 480
DM_IMAGE_COMPRESSION: DV
DM_IMAGE_QUALITY_SPATIAL: 0.500000
DM_IMAGE_QUALITY_TEMPORAL: 0.500000
DM_IMAGE_PIXEL_ASPECT: 1.1000 (CCIR601-525)
DM_IMAGE_PACKING: YCbCr DV 4:1:1
--------
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ClassicHasClass wrote: I'm going to do more testing on the audio, possibly record a longer sample from a different source. That test file should have audible audio in it.
The movie info seems to think audio is possible with the DIF/DV format, so please let us know what you find out.

ClassicHasClass wrote: Where did you get the Get Movie Info stuff from?
The easy way is to right click on the file icon in the IRIX File Manager and select "Get Movie Info" from the drop down menu.
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leaknoil wrote: Ahh I see now. Two separate cables. The IDE one is easy but, a cable that goes from 68pin external to 68pin internal style is going to be difficult. Especially a short round flexible one. Never mind. I just looked again and it is the same as the internal connector just metal with latches. I thought it was the wide external type.

If you haven't already found some these look like they might do the job. The planar end of the round SCSI cable even has the latches to match the IO9.

Hard to sure of length/connectors from a photo, so just be safe I'd ask for some measurements/connector pin-counts to compare to your Altix.

Both cables are from the same seller, which ought to help minimize question asking and shipping (also has some SGI gear listed, which is how I happened to run across these).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/290678121151 - DELL F2387 POWEREDGE 2800 PE2800 SCSI BACKPLANE CABLE 68PIN CN-0F2387
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300766521323 - Dell Optiplex GX520 GX620 HD CD DVD Drive IDE Cable 0C6012 C6012

I included whatever OEM part number references I could find in the listing, just in case someone down the road needs something similar (after these are long gone).

Leaknoil - if you try either of these or cables from some other source/manufacturer, could you update this thread for future reference?
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leaknoil wrote: I don't have the panel portion that interfaces the IDE cable to the laptop style cdrom drive. I just have the scsi backplane portion. Not going to be able to have a internal optical drive.
You'll need a JAE-to-ATAPI adapter, there's usually a large selection on eBay or other sources: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=JAE+Adapter

If you want to be as original as possible (there are dimensional limitations), the JAE adapter in the O350 has "JMRER1" screened on the PCB, one of those even turned up on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/320896890722

If you don't already have a optical/DVD drive in your Altix, you might find this post helpful. Can't speak for the Altix, but the PROM in the O350 won't boot from the drive unless it's drive 0 (master) - slimline optical drives are typically hardwired as drive 1 (slave). If you end up in the same position there's some notes on making the necessary (and relatively simple) modification: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16726461&p=7349209&#p7349209
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mia wrote: I'm impressed, this is nice.
I agree.

In its day SGI hardware had a large footprint in Hollywood, so I'd guess just about everyone who's owned SGI gear has at least considered exploring the use of some of the traditional MIPS/IRIX video applications. For the Tezro or Ony350 that has meant adding the expense of a DM3, a DMedia VBoB (and the usually-not-included/not-easy-to-find LVDS cabling), plus an SD or HD capable video hardware. Lacking an XIO2 slot for a DM3, the Fuel is limited to the almost-never-seen-in-the-wild DM6/DVS SDStation, plus SD video gear.

While I'm not suggesting a generic TI-based firewire board and a Canopus ADVC box will produce the same results as a DM3 or DM6, they would allow someone with a Fuel/Tezro/O300/O350/O3k to capture digital video and explore the world of SGI video editing at a lower cost. With that in mind I'm kind of surprised at the lack of participation in this thread. :D

To further expand the list of IIDC/AV/C hardware supported by the DM10, I tested a ADS Pyro 1394 IIDC webcam. I also have a lead on a couple of non-Canopus AV/C firewire capture devices, a Pinnacle Studio DV and an AJA IO. Getting the AJA unit working under IRIX will probably be a reach (since it was specifically designed for Mac hardware running Final Cut), but if it can be made to work the AJA IO can do analog-to-digital conversion/capture or digital-to-digital capture via firewire, and has an internal TBC (along with some other spiffy professional features).

But back to the ADS Pyro 1394. Immediately after attachment it appeared in the console and the syslog (yes, I got away with hot-plugging into the Tezro again):

Code: Select all

Scanning FireWire bus /hw/module/001c01/IXbrick/xtalk/15/pci-x/1/2/ohci/0 (2 nodes)
FireWire Node [0]: OXFORD SEMICONDUCTOR LTD., OXFORD IDE Device
FireWire Node [1]: ADS TECHNOLOGIES, INC., PYRO WEBCAM
fwprobe looked good:

Code: Select all

% fwprobe
Probing DM10 cards...
Number of cards: 1
Card Info
=========
Card #: 0
Name  : DM10
ID    : 0x0
Ports : 3
Speed : 400 / 400

3 devices attached
Device 0: 0x0
Vendor: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Model: DMediaPro DM10
Proto: HBA
Device 1: 0x30E00100001419
Vendor: OXFORD SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
Model: OXFORD IDE Device
Proto: SBP2
Device 2: 0x50C50000105626
Vendor: ADS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Model: PYRO WEBCAM
Proto: IIDC
Since I hot-plugged, I stopped and restarted the mldaemon, then ran mlquery:

Code: Select all

% mlquery -d all

DEVICE: iidc-camera
parent: tezro.fyrestorm.com
index: 0
version: 1
location: /hw/firewire/0/iidc/iidc0
jacks: SDSerialDigitalInputJack
paths: SDSerialDigitalInput
And was able to successfully display a video feed from the Pyro 1394 using iidc_vidtogfx:

Code: Select all

% /usr/share/src/dmedia/video/iidc/iidc_vidtogfx -d iidc-camera -s 411 -c 0 -D
Input Timing Present = ML_TIMING_525
Timing 2
ML_IMAGE_WIDTH_INT32 = 640
ML_IMAGE_HEIGHT_1_INT32 = 480
ML_IMAGE_HEIGHT_2_INT32 = 0
............................................................
To my eye the video quality looked to be every bit the equal of the iSight, with the Pyro 1394 having the advantage of generally being available for less $.
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Thanks to this post by nekonoko I've discovered that it's possible to use the IRIX CGI snap tool and a DM10-attached camera to remotely view snapshots via html. Might be handy for anyone who wants to visually monitor the area around/environment of an SGI system from elsewhere on a network (or the internet).

Please Note: Because of the relative age of IRIX, take a close look at your security before enabling or using Outbox.

To use 'Snap' you'll need to have a web server running and have "Outbox" configured. The release notes for Outbox have most of the basic info you'll need to get things running. If you're not certain if Outbox is installed and/or can run, from the Toolchest, select Internet > Browse OutBox Page. That'll call a script called "openhomepg" that will either open your Outbox page in your browser or offer a dialogue that tells how to install it.

To use the DM10-attached camera with Outbox you also need to change line 18 of the "snap" script from mlcamera="DISABLED" to mlcamera="ENABLED" . The Outbox Release Notes don't mention the 'mlcamera' stuff, but as nekonoko pointed out in his post, somewhere along the line SGI updated the script to include ML cameras.

Snap converts the camera image to a 320x240 pixel gif. I was able to double the size of the snapped image by editing line 52 of the the snap script from "size=320x240" to "size=640x480". Here's a couple of examples of a few Outbox web pages:
snap_outbox.jpg
The Outbox page - you can share files via the 'Public' folder.
snap_hinv.jpg
An hinv can be displayed from inside Outbox.
snap_camera.jpg
An example of the Outbox web page showing a photo taken with the "Snap" CGI tool. The camera used is an IIDC ADS Pyro 1394, connected via firewire to a DM10. The "snap" script was editied to resize the image displayed from 320x240 tp 640x480 pixels.
snap_help.jpg
Access the Outbox help page with the 'Help' button.


BTW, Outbox offers a pretty simple method to share files from your IRIX box to other systems inside your network. Just right click on a file you own and select "Publish to Outbox..." from the drop-down menu. That file will be accessible in the 'Public' folder of your Outbox page.
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guardian452 wrote: I thought everybody knew about that.
First time SGI owners become involved in nekochan all the time, so it really wasn't aimed at anybody already fully qualified for the been-there-done-that merit badge.
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I have a Quicksilver G4 that nekonoko built it into very respectable performer with dual 1.8Ghz processors, a 750GB SATA boot drive and an nVidia GeForce 7800GS graphics board.

It's been on semi-permanent loan to a friend, but she liked the Mac experience enough that she's purchased a Intel mini, so I'll soon have it back. The performance is still good enough that I plan to connect it to a similar vintage AJA Io for use with Final Cut Pro.

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mstepansky wrote: This Octane2 has VPro V6. I need to ask you: do you guys have any experience or work-arounds for using Dell 19" LCD monitor, especially the model name E193FPb (b/black) connecting to this Octane2 V6???
Just went thru a similar situation another thread. That case involved a different 19" Dell TFT monitor - even though the EDID modeline for 1280x1024@60Hz came in *just* below the unuseable-on-a-V6-or-V8 pixel clock range, that particular monitor still suffered the same display 'glitches' you mentioned. viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16727696 You could try something similar, but based on that experience I don't hold out much hope.

mstepansky wrote: According to Dell E193FP specs, it supports 1280x1024 x 75 hz native resolution, and automatically syncs. The horizontal scan rate ranges from 30 to 82 Khz. The Vertical scan rate ranges from 56 - 76 Hz. BUT, however, I am concern because I read in the SGI Octane2 tech pub manual (pdf) which stated: [code](copy/paste from manual page 239, or PDF page 265): " For VPro graphics, a 1280 x 1024 display resolution is only possible using the Sony G1 21” or 24” monitors at a vertical refresh rate of 96Hz. If you have another monitor, you
cannot run 1280 x 1024 resolution at any vertical refresh rate...."
Unfortunately, unless you're willing to accept some of the display glitches you mention, that advice still holds true. The 1280x1024@75Hz your monitor supports falls even further into the pixel clock range your V6 cannot use.

mstepansky wrote: If not, how about the Dell Ultrasharp 20.1" model name E2007FP?? I heard it can work with 1600x1200 on the V6... please confirm.
Regardless of refresh rate, there aren't any 1600x1200 resolutions in the listed for the V6: http://www.nekochan.net/wiki/VPro#V6.2F ... ock_Issues
mstepansky wrote: Nice to see you guys supporting the SGI machines for few more years to come! Thanks for support!
Thanks - you're welcome to join us.
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........ or did I misunderstand the question?

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Welcome to ARMLand - 0/0x0d00
running...(sherwood-root 0607201829)
* InfiniteReality/Reality Software, IRIX 6.5 Release *
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