technical support

product updates dr. diagram book support faq's

database issues

general use questions

graphics/backgrounds/maps

tech support issues/ error messages

web publishing

netViz 3D

general use questions

Turning duplicate objects into aliases

Question - I have a complicated netViz project, and a lot of objects are duplicated. I have logical and physical diagrams of the same system, so many of the objects are drawn twice. How can I find all the objects with the same names throughout the project? As it stands now, I have to change data for multiple objects when I really only should have to change it once.
Answer - netViz is structured to allow each object to have a unique identifier. That unique name, or key field, is colored blue in the Inspector window. We suggest you do a search by Data Value on "Key Fields" with the wildcard "*". This will bring up a search-result window showing all objects in your project separated by type. Go through each object-type table and sort it by key field. Simply scrolling through the resulting lists will show where you have objects with duplicate key fields.

But you shouldn't stop there. Analyze why you have icons with duplicate names. If they represent different objects, they should have different names. If, however, they are duplicate instances of the same object, you should take advantage of netViz's alias feature. That way, changes you make to any one of them will be reflected throughout the project.

To change these duplicates into aliases, go to the diagrams where one is located (you can double-click on a record in the search-result window to go to that diagram) and copy it. Go to the diagram(s) where the alias(es) needs to be created. Paste it into that diagram as an alias (you'll find this option by using a right mouse click). Examine the duplicate object that you are replacing with an alias. If it has a link that needs to be maintained, reconnect it to the new alias. If it has a subdiagram, go to that diagram, select all and cut. Go back to the new alias instance and drill down into it and paste the sub-diagram.

Adjusting Inspector data fields

Question - Can you expand the viewable portion of the data fields in the Inspector?
Answer - Of course. From your project, select File/Edit Internal Catalog, select the object from the palette whose fields you want to enlarge. In the Field Inspector, click on the field that you want to resize. Note that it has handles. Click on a handle and drag to resize it as you wish. If you want to make all of the fields that new length, select Fields/Align/Longest Width.

Replacing Hierarchy Browser symbols

Question - Can you replace the symbol of a parent diagram as it appears in the Hierarchy Browser?
Answer -The icon in the Hierarchy Browser matches the node's icon in the diagram. To change a single symbol, go to the diagram where that node exists. Select that node and do an Edit/Replace Type. Be aware that when you change an object from one type to another, you not only change the graphics but you change the data fields as well. Therefore, you might want to first go to the catalog and make sure that the data fields are common between the two object types in question. Any common fields between the two objects will automatically be populated with the correct data.

If you want to change the symbol used for all instances of that node type throughout the project, edit the internal catalog and changed the graphic symbol for that node type. This will change the graphic for all instances of the node but will not affect the underlying data.

Changing attributes for multiple objects

Question - I have several objects with common data fields. When I want to add or change a certain field in several objects, I have to do it one object at a time. Can I change the same attribute in several objects with a single operation?
Answer - There is no way to edit multiple catalog objects simultaneously. The best way to accomplish your goal is to add or make the change to one field and then copy and paste it to the other objects' Inspectors.

Multi-User Considerations

Question - We've got several people in our organization who work on our netViz documentation. Is there any way for multiple users to modify diagrams simultaneously?
Answer - In a multi-user environment, netViz allows one writer and multiple readers. The first user to open the file (assuming the file is not in a read-only directory) can modify and save the project. Subsequent users who open the project while it is still in use can modify the file but cannot save the changes. If the first user closes the file, the next user to open the file is allowed to modify and save it. A user who cannot save a project will not be able to import data or import a sub-project; nor will he or she be able to save any changes (even changes as minor as moving a node or changing a data field's font). The first-user-in edit rights apply to the entire file. If you need different people to work on projects, there are two approaches you might try.

The first approach relies on netViz's ODBC functionality and will allow several users to modify netViz data simultaneously without modifying the graphics in the project. Set up your projects so that they are connected to external data sources. The external database should support multiple users. Different people can enter and edit data simultaneously, then one person can refresh the full netViz project based on the changes in the database.

The second approach is to set up several smaller projects and give different people the responsibility for each sub-project. From time to time, you can import the sub-projects into a larger “master” project. This approach requires links going from one subproject to another to be created and maintained within the master project.

Adding link types to an existing project

Question - Can I add link types to a project's internal catalog?
Answer - You may add link types from other catalogs or you can setup a new user-defined link type.

To add a link type that already exists in another project or catalog, simply select File/Open More Catalogs and pick the desired file. Make sure both your Internal Catalog Palette and your External Catalog Palette are open. Drag the desired link from the external palette and drop it in your internal palette or just use it on the diagram to automatically add it.

To create a new link type, select File/Edit Internal Catalog. Then select Object/New Type/Link. Then just use the Link Inspector to change the name, line style, color, etc. Drag text and list fields from the Field Palette to the Field Inspector to add fields to your new link type's Inspector.

Scripting languages

Question - What scripting languages does the nDK support?
Answer - You can use C++ or Visual Basic with netViz's API or use netViz's own internal scripting language, netViz Basic (with syntax similar to Basic) to do a variety of things within the API.

Showing both front and rear views of a component

Question - Our equipment icons show only the front of the component. How can we set up our diagrams to show the backs so that we can document the modules or cards?
Answer - There are a couple of ways to accomplish this.

If you are planning to document connectivity to the port level, we recommend that you use the front view as your node. This allows you to see your rack elevation. Then paste that front view node as an alias in the subdiagram. Once you overlay the slots (and ports) over top of the node, you won't be able to distinguish front vs. rear view anyway. With this method, you can make a container of the device, its slots and ports.

If you are not going to document the individual slots and ports on the device, another method to do this would be to simply insert a graphic of the rear view in the node’s subdiagram. You won't have data in an Inspector for it but it will give you the image you’re looking for.

Importing portions of existing catalogs

Question - How do you take 1 or 2 nodes from another catalog without getting the entire catalog?
Answer - Directly from your diagram screen, just select File/Open More Catalogs, and select another catalog. You can either drag each desired node from the directly on a diagram.

Object default size

Question - Can an object's default size be defined?
Answer - In netViz 4.0 and earlier, each object when dropped from the palette is pre-defined to be 32 pixels by 32 pixels, roughly a maximum of a 1/3" by 1/3". Beginning with netViz version 5.0, the default size of objects can be changed.

Understanding the "Align Connected Objects" feature

Question - When using Align Connected Objects, is there any specific sequence used to order the objects?
Answer - Yes. Based on the options you select (i.e., fixed vs. existing spacing, all one side, etc.), netViz will try to position the connected objects as neatly as possible. If you specify that the connected objects should be moved to a fixed distance and as a result, connected objects would lie on top of each other, netViz will automatically spread out the objects. This spread logic is based on the when the object was placed on the diagram. The connected object created most recently will be closest, while the connected object created first will be furthest. See page 123 in the User's Guide for a more detailed explanation.

Exporting netViz diagrams

Question - Can netViz diagrams be exported for use in other applications?
Answer - Yes, they can be exported in a variety of ways. You export entire netViz projects to PowerPoint or HTML (.gif). You can also export individual diagrams to .wmf or .bmp formats. You can also take advantage of Windows functionality by doing a Select All, Copy and then use the clipboard to paste it into another application.

Using software-generated topology maps

Question - Can netViz import topology maps generated by OpenView, Tivoli or other Network Management Systems?
Answer - If you capture those maps in a .wmf or .bmp format, netViz can import them as backgrounds to create a template for you to begin your netViz diagrams. A better approach may be to use the backend database of your NMS to create instances of the objects in the map in your netViz project.

Incorporating data-driven graphics into projects created in version 3.0

Question -I have been using netViz 3.0 and I am now migrating everything to netViz 5.0. Can you give me suggestions about how to integrate data-driven graphics in my existing projects?
Answer - One benefit of the data-driven graphic feature is that it allows you to simplify your catalog. For example, you may be able to reduce the number of link types in your catalog. Let's say that you've set up your catalog with four link types, a green link for coaxial, an orange link for fiber, black for serial, and a gray link for UTP.To simplify your catalog, create one LAN Link with a list field for cable types with the options of UTP, Fiber, Serial and Coaxial. Set up the Visual Overrides so that the link will change color for the given variables as listed above.

On the project side, go to the various diagrams where the links exist, select them and do an Edit/Replace Type to the new link type. Go through the project (maybe switch to Table View) and select the appropriate cable type list option to change the color accordingly. Another option would be to export the link instances to a .txt file, then edit the .txt file in notepad or a spreadsheet then re-import them.

Filter & Hide

Question - I have a page that is clustered with so many nodes and links that it's difficult to understand. Is there an option to make some of the links invisible?
Answer - Yes, you can filter or hide the links for a diagram without deleting them.

Go to the diagram in question and select Diagram/Hide. There are two options, hide interdiagram links and hide single diagram links. Try these out by applying one or both and seeing how it affects your diagram.

Here's another filter option you can use
Go to the diagram in question. Hold down the Shift Key and select, using the mouse, all the nodes and/or links, that you would like to see.

If you accidentally select an object or link you want to filter, hold down the Shift key and click on the object or link to deselect.

Once you have finished selecting objects and links, right click your mouse anywhere on the diagram. In the pop-up menu, select Filter Options.

Experiment with these options; you can gray-out objects connected to those you selected, and the other objects will be hidden. Or you can hide the connected objects and display the outline of the other objects. This will allow you to customize your diagram to suit your needs.

Changing diagram names

Question - I don't like the name that is displayed in the hierarchy browser for some of my diagrams. How can I change this?
Answer - The diagram name that is displayed in the hierarchy browser reflects the key field data for the object that the diagram is named for (the blue field), and it can be changed via the Inspector.

When you drill down to create a sub-level, the node you drilled into is added to the hierarchy browser, and the name of the diagram is the same as the name of the node. If you want to change the name, go to the node that you drilled down into and select it by clicking on it once. Use the Inspector to change the key field data. When you have finished entering the new name, press enter and the Hierarchy Browser will be updated.

Database Issues

Compatible databases

Question - Can netViz use data in an SQL database?
Answer - Yes. You can use netViz's drag-and-drop interface to connect your catalog objects to tables and/or queries in your SQL database or any other database that uses an ODBC driver. Some examples of databases with ODBC drivers are Access, Oracle and FoxPro. For detailed instructions on how to do this, refer to "Database interface: basic" in Part 7 of the user guide.

Creating a database from a netViz project

Question - Can I use netViz to create an external database?
Answer - Sure. You can export your netViz project data into a .csv or .txt format. Just import the resulting file into your database application to create a table. There are a few things you should keep in mind when doing data exports.

First, netViz exports records of objects organized by object type, so you will probably want to export one object type at a time. This will create a one-to-one relationship between your external tables and your netViz objects.

Also, you will want to be mindful of the special words and data that netViz uses, so that you do not carry through unwanted data to your table. For example, netViz can export data about the diagram ancestry of a node (e.g. "Top Level =>Site A => Floor1"). While netViz needs this information to keep track of where an object exists in a project, you may not want the information in your database.

Refreshing an Alias from a database

Question - Will the “refresh from database” command update an alias?
Answer - Refresh from database will UPDATE an alias's data fields, but it cannot CREATE an alias.

Database access errors

Question - I have a netViz project that I have linked to an external database. I have made all of the appropriate connections on the catalog side of the project. When I return to the project and select Database (Refresh or Update), I receive an error stating "Database access error," "ODBC driver not found," or "Database error: Driver does not support this function."
Answer - ODBC drivers operate through "dynamic link libraries" or .dll files. The problem you've described is often caused by conflicting ODBC dll's. This usually happens because netViz and Windows each contains ODBC drivers. In an effort to solve the problem, open Windows Explorer and select the netViz program directory. Locate the "odbc32.dll" file and rename it odbcA 32.dll. This will force netViz to utilize the ODBC dll in the Windows system directory. If this doesn't correct the problem you can always go back to this file and remove the "A" to return it to its original condition.

Working with Excel spreadsheets

Question - I'm making a database connection to a Excel spreadsheet and when I perform a refresh via ODBC some of the numeric data has a decimal place added. How can I stop this from happening?
Answer - You need to adjust the Excel spreadsheet columns so that they have a uniform data-type. This will permit a good data refresh via ODBC to your netViz diagrams.

Here's what you need to do (note that these instructions are based on Excel 97 and could vary depending on the version you operate):

1. Open the Excel spreadsheet and click the tab at the bottom to view the sheet that contains the column in question.

2. Using your mouse, select the column to be converted, by clicking on the column header. The entire column should now be highlighted.

3. From Excel's menus, select "Data/Text to Columns. . . ."

4. From the "Convert Text to Columns Wizard" "Step 1 of 3" set the Original data type to "Fixed width" and then click next.

5. You don't need to make any changes for step 2, go ahead and click next.

6. For the third step of the wizard select "Text" and click finish.

Graphics/Backgrounds/Maps

Supported graphic formats

Question - What graphic formats are supported in netViz?
Answer - netViz supports the following graphic formats for backgrounds, inserted graphics and node symbols: .wmf, .bmp, .gif, .hgl, .cgm, .pct, .ras, .eps, .tga, .tif, .wpg, .psd, .pcx, .cmp and .dxf (up to AutoCAD version 11). For newer versions of AutoCAD, just save the file in AutoCAD as a .wmf before importing it into netViz.

Getting additional graphics

Question - How are the equipment graphics developed? Can I use my own?
Answer - netViz graphic illustrators use standard graphics applications to generate the equipment graphics. We save these files in a native .nvm format (very similar to .wmf). You can create your own images and save them as .wmf (or other formats) files to use in your netViz palettes.

AutoCAD diagrams as netViz backgrounds

Question - I use AutoCAD to create floorplans as backgrounds in netViz. They don't always look so great. The text looks cheesy and there are too many layers turned on (I don't need the details of furniture or plumbing!). Is there a way to change the way these images come in?
Answer - The ability to edit the image after it's been bought in to netViz is pretty limited. The time to edit your AutoCAD image is before you bring it in. You should open your AutoCAD file and manually turn off the display of the layers that you do not want to be a part of your background. As for the text, AutoCAD usually has a system default of "Standard," which isn't a TrueType font. Try changing that Standard font to Arial. This should make the text much clearer. Also, delete any text that you don’t want included in the background.

Latitude & longitude for mapping node placement on netViz *.map file types

Question - We have sites all over the United States, which we store information for in a database that I'm now connecting to my netViz project. I would like to position the sites using latitude & longitude information and netViz maps. Can you tell me where I can get Latitude & Longitude information?
Answer - The following URL links to a Website that has latitude and longitude data for all U.S. zip codes:http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/places.html This site contains over 25,000 zip codes in the United States and their corresponding long/lat coordinates. This is done using a simple database condensed from census data files. Remember that automatic placement of nodes using of longitude and latitude coordinates can only be done on a map provided by netViz with a .map file extension.

Question - Where can I get maps to use as backgrounds for my netViz projects?
Answer - There are several good sources. One is at www.mapquest.com. That site has great city and country maps. Select an area, zoom as desired, then save the GIF file for import into netViz. Pick a ratio close to your page, e.g. 600 x 400 for an 8.5 x 11 inch page. Select grayscale to prevent the map from competing with the diagram objects.

You can also try the Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas at Austin. It offers a superb collection of maps that you can download and use with netViz.

Also take a look at the Xerox PARC map viewer. The PARC map viewer can optionally show lots of different borders and geographic features (but no names) and could be used for netViz backgrounds.

Linking long/lat data to netViz objects

Question - Great. Now that I have latitude & longitude data for all my sites throughout the U.S., how do I use netViz to automatically position the site nodes onto my netViz diagrams?
Answer - Keep in mind that auto-placement by long/lat data only works on the map files with an .map extension that were included with your copy of netViz. The first thing that you will need to do is place all the latitude and longitude data into your database for each of your site records. Create two new columns, one for latitude and one for longitude. Add all the relevant data for each record and save your changes.

Provided that you have all the information in the database, you can now connect the long/lat information to your site nodes.

Open the project or catalog that contains the site node in question. If you are not already in the catalog view, press F3 or File / Edit Internal Catalog. Locate the site node in the Internal Catalog Palette.

From the Database menu select Connect to Database Table. From the list select the appropriate database driver and select Get Tables and Views. Find the database that contains the long/lat data, select it and click OK.

From the list of displayed tables and views, select the table that contains the site information by checking the box. (Before clicking OK you can view the table to make sure it contains the information you need - to do this click the view button on the right hand side of the window).

Click OK.

If you haven't already done so, link your site objects to the database:

Locate your site object in the node palette. Take the blue field from the database table (this is the key field) and drag it into the blue field for the site object. There should now be a thick blue line connecting the two key fields.

If you would like to obtain data from other fields in the database table you will need to drag and drop them also. Notice that the other fields connect with a thin black line.

There is no need to connect the latitude and longitude fields here, unless you want to see this information displayed in the inspector for each object.

Now you can link the long/lat information to the site objects:

From the Database menu, select Map Position.

In the Map Position window, you need to select how netViz will interpret the data in the latitude and longitude fields of your database. Select Longitude/Latitude (only for *.MAP diagram background files) in the lower half of the window. This will change the Select Node Position Fields options above.

You'll now have two drop down lists - one for Longitude and one for Latitude - which contains all the fields from the database table connected to the node.

You will need to match the Longitude field with Longitude and the Latitude field with Latitude. Click OK and you are done. It's as easy as that.

Provided that the *.map file is being used for the top level background this will work when you perform a Refresh Entire Project from the Database menu in the project.

If you are using a *.map file on a lower level diagram you will need to Map the diagram hierachy for the object. You can find more information on mapping diagram hierarchy in your netViz Users Guide, page 297.

netViz .map files

Question - Is the .map file format an industry standard format? Can we create our own?
Answer - In netViz versions 4.0 and earlier, only our internally-created background files with the .map file extension would support placement by latitude and longitude. Beginning with version 5.0, you can create your own equivalent of a .map file within netViz. Here's how:

1. Bring in any background map you like. You may want to look at the new selection of relief maps that shipped with your netViz software.
2. Go to Diagram\ Background\ Map Specifications.
3. In the Map Specification dialog box, enter the latitude and longitude information for the borders of the background graphic.
4. Once you've associated lat/long values with a background, any database of objects that contains coordinate information can be automatically placed correctly on your netViz diagrams. You can also use our new "Place" feature to auto-place objects on a background that has embedded coordinate data.
5. Just right click an object and select "Place" from the pull down. The dialog box allows you to place that object by entering a lat/long value or by selecting a city name from the pull down. netViz will automatically filter out from the pull down list cities that are not within the boundaries of the background map.

Network Discovery

Question - How does netViz discover my network?
Answer - netViz uses Microsoft LanManager APIs to perform its discovery. This is the same mechanism used by the "network neighborhood" icon on your desktop. After it has found the servers and you have selected which ones to gather information from, it will again use the LanManager APIs to discover which shares (or volumes) a particular server has. If the discovery process appears to be slow, go into your network neighborhood to see how fast it is getting the servers and showing the shares on them. This will give you an idea of how long the entire process will take.

Question - How are volumes discovered?
Answer - The LanManager APIs are used to discover which shares each server has available. For NetWare, each share relates to a volume. For Windows NT the shares are virtual (because the network administrator may make different sub-directories on the same drive available as different shares). For this reason, the disk space taken up by shares on a server will be the same as it would be if the shares resided on a physical drive.

Question - Why do I need the Novell NetWare client 32 and not Microsoft's NetWare client?
Answer - netViz needs Novell's NetWare client 32 loaded to get access to some of Novell's APIs. Microsoft provides a NetWare-compatible client that allows users to access file and print services on Novell servers, but Microsoft did not implement all of the underlying APIs. netViz needs some of those APIs to get the information it needs.

Question - Why do some of my NetWare servers show an unknown CPU type?
Answer - If netViz is unable to query the server using Novell's APIs, some information such as the CPU type and client information will not be available. netViz may be unable to query because you do not have Novell’s client 32 loaded or because the server is a Windows NT server running the NetWare file and printer sharing service. This service makes the NT server appear as a NetWare server in the NetWare environment.

Question - Why can I only find clients from a Windows NT machine? Why doesn't netViz autodiscovery find all my Windows NT clients?
Answer - Windows NT networks do not provide a clean mechanism for finding all the workstations in the network. netViz does not use any broadcast mechanisms to discover your network and so it must rely on the information that your network will provide. Clients are found by looking at the shares of all the servers selected for discovery and querying for who is attached to those volumes

Question - Why do some of my Windows 95 machines show in my list of servers?
Answer - netViz attempts to filter out only your Windows NT machines. However, if you have a Windows 95 machine with file and printer sharing installed and enabled, Windows 95 machines may occasionally appear on the server list.

Question - Why is information found for some clients and not others?
Answer - netViz uses IPS Diagnostics to gather workstation information. This works well for gathering information on the hardware of the workstation. However, this is not supported on any of the Windows NT platforms, so if you are using Windows NT as a workstation in a Novell environment, then you will not see any information for the client.

Web Publishing

Updating projects over the Web

Question - Can I update netViz project data over the Web?
Answer - No. You can only change netViz data and diagrams from within the desktop netViz application. This feature prevents unauthorized personnel from making changes to the data or the diagrams. You should keep in mind that Web-published netViz projects contain data as well as graphics. Alterations to the project would modify the database on which the project is based.

Updating Web-published projects

Question - If my database changes and then the project gets refreshed, can my Web-Published projects automatically be updated?
Answer - Yes. netViz 5.0 has a Task Scheduler that allows you to schedule refreshes on a timed basis. It can't be triggered by database changes, but it's easy to coordinate the timing of data modifications and Web updates with the Scheduler.

Publishing partial projects over the Web

Question - If I publish my project to the Web, can I set it so that outside users can only view specific parts of the project?
Answer - When netViz publishes your project to a Web database, it takes the entire project. The only way that you can accomplish what you want is to manually edit or delete the database records that pertain to the diagrams/objects that you would like to remove.

Tech Support Issues/ Error messages

Display/Printing problems on NT systems

Question - I'm running netViz on an NT operating system, and I've noticed that some of the objects (nodes) being used in my project either (1) don't display properly or (2) don't print properly. Usually when this happens, the right or bottom edge of the object is not visible. The problem appears with graphics from the netViz database as well as shapes.
Answer - We have seen this problem occasionally. In most instances it has been linked to an incompatible video or printer driver.

For monitor problems - We have noticed this problem only when users are running NT and have either a Stealth Diamond or ATI video card. The first thing to try is an update of the video driver. You can usually get the most current drivers from the manufacturer's Website. If you update the drivers and the problem still exists, it is possible that the NT operating system is unable to render the graphic. We have been in touch with Microsoft concerning this issue and they claim it is being addressed. A workaround for the problem is to increase the thickness of the node's outline to a width greater than hairline. Simply select the "Line Style" option on the tool bar and increase the width size of the node in question.

For printer problems: Printing problems are typically caused by outdated printer drivers. The first thing to try is to update your printer drivers. You can usually get the most current drivers from the Web. If you have more than one printer in your office, you can also try to isolate the problem by printing to a different printer. Through a process of trial and error, you should be able to isolate the problem.

Installing to laptops

Question - I've been unable to install netViz on my laptop. Can you help?
Answer - We have seen an incompatibility between the InstallShield software used in the netViz installation process and Norton Antivirus. If you have an antivirus software program installed and running in the background, temporarily disable it until your install is complete. In almost all cases, the install will complete successfully.

Error Messages

Question - At various times, I've received the following error messages. Can you tell me how to handle them?
Answer -
"Unable to locate filter NVOGIF.x32"

1. Close netViz;
2. Using Windows Explorer, find the file named "netviz.ini." Sometimes there are two, one in the Windows directory and the other in the netViz 4.0 program folder.
3. Open the file and edit the file path to add Filter=[file path to netViz 4.0 filters directory].

"Export filter not found"

1. Be sure nvogif.dll exists in the netViz filters directory. If it is not, try reinstalling netViz.
2. Check the netviz.ini file to make sure the that path to the filter directory is correct. If it is not, edit the path so that it aims to the correct directory.

"ADODB.connection error "800a0e7a" ADO could not find the specified provider"

This error message appears when the MSDASQL OLE DB provider is either unavailable or is not registered. This can be caused by an incomplete upgrade or a bad install of the Microsoft Data Access (MDAC)components. Here are two ways to fix the problem:

1. Register the Msdasql.dll using the following command: REGSVR32 "C:\Program files\common files\System\ole db\MDDASQL.DLL."
2. Uninstall and reinstall the ODBC portion of the Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0, either through the IIS 4.0 installation or the MDAC update download.

netViz 3D

Question - When I try to open my 3D views, the scene window is blank and the 3D navigator window is black. What's going on?
Answer - 3D graphics cards typically do not manage their own memory use. Extensive use of 3D views can exhaust the memory in the graphics card, resulting in a blank screen. The easiest way to fix this problem is to simply restart the computer. Note: a "warm" boot is sometimes not enough to clear the memory in the graphics card. If a warm boot doesn’t solve the problem, try turning your computer off and then restarting.

Question - Can you recommend any particular 3D graphics cards to use with netViz 3D?
Answer - netViz 3D uses OpenGL to render 3D objects and scenes, so any OpenGL compliant 3D graphics card should work fine. We've had particularly good results with nVidia cards, especially the GeForce, GeForce2 and TNT2. We recommend that you try using netViz 3D for a little while before you spend the money on a graphics card. Many of today's current PCs come pre-installed with graphics cards and will render netViz 3D scenes just fine

Question - I've noticed that the performance of my computer seems to have slowed with netViz 3D.
Answer - netViz 3D renders scenes with actual 3D models, which are very complex graphics. Whenever you move or rotate a 3D scene, netViz 3D also has to move or rotate each model. As with any true 3D product, this requires more processing power than does a simple 2D application. If performance is slowing to an unacceptable level, try (1) using simpler models to create your 3D views and then replace them with more complex models when you're happy with the 3D scene. For example, simple cubes or cones have far fewer polygons than complex models like PCs, buildings or spheres; (2) install an OpenGL compliant 3D graphics card; (3) add some RAM (we recommend at least 128 Mbytes).

Question - I'm confused by the concept of an x,y and z axis. Can you help?
Answer - netViz 3D scenes are actual three-dimensional pictures with three-dimensional objects in them. Here's a good way to think of each axis. The x axis is the axis that goes from left to right across your screen. Moving something on that axis will adjust its right-left position and rotating something on the x axis will tip its face up and down. The y axis goes from front to back. Moving something on that axis will adjust its front-back position in the scene and rotating something on the y axis tips it in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The z axis is the axis that goes from bottom to top. Moving something on that axis will adjust its vertical position. Rotating something on the z axis will spin it like a top from front to side to back.

Question - How can I get more 3D models?
Answer - We are constantly updating our graphics database. If you purchase a maintenance contract, you'll automatically receive an updated 3D models database with each maintenance release.

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