Multi PC FS9 arrangement

[ejoiner]

Guys, I have had in the back of my mind for a couple of years

to build a networked group of PC's where I could have multiple

monitors to fly FS9 with. However, knowing "not much/very little"

about how to do this, and expense of it, I hadnt done it. Now

though, Im thinking much more seriously after my brother in law

called the other day and told me his firm was surplussing all their

17 inch monitors for 20 bucks each and replacing with flat panel

displays. Immediately I commited to two and probably shoulda

gotten more. (My wife figures Im a pack rat...she has no idea

what Im thinking yet...I like to live dangerously.)

In any case, So I have a 21 inch monitor and soon at least two

more 17's. I also have another older PC plus a couple of newer Dell

units around here. (My house is fully networked with Cat 5 wiring

thanks to a former owner who used to own an alarm company.)

So it looks like hardware wont be the big issue. I do have a router

that gives the other units DSL capability and one PC on wireless.

What IS a big issue is that I have NO idea how to hook these

things together and how to get such a FS9 rig working. I know

it probably takes WideFS and FSUIPC. (I have registered version.)

Anybody point me to some place where I can get a step by step recipe

to hook multiple units up? I may not do this immediately, but am interested

to start accumulating whatevers necessary. Im not

looking to go nuts with one of those cockpits (yet...is this like

Heroin?) Just a monitor for panel, big one for outside view and

another one for FMC or FSNav.

Thanks in advance

Eric

[Pete Dowson]

What IS a big issue is that I have NO idea how to hook these

things together and how to get such a FS9 rig working. I know

it probably takes WideFS and FSUIPC. (I have registered version.)

There are two different things here.

1. Multiple views of outside scenery.

2. Decent instrumentation on its own screen, plus possibly ancillaries such as moving maps and so on.

If you are a GA flyer then views of the scenery are probably quite important, but I think for airliner flying decent instrumentation is the priority. After all, at 35,000 feet there's not a lot to look at outside really.

For multiple outside views there are two choices:

1.1 Multiple FS installations linked by WidevieW (by Luciano Napolitano).

1.2 Multiple monitors on one PC, via a dual head card or a triple head card, or possibly an AGP card and a seperate PCI card.

The disadvantages of the WidevieW approach are that you need good fast PCs for each view, and each PC needs a full FS installation. Even then you will never quite get them exactly matching, especially in terms of AI Traffic and cloud positions and things like that. But there are a number of satisfied users and it can be a good solution.

The multiple monitors solution should be better, but it looks like you need to avoid ATI video cards. nVidia provide good dual head operation, but the problem with two monitors tends to be that your centre of vision is on the "join". The only three monitor solution which works at present is with the Matrox Parhelia -- this is what I use. With all the instrumentation moved to other PCs and only the outside view on the three, this is very satisfactory -- but you do need a FAST PC (mine is a P4 3.2GHz). The Parhelia is nowhere near as fast as the faster cards available these days.

I know of one person using a 7 monitor outside view, with a Parhelia centre PC and two PCs with dual heads linked with WidevieW.

For external PC instrumentation you use WideFS. Investigate Project Magenta (not cheap, but very good), and other offerings such as FreeFD. See the FSUIPC user list on the right of the http://www.schiratti.com/dowson page.

Hope this helpa.

Regards,

Pete

[ejoiner]

Thanks Peter.

Very helpful.

What Im thinking of is a couple of things.

I do fly a lot of GA, but frankly tend to go in phases. I've done a bunch of airliners in my time as well... :-)

My initial thought was project magenta style stuff and or FSNav on one PC and then views on the main one. I have an Nvidia Ti-4200 on my main PC which Im quite satisfied with. On the second computers etc, Im open.

I'd like to have ONE FS installation driving secondary computers and or monitors...not multiple FS installs...at least not now.

If I could get just a second PC to show say, a Project magenta GA dash such as recently released working that would be ideal for now.

Thanks

Eric

[botho]

Hi Pete,

a fortnight ago I changed from Wideview - 3 PC`s for 3 views - additional a PCI-card for panel and Navigator. The reason was the bad wether syncr. and the missing AI-traffic.

I bought a PARHELIA 128 MB and I´m happy, except the fps., this could be much better especially during start and approach (6 to 13), during flight between 15 and 20 depending to scenery and wether.

My system: Athlon 2700+(T-Bred B) , 1024 MB DDR-RAM (333 PC 2700 clk 2,5), EPOX-Board 8Kk9ai, no problems with temperature,

Is the PARHELIA the "neck of a bottle" ? What have I to change for better frames.

Thank you for your advise in advance

Yours

Botho from germany(old europe)

[Pete Dowson]

I bought a PARHELIA 128 MB and I´m happy, except the fps., this could be much better especially during start and approach (6 to 13), during flight between 15 and 20 depending to scenery and wether.

Is that with everything full up in FS? If so, and it's with the panel as well, that's maybe all you can expect. What total screen resolution are you using?

My system: Athlon 2700+(T-Bred B) , 1024 MB DDR-RAM (333 PC 2700 clk 2,5), EPOX-Board 8Kk9ai, no problems with temperature,

Is the PARHELIA the "neck of a bottle" ? What have I to change for better frames.

Well, I'd get rid of the panel. If you can get that on a separate video card, or, better, not use FS panels at all and use FreeFD or Project Magenta or whatever on a separate PC, that helps.

Without the panel you can use a lower resolution and it still looks good. I am using 2400 x 600 (i.e. 3x 800x600) although my three LCD monitors would allow me to go to 3840 x 1024. For scenery only I don't really miss the extra resolution -- in fact I think the lower resolution is better for scenery, looks more realistic.

Certainly the Parhelia is not a fast card. I use a Pentium 4 3.2GHz and the Parhelia gives me around 20-30 fps most of the time. It drops a bit at night (why a few lights take more power to render than loads of textures I don't know), and also when there a lots of clouds. Providing it never drops below 10 I'm reasonably happy with it.

Apart from that, and maybe going for an Athlon 64 FX 53 (faster processing always helps), all I can suggest is that you play with some of the FS adjustments till your happy. At present there's nothing that will do what the Parhelia does, and unfortunately Matrox don't seem to be thinking of bringing out a faster version.

Regards,

Pete

[botho]

Hi Pete,

thank you very much for your answer.

1.) for panel and Navigator I use two TFT-Screens with a Radeon 7500 PCI grafic card.

2.)On my system the fps. doesnt depend very much from the resolution.

For example at Seattle start situation I have between 12 and 14 fps. with 3072x768 and the same with 1024x768 !!!

3.)With FS adjustments I followed the advice of Gerard (wideview.Forum) resp the APPTIMIZER. This did help a little bit but not enough.

Is there an other advice instead of a new CPU (includig new Motherboard etc.))

Regards

Botho

[Pete Dowson]

Is there an other advice instead of a new CPU (includig new Motherboard etc.))

Sorry, not that I can advise, but I am no expert. I just read and follow hints elsewhere. You might find the FS2004 Forum useful.

BTW my previous PC with the Parhelia was a Pentium 2.4, and the frame rates were correspondingly slower -- worse than yours I recall -- so I am afraid that processor power is a prime need.

Regards

Pete