What is VikingLCD / 3DxVirtualLCD.exe?

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on Windows.

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InquiringMind
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2016 3:31 pm

What is VikingLCD / 3DxVirtualLCD.exe?

Post by InquiringMind »

Immediately after rebooting from a Windows 7 update (I have no idea if that is relevant -- the list of updates looked like typical MS fare), Task Manager shows an unfamiliar entry for VirtualLCD as a running application. It points to the process 3DxVritualLCD.exe which used a couple of minutes of cpu time at boot-up with very infrequent cpu spikes thereafter. No applications using my SpaceNavigator (driver version is 1.4.0.12688) were loaded at startup. If I start up Google Earth, the device appears to work normally. What is it doing -- or not doing? I have never seen it before, so if it is supposed to start up at boot-time, it must normally close itself very quickly.
Barbara
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Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 11:11 am

Re: What is VikingLCD / 3DxVirtualLCD.exe?

Post by Barbara »

Hello InquiringMind -

3DxVirtualLCD provides an onscreen display for devices like the SpaceMouse Pro that have multiple buttons but do not have an LCD to display the button mapping.

The same 3DxWare driver supports several different devices including the Space Navigator. That is the reason you would notice the presence of a component like 3DxVirtualLCD that is not being used for your device.
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Barbara
InquiringMind
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2016 3:31 pm

Re: What is VikingLCD / 3DxVirtualLCD.exe?

Post by InquiringMind »

Thanks for replying, but I still don't understand why VikingLCD (which is what I meant when I wrote "VirtualLCD" in my original post) just showed up now since the SpaceNavigator software was updated months ago.

After rebooting again, VikingLCD no longer appears and 3DxVirtualLCD continues to use spurts of cpu, especially every time I shift focus to a different window -- though apparently quite a lot less at start-up.

I couldn't find any references to either in the event logs at the time of the restart. I did find mention in KB3197868 (November, 2016 Security Monthly Quality Rollup) of security updates to "Windows kernel-mode drivers," "Microsoft graphics component," and "Microsoft video control." Could there have been some timing conflict due to the update? (The other updates were KB915597 Definition Update for Windows Defender and KB890830 Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.) What do VikingLCD and especially 3DxVirtualLCD do when I'm not using SpaceNavigator or running any applications that work with it?
UtaSH
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Re: What is VikingLCD / 3DxVirtualLCD.exe?

Post by UtaSH »

Hello InquiringMind,

I don't know where you can see VikingLCD. The process from our driver that shows the Virtual LCD is called 3DxVirtualLCD.exe and it is running together with our driver as long as the driver is running. It will only stop if the driver is stopped. The Virtual LCD is used for our professional devices and will show the functions depending on the application that is active - the same as the driver does it. Therefore it changes once you switch applications (and uses CPU).
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