General System Requirements

Whether you plan to use Prospector on the shop floor or in an office environment, we recommend a conventional desktop computer with a traditional mouse and keyboard.  There are a lot of good choices for computers at very affordable prices that will work well with Prospector.

Prospector is compiled and optimized for 64-bit x86 microprocessor instruction set (e.g. 64-bit microprocessors from Intel and AMD). Computers using an ARM processor are not supported.

Supported Windows Operating Systems

The table below lists the supported operating systems for Prospector:

Operating System	64-bit
Windows 11
Windows 10

System Requirements for 3D Programming

3D program generation can be compute and memory intensive. This is especially true when working with large part data sets and/or using fine tolerances to generate cutter paths.

Many customers run multiple sessions concurrently to program multiple jobs which multiplies the demand on compute resources.

In general a desktop computer that is suitable for a high-end CAD application (CATIA, Siemens NX, PTC Creo) is well suited to Prospector. The key attributes for this type of computer are:

• Intel or AMD 64-bit multi-core processor.

• A 64-bit edition of Microsoft Windows operating system.

• 12GB of RAM.

Recommended upgrades:

• Fast microprocessor. There is no substitute for speed.  The faster the clock speed, the quicker all software applications can power through their tasks.

• Purchase as much RAM as your budget will allow. All things being equal, adding RAM to your system will make a big difference in performance. Consider 12GB a starting point for 3D programming.

• OpenGL compatible graphics card. Prospector uses OpenGL to accelerate the display of 3D graphics. To take full advantage of this technology you will need a graphics card that supports OpenGL. While not mandatory (software methods are substituted if OpenGL hardware capabilities are absent), you will notice a big difference in graphics performance.

• NVIDIA graphics cards are recommended. Over the years we have had the best success with graphics cards from NVIDIA with respect to the support of OpenGL 3D graphics. It is not possible for us to test all possible graphics cards. Other vendors may work perfectly fine.

System Requirements for 2D Programming

2D program generation is nowhere near as compute or memory intensive as 3D programming. In general a system with these characteristics will work fine:

• Intel or AMD 64-bit microprocessor.

• A 64-bit edition of Microsoft Windows operating system.

• 8GB of RAM.

Consider these Optional Features

• A full-function mouse. The mouse wheel and X-buttons (forward/back) are supported by Prospector.

• Large screen monitor. Bigger is better to help you visualize what is happening.

• A solid state disk (SSD) for 3D programming. These disks are many magnitudes faster than conventional drives and can only help further improve the performance of your computer.

• A NEMA 12 enclosure for use in the shop. Most shops today are showplaces of high-technology and clean as a whistle. But as we all know, stuff happens. Protect your computer with a good enclosure that has more than adequate cooling capacity.

Save Your Money

These features, while supported by Prospector, really don't add much or anything at all to your overall productivity:

• Touch screens. Prospector supports the Windows-standard gestures you can make with a touch screen. We've found that using the system this way to be a bit clunky. The gesture support using our proprietary cursor stroke technology in Prospector is by far superior to the Microsoft approach. If your system comes with a touch screen, fine; no harm done. Just don't bother to spend any extra bucks for one if you don't have to.

• Multiple monitors. Prospector software does not perform any differently regardless of the number of monitors you wish to deploy.

• GPUs. Prospector does not use GPUs. GPU accelerated applications typically address simulations (computational fluid dynamics, structural mechanics) and/or rendering (ray tracing, meshing). While GPUs are fine for these types of applications, they are unsuitable for Prospector because GPUs do not conform to IEEE standard for double-precision floating point calculations. Close counts when you are creating a display list for a solid model but it won't work when you have to have precise calculations only possible with genuine IEEE compliant floating point processors.

FAQs

Do you sell computers and other hardware that you recommend for Prospector?

AMT Software does not sell hardware. We are a software and services company only. We do not resell computers, NEMA-12 enclosures, graphics cards or 3rd party software. If your account is handled by a Prospector distributor, check with your account representative as they may offer hardware options for you to consider.

Can I use a laptop computer with Prospector?

Sure. Provided you conform to the basic specifications of an Intel or AMD 64-bit processor and a 64-bit edition of the Windows operating system, a laptop will work fine. Make sure you have a mouse instead of trying to use a touch pad or touch screen otherwise you may find it difficult to use.

Can I use Prospector on a tablet computer?

Yes. Again, you must have a 64-bit OS and microprocessor from Intel or AMD. You can't use a tablet with the Android operating system or a tablet with an ARM processor. Sure a tablet will work, but we don't recommend this type of computer for Prospector. It just seems to us, having used Prospector on a tablet, that it is just to darn difficult to use without a proper keyboard and mouse. The small screen also makes it a chore to use. Remember tablet computers are great for consuming content but not so great for creating content.

Do you or will you be supporting Apple computers?

We currently do not support Apple products. In the future? Maybe. But don't hold your breath because they simply aren't as popular as Windows-based computers in the CAD/CAM arena. But things could change.