Matrox Parhelia and FS

[Vanantwerpen Gilles]

it's ok today (3 x 1024x76
i have 3 [window] 1,2,3 on forward view and with 3 differents"pan
headind"
as 310,360,and 050 degres view (like wideview) : it's great and without
wideview!
the weather is the same and AI also.
--
gilles VAN ANTWERPEN
fsfan@free.fr
"Darrell Lloyd" a écrit dans le message de news:
379649.76143@wb.onvix.com...
>I had considered switching to an SLI capable motherboard, but I think I
>read
> somewhere that even with two dual head SLI cards, you are still limited
to
> a horizontal span across only two monitors. Is your system capable of
> spanning the FS forward view across three monitors?
>

[Hans Krohn]

I am using 2 PCI cards (7800GTX and 6800GT) in a SLI mainboard (SLI not
enabled on the mainboard). The two cards are recognized by FS and I
configured FS to have 2 accelerated windows. Upon startup, both windows are

on the 1st display, so I have to drag the 2nd window to the 2nd monitor. But

FS does memorize the pan position of that second window, so I am all set for

flying in a short while.

In the past (when I had only one PCI card) I experimented with 2 monitors
connected to that one card. While using monitor span (one accelerated window

over 2 monitros) I got good results fps-wise, but I had the problem with an

unaligned horizon during banks. The second option, to have dual view, i.e.
one accelerated FS window per monitor did work, but with a rather heavy hit

on framerates, and I also got graphics errors on the second monitor.

I think that 3 accelerated FS windows really push todays CPUs to their
limits, resulting in a problem with frame rates. (I use an AMD 64 3700+ and

2 GB RAM.)

Hans

"Darrell Lloyd" wrote in message
news:379649.76143@wb.onvix.com...
>I had considered switching to an SLI capable motherboard, but I think I
>read
> somewhere that even with two dual head SLI cards, you are still limited
to
> a horizontal span across only two monitors. Is your system capable of
> spanning the FS forward view across three monitors?
>

[Peter Dowson]

On 1/12/2006 3:51:18 AM, Hans Krohn wrote:
>While using monitor span (one
>accelerated window
>over 2 monitros) I got good
>results fps-wise, but I had
>the problem with an
>unaligned horizon during
>banks.

This is only because there's a gap between the two parts of the one window.
The secret is to make sure you get TFT monitors with a very narrow frame
(bezel), and site them very close, even possibly slightly overlapping (this
works if they are big enough and you are not too close to them).

My Parhelia, using a single maximimsed scenery window over 3 monitors at
2400x600 (or 3840x1024 with less frame rate) is connected to three identical
18" LG TFT monitors which have narrow bezels (a little under an inch), and
the split horizon effect is minor and easily forgiven. I think you can get
monitors with even smaller bezels.

>I think that 3 accelerated FS
>windows really push todays
>CPUs to their
>limits, resulting in a
>problem with frame rates.

Yes, hence the solution of having a single window spanning all monitors. I
could not tolerate a two monitor view, because "straight ahead" then falls in
exactly the worst place, between the two monitors! I suppose, if you are
sitting in the left seat you could opt for one ahead view and the other
45-60 degrees to the left. This might be okay for GA flying.

Regards,

Pete

[Darrell Lloyd]

Hello again,

Well, here it is a week or so later and I have XP x64 and the Parhelia card
installed. I am both very impressed and very dissapointed. The Parhelia
drivers automatically adjust the screens so that one flows directly into the
other. The clarity is both great and horrible. When you are using the raised
eyepoint, the terrain all the way across 3 monitors is very clear and
defined, but once you raise the eyepoint to even barely include the horizon,
everything past half way up the screen goes blurry. That is much more apparent
when flying over low elevation areas with no mountains. In the mountainous
areas it is not nearly as apparent. I guess I'm just spoiled. My Gforce
N6600GT TOP display was clear all the way, no matter where you flew.

Frame rates stink too. I didnt realize the Parhelia would barely make 20 fps
in high res mode.

Don't even think about running MegaScenery. That aint happening. Most
everything related to FS9 is DX hungry and the Parhelia is OpenGL rich.

One more note and a gripe about Elite simulations products. Their drivers are
32bit drivers and they clame there products are designed to work on 32
bit. Their stance seems to be oh well, too bad. Ch products operate just fine
without any additional drivers, Saitek has 64 bit drivers available for
there products, and my GoFlight stuff works without additional drivers. I
expect there will be a lot of Elite customers that are left out in the dark
like me. My Elite MEL quad just turned into a $250 paper weight.

[Greg Kernaghan]

I experimented with multi-monitor setups on one computer and found the bevel
/ horizon issue to be a recurring pain.

Instead, I have opted for a single 30" Dell 2560 x 1600 display driven by a
X1900XTX video card (just got the card). The window on the world is
awesome, albeit at the expense of that "turn your head" immersive quality.

To that end, is anyone here using the TrackpointIR head tracking system with
any success? My instinct says that there's too much going on in the
cockpit requiring head movement to warrant such a device - surely having the
panning occur whenever you reach or look for something would be
distracting????

Any thoughts / experience there?

gk

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