Multiple monitors

[THibben]

Pete,

My system has two graphic cards which will allow me to connect four monitors. I also have a second computer which I could connect. I am using two monitors on one card at present. The main monitor has the panel view and the other one is used for the overhead console, FMC etc.

I would like to be able to use the two additional monitors to view the Left forward and right forward views in FS9. I also want to be able to keep the views present at all times even if I am changing views on the monitor with the Main aircraft panel view.

Which one of your modules will do this for me? I presently have a registered FSUIPC.

Thanks in advance,

Tom Hibben

[Pete Dowson]

My system has two graphic cards which will allow me to connect four monitors. I also have a second computer which I could connect. I am using two monitors on one card at present. The main monitor has the panel view and the other one is used for the overhead console, FMC etc.

No outside view?

I would like to be able to use the two additional monitors to view the Left forward and right forward views in FS9.

Ahthat implies you have the forward view already on one of the above.

If you try multiple separate views on one PC, FS's frame rates will be awful. Try it on the monitors you already have connected. Just open up another outside view and watch your frame rates plummet.

The only solution I know of on a single PC is to be sure to have the video driver set to the mode where the monitors can be regarded together as one large screen. nVidia drivers can do that, as also can the Matrox Parhelia drivers. I don't think the ATI drivers can, but I may be wrong.

If the monitors are on one video card and treated as one large screen then you can stretch the FS outside view window across them both. With the Parhelia the FS window can be stretched across three monitors, which is better because then the centre is not "obstructed" by the monitor divide. I can run the outside view at resolutions up to 3840 x 1024 across my three 18" TFTs, though I use lower resolutions for higher frame rates.

An alternative, of course, is to get one huge widescreen monitor, or better a projector and screen, and have such a large outside view that you can actually reduce the Zoom level to real widescreen -- so you effectively have the forward and 45 degree views (well, partly complete) in one view. The projector would be driven as one monitor and you use the other, on the same video card, for your panels. With the tumbling prices and improving quality of projectors these days this is becoming a sensible choice.

The only other way would be to use one or two other computers (if you want left and right views I think you'd need two others), both equally as capable as your first, both running FS and linked by Luciano Napolitano's WidevieW program.

Which one of your modules will do this for me? I presently have a registered FSUIPC.

Nothing of mine can help. I don't have anything dealing with graphics at all. Sorry.

For other ideas you might want to try a more general forum, like the FS2004 Forum here.

Regards,

Pete

[THibben]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the response. I think I need to clarify a little. Yes I do have the forward view on one of the monitors. I don't want to change it or expand it to multiple monitors What I am trying to do is add two more monitors and to fix a Fwd Left view on one and a Fwd Right view on the other. I tried to do this with one additional monitor hooked to the second card in my computer, then undock the view and move it. I was able to do this but the outside view on the main monitor went black (panel was still there) and I was not able to keep the FWD right view on the other monitor fixed in place. I do have NVIDIA drivers 7.7.7.2. I hope I am making sense. It sounds like your modules won't help. I didn't see any appreciable change in the frame rate when I did this but maybe I had better check again.

Thanks again,

Tom Hibben

[jgar]

Have you tried creating a new view window (left bracket - [) and

undocking the new created window to the desired monitor? That should

leave the main panel outside window view intact...Hope it helps.

[Pete Dowson]

I don't want to change it or expand it to multiple monitors What I am trying to do is add two more monitors and to fix a Fwd Left view on one and a Fwd Right view on the other.

But, as I said, if you have more than one outside view open in FS your frame rates will be dreadful. That's why i suggested the three alternatives. You must have missed that important point?

I tried to do this with one additional monitor hooked to the second card in my computer, then undock the view and move it. I was able to do this but the outside view on the main monitor went black (panel was still there) and I was not able to keep the FWD right view on the other monitor fixed in place.

I think that's all to do with drivers. I'm afraid I can't help there. You will have to experimant with all the settings. Some drivers won't handle all the settings on more than one window. Unless you are using WinXP I don't think you even get acceleration on more than one window at a time with most drivers.

I didn't see any appreciable change in the frame rate when I did this

Well, you wouldn't if all FS had to do was maintain one window and the other was kept blank.

Regards

Pete

[THibben]

Hi Pete,

I didn't miss your point on frame rates because while I saw some drop in them when I had an extra monitor running I just couldn't get the view I wanted to stay in place. Jgar gave me a suggestion on how it might work and it did. Thanks gjar.

As to frame rates, With two monitors running, both off the same card, I was getting around 18 - 20 fps sitting on the runway at Seattle facing north. This is the most fps intensive direction because you are looking at the city. In addition I have Fly Tampa Seattle installed, which is very detailed of KSEA, and I have MegaScenery PNW installed. Once I get airborne the fps increase to 28 - 30. (Max set at 32fps) Most sliders all the way to the right. Very detailed scenery. With the third monitor running the fwd right view, the fps dropped to around 15 fps and once airborne they went to 23 with no stuttering or anything unusual. This was done in slew mode so I might see some change but I have done this before and not seen any real change. Another point is I did not shut down any programs running in the background such as Norton security and antivirus and a bunch of other programs idling away.

My system is pretty good with an AMD 64 3800+ 64x2 Dual core cpu, 2G of Ram and Two MSI NX6600GT PCI-E video cards. They are not in SLI mode since windows does not support it yet.

Thanks for all the support you give everyone and all of your programs. I have most of the PFC equipment including the jet console and I don't know what we would do without your FSUIPC. It makes setting up the console pretty easy.

Thanks again,

Tom HIbben

[Pete Dowson]

AMD 64 3800+ 64x2 Dual core cpu, 2G of Ram and Two MSI NX6600GT PCI-E video cards.

Ah, must be all that grunt that helps! No good on my fastest, an Athlon 4000+.

They are not in SLI mode since windows does not support it yet.

Really? I thought the SLI operation was invisible to Windows and applications? It surely simply doubles the power of the video system by splitting the work on the graphics, and is all handled in the drivers/hardware. All the reviews I have read of systems with SLI seem to prove it has a dramatic effect! I'd certainly go for it on my next system.

I have most of the PFC equipment including the jet console and I don't know what we would do without your FSUIPC. It makes setting up the console pretty easy.

Well, thanks, but that's mostly done by my PFC.DLL module rather than FSUIPC. ;-)

Regards,

Pete

[THibben]

Hi Pete,

My two cards are connected together so they work in parallel as I understand it, It is just that I can't run them in the multi GPU mode because FS9 isn't set up for it. I understand MS is working on a patch that will allow it. If I try to run in Multi mode the FS9 textures get all messed up. Another problem is I can't go any better than the 7.7.7.2 driver without messing up the textures in either mode. Hopefully NVIDIA will get that sorted out.

The PFC dll and FSUIPC are both highly functional. The PFC hardware along with the Aerosoft 747MCP makes for some really enjoyable flying.

Thanks again,

Tom