Indivision ECS

[amiga1]

Hey there. I just purchased an Indivision ECS for my A500+. It works great, but I guess I don't understand the video settings all too well. I cannot change the resolution. When I suggest a higher resolution to something greater than 640 x 400 highres, the desktop scrolls. I cannot get 1024x768 at all. This is an A500+ with 1M and and a full ECS chipset--that much i do know. The kickstart is 2.05 running wb2.1--would that have something to do with it? I have a 3.1ks coming in the mail so would there be a difference when I upgrade the kickstart?

[OverDose]

This is normal, I think.
You will only have the standard ECS resolutions available, but they will be scan doubled/fixed so that they will display on standard VGA monitor.

Edit:

Looking at the manual details, it looks like it does have a special mode to allow resolutions like 1024x768. But you need to install the highgfx monitor device into devs:monitors/ to enable. This looks like a nice feature, maybe I will buy one
It's hard to see, but in this screenshot
http://think42.com/High_GFX1.jpg
You can just make out the extra modes under the regular PAL modes.
From the manual:

In addition to the standard screenmodes, Indivision AGA supports the HighGFX driver with higher resolutions. HighGFX can be found on Aminet under util/wb.

But isn't, it is here.

The manual, which you might have, is here

[amiga1]

Originally Posted by OverDose

you need to install the highgfx monitor device into devs:monitors/ to enable.

That's great. I really had no idea. The manual states that you don't need anything, but then goes on to talk about this mode. I'm going to head over to the Frankenstein Amiga (it's still ripped apart... ugh) and see how this goes.

Thanks for the info. I would have never understood where this file went.. not fo a long while.

Cheers

[amiga1]

I copied the driver to the dev/monitors on my HD and it never shows up in the screenmodes pref. I recreate the setup in my emulator and it works just fine. does anyone know what's up with this? I have been through a number of forums and read a huge load of topics, but I haven't come across a solution to this. The highgrx modes never show up on the real thing. I'm completely lost for solutions.

I can use the Indivision_ecs_config app just fine and tweak things here and there, but I can never get this thing to produce anything other than the standard screen modes that come with OS2.1.

Ugh.

[fitzsteve]

Sorry if its a silly question, are you sure you are using WB2.1 and not 2.05 for example, this may be the problem as the HighGFX driver requires at least WB2.1.

[amiga1]

It's wb2.1. I went ahead and did a clean install using the same .adf as my emulator.

[amiga1]

I found out that the WB2.1 that came with the A500 ks2.05 rom was at version 38.35. So I created some 38.36 floppies and installed the WB with those. Still no go. Perhaps I'll just wait for the 3.1 rom to arrive and go with wb3.5. It works in the emulator but not on the real thing. I'm a little lost.

amiga1, before you put too much effort into it. An a stock 500+ without a turbo card running workbench in 1024x768 resolution is painfully slow, especially opening a new folder (err... i mean "drawer" ). I tried it myself with Workbench 3.1 and think that it's not very useful. Besides you only get 4 colors which results in a not soo pretty color scheme with cyan window borders instead of grey.
BTW, I use an Amiga 500 which is upgraded to "+" with 2meg chip ram and Kickstart 3.1.

[amiga1]

Hey there. Thanks for the info. I actually have a VXL30 + a ram32 overclocked to 40MHz. The 800x600 desktop I have right now is doing fine enough. I was going to purchase a Mini Megi Chip but I'm a little unsure what that would actually allow me to do. Is there any benefit from 2MB?

[rkauer]

Yes: most OCS & OCS WHDLoad games will run, larger Mod files can be played (music format), larger/higher resolutions can be used.

But you still need some FAST RAM on the system for WHDLoad.

[amiga1]

The 3.1 ROM came in yesterday and the extra monitor modes appeared. It still puzzles me why the emulator, setup with the same RAM, Full ECS, kickstart, yada yada yada would show the modes and the real thing it would not.

The Indivision is down right sweet I gotta say. I'm bit by this mod bug again and now that everything is pretty much the way I want it. The 4 colour thing as mentioned in a previous reply is, I agree, terrible. The resolution is great, though.

I'm thinking of tweaking this with a floppy emulator and a mini megi chip, perhaps a beefier power supply as well. I have no idea when I'm going to stop.... lol. I wouldn't mind getting an A1200. I've never used one before and wouldn't mind a mother board and perhaps building a tower around the mobo. I think my c128 is upset with me at the moment... lol

I took another look at that Pic with the HiGrx driver ( http://think42.com/High_GFX1.jpg )
I noticed that the output is ECS and at 1024x768 with the colour slide indicating 4... But it definitely looks like it can produce more colours on the desktop from what that pic is showing. Looks like a typical 3.0 or 3.1 workbench... Is there a mode or file that I'm not aware of in that higrx archive on aminet?

[fitzsteve]

Hi!

Its ECS chipset that limits you to 4 colours, I use 1024x768 HiGFX with my ACA630/IndiECS and its a nice quick experience only 4 colours but looks quite slick:

[ Show youtube player ]

With the Indivision AGA on the A1200 you can run HiGFX with 256 colours

Does anyone have the Indivision ECS installed on an A1000 w/ the A1000 adapter? Know where any pictures are at, greatly appreciated.