Outside view across two screens

[Barrykensett]

I have been using one projector and a six foot wide screen for some time but I want to improve the resolution/definition. I experimented by only projecting on half the screen and that made the world of difference. I have now got a second projector and I want to span the outside view across both.
I know can stretch the view across two screens but that distorts the image. I know I can undock and drag views but I don't see how to get a left hand and right hand section; can anyone point me to a resource or tutorial or give me a clue on how to do it please?
I am currently on FS9 but moving to FSX soon.
Barry
www.a320sim.com

[Aaron]

Hi!

Two screens its not as usual as only one or even a multiple setup with three views. For the "standar" three view, you can choose between a few options, everyone have its own pros and cons.

Multiple PC's using wideview: Im not sure if you can use this method for two screen option, but I think you can edit de view section of any aircraft and "move" te view to left and right in every PC. This method offers good perfomance (every view its handle by every pc, but you need two pc's with good hardware.

Ultra-wide-screen using Matrox TH, Ati Eyefinity or Nvidia surround.

With this last options, you only need one PC, and Windows and FSX detects yours displays like a ultrewide one. So no further configuration is needed.

The Matrox method needs also the VGA of the PC to make it works. And you need a powerfull PC because as longer is your view (and resolution) the more pixel needs to be calculated.

The Ati eyefinity works as standalone with just the VGA, but you need displayport monitor/projector or an active adapter to make the three configuration works (not for just two)

the Nvidia surrounds needs two VGA in SLI operation, which means that you need a good motherboard (with 2xPCI-E ports)

I have the Ati eyefinity (5870) method with three 47"LCD tv's. Afther three, we just have two TV's, but we discard this option, because we always miss the runway on finals behind the TV border LOL.

We choose ATI because a year ago, nvidia have not nothing similar, and you only need one VGA card. And also you have bezel correction (The scaled horizon is one of the thing to avoid in this cases!)

Nvidia now have all this stuff, but you still need TWO Vga (and they arent cheap). As you sure know, big vga its not needed to run FSX, but with resolutions ups to 5600x1080 or so, you need a very quick processor to fly smooth.

[Barrykensett]

Thanks for your helpful comments which I understand. From the hardware point of view I was thinking it would not be too difficult, I have a graphics card with two outputs so I can drive a combined screen of 2048 x 768 pixels and I know from the trials I have done with just one projector on half the screen that the resolution is acceptable. I was planning to make the two screens so that they are angled back at a similar angle to the windscreen, maybe just a bit flatter. I know that I could lose the runway centreline but I think I can minimise the effect by making the vertical support where the screens join very thin. It is behind the centre pillar of the screen anyway but by having the screens a few inches ahead of the windscreen it will be possible to look round behind the pillar to a small degree. Also I can use the overscan function in the projector or the graphics card to get rid of any borders. In practise I don't think it is too much of a compromise to land slightly off centre. I don't need three screens although I know that is a common setup. If I was using TFT's then I would use three but with back projection it isn't necessary because I have such a large area available at acceptable resolution.
I think if I build a fast gaming computer I should be able to drive the screens as well as FS9 and hopefully FSX. If I run into problems I could use two PC's and I think Wideview would enable me to interface but I would still end up with 2048 x 768 as I would with a Matrox Doublehead2go. It may be that with trials I have to move up in technology using the methods you outline but tests will tell.
The point of my post is that whatever hardware solution I end up with I don't know how to configure FS to give me the view I require. I could undock the forward view and drag it across the two screens but I think the scenery would look too "long and thin". I see that people develop views across three or even five screens and I assume that it must be possible to develop the view across two screens but I don't know how to do it. I have been playing with the idea on the desktop with two TFT's but am not getting there.
Regards
Barry
www.a320sim.com

[Jordan Farmer]

Well, just a quick suggestion here Barry, have you looked toward Nthusim? It seems to be pretty useful to us builders, look and what Ivar Hestnes has created with it! Heres the link

http://nthusim.com/

Hope it helps,

jordan

[Barrykensett]

Jordan
Oh I wish!!! Yes I know about Nthusim but I don't have the space for a wrap round screen, I am in a narrow loft. Having said that flat screen at 6'6" wide is pretty good, I just want to get the image a bit sharper. A bonus is that I can angle the screens back a bit to cut out the dead spot in the quarter view position. You can see my restrictions on my website below.
Barry
www.a320sim.com

[Barrykensett]

OK I think I have cracked the problem; I assumed that when I dragged the view across two screens that it would distort the image and make everything look long and flat. In fact having tried it I realise it doesn't work like that, the screen widens and the height comes down so the proportions of elements of the image are unaffected. What we lose is areas off of the top and bottom of the screen but that is not a problem as the vertical field is far higher than the real aircraft where the pilots look through a letter box.
I just need some warmer weather to go out and make the two new screens but in the meantime I can prove the theory on the existing flat screen but the proportions will not be quite right until I make the new screens where the sum total of width will be greater.