Nvidia 2d surround

[freaknout]

I'm thinking of grabbing a second identical monitor whilst they are still available. Does anyone use NVidia's 2d surround with FSX and does it improve the experience?

Many thanks
Jay

[zkcav]

QUOTE (freaknout @ Aug 16 2012,7:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm thinking of grabbing a second identical monitor whilst they are still available. Does anyone use NVidia's 2d surround with FSX and does it improve the experience?

Many thanks
Jay

Hi Jay,

I've just rebuilt my PC and gone for 3 monitors is "surround".

For both FSX and normal day to day activities on the PC I wouldn't go back now.

Does it improve the experience? For sure - your main POV is expanded 100% if you use something like Track IR as well it is totally immersive .

Here's a shot of my rig with the 3 centre monitors are effectively one spanned screen using surround.

[Ian Warren]

Paul , ya such a teasemiester .... paint that back wall black .. my recommend

[freaknout]

Hi Paul

Many thanks for your reply and what a great set-up. That takes some commitment and space!

Along the journey did you use a 2 monitor set-up? I'm not sure I have the space for a 3rd monitor as I already have an iMac sitting on the desk already. Mostly concerned with the monitor bevels and whether they are distracting. Apartently my nVidia GF670 is very capable.

Jay

[zkcav]

Hi Jay

Version 3.1 was a 2 monitor set up, the advantage of that is you don't need a 2nd GFX card in SLI for the third monitor. With only one additional monitor you have 100% increase in useable viewing area, so you will not be disappointed I think.

Your GTX 670 (which is what I assume you have) should be more than ample to run 2 monitors. Remembering that most of the output for GFX is apparently processed on CPU for FSX so if you have a reasonable I5 or I7 it shouldn't be a problem.

Ian

This is still at building and refining stage. It looks flash but was only getting 5 - 8 FPS (with everything maxed and no overclocking) so still a work in progress, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

[Ian Warren]

Paul , think the Airforce may hire your settup there , least they will be very jealous

[freaknout]

QUOTE (zkcav @ Aug 21 2012,1:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Jay

Version 3.1 was a 2 monitor set up, the advantage of that is you don't need a 2nd GFX card in SLI for the third monitor. With only one additional monitor you have 100% increase in useable viewing area, so you will not be disappointed I think.

Your GTX 670 (which is what I assume you have) should be more than ample to run 2 monitors. Remembering that most of the output for GFX is apparently processed on CPU for FSX so if you have a reasonable I5 or I7 it shouldn't be a problem.

Hi Paul

Yes, sorry the GTX 670 is what I have. Do you notice the bezels or does the brain just filter them out?

Jay

[zkcav]

QUOTE (freaknout @ Aug 22 2012,9:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Paul

Yes, sorry the GTX 670 is what I have. Do you notice the bezels or does the brain just filter them out?

Jay

The bezels are there, but I can live with them - It's not perfect and once in while I find it's a little annoying, but NVidia drivers allow for bezel correction so your bezels appear to be almost as part of cockpit structure. That's where Track IR helps I think when panning around you don't really notice them that much because there is always movement and the brain does accept it like a pillar and you don't focus on it.

If you do go this way a bit of advice is to have 2 identical monitors.

I found that when I added my third monitor even though it was the same manufacturer and same viewable size, the older ones where not available so had to go for the updated model. The newer monitor didn't sit at the same height as the 2 original monitors that was very distracting looking up/down/up to see what should be a straight line until I built stands to keep the viewing area level.

Cheers Paul

[Ian Warren]

A thought , what about making a light card fairings and skirts that can flex over and another below , no screws or nails , just slips across all three monitors to make it one ... super cheap and super easy to make and painted black or a default suited colour , very easy to remove and dust , joining all of the setup together as one

[spongebob206]

Hey zkcav

I have a GTX680 running surround.

Awesome.

How do I add more monitors? do I require another card?

If so is it easy to setup?

Thanks
Derek

[deeknow]

QUOTE (spongebob206 @ Aug 22 2012,4:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey zkcav

I have a GTX680 running surround.

Awesome.

How do I add more monitors? do I require another card?

If so is it easy to setup?

Thanks
Derek

Hi Derek

Very easy to set set up The NVidia Software, it is almost plug and play. Took me less than 5 mins.

Go to NVidia Control Panel, under 3D settings you have Configure SLI Surround, PhysX.

SLI Config has Span displays with surround and then config.... all there is to do.

With your card it has the ability to do 4 monitors NVidia

Hope this helps.

QUOTE

A thought , what about making a light card fairings and skirts that can flex over and another below , no screws or nails , just slips across all three monitors to make it one[/quote]

Thanks for idea Ian - That's why I'm a Technician and not a Airframe Engineer, I look at it in 1s and 0s - not practically

When you suggest light card I assume you mean something like light cardboard?

Paul

Last edited by zkcav on Thu Aug 23, 2012 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[freaknout]

Just a quick update on this.

I did manage to go nVidia 2d surround but it was a little more expensive than planned! I had to buy two more monitors to make the set of three *cough*. The wife loved that. Basically she thought/thinks I am mad! Maybe I am!

I'm getting some pretty good frames with the GTX670, even with PDMG's 737NGX at Heathrow.

I do have one question. Is there an issue with 2d panels, size, etc? I've found that if I switch through the views the 737NGX really doesn't like the 2d view and halves my framerate and generally becomes unstable.

Many thanks
JJ

[sesnard]

QUOTE (freaknout @ Aug 21 2012,3:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Paul

Yes, sorry the GTX 670 is what I have. Do you notice the bezels or does the brain just filter them out?

Jay

Paul, Jim,
I am in the process of building a 3 + 1 FSX surround system. 3 (surround) + 1 for instrument panel. I will be using 4 identical monitors Viewsonic 22" (1080). Evga Z77
FTW Mobo, w/Intel i7-2700K (O'Ced) with 16 Gb Corsair SDRAM 3 2800 memory and (2) eVGA GTX-680 (4GB) "Classified" video cards in SLI all powered by a 1K Kingwin LZP PSU. This is my first endeavor building a multiple monitor set up. Obviously the GTX-680 had a lot to do with it. I am just concerned about the coordinating the alignment of the monitor(s) views, and bezel alignments. From what I have read the nVIDIA "Surround" software is fairly fool proof. I have read horror stories on modifying (each) of the FSX CFG files, etc. I am also interested on how you manage the view of (in my case the 4th panel) of the instrument panel. You have an awesome system that looks, and I am sure performs exemplary. I would appreciate any tips and feedback on how to minimize conflicts and pitfalls when I go to assemble it. Finally my CPU and both video cards will be (refrigerated) water-cooled from an old school water cooler I converted years ago. Just hooked up a 12V (DC) relay and a 120V (AC) to turn on the water-cooler compressor. Let me know as to what kind of performance (FPS) I may expect.
Thank you in advanced, gentlemen.
Serg.

[zkcav]

Hi Serg

The NVidia drivers are bomb proof for config - I've never had any issues with them. You simply span using surround set that up first, you can apply bezel correction for a custom resolution if you want so your bezels are effectively "hidden" ie the screen picture ends at one bezel and then continues at the start of the next screen.

Once you have that set up enable your 4th monitor and its a drag and drop to the location it's sitting in reference to your spanned main monitor.

The only additional settings you need to worry about in FSX are to change your monitor resolution and enable widescreen. There is no tweaking cfg files.

To view the 4th and 5th monitors drags my system down a bit depending on A/C and scenery but how I run it in full screen is open a 2nd and third window and pan to the overhead and instrument panels drag onto the monitor adjust zoom etc I want then go back to the spanned monitors and click so panning with Track IR works on that view. That means I have to set it up each time, but about a 20 - 30 second job.

If you wanted to I understand you can play around with cfg files and enable the additional windows but why bother?

Hope this helps -

Regards Paul

PS nice machine your building - you will not regret multi screen if you go down that track.

[deeknow]

Hey guys, really interested to see this conversation rear it's head again. I hope someone can help me coz I can't find a clear answer to this question anywhere.

I've got a GTX/560Ti (dual video outputs) on a Windows7 box running FSX. It seems that the card/driver/OS combo doesn't support spanning of two monitors in full-screen FSX mode in the way that I used to be able to under Windows XP on my old GT9600.

When switching to full-screen mode the 2nd monitor has no output and FSX does not present any enlarged desktop resolution over 1920x1080 so there only seems to be one monitor active. There's no option in the NVIDIA control panel or OS monitor/desktop settings to do any spanning or to configure 2D-surround.

Can anyone shed any light on this? There's a beer or pizza voucher in it if someone can solve this for me

[sesnard]

QUOTE (zkcav @ Jan 29 2013,2:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Serg

The NVidia drivers are bomb proof for config - I've never had any issues with them. You simply span using surround set that up first, you can apply bezel correction for a custom resolution if you want so your bezels are effectively "hidden" ie the screen picture ends at one bezel and then continues at the start of the next screen.

Once you have that set up enable your 4th monitor and its a drag and drop to the location it's sitting in reference to your spanned main monitor.

The only additional settings you need to worry about in FSX are to change your monitor resolution and enable widescreen. There is no tweaking cfg files.

To view the 4th and 5th monitors drags my system down a bit depending on A/C and scenery but how I run it in full screen is open a 2nd and third window and pan to the overhead and instrument panels drag onto the monitor adjust zoom etc I want then go back to the spanned monitors and click so panning with Track IR works on that view. That means I have to set it up each time, but about a 20 - 30 second job.

If you wanted to I understand you can play around with cfg files and enable the additional windows but why bother?

Hope this helps -

Regards Paul

PS nice machine your building - you will not regret multi screen if you go down that track.

Thanks a million, Paul.
I will try to post some pics when I get it done.
By the way, what are your feelings on which OS to use; Windows 7 (64), or Windows 8 (64).
I failed to indicate that my drives are: Kingston HyperX 120GB SATA III SSD drive for OS, Kingston HyperX 240GB for FSX and other Flight Sims. Two Samsung 500GB HDD drives in RAID “0â€￾ for storage. Do I dare go with new 8, or stick to the proven Windows 7?

[freaknout]

QUOTE (deeknow @ Jan 29 2013,8:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey guys, really interested to see this conversation rear it's head again. I hope someone can help me coz I can't find a clear answer to this question anywhere.

I've got a GTX/560Ti (dual video outputs) on a Windows7 box running FSX. It seems that the card/driver/OS combo doesn't support spanning of two monitors in full-screen FSX mode in the way that I used to be able to under Windows XP on my old GT9600.

When switching to full-screen mode the 2nd monitor has no output and FSX does not present any enlarged desktop resolution over 1920x1080 so there only seems to be one monitor active. There's no option in the NVIDIA control panel or OS monitor/desktop settings to do any spanning or to configure 2D-surround.

Can anyone shed any light on this? There's a beer or pizza voucher in it if someone can solve this for me

Hi Dean

I don't think (someone correct me if I am wrong) nVidia cards support running FSX on two screens.

You can extend the windows desktop but you can't run a full screen app over two monitors. I was trying to do that originally but I couldn't get it to work either so bought another monitor and now run in "surround"! Desk top space is at a premium but it looks pretty awesome!

Jay

[zkcav]

QUOTE (deeknow @ Jan 29 2013,9:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey guys, really interested to see this conversation rear it's head again. I hope someone can help me coz I can't find a clear answer to this question anywhere.

I've got a GTX/560Ti (dual video outputs) on a Windows7 box running FSX. It seems that the card/driver/OS combo doesn't support spanning of two monitors in full-screen FSX mode in the way that I used to be able to under Windows XP on my old GT9600.

When switching to full-screen mode the 2nd monitor has no output and FSX does not present any enlarged desktop resolution over 1920x1080 so there only seems to be one monitor active. There's no option in the NVIDIA control panel or OS monitor/desktop settings to do any spanning or to configure 2D-surround.

Can anyone shed any light on this? There's a beer or pizza voucher in it if someone can solve this for me

From a quick google it looks like NVidia doesn't support 2 cards in surround. Sorry can't help.

[zkcav]

QUOTE (sesnard @ Jan 29 2013,10:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks a million, Paul.
I will try to post some pics when I get it done.
By the way, what are your feelings on which OS to use; Windows 7 (64), or Windows 8 (64).
I failed to indicate that my drives are: Kingston HyperX 120GB SATA III SSD drive for OS, Kingston HyperX 240GB for FSX and other Flight Sims. Two Samsung 500GB HDD drives in RAID “0â€￾ for storage. Do I dare go with new 8, or stick to the proven Windows 7?

I'm running Win7 64 - I've had a very quick play with Win8 and I hated it.

My partner is an IT Trainer so she is persevering with Win8 and it is growing on her but M/S have made some radical changes to some of the O/S concepts to make it more a Tablet type operation - I cut my teeth on Win 3.1 so it's hard to teach and old dog new tricks.

As of FSX on Win8 there is a separate thread on that on that Win8 how it interacts with NVidia's controls - no idea

[sesnard]

QUOTE (zkcav @ Jan 30 2013,2:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm running Win7 64 - I've had a very quick play with Win8 and I hated it.

My partner is an IT Trainer so she is persevering with Win8 and it is growing on her but M/S have made some radical changes to some of the O/S concepts to make it more a Tablet type operation - I cut my teeth on Win 3.1 so it's hard to teach and old dog new tricks.

As of FSX on Win8 there is a separate thread on that on that Win8 how it interacts with NVidia's controls - no idea

Thanks again for your (valued) and expedient reply.
I think I will stick with Windows 7 (64).
Have a nice weekend.
Serg.