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What
is the preferred\optimum hardware set up for IPA
(RAM, CPU, video card, etc)?
Will
dual processors enhance performance in IPA?
Is
there an API (Application Programming Interface)
for IPA?
What
is the preferred\optimum hardware setup for IPA
(RAM, CPU, video card, etc)?
Immersive
Design does not make specific hardware recommendations.
In general, if your system is capable of working
with and manipulating your assemblies in the CAD
system it will be sufficient to run IPA. For typical
assembly sizes, a minimum processor speed of 500
MHz, 256 MB of RAM, and an OpenGL enabled graphics
card with 32 MB or more RAM is suggested. Windows
2000 or XP operating system is recommended.
Will
dual processors enhance performance in IPA?
IPA
does not support multi-threading (That is the ability
to split up the work load and run on more than one
processor at a time). When running IPA on a dual
processor machine, you will notice that the CPU
indicator from the task manager only goes up to
about the 50% level. The IPA application uses up
one whole CPU and the operating system functions
(reading\writing to files, network activity, system
background tasks) run on the other processor. This
gives a slight performance increase over a single
processor however about half of the total available
processing power is not utilized. If you are considering
purchasing a dual processor system to run IPA you
would be better off spending money on a higher speed
processor, more RAM, and\or a higher end graphics
card.
The
only way that you would be able to take advantage
of the mulitple processors is to be running more
than one copy of IPA or POV-Ray. The dual processors
could be utilized if you broke an animation into
two sections and rendered the first half in one
session of IPA and the second half in a seperate
session of IPA. You could then merge the frames
or AVI's that were created from each session into
a single AVI.
Is
there an API (Application Programming Interface)
for IPA?
The
ability to interface with IPA via a programming
interface was made available in IPA 7.3. The API
is currently limited to the web publishing commands.
This interface allows VB applications and other
utilities to be developed in order to automate the
publishing of your interactive assembly\service
documentation. Property definitions and example
code is available in the IPA program group (Start-->Programs-->IPA)
in the IPA Web Publishing API Help file.
There are also working automation example programs
located in the Program Files\Immersive Design\IPA
7.3\API Examples folder.
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