Multiple monitor rigs

[Shrimpfarmer]

I currently run a two monitor setup utilizing two ports from my graphics card. I very much want to move to a three monitor system so that I can avoid the join between the 2 screens being in the middle of the display. Beware if you thinking of using two screens for one large display, the join obstructs your view of the aircraft in external views.

In another post a forum member suggests using two graphics cards which allows you to run perhaps 4 monitors as most recent cards have 2 outputs. I have never had a system with 2 graphics cards in it so I don't know how the system makes use of them?  Can anyone enlighten me please on how it would work ?  Do you just extend your desktop across all four displays and then run XPlane windowed, setting the resolution to the combined size of your 4 displays and then drag the XPlane window across them?

I could of course get a Matrox Triplehead and use that, however I am worried about matching up the display quality across the different monitors. I don't think Matrox allows you to alter the gamma, brightness etc on each monitor as it's treating your three displays as just one monitor screen. If you just attach directly to your graphics cards multiple outputs then I can use the Nvidia control panel to balance the displays so the appearance matches.

If multiple graphics cards can be used then will XP benefit from the power of both cards or just one ??

I wish I had the technological knowledge to understand this as having used XP across two monitors I can't wait to see it in action across three. My computer is very recent and I am happy it has the horsepower but currently not the right graphics cards.

Any info greatly appreciated.

[Iv4n]

For what it's worth, a good portion of the newer ATi cards support up to three monitors being connected simultaneously.

EDIT: Check this http://sites.amd.com/us/underground/products/eyefinity/Pages/eyefinity.aspx

[Shrimpfarmer]

Hi

I just watched those demo films. Very impressive and certainly an option to consider. Thanks for the heads up.

[MaidenFan]

I tried it on my Mac G5 Tower and it didn't work. I found out that i needed one computer for each monitor for it to work right.

[Steve Hatfield]

To get my ATI Radeon 6770 working, I might need to connect a Matrox triple-head to one of the ports. ATI Cards only support 2 screens without the huge download to support 3 screens; then, only the forward view is on each screen. Now I see that I need an adapter of some kind out of a huge list. Nothing is definate or concise with ATI.

I'd like to know which ATI card supports 3 monitors - Radeon 5770 and 6770 don't without the huge download, and still don't work to my satisfaction after. I want a 150 to 180 Field-of-view across the monitors.

How do I achieve it?

Steve

[ARTIK]

No no no, if you have Eyefinity card you could connect 3, 4, 5, up to 6 monitors directly to your card. Some cards require 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th monitor to have display port interface or active adapter, but those called Flex didn't. I'm using 5870 2GB Eyefinity6 card which is very solid one, on XP9 and 5x1920x1080 monitors I get silky smooth 40-70fps everything on extreme settings. This array of monitors should form a flat plane, it's not intended for use as left, center, right window view, for such a setup you'll need separate computers (or wait for some clever 3rd party software on horizon). But you can easily create huge 2meters wide display with >100deg angle or more. I even use the additional TrackIR head tracker. Hope it helps.

regards

arti

[Steve Hatfield]

Thank you, Arti, for responding. Where you say, "This array of monitors should form a flat plane, it's not intended for use as left, center, right window view,...". A flat plane is just a wide-angle forward view, achievable with one screen, and dialing-in a wide Field of View. This clarifies what Perry posted above my post. ...how discouraging...

It seems, it should be simple for a programmer (or who??) to separate the left, forward, and right hat-switch views, ('glance left', 'forward', and 'glance right' views) and place them into separate ports. That's what I'm looking for. With three computers: the center one showing the normal forward view; the left computer locked on 'glance left'; and the right computer locked on 'glance right', would do it. ...just takes wall-to-wall money.

Steve

[ARTIK]

yes "just" the wide angle view with 3-5 monitors, that's why I suggested TrackIR. The good think it you'll end up with 1:1 gauges scale on your virtual cockpit.

[ClodSlayer]

ok... so if I am understanding this right, you can find a card that can support the three monitors, you just cant get x-plane to show what you want on them... right?

My solution (probably full of holes, but it's the best I can come up with): Find the line in the x-plane program it's self that doesn't let you run multiple simulations at once, and get rid of it. then open up three simulations, and have one always looking left on the left screen, and one all ways looking right on the right screen then the cockpit one in the middle. This would also come in handy for testing planes, because I assume that they would all receive input from the same joystick, so you could fly a plane the exact same way, in three different types of weather, or with three different weights and see how they react differently!

Like I said, probably full of holes, and I might have missed something major, but that's what I got!

-Nick

[Steve Hatfield]

Arti, Then, does the TrackIR give the 'illusion' of the left, middle and right screens that I'm looking for? I know nothing about TrackIR, or how to set it up. I'm also 60; is it easy to adapt to?

Nick, You're thinking of doing to the program what I want to achieve 'mechanically' with the three computers, above; (not as full of holes as one might think). We're both on the same programming thought (slightly different enabling). The addresses of the computers is in Chapter 6 or 8 of the X-Plane instructions.

[ARTIK]

Sure I think you'll like it.

It works fine on multi monitors systems (PC).

[ClodSlayer]

Dang! I gotta get me one of those!

[Steve Hatfield]

Thank you again, Arti! This really looks like adding realizm in a pro-active way, even with only a single screen. I think you know what I'm checking on next.

...not enough thanks possible,

Steve