Realtime Landscaping Quality Levels
The quality shown in Realtime Landscaping Architect, Pro, and Plus depends on your computer hardware and the options set in the Program Settings and Hardware Settings dialogs; see
Program Settings for details. For information on our required and recommended computer configurations, see
System Requirements.
High Quality
(Hardware Rendering) |
Medium Quality
(Hardware Rendering) |
Low Quality
(Software Rendering) |
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If you have received an error message: it is either because your computer does not meet our minimum system requirements, or because your video driver requires an update. Please see below for details on updating your video driver. If the problem persists after a driver update, please consider upgrading your video card.
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Updating Video Drivers
Your video driver is a small program that helps your computer's video card to communicate with Windows. Video drivers are free, easy to install, and should be updated often. If your video driver is out of date, then 3D software may not appear optimally and may not function at all. You can either download and install your video driver update yourself, or we can assist you in locating it.
Tip: Even if your computer automatically updates other drivers, it is very unlikely that it updates your video driver as well. New computers are sometimes shipped with outdated drivers, so the video driver should be updated even on a new system.
Locate your video driver update youself
Your video driver update can typically be downloaded from the manufacturer of your computer, or from the manufacturer of your video card. Some computer manufacturers include Dell, HP, and Compaq. Some video card manufacturers include Nvidia, ATI, and Intel. To locate the correct update, you will need to know your computer's model number and/or the model of your video card.
Let us locate your video driver update for you
We would be happy to locate your video driver update for you. Please follow the instructions below:
- Click the Windows Start button.
- Click Run (Windows XP) or Start Search (Windows Vista and 7), type DxDiag, and press the Enter key.
- Click the Save All Information button to save the info to a file on your desktop.
- Send an e-mail to Support@IdeaSpectrum.com with the saved file attached. Please mention Video Driver Update Help in the Subject line.
Video Card Information
Because video cards are so crucial to modern 3D programs, it is beneficial to gain a basic understanding of what to look for in a video card and how to gauge the actual speed of a video card. At Idea Spectrum, we recommend Nvidia GeForce video cards because we have had very good experiences with them both at home and in the office.
Gauging the speed of GeForce cards
Most Nvidia GeForce cards have three or four numbers that compose the model number. The first number represents the card series, and the next number represents the rank of the card in that series. For example, a GeForce 8600 is an "8" series, and the "6" is a way to gauge its power. A GeForce 9200 will actually be far less powerful than a GeForce 8800.
Another way of gauging video card speed
To see a more concrete display of a video card's power, it is best to view its "benchmark". A benchmark is a "score" that is given to video cards depending on how well they perform. To locate benchmarks for video cards, just search for "Video Card Benchmarks" and choose the site of your choice (we recommend sites that use "Passmark"). For example, a GeForce 6600 has a benchmark of "147" while a GeForce 8600 has a benchmark of "235", meaning that the 8600 is much faster. We recommend video cards with a benchmark of at least "100".
Upgrading your video card
On most desktop computers, your video card can be easily upgraded. Depending on your computer type, a reasonably powerfull video card can be purchased for approximately fifty dollars.
Locating a video card yourself
Video cards can be found at local computer stores, the electronics section of many department stores, and some computer repair shops. However, it has been our experience that the best value in video cards can be found online. When purchasing a video card, you will need to know the bus type of your computer (AGP or PCI Express). If purchasing a high powered video card, it pays to be mindful of your computer's power supply (wattage) and the amount of room inside your computer case. Many video cards come with a return policy and a generous manufacturer's warranty (such as 3 years or life).
Let us recommend a video card for you
We would be happy to locate a video card upgrade for your computer. To receieve our video card suggestion, please send an e-mail to
Support@IdeaSpectrum.com with the following information:
- Your computer's Model Number; this is ususally found on the case of your computer. If multiple numbers are found, simply send them all.
- Your ideal price range.
- Please mention Video Card Upgrade Help in the Subject line of the e-mail.
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