Erupt3 Help Page Erupt3 Help Page
To view/download the Erupt3 Help file in PDF 
format, click Erupt3 Help.
Alternatively to download the self-installing help file updater click Erupt3-Help.exe (~4.0 MBytes)
Q: I cannot open a stratigraphic file I saved…
What’s the problem?
A: The first versions of Erupt3 had a bug in opening
large stratigraphic files with many eruption cycles. Versions 3.00.0012 and
beyond solve this problem.
Q: The Erupt Update Utility returns errors so
that I cannot update my installation. How do I remedy this problem?
A: In it initial offerings
many minor changes were made to Erupt3. When live (on-line, FTP) certain files
need to be on the server, but the presence of these files is determined by the
version of the update currently posted. Thus the live update might fail. In
order to get around this problem, download the self-installing update from the Erupt-Update page and run the file to get your
version up to date. A quick link to this file is: UpdateEr.exe.
Versions 3.00.0015 and later greatly speed up the live update by using more
compact download files.
Q: Erupt update, register,
or browser return errors stating that the
server name or address could not be resolved
or found. What should I do?
A: Erupt communicates by FTP to the Erupt server. It is possible
that the server address has been corrupted within the programs or that there has
been a change in the actual address. Try downloading and running Er3Def.exe,
which will update server addresses in the program to those known to work..
Q: Are the Erupt3 help files updated when I use
Erupt Update?
A: Normally not,
because they are large downloads typically > 4 Mb. In order to update your
help files to latest versions, click on the following link EruptHelp
and then run the file by double-clicking it in the folder where you downloaded
it. Alternatively view the on-line help file shown at the top of this page.
Q: I have selected to playback an eruption record,
but now most menu items are disabled (gray)?
A: In the playback mode, menus are disabled by design.
In order to re-enable them, uncheck the "Playback Record" item in the
Record menu or simply click the button with the little red circle in the
toolbar.
Q: Erupt3 will not run because a file "wininet.dll"
is missing. What should I do?
A: Erupt3 is an internet-aware program and depends upon
the existence of necessary operation system files. If you are missing this file,
install a recent version of Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape
Communicator, then Erupt3 should work.
Q: Erupt3D Viewer will not run
A: Erupt3D
Viewer is abased on DirectX technology, and DirectX7 or above must be installed
in your system to run this component. If you have DirectX8 installed and the
viewer still will not run, then a file "dx7vb.dll" needs to be
registered in your system folder. Normally this file is installed with DirectX8.
Another problem is that the viewer screen is opening off of the desktop. To
remedy this problem download and install the patch EruptSet.
Q: The file "MSSTDFMT.DLL" is missing
and Erupt3D Viewer will not start
A: The first
installation packages for Erupt3D Viewer as part of Erupt3 did not include this
necessary file. To remedy this problem, please run Erupt Update and choose to
reinstall files if necessary, and this missing file will be added and properly registered on
your system. If you have obtained this file from another source, make sure you
copy it into your windows system folder and then register it by using the
program regsver32.exe.
Q: After pressing the cancel
key for registration, Erupt3 does not appear on the screen, but seems to be
minimized as an icon in the Windows task bar; however, clicking the icon does
nothing.
A: Erupt3 was designed to "remember" its
window state (maximized, minimized, normal) when it was closed. This design
presented a problem when a user closed a non-registered version while it
was minimized. Upon the next start-up, Erupt3 would be minimized but also
disabled, because it was trying to display the registration window. To solve
this problem, the user may download and install a version 3.01.0038 or higher.
Alternatively, the user may download and run the following patch: ErPatch-010037.
(If you continue to use a version earlier than 3.01.0037, be sure to register
Erupt3 so this problem does not happen again.
Q: During installation the
program hangs or stalls when trying to install the file "dx7vb.dll."
A: Versions 3.02.0052 through 3.02.0055 included this
file from the Microsoft DirectX libraries for older operating systems and in rare
circumstances, systems might experience a hang during
installation. This problem is caused by a
conflict with existence of certain other Microsoft application(s) already
installed. To get around this problem, download and install then most recent
version.
Q: Erupt3D View renders a
blank (black) screen.
A: Aside from possible DirectX incompatibilities, the
most common reason for this problem is that the value for "Light" in
the viewers Mesh settings is too high. It should always be set to a value less
than one (which is the maximum), and generally a value of about 0.4 works well.
To remedy this problem, press the "Stop" button in the viewer control
panel at the bottom of the viewer window. Then adjust the value for Light in the
Mesh setting area and double-click the small map window at the top of the viewer
to restart the 3D rendering. Alternatively, download and install
the patch EruptSet.
Q: Erupt3D View will not
start because MSSTDFMT.DLL is not installed .
A: This file is
not required but your system thinks it is. Download the following patch Erupt3DView.exe
and copy it over the existing file in the folder
where you installed Erupt3 (Default: C:\Program Files\KWare\Erupt3\Erupt3DView.exe).
Q: After I record an
eruption simulation, it will not play back correctly .
There is a bug with some versions of Erupt3 in which the record file does not record the vent position correctly. To fix this, choose "Edit Record" from the Recorder menu, and then when the edit window appears, set the vent location for each eruptive phase you simulated. The press the "OK" button and you are ready to playback your simulation. Alternatively,
update Erupt3 to version 3.02.0058.
Q: How can a DEM file be
imported into Erupt3?
Erupt3 has only limited ability to
import DEM files. To do this one must edit the file, and this can only be
accomplished if it is not binary format. If the file can be opened with notepad,
then the first thing to do is remove all header lines up to the point where
numerical data are shown. If data are listed as x-y-z triplets it is a vector
format. If data are listed as a raster format, then just z values are shown, and
one must determine the number of data rows and columns. After editing, save the
file with a new name. You must then rename the file so that it has the extension
"dem". That way Erupt3 will recognize it. When you open the new file,
you will be asked if the file is vector or raster, and for the latter choice you
will have to specify the number of rows and columns. In some cases the files are
of an area that does not conveniently fit into the Erupt3 window, and for those
cases it will ask which portion to be displayed.
Please send comments
Comments are the only way I can improve Erupt3. Using the EruptComments application allows you also to share your simulations with others in the form of stratigraphic files, recorder files, or dems.
Adding Erupt3 graphics to a presentation
There are several ways to capture screens using Erupt3.
The following examples use Power Point as an example presentation maker.
1) With an Erupt3 window displayed (with focus), simply press "Alt+PrintScreen" keys at once. Then in
Power Point, choose "Paste" from the Edit menu (or press "Ctrl+V" keys) and a sizeable picture showing Erupt3 will be inserted.
2) Perform an eruption simulation and when it is done, go directly to Power Point
and choose "Paste" form the Edit menu to insert a sizeable picture of the eruption results
3) To capture an eruption in action, choose "Capture" from the View menu. Start the simulation and press the "Pause" button when you want to capture the action. You will be asked if you want to print the view, choose "No" and then go directly to
Power Point and paste in the captured graphic.
4) If you have chosen the Erupt3 option of enabling maps, you can capture the geologic or topographic map one of two ways with the geological or topographic map window displayed:
a) Press "Alt+PrintScreen" key together, then go to Power Point to paste the captured window
b) Press the "Save" button on the window to save a file image of the plot. Remember the name and location of the file you save. Then go to
Power Point and from the Insert menu, choose "Picture" and "From File.." Then browse to select the picture file you had saved.
5) If you are displaying a 3D rendered result in Erupt3 Viewer, then you copy the picture for pasting by first pressing "Stop" button in the navigation panel at the bottom; this action will enable the "Copy" button. After you press the copy button, then go to
Power Point and paste the image.
In order to put an Erupt3 animation into a Power Point presentation, you first need to be able to create a movie file of your simulation. First, decide what kind of simulation you wish to show. Before you start the simulation in Erupt3, choose "Record Eruption History" from the Recorder menu. Perform the planned simulation and when you are finished, uncheck the Record menu item (or press the depressed red circle button in the toolbar). You can choose to save the record as a recorder file or play it back by choosing "Playback Record" from the Recorder menu. To learn more about Erupt3 recorder files, open "EruptDemo.rec" from the File/Open Record File menu item. With this file, you can edit its contents before playing it back by choosing "Edit Record" from the Recorder menu. This will give you an idea how to alter a record file to suit your purposes.
A limitation that current versions of Erupt3 have, is that they cannot save a movie file that
Power Point can import. You will need a third-party screen capture program. I use "HyperCam" (http://www.hyperionics.com/" to capture Erupt3 simulations.
Enable maps!
Much of the geological experience of using Erupt3 involves the creation of geological maps and topographic plots. By checking "Enable Maps" in the Options menu, each eruption adds a mapped unit and resulting topographic rendering that can be viewed by selecting "View Map" or "View Topography" from the View menu. In addition with Erupt3 version 3.01 and later, mapping creates an topography that can be viewed in 3D space by using the Erupt3D Viewer. Once activated the viewer will automatically update the 3D view after each new eruption is simulated.
Capture an eruption in action
Normally the graphical contents of the Erupt3 window are copied into the Windows clipboard at the end of each eruption. This graphic can easily be imported into another graphics application by using the "paste" command in that application. In order to capture the graphics of an eruption in action with all the pumice and ash swirling above the volcano, check the "Capture" item from the View menu before starting an eruption or simply click the toolbar button that is blue with a little white "C".
Download the desired patch and then run it from your hard drive.
ErPatch-010037 (16 kB): This patch solves the problem of unregistered versions 3.01.0037 and lower starting minimized and disabled.
Er3Def (28 kB) This patch updates/fixes server FTP/WWW addresses used by Erupt3.
EruptSet (1 kB) This patch resets window placement and 3D rendering settings for Erupt3. It is a registry file, that normally can be installed by simply double-clicking the downloaded file.
Erupt3DView.exe
(312 kB) This patch should be copied over the older file residing in the folder
where you installed Erupt3:
(Default: C:\Program Files\KWare\Erupt3\Erupt3DView.exe)