Advanced Settings

Use the Project > Settings > Advanced menu option (ADVSETTINGS GX) to change the global advanced settings for your Oasis montaj environment. The 'advanced settings' are variables that remain set for a given installation of your application. This means they remain the same for all data sets and Oasis montaj projects used on that computer. These variables include parameter settings that are used to establish the default settings in Oasis montaj, Target and other Geosoft extensions. When the application is first started, it will load the contents of the 'advanced settings' file (the geosettings.meta file in the %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Geosoft\Desktop Applications\ini directory) and set the default values across the application. In some cases, changing the advanced settings after the application has started will not change the defaults in the running program.

The Advanced Settings dialog is organized in sections. Each section has associated parameters (Attributes and Values) that can be modified to user specifications. See the Application Notes below for a listing of some of the variables and their parameters.

Advanced Settings dialog options

Application Settings	Select any item in the Application Settings section and the associated attributes and values are displayed in the Attribute & Value table below.
Attribute & Value	The information (attributes and associated values) is displayed for each item selected under the Application Settings tree.

Attribute Icon

The attribute icon (the white letter in a grey circle left of the Attribute column) indicates the data type, as follows:

Integer	Any positive or negative number that does not include a fraction or decimal, including zero and within the limits -32,768 to 32,767.
Object	An object type. It has many possibilities including a boundary polygon, another META object, and a projection object. Typically an item that can be activated by double-clicking in the particular cell. The action depends on the context and the object currently displayed.
Real Number	A number with an integer and a fractional part. The primitive types double and float are used to represent real numbers.
String	A sequence of characters. Referred to as text or a text string.
Unsigned Integer	Same as Integer (above) but can only be positive or zero.
Enum	This is a list of named values defining a range of a particular attribute type. Typically displayed as a drop down combo box for easy selection.

Attributes and Values

The following is a small sampling of the advanced settings parameters that can be viewed and modified using the Advanced Settings dialog.

Auto Save Time

The 'Auto Save Time' setting provides a reminder dialog that pops up after a specified time interval reminding you to save any changes to the open documents:

By clicking Yes in the dialog, all currently open documents (e.g., databases, grids, maps, geosurfaces, 3D views, VOXI, GMSYS projects) will be saved.

The Auto Save Reminder has three default reminder time options:

• Every 30 minutes

• Every 90 minutes

• Never

To change the reminder frequency to a different custom duration, enter a new duration in number of minutes in the Auto Save Time attribute setting:

1. Select the top-level entry Application Settings: the attributes and associated values will be displayed.

2. Select the Auto Save Time attribute from the list and change its value to your desired time (in minutes).

   To turn-off the auto save reminder, change the Auto Save Time value to 0 (zero).

3. Restart the application for the change to take effect.

Set Default Project Directory

Having a standard location for projects allows you to better manage where the projects are located and to facilitate an integrated workflow with a cloud storage platform.

The default location for your projects is set under your user profile Documents folder: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Geosoft Projects. The subdirectory "Geosoft Projects" will be created if it does not exist.

To change the default location for your project directory: 

1. Select the top-level entry, Application Settings: the attributes and associated values will be displayed in the Attribute & Value table below.

2. Select Default Project Directory from the list: enter a different location for your project directory and click OK.

3. New projects will be created under the specified directory.

OpenGL Settings

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is an industry-standard, cross-language, cross-platform application programming interface (API) used for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. OpenGL drivers are typically installed along with the graphics driver and support software. NVIDIA supports OpenGL—visit the OpenGL NVIDIA Developer page for more details.

By default, Geosoft Desktop applications use OpenGL (version 3.3 or higher) to render high-quality 3D graphics. Most modern video cards support OpenGL 3.3; however, 3D rendering performance issues may arise with older video cards or outdated/unstable graphics drivers.

If you suspect this, consider the following steps:

1. Update Your Graphics Drivers—Your first course of action should be to update your graphics card drivers to the latest version available.
   • Open Device Manager from the Control Panel.
   • Under Display adapters, right-click your graphics card and select Update driver.
   • Install the latest driver update and restart your computer.
2. Ensure Oasis montaj Uses the Discrete GPU —If you have a multi-GPU system, ensure Oasis montaj is using the discrete GPU rather than the integrated graphics adapter (e.g., Intel UHD Graphics), which offers lower graphical performance. This can be needed for 3D projects that require a lot of graphical power. Most computers and laptops contain both an integrated Intel UHD graphics card and a dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics card. Integrated graphics are slower and consume less power, while the dedicated graphics provide higher performance and consume significantly more power.

   Expand to read more about the difference between integrated graphics and discrete graphics

   (the information below is retrieved from Intel® Support)

   Understanding the Difference Between Integrated and Discrete Graphics

   A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialized processor designed to handle graphics-related tasks. One of its primary functions is to reduce the workload on the central processing unit (CPU), especially when running graphics-intensive applications or games.

   GPUs come in two types: integrated and discrete. Here’s how they differ:

   Integrated Graphics

   Integrated graphics refers to a GPU built directly into the processor. Unlike discrete GPUs, integrated graphics do not have a dedicated memory bank for graphics processing. Instead, they share system memory with the CPU.

   Key features of integrated graphics:

   • Lower power consumption, generating less heat.

   • Increased battery life, making them ideal for portable devices.

   • Commonly found in compact systems, such as laptops and Intel® NUCs.

   Discrete Graphics

   Discrete graphics refers to a GPU that is separate from the processor. Unlike integrated graphics, discrete GPUs have dedicated memory that is exclusively used for graphics processing.

   Key features of discrete graphics:

   • Higher performance due to a dedicated memory source and power supply.

   • Increased power consumption and heat generation.

   • Typically found in desktop PCs, though some laptops and small form factor PCs also include discrete graphics cards.

   If you need high-performance graphics for gaming, 3D rendering, or professional applications, a discrete GPU is usually the better option. However, for power efficiency and everyday tasks, integrated graphics can be more suitable.

   Configuring Oasis montaj to use the discrete GPU:

   • Open the Advanced Settings dialog.
   • Navigate to Application Settings -> OpenGL Settings.
   • In the Attribute &  Value table, ensure that Use Discrete GPU is set to True.

   To manually set a high-performance GPU for Oasis montaj, follow the steps in one of the articles below:

   • How to set default GPU for apps on Windows 10

   • How to set default GPU for apps on Windows 11

   If your system has separate output ports for integrated and discrete graphics cards, ensure your external monitor is connected to the correct output—especially if using a docking station.

3. Enable Software Rendering—If the issue persists, or if your system lacks a dedicated graphics card and its integrated graphics isn't powerful enough for 3D rendering, you can enable Oasis montaj’s built-in software rendering as a temporary solution.

   To enable software rendering:

   • Open the Advanced Settings dialog.
   • Click on Application Settings and select the OpenGL Settings section.
   • In the Attribute &  Value table, you'll see the default settings:

   • Use Software Rendering: False.

   • Use Discrete GPU: True.

   • Change Use Software Rendering to True to force 3D rendering to use software rendering instead of relying on the graphics card.
   • Set Use Discrete GPU to False to disable the discrete graphics card. This will prompt a restart of Oasis montaj to apply the changes.

   Software rendering mode can be quite slow and should be used only as a temporary solution. A better approach is to ensure that your graphics card drivers are up to date and Use Discrete GPU remains set to True. Refer to the System Requirements for a list of recommended graphics cards.

Default Settings for Grids and Images

You can change the default grid display to always use the colour-shaded option, so that when grids are opened from the Project Explorer, they will appear as colour-shaded grids.

Modify the Colour-shaded Grids attribute under Image Settings in order to always show colour-shaded grids.

1. In the Application Settings tree, select the Image Settings node. The attributes and default values are displayed.

2. Set the Colour-shaded Grids attribute to True and click OK to close the Advanced Settings tool.

You can set up Oasis montaj so that when you select the browse button in a grid or image-related dialog or GX, the system automatically uses certain default file types and parameters (file decorations). The default file type and parameters can be changed through the Advanced Settings dialog. If you always work with specific raster or image types, you may wish to set these as the new defaults. For example, if you work extensively with ER Mapper files, you could change the 'Default XGD IN Format' parameter as follows:

1. Select the Image Settings item under the Application Settings tree.

2. In the Attribute & Value table, next to the setting called Default XGD IN Format, type in the full name of the file format you wish to use as the new default. For example, for ERS files type “ERS Mapper data (*.ers)”.

3. Restart Oasis montaj.

4. Now, when you browse for a grid file, the file type will default to the ER Mapper's ERS format.

Default Settings for Maps

You can specify the open/close state of the Map Manager when a map is created or opened from the Project Explorer:

1. Click on the Map Settings node, and in the attributes window, scroll down to the Pin Map Manager entry.

2. Set the value to True to "pin" the Map Manager window: when opening/creating a map in a project, the window will open, and the map will automatically resize to accommodate the Map Manager window.

3. Set the value to False to "unpin" the Map Manager window: when opening/creating a map in a project, the window will be displayed as a tab on the left side of the map, and the map will automatically resize to remove the unused space.