jonsky7 Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 (edited) Hi I know there is already a sticky display export setup guide, but it's now over 10 years old, and it's now 48 pages long. So here is my attempt at explaining how to get DCS running with a main view, and MFCDs exported to a second or third display. I also believe following this guide in the same order as the steps provided will reduce frustration and problems. Step 1. - Configure your monitors correctly in Windows You must first make sure that your monitors are correctly configured in Windows Display Settings, right click anywhere on your desktop and select display settings ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You may setup your monitors in the display settings to be side by side or stacked one above the other. DCS requires that your main monitor is the most left and most upper monitor in the display settings, or else you may have problems. edit: It seems DCS now accepts negative values for x= (see below) so you can position a viewport to the left of your main display. Note: You do not have to set up your displays in windows the same as you physically have your monitors setup on your desk. All this does is change how your mouse pointer moves from one screen to the next. For example, my monitor (2) below, is physically under my monitor (1). To get my mouse pointer onto monitor (2), I have to move it off the right edge of (1), then off the right edge of (3), instead of off the bottom of (1) Some issues with exporting the FA-18 MFCDs are reported to be because the vertical resolution exceeds 1440 pixels. I have also found that having a display in the bottom right is better due to the placement of some DCS "screens", the HUEY crew display and NS430 GPS pop out window for example. This issue mainly arises if your monitors have different resolutions, or are stacked in Display Settings. This is my setup, I have a 27inch 1440p as my main monitor (1), a 24inch 1080p monitor (3) and a 11inch 1080p monitor (2) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Make sure your main monitor has the Make this my main monitor check box ticked, and all of your displays have Extend desktop to this display selected in the drop down box ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The display edges must be perfectly aligned to aid with exported display positioning, drag both your main monitor and other monitors around until the edges are perfectly aligned. They don't have to be perfectly aligned, but it certainly helps when trying to position your exported displays later on, and figuring out your total resolution. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Step 2. - Calculate your in game resolution Your in game resolution is calculated by adding up all of your screen resolutions. edit, or at least the screens you want DCS to use as gaming space For me, my in-game resolution is 6400x1440 2560+1920+1920=6400 1440 is my tallest monitor in pixels Some other examples A 1440p panel and a 1080p panel 3640x1440 Two 1080p panels 3840x1080 A 1080p and one 1024x768 7" display 1920x1848 a 1080p panel and 2 lilliput displays 1920x1680 Hold onto to that number for now ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Configure a monitor setup file We now need to configure a monitor setup file. Notepad++ is a free editing tool and can be downloaded here https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/ Some issues have been reported while editing .lua files with Windows Notepad The files are located in two locations. The default monitor config files are located: DCS World/Config/MonitorSetup note: these files may be overwritten during updates or repair Your personal monitor config files are located: Saved Games/DCS/Config/MonitorSetup note: these are NOT overwritten during updates or repair "Windows Saved Game" folder can be found by searching for Saved Games in the start menu search function. The default files are set to be semi-automatic. I don't find them to be much use personally. For example, Camera+LMFCD will fill your second screen with the Left MFCD, but it only works if both of your screens are the same resolution I'm going to explain the way I do it, which I think is easier to understand. If you don't yet have Saved Games/DCS/Config/MonitorSetup/ I suggest you create it. I have included the simplest monitor setup file here ----> MFCDs + Camera.lua note: this is the default MFCDs+Camera.lua file, I assume it is based on two 1440p monitors side by side. So lets have a look at the code: I suggest you change the displayed name in the file to something memorable. Let's look at position. The x and y coordinates. DCS works on a left to right position system for x in pixels and it works on a top to bottom position system for y in pixels When we give a "viewport" a position, we are telling DCS where the top left corner of that viewport will be. width and height are the dimensions we want the viewport to be in, and are also in pixles, also starting from the top left. Lets break down the above The center viewport is: x = 0 ---- this describes where we want the left edge of the viewport to be, in this case zero, it will be all the way to the left Y = 0 ---- this describes where we want the top edge of the viewport to be, in this case zero, it will be at the top. width = 2560 ----it will be 2560 pixels wide, counting from the left height = 1440 ---- it will be 1440 tall, counting from the top I don't know what viewDx and viewDy are, I've never touched them. Aspect = 1.77777778 ---- This is simply width divided by height, 2560/1440=1.7777 or you can simply enter "2560/1440" or whatever your main view will be. the Left MFCD is x = 2560 ---- 2560 pixels from the far left of the total resolution, this will put it on the left edge of the second monitor y = 60 ---- 60 pixels from the top, from the top of the very top left corner of the entire resolution width = 960 it will be a 960 pixels wide height =960 and 960 pixels tall, making a square. the Right MFCD is x = 3520 ---- 3520 pixels from the far left of the total resolution, this will put it 960 pixels in from the left edge of the second monitor 3520-2560=960 which in this case will be touching the Left MFCD y = 60 ---- 60 pixels from the top, from the top of the very top left corner of the entire resolution width = 960 it will be a 960 pixels wide height =960 and 960 pixels tall, making a square. This diagram shows how that works out Although monitors have bezels, there is no pixel gap, the next screen is the next pixel. The GREEN shows the total resolution, the numbers we use for DCS The DARK GREY box is the center view. 2560x1440 The BLUE is the MFCDs The RED is the individual screen resolutions Lets have a look at another example when using monitors with different resolutions. This is my setup. so for me, above, my center viewport is: x = 0 ---- this describes where we want the left edge of the viewport to be, in this case zero, I want it to be all the way to the left Y = 0 ---- this describes where we want the top edge of the viewport to be , in this case zero, I want it to be at the top. width = 2560 ---- I want it to cover my whole main monitor screen, left to right height = 1440 ---- I want it to cover my whole main monitor screen, top to bottom I don't know what viewDx and viewDy are, I've never touched them. Aspect = 6400/1440 my Left MFCD is x = 4490 ---- 4490 pixels from the far left, this is because my main screen is 2560, the next screen is 1920, and I want it to be on my third screen, but 10 pixels in from the edge, 4490=2560+1920+10 y = 360 ---- 360 pixels from the top, this is because my main screen is 1440 pixels tall, but my third screen is only 1080, and the top of third screen is 360 pixels below the top of my main screen. 1440-1080=360 width = 825 how wide I want my MFD to be in pixels from left to right height = 825 how tall I want my MFD to be in pixels from top to bottom my Right MFCD is x =5570 ---- 5570 pixels from the far left, this is because my main screen is 2560, the next screen is 1920, and I want it to be on my third screen, but 1090 pixels in from the edge, 5570=2560+1920+1090 y = 360 ---- 360 pixels from the top, this is because my main screen is 1440 pixels tall, but my third screen is only 1080, and the top of third screen is 360 pixels below the top of my main screen. 1440-1080=360 width = 825 how wide I want my MFD to be in pixels from left to right height = 825 how tall I want my MFD to be in pixels from top to bottom Alternatively you can specify x and y like this take my Right MFCD for example x = 2560+1920+1090 ---- 5570 pixels from the far left, this is because my main screen is 2560, the next screen is 1920, and I want it to be on my third screen, but 1090 pixels in from the edge, 5570=2560+1920+1090 y = 360 ---- 360 pixels from the top, this is because my main screen is 1440 pixels tall, but my third screen is only 1080, and the top of third screen is 360 pixels below the top of my main screen. 1440-1080=360 width = 825 how wide I want my MFD to be in pixels from left to right height = 825 how tall I want my MFD to be in pixels from top to bottom MFCDs + Camera.lua477 B · 175 downloads 4. Enter the resolution into DCS and choose your config file Open DCS and enter the resolution into the settings window, Your resolution may not be in the drop down list, try the very bottom of the list. If not, you can just type it in the box and Enter your aspect ratio as width/height, for me I enter "6400/1440" Also, uncheck Full Screen, this prevents DCS from starting squashed onto one monitor. Choose your config file, this is the name given in the code, and not the filename of the config file When you click OK, DCS will restart. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Known Issues Like mentioned earlier, I find it best to align your monitors at the bottom edge. If your monitors are different resolutions like mine are, then there's no avoiding that there is some wasted space that DCS might still use. If DCS aligns any of the auxiliary displays, like controls indicators, crew status windows, IFLOLS pop up, NS430 window etc, to the top right of the resolution, and are within the wasted space, then even though they have opened you won't be able to see or interact with them. Likewise if you align your monitors in windows to the top edge, any of the auxiliary displays that start in the bottom right will be un-seen. Some of the start positions of these displays can be moved, but it is more complicated than the process for exporting an MFCD. More of these windows are aligned to the bottom right of the resolution than they are top right. Maybe one day ED will give us option to choose where these displays appear, here's hoping. Some of the auxiliary displays are movable and remember where you left them. If a display is missing, you can temporarily move the monitor in windows display settings, go back into DCS, grab and move the indicator to your main screen, then put the monitor back where it was in display settings so as not to mess up your config. For example IFLOLS initially aligned to top right and in wasted space. Move display in Windows, Run DCS, drag IFLOLS display to main monitor, exit DCS Move display back to original position in Windows, Run DCS, IFLOLS display should be on main monitor where you left it. Fullscreen Squash If you wish, you can still run DCS in fullscreen mode. However, you may find that when you start DCS, it is all squashed onto your Main monitor. To get round this, simply left click anywhere on your secondary monitor and DCS will resize correctly Cheers Jon Edited August 8, 2021 by jonsky7 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyMi6 Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 Any advice on getting this to work with VR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsky7 Posted August 6, 2021 Author Share Posted August 6, 2021 On 8/5/2021 at 7:26 PM, RoyMi6 said: Any advice on getting this to work with VR? I'm sorry, I have absolutely no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No1sonuk Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Does this create problems with a "pure client" server? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsky7 Posted August 7, 2021 Author Share Posted August 7, 2021 13 hours ago, No1sonuk said: Does this create problems with a "pure client" server? If I understand the question correctly then no, doing this will pass integrity check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No1sonuk Posted August 7, 2021 Share Posted August 7, 2021 7 hours ago, jonsky7 said: If I understand the question correctly then no, doing this will pass integrity check. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts