MichaelI've been using multiple monitors for several years, experimenting with various configurations including WideView and multiple CPU's. However a person ends up with more viewing area, it's certainly likely to please.My current setup utilizes a TH2go D and a DualHead2go unit, plus individual monitors. After the initial excitement of being able to see more of the outside world wore off, I wanted to spread out the instruments as well, hence more monitors. I will say, I use my TH2go triple monitors to look around; I turn my head and look 'outside' - I don't just stare straight ahead. For example when turning base to final. The side monitors add a sense of speed in one's peripheral vision, but it should not be overlooked, that there's simply more you can see. To use a worn out phrase, a single monitor is like looking through a toilet paper tube. Reminds me of wearing 'the hood' in my instrument training. --------------Noel [email protected] / 8800GTX / 4Gb / Vista64

Seasons Greetings Noel- Delighted to see your post and those great pics- thank you.You being a user of TH2Go, perhaps you can confirm my understanding of its display logic. Am I correct that the (unpanned) view appearing stretched across the 3 monitors, is FS View Forward? That would equate to a 3 mon wide- 45

Hi,Thanks, great screen shots. I would also like to know if TH2Go DP version has the ability to display LFwd,Fwd,RFwd, if so I would purchase this item in a minute.Well, I just purchased three SAMSUNG TOC T260HD Rose Black 25.5" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitors. New Egg shipping is usually a day maybe two away (SWEET).Now I'll have to look into this TH2Go DP, right now it looks like it can only handle 2 1920x1200 monitors. :( I can only hope this will eventually get expanded to three 1920x1200 monitors in the future. :( The converter cable didn't look all that expensive to me, unless I was viewing something else.Thanks

Hi,Here is some info I found on the Th2Go.http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/...x.php/TH2Go_FAQ

Hi,Thanks, great screen shots. I would also like to know if TH2Go DP version has the ability to display LFwd,Fwd,RFwd, if so I would purchase this item in a minute.Well, I just purchased three SAMSUNG TOC T260HD Rose Black 25.5" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitors. New Egg shipping is usually a day maybe two away (SWEET).Now I'll have to look into this TH2Go DP, right now it looks like it can only handle 2 1920x1200 monitors. :( I can only hope this will eventually get expanded to three 1920x1200 monitors in the future. :( The converter cable didn't look all that expensive to me, unless I was viewing something else.Thanks

Mike- reading thru' that TH2GO site you suuplied- there is no reference to being able to display all three FS views. TH appears to display only View Fwd across the three monitors. A pity. Perhaps Gumps can confirm one way or another. Regardless, the two video card method is not difficult.(Hmm- there's the answer? You need a GPU port to display each view! In effect, time sharing 3 different (jobs) views!!!)Alex Reid

Hi January,I have no idea what that means. :(

Regardless, the two video card method is not difficult.(Hmm- there's the answer? You need a GPU port to display each view! In effect, time sharing 3 different (jobs) views!!!)Alex Reid

Hi January,I have no idea what that means. :(

Mike- my triple view arrangement has each monitor connected to its own GPU port- Main mon & Right mon connected to the two ports on my AGP vid card and left mon connected to a second (PCI) vid card. So each of the three views has its own graphics source.Since the GPUs are supplied with their data from a single CPU, it follows that the triple views must be generated sequentially- or in effect, are time shared.The three views are integrated into what your brain sees as ONE, via precise bezel adjustment in PCfg. (to a 100th of a degree! Don't worry- it's a simple calc.). At any one moment, only one view is being updated while the others, 2/3 of the whole, are completely stationary. Phrased differently, 2/3 of the image always has an infinitely high frame rate- perfectly smooth. So although the posted frame rate may seem low, your eyes & brain see a remarkably smooth picture in total- somewhat like a motion picture where the "whole" is comprised of a rapid series of "stills". I setup to achieve a steady 30-50 FPS on a SINGLE (view fwd) monitor. When I add the outer views, FPS drops approx 50% to roughly 15-25. As an experiment, I have many times, after flying for awhile to set the performance into my conscious- then suddenly deleted the outer views and reverted back to single mon/view. When I do this, I can detect no diiference in the quality or smoothness- regardless of frame rate. The magic of multiple views!!!Hope this makes sense.Alex Reid

MichaelI think there might be some misunderstanding on the views - LFwd,Fwd,RFwd. Perhaps this reference is to the 'fixed' views available for selection in FS. It becomes a moot point, if the "Fwd" view's resolution is increased to the point where it encompasses Left-Center-Right. A single high res monitor displays more than straight ahead. The wider the resolution, the more you can see to each side. This is what TH2go and ATI provide. The side screens have to be angled back to make the view look correct (which matches an airliner's flight deck windows - I mostly fly airliners). The key is really Field of View (FOV).In the case of TH2go @ 3840x1024 (which is what I'm currently using), I see ~105 degrees FOV. I'll be going to 5040x1024 next year, which should be ~135 degrees FOV (using the percentage of horizontal pixel increase as a gauge). This is with the FS zoom set at 100%.I had previously posted some info on the TH2go FOV here. The pictures disappeared, so here are the 100% zoom versions again. Note the runway markers in the flight deck view vs. the top down view - ~105 degrees FOV. I used a protractor, but even to the naked eye, you can see it's greater than 90 degrees. It's a crude measurement, but close enough for government work.Sometimes I zoom out some to be able to see more to each side. The tradeoff is distortion. I usually just use 90% zoom as a good balance.TH2go only will show one view...one very wide view. If I'm not mistaken though, the ATI Eyefinity will run three separate views. In fact, the upcoming 6 port version shows a combination where a single view is spanned across three monitors, and the other three are separate views. There's a lot of potential with the ATI cards.You may have some difficulty with using the 1920x1200 monitors, at least if you run them at their native resolution. TH2go can't do that resolution (5760x1200); though I believe the ATI Eyefinity will. That may be a good choice with those hi res monitors, though there is a FPS price to pay the higher you go. You could always run them at a lower 1680x1050. And for outside views, that may look OK. (Most LCD's look a bit fuzzy at anything but their native res.) One very expensive solution would be to foray into WideView...with two or three additional CPU's. They could be much 'tamer' than what you currently have, since each is just doing one view. It's a complicated solution. Been there, done that.If you try to run three 3D views with your one computer, it will have a major impact on the FPS. Adding 2D panels to additional monitors is easy on the CPU; adding 3D views - particularly at 1920x1200...well, maybe you're OK with lower frames. I'm just the opposite. I hate stuttering and jerkiness in the outside visuals. I use the side screens to look around, like lining up with the runway from a turn. Because the scenery moves across the screen much faster on the side screens (relative motion), any choppiness will show up there first. The fwd view can be very smooth, but you can detect the lower frames in the side views. It sounds like you're using FS9, so perhaps you can get away with it...I don't use FS9 anymore. And, your computer is top notch. Hopefully your mileage will very...to the plus side.Good luck on your adventure with multiple monitors and let us know how it turns out.Happy Holidays to you too Alex; I hope I addressed your inquiry in the post above as well.Noel W

Mike-For comparison with Noel's TH2GO pic, here is same scene via Dual Video Card method.Remarkably similar.Alex ReidKSEA R34R FS9 Default Scenery. 1.0 Zoom, 146

Hi,First off, thanks everyone. Looks like I'll have to purchase a second video card. Not sure if I'm explaining this right, but I took three screen shots showing what I would like to do with the three monitors.

Mike- Those are gorgeous pictures, thanks for sharing!A big caution!!!! They look like Virtual Cockpit images. As far as I know, Virtual will NOT work with the 2 video cards strategy.A while back I worked a bit with Geofa to try to use Virtual on my setup: appears to be not possible- or at least not practical.I appreciate why real world pilots want the fidelity of Virtual. The only way for virtual that I'm aware of for 3 monitors is via TH2GO - where the field of view is controlled by zooming.Alex Reid-Other multiple monitor users, please chime in!

Hi January,So the only way to achieve the above using VC would be to go with TH2GO? and then zoom out or I can run 2D and undock the two side views and drag them to the left and right monitors, correct?. Then there is the option of using the ATI Eyefinity, if I go that route I will have to replace my video board and purchase three DVI to DP adapters, correct?.Thanks

Mike- Those are gorgeous pictures, thanks for sharing!A big caution!!!! They look like Virtual Cockpit images. As far as I know, Virtual will NOT work with the 2 video cards strategy.A while back I worked a bit with Geofa to try to use Virtual on my setup: appears to be not possible- or at least not practical.I appreciate why real world pilots want the fidelity of Virtual. The only way for virtual that I'm aware of for 3 monitors is via TH2GO - where the field of view is controlled by zooming.Alex Reid-Other multiple monitor users, please chime in!

So the only way to achieve the above using VC would be to go with TH2GO? and then zoom out or I can run 2D and undock the two side views and drag them to the left and right monitors, correct?. Then there is the option of using the ATI Eyefinity, if I go that route I will have to replace my video board and purchase three DVI to DP adapters, correct?.

MikeWhen the PMDG JS41 came out, I played around with multiple 3D windows, since it was only VC. I opened new 3D views to sort of create my own undockable 2D panels. I was able to use TH2go as usual, with just the outside view (no panels), I had the overhead panel (actually the VC Overhead), and the main panel (also VC) on a lower screen. Here's a photo at the time, before I added an additional lower screen and DH2go. From the FSX menu, select "Views" >"New View" > "Cockpit" > "New Virtual Cockpit". I undocked each panel with FS in Windowed mode, and then went to Full Screen Mode after they were placed on their individual monitors.On my system, the FPS was just too low to enjoy, though if I didn't add the overhead panel (the 3rd 3D window), it was flyable. I used it with and without TIR.With some playing around, you could probably get three VC views going, though it's messy trying to get the views all lined up to look right. I'm at home, and just tried quickly to replicate what you were showing in your photo. I'm not sure if a person could get the view lined up properly or not. Especially the world beyond the instrument panels. Perhaps someone else has worked this out. (??)If you want to do VC, it's probably best to just go with ATI Eyefinity or TH2go. You might get a fourth monitor for 2D popup windows. If you don't want to get a matching screen for the three you ordered, consider a touch screen.I prefer 2D panels with multiple monitors, but I can understand where folks really like VC. And if the JS41 is any indication of what is coming, VC is going to look better and better. Heck, the RealAir Duke is great too (as are other recent addons I don't have).Good luck and keep us posted on how you make out.Noel W

Hi January,So the only way to achieve the above using VC would be to go with TH2GO? and then zoom out or I can run 2D and undock the two side views and drag them to the left and right monitors, correct?. Then there is the option of using the ATI Eyefinity, if I go that route I will have to replace my video board and purchase three DVI to DP adapters, correct?.Thanks

Mike- I think you have stated the case correctly- other than I have no knowledge of the capabilities of Eyefinity.2D arrangements have the advantage of not only the wide view being there all the time- no panning or zooming- but the individual popup sub panels are in my view, more workable. If the need is to learn or maintain aircraft system skills, 2D is probably the choice. The above is Ready for Pushback 742 and shows how all sub panels can be layered and ready for instant use. Just click on a corner to bring it to the top. I sacrificed one view for simplicity in systems mgmt. Note that the 2D View RFwd contains window framing and looks much like a virtual view. You might wish to check what the 2D Views look like with the 767.-------------If you want fidelity in placement of cockpit elements, virtual is hard to beat. Your pics tell that story perfectly. Panning & Zooming is vital here.------------ If developing VFR flying skills- landings/takeoffs etc, 2D wins because of the wide lifelike view. No pan nor zoom.Above is Extreme KingAir with both Capt/CoPilot 2D panels shown. "On final for CYYJ R09."Hope these comments help.Alex Reid

If you want fidelity in placement of cockpit elements, virtual is hard to beat. Your pics tell that story perfectly. Panning & Zooming is vital here.Alex Reid

Here is how you beat virtual cockpits with full-scale fidelity, not only in size, but in placement relative to the external view! [The setup: (1) A 24" lcd running off a 8800 Ultra which is my dedicated external view. I have yoke buttons programmed for left, forward left, forward right and right view on that external view monitor. (2) A pair of matched 22" lcds running off a 7600GT which display the left and right MIP - dedicated.(3) A 17" CRT (have not upgraded to lcd yet) running off a 7300GS displaying the FMC and TQ.I toggle the overheard over the external view, and the comm panel on the lower CRT.This example is showing the LDS 767 and I have another setup for the PMDG 747.I've been following this and several related threads as I'm thinking seriously about adding two more monitors to get the external view to a more realistic field of view. Alex, I may very well call on your expertise to help me through it.-michael

Here is how you beat virtual cockpits with full-scale fidelity, not only in size, but in placement relative to the external view! [The setup: (1) A 24" lcd running off a 8800 Ultra which is my dedicated external view. I have yoke buttons programmed for left, forward left, forward right and right view on that external view monitor. (2) A pair of matched 22" lcds running off a 7600GT which display the left and right MIP - dedicated.(3) A 17" CRT (have not upgraded to lcd yet) running off a 7300GS displaying the FMC and TQ.I toggle the overheard over the external view, and the comm panel on the lower CRT.This example is showing the LDS 767 and I have another setup for the PMDG 747.I've been following this and several related threads as I'm thinking seriously about adding two more monitors to get the external view to a more realistic field of view. Alex, I may very well call on your expertise to help me through it.-michael

Michael- lovely setup- add those two extra view monitors and you've got a real winner! Thanks for posting. It seems as though multi monitor simming is becoming infectious!Merry Christmas Alex Reid