Multi-monitor set-up guide & help (unofficial)

I have been trying to look through this thread and the MFD thread to find the h/w to have the MFCDs fit inside the MFD Cougar but can't seem to find it. Anyone have any suggestions?

My MFCDs are currently set at 840 X 840 on my second monitor but I want to scale them down so they fit inside the Cougars and still have the text line up to the appropriate buttons.

Thanks in advance for any help. This community rocks :D

I have been trying to look through this thread and the MFD thread to find the h/w to have the MFCDs fit inside the MFD Cougar but can't seem to find it.

I am not sure what your question is. Your mention "h/w", there is no special hardware unless you want to buy small LCD displays. My cougars are attached to the top left and right corners of my second monitor. My monitor lua defines the mfd displays to those corners of the monitor and also set the size (in my case 375x375px.

It sounds like you already have them displayed on the second monitor, so just change the size in the lua file.

Or explain the difficulty in more detail and I will try to help. I don't understand a lot of things but this I have a handle on I think.:smilewink:

Easy Monitor Configurator, a small program by Icemaker, is brilliant for setting up the MFCDs on any monitor to fit either hardware TM MFCDs or into HELIOS.

Try http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=71831

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to anchor the main viewport to the relative top of the displays?

I am running 2 monitors in a 1680x2074 config (main 1680x1050 MFD's 1280x1024)

in theory Im only using 1680x1450 as my MFCDs are 400x400 to fit within my Cougar bezels, but if I set my screen res to 1680x1450 the game aligns to the centre of the total screen space, rather than aligning to the top which means the 'center' viewport ends up on both screens rather than just the main, and I have empty screen at the top and the bottom. I'm thinkign there must be something like a viewport.align argument, but I haven't had any joy finding it. Any help would be appreciated

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to anchor the main viewport to the relative top of the displays?

I am running 2 monitors in a 1680x2074 config (main 1680x1050 MFD's 1280x1024)

in theory Im only using 1680x1450 as my MFCDs are 400x400 to fit within my Cougar bezels, but if I set my screen res to 1680x1450 the game aligns to the centre of the total screen space, rather than aligning to the top which means the 'center' viewport ends up on both screens rather than just the main, and I have empty screen at the top and the bottom. I'm thinkign there must be something like a viewport.align argument, but I haven't had any joy finding it. Any help would be appreciated

You can find and run Phantom Monitor Fix from early black shark days, or if you run Helios check phantom monitor fix in the DCS A-10 settings screen.

Cheers for this, Seems silly to render a whole bunch of black screen when I could be using it to display TS

Yeah that did the trick nicely.

Thanks

I have updated this guide, cleared it up, added new info and hopefully made it clearer and more complete.

Any errors please let me know.

Just wanted to say thanks for the guide and put in my experiences to help others who are starting out.

I have three screens, a 19", 22" wide, and 19". I had to set my left monitor as primary or I would get weird location issues with the center screen.

Here are the pertinent parts of my monitors LUA, in case anybody is struggling with a similar configuration:

Viewports =
{
    Center =
    {
         x = 1280;
         y = 0;
         width = 1680;
         height = 1050;
         viewDx = 0;
         viewDy = 0;
         aspect = 1680 / 1050;
    }
}

LEFT_MFCD =
   {
       x = 0;
       y = 0;
       width = 1280;
       height = 1024;
       aspect = 1280 / 1024
   }

RIGHT_MFCD =
   {
       x = 1280 + 1680;
       y = 0;
       width = 1280;
       height = 1024;
       aspect = 1280 / 1024
   }

Just wanted to say I have the same problem as has been suffered by others with my multi-monitor setup. I have my main screen on the right and my smaller secondary monitor on the left. I wanted to have the MFCD's displayed on the left monitor, centre viewport on the right.

I could not get the MFCD's to display using the correct settings as you would expect to be entering them. If I swap the displays round in windows, I can get it to work great.

I downloaded "Easy Monitor Configurator". I placed the MFCD's and then checked the LUA file. It had placed negative numbers in the LUA file. This kind of proves that Windows is referencing the monitors as negatives. I am using an ATI 4850, I've also tried with an additional GPU as well as using both sockets from the ATI, both yield the same results.

Unfortunately I think that swapping the monitors is the only way round it.

Unfortunately I think that swapping the monitors is the only way round it.

You are correct.. that is why it is a essential requirement in the guide :P

Essential Requirements:

• Full screen OFF (ingame).
  
• Extended desktop enabled in Windows.
  
• The 'primary' monitor, in Windows, needs to be your top left most monitor, otherwise you may have problems.
  
• You need to create one lua file.
  

maybe it should say: otherwise you will have problems.

I am not sure what your question is. Your mention "h/w", there is no special hardware unless you want to buy small LCD displays. My cougars are attached to the top left and right corners of my second monitor. My monitor lua defines the mfd displays to those corners of the monitor and also set the size (in my case 375x375px.

 

It sounds like you already have them displayed on the second monitor, so just change the size in the lua file.

 

Or explain the difficulty in more detail and I will try to help. I don't understand a lot of things but this I have a handle on I think.:smilewink:

Sorry, I was lazy when typing. H/W was supposed to be height and width not hardware. I get the screens to display on my second monitor, I am just trying to figure out the size they need to be to "fit" inside the cougar mfds. Also, is it Helios that will render the cockpit gauges in the black areas left on the second monitor?

Sorry, I was lazy when typing. H/W was supposed to be height and width not hardware. I get the screens to display on my second monitor, I am just trying to figure out the size they need to be to "fit" inside the cougar mfds. Also, is it Helios that will render the cockpit gauges in the black areas left on the second monitor?

Try around 380x380 to fit mfd's into the cougars

Helios will render gauges wherever you tell it to.

Wow what a thread!

Got my multi-monitor up and running off reading the first post, but came back to read the rest of the thread just to see if there were any tips and tricks I could use.

Knew I should have stopped at page one since I have now dropped 100 dollars on TM MFD controllers LOL

My wife said "well you might as well just build a cockpit".

Holy crap! Is that permission? I heard that as permission!:pilotfly:

I tried to give rep to the original poster but it said I could not give rep to his post. What gives?

I also had greate help setting up my fristh multimonitor setup from the firsth post here, ty!.

But, afther seing some of the other setups here, i ended up with an 8" lilliput usb powered touchscreen, and problems.....

Getting the desctop expanded to all 3 screens, np.

Getting the touch part working on the 8", np.

Sending the cdu screen to the 8", well, works, sort of...

Getting a working cdu out of the 8", no dice

I'm currently using a 22" as the primary screen, and a 19" for the 2 mfcd's (nice having them that big btw ), and was hoping to get a usable cdu on the 8"touch screen.

The config file / profile have been changed to fit the new total resolution.

with easy monitor configuration, i have no problems ghetting the cdu screen displayed.

with helios, i get the cdu displayed, but that then hides the cdu screen. and the keys doesn't work right (some have no reaction, and others give wrong keypress )

8" is calibrathed with a 25 point calibration

love some help with this ( and if it can work without helios \ ht, it would be so mutch better )

Glad it was helpful! No idea why you can't rep me for the guide, seems odd, but would expalin why no one gives me rep for it :)

Noraf... i don't really understand your problem, maybe describe it again with some more details or maybe start another thread as i think your problems is more with helios / Hawg Touch & touch screens.

I also had greate help setting up my fristh multimonitor setup from the firsth post here, ty!.

 

But, afther seing some of the other setups here, i ended up with an 8" lilliput usb powered touchscreen, and problems.....

 

Getting the desctop expanded to all 3 screens, np.

Getting the touch part working on the 8", np.

 

Sending the cdu screen to the 8", well, works, sort of...

Getting a working cdu out of the 8", no dice

 

I'm currently using a 22" as the primary screen, and a 19" for the 2 mfcd's (nice having them that big btw ), and was hoping to get a usable cdu on the 8"touch screen.

 

The config file / profile have been changed to fit the new total resolution.

with easy monitor configuration, i have no problems ghetting the cdu screen displayed.

with helios, i get the cdu displayed, but that then hides the cdu screen. and the keys doesn't work right (some have no reaction, and others give wrong keypress )

 

8" is calibrathed with a 25 point calibration

 

love some help with this ( and if it can work without helios \ ht, it would be so mutch better )

Sounds like you are using a CDU template that does not have a transparent screen. There are some available on the helios download page at http://www.scsimulations.com

Does anyone know the pixel dimension of the ThrustMaster MFD controllers, inside the bezel?

I just got my set today and was hoping someone already knew so I wouldn't have to dick around with my .lua file too much.

Oh and Tommy thanks for initial guide, I am guessing we can't give rep cause the thread is stickied?

If you are asking about pixels size then it depends on not only the resolution of your monitor but also it's size.

Use "Easy Monitor Configurator" by IceMaker. It's a great sizing utility that makes fitting export into either TM MFCDs or Helios a doodle.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=71831

Hello,

I am having some trouble with setting up my multi-monitor setup...

My main screen is 2560x1440 and my additional one (1680x1050) is to the left of it. Both tops are aligned. The combined resolution should be 4240x1440, which I entered in the sim. Below is my LUA, which crashes the application:

_ = function(p) return p; end;

name = _('Andi');

Description = 'x'

Viewports =

{

Center =

{

x = 0;

y = 0;

width = 2560;

height = 1440;

viewDx = 0;

viewDy = 0;

aspect = 1.7;

}

}

 

LEFT_MFCD =

{

x = -1680;

y = 0;

width = 840;

height = 840;

}

 

RIGHT_MFCD =

{

x = -840;

y = 0;

width = 840;

height = 840;

}

 

UIMainView = Viewports.Center

Any hints? :cry:

Full Screen unchecked in Options?

It won't accept "minus" positioning of you MFCDs.

Always start with your main monitor working left to right.

Even though your .lua shows the monitor to the right practically you can then put the monitor where you want. You just have to remember (and it can be a bit confusing) to move your mouse to the right to get to it even if it is physically on the left.

Hope that makes sense.

Full Screen unchecked in Options?

No, Sir.:music_whistling: Overlooked that, even though it was the first prerequesite :doh: Thank you! I will test it when I am back home. It will probably resolve the crash issue and then I will have to adjust the display coordinates (although the manual states that the main monitor (which is to the right in my case) top left is 0,0...

Ein Name wie kein Name

Points you appear to have missed from the guide:

Primary monitor in Windows needs to be your left most monitor. Note this is only in Windows and does not need to be physically the left most.

x , y coordinates start at 0 from the top left, negative values do not work.

Option 1:

Switch your monitors around in graphics card / windows control panel and use something like the below.

Center =
{
x = 0;
y = 0;
width = 2560;
height = 1440;
viewDx = 0;
viewDy = 0;
aspect = 1.7;
}
}

LEFT_MFCD =
{
x = 2560;
y = 0;
width = 840;
height = 840;
}

RIGHT_MFCD =
{
x = 3400;
y = 0;
width = 840;
height = 840;
}

Option 2:

Make the left smaller monitor the Primary monitor and use this.

Center =
{
x = 1680;
y = 0;
width = 2560;
height = 1440;
viewDx = 0;
viewDy = 0;
aspect = 1.7;
}
}

LEFT_MFCD =
{
x = 0;
y = 0;
width = 840;
height = 840;
}

RIGHT_MFCD =
{
x = 840;
y = 0;
width = 840;
height = 840;
}

These are your 2 options..

Is it better to position (in regrads to lua definition) the second monitor to the right or below the main one ? Does it make any difference in regards to performance or functionality?

I have a 24" (1920x1200) screen and another 23"(1920x1080) screen physically below the main screen.