4 monitor setup with 2 Matrox DHTG with 4x1 GXM config

[dion73]

Anyone here who tried a 4 monitor setup with 2 dual head to go as a4x1 configuration with the Matrox GXM utility in place?
I am thinking about setting this up with 4x22" or 4x30" monitors with a smoking hot videocard and two-dual-heads-to-go from Matrox. Or maybe it is possible through wideview on a 2 PC network to use 2 monitors with DHTG on each pc and then set it up as a 4x1 setup.
But maybe an ATI eyefinity videocard would do the job better? Anyone any ideas?
Unfortunately i will not have room for a projector setup.

thanks in advance : )

dion

[vyper883]

It's possible.
Here's a setup at CEBIT 2008 with a triplehead X2 running FSX:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2RGObJLrBw

Although, Matrox said it was not "officially" supported at the time that video was released if you add a second TH2GO to either the secondary vid card output, or a second vid card, run the Matrox wizard. It will ask you if you are setting up an existing GXM, or a new one. The only reason I can think of Matrox having that prompt script in the wizard, is to allow a second GXM on the same PC.

Although i don't have a second TH2GO to confirm, I think it could work with the following steps:

Assuming that the TH2GO units are installed, you would then go to the videocard setup, and span vertically across the two GXM's in portrait mode. The videocard "sees" each GXM as a single monitor. The videocard software allows you to span across two monitors, (in this case 2 GXM's) either vertically OR horizontally, so I don't see any reason why it would not work. Albeit with a performance hit in framerates.

PS:
TH2GO uses USB power, so if you're going to use two of them, make sure you use a powered USB hub.

[jonesthesoftware]

Simpler to put 2 graphics cards in your PC each card having 2 VGA/DVI outputs. Dead easy to setup up as 1 windows desktop. Make sure they have more than 1 Gb of graphics memory to enable running of both monitors at >1600X1200. I currently have 2* Radeon X1950 cards running 4 monitors no problems. Your motherboard obviously will have to support 2 PCI slots preferably 2* PCI(E) 16

The TH2GO runs fairly warm, has external power suppply/ is more expensive than a lot of graphics cards, software can be tricky to set up to get the right resolution to match your setup.

[dion73]

Thanks guys,

The 2 videocard option could be attractive it it would allow for FSX to run in fullscreen over 4 monitors, but i guess you would have to open new views for three monitors each time to get a full cockpit view? My idea is to have the monitors setup as 4 cockpitwindows to be installed on a MIP.
Also i was thinking about two dualheadtogo's and not the tripleheads, also maybe because of a lesser frameratehit i would suppose, but really don't know diddly squid about : )

[mrcadillac]

just to let you know:
the dualhead2go doesn't have a bezel management,
for an outside view with tfts it is really disturbing to have the bezels not compensated.
regards from germany,
christian

[dion73]

Thanks Christian,

This kind of leaves the ATI eyefinity video option open as the best option probably! From what i understand it can serve up to 6 monitors with bezelmanagement. Probably also a lot more cost-effective than the Matrox option which also still needs "next years videocards" : )

[vyper883]

Well, Matrox DOES officially support six monitors with two GXM's, as long as you are running GXM software suite 2.06 or above.

See here:
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/connect_multiple_gxms/

[vyper883]

Dion, if you are only interested in setting up four monitors, then a second videocard may be an easier option, as the cost of two dual heads or triple heads will easily exceed the cost of a new videcard. Unless of course you already have a dual head. An ATI eyefinity is also an option- personally I don't like ATI for FSX, but that's just me.

[Nick1150]

Hi,

I have tried a dual TH2GO setup with one dual-output video card in one PC, and worked without any problems for more than a year (maybe more ? ) .... Actually it was not a 4 screens setup, but 6 screens, or maybe better 7 screens in one PC !!!! One of the 7 screens was connected with a VGA bridge with one of the 6 screens, thus both showing exactly the same.

I don't see why a DH2GO with 4 screens could not work, and I have to add on this that matrox DH2GO and TH2GO are external devices which in my mind take the weight of graphics loads off the PC and do the job on their own. So a multiple video card setup could be cheaper or possibly better, but during my experience with matrox TH2GO, I realized that it is a worry free and easy setup way to go.

Just my 2 cents,

Nick

edit: My project from the start (http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php/20424-Nick1150-Home-Cockpit-737NG-project-in-Athens?highlight=) was based on a single PC with dual TH2GO and 7 screens setup, hope that helps

[dion73]

Hi Vyper883 and Nick :),

This doesn't make it easier : )

The thing with just two videocards is i don't see how to stretch FSX across 4 screens with 1600x1050 or higher resolutions. I have 2 of those now and cannot get FSX to fill two complete screens unless i open a new view in fullscreen mode and stretch this one over the black screen, after i have to adjust viewpoints andsoforth and before you it my laziness kicks in and me thinking of a way to get it done with no work at all or just a one time setup. I think this is where matrox DHTG or THTG, or ATI eyefinity comes in. From what i understand people use nVidia mostly for flightsim, and myself i have a 275GTX and a 460GTX at the moment. But i have to admit i am no expert on videocards...
So i am looking for the easy way out and get the scenery on 4 monitors as the cockpitwindows. The PFD, ND and EICAS screen will have their own monitors on a separate PC also, probably, as i am planning to use the flightdeck software 737 suite for that.

thanks for the replies: )

dion

[vyper883]

Dion
Not to point out the obvious, but are you telling FSX what resolution you want it to run at? I've never tried running two videocards for my visuals- the TH2GO takes care of that. I'm just speculating, but I'm pretty sure that you can span a desktop across two videocards, by using either ATI catalyst, or Nvidia control panel depending on which side of the fence you are on. Albeit, the video cards HAVE to be at least from the same manufacturer. As far as I know, you cannot span across videocards that are not either both Nvidia, or both ATI. They may eve have to be identical makes and models- You already have two Nvidia cards, so you have nothing to lose by trying.

So, lets assume that you have a 275GTX, and a GTX 460 (which you do). You would hook up your outboard left monitor the the primary output of the primary videocard, the inboard left to the secondary output of the primary videocard, the inboard right monitor to the primary output of the secondary card, and the outboard right to the remaining output. Now, assuming that the nvidia allowed you to span across the two videocards, let use a resolution of 1680 X 1050 for each monitor as an example, because I don't know the native res of your monitors . IF everything works out, then you should have a total resolution of 6720 X 1050. Now, start FSX and go into the display settings- choose THAT resolution for FSX to run in for full screen.

Now, because this a a super ultra wide resolution, you have to make a small edit into your fsx.cfg file. I'll assume that you know how to find and edit this file, as there are many performance tweaks that can be applied to this file. They are however beyond the scope of this thread for now.

Open fsx.cfg, and find the line that says "WideViewAspect=False" change the 'False" to "True" . It will prompt you to save the file, so click ok.

When you start FSX, it should now start in your desired resolution, in widescreen mode, which really just unlocks the zoom limitation, in oder for you to get a descent FOV. And THAT is the lazy mans way. Keep in mind that you will be very limited as far as your vertical FOV goes, due to such a wide display, and may not "scale" with your physical simpit. Ultimately, the PROPER way to create a decent FOV, is with undocked windows. Also, because you have an even number of monitors, they will be split right down the middle, preventing you from properly seeing the runway center line during approach or takeoff.

[dion73]

Hi viper883,

my FSX.cfg knows both videocards and i have wideview enabled. I have two 1650 x 1050 screens, but nevertheless in fullscreen i have one screen black, and have to uwe a new view, stretch it to fit and then i am able to enjoy both screen (without the automation.dll fix this takes FSX about 5 minutes to crash as soon as i start looking around, especially with trackIR).
I think i believe i know i read somewhere that FSX cannot be stretched in windowed view any further than 2 x 1280 x 960? or something (just pulling the numbers out of a hat). When i try this i can stretch up to 75% of the area of my monitors.
But i will try and input the 3700x1050 resolution in the fsx.cfg and see if it will work, i am afraid not though...

thanks for the ideas : )

dion

[vyper883]

OK.
From what I'm reading, you are trying to do this on TWO monitors? You shouldn't have any issues at all. As a matter of fact, you only NEED one videocard to do it.
Go into the nvidia control panel, and choose the option to span across mutiple displays. After that, you DO NOT have to enter any kind of resolution changes in the fsx.cfg file. You do that in FSX display settings. If for instance your native res on each monitor is 1680 X1050, you would choose a res of 3360 x1050 from FSX display settings dropdown menu. It works- I know this because I've done it many times. AND you can run FSX that way in FULL SCREEN every time- no need to use windowed or undocked. With just two monitors for your visuals, you should not have ANY problems at all running FSX. Personally, I use a TH2GO with three 22 inch LG monitors in full screen for a total res of 5040x1050.

Now if you're trying to do this with 4 monitors, the suggestions I posted earlier were just that-suggestions because I've never tried FSX with more than one videocard. In theory it should work. I have plenty of videocards, but not enough monitors to try it myself. I can probably help you out Dion, if you tell me EXACTLY, how your displays are physically set up. Cheers. Oh and one more thing. From what I've been reading, Your videocards MUST be identical, or it WILL not work for visuals in full screen mode.

[dion73]

Hi Vyper883,

Yes at the moment i have two monitors and by the time i recieve my MIP dual seat trainer, really start building i want to expand to 4 (or 6) monitors. These should kind of replicate the 737 cockpitwindows for me to look through (Having the bezels in the middle is no problem then as this is normal in this type of aircraft).
At the moment i have 2 22" monitors and i connected 1 to my nVidia GTX460 card and 1 to the 275GTX card. I thought this would relieve both cards a ltittle bit. Also i didn't have all the right connectors and cables for connecting them both to one card.
I will get the right connectors today and put both both monitors to one card and see if i can find the setting for stretching the view. Thanks for the explanation, i did not know this was a possibility. If this works the next step will be to do the same with 4 or 6 monitors : )

kind regards,

dion

[vyper883]

Dion.

I know it really sucks that you don't have the room for projection. Yes it's totally possible to create a wrap araound view with LCD's. If you have a physical simpit, I think you should compromise and add an odd number of monitors ( 3-5-7) I know that an airliner has a wind screen frame right smack in the middle, but the pilot sees the runway from his window, and even if hes far enough from the runway, that it looks small enoough to be obstructed, he can always tilt his head. With LCD's acting as the "frames" you won't be able to do that with FSX's default full screen view. You would HAVE to create a custom view with undocked windows. I think ultimately you will be happier with a center monitor. The compromise of not having the window frames "correct" is well worth it.

In my earlier sim days, when I first started using two monitors, I absolutely hated having that frame in the center. It took a lot away from the immersion factor- especially during landings, and takeoffs. If I had a full sim pit right now, and had to use LCD's, to h3ll with the proper window framing. I'd have a center monitor, without a second thought. When you set up your two monitor trial, you will see exactly what I'm talking about.

With my TH2GO, even though the monitor bezels still exist on the sides, I forget that they are there, because my dead center view is unobstructed, and that's where it counts. I hope this gives you some insight.

Check out some of the LCD configuations on wideview's homepage. There are some good pictures to get an idea of what your setup could be like:

http://www.wideview.it/wideview.htm

[dion73]

hi Viper,

i tried to get the 3360x1050 resolution, but this is not an option in my FSX settings? I connected both 22" monitors to the 460GTX card and connected a 12" touchscreen to the 275GTX card (overkill) because i'd like to use it for the CDU's of various aircraft. In the nVidia control panel the 22" monitors and 12" are in extended desktop mode. I cannot find any option for the "spanned" option?
I'll try again without the 12" and see wether anything changes for the better. I must be overlooking or doing something wrong...

dion

[vyper883]

Dion, I'll elaborate more tomorrow, but I'll tell you briefly. You want to span your displays. Extended mode is not where u want to be. Fsx will not give u the resolution because you are in extended mode. Go back to windows display properies and set for single monitor, and then use the nvidia control panel to SPAN your desktop across your displays. You wil THEN be able to set your fsx fullscreen resolution to 3360x1050. Sorry for being brief, but I'm on my iPhone posting this lol. I'll elaborate more tomorrow and see if we can sort you out my friend. :)

[dion73]

hi viper,

thanks, i am trying this but it just compresses the view? i am running windows 7 64bit with nVidia driver 260.99 on the GTX460 card... i am going to try some more, hope to hear from you tomorrow then.

In the meantime i have been looking at the ATI eyefinity option, i think it is nice : )

[dion73]

Hi,

I guess spanning is not an option anymore in Windows 7. I found some free tripleheadtogo setup somewhere, http://www.kegetys.net/SoftTH/ but it is not working for FSX. Anyone maybe knows something like it that works for FSX?

[dion73]

Hi,

Forget it, i'll go for a projection setup anyway. I just saw nax228's setup with a mirrored projection, this should work for me too with a ceiling height of 2.65m. Probably an Optoma HD20 or something alike : )

Thanks for all the input,

dion