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Introduction

The following requirements are separated according to the level of functionality that you want to achieve (Minimum or Optimal). The minimum requirements are sufficient to run the software, but performance will be slow for some features and graphics support will be limited. To achieve the best possible performance and best graphics, the Optimal system requirements are recommended. If you are planning to purchase/build a new computer system to run Vivien, we recommend that you first consult the the wysiwyg and Vivien Hardware Guide for comprehensive details on selecting (components for) a Vivien workstation. (This guide is written with our other software, WYSIWYG, in mind, but since the two share the same codebase, the principles for selecting appropriate hardware are the same. However, Vivien does not require an absolute “top-of-the-line” processor or video card, or even memory.)

Notes:

  • Vivien must be installed on a hard drive formatted with the NTFS file system.
  • When running Vivien on a MAC via Bootcamp, performance will be comparable to running Vivien on a PC. When running Vivien on a MAC via the Parallels virtual environment, performance will be degraded when compared to a PC; using Parallels is not recommended for visualization in Virtual view
  • For Enhanced Simulation, a video card supporting OpenGL 2.1 is required; otherwise, the software will disable Enhanced Simulation. For full details on the visualization requirements, please refer to the section below which outlines the increasing levels of beam visualization in Vivien.

Attention: Vivien 2018 is officially supported on a computer running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10. Vivien 2018 does NOT install on a computer running Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Minimum System Requirements (for general Vivien usage)

  • Intel Core i3 or equivalent AMD processor, 2.0GHz or better
  • PC running Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
  • MAC computer with Intel Processor platforms running Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 via Bootcamp (recommended), or Parallels Virtual Machine*

Attention: * When Vivien is running on Parallels Virtual machine, graphical functionality will be limited, due to lack of proper OpenGL support in Parallels.

  • 4GB RAM
  • 2GB free disk space (NTFS file system)
  • 1280 x 800 or better resolution
  • OpenGL-accelerated “gaming-level” video card, with 1GB (or better) video memory and OpenGL 2.1 (minimum) support**
  • Free USB port

Attention: ** Integrated video cards may be used, but are neither recommended nor supported.

High Performance System Requirements (for best response and rendering time)

  • Intel Core i5 / i7 / i7 “Extreme Edition” or equivalent AMD processor, quad-core or better, 2.4 Ghz or better
  • Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
  • MAC computer with Intel Processor platforms running, Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, running via Bootcamp
  • 8GB RAM or better, configured for dual- or quad-channel operation (depending on the memory architecture supported by the processor)
  • 1GB free disk space (NTFS file system)
  • OpenGL-accelerated “gaming-level” video card, with 2GB (or better) video memory and OpenGL 3.3 support required for Deferred Rendering simulation and Volumetric Beams in Virtual View.
  • Free USB port

Attention: No integrated video cards should be considered for such a system

 Visualization Requirements

There are multiple levels of increasing beam simulation offered in Vivien.

  • Enhanced Beams: The minimum video card requirements to display the default Enhanced Beams must support OpenGL 2.1
  • Volumetric Beams: To obtain the highest graphics level offered by Deferred Rendering with Enhanced Visualization, your video card must support OpenGL 3.3, or better. The Alpha Beam Shadows feature requires a video card that supports OpenGL 4.3 or better.
  • Both Enhanced Visualization and Deferred Rendering options are required to run Volumetric Beams. If these options are not available on your system, it means the graphics card on your computer does not support the necessary version of OpenGL to run Volumetric beams. In this instance, you must, therefore, use Enhanced Beams for your Virtual View visualization.
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