XP11 - multi monitors not as brilliant as I imagined

[kneighbour 32]

I was very happy to see that XP finally has support for multi monitors. I use 5 monitors (or 6 sometimes), so was very keen to setup my main 40" 4K monitor as my front screen, and the two 27" monitors as my side windows. And XP 11 does it very well and so far have not seen a single framerate drop as a result. Very impressive stuff.

 

Sitting on the ground, with TrackIR turned off, it is great. But when I turn on TrackIR it is unusable. All of the monitors are based on the same viewpoint, so they all turn at the same time. I guess it is a bit like VR - it is very unsettling and not workable. My thoughts are that you cannot use TrackIR with multi monitors, at least not in this situation. Perhaps if the two side monitors did not move it might work ok.

 

Even with TrackIR off, if I swing the view left or right with the tophat switch, all of the views move the same. I cannot pin down what the exact problem is, but it is not right. Perhaps it is the fact that the fixed parts of the aircraft are moving - ie the window frame, the actual front cockpit, etc, and that does not happen in real life. I am not sure. Perhaps what would be better is if the scenery outside of the plane moved, and not the plane itself.

 

Anyway, have gone back to a single monitor. I would be interested to hear if someone else has a different approach to this.

[raex-flight 3]

Same problem here.

[carrotroot 77]

If I understand you right, you want to have your out the window visuals be fixed, but have TrackIR for looking at the instruments?

 

It can be done in X-Plane 11 however it may require 2 computers; the first displays just the instruments, you would have your TrackIR on this machine. The second computer would drive your other external displays, you just need to set this 2nd machine to have an independent view in the network settings.

 

This guy on YouTube describes how to set such a system up:

 

[kneighbour 32]

If I understand you right, you want to have your out the window visuals be fixed, but have TrackIR for looking at the instruments?

 

It can be done in X-Plane 11 however it may require 2 computers; the first displays just the instruments, you would have your TrackIR on this machine. The second computer would drive your other external displays, you just need to set this 2nd machine to have an independent view in the network settings.

 

It seems you are right. Certainly not going to do that as VERY costly. I am pretty happy with one main (40") monitor. Will simply use the other monitors for various 2D windows and Plan-G, etc.

[raex-flight 3]

Have a look at siminovations Airmanager. Maybe the aircrafts you use are part of the gauges library. This is how i use my 2nd and 3rd monitor.

[himmelhorse 1,276]

Carrotroot,

 

This is fascinating.

 

I am running 6 monitors in FS2004 with no problems.  For instance,

 

I have a 40inch LED TV 1080p in portrait mode for a display of aft and forward overhead panels,

A 60 inch LED TV 1080p for my mainscreen (Usually in VC mode)

2 x 32inch LED TVs 1080p for side cockpit (outside views)

A 22inch 1080p monitor for FMS/Throttle views. and

A 24 inch 1080p Monitor for the aft electrical pedestal panel.  This is set up largely for the IFly 737 but most aircraft for FS2004 have at least some undockable panels.

 

I do not know if you are familiar with FS2004 but all my views are dockable views and very easily transferred to other screens in much the same way as you moved the GPS in the Video.

 

I have had XPlane 10 which I keep updated and which I have huge problems just configuring my Saitek controls and as a result, I very rarely come back to it. except to attempt another configuration effort.

 

I re-purchased XPlane10 (and XPlane11) and am still having problems configuring my controls.  However, that is another story and I am not really worried about it until betas are finished and that is when I will really put in some effort to come to grips with XPlane.

 

As you can see from my signature information, my system is reasonably ancient, but, it should, run Xplane reasonably well albeit with sliders to the left.

 

Because I have not delved deeply into XPlane I am not at all sure that instrument panels are undockable as in FS2004, FSX and P3D but I jumped in with reckless abandon and great alacrity simply because of the promised multi monitor support. I may have, however, misinterpreted the way XPlane 11 is going to handle multi monitors.  

 

I have seen videos of XPlane11 using 4 monitors and was sort of impressed but.... I believe that the same results could have been achieved using a Matrox triplehead2go for the three outside views and plugging in a second monitor to the GPU (most GPUs now come with multi video outputs)

This is not the way I want to go however.  I do, in fact have two Dwll equivalents of the Matrox and, one triplehead2go DP edition. and largely experimented with them to utilise 9 monitors.  I achieved a result that I was not happy with and now simply use 2 GPUs for six monitors on the one computer, and am very happy with this system.  It is however, NOT XPlane 11 and XPlane 11 has captured my heart and soul.

 

Can I possibly achieve what I have currently with FS2004 for XPlane11 and if so could I prevail upon your good graces to give me all the advice I am going to need,

 

Simply said, I love my multiscreens so much, I could not really contemplate going back to 1 or even three. I know that that is a very selfish attitude but so be it and I am sure there are others among us who are anchored with FS2004 simply for the ability to use multi screens easily.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you

 

Tony Chilcott

[gboz 157]

Anyway, have gone back to a single monitor. I would be interested to hear if someone else has a different approach to this.

 

Do not know if this will work in XPlane but with Fsx and P3d I used Opus Cameras to assign left and right views to joystick buttons and had the transition time set to zero so the views switched instantly.

In TrackIR you turn off or greatly reduce the heading axis motion.

This avoids the disorienting horizontal swing you are seeing but you still have the other TrackIR axis working when you get to the new view.

You might though need to turn off pitch as well and create a few up/down camera views to compensate.

 

gb.

[himmelhorse 1,276]

Hi guys

 

It may well be that I am chasing butterflies with a four inch fishing net with this subject.  Surprisingly, I got the same sort of response trying to configure FSX and P3D for multi monitors over many years.

 

It would appear that those who know "aint sharin" and I guess that, that is their right.  It is sad though.

 

Regards to all

 

Tony

[JasonHarris 96]

Hi Tony, I am not sure if it's a thing of not sharing or not possible.

 

   Early on with xplane I went with multi monitor to give it a go and see what it was like.   Strangely, the performance I got with multi monitor when xpx was first released is the best I have ever seen and it hasn't been as good in my experience since.

 

  that was with a 42" landscape and 2x 42" screens portrait by the sides and a 22" touch screen below center.  

 

   As you can see I am using track ir and have the same as what I think you don't want, I.e. looking about moves everything like it is one giant screen.  Which it is in effect is.

 

   At the time I did some research and quickly found that multi monitor support was very lacking compared to the MS series so far as setting up different views for different monitors using a single computer.

 

   I don't believe it will work any other way than it does but that is how I have done it for years with various simulators and you might find that you get quite used to it.

 

    You may have to tweak the TIR settings so that it works better for the larger screens.  I.e. so that by the time you are looking at the side monitor it's not just looking at the rear of the plane.

 

    You may prefer to have very little movement in TIR so you can look at all of your monitors without the view moving much but then have TIR move the view with a more exaggerated head movement.

 

     There are setting to play around with the confines of what xplane provides that might make you happy.

 

     I on the other hand just tried  xp 11 with the oculus rift and it is one of the best looking flight sims on the rift.   Get the frames better and it will be great.

[himmelhorse 1,276]

Jason,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

A few points that I would like to make here.

 

Firstly, I have never tried Trackir but will get back to this.

 

Secondly, you are quite right in your point that I am not looking for everything to move in co-ordination on all screens. I want (as I already have) a fixed screen with a fixed instrument panel/display  ie overhead, throttle/fms console, and an aft electrical panel(pedestal)

I believe that the main outside front/side views are easily done with Triplehead2go or similar devices and are or can be as co-ordinated as the current XP11 system.

 

Thirdly, I do not believe, at this stage, that what I am looking for is going to be possible and for the following reasons...

a. The world and flight simming is actually moving away from dockable screens

b. Trackir is a commendable concept but...

c. It(Trackir) is pretty assuredly going to be replaced with VR, and 

d. Dockable screens for VR is as useful as udders on a boar pig so why should any developer provide such an amenity.  In essence, the concept is about as outdated as FS2004 itself is.

BUT.

 

I just love the concept (and the ability) to look up at the overhead, click on the buttons without having to click on a popup screen and the same principle applies to working the FMS etc on the throttle console, and fiddle with radios etc on the pedestal.  All else seems to be a huge and unwanted compromise after getting used to my system.

 

Back to Trackir.

 

I have looked at this in a modest way and have come to the conclusion that it would be very workable if I could limit it to lateral vision only, ie to retain my instrument panel/display and just look left and right to see outside the cockpit. The only saving is minor in that I would not have to provide two LED TVs which I already have.

 

Back to Multiple screens and XP11 though.

 

I remember reading way, way back (XP10 and Adam and Eve were kids LOL) that the answer, was to duplicate XPlane in separate folders on the same drive, for each monitor required. I have absolutely no idea how they were linked or how this system worked but I remember thinking that this was something to be pursued.  It may well be that a combination of everything we are discussing is the final solution. I simply do not know.

 

I am also thinking that because this is still in Beta and the boys and girls at LR are heads down and tails up at the moment, I wont bother them until after final release and then to talk to them directly.

 

I hope this has been an articulate reply and that it makes sense.  I also think that very few people are running their sims the way I do with mine and the lack of support is somewhat understandable. 

 

I have a dream.

 

Regards to all

 

Tony