Multiple monitors....

[tigert 0]

>I am really close to upgrading cpu from 800 to 2.4 gig but >now i'm wondering if I really will gain very much in FS2000? Gosh, get FS2002! It looks so much better, and some reviews say it is somewhat faster than fs2000 on same hardware, though I have no personal experience so I cannot say much more. Maybe someone else can verify this?But anyway, if you aim for realism in the cockpit, you definitely want fs2002 for the visual, since everything looks a lot better in it.Tuomas

[tigert 0]

>I'm considering using low-end systems for the left and right >views and just set them to lower detail since detail isn't >that critical for getting the feel. Yea, you mainly want the side views for the feeling of immersion, plus the important practical thing is so that you see the runway on the traffic circuit - you know when to start lowering flaps etc on downwind and when to turn in for the final during base leg. On those as well all you need to see is the runway itself. Everything else is "nice to have" but not really important for the flying itself.>Hope this info is helpful in your quest to see more in your >cockpit. Yeah, nice look at the alternatives. Thanks.Tuomas

[Guest]

" I am really close to upgrading cpu from 800 to 2.4 gig but now i'm wondering if I really will gain very much in FS2000"Sorry that was a typo..I am, of course, using FS2002...Thanks again Tuomas.Norm

[PeterR 9]

For client PCs, I'm going to try to get a couple of 1 GHz. They should be almost throwaways now. But anything over 500 MHz should be okay. It all depends how much detail you want.When I was flying on a 500 MHz, I had autogen set to sparse, mesh detail to 50%, and no water relections to get 12-15 fps at 1280x1024x32. With a 2.4 GHz, I can have autogen at normal or dense (not extreme), mesh at 78% and nice water effects and maintain 15-20 fps at 1280x1024x32. All that power didn't make an earth-shattering improvement in frame rates (at the same old settings, I could get 25-30 fps) but at least I can see more trees now since I fly bush planes.I suspect that I may now have more CPU power than the video card can take advantage of. The two need to be closely matched. A really fast video card with a slow CPU or vice versa doesn't give you the best performace. However, I've also heard that there may not be significantly more that can be squeezed out of FS2k2 as far as video hardware improvements. Maybe FS2k4.Note that by removing all panels from the cockpit window, you will gain a few fps. If you have only one monitor, get out of full-screen mode (press Alt+Enter), size the 3D view to fill the upper-half of the screen, then undock the panel, radio, gps, etc. and place them in the space below the 3D window.Peter http://bfu.avsim.net/sigpics/PeterR.gifBFU Forums Moderator

[PeterR 9]

Hi Tuomas,I saw a photo of your CRT panel before and thank you for the additional "under construction" photos. I've been contemplating a similar project for some time and was pleasantly surprised when I saw your first post with it. You really did a good job.One day, I hope to build physical gauges like what Mike's making. Until then, masking a CRT or LCD with a custom panel is the way to go.Peter http://bfu.avsim.net/sigpics/PeterR.gifBFU Forums Moderator

[tigert 0]

>Hi Tuomas, >>I saw a photo of your CRT panel before and thank you for the >additional "under construction" photos. I've been >contemplating a similar project for some time and was >pleasantly surprised when I saw your first post with it. You >really did a good job. Yeah, the paint really made it stand apart from the rest of the "protos" :-) Now I just need to build a base for it so it is at correct height (it's too tall for tabletop) and I need a yoke and pedals.. sucks currently since I dont really like to fly with a joystick..Attached a pic of the design draft I had in my mind (did that with QCad btw, pretty nice piece of free software - www.qcad.org) - though the car seat will have to change to a office chair removed from the rotating base and stuck on a box made from plywood.>One day, I hope to build physical gauges like what Mike's >making. Until then, masking a CRT or LCD with a custom panel >is the way to go. Yea, "real" gauges would be cool, but on the other hand, the monitor behind panel -approach is more flexible, it is easy to do different panels for different aircraft, say, Cessna panel for that PPL training use (the one I posted pics of), Cessna Caravan or King Air for some IFR flying on VATSIM etc.. maybe some business jet with a special front panel section (it is removable) with just 2 large square holes for "glass cockpit" etc.. I am not interested in making a scale model of any real-world plane, but rather a setup that enchanges my simulator flying and training experience and teaches me correct things (Flaps is that little lever there, not "F7") etc. So in that sense having a flexible simulator setup is a plus. Though I can definitely understand the satisfaction in making something look "as real as it gets"..Tuomas

[PeterR 9]

>Yea, "real" gauges would be cool, but on the other hand, the monitor >behind panel -approach is more flexibleYes, I've been thinking about that too. Since I fly several kinds of bush planes as well as choppers, the flexibility of the glass instruments is definitely appealing. Of course, the panel mask is the key to the "real thing" look. An open monitor just isn't the same.Peter http://bfu.avsim.net/sigpics/PeterR.gifBFU Forums Moderator

[tigert 0]

>>Yea, "real" gauges would be cool, but on the other hand, the monitor >>behind panel -approach is more flexible>>Yes, I've been thinking about that too. Since I fly several >kinds of bush planes as well as choppers, the flexibility of >the glass instruments is definitely appealing. Of course, >the panel mask is the key to the "real thing" look. An open >monitor just isn't the same. Yep, the mask "does the trick" really. Once the thing is closer to be finished (are those ever?? :) I am thinking of putting small fake screws around the instruments to imitate the fastening screws. But it does look very good even now.The front panel requires some handwork unless you have a LCD display (too expensive for me at this point) since there is a gap between the panel and the monitor glass. So you need to put something to block light from the neighboring instruments, it looks really lame if those show through :) Black cardboard works fine, one just needs scissors, patience and glue..http://tigert.gimp.org/vatsim/cockpit-stuf...opconsole10.jpgAnd since the monitor I have is not totally flat, I am using slightly wider paper tubes on the side columns and shorter ones in the center instruments to take the glass curvature into account.Tuomas

[PeterR 9]

Yes, I noticed the tubes on some of the instruments. Definitely better looking that way. For the simulated screws, if you have bolt cutters you can just cut the heads off of some screws and hot glue them to the panel.Peter http://bfu.avsim.net/sigpics/PeterR.gifBFU Forums Moderator

[Guest]

Hi Tuomas"It's basically a "mask" around the monitor that has the holes exactly where the instruments are (I have a custom panel that is full screen that contains just instruments and nothing moreA couple of questions for you, please.1) What material (and how thick) did you use to make the faceplate for the monitor box?2) What tool did you use to cut the holes?3) How did you cut the circles out from cardboard..did you just use scissors? Thank youNorm

[tigert 0]

>Yes, I noticed the tubes on some of the instruments. >Definitely better looking that way. Yeah. It's just a bit of work to do them :-P But yea, the idea is to finish them all, it indeed does work surprisingly well. Then I need to find small enough rotary switches (or BCD ones) to do the QNH and gyro and VOR adjustment knobs.>For the simulated >screws, if you have bolt cutters you can just cut the heads >off of some screws and hot glue them to the panel. Yep. Or just drill small holes and put very short screws there.I guess one could do the "tubing" with some foam too - just have it somehow thinner on the center and glue it behind the plywood and cut the same holes in it. Maybe from styrofoam if I had a wire cutter, then it would be easy - just do the monitor side profile from plywood as a jig and cut against that to get the exact shape, then just cut around the hole edges and paint the thing black with a water soluble paint. That might be another way to do it. The cardboard works though, but might be a bit less durable in the long run if one is to move the simulator around.Tuomas

[Guest]

I'm running 5 monitors from the one computer. 1xAGP x 32mb and 4 x PCI x 32 mb cards. (and all different brands of video cards too) I have an SFS Throttle with CH rudders and a new CH yolk (not seen in photo). The main scenery screen is locked to 20fps, and does dip down slightly (12 upwards) in heavy scenery areas. Never gets below smooth motion, and the docked panels below are a dream. I have FS Nav working on the upper panel most of the time, but also use it for an overhead panel when using starting up procedures. Takes a bit of experimentation to get it all working, but once it is, HEY !!! Where do you want to go....... It could be considered as a poor mans cockpit, but I do other things with the screens as well... like watch a football game on cable and keep an eye on the stock reports on another screen, have a spreadsheet open, word processor, and all at the same time browsing Avsim for new files and ideas to try.Computer is an old overclocked celeron 1.3 with 512 ram. All you need is a bit of time to experiment with a combination of video cards that will work together, Win 98SE/ME as your OS, and a chopped up old desk. ENJOY....Gerry

[Guest Lobaeux4]

Do you get any sort of slight 'shimmering' or 'vibrating' on your monitors? I've got two vid cards, a GeF 3 and a GeF 2 in my rig, and I get a slight 'shaking' barely imperceptible, but I can feel it there on my main screen. I thought I had it fixed by moving the desktop fan I've got away, but when I installed the second card, it kinda came back. Just wondering if you've experienced this.Lobaeux

[tigert 0]

>A couple of questions for you, please. >>1) What material (and how thick) did you use to make the >faceplate for the monitor box? It's 4mm plywood. I guess 3mm plywood or metal (if you have the tools to cut it) would work too. 4mm is pretty ideal, doesnt flex and it has a bit of "edge" to glue the cardboard stuff there.>2) What tool did you use to cut the holes? I used a hole drill. Something like this:http://www.longchengtools.com/Adjust12.jpgGoogle image search rules by the way :-) Exactly like the one I have.I did a A3 printout of the holes with the computer with the centers marked, then adjusted the drill to correct size and it was easy to cut exactly on the right spot since the drill has a sharp tip that I just put on the "X" in the center of the print. So I just laid the paper on top of the panel, then marked the centers with a sharp nail and took the paper away & drilled.>3) How did you cut the circles out from cardboard..did you >just use scissors? You guessed. Scissors, patience and glue :-) Old fashioned handwork. What also might work is those plastic yoghurt etc cans. (yea, talking real high tech here, you know :) - those are usually tapered so that thye are wider at the top. So you could just stick them in the holes so that they get "stuck", then put glue on the back side, let them dry and trim off the extra. Needs some black paint but might work too. Though the cardboard has a nice matt finish.Tuomas

[PeterR 9]

I believe that's due to interaction between the two CRTs. Even if you set them to the same scan rate, they won't be exactly the same. Try moving the monitors farther apart and see if it goes away. If it does, then that's what it is.Peter http://bfu.avsim.net/sigpics/PeterR.gifBFU Forums Moderator