VMware Communities
sentience
Contributor
Contributor

Windows Vista 3D in Fusion 2.0 on new MacBooks (NVIDIA 5400M)

Since installing VMWare Fusion 2.0 on my new aluminium MacBook (with the new NVIDIA 5400M graphics processor), I have been unable to get any 3D application to work correctly in Windows. In most cases, the window that should contain a 3D scene is blank in VMWare Fusion.

Is VMWare Fusion 2.0’s support for DirectX compatible with the new graphics processors (5400M and 5600M GT) in the new MacBooks?

Assuming it isn’t, is there a timeline for this support to be added? Is there a beta program I can join?

Reply
0 Kudos
8 Replies
TheLoneVM
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

We are aware of some 3D compatibility issues with the new MacBooks/MacBook Pros. Hoping to have most of the bugs fixed for the next point release, should be out fairly soon, so not doing any kind of beta on this one...

Reply
0 Kudos
TheLoneVM
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Can also work around with vmx setting, mks.gl.shaderMainBodyTemplate = 3. This is in release notes here: http://www.vmware.com/support/fusion2/doc/releasenotes_fusion.html

Reply
0 Kudos
sentience
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for the update!

Reply
0 Kudos
sentience
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for the pointer; however, the problem I reported was 3D graphics failing to display, not the system hang documented at the link you provided.

Setting the configuration flag you noted does not affect the behaviour I am seeing.

Reply
0 Kudos
TheLoneVM
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

What specific 3D applications are you trying to run that are giving you problems?

I unfortunately don't have access to one of the new laptops yet, so other then the usual suspects - upgrade tools, upgrade VM hardware version, verify host is updated to 10.5.5 - I don't have any additional advice for this problem.

Reply
0 Kudos
sentience
Contributor
Contributor

I'm having trouble with Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition. The intro video plays fine, but as soon as a window with 3D elements in it appears, the window’s client area turns white and stays that way. The UI, though invisible, is responsive, and child windows with no 3D elements in them (e.g. dialog boxes) display and behave normally. This program worked perfectly under VMWare Fusion on my old, black MacBook.

Reply
0 Kudos
sentience
Contributor
Contributor

I'm afraid the 2.0.1 update has not resolved this issue for me.

Reply
0 Kudos
TheLoneVM
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

See http://communities.vmware.com/message/1103557 for info on Chessmaster. Short version, it is a known issue and working on getting a fix out asap.

Reply
0 Kudos