Multi-monitor set-up guide & help (unofficial)

[MadTommy]

Here is mine with a reduced 3 screen layout.

 

Does not work with a two screen setup. Must only work with the MCFD on either side on the cockpit view. it works in blackShark

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

I've updated this guide with new info, this i hope has made the process a lot easier. :)

 

You do not need to mess with your options.lua at all.

Edited December 2, 2010 by MadTommy

[Loz]

I've added a copy of my Monitor Setup .lua to my post above for those that want to try this setup.

[jrsteensen]

Got this working perfectly....between gauge display software, and your directions with a couple of MFDs velcroed to the screen....perfect!

[GregP]

This is a very helpful guide, thanks. But I just wanted to point out to new users that the multi-monitor support in the game does not allow you to span your view across three monitors; rather, it lets you place the MFDs on side monitors or duplicates your view on the side monitors. To span across three monitors, you'll need to use a hardware solution like TripleHead or Kegetys' excellent SoftTH, a software solution. I'm using the latter and it's working beautifully in Beta 3, aside from an issue where the default zoom in way too far zoomed in. In the normal cockpit or external views, this is not a problem as you can simply zoom back out, but when trying to view MFDs full-screen, you'll be too far zoomed in with no way to zoom out. Hopefully this will be fixed in a future beta (because it was not a problem with Beta 1).

[Vman]

This is a very helpful guide, thanks. But I just wanted to point out to new users that the multi-monitor support in the game does not allow you to span your view across three monitors; rather, it lets you place the MFDs on side monitors or duplicates your view on the side monitors. To span across three monitors, you'll need to use a hardware solution like TripleHead or Kegetys' excellent SoftTH, a software solution. I'm using the latter and it's working beautifully in Beta 3, aside from an issue where the default zoom in way too far zoomed in. In the normal cockpit or external views, this is not a problem as you can simply zoom back out, but when trying to view MFDs full-screen, you'll be too far zoomed in with no way to zoom out. Hopefully this will be fixed in a future beta (because it was not a problem with Beta 1).

 

I'm not sure I fully understand what you are saying. I have 3 x 22 inch monitors running off a gtx 295 using nvidia surround at 5040x1050. I set number of monitors = 1 and get a view spanned across all 3. Ie the right side of the cockpit view is on right monitor. If i set the game option to 3 I still get this but frame rate drops to a point its almost unplayable.

[GregP]

I'm not sure I fully understand what you are saying. I have 3 x 22 inch monitors running off a gtx 295 using nvidia surround at 5040x1050. I set number of monitors = 1 and get a view spanned across all 3. Ie the right side of the cockpit view is on right monitor. If i set the game option to 3 I still get this but frame rate drops to a point its almost unplayable.

 

Good point; I overgeneralized based on my own experiences. What I should have said was:

 

If, like me, you have two different video cards, not in SLI, being used to run 3 monitors, selecting any of the '3 monitor' options in DCS will not automatically span your view across all 3 monitors, nor will using the above guide do it. All it will do is put the MFDs on the side monitors. You'll need to use SoftTH to get the view spanned across all 3 monitors.

 

If you have two Nvidia video cards in SLI or a single GeForce 295 -- which has 3 display outputs -- you can use Nvidia Surround to get the view spanned across all 3 monitors.

 

If you have an AMD/ATI Eyefinity-capable card, you can use Eyefinity to span across 3 monitors.

 

I think that just about covers it. :)

[-odin-]

Thank you MadTommy for this excellent guide, I have a similar setup as you have in your example with both mfd on a second monitor. Works great but the only thing is that subtitles are being split between main screen and second monitor. Does anyone know if it is possible to adjust the position of subtitles?

[Kuky]

yes it's possible, if you can find what file specifes that text you can adjust it just by changing coordinates

[-odin-]

I thought so, but couldn't find any file that seemed obvious, so I reckoned someone here knew that :) Ahh well, I guess I have to give it another go

[71st_Mastiff]

I cant seem to get my MFD's back to working after updating to Beta4.

[hassata]

It's working-you're probably just missing something simple since it's been a while. I re-edited the new file and did not simply import. Don't forget to run in windowed mode, and to enter the combined res (some stupid mistakes I made trying to re-setup). I also did a clean install.

[CAT_101st]

After installing beta 4 all I had to do is change the resilution in the options .lua back to what it was befor the update.

[airdog]

This hobby is gettin crazy...new screen in my setup today...Got a 23 inch Acer touch screen

[sopela123]

Vman, you said you are using nvidia surround, so am I.

What about the performance hit ??

I am running surround with two gtx 480, i select just one monitor and the performance drops dramatically.

 

Also i have tried to output the MFD's to a fourth (touch screen) that i run with a third gtx 9800 video card but i am not able to export the mfd's to that monitor (i am with the other three, i pretty much undestand how to modify the file for the monitors).

 

Have you tried/managed to export the MFD data to a fourth screen while using surround?

[Loz]

This hobby is gettin crazy...new screen in my setup today...Got a 23 inch Acer touch screen

Looks good Airdog

 

.........................

Also i have tried to output the MFD's to a fourth (touch screen) that i run with a third gtx 9800 video card but i am not able to export the mfd's to that monitor (i am with the other three, i pretty much undestand how to modify the file for the monitors).

 

Have you tried/managed to export the MFD data to a fourth screen while using surround?

 

I'd also like to know whether this will ever be achievable???

[sopela123]

loz, and what about the performance hit?

i dont know the frame rate but when i use 1 single monitor i can max everything and run smoothly and when in surround mode there are many jumps, also the right monitor seems to refresh a bit later than the other two.

have you tried to disable surround and use softth to spam the view? will this make things go faster and maybe we will be able to export the mfd's to the fourth monitor?

[Loz]

loz, and what about the performance hit?

i dont know the frame rate but when i use 1 single monitor i can max everything and run smoothly and when in surround mode there are many jumps, also the right monitor seems to refresh a bit later than the other two.

have you tried to disable surround and use softth to spam the view? will this make things go faster and maybe we will be able to export the mfd's to the fourth monitor?

 

The only decent performance that I can get with the 3 Screen eyefinity, (6050 x 1200) is for it to be in Full Screen and using the RadeonPro utility. Then even with my fourth monitor running Helios, aside from the Beta 4 know slowdowns of Smoke/Dust decimating the FR, I get between 20-30 FPS (all high except Mirrors Off, Water Med, Traffic Low.)

It would appear that there is no known way of exporting the MFCDs outside of the parameters set by the .lua

[jeffyd123]

did what you said.... ran some calculations and holy crap it works with Helios!

 

thanks

 

Jeff

[Ripcord]

I cant seem to get my MFD's back to working after updating to Beta4.

 

Neither can I. My main screen is 1920x1080, with two 800x600 8" screens located below the main screen - with Beta 3 I expanded the desktop down to the over the screens below.

 

For whatever reason, I get CTD with any resolution that is not smaller than 1920x1080. Even if I set it to exactly 1920x1080 in the options.lua file, it still goes CTD.

 

Ran great before. I went back and deleted all my old directory files and reinstalled Beta 4, no joy.

 

Any ideas?

 

Ripcord

[Kuky]

Try not touching Options.lua and instead manually type resolution in game options menu

[Ripcord]

Kuky, thanks. I did that. I have to go in to options.lua mainly to change it back to something smaller than 1920x1080 so I can restart the game.

 

BTW my set up is almost exactly like yours, in terms of position. Only you have a 1920x1200 main screen and mine is 1920x1080.

 

One thing, the CTD might not be the correct term -- I get this DXGUI LUA BINDING screen, but windows 7 sees this as an application that has stopped responding. I guess I will just let it run for an hour or so, however long, just to see if it somehow works it self out that way.

 

Ripcord

[Kuky]

ah, if you are getting that (game seems as if it's not responding) that's normal... just wait it out and it'll start in few minutes... it does this only first time you are starting the game

[Ripcord]

Well, that was the case yesterday when I first installed Beta 4. The DXGUI Binding thing took a little while before the game screen came on.

 

But it is not the case after changing the resolution in options. It locks up and stays locked up. Let it sit for over an hour, nothing.

 

Kinda lost on this -- guess I will have to go back to Beta 3. Hate to do that though.

 

Ripcord

[Thorvald]

Thought I'd pass on a performance tip that I recently learned thanks to Craig (Helios fame).

 

I had two monitors setup on top of each other, each one going to it's own video card and the MFD's being displayed on the lower monitor.

 

Once I moved the second monitor to the spare connector on the main card (both monitors on one card), my FPS jumped huge (A10 no longer had to draw the main screen on one card and the MFD's on another).

 

Cheers

Tim

[Ripcord]

Beta 4 just simply would not work for me, and cannot figure out why. Tried to create a new lua file from scratch, then tried reinstalling with the newest DX file (whatever that little box is that can be checked upon installation). No joy. So had to just go back to Beta 3 and it worked just fine straight away.

 

So something in Beta 4 was changed and I am very concerned now -- has anybody else been unable to export MFD in the new Beta 4?

 

Ripcord