1. Before Starting TACHYON

1.1 TACHYON Installation

TACHYON is pre-installed on the servers you acquired. Some circumstances might force you to perform a new install of TACHYON. VYV recommends to use the VYV Network Assistant to perform software installation. Read the following sections to learn how to use the VYV Network Assistant to install TACHYON.

1.2 VYV Network Assistant Installation

The VYV Network Assistant is an external tool that runs independently of TACHYON. It allows you to perform the following tasks over a network:

  • manage the version of TACHYON you are using;

  • install and uninstall different versions of TACHYON;

  • manage your TACHYON Projects;

  • start TACHYON with arguments (for example, no UI or no splash screen on startup);

  • restart TACHYON;

  • quit TACHYON;

  • reboot the server;

  • shutdown the server.

All of the above actions can be propagated across the network on any number of connected servers.

The VYV Network Assistant makes it possible to automatically launch a specific version of TACHYON and start a specific project after Windows boots.

  1. After retrieving the installer (.exe) — downloaded from our website, or sent to you by someone from VYV— double click on the (.exe) file. (You might have to answer a Windows security question.)

  2. Click on the [Install] button, wait for the installation process to complete, then click on the [Finish] button. A window will open right away, asking you to start the VYV Network Assistant.

1.3 Network Configuration

TACHYON servers must reside on the same network. Make sure your servers and network switch share the same network prefix and subnet number (the first 3 octets in the IP address).

VYV recommends the assignation of static IP addresses to servers in order to facilitate troubleshooting. Servers should resign on a dedicated network since critical data such as sync, external control and image content will transit through it.

Servers should be connected through a network switch. The network switch’s host number (last octet in the IP address) should be 1. The network switch will probably use a browser-based interface to allow parameter modifications. The host numbers for the servers should range from 2–254.

1.4 Remote Install or Uninstall

Once all of the servers are communicating on the same network and have fully functional versions of the VYV Network Assistant installed, you will be able to execute the following actions on all servers from one server using the VYV Network Assistant’s interface.

The TACHYON versions directory is located under …\VYV\TACHYON\versions\...

1.4.1 Install a New Version of TACHYON

  1. Select the servers on which you will install a new version of TACHYON by checking the boxes located on the left side of the Systems list.

  2. When selected, the servers will be identified by a green check mark. The server you are using as the control interface will have (LOCAL) in front of its name. Select {Tools > Remote Install...} from the menu bar or press [Alt+I] to open the Remote Installation pop-up window.

  3. Click on the [...] button to open a Windows file dialog.

  4. Select the TACHYON installer (.exe) and click on [Open]. A confirmation box will appear showing the list of servers where you will remotely install TACHYON.

  5. Click on [Yes] if you want to proceed, or [Cancel] if you don’t. Installation progress will be indicated in the Status column. The newly installed version of TACHYON will be available in the System Configuration pop-up window.

1.4.2 Uninstall a version of TACHYON

  1. Select the servers targeted for the uninstall TACHYON process by checking the boxes located on the left side of the Systems list.

  2. When selected, the servers will be identified by a green check mark. The server you are using as the control interface will have (LOCAL) in front of its name.

  3. Select {Tools > Remote Uninstall...} from the menu bar or press [Alt+U] to open the Remote Uninstall pop-up window.

  4. Select TACHYON in the {Product} dropdown menu.

  5. Select the TACHYON version you want to uninstall from the {Version} dropdown menu.

  6. A confirmation box will appear showing you the list of servers targeted for the Remote Uninstall process. Click on [Yes] if you want to proceed, or [Cancel] if you don’t.

1.5 Project Configuration

Project configuration will allow you to select which version of TACHYON will run on your Server Group. It will also allow you to create new TACHYON Projects or load previous ones.

A TACHYON Project consists of an independent set of folders that contain important files such as media content, 3D models, saves, and various configurations targeting network and third party hardware. Keep in mind that a new Project will not have access to the files used in previous Projects.

Once you have selected the desired configuration options (see below), click on [Apply] to propagate the changes over the network or [Cancel] to discard them.

The TACHYON Project directory is located under …\VYV\TACHYON\projects\...

1.5.1 Configuration Procedure

  1. Select the servers you want to configure by checking the boxes located on the left side of the Systems list. Project configuration will be pushed across the network to all of the selected servers.

  2. When selected, the servers will be identified by a green check mark. The server you are using as the control interface will have (LOCAL) in front of its name.

  3. Select {Tools > Configure...} from the menu bar or press [Alt+C] to open the System Configuration pop-up window.

  4. Select TACHYON from the {Product} dropdown menu.

1.5.2 Create a new TACHYON Project

  1. Select {New…} at the top of the {Project} dropdown menu.

  2. Type the name of your Project in the text box.

1.5.3 Load an existing TACHYON Project

  • Select the Project you want to use from the {Project} dropdown menu.

1.5.4 Launch TACHYON with ArgumentsArguments instruct TACHYON to perform special operations when the program is launched. Arguments can be selected in the System Configuration window.

  1. Select {Tools > Configure…} from the main menu or press [Alt+C] to open the System Configuration window.

  2. Arguments can also be manually typed into the Arguments text box, or added by clicking on the [+] button. The [+] button will open the Command Line Arguments pop-up window.

  3. Select the desired arguments from the list by checking their boxes. When selected, the arguments will be identified by a green check mark. This will push the selected arguments to all of the servers via the network.

Available Arguments

Hide User Interface (UI) on Startup

The UI will not appear on startup, but it can be accessed by pressing the [Tab] key. This option might be useful if your server is a Display Master Server and you are using all of its video outputs to display video content.

Keep Taskbar

The Windows taskbar usually disappears when TACHYON launches and reappears when it is closed. Selecting the Keep Taskbar option will make the Windows taskbar available.

Keep Windows 7 Aero

This argument is only pertinent when using a legacy version of PHOTON. TACHYON only runs on Windows 10.

Disable OptiTrack Cameras

This argument is only pertinent when using PHOTON or ALBION. TACHYON does not accept OptiTrack cameras input.

Disable Splash Screen

This option will prevent TACHYON’s splash screen from being displayed on startup.

Subnet

used to force the network adapter used to communicate between Tachyons.

By putting the subnet based ip address in this field, vyv network assistant will overwrite the windows settings on boot and select the desired network adapter to connect Tachyon servers.

Example: If you are utilizing 172.17.1.100/24 as the IP address for Tachyon network, put in 172.17.1.0 in this field to force the binding of that address.

For windows 7 machines, sometimes the selected adapter used for Tachyon communication will be overwritten by the built in windows priority.

1.5.5 Network Settings

Adapter

Defining the nic that will be used for VYV Network assistant communication

Use Multicast

used for discovery and communication between VYV Network assistants via Multicast.

1.5.6 Startup/Shutdown Options

VYV Network Assistant Autolaunch

If you want the VYV Network Assistant to automatically start after Windows launches, check the box in front of “Run Network Assistant on System startup” (a green check mark will appear).

TACHYON Autolaunch

If you want TACHYON to automatically start after the VYV Network Assistant launches, check the box in front of “Run Local Target when Network Assistant starts” (a green check mark will appear).

Autolaunch and Shutdown Delays

If you want to delay TACHYON’s launch after the VYV Network Assistant’s boot procedure, change the value (seconds) in the Run Local Target Timeout(s) slider. This could be useful, for example, if you have network latency problems (i.e. the network switch is slow to wake up).

This timeout is only applied if TACHYON is auto-launched using parameters set by the VYV Network Assistant.

If you want TACHYON to shutdown after the VYV Network Assistant’s launch, change the value (seconds) in the Quit Local Target Timeout(s) slider. This could be useful, for example, if the Project you are working on uses a lot of memory and needs more time to complete a Default Save procedure.

When TACHYON quits, the software automatically saves in the Default Save file.

This timeout is only applied if TACHYON quits by means of a command sent by the VYV Network Assistant.

1.6 Graphic Card Configuration

NVIDIA’s Mosaic technology allows the creation of a large virtual canvas regrouping all of the connected displays by combining them into one large screen. This larger unique canvas reduces the impact on performance when using 2D or 3D applications in a multiple display context. TACHYON will still be able to identify each video output as an individual screen.

NVIDIA Mosaic is a requirement for maximum performance when using TACHYON.

Follow the steps listed below to build a Mosaic display group.

1.6.1 Before Opening the NVIDIA Control Panel

  1. Physically connect the video displays (projectors, monitors, LED screens, etc.) to the server.

  2. Make sure video signal reaches all of the displays by changing the desktop color:

  3. Click on the [Windows Start] button and select {Settings > Appearance & Personalization}.

  4. Select Background from the menu at the left of the window.

  5. Select {Solid color} from the Background dropdown menu and choose a bright color.

  6. You should see bright color in all displays.

When TACHYON starts, the desktop background will automatically turn black.

  1. Check the Windows Display settings to make sure all of your displays are identified.

  2. Right-click anywhere on the Windows desktop background and select {Display settings} from the contextual menu, or click on the [Windows Start] button and select {Settings > System > Display}.

  3. You should see all of the displays that are connected. Display numbering starts at 1.

  4. The Display settings window allows the modification of many parameters. You will need to set correctly the resolution, orientation and desktop spanning for each of the connected displays:

  5. Select a display by clicking on its numbered representation.

  6. Select the appropriate size in the Display resolution dropdown menu. The same size should be selected for all connected displays in order to be able to complete the Mosaic configuration.

  7. Select {Landscape} in the Orientation dropdown menu.

  8. Select {Extend desktop to this display} from the Multiple displays dropdown menu.

  9. Repeat these previous steps with all connected displays.

  10. (Make sure the appropriate display is selected as the main display by checking the box located in the Multiple display section.)

1.6.2 Open the NVIDIA Control Panel

  • Right-click anywhere on the Windows desktop background and select NVIDIA Control Panel from the contextual menu, or click on the [Windows Start] button and select {NVIDIA Control Panel} from the app list.

1.6.3 Manage the 3D Settings

  1. Select {Manage 3D Settings} in the “Select a Task…” list under {3D Settings}. Make sure the Global Settings tab is selected.

  2. Select “Workstation App - Dynamic Streaming” in the {Global Presets} dropdown menu.

  3. In the Settings list below:

  4. set the Power Management Mode to “Prefer maximum performance”;

  5. set Triple Buffering to “On.”

  6. If you make any changes click on the [Apply] button.

1.6.4 Change Resolution

  1. Select {Change Resolution} in the “Select a Task…” list under {Display}.

  2. You should see all of your connected displays represented as small icons that look like monitor screens. By selecting these icons you can adjust the resolution, refresh rate and depth of color for each video output. Make sure that all of your video outputs have the same parameters (both for resolution and frequency rate).

  3. If you make any changes click on the [Apply] button. An “Apply Changes” confirmation box with a 17-second timeout will appear. Click on [Yes] to apply changes, or [No] to cancel changes.

To set up a Mosaic display group all of your video outputs must be set at the same resolution and refresh rate.

1.6.5 Adjust the Color Settings

If you are using HDMI or DP connectors, it is crucial that you set correctly the Output dynamic range. Not doing so might result in altered image content in the brighter and darker areas.

  1. Select {Change Resolution} in the “Select a Task…” list under {Display}.

  2. Select the display you want to change.

  3. Select the “Use NVIDIA color settings” radio button located beneath section “3. Apply the following settings.”

  4. Select {Full} from the Output dynamic range dropdown menu.

  5. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 for each display.

1.6.6. View System Topology

  1. Select {View System Topology}.

The Quadro cards feature Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) management. (Please refer to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Display_Identification_Data for more info.) EDID management allows you to force a similar behavior on all of your video outputs by pushing the same manufacturer metadata onto them. This will allow you to hot swap displays without breaking the Mosaic configuration, while facilitating its creation.

  1. Select {View System Topology} in the “Select a Task…” list under {Workstation}.

  2. Select any of the EDID links in the Settings column of the System Topology table. This will open the Manage EDID window:

Export

Export will allow you to grab the EDID in a (.txt) file from a display connected to the graphic card.

  1. Select the Export tab.

  2. In the Select Connector to Export EDID list, select the display from which you want to export the EDID.

  3. Click on the [Export EDID] button at the bottom of the window. A Save As window will open and allow you to select the destination where the file will be saved.

  4. Name your text file.

  5. Click on the [Save] button.

Load

The Load tab will allow you to load the EDID onto all of the selected displays, forcing all of the video outputs to use the same manufacturer metadata.

  1. Select the Load tab.

  2. Click on the [Browse] button at the top of the window.

  3. An Open Windows file dialog will prompt you to select the EDID file (.txt) you want to load.

  4. Click on the [Open] button.

  5. In the Select Connector to Force EDID list, select the displays you want to load the EDID onto by checking the boxes beside their name.

  6. Click on the [Load EDID] button.

  7. You will see a black flash in the connected displays.

  8. A pop-up will confirm the Load procedure was successful.

  9. Click on the [OK] button.

Don’t load EDID in video outputs that aren’t connected to a display as it might create ghost video outputs.

Unload

The Unload tab allows you to remove a Forced EDID from the selected video outputs to regain the original display’s metadata.

  1. Select the Unload tab if you wish to do so.

  2. In the Select Connector to Unload EDID list, select the displays from which you want to unload Forced EDIDs by checking the boxes beside their name.

  3. Click on the [Unload EDID] button.

  4. You will see a black flash in the connected displays.

  5. A pop-up window will confirm the Unload procedure was successful.

  6. Click on the [OK] button. Once all of the connected video outputs have the same EDID, go back to Change Resolution. Make sure each display has the same resolution and refresh rate.

1.6.7 Set Up the Mosaic Display Group

Now you are ready to set up the Mosaic display group.

  1. Select {Set Up Mosaic} from the “Select a Task…” list under {Workstation}.

  2. Click on the “Create new configuration” link. This will open the NVIDIA Mosaic set up window.

Follow the next 5 steps to create the Mosaic display group:

  1. Select Topology

  2. Select the number of displays you want to include in the Mosaic display group with the help of the dedicated dropdown menu. You must include all of the available video outputs in the Mosaic configuration.

  3. Select the Topology — how the displays will be positioned on the grid — with the help of the dedicated dropdown menu. Always use a single row topology (1 X ...) because TACHYON works through horizontal screen spanning.

  4. Select the display Orientation with the help of the dedicated dropdown menu. Always use Landscape even if your project includes rear projections or projectors set up in portrait format. TACHYON will automatically manage these cases.

  5. For the maximum and minimum GPU topology, this is a feature that only matters if mixing different Quadro GPU models. This should be set to Maximum GPU Topology, but is unimportant since Tachyon does not support mixing GPUs models in one machine.

  6. If your screens are listed correctly and placed in the right order you can immediately check the box next to “I am using the recommended connections for the selected topology” and click on the [Enable Mosaic] button. This will open the “Apply Changes” confirmation window. If the Mosaic display group seems to be set up correctly, click on the [Yes] button. You should be ready to launch TACHYON now. If not, click on the [No] button and go through the next steps.

  1. Select Displays

  2. All of the available displays listed underneath “Displays for Mosaic” should already be checked. If not, check the boxes next to their names.

  3. Select the desired refresh rate in the {Refresh Rate} dropdown menu. Match the one specified earlier in the Display settings.

  4. Select the desired resolution in the {Resolution Per Display} dropdown menu. . Match the one specified earlier in the Display settings.

  5. Click on the [Next] button.

  1. Arrange Displays

  2. Arrange the displays by dragging them from the top of the panel to the white rectangles located in the bottom section. This will set their position in the Mosaic large canvas.

  3. You can also type the display numbers into the white rectangles and press [Enter]. (Each display is identified by the large number in the top-left corner.)

  4. Numbering

As mentioned above, displays are identified by numbers. The numbers indicate the order in which the displays are connected to the graphics card: display #1 is connected to the output port closest to the motherboard, display #2 is connected to the next output port, and so on. This system for prioritizing displays by using numbers that represent their proximity to the motherboard applies to the other output ports as well.

The small-number pairs displayed in the lower-left corner of the displays represented are another element of this prioritization system. The first number (before the comma) represents the hierarchical position of the graphics card (starting at 0). The second number (after the comma) represents the hierarchical position of the output ports on the graphic card (starting at 0).

  1. When the displays are in the correct order, click on the [Apply] button. An “Applying Changes” loading bar will appear, and you will see a black flash in all of the connected displays. (This might take a while.)

  2. An “Apply Changes” confirmation window will appear. Click [Yes] to apply, or [No] to cancel.

  3. The upper section of the window, where the drag and drop displays were initially placed, will have changed. A pop-up window should tell you that the “Mosaic is enabled.”

  4. You can still reorder the displays by dragging and dropping them, but you will have to go back and Apply Changes again.

  5. The Mosaic display group’s maximum resolution will be written near the bottom of the window.

  6. Click on the [Finish] button. (Don’t click [Next].)

  7. Adjust Overlap and Bezel Correction

Do not adjust overlap and bezel because TACHYON will take care of these issues while calibrating.

  1. Confirmation

  2. The Set Up Mosaic window will have changed, and will present a summary of the current Mosaic configuration. If you wish to make changes, click on the [Modify] button or the [Disable] button.

  3. You can also find out if the Mosaic display group is recognized in the Windows display settings. Right-click anywhere on the Windows desktop background and select {Screen Resolution} in the contextual menu, or click on the [Windows Start] button to access {Control Panel > Screen Resolution}.

  4. You should see a single monitor representing all of the connected displays. It should be #1.

  5. The Mosaic display group is now established and you are ready to launch PHOTON.

1.7 Launch or Quit TACHYON

VYV recommends using the VYV Network Assistant to launch or quit TACHYON.

  1. Launch the VYV Network Assistant.

  2. Once the VYV Network Assistant window is open, select the servers you want to affect by checking the boxes situated on the left side of the Systems list.

When selected, the servers will be identified by a green check mark. The server you are using as the control interface will have (LOCAL) in front of its name.

1.7.1 Launch TACHYON

  • Click on the [Restart Program] button at the bottom of the VYV Network Assistant window. This action will remotely start or restart TACHYON on all of the servers selected in the Systems list.

1.7.2 Quit TACHYON

  • Click on the [Quit Program] button at the bottom of the VYV Network Assistant window. This action will remotely shutdown TACHYON on all of the servers selected in the Systems list.

When TACHYON is running you might have to press [Alt+Tab] to bring the VYV Network Assistant back in order to simultaneously quit the application on all servers. You can also bring the VYV Network Assistant back by using a button located in the Settings module Network tab.

When TACHYON quits, the software is automatically saved in the Default Save file.

While TACHYON is shutting down you will see a Windows console prompt. Don’t shut it down. You will crash the system and prevent TACHYON from creating a Default Save file.

1.8 Reboot/Shutdown Servers

  • Select the servers you want to reboot or shutdown by checking the boxes located on the left side of the Systems list.

When selected, the servers will be identified by a green check mark. The server you are using as the control interface will have (LOCAL) in front of its name.

1.8.1 Reboot

  • Click on the [Reboot System] button at the bottom of the VYV Network Assistant window. This action will remotely reboot all of the servers selected in the Systems list.

1.8.2 Shutdown

  • Click on the [Shutdown System] button at the bottom of the VYV Network Assistant window. This action will remotely shutdown all of the servers selected in the Systems list.

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