How do I set-up dual monitor support?

Hehulk · Post by **Hehulk** » June 8th, 2006, 8:31

decided I'd quite like to set-up my second monitor so that I can be playing eve full screen on one monitor, and be running stuff like xfire, vent/ts, internet explorer etc on the other. I've got 2 output ports on my gfx card (X700), both monitors are pluged in and powered and I've got the ATi media centre installed, but I can't seem to find where to set it up.

Any advice?

mrbobbins · Post by **mrbobbins** » June 8th, 2006, 8:38

Do you know that both monitors work?

First thing to look at is the normal Windows display properties, check if the 2nd monitor appears greyed out next to the first one, select the 2nd monitor then check the 'Extend desktop to this monitor' box

Otherwise try rebooting the PC with both monitors connected and powered on, if you still can't find anything in the ATI control panel (Sorry I have Nvidia so don't know where the options would be) try and find some kind of ATI monitor setup wizard.

webclam · Post by **webclam** » June 8th, 2006, 8:41

I set in in the display properties from windoze.

right click desktop>properties>settings and select it in there.

[big picture warning]
http://static.flickr.com/65/162886847_347115d35b_b.jpg

but this might depend on your hardware setup

Hehulk · Post by **Hehulk** » June 8th, 2006, 8:51

mrbobbins wrote:Do you know that both monitors work?

First thing to look at is the normal Windows display properties, check if the 2nd monitor appears greyed out next to the first one, select the 2nd monitor then check the 'Extend desktop to this monitor' box

Otherwise try rebooting the PC with both monitors connected and powered on, if you still can't find anything in the ATI control panel (Sorry I have Nvidia so don't know where the options would be) try and find some kind of ATI monitor setup wizard.

I know the monitor worked until the tuesday morning after the proflan, as it's my old fuzzy one. Tickbox is checked and I've rebooted, but so far the only effect is that it's cutting my frame rate in eve down by about 80%

mrbobbins · Post by **mrbobbins** » June 8th, 2006, 10:05

Hmm, try the 2nd monitor on the port the 1st monitor is in just to be sure, then erm.. google for some ATI dual monitor issues/support?

friznit · Post by **friznit** » June 8th, 2006, 10:09

The whole extendy desktop thing is fine, but you must run Eve in windowed mode: the gfx card might have two monitor outputs but as I understand it they only have one GPU (this is me making up technobabble so I sound like I know what I'm talking about). Thusly I find that if I run in full scween then the extended monitor will show nothing more than black void. In windowed mode it works remarkably well.

Personally I get around the problem by attaching a computer, keyboard and mouse to the second monitor. Works a treat.

Sadly Eve does not extend to dual monitor support. I'd like to have all the market, chat, windows etc over here ----> and 'I can see space' and stuff over there <-----.

mrbobbins · Post by **mrbobbins** » June 8th, 2006, 10:30

friznit wrote:The whole extendy desktop thing is fine, but you must run Eve in windowed mode: the gfx card might have two monitor outputs but as I understand it they only have one GPU (this is me making up technobabble so I sound like I know what I'm talking about). Thusly I find that if I run in full scween then the extended monitor will show nothing more than black void. In windowed mode it works remarkably well.

Personally I get around the problem by attaching a computer, keyboard and mouse to the second monitor. Works a treat.

Sadly Eve does not extend to dual monitor support. I'd like to have all the market, chat, windows etc over here ----> and 'I can see space' and stuff over there <-----.

Matrox FTW!!

http://www.matrox.com/mga/3d_gaming/enh ... es/eve.cfm

friznit · Post by **friznit** » June 8th, 2006, 10:44

To manually configure Eve for Surround Gaming:
1. Hit Escape to go to the options menu
2. Select triple-monitor under graphics
3. Hit close menu to apply the changes

Sadly no longer an option

Hehulk · Post by **Hehulk** » June 8th, 2006, 10:53

mrbobbins wrote:Hmm, try the 2nd monitor on the port the 1st monitor is in just to be sure, then erm.. google for some ATI dual monitor issues/support?

Ok, interesting problem. Pluging the monitor into ether ports produces a black background, while when unplugged I get the check cable error message. Tried pluging my new monitor into the second port just to test that, and that just displays a black background, but it works on my primary port. I always run eve in windowed mode, so that's that discounted. I'll go pore over some google results now, see if I can find anything...

Hehulk · Post by **Hehulk** » June 8th, 2006, 11:06

Google teaches me one thing: I am not alone in this problem. What pretty much 6 pages of results fails to do though is provide an answer. The sapphire site lists the card as dual output, but it doesn't specify as to which type (from the results I gather there's at least 2, clone which doesn't sound too helpful, and proper dual monitor stuff like what I've seen in pics, screenshots, and at the proflan.)

spoodie · Post by **spoodie** » June 8th, 2006, 12:02

If someone can do this then why can't you sort out dual monitors?

Wiggy · Post by **Wiggy** » June 8th, 2006, 12:11

I was running EVE in fullscreen on my monitor at the Proflan, problem was that when I clicked on anything on the second monitor EVE minimised itself. I couldnt work out how to stop it doing that either.

Woo Elephant Yeah · Post by **Woo Elephant Yeah** » June 8th, 2006, 12:23

spoodie wrote:If someone can do this then why can't you sort out dual monitors?

What the fuck is that thing in his right hand? A movement mouse type thingy???

spoodie · Post by **spoodie** » June 8th, 2006, 12:33

Woo Elephant Yeah wrote:
spoodie wrote:If someone can do this then why can't you sort out dual monitors?
What the fuck is that thing in his right hand? A movement mouse type thingy???

I havent the faintest. I don't think I'd like to use it though, I'd probably end up punching myself in the face during a particularly fierce battle.

webclam · Post by **webclam** » June 8th, 2006, 12:38

Hehulk wrote:Google teaches me one thing: I am not alone in this problem. What pretty much 6 pages of results fails to do though is provide an answer. The sapphire site lists the card as dual output, but it doesn't specify as to which type (from the results I gather there's at least 2, clone which doesn't sound too helpful, and proper dual monitor stuff like what I've seen in pics, screenshots, and at the proflan.)

ok, I have here an nvidia Quadro NVS 280 PCI (ok, only 64mb, but meh) and it's running a pair of 19" flat screens in full dual mode. It needs a special funky cable to split the output, but it's a simple and, IMO, elegant solution.
I don't know if thisn helps at all?

mrbobbins · Post by **mrbobbins** » June 8th, 2006, 13:09

Hehulk wrote:Google teaches me one thing: I am not alone in this problem. What pretty much 6 pages of results fails to do though is provide an answer. The sapphire site lists the card as dual output, but it doesn't specify as to which type (from the results I gather there's at least 2, clone which doesn't sound too helpful, and proper dual monitor stuff like what I've seen in pics, screenshots, and at the proflan.)

Your graphics card should definitely be capable of Dual Mode (not just clone)

If the second monitor is recognised by windows (do both appear in the Windows Display settings as in Webclams pic?) then there should be a tab/button/switch/dongle in the ATI control panel thing to setup the dual screen mode, you get Clone (both displays the same) and at the very least 1 other option (but probably a few more) like Dual Mode, Extend Desktop, Independant, Spanning etc.

You got the same kinda thing as the screenshot on this page?

http://www.tweakguides.com/ATICAT_7.html

Hehulk · Post by **Hehulk** » June 8th, 2006, 14:50

Ah, that might be something

Whatever it was I installed this morning, it wasn't that, so I've found that now and am downloading it. SHould be sorted then I hope

Post by **deject** » June 8th, 2006, 15:18

That was some kind of wireless presentation type mouse. I believe the name contains "Gyration" in it somewhere because it probably has a gyroscope in it or something.

Post by **Joose** » June 8th, 2006, 17:37

Ive tried in vain to get eve to work on dual monitors. Trouble is, my card doesnt like rendering 3d graphics on two screens at once. I can have it on one, or t'other, but putting it on both gives low single figure frame rates.

Im guessing you're probably in the same boat, m'afraid.

Sheriff Fatman · Post by **Sheriff Fatman** » June 9th, 2006, 11:02

This may not help at all, but for my dual set-up I use http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/. It has many cool twiddly bits for helping with dual screen problems, nothing that seems similar to your issues though