Triple screen configuration

[davedontmind]

How do you people with 3 screens have DCS World configured?

 

In previous versions I've used a modifed monitor setup lua file, which configures one big viewport covering all 3 screens (which to my eye looks a lot better, even if there's some distortion on the far left & right), but this causes the whole UI to span all 3 screens, and makes using the menus and map more awkward.

 

If I use the 3-Cameras setting, the viewports for the side screens are pointing directly left and right, but my monitors are angled at about 45 degrees, so the view is rather bizarre - e.g. in the BF109, I can see my left and right wings in front of me pointing away to my 10 and 2 o'clock (ish) positions, like this:

 

 

That may look ok when your side monitors are actually 90-degrees to your side, but when they're at 45 degrees and slightly in front, the view looks just wrong.

 

Having searched the forums, I found a post which said that the viewDx value in the viewport specification of the monitor config file (...\DCS World\\Config\MonitorSetup\3Cameras.lua) was the angle of the viewport, so I changed mine to 0.5(right)and -0.5(left) and, indeed, the view angle changes (to a much more accurate one), but I end up with multiple views of the cockpit, like this:

 

 

Is there any way to correct this? Is there some better way to configure 3 screens? Or is there a way to limit the UI to the middle screen when I use the one-big-viewport approach?

 

I was hoping 1.5 would have somewhat better multi-screen support, given that I imagine that multi-screens are more common amongst the flight sim community that in other game genres, but so far that doesn't seem to be the case.

[v81]

I don't do anything special for 3 monitors.

My setup was 1 x 1920x1200 center in landscape and a left & right wing monitor @ 1024x1280 in portrait (PLP setup).

No eyefinity or anything like that, just 3 plain screens.

Then in the resolution options of DCS i'm presented an option of 3968x1200 which i use and it looks fine.

Unfortunately I've only just 2 days ago removed the additional screens along with other devices from my study to reduce heat output for upcoming summer so am unable to screen shot for you, bit the result (in the A10 & P51 at least) are nothing like the shots you've posted.

All i see is ahead with excellent peripheral vision.

 

::edit::

 

OK, thought i must have taken a screen shot at some point in the past, and i found where they're kept.

 

Interesting results, it seems my center monitor is captured in the screen shot, and then the additional monitors are shown as black space?

 

Can only assume it captures the screen buffer for the primary display, but somehow includes the entire resolution in the JPG.

 

Here are the results, doesn't help much i'm afraid.

 

What i would have seen on screen is just that the picture, without any funny bending or angles extends left and right of what is shown in the screen shot.

Edited October 4, 2015 by v81

[klem]

Try modifying the GUI settings in your Monitor Setup file (DCS World\Config\Monitor Setup\[....].lua.

 

Actually make a copy of the DCS 1Camera.lua file and name it something like MyWidescreen.lua then add at the bottom - below the last '}' - as follows:-

 

=========================

 

GUI=

{

x = screen.width/3;

y = 0;

width = screen.width/3;

height =screen.height;

}

 

UIMainView = GUI

 

=========================

 

I actually use the 'angled' views setup in your first picture but I have 27" monitors so when I sit on front of the middle one the side ones are in my peripheral vision so I don't 'see' the angled effect. When I turn 45' left to look at the left monitor its feels as I am looking about 90' 'left', probably because my brain has become used to the scaling effect of head vs image movement using Trackir where a look almost 90' left has me 'seeing' behind me (the reason why many people feel a little queasy when first using Trackir).

[DayGlow]

The Gui variable has it own issues right now

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=148111

[Dachs]

You need to narrow down your Field of View (FOV) using numpad / and * to get the right view. This will bring you closer to the instrument panel, and put the wings back in their place. Of course then you will have to use trackir and look down to see your instruments.

[Gladman]

I use 5760x1080 res and 3 screen settings. TrackIR is a must but the feeling of being in the cockpit excellent. I've never seen the wings out in front of me like you post so I'm not sure on that. I'm using GTX 780's, is it a video card thing?

[klem]

The Gui variable has it own issues right now

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=148111

 

I know but can get it onto the centre monitor. I still have to click a little to the right of the menu items to hit them though.

[davedontmind]

Ah! Adjusting the FOV helped enormously. Don't know how I didn't think of that. (In my defence I've not played DCS for a long time...)

 

But how can I set the default FOV for the Bf109 ? My searches of the forums show how to set default FOV in SnapViewsDefault.lua, but there's no entry for the 109 in that file (or for some of the other aircraft).

[SkateZilla]

I know but can get it onto the centre monitor. I still have to click a little to the right of the menu items to hit them though.

 

the click points are retained, the menu graphics themselves are squished to 1/3 monitor size.

[Dachs]

Ah! Adjusting the FOV helped enormously. Don't know how I didn't think of that. (In my defence I've not played DCS for a long time...)

 

But how can I set the default FOV for the Bf109 ? My searches of the forums show how to set default FOV in SnapViewsDefault.lua, but there's no entry for the 109 in that file (or for some of the other aircraft).

 

You can save your view with RALT + NUM0 after adjusting FOV. Just remember, it saves the last activated view so make sure to hit NUM5 first, to select center cockpit view.

[davedontmind]

You can save your view with RALT + NUM0 after adjusting FOV. Just remember, it saves the last activated view so make sure to hit NUM5 first, to select center cockpit view.

 

OK, that sort of helps, thanks. Is there a way to know what FOV the game is using? I know the size & positions of my monitors, so I know my real-world horizontal FOV is around 140 degrees, but how do I know what angle FOV the game is displaying if I adjust using the keys, so that I can match them up?

[klem]

OK, that sort of helps, thanks. Is there a way to know what FOV the game is using? I know the size & positions of my monitors, so I know my real-world horizontal FOV is around 140 degrees, but how do I know what angle FOV the game is displaying if I adjust using the keys, so that I can match them up?

 

I think that's found in your \Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\View folder in Views.lua (I'm not at home just now so that might not be quite right but you should find it down there somewhere). In that file should be your personalised settings for each aircraft including the FoV.

 

Also, depending on your monitor size, you could take an 'empirical' approach.

 

My monitors are 27" and my knees sit fully within the sides of the centre screen if I mentally extend them down to my knees. I adjusted my FoV using the numpad / and */ (with RCtrl?) with two objectives in mind whilst referencing a photo I took of the forward view while I was sitting in a real P-51D cockpit which shows my knees position. One was 'does it look as though I am sitting in a full size cockpit?' and 'where are my knees relative to the cockpit panel/instruments?'. I adjusted the FoV to suit. I took the general cockpit framing size as a guide for other aircraft FoVs.

 

At that FoV it feels really natural and I don't suffer the 'forward poking wing' syndrome. In fact in Cliffs of Dover where it is just a 1 Screen full width projection it doesn't feel right when I look left and right, possibly due to the side monitor stretching.

[cellinsky]

OK, that sort of helps, thanks. Is there a way to know what FOV the game is using? I know the size & positions of my monitors, so I know my real-world horizontal FOV is around 140 degrees, but how do I know what angle FOV the game is displaying if I adjust using the keys, so that I can match them up?

 

 

Here is mine but dont laugh to much at me:

 

I cut a roundel out of paper with approx 8cm/3.2 inches diameter. This is the average RL size of a standart steam gauge. Then tape it on my center-screen an zoom until the gauges match the paperclip.:lol: This way Im very close to RL FoV. Usually I have to tap one or two noches back to feel comfortable. But it worked out well for me. And works with most planes.

 

Marcel:D

[klem]

Thought I'd add this to show what I achieved on my 27" screens. First a zoom level looking down at the instruments alongside a full screen photo of my knees in P-51D Ferocius Frankie. My RL knees are directly below those in the photo Also one looking not so far down and then one looking forward. Finally a small adjustment to my actual view to cleanly separate the upper screen instruments from those I have on the screen below, it avoids cutting off the lower part of the gauges.

 

A good job ED !

[davedontmind]

Thanks, those are some good ideas. I'll play around with them.

 

It's a shame there's no on-screen FOV angle display, though. Take note, ED!

[drwenck]

Function to change view angle/rotate screen in viewport lua files (monitor setup)

(after talking with developers)

 

viewRoll = [absolute angle in degrees]

 

Should be able to add this line into any viewport parameters. I found this useful to rotate viewports to match monitor alignment:

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=3193405#post3193405

 

Just thought I'd share

[UVPMechan]

Po update verze 1.5.7 mi nefunguje triple monitor. Před posledním update bylo vše OK. Pomůžete mi?

[Gpruitt54]

How do you people with 3 screens have DCS World configured?

 

In previous versions I've used a modifed monitor setup lua file, which configures one big viewport covering all 3 screens (which to my eye looks a lot better, even if there's some distortion on the far left & right), but this causes the whole UI to span all 3 screens, and makes using the menus and map more awkward.

 

If I use the 3-Cameras setting, the viewports for the side screens are pointing directly left and right, but my monitors are angled at about 45 degrees, so the view is rather bizarre - e.g. in the BF109, I can see my left and right wings in front of me pointing away to my 10 and 2 o'clock (ish) positions, like this:

 

 

That may look ok when your side monitors are actually 90-degrees to your side, but when they're at 45 degrees and slightly in front, the view looks just wrong.

 

Having searched the forums, I found a post which said that the viewDx value in the viewport specification of the monitor config file (...\DCS World\\Config\MonitorSetup\3Cameras.lua) was the angle of the viewport, so I changed mine to 0.5(right)and -0.5(left) and, indeed, the view angle changes (to a much more accurate one), but I end up with multiple views of the cockpit, like this:

 

 

Is there any way to correct this? Is there some better way to configure 3 screens? Or is there a way to limit the UI to the middle screen when I use the one-big-viewport approach?

 

I was hoping 1.5 would have somewhat better multi-screen support, given that I imagine that multi-screens are more common amongst the flight sim community that in other game genres, but so far that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

Interesting in that this thread was posted 3 years ago. 3 years later, I find that I am having the same issue with my three monitor setup, with a completely different module. I guess this mans this issue has not been addressed at all? Note, this is only an issue with the straight wing WWII planes.

 

Is this a Field of View issue, zoom issue, or is it something else?

Is there a solution for using triple monitors and eliminating the fish eye lens affect?

[Mars Exulte]

There is no "solution". It is dependent on how you configured it.

 

 

In those screenshots, it appears it is configured as "3 screens" in the graphics options. It is not asking "how many do you have" it's asking how you want them displayed. If you set it to "3" then each monitor is an independent camera arrayed around a central point. If you had large screens and the two side ones were angled alongside you instead of in front of you (say, a VR pod) this is what you would want.

 

 

If you have the three side by side ahead of you, you want it configured as ONE screen. For your purposes, it is a single super duper ultra-wide monitor and you want it to display as such.

 

 

The next likely issue is FoV. The wider you set it (the more you can see, obviously) the greater the distortion in the side monitors as these will be showing more and more to the sides, directly beside you or even behind you depending on how wide you set it. There is no "magic solution" or "it's poor support". It's how FoV works. Period. So, if you want it to be "realistically scaled" set your FoV appropriately. If you set it too wide, then you get distortion.

[Gpruitt54]

There is no "solution". It is dependent on how you configured it.

 

 

In those screenshots, it appears it is configured as "3 screens" in the graphics options. It is not asking "how many do you have" it's asking how you want them displayed. If you set it to "3" then each monitor is an independent camera arrayed around a central point. If you had large screens and the two side ones were angled alongside you instead of in front of you (say, a VR pod) this is what you would want.

 

 

If you have the three side by side ahead of you, you want it configured as ONE screen. For your purposes, it is a single super duper ultra-wide monitor and you want it to display as such.

 

 

The next likely issue is FoV. The wider you set it (the more you can see, obviously) the greater the distortion in the side monitors as these will be showing more and more to the sides, directly beside you or even behind you depending on how wide you set it. There is no "magic solution" or "it's poor support". It's how FoV works. Period. So, if you want it to be "realistically scaled" set your FoV appropriately. If you set it too wide, then you get distortion.

 

Excellent post. I will change my display settings to 1 screen instead of 3 screens. Got it. Now, about the FoV. I've looked at every setting, and I have not seen any settings for Field of View. Are the FoV details located inside an .LUA file? If so, which .LUA and can you talk about what kinds of FoV numbers work best?

 

Thanks for your post. It really helped me move toward what I've been trying to resolve.

[Mars Exulte]

You control FoV with zoom. You can adjust the min/max in the lua or by adjusting the saturation of your zoom axis.

[mkiii]

I think it's worth pointing out once more that setting your FOV via the zoom axis is only a part of the fix, and ideally, you want the midpoint of your zoom axis if you are using a slider or the warthog "Tension" lever, to be at the midpoint of travel. Before you do that, you need to know what DCS thinks that travel IS. If you just set up your screens and ignore it, then yor range will be so far out that you can only zoom in one direction. Each views.lua has a setting near the start in the Cockpit section :-

 

CameraViewAngleLimits = (20.0000, 140.0000), or similar - which gives a default mid range fov of 80degrees. Change those figures to give a different range. I used settings around 100,165 rather than 20,140 in the example mentioned below.

 

 

 

Additionally, your snapviews will probably be zoomed in so far that your nose is up against the dials. Don't use them I hear you say? Maybe not - but DCS does - and that's where the initial FOV comes from afaik.

 

 

 

For me, I had to modify the SnapViews ViewAngle setting for every slot Views.lua for each aircraft, most importantly number [13] which is the DefaultView. This defaults to 80 degrees - I had to set it to around 120 to 140 depending on the aircraft (this was on a triple 1920x1080 setup with an extra small monitor for instruments).

 

 

 

I also had to tweak the hAngle,vAngle, x,y,z_trans for most of them.

 

 

 

Then I fine tuned with the Axis settings in-game.

 

 

This is such a lot of work if you have lots of modules, that you will really wish that there was a universal setting - or just give up as I have done.

[Roma-Starkiller]

What files do we edit to do this?

[Bruce Killsocks]

Yeah I'd like to know where these files are myself

[hAirypAulsAck]

just do a grep search in the dcs folder for *.lua