multi monitor picture request !

[BlackSharkAce]

Hey guys,

Hey Maddog,

 

Thanks for your post you got me focused on that options.lua file and I achieved what I was looking for.

 

For information this my setup is achieved without any Nvidia DualScreen or MyDesktop or "Whateverelsekindoftool". Only thing is my main screen in windows is the 24''. BTW I'm using windowed mode in BS here..

 

My monitor setup is like this: 17'' (1280*1024) on the left side, 24'' (1920*1200) in the middle. The tricky thing is that the bottom of my left screen is a little lower than the bottom of my main screen. This difference of height is virtually of 336 pixels. That means if I would represent my left screen and my main screen on one screen shot it would look like this.

 

 

Black zone being the surface actually covered by the monitors.

White zone being the outer rectangular perimeter covered by the monitors.

 

In white you got some indications about the monitors (it's 17'' not 17' by the way but we don't really care do we ?).

In red some indications about the pixel size of the "outer perimeter" of my monitors.

 

Alright now let's say I wanna get my shkval on the left monitor and use the main screen for the cockpit.

 

Let's move to the luas now. Here we go "\...\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50\BlackShark\data\scripts\options.lua". First you need to backup this file, then down to the end I entered these numbers.

 

        ["height"] = 1752,
       ["resolution"] = "1752x4480",
      [size=1] ["civTraffic"] = 1,[/size]
       ["width"] = 4480,
   }, -- end of ["graphics"]
} -- end of options

Now you are all going like :helpsmilie:. Some explanations to this. As I stated earlier I'm using 24'' as my main screen. This means the video output of BS will always center on the middle of the main screen.

 

Reread last line and be sure to have clearly assimilated this.

 

Width:

 

So if I want the video output of BS to cover my left screen it needs to be 1280 pixels larger to the left. BUT because the video output is centered on the main screen and not on my left screen I need to add TWICE this width to the video output.

 

That makes in my case: 1920 + 2*1280 = 4480 pixels.

 

Now the harder part, the height:

 

My left screen being "336 pixels" under my main screen I need to add 2*336 to the height of the video output.

 

That gives us: 1200 + 2*336 = 1872 pixels.

 

Here you should go :helpsmilie: again. Because I put 1752 in my file and not 1872. This is because I have the windows start bar on my left screen. I use it in a 2 row mode so it takes exactly 60 pixels in height at the bottom of my screen. And as I don't wont my start bar to be covered by the shkval. Therefore I "substracted" (sorry not my mother tongue ^^) 120 to the value found above.

 

Makes 1872 - 120 = 1752.

 

Last thing invent a name for your new monitor config and put it to its place in the options.lua file. Mine looks like that.

 

    ["graphics"] = 
   {
       ["multiMonitorSetup"] = "2MonitorTest",

Now Save the changes. AND don't forget to put the file into "read only". Dunno why but as Maddog said I did and it works like that. Feel free to try your luck on your own costs.

 

Let's move to "\...\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50\Config\MonitorSetup\". There you want (yes you do) to create a new .lua file. Named "2MonitorTest" as I used this name for my "multiMonitorSetup" earlier.

 

Open it and now comes the best part. Fill the Description with whatever you want, I used same name as file for example. Looks like this:

 

Description = '2MonitorTest'
Viewports =
{
Center =
{
x = 1280;
y = 276;
width = 1920;
height = 1200;
viewDx = 0;
viewDy = 0;
aspect = 16/10;
}
}

Shkval =
{
x = 0;
y = 788;
width = 1280;
height = 964;
}

Now you must know that the coordinates are in pixels and are taken from the left upper corner of the BS video output.

 

Closer look on the "Center" viewport:

 

x positions doesn't need too much explanations as it simply places the Cockpit on the 24'' screen that is 1280 pixels to the right of our BS video output.

 

x = 1280

 

y position is a bit trickier. Our output is 1752 pixels in height. this is exactly (336 - 60 = 276) 276 pixels more on the top and on the bottom of the main 24'' screen (2*276 + 1200 = 1752). Just that you know these 60 pixels are those of my start bar which I talked about earlier.

 

y = 276

 

Adjust width, height, and aspect to match those of your main screen.

 

Now to the Shkval:

 

x position is 0 as I want it to stick to the edge of my 17''.

 

x = 0

 

y position is the tricky part here. I know my screen is 1024 high, I know the bottom of my screen is 60 pixels lower than the bottom of my BS video output (yeah I know this 60 pixels start bar sucks, but as I begun with it I'll finish with it). Now the surface left for my Shkval is: 1024 -60 = 964 pixels. So it's simple. The BS video output is 1752 of height, if I take out the 964 pixels of my Shkval I have: 1752 - 964 = 788 pixels that will not be shown on my 17''. So I need to take the Shkval down 788 pixels.

 

y = 788

 

Width of my monitor is 1280

 

Height is 1024 - 60 = 964 (I know I suck xD but the best of all is coming :music_whistling:).

 

Alright now you got it all. Try it out tell me if it helps. And one more thing I have to say.. While I was writing this long post I thought to myself that I don't really need this start bar to be shown 24/7 so I put my Shkval into full screen on my left monitor. Here are the new values for both files.

 

options.lua:

        ["multiMonitorSetup"] = "2MonitorTest",
       (...)

       ["height"] = 1872,
       ["resolution"] = "1872x4480",
       [size=1]["civTraffic"] = 1,[/size]
       ["width"] = 4480,
   }, -- end of ["graphics"]
} -- end of options

2MonitorTest.lua:

Description = '2MonitorTest'
Viewports =
{
Center =
{
x = 1280;
y = 336;
width = 1920;
height = 1200;
viewDx = 0;
viewDy = 0;
aspect = 16/10;
}
}

Shkval =
{
x = 0;
y = 848;
width = 1280;
height = 1024;
}

Okay, hope it helped, Here a screen shot of the beast at work. Wish a lot of joy tuning your setup. And let me know if it helped, PM me if you need help.

 

 

Here another screen of the entire BS video output with some pixel values to help you understand what is what and what is where.

 

 

Bybye for now.

 

P.S: Please some feedback from Vista users, as they encountered some problems with the Nvidia DualScreen workaround I wanna know if this way works better.

Question: Does anyone know the aspect of the Shkval ? I think it's something like 10/7 or so, but if you know original aspect please share this knowledge with me.

Question2: Do you experience serious performance hits ? Maybe the unused areas could be cut out of the BS video output but I don't know how to achieve this yet..

Question3: What are these values, what do they do

viewDx = 0;
viewDy = 0;

?

Question4: Do you know where I can find the picture that shows up for the loading screen ? It looks too weird now.. I need to make a new one.

 

Answer3: These two values seem to define the default view angle.

Edited November 9, 2008 by BlackSharkAce
PostScriptum

[Prophet]

Good work BSA! Maybe with all that someone with the skill can get a new LOCfg tool.

[Maddog011]

Hi BlackSharkAce

P.S: Please some feedback from Vista users, as they encountered some problems with the Nvidia DualScreen workaround I wanna know if this way works better.

Question: Does anyone know the aspect of the Shkval ? I think it's something like 10/7 or so, but if you know original aspect please share this knowledge with me.

Question2: Do you experience serious performance hits ? Maybe the unused areas could be cut out of the BS video output but I don't know how to achieve this yet..

Question3: What are these values, what do they do

viewDx = 0;
viewDy = 0;

?

Question4: Do you know where I can find the picture that shows up for the loading screen ? It looks too weird now.. I need to make a new one.

 

Answer3: These two values seem to define the default view angle.

I see you got it right all, glad to see it's working. :thumbup:

 

Vista users can't use stretching at all and only way is dual view for now, as horizontal an vertical spanning is been removed by Micro$. What DCS did is they just divided output resolution of display on two and three parts so we can do stretching but what we need is two or three independent outputs with their own resolutions, that means two or three direct x renders.

 

For question one you can easy calculate aspect, take a screenshot at native resolution , open it with photoshop gimp or similar, get ruler, measure in pixels IT-23 ekran an divide width/height. I'm lazy to do that.:joystick:

 

Q2. No significant performance hit at all because only main screen needs heavy render and it's probably supported well with your graphic card, abris and skhval use low res output so no prob for 8800 or similar and higher.Those not covered areas by monitor are not possible to cut, they are rendered and part of your main output resolution. As I see they are black at yours, here I have loading background.

 

 

Q3. You got it right view angles.

 

Q.4 Seems you are mising this texture, it's in BlackShark\themes\main\images\loading-window.png

 

Now Save the changes. AND don't forget to put the file into "read only".

Ka-50\BlackShark\data\scripts\options.lua

 

is not config. file and it's been rewritten every time you change settings in game. As those resolutions are not configurable by game it self , they will be changed by defaults if you touch settings.

 

Great example you made how to play with resolutions keep it up please and if you find anything interesting please post. :thumbup:

Edited November 9, 2008 by Maddog011

[Weta43]

I've not played with this at all, so I don't know if this is possible, & I guess maybe you had the second monitor to hand already, but seeing the images you posted made me think - would you not be better with a second monitor that's width was the same as the first monitor's hight, & turned it sideways to get a tall thin monitor split horizontally - then the aspect ratios for the 2 secondary images would be closer to true (& smaller)?

[Maddog011]

Sure it will be better but I can't use second monitor all the time because it's my wife's toy and I wont play with monitor stand.

This is just example that we are achieving 2 monitor setup with different resolutions being native at both screens.

I can split my skhval and abris vertical instead horizontal or resize it to my custom resolution not even having it displayed all over monitor and getting the aspect correct,

easily playing with

Shkval =

{

x = 1680;

y = 0;

width = 1280;

height = 400;

}

 

ABRIS =

{

x = 1680;

y = 400;

width = 1280;

height = 624;

}

and it may look better

but I'm quite satisfied that I managed to do even this.

Edited November 9, 2008 by Maddog011

[deviletk]

wow, shkval and abris together on 1 monitor. :)

 

This is getting better and better. Hope i get all that correct when its my turn to set it up. Much appreciated for the tutorial!

 

Regards

Alex

[Weta43]

but I'm quite satisfied that I managed to do even this.

& I would be too :-)

[BlackSharkAce]

Hmmm I changed BlackShark\themes\main\images\loading-window.png but I still see the old distorted loading screen.. Any idea ? Maybe it's in cache somewhere or in a .cdds file like in LOMAC. I'll look for it this afternoon. Or maybe pixel size can't be changed 'cuz my new file was 4480x1872...

 

Shkval turns out to be a 2/1 aspect.. but maybe I got a bad screenshot angle.. Seems very large to me..

 

Edit:

Actually it seems to be rather 16/10 or even 15/10. Nevermind.

And the loadingscreen used when loading a mission is a different file that the one used by loading the game interface. So it must be hidden somewhere else but it's not a crucial point.

 

 

And BTW when you set the options.lua file to read only you cannot save any changes in the option menu, including controls, just that you know.

Edited November 9, 2008 by BlackSharkAce

[G3]

Maddog011:

great work, looks like you are on top of it :thumbup:

how excitement:smilewink:

[Koriel]

@Maddog011, you're the MAN!!!

 

Hello all,

 

First of all, thank you Maddog011. I made it work. Initially I didn't think I could, and then it turned out not to such a big deal with your instruction.

 

I run Vista x64 on a 22' (1680x1050) and a 15' (1024x768), I have an ATI 4870x2, and run DCS BS in windowed mode.

 

It took a few tries, but now I have it setup as follows:

 

c:\Program Files (x86)\1C\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50\Config\MonitorSetup\2Monitortest.lua

Description = '2MonitorTest'

Viewports =

{

Center =

{

x = 1024;

y = 0;

width = 1680;

height = 1050;

viewDx = 0;

viewDy = 0;

aspect = 16/10;

}

}

 

ABRIS =

{

x = 2704;

y = 141;

width = 600;

height = 768;

}

 

c:\Program Files (x86)\1C\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50\BlackShark\data\scripts\options.lua

 

["height"] = 1050,

["resolution"] = "3728x1050",

["civTraffic"] = 1,

["width"] = 3728,

}, -- end of ["graphics"]

} -- end of options

 

and now it looks like:

 

Initially I wanted both Shkval and Abris on the right, but couldn't get it just right and don't wanna spend time on it now as I can zoom in quite easily on the Shkval when needed. Might consider a 2nd 15' for that. This how it looked then

 

Now I need to get some people together to fly.. :)

 

Maddog011 rep +1

[Koriel]

Final setup

 

Ok, I know I said I wouldn't bother.. but then I thought "D*rn, I should be able to get it to work", and I did.

 

c:\Program Files (x86)\1C\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50\Config\MonitorSetup\2Monitortest.lua

Description = '2MonitorTest'

Viewports =

{

Center =

{

x = 1024;

y = 0;

width = 1680;

height = 1050;

viewDx = 0;

viewDy = 0;

aspect = 16/10;

}

}

 

Shkval =

{

x = 2704;

y = 335;

width = 512;

height = 380;

}

 

ABRIS =

{

x = 3216;

y = 140;

width = 512;

height = 740;

}

 

I had to fiddle in order to get the whole ABRIS on the screen. It would lose the upper line, and no matter what I did, I couldn't lower the input by reducing the y coordinate. In the end I reduced it's vertical size a bit from 768, and slid my 15' monitor up by just a few pixels under windows. et voila!

 

[CAT_101st]

Wow cool. looks like my set up but I have a 17" CRT

[Koriel]

Well seems it's not all good..

 

2 drawbacks, and i am not sure whether no1 is my system or not.

 

- Making a screenshot crashes my DCS BS.

- In multiplayer the [FLY] button is not clickable as the whole screen gets stretched over all 3 ( 2 real, one invisible monitors ), and the fly button is outside (below) the right screen.. MMm any workaround there?

Edited November 9, 2008 by Koriel
typo

[BlackSharkAce]

got the same crash at screenshot.. the BS video output is gettign very big so that's not a real surprise to me.

[Maddog011]

You are welcome all and thanks BlackSharkAce for his example/tutorial.

Hi Koriel

I see you having troubles with it, a little.

First you have 22" (1680x1050) and a 15" (1024x768) that makes 2704x1050 but you can't set that resolution as I see. You have set 3728 vertical instead 3360, which is doubled 1680 your native main screen and will do it well. I don't know why you did that. You have 368 pixels horizontal more than you need.

Second you moved position of your main screen to the right by 1024 pixels. Why? Are you making place for third monitor on the left?

Description = '2MonitorTest'

Viewports =

{

Center =

{

x = 1024; - Here - Dunno why you moved it - THIS IS HORIZONTAL POSITION OF THE RENDERED OUTPUT FROM FAR MOST LEFT.

y = 0; - THIS IS VERTICAL POSITION OF THE RENDERED OUTPUT FROM FAR MOST TOP.

width = 1680; - THIS HORIZONTAL SIZE OF THE RENDERED OUTPUT FROM THE X POINT FROM THE LINE ABOVE "x=1024 - in your case"

height = 1050; - THIS VERTICAL SIZE OF THE RENDERED OUTPUT FROM THE Y POINT FROM THE LINE ABOVE Y=0

viewDx = 0; - THIS HORIZONTAL VIEW ANGLE

viewDy = 0; - THIS IS VERTICAL VIEW ANGLE

aspect = 16/10; - THIS IS VIEW ASPECT

}

}

 

Shkval =

{

x = 2704; - Here you moved Shkval by 1024 pixels from horizontal end of the main screen because you added those 1024 before the main screen in the first line for Center

y = 335; - Here you moved your Skhval in the center of the left part vertical which is why is almost to the bottom. Should use smaller number for middle.

width = 512; -This is ok you splited screen horizontal on two by this 512

height = 380;-This is ok also

}

 

ABRIS =

{

x = 3216; - - Here you moved Abris 1536 pixels from horizontal end of the main screen to the right end, 512 pixels from the Skhval screen which is ok for as you stated in the line above for Skhval that it's horizontal size "width" is 512 pixels means half of 1024 you monitor

y = 140; -Here you moved abris 140 pixels down from the top why?

Your vertical resolution is 1050 and your left monitor is 768 only that means ABRIS can't be more than 768 in height or bottom will not be visible. But you have Abris 740 height as I see plus 140 pixels you added from top is 880 pixels? You just slided Abris to the bottom of the screen.

You should leave this on y = 0 .

width = 512; - Ok

height = 740; - Here 740+140=880 ? Yor left monitor is 768 only ?

}

I had to fiddle in order to get the whole ABRIS on the screen. It would lose the upper line, and no matter what I did, I couldn't lower the input by reducing the y coordinate. In the end I reduced it's vertical size a bit from 768, and slid my 15' monitor up by just a few pixels under windows. et voila!

I'm sorry if I trouble you with this but it's not clear why you added 368 to your horizontal resolution, 1024 more to the right for your all screens and you slided Abris to not visible area for 140 pixels.

 

Try fixing this

whole screen gets stretched over all 3 ( 2 real, one invisible monitors ).

by not adding x = 1024 from the beginning and subtract it from all your horizontal for Skhval and Abris .

 

Thanks for rep.:thumbup:

Edited November 10, 2008 by Maddog011

[Corsair8X]

There was a post on this a while ago - can't be bothered to look for it! - use the search. I think Urze posted with his setup. He had 2x 22" TFTs (the lower one was a touch screen) and 2x 19" either side in portrait orientation. Check it out here (audio is a bit pants):

 

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v1627326198keXc3X

 

http://www.leftside-limited.com/projects.html

 

I think I have found my dream setup. I'll have to search for the post you mention where he talks about how he set it up. I looked on the site but while I found the video there too, I was unable to find any specifics to how he set things up to do this. I think that for clickable cockpits that will likely be a hallmark of all the DCS sims to come, this is the way to go. Urze is a genious, really.

 

I wonder if just one touchscreen is enough to do the whole job - not have a two monitor setup at all.

[Maddog011]

I wonder if just one touchscreen is enough to do the whole job - not have a two monitor setup at all.

 

It's not possible to click or do any touch screen input on ABRIS on split setup because abris as a second screen is just plain view without any input options.

[Corsair8X]

It's not possible to click or do any touch screen input on ABRIS on split setup because abris as a second screen is just plain view without any input options.

 

I could be wrong, but you may be confusing some people's setups with another. The setup I was referring to was where the entire cockpit was represented on two screens (sort of like a vertical arrangement of double-head-to-go). Unless I am misinterpreting what you have written.

[Maddog011]

Sorry you are right I wasn't talking about main cockpit split-up. I meant Abris and Squal screen split ups. Thanks for noticing my bad.

[hannibal]

keep those pics comin' !

[Koriel]

You are welcome all and thanks BlackSharkAce for his example/tutorial.

Hi Koriel

I see you having troubles with it, a little.

First you have 22" (1680x1050) and a 15" (1024x768) that makes 2704x1050 but you can't set that resolution as I see. You have set 3728 vertical instead 3360, which is doubled 1680 your native main screen and will do it well. I don't know why you did that. You have 368 pixels horizontal more than you need.

Second you moved position of your main screen to the right by 1024 pixels. Why? Are you making place for third monitor on the left?

I'm sorry if I trouble you with this but it's not clear why you added 368 to your horizontal resolution, 1024 more to the right for your all screens and you slided Abris to not visible area for 140 pixels.

 

Try fixing this by not adding x = 1024 from the beginning and subtract it from all your horizontal for Skhval and Abris .

 

Thanks for rep.:thumbup:

 

Well, when I intitially used the 2704x1050 res (1680 + 1024), and I used the coordinates you propose, it stretched like I had a 3rd monitor on the left. I saw half the cockpit, and my shkval was split in two. When i added a 3rd monitor it just seemed to work. And i added a virtual 15' again so my Camera view would be centered again.

So I now have 1024 + 1680 + 1024

Camera x = 1024, Shkval x= 2704 and Abris x = 3216 total width is 3728.

 

Ok, reading your post again.. I should double my 1680.. hmm. will back up my _working_ file and try your suggestion.

 

/edit didn't work.. but I moved my monitor down in windows ( mouse jumps up/down when moving from left right ) but I get the [FLY] button in multiplayer now. A better solution would be changing the multiplayer screen to focus on camera, that way it won't stretch over all monitors. ( Same goed for the F10 map view. )

Edited November 10, 2008 by Koriel
didn't work

[Tualatin]

Hello!

 

One question to the multi monitor setup. Obviously it works when the driver stretch the resolution horizontally over 2 monitors.

My own setup is different and I want to know if it is possible to use the multi monitor option from BlackShark when I set the driver to dualview-Mode (every monitor has his own resolution and so on).

To stretch the resolution horizontally is not very helpfully for me and I don't want to change my monitor setup.

 

Thanks and regards.

[Koriel]

Hello!

 

One question to the multi monitor setup. Obviously it works when the driver stretch the resolution horizontally over 2 monitors.

My own setup is different and I want to know if it is possible to use the multi monitor option from BlackShark when I set the driver to dualview-Mode (every monitor has his own resolution and so on).

To stretch the resolution horizontally is not very helpfully for me and I don't want to change my monitor setup.

 

Thanks and regards.

 

I have a 22'and a 15', both running at their native resolutions.

 

What happens is (a laymans explantion ) That you force BS to render a very large image that you stretch across 2 or 3 monitors. You set the coordinates in such a way that whatever you want displayed gets placed on the appropiate monitor. It's a bit of trial nd error.

 

What I would suggest is to backup the two files mentioned earlier, and just try.

[Tualatin]

Thanks! Works very fine!

[Ratcatcher]

I have another question regarding this, ( jumps on band wagon ! )

 

I currently use triplehead2go ( On Lockon FC ) along with TIR3 What I would like to know is... Is there a way to setup BS so that the 3 monitors display the cockpit and another monitor is used to display the Skhval and ABRIS. I am using only 1 graphics card, (ATI 3870 ) but have another available, but it wouldnt be crossfire.

 

If this is possible an easy to understand explanation would be most gratefully received. :music_whistling: