Using Laptop as a secondery monitor

[sidh 29]

Hello guys,

So I was wondering if it was possible to have Laptop as a secondary monitor for FSX?
Running FSX on main monitor and Other fsx stuffs like Aivlasoft EFB on the other?

Thanks

[Overload 94]

Yes, but only if both networked together. A useful way of freeing up your main pc cpu to FX mainly, and put EFB's and other stuff on the other PC. WideFS by Peter Dowson, author of FSUIPC, is used by many for this purpose.

If you mean just transferring a window from you main PC to your laptop, I'm not sure?

Anyone else?

[sidh 29]

Thanks for advice..I just have laptop not another PC.. Yeah i just mean transferring the window which is running in FSXs background of EFB to the laptop..So I don't have to minimize to see it

[RCITGuy 35]

No, you cannot use the laptop as a second monitor due to it's screen being hard wired into the latop systemboard, but you can install EFB on the laptop (display unit) and the desktop (data provider) so that your laptop will show the EFB the entire time, and takes its data directly from the FSX install on your PC..

 

I do it like that and its fine.. You have to install the data provider only, on the FSX PC, then you can install the display unit as many times as you like on as many computers on your network as you want. So it runs as a networked application, right out of the box so to speak, so long as you follow the instructions and setup your shares on your FSX machine so that the display unit can connect to FSX.

 

If you know how to setup network shares and read the manual, it should take about 30 minutes to setup..

[luizsilveira 4]

Yes, you CAN use your laptop as a second monitor for your PC. Just get maxivista, it's not all that cheap but works really really well. All you need is to have both computers in a home network. Installation is as easy as "click here and there", and there is a free demo for you to try for free and see if it suits your needs.

 

The software emulates a second monitor on your windows system and sends across the network the data windows is sending to that second monitor. Works wonders, it's really cool.

 

Anyway, if that is a bit too pricey for your needs, there are freeware solutions around. They are (as one would expect) more difficult to install, more unstable, and have less features. Just to a search and you'll find reviews of "softwares that do what maxivista does" kind of thing.

Good luck!

[sidh 29]

No, you cannot use the laptop as a second monitor due to it's screen being hard wired into the latop systemboard, but you can install EFB on the laptop (display unit) and the desktop (data provider) so that your laptop will show the EFB the entire time, and takes its data directly from the FSX install on your PC..

 

I do it like that and its fine.. You have to install the data provider only, on the FSX PC, then you can install the display unit as many times as you like on as many computers on your network as you want. So it runs as a networked application, right out of the box so to speak, so long as you follow the instructions and setup your shares on your FSX machine so that the display unit can connect to FSX.

 

If you know how to setup network shares and read the manual, it should take about 30 minutes to setup..

I will indeed try that out.. Can you provide link to network shares tutorial and manuals? I am completely new to this!

PC to Lappy

 

Yes, you CAN use your laptop as a second monitor for your PC. Just get maxivista, it's not all that cheap but works really really well. All you need is to have both computers in a home network. Installation is as easy as "click here and there", and there is a free demo for you to try for free and see if it suits your needs.

 

The software emulates a second monitor on your windows system and sends across the network the data windows is sending to that second monitor. Works wonders, it's really cool.

 

Anyway, if that is a bit too pricey for your needs, there are freeware solutions around. They are (as one would expect) more difficult to install, more unstable, and have less features. Just to a search and you'll find reviews of "softwares that do what maxivista does" kind of thing.

 

Good luck!

Thanks, Do we have to install Maxvista on both (PC and Laptop) ? No hardware is needed?

[luizsilveira 4]

[...]Thanks, Do we have to install Maxvista on both (PC and Laptop) ? No hardware is needed?

 

Yes, you need to install it on both iirc. But it's a very small download, only a few Mb. One will act as server (your PC) and the other as a client (the laptop). Of course if the need ever arises you can just invert then with a few mouse clicks and use it the other way around

 

I don't know what you mean by "hardware needed". There are requirements but they are rather low, probably min. win XP (I'm guessing). Just check their page for that. But no, you don't need any extra cables, connections, nada. If you have a home router, just let the installer run on both ends, tell the software which is client and which is server, and off you go. Even the screen resolution will be correctly fetched. All you'll want to do is set (under windows itself, since windows thinks there is indeed another monitor) the position of the screens.

[RCITGuy 35]

There is another one that doesnt cost a penny,(Synergy) and is very good, BUT, if you accidentally move the mouse off the side of the screen from FSX, it makes FSX go a bit nuts, freezes up etc, so I uninstalled it and just didnt bother, so while the software will let you control your laptop screen using the same mouse/keyboard, to have that physical connection like a true second screen, it wont perform the same as its not running direct from your graphics card nor feeding from the CPU workload, as it relies on your internal network.

 

If you just want to run applications on your laptop to take the load of your main PC, and to be able to view EFB and FSX at the same time, then you really dont need to add any extra software at all.

 

Go download the EFB app, install it and read the manual it comes with.

Their activation server is having issues at the moment, so you may not be able to activate it.. I cant currently activate mine, thus cannot use it until they fix their bloody activation server, so I have emailed them instead.

[sidh 29]

Yes, you need to install it on both iirc. But it's a very small download, only a few Mb. One will act as server (your PC) and the other as a client (the laptop). Of course if the need ever arises you can just invert then with a few mouse clicks and use it the other way around

 

I don't know what you mean by "hardware needed". There are requirements but they are rather low, probably min. win XP (I'm guessing). Just check their page for that. But no, you don't need any extra cables, connections, nada. If you have a home router, just let the installer run on both ends, tell the software which is client and which is server, and off you go. Even the screen resolution will be correctly fetched. All you'll want to do is set (under windows itself, since windows thinks there is indeed another monitor) the position of the screens.

I installed Maxivista and it works but Now I cant start FSX on main pc it says you don't have minimium GPU requirements though I have 680

[Mike777 163]

Hi, Luizsilveira, RCITGuy & Sidh,

 

Thanks to Sidh for starting this topic and to Luizsilveira & RCITGuy for the software info.

 

My Question: With Maxivista or Synergy, is it necessary to run FSX in windowed mode on the primary computer? I would like to have FSX in full screen on my primary computer and run some windows, the FMC or autopilot pop-up for example, on the secondary computer. It's fine if the window(s) on the secondary computer are not in full screen mode.

 

BTW the Aerosoft Airbus Extended comes with software allowing the FMC to run on a networked computer's web browser. I even got it working on my I-Phone, although it is too small there to be very usable. It should work on any networked computer with a web browser.

 

Thanks,

Mike

[luizsilveira 4]

Yes indeed, using two monitors on the PC will not ease off the load. It may be best for sid to run other applications in a separate computer. That's something he needs to test. What I found out in my case is that FSX leaves idle cores anyway so I don't feel any difference in using more or less stuff on the FSX PC, but I'd believe that to be on a case by case basis.

 

Just one thing: Sinergy and Maxivista are two completely different applications, with different purposes. Sinergy does not emulate a second monitor, but it's meant to let you control both computers with only one mouse and one keyboard. So when you "switch" to the laptop screen, you're actually using the laptop. You're using the laptop CPU, HDD, etc. Then you can "switch back" to using the PC. It's just sharing the inputs.

 

Maxivista is completely different. It transforms your "client" computer in a complete dummy and takes its monitor. It works precisely as another monitor connected to the computer (and not like Sinergy, which has sort of a "clunk" on the switch between computers). Maxivista will let you drag windows from one monitor to one another etc. just as if you had 2 (or more) monitors plugged on one PC. Of course graphical stuff may have some (network) lag to drag them around but that's about it.

Anyhow, they're all free solutions (at least to try), so it's just a matter of testing to see what works/suits best.

[luizsilveira 4]

I installed Maxivista and it works but Now I cant start FSX on main pc it says you don't have minimium GPU requirements though I have 680

 

That's quite odd. I have a GT 520 (old and low end) and ran it no problem, even having another monitor plugged in. So I had two monitors plugged to the GT 520 plus a laptop, no problem. Maybe search their forums or give'em a shout.

 

Ah! Try to make sure you have your nVidia setting for two monitors, since your computer now thinks it has two monitors. It might be the case that you need to enable that. Right click your desktop and set it (using either nVidia control panel or the windows interface). Might be that.

 

 

Hi, Luizsilveira, RCITGuy & Sidh,

 

Thanks to Sidh for starting this topic and to Luizsilveira & RCITGuy for the software info.

 

My Question: With Maxivista or Synergy, is it necessary to run FSX in windowed mode on the primary computer? I would like to have FSX in full screen on my primary computer and run some windows, the FMC or autopilot pop-up for example, on the secondary computer. It's fine if the window(s) on the secondary computer are not in full screen mode.

 

BTW the Aerosoft Airbus Extended comes with software allowing the FMC to run on a networked computer's web browser. I even got it working on my I-Phone, although it is too small there to be very usable. It should work on any networked computer with a web browser.

 

Thanks,

Mike

I never tried synergy with FSX. 

 

You do not have to run it windowed. You should be able to just click and drag your 2d panels (like the CDU and MCP) to the second monitor. Be advised: if your system is a bit low end (like mine), performance can be severely impacted. My FPS cut in 1/2 if I try that, but I've seen many people doing it just fine.

 

What you get is pretty much this: 

 

In that case, it's an ipad with touchscreen but it's the same thing with another PC and it'll work exactly like the guy's 2nd monitor there. Which reminds me that airdisplay is another option for software and it's cheaper than maxivista (again, iirc). But the free demo is only for ipad/iphone.

[sidh 29]

Thanks guys!

Maxivista did the job for me! It is simple easy and fulfills what I needed

[JSkorna 137]

It is an awesome program!