22 replies to this topic

[auniqueid]

I've been using three monitors for years, just realized NVidia software has a function that allows them to all be treated as a single monitor (very different than windows "expand screen" function... when using that mwo defaults to the center screen)

I'm sure everyone knows about it, but I just thought it was crazy cool playing mech and actually having to look to the left and right to look out the left and right wndows...definitely gives the game added dimension

the picture really doesn't do it much justice ...

[Tristan Winter]

At least get that rag out of the way before taking the picture.

Come on, son.

[Green Mamba]

Is PGI ever gonna' do anything with the In Cockpit Side Monitors?

[Hellcat420]

whats the point of 2 useless monitors?

[Tristan Winter]

Hellcat420, on 17 July 2014 - 04:21 PM, said:

whats the point of 2 useless monitors?

2 monitors, each displaying 2 useless monitors.

Ironic, isn't it?

[Green Mamba]

Hellcat420, on 17 July 2014 - 04:21 PM, said:

whats the point of 2 useless monitors?

I know he is thinking Immersion...but as I stated above its kinda on PGI

[Hellcat420]

Nicolai Kabrinsky, on 17 July 2014 - 04:22 PM, said:

2 monitors, each displaying 2 useless monitors.

Ironic, isn't it?

yes it is

Green Mamba, on 17 July 2014 - 04:23 PM, said:

I know he is thinking Immersion...but as I stated above its kinda on PGI

there is not much immersion to be had while sitting at a desk staring at a computer screen. id love to see the look on his wifes face when he start yelling "get out of here, your ruining my immersion!"

Edited by Hellcat420, 17 July 2014 - 06:22 PM.

[Sephlock]

I don't suppose there is a way to rig this so that you don't have to hold control in order to hit anything below your normal field of vision?

[9erRed]

Greetings all,

Technically using 3 monitors gives the Pilot a wider view that what a single monitor player can see.

- I often get text comments about "how can you see when zoom in like that". I'm not zoomed in I'm just leaning closer to the center monitor and they can't see what I see.

See here for an example of what my side 'windows' allow for.

Now this is only at a resolution (in game) 3840x720, but I have been know to go up to 4800x900
(or even the crazy 5760x1080 but that causes some issues.)

- The Mech's cockpit windows and frame location play a much greater role in 'just what you can see'.

I'll see enemy Mech's moving in one of my side monitors/windows where others might have to actually turn there view to see the same thing. Is it a cheat, NO, it's available to anyone with the Vid cards and physical monitors.
- I even get this view when 'spectating' on other Mech's, they don't 'see' what I see.
- Great for back seat driving and spotting.


@jimbobbob
- increase your resolution wider, the side monitors are compressing the image too much. You should be able to have a balanced view out all the windows/monitors with the correct resolution. And in most cases it moves those 'extra' display cockpit monitors up and out of you view.
- I place my center monitor in front of the side ones and alter the bezel location to eliminate the missing space. (NVidia settings) That's why it looks like a single bezel in the image.

-Sample screen only-



9erRed

Edited by 9erRed, 17 July 2014 - 05:36 PM.

[Dracol]

I have just added new video card, power supply, and replacement monitors for my 2 mismatched side monitors onto my xmas list.

[Sephlock]

Dracol, on 17 July 2014 - 05:15 PM, said:

I have just added new video card, power supply, and replacement monitors for my 2 mismatched side monitors onto my xmas list.

Just out of curiosity, do you need SLI-ed video cards for this? Do you need more than 2?

What about on max settings?

[9erRed]

Greetings all,

- Yes, you need 'matched' monitors that have the same resolution. (same model is preferable)
- Also only available with SLI linked cards or the ATI matched version. (auto detected with Nvidia)

*** the newest cards out may have plugin's for up to 3 monitors on a single Vid card, 600/700 series. ***
(but was/is normally an SLI option only)

- Also need to 'enable' surround or whatever the ATI equivalent is.

Then just set up the displays for #1,2,3 and possibly correct the bezel location and your good to go on whatever you run.

PS: Surround will work on 2 monitors but you end up with the reticle setting in the middle of the 2 monitors bezels. Not a very good option for any type of shooter game. But works great for spreadsheets or having 2 operating windows on the same desktop.
If you run 3 monitors and push the limit to max for the games settings, you had better have a top of the line video card(s) to actually drive those items, and the power supply to match.


9erRed

Edited by 9erRed, 17 July 2014 - 05:50 PM.

[Xarian]

I toyed with this a couple months ago.

Be aware that the bezels obstruct vision a lot, and the field of view on the side monitors makes everything look really skewed.

[auniqueid]

I'm running 6038x1200. For all the haters -- gameplay is more enjoyable. the front view window is far bigger. Yes, the side view windows are a bit useless in a dire wolf, but it other mechs the view is much better.

No, you don't need sli to do this at all .. I was running a gtx 660 using three monitors, all at max settings .. running two titans now, but you*definitely* do not need that..

as for skewing, try it again with differnet resolutions... took me a few tries to get it right. Nothing you can do about the bezels for now.

would've been cool to have this when SOE star wars galaxies was still running . . .

Edited by Jimbobbob, 17 July 2014 - 06:39 PM.

[auniqueid]

you don't need sli to make this work -- I had it working on an NVidia gtx 660 at max settings, no lag, no sli.

[Egomane]

9erRed, on 17 July 2014 - 05:42 PM, said:

- Yes, you need 'matched' monitors that have the same resolution. (same model is preferable)

With AMD you are no longer limited by this.

They recently added new features to their Eyefinity system, that allows for better usage of mismatched monitors. You can chose the bigger screen to be stretched, running with black bars at the top and bottom (or only one, as you can also chose to align the satelite screens at the top or bottom edge of the center screen) or to extend the smaller screens to the higher resolution (which results in off-screen areas). I'm running a 26" 1920x1200 and two 24" 1920x1080 monitors and with those new functions they align almost perfectly.

Before that, I had to run my bigger screen with a VGA connector, so it recognized the transmitted resolution by itself and created matching black bars at the top and bottom. Now you can do that with any monitor and any connector, with a few simple settings in the driver, when you setup your multi-monitor system.

9erRed, on 17 July 2014 - 05:42 PM, said:

- Also only available with SLI linked cards or the ATI matched version. (auto detected with Nvidia)

Can be done with a single card on AMD for a long time now. I can't even remember when AMD/ATI had to rely on multiple cards for three moniters. I'm using a single AMD 7970GHz for my system. Nvidia should be able to do the same with their recent cards, but they were always a step behind on multi-monitor setups.

I'm currently playing MWO in 5760x1200 on that card, with mostly 35-45 fps (drops to low 30s when it gets really heated).

9erRed, on 17 July 2014 - 05:42 PM, said:

*** the newest cards out may have plugin's for up to 3 monitors on a single Vid card, 600/700 series. ***
(but was/is normally an SLI option only)

Like I said above. Nvidia can do it now and AMD was able to do it for several years before that. I'm pretty sure Nvidia will someday get the recent feature additions that Eyefinity got, into their Surround system, but it will take some time. Multi-monitor systems don't seem to have a high priority with Nvidia.

9erRed, on 17 July 2014 - 05:42 PM, said:

- Also need to 'enable' surround or whatever the ATI equivalent is.

Like I mentioned a few times above: For AMD it is Eyefinity.

[haop]

The only thing I can see is unnecessary power consumption.

[auniqueid]

playing mech is also unnecessary power consumption. so quit playing and stop complaining.

But if you think that's bad, whats not shown in the picture is that I'm running dual Titan z's, an i7-4930k (overclocked of course), *AND* leave it on 24/7 just for sh!ts and giggles. Jeeze, my office gets so hot from this rig I had to install a beefier AC unit at my house ... which I keep at 67 degrees ...throughout the entire summer even I I'm not home.
And I'm sure it'll get worse when I upgrade to quad titans to run the three 4k monitors I just ordered.

unnecessary power consumption, indeed.


It's frek'n cool.

Edited by Jimbobbob, 18 July 2014 - 05:50 AM.

[The Gunman]

I'm using 3 27" 1080P screens, I'll never go back to a single screen.

Its not a waste either, the extra wide view has saved my bacon quite a few times.

[Koniving]

Jimbobbob, on 17 July 2014 - 03:56 PM, said:

I've been using three monitors for years, just realized NVidia software has a function that allows them to all be treated as a single monitor (very different than windows "expand screen" function... when using that mwo defaults to the center screen)

I'm sure everyone knows about it, but I just thought it was crazy cool playing mech and actually having to look to the left and right to look out the left and right wndows...definitely gives the game added dimension

the picture really doesn't do it much justice ...

Change your field of view to 90 to get a truly genuine experience with your 3 screens.