Requirements

Top Previous Next

Ligno3D Designer runs on nearly-all PCs with at least 128 MB of memory and Microsoft Windows® 98, or later. L3DD needs the OpenGL 3D graphics capability built into modern PCs than run 3D games (nearly all do). However, its graphics demands are much less voracious than most recent 3D games.

PC :

IBM compatible PC built within the last 5 years, or so, with Intel or AMD CPU. The minimum CPU recommended is a 500 MHz Pentium III, or equivalent.

Memory :

128 MB of RAM memory, or greater, is recommended. Will run in 32MB.

Operating System :

Window 98, or later, recommended. Will install and run on Windows 95.

Graphics :

The PC must be able to run OpenGL 1.2 (or later) applications. All modern 3D graphics card do this, or the capability may be built into the motherboard, as in many notebook computers. At least 32 MB graphics memory is recommended.

Color and Resolution :

The monitor and graphics card must support 16 bit ('High Color') or 32 bit ('True Color') color rendition. L3DD does not display properly with 8-bit color. L3DD is best run at a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, or higher. At lower resolutions the toolbars must be floated and reshaped to be fully seen.

Pointing Device :

A pointing device, such as mouse or trackball, is absolutely essential for running L3DD. A scroll wheel, used for zooming the 3D View in and out, is desirable but not mandatory. In the help system's windows the scroll wheel functions as expected when using Windows XP, but not in some earlier versions of Windows. Use the scroll bars instead.

Printers :

L3DD uses the standard Microsoft Windows printing software modules, so it should work with all raster printers (inkjet, laser, dot matix, thermal trasfer) that work with Microsoft Word® (for example). Printouts of the 3D View (‘bitmap printing’) are best done on a color printer, such as an inkjet printer, but greyscale prints are quite adequate for construction purposes. For printing plans, a large-format black and white printer, such as an A0 inkjet printer, can be used to good advantage.

Ligno3D Designer was initially developed on a 500MHz Pentium III PC with 128MB memory and a 32Mbyte AGP TNT2 graphics card made in 1999. It performed well on this card, but more recent cards are much faster. PCs that lack a 3D graphics card may still run L3DD — if slowly. The most humble PC on which L3DD installed and ran (v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y) was a 133MHz Pentium 1 with just 32 MB memory, running Windows 95. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Try the demo first.