OpenGL options
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- Fast visualization mode: GiD will use the hardware acceleration provided by the driver to accelerate the visualization of the models. If some problems appear, pleas update your driver or use the Safe visualization mode.
- Safe visualization mode: GiD will render the model and mesh using only the CPU, i.e. will not use hardware acceleration of the graphics card. This will make some artifacts dissapear disappear but models and meshes will be drawn slower.
- Selection lines by software(emulateFrontBuffer): on some configurations dynamic lines, such the ones used when selecting entities or zooming in or out, are not drawn or are drawn leaving some ghost lines behind the mouse cursor. Select this option of make these problems dissapeardisappear. Particularly on Intel graphics witht with fast visualization mode, this option should be enabled as dynamics lines are not supported by the Intel graphic drivers.
- Antialiasing of points, lines and polygons: Reduces the 'staircase' effect when drawing lines, points...
Drawing method
Several algorithms are used in GiD to draw meshes faster, but which rely on the underlying hardware at different levels. Faster methods needs good hardware graphics and driver support, slower methods are safer and indepented independent of the graphics capabilities available.
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- Render normal: if set, the preprocess mesh is coloured using the layer colour. If not set, then the Element colour is used as defined in Colours Colors.
- Under Draw spheres as and Draw points as, the speed and quality of the mesh element type sphere and point can be configured, as there are sevel several methods to draw spheres and points:
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Summary of features available in Safe and Fast visualization modes:
Safe visualization mode ( MS Windows) | Fast visualization mode | |
Drawing: immediate mode | saves memory / slow | saves memory / slow |
Drawing: display list ( DL) | a bit faster ( uses main memory) | faster ( uses card's memory) |
Drawing: vertex array | a bit faster ( uses less memory than DL) | a bit faster ( uses main memory) |
Drawing: vertex buffer object | No ( requires OpenGL 1.5) | fastest ( uses less card's memory than DL) |
Effect: stereoscopy ( 3D) | Yes | Yes |
Effect: mirror plane | Yes | Yes |
Effect: render reflection | No ( requires OpenGL 1.3) | Yes |
Effect: shadows | No ( requires OpenGL 1.5) | Yes |
Effect: shiny contour fills (Options --> Contour --> Bright Color) | No ( requires OpenGL 1.2) | Yes |
Recommended mesh size | < 1,000,000 triangles | depends on the graphic's card memory available (check Help --> About --> More) |