Monitor setup - mixing screen sizes

[mdavenport]

I've currently got 3 x 23" led monitors that are my out of the window view.

I would like to upgrade my visuals by going to a 43" screen however I don't have room for 3 x 43" screens so was thinking of getting one in the centre and then using a couple of my 23" monitors next to it. My questions are:-

1. Will mixing sizes of monitors work ok in p3d v4 (currently I use view groups)?

2. Would I be better to put the 23" monitors up to either side of the 43" or have them at a right angle and fully simulate the side windows?

Thanks



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jr2mey]

Hello,

1. I use P3D v4 with three 55 inch screens, one 40 inch screen and one 23 inch screen.  The 55 inch screens our my front views, 40 inch left view and 23 inch right view.

2. It just depends on how your enjoy your setup. I have my monitors set up contiguously in a 180 wrap.  Well, I had the 23 inch go bad last week...so...having to get a new one installed...but is a different topic. (ie bigger screen to come!)

[Ed]

Hi James,

Which version of P3Dv4 are you using for your screen visuals, the Pro or the Multichannel? All visuals from the main Flight Sim PC or spread across a network? I would like to wrap around, at minimum..  three 55 inch TV's and hopefully some day.. 5.

[jr2mey]

I am using P3d V4.2. Academic version.  I have All my visual screens running on the one main FS computer.

I have all my Avionics running on computer #2

FMC, Systems, and sound on Computer #3

ATC on Computer #4

Alaska virtual ACARS on computer #5

I hope to get this down to 3 computers one day.  Right now two of my computers are greater than 10 years old. 

[Ed]

Hi James,

Many thanks for your reply. Much similar to my setup. Main for visuals , 2nd for avionics, my 3rd runs fmc, atc and other small programs. I'm getting good frames but suffer stutters at busy ports with the one 55 inch out front but I've an older 2GB GTX 770 which is probably the bottle neck.

Mark, for mixing and matching monitors for visuals,  I haven't tried it yet but may soon go that way on a temporary basis ..sort of as a prelude to the bigger screens. Will let you know how it goes. I'm not sure how the size of the monitor will relate to fps, the screen sizes will be different but the resolution will be the same.  Question is, how much more resources does it take to draw the same resolution to a bigger screen?

[mdavenport]

I'm hoping the remaining 23" screens are temporary and will eventually be replaced with 2 more 43" screens but only if I can afford and fit them in.

Any thoughts on if the 23"s i will retain should be pushed up against the 43" or kept separate by being more like side windows?

If they are pushed up to the 43" then surely the drop in sheer vertical size of the 43" down to the 23" will cause odd and unrealistic views?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ed]

I'm hoping the remaining 23" screens are temporary and will eventually be replaced with 2 more 43" screens but only if I can afford and fit them in.

Any thoughts on if the 23"s i will retain should be pushed up against the 43" or kept separate by being more like side windows?

If they are pushed up to the 43" then surely the drop in sheer vertical size of the 43" down to the 23" will cause odd and unrealistic views?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Mark,

That's a great question and never gave that much thought. As a separate window I'm pretty sure it would work great as I think Trevor uses some in that way. As a single view covering 43 to 23..  I'm really not sure how that would look. Would be great to find out though. I'm currently waiting on GPU's to drop a wee bit more before I get into the visuals so will be a while yet before I experiment with them. My 2GB gpu card limit is a huge bottleneck right now . I think it's worth a go on a temp basis though and I'd sure like to hear your results.

Ed

[mdavenport]

Hello,

1. I use P3D v4 with three 55 inch screens, one 40 inch screen and one 23 inch screen.  The 55 inch screens our my front views, 40 inch left view and 23 inch right view.

2. It just depends on how your enjoy your setup. I have my monitors set up contiguously in a 180 wrap.  Well, I had the 23 inch go bad last week...so...having to get a new one installed...but is a different topic. (ie bigger screen to come!)

Do you have any pictures or videos you could share showing your mix of monitors and how the 23" right window looks against the 55 x 3 front and 40" left.

What resolution do all of these run?

It's an interesting mix of screen - hope this works well for you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jr2mey]

Hello,

1. I use P3D v4 with three 55 inch screens, one 40 inch screen and one 23 inch screen.  The 55 inch screens our my front views, 40 inch left view and 23 inch right view.

2. It just depends on how your enjoy your setup. I have my monitors set up contiguously in a 180 wrap.  Well, I had the 23 inch go bad last week...so...having to get a new one installed...but is a different topic. (ie bigger screen to come!)

Do you have any pictures or videos you could share showing your mix of monitors and how the 23" right window looks against the 55 x 3 front and 40" left.

What resolution do all of these run?

It's an interesting mix of screen - hope this works well for you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am about to take off in my sim now....Let me get to cruise and I will see about getting a pic posted for you. 

[jr2mey]

As promised, here is what it looks like with my pilot side view. You can see the three 55inch 4K TV's facing forward and the remaining 40 inch 1080 Tv for my right view.

So it can be done to have TV's of different sizes and resolutions work with P3D.

[RayS]

that is gorgeous!

[jr2mey]

Thanks Ray S!

[Ed]

Looks great!

[mdavenport]

Looks great. Thanks for sharing.

I take it you mean the 40" for your left view not right?

So basically you just align the smaller monitor to the bottom of the bigger monitor?

What would you do if you needed the 40" to sit half way between top and bottom of the 55" screen. Would you still be able to align the horizon etc between both screens?

Are you using p3d view groups to get this setup like this?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jr2mey]

Uh, yes....my left view... 

Yes I am using view groups to get my desired set up.

and, using view groups, you can basically align the 40 inch monitor where you like.

[mdavenport]

Update...

Well I still haven't made my decision here on which screen to get.

Previously I was leaning towards a 43" but not I'm wondering if I can squeeze a 48" led in.

As I'm on a loft I have the pitch roof narrowing my height available.

If I go for a 48" and to make it fit I think I will be cutting off the bottom of the visible screen by about 4" captain side. Which will be more in the middle of the MIP and when looking over at the first officer side.

What do people do here?  Do they move the eye point in the sim?

Is it normal to cut off some of the visible screen?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[n4208t]

Doesn't look like anyone responded to your last post so let me just put my 2 cents worth in.  I think the bottom several inches of your monitor needs to be below the glareshield.  It is a more realistic view with some of the direct view in front of you not being visible (unless you look over the nose).  I think it also just looks better.  If you use track IR or something similar it will mirror what you can see in the real airplane which would require you to sit forward and higher in your seat (or stand) to see over the nose.

My thoughts.  Steve

[jackpilot]

For proper result your available image should be bigger than what you see when seated...ie: like reality, when you move your head you see more (looking up down left right)
Why not using a ST projector.
Here it is only 2.5 meters back.

[Joe Lavery]

On a slightly different note has anyone here considered these new Laser projectors that work from about 4 inches from the screen?

Joe.

[mdavenport]

I would have liked to have gotten a ST projector but just can't get it to fit in my loft - My screen sits about 100cm in front of me at the minute.  Also my overhead hangs from the loft via metal braces which also would cast a shadow on a projector screen as the front braces would be in the line of the projector...

I think I will have about 5-6" cut off from my eye line..

[mdavenport]

This is the screen that I am looking at now:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352382894495

Any suggestions, concerns etc..?  Its a 49" curved display.  I don't really know what to look out for so any pointers would be good..

Thank you all!

[twkster]

Hello and Greetings!

I am new here at CockpitBuilders.com, so this is my first comment / post.

Just a comment about the Hisense Monitor. I recently purchased the 49" 4K Flat Screen variant of this monitor and am completely happy as it only cost me 219 USD! (Walmart Online)

If I was not already invested in short throw projection (already have two and need to build my surround screen) I would consider using 4 of these for my outside view. It would be about the same price as one of my Optoma GT 1080 Darbee Projectors....

I don't know your space requirements, but an ST like the Darbee can illuminate a lot of realestate from a quite short distance. Depending on your available space a low mount shining up on your screen rather than overhead is very much a possible solution.

Cheers

[kurt-olsson]

Jack, how far away from the wall is your cockpit?
I am going for an Ultra short throw and hope not to have to move the cockpit too far off the wall.

[jackpilot]

The screen is about 1.5 m from the base of the windshield  .

[kurt-olsson]

The screen is about 1.5 m from the base of the windshield  .

Cool! I can totally setup like that. I will go one projector route first and see if i miss the sideviews. Haha