PhantomDirect Faq

PhantomDirect Q&A

Q. Where do I get DirectX ?

A. If you are running Windows 95, DirectX may have been installed by any number of Windows95 games. You can also download the PhantomDirect version that includes DirectX 3a.
If you are running Windows NT 4.0, then you will need to have installed SP (Service Pack) version 3. You can download this also from Microsoft (GET SP3), follow the NT/Download links.

Q. When I run the PhantomDirect Demo it gives me a "Could not Create Object" after the Splash Screen.

A. This is usually caused by DirectX being installed after you install PhantomDirect. You can fix this by reinstalling PhantomDirect. You can also fix it manually by re-registering the four PhantomDirect DLL's. (PDVBDX.DLL, PDVBDXC.DLL, PDVBDS.DLL & PDWAVE.DLL). To Re-Register the DLLs, open a DOS (Command) window, go to your windows system directory (System32) on NT. Type REGSVR32 PDVBDX.DLL and press enter. You should get a message that says that the DLL was registered successfully. If you don't it could be a DirectX driver issue. Be sure to use REGSVR32 on each of the PhantomDirect DLLs.

Q. When I run a Demo Under Visual Basic it gives me a "ActiveX Combonent Could not Create Object".

A. When you install PhantomDirect, you will need to choose Release and enter your Serial Number in to allow for compiling and running under Visual Basic. If you do not have a Serial Number you can get one by Purchasing PhantomDirect.

Q. I registered the PDVBDX.DLL and other DLL's but I still have the same problem.

A. There could be several reasons why this occurs.

The DirectX version you are using is too old. You should be using DirectX 3A or later. See below for instruction on checking versions.
The product you used to install DirectX, whether a game or the DXSDK, should have a directory with a DXSetup.exe, run this and if the Use 3D Hardware Acceleration is check, uncheck it. Some cards only support a bare minimum of 3D functionality in the hardware, we're working on a sample application that recognizes what degree of 3D support is coming from the card. When we've finished with this code it will be available on this site, until then, if this fixes your problem, please run without 3D Hardware support.
If the DirectX versions are correct, and you've Re-Registered the DLL, try uninstalling the Demo, making sure that the PDVBDX.DLL is removed from the Windows System Directory. Then reinstall the Demo. If this doesn't work please let us know so we can help you get up and running.

Q. Every time I load a wave file I get a message telling me that the wave file is corrupt.

A. This is a fairly common message. If you've tried several wave files, especially the ones from the Windows\Media directory. Try re-registering PDWave.DLL in the windows/System directory (System32) for NT. Open up a DOS (Command) Window and go to the Windows\System directory and type REGSVR32 PDWAVE.DLL and press enter. You should get a message that says that the DLL was registered successfully. If you don't it could be a DirectX driver issue.

Q. I registered the PDWAVE.DLL but I still have the same problem.

A. There could be several reasons why this occurs.

The DirectX version you are using is too old or your sound card does not have a DirectX driver. You should be using DirectX 3A or later. See below for instruction on checking versions.
If the DirectX versions are correct, and you've Re-Registered the DLL, try uninstalling the Demo, making sure that the PDWAVE.DLL is removed from the Windows System Directory. Then reinstall the Demo. If this doesn't work please let us know so we can help you get up and running.

Q. How do I check the DirectX version?

A. The product you used to install DirectX, whether a game or the DXSDK, should have a directory with a DXSetup.exe, run this you should get a screen listing, Device, Driver, and version numbers. The version numbers should be something like 4.04.#######. We have noticed a sound driver with a 4.00.######, that worked fine once the PDWAVE.DLL was re-registered, but generally all the driver versions should be no lower than 4.04.#####.

B. If you've installed the PhantomDirect version that installs DirectX you should have been asked where you wished to install the DirectX files. Go to that directory and run DXSetup.EXE, and follow the directions of A. above.

If you've tried the above and are still experiencing difficulties please contacts us so that we can help get you up and running support@phantomreality.com or proceed PhantomDirect Support section to get answers online.