Configuring Three Monitors?

[matta757]

Hey all,

Alright, I have gone completely mad and think that I want to have a three monitor setup for my flight sim. I currently have a 22" widescreen and was thinking about buying 2 more.

What kind of hardware/software do I need to make such a setup work?

Good grief, ever since deciding to build my own TQ and overhead and buy an ACE yoke, I have been an out-of-control money spending maniac. Somebody stop me... I know I need to tone it back but it feels so right! Haha!

Regards,

Matt

[ivar hestnes]

hehehe, money spending maniac, we know what you are talking about

You would like to spend some on a matrox triplehead2go. But check that your GFX card can handle it. There is a support list at matrox website some place. Not much software needed, except for matrox.

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/th2go/

[fsaviator]

Good grief, ever since deciding to build my own TQ and overhead and buy an ACE yoke, I have been an out-of-control money spending maniac. Somebody stop me... I know I need to tone it back but it feels so right! Haha!

Welcome to the club...  My advise to all new cockpit builders...  make sure you initially have a pile of discretionary cash to feed the buying urge.

Cheers!

Warren

[matta757]

Ok so then here is my next question:

Having three views open will increase the usage of the CPU, right? So will that end up slowing the game down?

Here is the setup I'd like to use:

1) Middle monitor would be main instrument panel (I don't have a MIP built yet, so I am still flying with the panel in the game)

2) Left and Right monitors would be views from the plane, respectively.

Is this all possible?

Matt

[jackpilot]

Hi Matt.
The usual way to do this with one computer and two video output (one vid card with 2 outputs or two vid. cards) is as follow:

-One video output to the monitor showing the instruments panel
-One video output to a TH2GO feeding 3 monitors for the outside view.

The TH2GO is considered by the PC as one monitor and there is no frame rate loss.

[matta757]

Jack,

Alright, that makes perfect sense. Actually, I will only be putting 2 monitors through the TH2GO and then my PC monitor, for a total of 3 monitors. I plan to put the PC monitor in the middle and have the other 2 on the left and right. But it brings me to another question:

So on the PC monitor I have my panel... but on the other monitors, how do I determine which view is on each one? Can it be changed around? For example, during taxi I would like to have the outer monitors displaying the LEFT-FRONT and RIGHT-FRONT views, so I get optimum views of the taxiway. But on landing I like to see my wing views, so can I have my middle PC monitor set to the panel and have the outer 2 TH2GO set to LEFT-SIDE and RIGHT-SIDE views? Does that make sense?

Thanks,

Matt

[jackpilot]

NO! it does'nt.
1) on landing a pilot looks straight ahead not at his wings
2) the TH2GO is meant for 3 monitors and spreads ONE single zoomed out image on them.
3) to play with views like you want to, you could use Wideview but you will need several networked PCs.

Check the 6 pages of this excellent  post by Nat, (what goes for projectors is equally true for monitors)
http://www.flightdecksolutions.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3867

This is what the Matrox TH2GO does. (If you change views, like going from front to front-left, you will have the front-left view spread on the 3 monitors. Not ideal or realistic and not what you intend to do.)

[bussgarfield]

Hi Matt

I have 3 monitors on my system. I am in the early stages of construction, so whilst I have my MIP marked out and some pieces cut, I still rely on FSX to give me my 737 to fly and the views. (still waiting for the new 737NGX)
I have three graphic cards in the sim computer and one monitor plugged in to each one. On firing up the sim, I can go into new view/virtual cockpit and literally drag the same image to to the screens to the left and right. A little zooming out and centering will give you an all round view complete with MIP and windows. Not as realistic as the TH2GO but it will give you what you are looking for in the short term. The frame rates are into the 30's most of the time too.
Ultimately, I dream of purchasing a projector so I can link this into my system once it is all built - some time yet though I'm afraid.

Thought I would give another option for you - just make sure that your system/motherboard can take 3 cards.

Gary

[matta757]

Jack and Gary,

Thanks for the replies. Jack- I kinda figured you were going to say that after thinking more about your previous post. And just for clarification... obviously on landing the forward view is most important! (I just think its kinda cool seeing a wing view like one sees in the cabin too). I now must reconsider if this is what I want to do, because I don't have the means to invest in 3 new monitors and the TH2GO box.

Gary- This is kind of what I had in mind... I read somewhere (I think on Gywn's site) about being able to drag views to a new monitor (in Gywn's case it was to move gauges to the correct monitor on the MIP). I'll need to do some more looking into that!

Thanks for the info guys!

Matt

[andarlite]

Matt

If you can't afford the TH2G right away, but you have 3 monitors one thing you can do is use 2 monitor in horizontal span mode (works only in Win XP) for your outside view and the 3rd monitor for your panel. You will however need 2 video cards that have 2 video outputs each.


Regards,
Henry

[XOrionFE]

Here is a good example of a TripleHead2Go setup with 3 22" Wide LCDs.    This setup was on my Cessna Mustang sim before I started building a 737.   The mip monitors are run from a secondary card whilst the 3 22" are run from a TH2Go just like Jack depicted earlier in this thread.   You get the feel I think from this video of what it is like.     Note, the computer in this case is an i7 920 with 6 gig DDR3 ram running 2 Nvidia 9900 gt cards and the digital TH2Go.  This is a single PC setup.

Scott

Flight1 Cessna Mustang for FSX Home Simulator to Aspen (KASE)