How To Set Up Screens

[Guest tappy]

Hi, Could someone help me to set up my multi screens(x2), so that I don't have to keep manually positioning the different windows every time I fly in FS2004.At the moment I only have 2 monitors (hope to be adding soon). Dragging each window to the appropriate monitor is a bind. Usually my main monitor shows forward view and the other, Panel view. I think I saw a post were this can be done through editing the cfg file but am not sure. I do all my flying in Full screen (Main monitor) I don't know if this would make a difference. ....Life would be so much better if all this could be done at start up. Thank you in advance, Peter

[Guest RonB49]

Hi, Could someone help me to set up my multi screens(x2), so that I don't have to keep manually positioning the different windows every time I fly in FS2004.At the moment I only have 2 monitors (hope to be adding soon). Dragging each window to the appropriate monitor is a bind. Usually my main monitor shows forward view and the other, Panel view. I think I saw a post were this can be done through editing the cfg file but am not sure. I do all my flying in Full screen (Main monitor) I don't know if this would make a difference. ....Life would be so much better if all this could be done at start up. Thank you in advance, Peter

This has always been a problem for me too; to the extent that I even wrote to ACES about it and asked that it be addressed in FSX. Well sure enough, the FSX Demo was released and multimonitor screen saving was much improved. I was elated.The the RTM version hit the streets and it is even worse than FS9. I have ended up saving my default flight in windowed mode with all of the panels on the appropriate monitor and I try to remember to switch to that mode before ending my FS9 session. Even at that, some panels (notably GPS and the ATC window) always end up on my primary monitoer and have to be moved each time. Sorry that I can't offer more help or hope.R-

[january 19]

Hi, Could someone help me to set up my multi screens(x2), so that I don't have to keep manually positioning the different windows every time I fly in FS2004.At the moment I only have 2 monitors (hope to be adding soon). Dragging each window to the appropriate monitor is a bind. Usually my main monitor shows forward view and the other, Panel view. I think I saw a post were this can be done through editing the cfg file but am not sure. I do all my flying in Full screen (Main monitor) I don't know if this would make a difference. ....Life would be so much better if all this could be done at start up. Thank you in advance, Peter

Peter- I've never been able to make Full Screen work properly with my triple mon setup- so I stick with regular 2D views. After I have dragged all views and popups to my satisfaction, I save the flight- sometimes resaving it several times to get perfection. Next time just start that saved flight and everything is set to go. ( Well there may be a couple of minor tweaks and adjustments to get exact positioning of everything- but it all restarts just about where it was saved).Full screen offers little advantage if you auto hide Task and Menu Bars. In addition, I have set Desktop background colour to black/dark gray and all title bars also dark gray with dark green lettering. As a result, you would be hard pressed to distinguish between the two modes. Have a look at this screenie.Panel Config is used to synchronize multiple views to adjust for the exact width of the monitor bezels that separate the views- thus creating what your brain thinks is just one very wide view! Here you can also set the height of secondary views and align the horizon across all 3 mons. If you reduce the height of the secondary views so there is no underlap with popups, you can save considerable FPS. In the screenshot, the outer views do not go below the popups with the result that the TOTAL VIEW pixel count is only double that of the main View Fwd. Effectively I get a triple width 150

[betelgeuse 41]

Alex, I've seen shots of your setup before and am always amazed. This looks especially good. What monitors are you using? Do you run all these off the one graphics card and if so how? I think you only run FS9 - is that correct? Have you any suggestions on how to achieve this effect in FSX with its widescreen option? I am planning a high-end Nehalem (Intel i7) system for both FS9 and FSX. My FS9 set up has two CRTs ID #1 and #2. I run these from the same graphics card (7800GTX) and use #2 for panels, FMCs, FSNav etc. I've got very used to this and like it. If I went your way, I would lose all this flexibility I think. Am I correct or could I attach a fourth monitor (if I had space!) for panels etc? How could I assign it an ID in FS9? BTW, I use a switch for another PC off which I run Active Sky, vasFMC, Radio Contact via WideFS but I guess I could retain this without problems. I'd probably connect it to a small CRT monitor. So, in planning my new system which type of LCD monitor(s) would you recommend for dual use (FS9/FSX)? And how should I connect these up to get your 150 deg view whilst retaining my panel options etc? Sorry so many questions.John

[january 19]

Alex, I've seen shots of your setup before and am always amazed. This looks especially good. What monitors are you using? Do you run all these off the one graphics card and if so how? I think you only run FS9 - is that correct? Have you any suggestions on how to achieve this effect in FSX with its widescreen option? I am planning a high-end Nehalem (Intel i7) system for both FS9 and FSX. My FS9 set up has two CRTs ID #1 and #2. I run these from the same graphics card (7800GTX) and use #2 for panels, FMCs, FSNav etc. I've got very used to this and like it. If I went your way, I would lose all this flexibility I think. Am I correct or could I attach a fourth monitor (if I had space!) for panels etc? How could I assign it an ID in FS9? BTW, I use a switch for another PC off which I run Active Sky, vasFMC, Radio Contact via WideFS but I guess I could retain this without problems. I'd probably connect it to a small CRT monitor. So, in planning my new system which type of LCD monitor(s) would you recommend for dual use (FS9/FSX)? And how should I connect these up to get your 150 deg view whilst retaining my panel options etc? Sorry so many questions.John

John- see my reply to some of your questions today in the FS Hardware Discussion Forum- "1080P Widescreen Selection"I have seen FSX running triple views very nicely- but I believe the View synchronization is done in FSX Config rather than Panel Config in FS9. It is found in FSX Config in a section with "Camera" (view) settings.Be aware that there is a significant hit to frame rate- so you need a good computer for FSX multi views.You can run a monitor from each port on a video card- so 3 or 4 monitors requires at least 2 cards. By all means run a fourth mon for FS Nav if your puter has the power. The Win XP monitor settings are in Control Panel/Display/settings. Set the resolution for each then click "extend my desktop---" and you now have one desktop 3 or 4 mons wide. I don't use Wide FS- just one very wide desktop via Win XP.Generally I try to have all popups open and laid out as part of an overall 2d panel. This includes also the 1st Officer's CDU- very handy to have two different pages open. A big exception are the Overhead and COM panels which are FPS eaters when opened- and they need to be full screen size for readability. I place them on the secondary mons- size them as needed, then close them to be opened again only as needed.When you have everything sized and positioned to your taste, Save the Flight. Next time load that flight and you are good for go! LCD monitors are nice because of the narrow bezel separation, but you can get the same result with a CRT as main mon and an LCD on either side. Preferably monitors should be of similar screen sizes but there are easy ways to adjust for differences. I have a 17 LCD and 2 19 CRTs.Hope this helps. Alex Reid

[Guest tappy]

Peter- I've never been able to make Full Screen work properly with my triple mon setup- so I stick with regular 2D views. After I have dragged all views and popups to my satisfaction, I save the flight- sometimes resaving it several times to get perfection. Next time just start that saved flight and everything is set to go. ( Well there may be a couple of minor tweaks and adjustments to get exact positioning of everything- but it all restarts just about where it was saved).Full screen offers little advantage if you auto hide Task and Menu Bars. In addition, I have set Desktop background colour to black/dark gray and all title bars also dark gray with dark green lettering. As a result, you would be hard pressed to distinguish between the two modes. Have a look at this screenie.Panel Config is used to synchronize multiple views to adjust for the exact width of the monitor bezels that separate the views- thus creating what your brain thinks is just one very wide view! Here you can also set the height of secondary views and align the horizon across all 3 mons. If you reduce the height of the secondary views so there is no underlap with popups, you can save considerable FPS. In the screenshot, the outer views do not go below the popups with the result that the TOTAL VIEW pixel count is only double that of the main View Fwd. Effectively I get a triple width 150

[Johan_Dees 84]

How do you set up view sync in panel.cfg in fs9 ? please explain a bit.

[january 19]

How do you set up view sync in panel.cfg in fs9 ? please explain a bit.

Johan- In PCfg you will find a line- VIEW_FORWARD_RIGHT(left)_DIR= x,y,z . (If this line is not there, you can add it- FS9 default planes need this line added but most add-on planes, being a bit more sophisticated, seem to already have it.)Z is the value that sets the angle of view in monitors 2 & 3. The FS views each cover a 45

[Johan_Dees 84]

Ok, I think I have the idea.Gonna play with this and see how far I get.There is no methode btw to increase the 45 angle ? only with zoom ? But that distorts the distance perception I think.Johan

[january 19]

Ok, I think I have the idea.Gonna play with this and see how far I get.There is no methode btw to increase the 45 angle ? only with zoom ? But that distorts the distance perception I think.Johan------------------Johan- you don't want to change the 45

[Kimchoc 1]

Here' s the simple version. Below is from the individual aircraft panel.cfg file[VIEWS]VIEW_FORWARD_DIR= 0.400, 0.000, 0.000VIEW_FORWARD_LEFT_DIR= -1.000, -2.000, -49.000VIEW_FORWARD_RIGHT_DIR= -1.000, 2.000, 50.000This above is for triple monitors. It specifies which view that you want to be where.Here is the key:The first number is the X co-ordinateThe second number is the Y co-ordinateThe third number is the Z co-ordinateX controls the height of the view in the window(aligns your horizons)Y controls the tilt/rotation(like the curvature of the earth)Z controls the view angle(there is an allow for the width of your monitor edges, this will compensate for that)Its all about basic x,y,z space co-ordinates. + moves it one way, - moves it another way. If I remember correctly 0.000 is about the middle of the monitorI am speaking of FS running in a window. Once you start down the multiple monitor mode, you will find it less hassle to run in windowed mode as you will most likely use monitors to display many panels. Its just a matter of preference. Alex and I like the window mode, others full. If you fly the complicated aircraft, just replace those lines above and adjust little by little until you get what you want. If you fly the older stuff, ADD those lines to the cfg. And finally, what you are doing is editing the hat views. Lastly, you don't have to save the flight , or load a previous flight if you are setup to resume where you left off. Once you close FS, it remembers the flight and returns you to exactly where you were sitting on the runway in this cockpit with the windows open. There' s a checkbox for that for those that want to get back in the plane where they left off. You do have to close the sim in this view position to save the views.Good luck..

[Guest manos]

Johan- you don't want to change the 45

[january 19]

Hi Alex,Thanks to you I'm back on 3 monitors using my TH2G. Only this time I decided to follow your quidelines, so instead of running it in fullscreen mode zooming FS all the way out, I decided to divide the whole thing into three 2D windows, each 45 degrees, to eliminate distortion. This way it's much more realistic indeed! Ofcourse there is some drop in FPS this way but the average FPS is still acceptable with a modern powerfull PC.My question is: How can I can compensate for the bezel widths in VIRTUAL cockpit mode? I can move the virtual cockpit on the side monitors with various keyboard combinations ([sHIFT]+[CTRL]+[ENTER] etc) to create a seamless extented virtual cockpit accross the 3 screens, but I can't figure out how to rotate/move the scenery itself to eliminate the bezel problem. I believe panel.cfg entries like the ones you mentioned above affect only the cockpit mode not the virtual cockpit mode. So is there a way to do away with the SCENERY bezel-gaps in VC mode?Thanks

Manos- I'm afraid I can't help when it comes to virtual- I've never really liked it, so never bothered to experiment.One suggestion is to narrow the bezel-gap by placing the outer mon bezel in front of centre mon bezel. (Presumably you are angling the outers at 45