You can start Viz Artist and Viz Engine with various startup options. These command line parameters must be passed to the Viz batch file, viz.cmd, and not to the executable file, viz.exe. The table below details the most common Viz Command Line Options. You can get a list of all available startup options, by running viz.cmd -h or -? from the command line.

Command	Description
-3D	To playback 3D Stereo Clips. This sets Viz Artist in a special mode where a side by side clip will be split and played out on channel A and B on the Matrox board.Note: This is for clips only
-B <path>	Specify the path where Viz Engine stores its temporary data (see Viz Artist/Engine Folders)
-c	Start in Viz Configuration mode (see also -u1, -u2, -u3)
-C	Start without a console.
-db user:password@server/naming-server:port	Specify which Graphic Hub to connect to on Viz Engine startup. `password` can be omitted from the argument, but `user`, `server`, `naming-server` and `port` must always be provided. Example: `viz.cmd -db Guest:@VizDbServer/localhost:19396` In the example above, Viz Engine will connect to a Graphic Hub server called `VizDbServer` on the naming-server `localhost` at port `19396`, as the user `Guest` with no password.
-g <config file>	Start with a predefined Viz Config file. This allows a User to have more than one startup option
-i	Enable pre-initialization of textures. Textures are generated on the graphics card immediately after loading an image
-l	Specify a console title to distinguish Viz Engines in a Dual Channel setup (example: `-l <title>`)
-n	Start in Viz Engine mode (see also -u1, -u2, -u3)
-o <scene>
-o <layer> <scene>
-t	Enables non-interactive mode for all occurrences except dongle issues and sound driver setup.
-T	Keep the Viz Engine Console always on top
-u1, -u2, -u3(up to a maximum of 24)	For systems with two or more graphic cards (i.e. Trio One Box / Dual Channel). Specify GPU1 (-u1), GPU2 (-u2), etc., to run Viz Artist on. See Systems with Two or More GPUs below.
-v	Enable verbose mode. This enables all possible information to be shown in the Viz Engine Console
-V	Legacy: Show the last rendered frame on video output (only Digital Voodoo cards)
-w	Start in Videowall mode.
-x	Start without any GUI
-Y <path>	Specify the path where Viz Engine stores its program data (see Viz Artist/Engine Folders)

Systems with Two or More GPUs

It is possible to specify which GPU Viz Engine should run on, by providing the flags -u1 and -u2 for GPU1 and GPU2, respectively. A maximum of 24 GPUs are supported. This allows the system to run the Engine on one GPU while running Viz Config on another, for example:

<viz install folder>\viz.cmd -c -u2
<viz install folder>\viz.cmd -n -u1
More than one Viz Engine can run on one GPU (multiple Viz Engines can not run on the GPU with the same port number), use the formula m%n to calculate which Viz Engine instance to use (Viz Engine defined by -u<m>). Note, however, that Viz Artist can only run on Viz Engine instance 1 (-u1). Only the control GPU should have a display connected and will be used for Artist/Preview.

Formula: m%n
- m = -u1/-u2/etc.
- n = number of GPUs
  For example, two Viz Engines:

System with 2 GPUs: Engines run on GPU2: Engine 1 (-u2) / Engine 2 (-u4)
System with 3 GPUs: Engines run on GPU2: Engine 1 (-u2) / Engine 2 (-u5)

When either Trio One Box or Dual Channel Viz Artist versions are installed, GPUs are selected by default.