Problem setting up displays using cubesim mfds

[markturner1960]

Hi, been trying all day to my cube sim MFD’s working.....

 

The problem seems to a windows display set up related issue. When the displays are detected, you have the option either to extend the desktop to them, or duplicate it on on or all of them.

 

The former option cause DCs to render across all of them, with the main screen only showing part of the picture. The 2nd option cause DCs to be rendered on each screen. We want neither of these.....

 

Is there anyone who is using these screens or indeed has multiple monitors set up, who can help? I have been trying everything. I can think of . Garfield has not been able to help either.

 

This is weird as several people have recently got these and seem to have no issue using them?

 

Any advice gratefully received

 

Thanks

[Supmua]

Problem setting up displays using cubesim mfds

 

I don't have Cubesim but all multi-monitor setups should be similar.

 

I can only give general advice:

 

1. Pay attention to how you place peripheral monitors in Windows display settings (left, right, or bottom of the main display). This will dictate the x,y coordinates for the MFD exports.

 

2. Pay attention to how you set the resolution of your peripheral monitors. Mine has default res 1024x768 but I'm using 800x600 because that's all I need. I also flip mine 90 degree because the vertical viewing angle is bad compared to horizontal viewing angle--so mine is actually 600x800.

 

3. Change your lua file in MonitorSetup accordingly. This is the hardest/tedious part and it all depends on your displays resolutions as well as how you arrange those monitors in Windows display settings. You should already be familiar with how to export MFD, DDI, etc. My recommendation is to export to the central display first to make sure everything works then adjust everything in the lua file a little at a time to move things to other monitors (took me over a dozen trials to get it to fit my display perfectly, and I'm only using 1 bottom MFCD export).

 

4. Kneeboard export is in ViewportHandling.lua (scripts\aircrafts\_common\cockpit\), change this line below.

dedicated_viewport = {default_x,default_y,default_width,default_height} --input your desired numbers here.

 

5. Joystick visualizer export is ControlsIndicator_page.lua (mods\aircraft\***\cockpit\scripts\controlsindicator\), change this line below.

base.init_pos = {0,-0.15} --These numbers are only for my setup and will be different for everybody.

 

As you can see this can get complicated pretty quickly, that is why nobody wanted to respond.

Edited August 31, 2020 by Supmua

[markturner1960]

Thanks buddy, Garfield the guy who supplies the cubEsim screens actually produces the .lua file for you, based on the set up you have, so I have a file.

 

My issues I think are windows based? How do you have your displays set up in windows and also your desktop etc? Is it extended over all? Or duplicated? Or neither?

 

Currently, DCS displays over the whole extent of the screens, so my main screen only shows part of the picture. I will post some pictures......

[markturner1960]

 

See above for my windows display options

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[markturner1960]

By the way, have now resolved the problem of my main screen being number 2, it is now number one

 

 

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[markturner1960]

Here is the .lua file Garfield wrote me:

 

 

A question regarding how these files work.....how does DCS read them? For example, this file is called “cubesim” - how does DCs know to look at it? It’s just placed in my monitor set up folder in config.

 

Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Rudel_chw]

You cant just blindly use the file that the Dealer sent, you need to understand the concepts behind the file content. This is an old document but it explains the concepts well, it will help you understand how dcs uses these screens:

 

https://1drv.ms/b/s!Ai6cuX3YQI261hxyFIuXSrPhrChG

[markturner1960]

Thanks Rudel, but one of cubesims USP's is that they write the .lua file for you, for all of us who suck at this kind of thing....

 

I sent him all my details, which monitors and their resolution etc and he wrote the.lua file.

 

Several other clients report extremely simple plug and play installations, so I dont know why I am having this trouble.

 

I will read the paper, thanks

 

 

By the way, how does DCS know to read the .lua file I added ? It is called cubesim, which is not a DCS file name.... I am wondering how simply addding this file makes DCS notice it and read it?

 

Supmua, you say I should be familiar with exporting the MFD’s.... I am not, how is this done? With the simple .lua file entries shown in the file I pictured above? Or is there another process?

Edited August 31, 2020 by markturner1960

[Supmua]

Problem setting up displays using cubesim mfds

 

Use extend for multi monitor setup, not duplicate.

 

You have to select Cubesim profile for monitor setup in DCS settings so it knows to use that profile. Then you have to manually type in the total resolutions of the displays that are being used in DCS resolution setting. So your width would be main display + 3 MFD (3840 + 800 + 800 + 800) and height would be 2160 and aspect ratio is the ratio of the two (assuming the right most panel isn’t used in DCS).

 

The way you setup your monitors is ok but pay attention to the right most display since the top edge doesn’t quite match the main monitor and this could cause slight problem if you plan to use it with DCS or other programs—just drag it all the way up. I assume this one is not used with DCS since there is nothing about it in lua.

 

In my setup, I place the MFD at the bottom center of the main display since it is more natural that way. So in my case the total display width is 3840 but the height is 2160 + the height of my MFD display.

 

Lua from Cubesim for MFDs go from left then right then center which is not ideal (look at the x coordinates on those settings). You should swap right and center settings in lua file so it goes from left, center, right.

 

Out of curiosity, what is the default res of Cubesim monitor? 800x800?

Edited August 31, 2020 by Supmua

[markturner1960]

Hi buddy, that did it, I had not selected the cubesim .lua file in the monitors drop down....in my defence, his english instructions were not super clear ( he is Chinese) so I missed what he meant. And despite several pictures being sent back and forth of my options set up, no one noticed I had not selected that option.....

 

But it seems to working great now, apart from , I will need to alter the file to include my other monitor, which I use for discord etc while simming.

 

The cube sim screens are 800 x 600 I believe?

[markturner1960]

So a problem solved and another gained.......running the resolution required for this arrangement (6240 x 2160) completely trashes My FPS.....now getting 30 - 40 in the pit.....Which is crap and not an acceptable trade off.......

 

How does this affect your performance? I was wondering if I re arranged the screens in windows, so they were all below the main screen, I would only be adding 600 to the vertical resolution, rather than 2400 to the horizontal..... of course, the .lua file would need re writing.....

[Supmua]

Try this. I'm at work so can't test any of this but it should give you a general idea of how to proceed.

 

1. In Windows display settings, change main panel res to 2560x1440

2. In Cubesim lua, change Center width, height to 2560, 1440

3. In DCS settings, change display resolution to 2560+800+800+800, 1440

[markturner1960]

Awesome.......frames back up locked at 60 and hardly any noticeable difference in image quality....

 

You are a star sir.......thank you....

[Rick50]

Nice to see it all get sorted!

[Supmua]

Cheers!

[MustangSally]

You cant just blindly use the file that the Dealer sent, you need to understand the concepts behind the file content. This is an old document but it explains the concepts well, it will help you understand how dcs uses these screens:

 

https://1drv.ms/b/s!Ai6cuX3YQI261hxyFIuXSrPhrChG

 

 

Well I sent him my monitor setup, what res I fly in and he sent me a newly created .lua that I BLINDLY used....works perfectly!!!

[markturner1960]

Ok, final issue to resolve is how I can use my additional monitor without losing FPS....is there any way of connecting it that won’t affect things?

[Supmua]

Ok, final issue to resolve is how I can use my additional monitor without losing FPS....is there any way of connecting it that won’t affect things?

 

Buy the new RTX 3090, put it in the same PC and drive the other monitor with it :D

[markturner1960]

:megalol::megalol::megalol:I think maybe I should rope in an old laptop etc for the 2nd screen......

[Supmua]

I dunno if you saw this, but Cubesim is developing real-life sized F/A-18 DDI and AMPCD (5x5 inches, 720x720 IPS panel) as well corresponding frames with dials and buttons (non-Thrustmaster).

[markturner1960]

I dunno if you saw this, but Cubesim is developing real-life sized F/A-18 DDI and AMPCD (5x5 inches, 720x720 IPS panel) as well corresponding frames with dials and buttons (non-Thrustmaster).

 

 

Great...just after I purchased..!!

One thing - windows resets my main monitor to its default resolution every time I shut down, which is a pain.....is there a way to stop this? I also have to re arrange the the layout in display settings each time I start. This is when using the suggested lower res on the main monitor.....

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Supmua]

My setting doesn't change with restart, not sure why yours did, but the monitor layout will shift after resolution change.

[markturner1960]

Bloody windows thinking it knows best.......

[emc]

I change orginal layout of Cubesim to this

which allow decrease resolution in DCS.

with original cubsim: 4160 x 1440 (2560 + 2x800)

with my layout 3360 x 1440 (2560 + 800)

 

1 is my main screen for DCS 2560x1440

2 is support screen for tools etc

3 and 4 MFDs

 

I tune position of LEFT_MFCD and RIGHT_MFCD because they were a bit off in original cubesim's lua

_  = function(p) return p; end;
name = _('CUBESIM');
Description = 'Left and Right MFCD on the left monitor and camera on the center'
Viewports =
{
    Center =
    {
         x = 800;
         y = 0;
         width = 2560;
         height = 1440;
         viewDx = 0;
         viewDy = 0;
         aspect = 2560 / 1440;
    }
}

LEFT_MFCD =
{
    x = 90;
    y = 0;
    width = 600;
    height = 600;
}

RIGHT_MFCD =
{
    x = 90;
    y = 640;
    width = 600;
    height = 600;
}

F14_HSD =
{
    x = 90;
    y = 0;
    width = 600;
    height = 600;
}

F14_VDI =
{
    x = 90;
    y = 640;
    width = 600;
    height = 600;
}

UIMainView = Viewports.Center
GU_MAIN_VIEWPORT = Viewports.Center

Edited September 7, 2020 by emc
add data

[MustangSally]

Did you see any performance (FPS) increase?

 

 

 

I change orginal layout of Cubesim to this

which allow decrease resolution in DCS.

with original cubsim: 4160 x 1440 (2560 + 2x800)

with my layout 3360 x 1440 (2560 + 800)

 

1 is my main screen for DCS 2560x1440

2 is support screen for tools etc

3 and 4 MFDs

 

I tune position of LEFT_MFCD and RIGHT_MFCD because they were a bit off in original cubesim's lua

_  = function(p) return p; end;name = _('CUBESIM');Description = 'Left and Right MFCD on the left monitor and camera on the center'Viewports ={     Center =     {          x = 800;          y = 0;          width = 2560;          height = 1440;          viewDx = 0;          viewDy = 0;          aspect = 2560 / 1440;     }}LEFT_MFCD ={     x = 90;     y = 0;     width = 600;     height = 600;}RIGHT_MFCD ={     x = 90;     y = 640;     width = 600;     height = 600;}F14_HSD ={     x = 90;     y = 0;     width = 600;     height = 600;}F14_VDI ={     x = 90;     y = 640;     width = 600;     height = 600;}UIMainView = Viewports.CenterGU_MAIN_VIEWPORT = Viewports.Center