Multi-monitor setup with MFCD's and other things

[ViXaAGe]

DISCLAIMER: This thread was written in haste before a rehearsal I had to get to, but I was fed up with the lack of documentation regarding DCS

 

I am aware that there are better guides by PeterP, but they are significantly out of date (2012 is pretty out there, even though it's 3 years off from today)

They do not contain information that applies to aircraft other than the A-10C or Ka-50

 

--BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO A FILE, BACK IT UP--

 

Recently I've been having trouble finding any actual help or tutorials regarding the setup of multiple monitors and extracting MFCDs and other in-game displays.

 

The answer are actually pretty simple, but no one in the DCS community seems to post their solutions anymore, SO I decided to start myself a thread that may/may not help users set up DCS when they have multiple monitors in (hopefully) ANY configuration.

 

My problem: my monitor setup is 3 monitors in this order -

 

1920x1200 - 1920x1080 - 1920x1080

 

I wanted to get the MFCDs of the A-10C to the left and right of my monitors, but my 1920x1200 would have a 120 pixel bar of my desktop at the bottom if I had the resolution in game set to 5760x1080, or my main display would have 120 pixels extending off the bottom if I had it set to 5760x1200.

 

I tried to have it only extend on to two monitors to get both MFCDs onto the monitor on the right, but it was expand halfway into both the left and right monitors.

 

 

 

Solution:

The bar really annoyed me, so I did some research and created a new MonitorSetup.lua as follows in the .../DCSWorld/Config/MonitorSetup folder

 

NOTE: My in-game resolution is set at 5760x1200

NOTE2: In the following code, do note that the X co-ordinate of '0' would be the left-most side of my left-most monitor according to the windows multi-display setup.

NOTE3: pixel coordinates increase to the right and down. Positive X values are to the right, Positive Y values are down on the screen

 

_ = function(p) return p; end;

name = _('MFCD + Center + MFCD Resolution doesn't matter');

Description = 'Left MFCD on the left monitor,Right MFCD on the right and camera on the center'

Viewports = --anything in here defines where your in-game view will be display

{

Center = --can be any name, but center helps remind you it's the center (look at the

-- 3Cameras monitor setup to see how they do a 3 camera view)

{

x = 1920; --this is the width in pixels of the monitor to the left of my main display

y = 0; -- if the left-most monitor is offset ABOVE your main display, this is the

-- difference in height.

-- Mine would be "120" if it were set above (1200-1080=120)

 

width = 1920; --width in pixels of your main display

height = 1080; --height in pixels of your main display

viewDx = 0; --view offset in the x axis. -1 = out left of cockpit 1 = out right of cockpit

-- I assume -2, 2 would continue out, but I do not know

viewDy = 0; --view offset in the y axis. -1 = down out of cockpit 1 = up out of c-pit

aspect = 1920 / 1080; --set this to the widthOfMainDisplay/heightOfMainDisplay

}

}

 

--Note that the following is OUTSIDE of the curly brackets containing the viewports

 

LEFT_MFCD = --This will display any MFCD on the left side of an aircraft cockpit. This includes FC3 aircraft

{

x = 1920 - 600; --co-ordinates of the left side of the MFCD

--I set mine to be the width of my left-most monitor minus the desired

--width of the MFCD plus some buffer space

y = 0; --co-ordinates of the top side of the MFCD

--I set mine to be the '0' to align to the very top of the screen

width = 500; --Desired pixel width of MFCD

height = 500; --Desired pixel height of MFCD

}

 

RIGHT_MFCD = --This will display any MFCD on the right side of an aircraft cockpit. This includes FC3 aircraft

{

x = 1920 + 1920 + 100; --As above, mine is set to be the width of my left and center

--monitors + some buffer space. The desired width of the

--MFCD is irrelevant because of how pixel co-ords work

y = 0; --aligned to the top

width = 500; --desired width

height = 500; --desired height

}

 

 

UIMainView = Viewports.Center --I honestly have no idea what this affects. Will hopefully

--update in the future

 

 

Selecting this monitor config in the options removed the unsightly bar on my 1920x1200 monitor while also giving me the MFCDs and a central game view that didn't extend below the screen.

 

It is possible to export other displays. I will update this thread with that information in the future.

Edited August 14, 2015 by ViXaAGe

[SkateZilla]

There are already several guides.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=60815&highlight=PeterP

 

 

I myself now run 3 main screens, plus 2 Screens for MFDs/Displays, Plus a Central Screen for instruments etc.

Edited August 13, 2015 by SkateZilla

[ViXaAGe]

They are not easily found, apparently. I spent at least two weeks searching for decent tutorials but finding only threads that were out of date.

That thread is also 4 years old and does not contain all current information on the topic.

 

To be fair to myself, I will be editing this topic with information other than MultiMonitor setup.

[jvanhoog]

You are right about the info on multi monitor setup being very old. Appreciate you posting on your findings on this topic. Running 3 27in 1080's and could use all the ideas I can get. Thanks!

[ViXaAGe]

I will also be posting and linking a thread to customizing controls and what the values in the LUA files do.

 

I'm positive the documentation for all of that is hidden deep within the recesses of a Dev's mind

[PoleCat]

Ultramfcd is by far the easiest way to set up multiple monitors and MFCD displays with DCS World........

 

http://ultramfcd.com/

[ViXaAGe]

Ultramfcd is by far the easiest way to set up multiple monitors and MFCD displays with DCS World........

 

http://ultramfcd.com/

 

Ultramfcd, for me, does not display the exports properly. They update once every 20 seconds.

Edited August 13, 2015 by ViXaAGe

[Sabre-TLA]

You could use the Monitor Setup Guide found in the user files section.

 

All the thread info condensed into one easy to read document by PeterP.

 

Download here: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/214771/

[ViXaAGe]

You could use the Monitor Setup Guide found in the user files section.

 

All the thread info condensed into one easy to read document by PeterP.

 

Download here: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/214771/

 

See, this is something that should be stickied on these forums.

 

When I say I searched for two weeks, I mean I scoured the web in all the logical places I would find something like that. The ED main site Downloads section? Honestly not one of the places I would ever look. That contains missions, skins, mods, etc...I would not expect a tutorial on editing Lua files to be in there.

[Livers]

Ultramfcd, for me, does not display the exports properly. They update once every 20 seconds.

 

I agree, they've been broken for a while. A rollback to 347.52 drivers fixes them for me.

[PoleCat]

Ultramfcd, for me, does not display the exports properly. They update once every 20 seconds.

 

It is my understanding that this is an NVidia driver related issue and reverting to the previous series of NVidia driers resolves it.

 

Out

[Mr_Burns]

There are already several guides.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=60815&highlight=PeterP

 

 

I myself now run 3 main screens, plus 2 Screens for MFDs/Displays, Plus a Central Screen for instruments etc.

 

Have you got a thread on that setup? Are they all from the video card or are the MFD ones USB?