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FAQ
Technical Support
Troubleshooting
Registration Problems
How to Use the 3DNA Desktop
How to Navigate in the 3DNA Desktop
Known Technical Issues
Getting Technical Support
Note: Before you contact our support team, try looking through the FAQ to see if your problem is easy to fix. This could save you a lot of time!
If you do not find an answer to your problem in the questions below please feel free to contact support@3dna.net . Should you do so it is also beneficial to email the details about your system to us. We recommend sending us a text file called "DxDiag.txt".
What is DxDiag.txt?
The easiest way to provide us with your system spec is to create and email us a file from a piece of diagnostic software included with Windows called dxdiag.
1. Click on ‘Start’ button
2. Click on ‘Run’
3. Type ‘dxdiag’ and click on ‘OK’
4. Click on ‘Save all information’
5. Save the file to an appropriate location
Email us the file that you saved with as much detail about the problem that you can think of.
It is also beneficial in many cases to send a screenshot of the problem you are encountering. If you are unfamiliar with how to take a screenshot of a running application in Windows then read on.
How do I take a Screenshot in Windows?
1. Start up the 3DNA Desktop
2. When the 3DNA Desktop loads to the point where you are ready to take your screenshot press the print screen button on your keyboard. This key may be abbreviated to “Print Scrn”, “Prt Scr”or something similar. It will vary from keyboard to keyboard.
3. Press the Windows key on your keyboard, select “Run”
4. Type mspaint, hit enter.
5. This will load Microsoft Paint, which is installed on all Windows machines
6. On the Microsoft Paint menu bar select “Edit->Paste”, this will paste the image into Microsoft Paint
7. You should now see the screenshot you just took
8. Save this image to somewhere on your hard drive.
Email us the screenshot you have just saved along with a short description of the problem you are having.
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Troubleshooting Common Problems
I’m getting script errors whenever I start up the 3DNA Desktop. What’s going on?
There are a number of reasons you can receive script errors when starting up the 3DNA Desktop. Please see below for the most common causes of this problem:
- Check the version of the 3DNA engine you are running and the version of all the worlds you have installed
You can check
the engine version by right clicking on the 3DNA systray icon, and
selecting "About". The engine version will be displayed
for you. Also check the version of each World you are running. The
current version you are running is displayed in the same about box
for engine version. For other Worlds you have installed you will
have to switch to those Worlds first to see their version number
in the about box. Currently both the engine and all World versions
should be version 1.1.
- Are you running one of the supported operating systems?
The 3DNA Desktop
was only made to run on Windows 98, 2000 and XP. Other variants
of Windows such as Windows NT and Windows 2000 Server are not supported.
If you run the 3DNA Desktop using an unsupported operating systems
you do so at your own risk.
My performance sucks! What can I do to improve it?
Check your graphics settings for running the 3DNA Desktop. There are many options/features which can be disabled to improve performance. The graphic options are accessible by right clicking on the 3DNA systray icon selecting “Options” and then selecting the “Graphics” tab.
Make sure you are using the latest drivers for your video card and that you are using the latest version of DirectX.
Why am I getting white dynamic skies?
Make sure in your Windows display settings you have color depth set to 32-bits.
When I start up the 3DNA Desktop, all I get is a gray screen that says it's loading things. Why can't I get passed it?
This appears to be a problem with Microsoft Office XP and alternative user support. See the following links for details.
http://hemmer.home.cern.ch/hemmer/KB/Articles/Q000018.htm
To uninstall Office XP alternative user input support:
· Open the Control Panel.
· Open Add/Remove Programs.
· Select Microsoft Office XP from the list of installed programs, and click the Change button.
· Click the Add or Remove Features radio button, and click Next.
· Click the + in front of Office Shared Features.
· Click the + in front of Alternative User Input.
· If the Speech and/or Handwriting feature is installed and you are not using that feature, please uninstall by clicking the icon and selecting Not Available.
· Click the Update button to uninstall (if necessary).
The 3DNA Desktop won't start up but it was working yesterday!
This can be a problem with one of the configuration files for the world you are trying to startup resulting in script errors. See the discussion of script error issues.
The last time the 3DNA Desktop stopped it may have done so improperly. You may need to load up the task manager and end all 3DNA related processes:
· Press and hold CTRL and ALT, then press DELETE
· Click on the "Task Manager" button, if the task manager is not already visible
· Look at the list of processes for the following names: "3dnasys.exe", "3dnaDesktop.exe" and "multicap3dna.exe".
· One by one click on each of the three names above and click on the "End Process" button
· Click "Yes" to confirm.
I’m getting the error message “Cannot find import; DLL may be missing, corrupt or wrong version. File ijl15.dll”.
We can send
you this missing file, please email support@3DNA.net.
The ticker keeps changing back to the default text. What’s going on?
When a 3DNA
World first starts up it needs to retrieve information from the
Internet. This includes actions such as updating the poster ads
that appear throughout the world and updating the text that appears
on the ticker over the Apps Bay. If you change this text to quickly
after the world has started up the change to the ticker may not
stick.
Try changing the ticker text again if you notice it gets changed after starting up. This time when you change the text it should stay changed.
Where did my furniture go?
Go to the 3DNA Graphics Options. In the special effects area there is a checkbox labelled “Decorative Objects”, make sure it is checked on. The next time you startup 3DNA furniture should be restored.
Why am I getting weird graphic effects while running the 3DNA Desktop?
This may be a driver issue, try updating your graphics card to the latest drivers available.
How do I download the full version of the 3DNA Desktop?
The free version and full version of the 3DNA Desktop are the same download which is available off of our website here,
http://www.3dna.net/downloads/index.htm
To gain access to full version features, download the free demo version and then use your serial number to unlock the full version features within the demo.
I forgot or don’t have a username and password for the download area. How am I supposed to download anything?!
You don’t
need to login to the download area to download anything. Logging
in is only necessary when you wish to vote on any of the downloadable
items. If you wish to obtain your username and password for voting
please email support@3DNA.net.
I’m having problems downloading Add-on Worlds from Simtel.
When downloading Add-on Worlds off of Simtel make sure you have no download assisting applications running such as GetRight. We have found in testing that such programs often interfere with downloading 3DNA add-on worlds properly. Firewall related software can also affect download performance.
If you have access to one, try downloading using a different web browser, preferably Internet Explorer if you are not using it already. Downloading has been tested using Internet Explorer 6. Other browsers have not been tested extensively and may behave different. Be sure to try several mirror sites, since not all mirror sites may be active at the time you attempt to download off of Simtel. It is possible Simtel may be having technical difficulties at the time of your download try waiting an hour or so to see if the problem still occurs.
Be sure to report the problem to Simtel as well, since we are not responsible for maintaining their site.
I received a copy of the 3DNA Desktop with my motherboard video card. Is it the full version of the 3DNA Desktop?
The version of the 3DNA Desktop that can be found with many PNY, ECS and MSI video cards/motherboards is NOT the full version. It is only a demo. Obtaining the full version of the 3DNA Desktop is a separate purchase.
Each time I start the 3DNA Desktop it says that I have Insufficient 3D Graphics Memory, and that the program must restart. What should I do?
Your system may not be capable of running our software. The most common cause of this problem is that you either do not have a 3D graphics card in your system, or you have one but do not have enough video memory. A few other things to check for is that your graphics card driver is up to date and that you have the latest version of DirectX.
You can obtain
the latest version of DirectX here,
Sometimes when I quit out of playing a video game and return to the 3DNA Desktop, it says that it needs to restart. Why is this happening?
The majority of 3D drivers and games are not written taking multi-tasking into consideration, and they attempt to take control of as much system resources as they can. They do this so they can maximize their performance and provide the highest level of quality that is possible. Because of this, certain 3D applications will interfere with the 3DNA Desktop and cause it to stop using your 3D hardware. When this happens, the 3DNA Desktop will prompt you to restart back into hardware mode.
Will the 3DNA Desktop slow down my machine?
If you are below the recommended system requirements, the 3DNA Desktop will run sluggish on your machine, but it will not affect other running applications. The 3DNA Desktop gives up virtually all of its system resources when you switch to another application.
There are strange 'zebra stripes' appearing on the textures in the scene, is there anything I can do?
There are several different possible solutions to this problem. The most common cause of this is from running your desktop at 16 bit color depth. Changing your color depth to 32 bit should fix this. Another possible solution is to acquire the most up to date drivers for your graphics card.
When my laptop goes into Hardware Suspend Mode it lowers the screen resolution and forces the 3DNA Desktop to restart. How can I fix this?
Laptops can automatically change the default hardware settings in an attempt to maximize the life of the battery. If your computer enters Hardware Suspend Mode and forces software mode, the 3DNA Desktop should detect this and restart in hardware acceleration mode. If this is unsuccessful you can manually restart by right clicking on the 3DNA Systray and selecting Stop 3DNA. Once the program has shut down, right click on the systray again and select Start 3DNA.
When I play a video file when running the 3DNA Desktop, my screen becomes filled with strange, colored lines. What's going on?
Some users have reported issues with running .mpeg and .mov video files with the 3DNA Desktop. We recommend you install the most recent version of your video drivers. If this does not work, we recommend the following:
- Click on Start
- Select Settings
- Select Control Panel
- Click on Display
- Select the Settings Tab
- Click on Advanced
- Select the Troubleshoot Tab
- Move the Hardware Acceleration slider to "Disable all DirectDraw and Direct3D accelerations"
- Restart the 3DNA Desktop
If this still does not solve the problem, we recommend that you stop the 3DNA Desktop when you are planning on watching video files on your computer.
I am trying to name a shortcut that includes asterisks in the name but it doesn't display properly.
If a name is created with one or more asterisks in it, everything after the asterisk(s) will be deleted from the name. That character is reserved for special purposes.
When my Windows screen saver starts in Windows XP, it causes the 3DNA Desktop to restart. How can I stop this?
By default, the Windows screen saver takes you to the welcome/login screen when you return to Windows. This causes the graphics mode to be reset, which in turn causes the 3DNA Desktop to restart. You can turn this off by going to your Windows screen saver options, and unchecking the box beside "On resume, password protect" or "On resume, display Welcome screen".
I can't download any Add-on Worlds! What's going on?
When downloading Add-on Worlds off of Simtel make sure you have no download managers running (i.e. GetRight, DAP). We have found in testing that such programs often interfere with downloading. Downloading has been tested using Internet Explorer 6, Service Pack 1. Other browsers have not been tested extensively.
Be sure to try several mirror sites as not all mirror sites may be active at the time you attempt to download off of Simtel. It is possible Simtel may be having technical difficulties at the time of your download try waiting an hour or so to see if the problem still occurs.
What’s the deal with this My Way toolbar in Internet Explorer and how do I get rid of it (3DNA Version 1.1)?
With 1.1 we have included the OPTIONAL installation of the My Way search toolbar which contains buttons linking to various search engines as well as various customization features which let you link buttons to you're favorite websites.
This is not spy ware and it does not gather information from your machine without your consent.
If you do not want the toolbar installed on you're machine you can remove it by going to "Add/Remove Programs" in you're control panel and looking for the program that reads “My Search Bar”. Remove this item to delete the My Way search from you're machine.
The next time you restart you're computer the search bar should be gone.
If you only want to remove the search bar from view for a little while open Internet Explorer and from the menu bar select "View->Toolbars" and make sure the item "SearchBar" is unchecked. The toolbar should immediately become hidden.
How do I remove the 3DNA toolbar (Version 1.0)?
This is from an older version of 3DNA. If you have a version of 3DNA prior to 1.1 you may have it installed on your system. If that includes you do the following to get rid of it,
· Press the "Windows" key on your keyboard
· Select "Run"
· Type in the following,
regsvr32 /u 3dnatoolbar.dll
· Press enter
The next time you restart your computer the toolbar should be gone.
I sent an email to support@3dna.net looking for technical support. It’s been over 2 days and I still haven’t received a reply! What’s up with that!?
We do not provide technical support 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If you send an email in on the weekend you won’t get a reply till Monday earliest.
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eSellerate Registration Problems
I forgot/lost my serial number, can I get another copy of it?
If you email
support@3DNA.net we can email
this information to you or any other receipts you would like related
to your purchase.
You can also get this information on your own by going to,
http://store2.esellerate.net/store/support/
I'm getting error code 25001 when entering my registration information.
This error code arises from having a serial number or name mistyped. Note that letters are case sensitive, so "a" is not the same as "A" for both the registration name and the serial number. There are only zeros in the serial number; it is not possible to get the letter "O".
But I’m sure I typed my serial number correctly and I’m still getting error code 25001!
That’s why we highly recommend you DO NOT manually type your registration name and serial number as detailed in the email you received when you purchase the 3DNA Desktop. The registration process is very particular and having one mistype letter, number even adding an extra space can cause this process to fail.
The safest and best method for entering your registration information is to copy and paste that information from the email you received detailing your serial number and registration name. That way you don’t have to type anything and there is very little chance for error.
I don’t have an internet connection how can I register and activate my copy of 3DNA?
Send an email
to support@3DNA.net, we have
a program which can be used to register your copy of 3DNA without
an internet connection.
I’m getting an error message when I attempt to register but it’s not any of the ones discussed above.
Search your computer for the file eSellerateEngine.dll and make sure it exists in your Windows folder or Windows System32 folder or both. Any other spots that eSellerateEngine.dll exists on your machine can be deleted.
Run the eSellerate Updater for Windows from here, http://www.esellerate.net/esellerate_update.asp
Now try entering your registration information again. Failing all of that contact support@3dna.net detailing the error message that you received.
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Using the 3DNA Desktop
How do I start the 3DNA Desktop?
There is a 3DNA icon in the systray area of the Windows taskbar (by the clock) that allows you to control the 3DNA Desktop. Right clicking on this icon will show you the options that are available. Choose Start 3DNA to launch the 3DNA Desktop.
What can I click on?
You can left or right click on any of the panels on the walls, the buttons on the walls, the Options Kiosk, and any of the toys or objects that glow or that show text when you roll over them with your mouse.
How do I launch applications?
You can launch applications by double clicking on 3D objects and panels.
How does the Browser Bay work?
When you want to visit a specific site, you simply double click on the picture of the site. You can also glance at a site to determine if you want to visit it by single clicking and holding the mouse button down on the site. This will zoom into a picture of the site without going out to the Internet, allowing you to quickly visit many sites in a short amount of time. You can add your own websites to the panels by right clicking on the panel, selecting Choose Web Page and following the instructions.
How do I create shortcuts on the Shortcut Panels?
You can create a shortcut to any file or folder on your computer by right clicking on any Shortcut Panel, selecting Create Shortcut and following the steps that are presented.
Is there anyway to select more than one shortcut at a time in the Shortcut Chooser and Web Favorites Chooser?
To select more than one shortcut at a time, hold down Ctrl while clicking on each icon.
Does the Web Favorites Chooser support Netscape Navigator bookmarks?
Not yet. Currently we only support Internet Explorer Favorites. We plan on adding support for additional browser in the future.
I purchased the product and entered my serial number but I still see the advertising posters ?
To deactivate the posters you must right click on the 3DNA Systray or the 3DNA Control and select Options. Uncheck the box beside "Display Poster ads", and hit OK. Your posters will now be replaced by poster sized picture panels.
I purchased the product and the Switch Posters button on the Kiosk still does not do anything?
The Switch Posters button does not do anything until you have turned off the advertising posters. To turn of the advertising, please see the previous entry.
How come when I click on the 3DNA Audio Controller and nothing happens?
The 3DNA Audio Controller currently only works with Winamp v2.x and 3.x, and Windows Media Player 6.x, 7.x, 8.x and 9.0.
How come when I double click on the backboard for the basketball game, and the ball does not come back to me?
Double-clicking on the backboard only brings the ball back when you are in the Hoopshoot game, not when you are just playing casually.
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Navigation
Do I have to walk everywhere?
No. By clicking on the teleport hotspots located throughout the space you can teleport to different sites in the 3DNA environment. You can also use the keyboard hotkeys (default 1 to 5) to teleport from place to place.
How do I pick up, shoot, or move the toys around the 3DNA Desktop?
To pick up an object, double click on it
To shoot an object after picking it up, hold down the left mouse button, and watch it move towards you like a slingshot. When you are ready to release it, let go of the button and watch that sucker fly.
To move an object horizontally, left click and hold down your mouse button while moving it left or right. To move an object up or down, hold shift and left click and hold down your mouse while moving it up or down.
How come I can't map to certain keys?
There are several keys that are reserved and can't be changed.
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F1 through F12
Print Screen
Enter (Keypad)
Control
Caps Lock
= +
] }
, < |
Ins
Scroll Lock
Windows keys
Alt
` ~
\ |
; :
. > |
Esc
Pause
Num Lock
Shift
- _
[ {
' “
/ ? |
Is there any way that I can stop rolling down the stairs so that I can look at my pictures? I'd also like to be able to hover in the air?
You can lock yourself in place at anytime (even when you are flying in the air) by holding down the Shift key. You can still use the left and right navigation keys to look around when you are locked.
The walk and turn speed is too fast and my system and it is making me feel sick to my stomach! Help!
You can change the walk and turn speed at any time by right clicking on the 3DNA Systray or the 3DNA Control and selecting user options. Under the Movement section, move the slider for Walking Speed and Turning Speed all the way to minimum.
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Known Issues
The Dynamic Skies do not work while playing the in-scene games. They are purposefully disabled so that as many system resources as possible go towards the quality and experience of the game play.
Extremely long URL's (Web page addresses) can cause errors with the 3DNA Desktop. We recommend that you try to avoid pages that have names over 200 characters.
Wildcat VP and Radeon 9700 boards have reported certain clipping plane issues that cause black holes to appear when looking at the Dynamic Skies.
While playing Hoopshoot, the basketball game may not record a successful basket related to slow frame rate (slow CPU).
On low-end graphics cards that do not support multi-texturing, various artefacts may appear such as the 3DNA toy (tetrahedron) displaying as all white.
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FAQ
