Thrustmaster MFD Cougar

[digital_steve]

Respect to Kuky, as usual!

I have to spread rep around before i can give you any more!

[power5]

Few more... color is bit off on the photos

 

 

Left MFD

 

Right MFD

 

 

EDIT:

Monitors are: YN8088AV 8" VGA AV TFT LCD Monitor 2 in 1 that I got from HongKong for US$228 and they have VGA connector and come with their own power adapter.

 

Short guide how I got it working with DCS A-10C Beta:

In game options disable Full Screen... sellect resolution by manually typing total resolution of monitors.

For example, I have main monitor with 1920x1200 and small monitors are set in graphics driver options to be bellow the main monitor ligning up to the left and right edge like this (you can chose different configuration)

Since I have monitors only bellow the main monitor and main monitor has to be in the "centre" of the total resolution I need to add "ghost" monitors on top to match ones on the bottom (height wise)

So for me with this configuration I get:

Height = 1200pixel of main monitor + 480pixel of small monitors + 480pixel for "ghost" space on top to match the bottom which comes to 2160pixels

Width = 1920pixels (width of main monitor)

so in game options I set 1920x2160 and ratio will be automatically set (in my case ratio is 0.888888889)

In game option sellect MFCD monitor setup, and now navigate to ...Config/MonitorSetup and edit with Notepad++ the MFCD.lua

Mine looks like this:

 

The centre part if pretty simple... again set height and width to same resolution you've set in game options... but the MFD parts are found by trial and error. Start off with very small values (in whick case MFD images will showon main monitor) then slowly adjust. Do note these values are not in pixel and the way this is setup will definitely change with next game builds as this is still WIP by ED.

 

Those pedals look nice and wide. What brand are they? I love how simple your cockpit is, but how much more immersive it is. Now you just need 2 monitor stands and two touch screens and you are ready for helios.

[Kuky]

Those are Kuky® branded :D j/k I've built the rudder pedals myself, they attach to TM HOTAS Cougar gameport.

[Zenra]

Thanks for posting all of the detailed info, Kuky. I cannot wait to try this myself.

 

Man but DCS A-10C is an expensive proposition for me - new computer arrives tomorrow, TM MFDs ordered, and Warthog HOTAS soon to follow. Makes the cost of pre-purchasing the sim and playing the beta almost trivial - yet priceless :)

 

Edit: Rep inbound!

[hassata]

I thought I'd post since my setup is similar to and was inspired by Kuky's. The center monitor is there for the upcoming A10C VP from Maxim Lysak and the great people at VRM (who gave us LOVP and BSVP). I have a touch screen on the right side in hopes that SCSimulation's upcoming HELIOS software will allow export of the CDU.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2010 by hassata

[Cali]

Did you cut a hole in the screen for your TrackIR? If so, you know you could mount it behind you.

[hassata]

Did you cut a hole in the screen for your TrackIR? If so, you know you could mount it behind you.

 

Two holes (notice the white patch below) :wallbash:. Behind did not work out that well with my setup.

[power5]

That setup will be awesome if Helios allows you to get all your switches and gauges into some touch screens. I would love to have a front and two side touch screens. Then 2 MFD and a main monitor with the hud only view. Very similar to yours and way out of my reach. Thinking of getting a touch screen main monitor so I can ditch the mouse. Then with 2 mfd I would be pretty well off. Have to look around the cockpit for switches to touch so MFD would be duplicated still, but would be less zooming in and out since I would no longer need to get close to see them.

 

What are your monitors behind the MFDs?

[hassata]

7" monitor on the left and a 7" touchscreen on the right from a Hong Company on Ebay (approx $99 each). I would actually go with 8"rs if I had a do-over. As you can see, Kuky's MFD output covers all the real estate from all angles. With mine, I have to adjust so that it looks like they cover the whole area. Works well, but only from my view point.

 

Why not think about a main monitor for a hud/cockpit view as the situation dictates, and a 22" touch screen (Approx $320) below for Helios gauges and virtual MFD's. You could even velcro TM MFDs around the MFD output on the touchscreen if you wanted tactile feedback. Checkout SCSimulations website for some example videos (also, here: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=55681&highlight=hassata+mfds)

 

What I like about going to a zoomed-in, HUD only view when I'm through flipping switches (and with HOTAS and the MFDs that's minimal anyway) is that it adds 10+ FPS when things get slow.

Edited October 26, 2010 by hassata

[power5]

Yeah, that is what I want. A large touchscreen main monitor. I have a 22" now, non touch. I guess I could actually use that as a hud only and buy another 22" touch for gauges below. Then stick the 2 MFD screens next to that screen. Until helios comes out I could use the touch as my main monitor getting rid of the mouse at least, then when helios is ready, put my 22" back as hud only view. This is what I want in the end anyway. I want a hud only view, the only thing I dislike about it is lack of structure impairing vision like IRL. But if it gets me 10FPS which I really need at times, I can manage.

Do you have a link to the monitors you have or the 8" versions? Probably need to start with them and the MFDs. What is the size of those MFDs outside? How thick is the button bezel? Would like to see if I could use my 15" for now and only have to purchase the MFDs. That could allow me to get a touch screen first.

[Succellus]

I wonder what you rig is hassata

[hassata]

E8400@4.0, 4gigs DDR 800, 4870x2 (running all four monitors)

Settings are all High, except for Med Water, Low Shadows, no Mirrors, no Bushes.

8xMSAA, HDR, App Preference in CCC

 

Doing about as good FPS-wise as I've seen posted, I think mainly owing to the overclock.

[Succellus]

Nice, you can bet your rear its due to the CPU OC. I ve you come by Rio PM me. I can t house you ... too small but i can show you the place, especially if you bring a TM warthog, LOL, the shipping and taxes are killers here.

But i intend to let the little white lab rat work some time and then acquire it in january.

[hassata]

Do you have a link to the monitors you have or the 8" versions?

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=995575&postcount=35

 

What I was saying was maybe get the 22 inch touch instead of the 7" monitors. Check with SCSimulations, but I believe they are working on virtual touch screen MFDs that will work off of the 22". Edit: as shown here, which I believe is a 22" screen displaying gauges and MFDs with the TM MFDs stuck on:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=938177&postcount=16

 

Or you could use a regular monitor and just stick the TM MFDs around the exported image as in:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1001375&postcount=45

 

I ve you come by Rio PM me.

 

Thanks man, but I think it may take a while to climb out of the hole A10C has sunk me into lol.

Edited October 26, 2010 by hassata

[Kuky]

Here's a FPS test I've done tonight (will do more tomorrow with different settings in game)

 

This is running default Weapons Training mission, which I think has high scenery and high water, please correct me if I am wrong... anyway, I've run track 10min long first with single Monitor, then with MFD's running off budget HD4670 then MFD's running off more powerful HD4890 video card. As you can see impact is quite noticeable.. you get some 23fps on average with single monitor, and about 11 and 12 fps with 3 and MFD's on them, and I would expect this to have even more impact if I run the 8" monitors in higher resolution (I had them at 640x480 in these tests). Also I was expecting running better video card would have better performance but that isn't the case... to me difference is negligible. Also I am taking into account I was flying low over lot of ground units (at WP2) and that impacts on performance.

 

In this test I have ATI HD5870 runnig 1x 24" main monitor 1920x1200 resolution and

ATI HD4670 / ATI HD4890 running 2x 8" secondary monitors 640x480 resolution (for the MFDs)

 

1 Monitor:

Min Max Avg: 9 62 23.393

 

3 Monitors with HD4670:

Min Max Avg: 4 27 11.282

 

3 Monitors with HD4890:

Min Max Avg: 4 25 11.923

 

And chart bellow (click to enlarge)

Edited October 26, 2010 by Kuky

[power5]

Hassata:

I wanted the MFDs so the touch would not be cluttered with them when Helios comes out since I will only have a single touch and not 3 like they have in their videos. But, then again, I guess a touch is close to the same cost as the MFDs plus screens and does more. I have around $500 to spend and want to be as efficient as possible but upgradeable when tax returns come around in 6 months. Helios is not out though, so at this point a touch does not help me with virtual cockpit, only allows me to not use a mouse anymore. The MFDs would allow me to not have to zoom in and look only at the MFDs in game but that is all.

 

Kuky:

Were those test with just a single card? I have a spare 7600gt 512mb I guess I could use to power the MFDs since they dont seem to respond to good cards. That would free my 4890 to just run the main monitor.

[Nightcargo]

Wow Kuky, thanks for taking the time to do all of that!

 

Is it playable @ 11.5 FPS

[power5]

Just picked up a LD220Z samsung touch refurb for $149 shipped. Will probably arrive in pieces but if not I can still pick up the mfds and be in budget.

[LeLv30_Superbus]

8" TFTs coming this way

 

:thumbup: Thank you for all the tips here and at 3 Sqd site, Kuky. I just ordered two displays just like yours for my Cougar MFDs. Incidentally we have the same kind of monitor too, judging from the pics you posted. Instead of a touch screen, however, I have an AHCP panel made out of real toggle switches between the MFDs. I'll post pictures when I have installed the displays.

[Evader]

I'm using the Lilliput UM-80 USB monitors, 2 for the MFCD's. These are 800x600, and you can use velcro tape to place the MFCD's over the monitor. I'm not at my PC, but I believe I have to use CAT 10.8 for the USB monitors to work correctly, otherwise ATI CC crashes.

I built an assy from 1/4" birch plywood with cutouts for the MFCD's that hides the monitors, Dremel works great for that. I put up pics later, not finished yet.

[Slammin]

Even exporting just the Right MFD causes a huge framerate hit with A10 beta3. Not really worth it to me although it's cool to play with. I'm sure DCS will be optimizing things so I'll keep my .lua's tweeked.

[El_Roto]

I wonder if anyone has a screenie/thumbnail of the Camera (etc).lua file from Beta 3. The format is different from Kuky's definitive post and I'm too much of a moron (no, really!) to figure out how to put the two together.

 

I have 2xMimo 7" USB LCDs = resolution of 800x480 (model 710S) and have a set of Cougar MFDs due here in 2 days. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated and REP shall flow like honey. :)

Edited November 23, 2010 by El_Roto

[Kuky]

What format are you talking about El_Roto? Principle is the same for any setup. Enable 7" screens in graphics driver and position them either on the sides or bellow the main screen (I find arranging them bellow works better as all in game text will be contained on main screen, but you might need adjusting multiplayer menus... see link in my post for how to do that).

 

In game options type in sum of all resolutions for vertical and horizontal (ratio will be auto adjusted) then edit the multimonitor lua file.

 

By the way what resolution is your main monitor?

[Slammin]

Here are my .lua's to support one Lilliput 8" touchscreen; My main display and game resolution are 1920x1200, I also positioned my touchscreen below the main display, and to the leftmost position in ControlPanel at the desktop:

 

\<Your A10 B3 install directory\MissionEditor\data\scripts\options.lua:

 

["graphics"] =

{

["multiMonitorSetup"] = "touchscreen",

["color"] = "32",

["heatBlr"] = 1,

["resolution"] = "1920x1200",

["water"] = 2,

["fullScreen"] = false,

["visibRange"] = "High",

["aspect"] = 1.6,

["haze"] = 1,

["shadows"] = 2,

["TranspSSAA"] = true,

["width"] = 1920,

["effects"] = 3,

["MSAA"] = 3,

["textures"] = 2,

["height"] = 1968,

["HDR"] = true,

["civTraffic"] = "",

["lights"] = 2,

["clutterMaxDistance"] = 0,

["scenes"] = "high",

}, -- end of ["graphics"]

 

Note that 'Height is the sum of the verticle resolution in my case (I placed the touchscreen below the main display in NV control panel); Main display is 1920x1200, and my 8" dosplay is 1024x768, so 1200+768=1968.

 

And then do this - create the config/file you specified in the above file (touchscreen) in the file below:

 

<your A10 b3 install dir\Config\Monitorsetup\I named the referenced file touchscreen.lua' and the contents:

 

_ = function(p) return p; end;

name = _('touchscreen');

Description = 'Two monitor configuration';

Viewports =

{

Center =

{

x = 0;

y = 0;

width = 1920;

height = 1200;

viewDx = 0;

viewDy = 0;

aspect = 1.6;

}

}

 

RIGHT_MFCD =

{

x = 160;

y = 1260;

width = 640;

height = 640;

}

 

You may have to play with the x and y values to poistion the display as you need (move it up/down, left/right on the second display). Also, the width and height values basically let you scale (shrink or grow) the display, regardless of the display's native resolution.

 

This does cause a significant FPS hit. I am going to experiment with setting the Lilliput resolution lower so that I can reduce the overall resolution and see if that gains me any additional FPS.

[El_Roto]

What format are you talking about El_Roto? Principle is the same for any setup. Enable 7" screens in graphics driver and position them either on the sides or bellow the main screen (I find arranging them bellow works better as all in game text will be contained on main screen, but you might need adjusting multiplayer menus... see link in my post for how to do that).

 

In game options type in sum of all resolutions for vertical and horizontal (ratio will be auto adjusted) then edit the multimonitor lua file.

 

By the way what resolution is your main monitor?

 

By format, I mean there are various x and y sections which do not jibe with your example.

 

I have the Mimos up and running on my Win 7 (32) desktop, below the main monitor (Rez = 1920x1200). This gives me a total Rez of 1920x1680 (800x480 Mimos).

 

Oops, found one thing I was doing wrong for sure: selecting Full Screen. Didn't help at all. <sheesh>

Oops. DCS doesn't like my resolution, it crashes each time I try to load a training mission and sends me back to the Debrief screen.

 

Stand by for more inanity.

Edited November 23, 2010 by El_Roto