rec.autos.simulators

by **Network News Vancouv** » Tue, 24 Sep 2002 09:33:24

I have the opportunity of picking up some old monitors from work. Is
there way of hooking up 3 monitors for a racing sim? One for the
front view and 2 for the left and right views? I have installed 2
video cards in a PC before (1 on the AGP slot and 1 PCI). I haven't
tried 3 cards yet.

Has anyone successfully put on 3 monitors to get a surround-view feel?

Which games support this?

How does the video acceleration work? Do I have to location 2 PCI
versions of a fast game card? Any suggestions for hardware for a
setup like this?

I may have to make a custom table, complete with a nice bucket seat
from a car, etc. This may be a nice project for this coming dark
days/nights of winter.

by **Mike Beaucham** » Tue, 24 Sep 2002 09:58:44

There are a few Video cards that support full out 3 monitors. The Matrox
Parhelia comes to mind. I watched an amazing video of someone playing LFS
through one of those with three monitors. Simply amazing!

My video card supports two monitors (Radeon 7500), but if I try to play LFS
on both of them, frame rate drops to like 5FPS.

Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com

by **Don** » Tue, 24 Sep 2002 10:40:37

Funny you should mention that when you did: Sierra's issued a patch for
N2002 and there's one for F12002 (IIRC), but both require the Matrox

each) or something similar and off ya go. Certainly increases your field of
view, but can't imagine the frame rate hit you'd take.
There's a link somewhere in this newsgroup to screenshots of 3 monitors in
action. Try searching google's newsgroups for it.

Gunner

by **Obak** » Tue, 24 Sep 2002 13:10:27

like this?

http://www.matrox.com/mga/archive_review/aug2002/media/fsquad.jpg

http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/parheliasurround/page5.asp

:D

by **Jussi 'Igor' Koukk** » Tue, 24 Sep 2002 17:23:44

somtehing like this:

>>I have the opportunity of picking up some old monitors from work. Is
>>there way of hooking up 3 monitors for a racing sim? One for the
>>front view and 2 for the left and right views? I have installed 2
>>video cards in a PC before (1 on the AGP slot and 1 PCI). I haven't
>>tried 3 cards yet.

>like this?

>http://www.matrox.com/mga/archive_review/aug2002/media/fsquad.jpg

>http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/parheliasurround/page5.asp

>:D

So, the framerate drops so much that mirror has to be turned off, and
the track side object have to be dropped to minimum ;-)

BTW, Racer also supports Parhelia...
--
- Igor -

by **Luke Phillip** » Tue, 24 Sep 2002 19:37:41

I dont particually like how there are massive joins between them, cant you
just take the monitor covers off so the screens join right up? :) Perhaps it
will be cool in a few years

Cool Hand Luke
-=87=-

by **Joe M** » Tue, 24 Sep 2002 22:03:00

From what I recall from the reviews, the fps hit is not as bad as you'd
think. Check www.simhq.com for a good sim-centric review.

--
Joe M.

> Funny you should mention that when you did: Sierra's issued a patch for
> N2002 and there's one for F12002 (IIRC), but both require the Matrox

800X600
> each) or something similar and off ya go. Certainly increases your field
of
> view, but can't imagine the frame rate hit you'd take.
> There's a link somewhere in this newsgroup to screenshots of 3 monitors in
> action. Try searching google's newsgroups for it.

> Gunner

> > I have the opportunity of picking up some old monitors from work. Is
> > there way of hooking up 3 monitors for a racing sim? One for the
> > front view and 2 for the left and right views? I have installed 2
> > video cards in a PC before (1 on the AGP slot and 1 PCI). I haven't
> > tried 3 cards yet.

> > Has anyone successfully put on 3 monitors to get a surround-view feel?

> > Which games support this?

> > How does the video acceleration work? Do I have to location 2 PCI
> > versions of a fast game card? Any suggestions for hardware for a
> > setup like this?

> > I may have to make a custom table, complete with a nice bucket seat
> > from a car, etc. This may be a nice project for this coming dark
> > days/nights of winter.

by **Joe M** » Tue, 24 Sep 2002 22:20:29

I've seen a few very nice "borderless" triple-screens which are basically
one display with 3 screens (cannot find any screen shots for you). Of
course the price is high for such a feature (at least $3000 for 3x17" IIRC)
but it looks great without the screen borders.

--
Joe M.

> I dont particually like how there are massive joins between them, cant you
> just take the monitor covers off so the screens join right up? :) Perhaps
it
> will be cool in a few years

> Cool Hand Luke
> -=87=-

> > >I have the opportunity of picking up some old monitors from work. Is
> > >there way of hooking up 3 monitors for a racing sim? One for the
> > >front view and 2 for the left and right views? I have installed 2
> > >video cards in a PC before (1 on the AGP slot and 1 PCI). I haven't
> > >tried 3 cards yet.

> > like this?

> > http://www.matrox.com/mga/archive_review/aug2002/media/fsquad.jpg

> > http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/parheliasurround/page5.asp

> > :D

by **MadDAW** » Tue, 24 Sep 2002 22:22:24

> each) or something similar and off ya go. Certainly increases your field
of
> view, but can't imagine the frame rate hit you'd take.

I don't thionk it would be that bad. Thats not that much worse than 1280 x
960.

1280 x 960 = 1228800 total pixels (85%)
2400 x 600 = 1440000 total pixels
1600 x 1200 = 1920000 total pixels (133%)

MadDAWG

by **FastC** » Tue, 24 Sep 2002 22:38:27

Obake,
Multiple video cards will not work as there is no way for the game to
address output in such an arrangement. You'll need a multi-head video card -
the Matrox Parhelia for three montior - there are some GF4's with 2-head
also but then the split is smack down the middle of your FOV. As for the
joints at the monitors; it is really not an issue for me - not much
different than the windshield frame in a real car - it's there, but you just
don't notice it
"

by **Luke Phillip** » Wed, 25 Sep 2002 02:08:09

Sure, but i dont have a whopping big joint down the middle of my windshield.
Not saying i wouldnt like it or couldnt get used to it, just curious if
there is another way around it because, it sort of gets spoilt

by **Phoenix Knig** » Wed, 25 Sep 2002 02:29:12

> like this?

> http://www.racesimcentral.net/

When PC Gamer said surround *** would change the way we play video
games, I thought they were exaggerating, but now it looks like that
was an understatement!

Makes me wish I hadn't spent so much on my 21" Triniton so I could buy
three platpanel screens instead. D'oh!

by **Rob Adam** » Wed, 25 Sep 2002 02:44:03

Have LCD (I assume that's what you mean by flatpanel) screens improved in
terms of refresh rate? I was under the impression that many of them can not
keep up with the high frame rates in most games, and traditional monitors
were still the way to go.

(Not that I'll be getting ONE much less three LCD monitors any time soon).

by **Gerry Aitke** » Wed, 25 Sep 2002 04:01:44

> Sure, but i dont have a whopping big joint down the middle of my windshield.
> Not saying i wouldnt like it or couldnt get used to it, just curious if
> there is another way around it because, it sort of gets spoilt

Luke, do you ever get invited to parties?

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