Planning Build/Stuck on Monitor Layout and Interface

[drmorrish]

Good day all.

 

The bug has bit me hard. I am planning my build and have parts on order to build both the PC and the pit i'm going to fly DCS in. Currently the A-10C and the F/A-18C are the only modules i'm interested in. I want to run three 27 inch-30 inch 2k monitors for the main display, with a small touch screen below and three 8 inch 4:3 for thrustmaster Cougar MFD's in (generally) an F18 layout. I'm ok using a mouse with track IR to manipulate most controls but want the DDI's/MFCD's physical and If I had my way would want the F18 UFC physical. Think Buddy-Fox.com's A-10C UFC. Since this isnt around I guess I will try and emulate the UFC for the F 18 on a touch display. My question is can you cherry pick from helios? Can I just export what I want and map it to the touch screen monitor like the IEFI and UFC?

 

I also was investigating SoftTH and using track IR to manipulate everything but I don't know how turning knobs and twisting E-Brake/Wings etc would work? Any guidance general or specific would be greatly appreciated. Also the more I research SLI and DCS the more my head hurts. Windowed vs fullscreen, nvidia surround.....I need real world experience. The goal obvuisly is 60 FPS stable. Is it worth shelling out the bucks for another 1080 Ti for all the secondary stuff or will one 1080 Ti handle the three 2k monitors and a touch screen and a smaller much less expensive card (Not in SLI obviously) can handle the DDI/MFCD's?

 

Thank you for tolerating a DCS Newbie. AS for set up, config files, LUA, exporting. I will be able to figure it out, I simply am looking for the most effective solution which is the most authentic sim I can have without building a full pit. Thanks.

[Guppy]

FYI, I'm running a 34" ASUS ROG PG348Q with 6x sub displays, one being a touch screen and my FPS is 35-60 with 2x 1080 Ti, liquid cool and overclocked. The reason that it does not run faster is because you have to run the game in windowed mode for the exports to work correctly.

 

Most of the time my FPS is 40-50 - gysnc helps with this though to make it smoother at the cost of a handful of frames.

 

You'll likely ask about the rest of my system specs: 5930k, liquid cooled and overclocked. 32GB corsair dominator, ASUS ROG Rampage Mobo.

[BlacleyCole]

If you have a place to mount a desk clamp I’ve got the triple monitor mount. For you I used it with 3 24” Acer monitors. Before converting to vr. Have you thought of vr yet?

[drmorrish]

Thanks for the hard data Guppy. Are you using Helios for your touch screen? Can you pick what you want to pipe to the touch monitor or is it a package deal? Clay I did think of VR but from what I’ve read the resolution just isn’t there yet. Using a mouse in VR is a non starter for me I would need clickable controls with my fingers in VR. But to answer your question I initially was pretty sure I was going to go with the Vive pro. I assumed they had the button switch thing figured out. I wanna go with trackIR, 3 decent monitors with as many realistic controls as I can muster. I have no problem building button boxes and probably will. Also 60 FPS is what I want to get. My understanding is that in windowed mode SLI does nothing for you. Any experience with that Guppy since your running in beast mode?

[drmorrish]

Blacley I just caught the monitor thing. Thanks man. I ordered the Obutto r3volution and the three monitor extensions.

[Guppy]

I use Ikarus. You can completely customize the GUI. But it takes some work. I'm still in the process of doing it. But ultimately, you create a background and create buttons. I use photo shop. and you set the parameters. For me, I find Ikarus to be far superior to helios. But it's my personal preference others prefer helios.

 

It takes time to build, configure and test all of this stuff... so its not an overnight process. I've only played around with the A10... to learn how to do it for when they release the hornet for Ikarus. Though, I suspect I could probably figure it out before they release it.

 

Here is a link to my build, 3rd and 4th page of the thread I think you would be interested in:

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=205723

 

Here is Ikarus:

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=179525

[drmorrish]

Man nice rig guppy. I’m just trying to figure out how to mount three mfd’s, an xkeys xk60 and two button boxes to an obutto r3volution. I don’t think I could fab something like you did. I’m starting to realize why people make their own rig. Nobody makes exactly what I’m looking for. Thanks for sharing.

[Guppy]

I used fusion 360 to design and lay out the parts. With time it is totally doable. I had zero experience with this in the past. I submitted my parts laid out on 1/2” MDF to be fabricated on 5ft x 10ft MDF boards. A CNC routing company near me did the cuts for $300 a board. That rig cost me on $600. Spend the time and you will get rewarded. Don’t bite off too much at once, sketch it out.

[Guppy]

Also you could build a front console that mounts to your r3volution. Sketch what makes sense to you and totally customize it. The back of my front console is recessed to fit the monitors. You could totally do this.