The SPEX require an external power source. The power adaptor comes in a US (110V) and European (220V) version.
There might be a new 3D-SPEX version w/o external power and with pass-through parallel port controller in the future.

The european version is distributed by

Paul Hooper
Vikay Distribution Europe Ltd., UK
+ 44 01276 686225
Fax: + 44 01276 686139
email: vkd@vikay.co.uk

Anubis/Typhoon
 
 

Most serial/parallel port shutterglasses systems do not have a stereo reverse switch. In some programs this might cause problems. Here's a way to switch the stereo orientation by software:
Switch eyes on LCDBios by changing the LCDCtrl:/AALLRROO command.
Just swap the LL and RR numbers to reverse stereo.
(Thanks to Don Sawdai and Gabor Laufer.)
 
 

 

The glasses are very light and comfortable, but not that sturdy. They use pi-cell LC-panels which have a warm-up/cool-down phase when activated/deactivated. In this phase which lasts a few seconds the vision is impaired. While inactive the glasses are not clear, but colored like sunglasses. During operation they become more transparent. The pi-cells are said to be faster than "conventional" panels and give better contrast. I tested the 3D-SPEX and the 3D-Max glasses at up to 160 Hz. Both seem to do the job with the same accuracy. The 3D-Max glasses don't have the warm-up/cool-down phase and they're almost clear while inactive. I would prefer glasses with the LC-panels of the Max and the frame of the SPEX. All my friends prefer the SPEX for their comfort though.

Using a refresh utitlity like UNICENTER from the Scitech Display Doctor package any refresh rate your monitor can handle is achievable. Using a humble S3 Trio 64V+ chipset and a not so humble 86 kHz monitor I reached 160 Hz in 640x480.
Some lo-res standard VGA programs, like Whiplash, doesn't react to the refresh rate set with utilities like Scitech Display Doctor. In that case the refresh rate is limited. (I reached 78 Hz with my S3 chip and /HRefresh - option. Without /HRefresh activated it's even worse). Hi-Res VESA programs like Quake or Descent 2 run at up to 160 Hz and look and feel wonderful.
 

The 3D-Spex comes with Slipstream 5000, Whiplash, Descent 2 OEM (8 levels, the retail version has 30 levels), an image viewer and some 3D-pictures. Slipstream and Whiplash stereo versions are not available in the shops and there are no patches.
There are a few 1024x768 demo 3D-photos. That's the best thing I've ever saw. Usually you get 1024x768 interleaved 3D-pix which results in 1024x384 per eye. In the 1024x768 mode of stereo Quake two 1024x768 images are displayed and the monitor and VGA are stressed accordingly, but the lines are just doubled by Nuvfrag. The real resolution is just 1024x384.
BTW I had to modify the slideshow to see the full 1024 resolution. By default the pix are displayed in 640 and are supposed to be scrolled. My 86kHz monitor delivers about 105 Hz at 1024 res. That's enough for a trip to heaven.
 
 

LCD-BIOS /LPT1 /LCDCTL:FBFFFBFF /LOCKFLIP /HREFRESH

If the refresh rate is choosen with a utility like SDD5.3a /hrefresh isn't needed, but SDD not always takes effect.

Avoiding /lockflip increases game speed, but causes sync-error flicker. I recommend to always use it, unless you have a better idea.

NUVFRAG can be used to run any "alternate line" stereo software under DOS. Usually such software is designed for the 3D-Max or some HMD (i-glasses, VFX1, CyberMaxx).

The parameter "lock" should always be used to avoid sync problems.

Example:

NUVFRAG LOCK RUN:SSTEEL

If a program needs it's own parameters use quotation marks:

NUVFRAG LOCK RUN:"NASCAR -H"

NUVFRAG doesn't seem to work on other devices, because port and control bits are fixed. I've heard NUVFRAG works with the parallel controller of the Chinon Cybershades too, but the shades are out of production for quite some time now and you'll hardly find them anywhere. There are more parallel controllers out there, but they'll not neccessarily work with Nuvfrag, due to different control bits.
 

WINSPEX works with Intel Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium II, AMD K5, K6, but not on  Cyrix/IBM 6x86 at the moment.