DX10 with Multiple Monitors

[Richdem]

Hi All,

This is a legacy post from another forum I used to frequent lol Hoping you guys can help me

I have DX10 running with Steve's fixer and currently have outstanding results on my rig. My main monitor is a 27 " Asus connected by HDMI. I have a smaller 15" LCD (DVI) which I would love to use to drag the ND & PFD when flying the NGX & 777. My issue is however that as soon as I try to use a 2nd monitor I loose the smooth as silk experience I now have. I have tried to use the D3D Overrider without any luck. FSX always seems to run on the small display first no matter what is in the config. In DX9 I never had this issue. I think it is some kind of Vsync problem but just cannot figure this out. I would ultimately like to run 3 monitors in surround off my new GTX 780 and use the small monitor still just for panels. Until i figure this out I really do not want to add any more displays.

Hopefully someone out there has tried something similar with good results

Any ideas or help would be most welcome

Regards

Richard

[Roger]

Paul will know the answer I'm sure but I seem to recall reading a thread on another site suggesting that monitors have to be identical to function in Dx10.

[Paul J]

Yep - the answer is in wading through pages 15 - 17 of the How-To Guide. It worked perfectly for me, but i hadf D3DOverrider in there when I began the setup, and I'm not sure that it was (eventually) necessary. I noted this at the end:-

Caveat: I'm not 1000% sure that we need D3DOverrider when "Aero" is running, but it was when I first achieved the fix, and I will test without it as the opportunity presents itself. Life has been just a bit too hectic around here lately, and the move from Avsim hasn't helped.
Anyway - it goes like this:-
1). Start D3DOverrider. As above this may or may not be necessary, re the note above.
2). Start PseudoFullScreen (Green icon down in the right corner)
3). Start FSX by clicking Kosta's "Aero" .bat file. Voila!

You can use FSX using DX10 - with two dissimilar monitors - in fullscreen (with ToolTips) - with Vsync working fine - and a panel or two on the second screen - without having the dreaded "Rotating EggTimer" happening.

Phew!

It's a bit of a read, some downloading and setup, with a small script to be written (in Notepad) and saved on the DeskTop as something like "fsx.bat":-

@echo off
start "" "F:\Flight Simulator X\FSX.exe"
net stop uxsms
net start uxsms


(to launch FSX and Aero) - but it is quite "do-able".

If you get stuck - come back here or pm me - ok!

pj

[Richdem]

Thanks Roger,

I was hoping Paul would be able to help

[Richdem]

Yep - the answer is in wading through pages 15 - 17 of the How-To Guide. It worked perfectly for me, but i hadf D3DOverrider in there when I began the setup, and I'm not sure that it was (eventually) necessary. I noted this at the end:-

Caveat: I'm not 1000% sure that we need D3DOverrider when "Aero" is running, but it was when I first achieved the fix, and I will test without it as the opportunity presents itself. Life has been just a bit too hectic around here lately, and the move from Avsim hasn't helped.
Anyway - it goes like this:-
1). Start D3DOverrider. As above this may or may not be necessary, re the note above.
2). Start PseudoFullScreen (Green icon down in the right corner)
3). Start FSX by clicking Kosta's "Aero" .bat file. Voila!

You can use FSX using DX10 - with two dissimilar monitors - in fullscreen (with ToolTips) - with Vsync working fine - and a panel or two on the second screen - without having the dreaded "Rotating EggTimer" happening.

Phew!

It's a bit of a read, some downloading and setup, with a small script to be written (in Notepad) and saved on the DeskTop as something like "fsx.bat":-

@echo off
start "" "F:\Flight Simulator X\FSX.exe"
net stop uxsms
net start uxsms


(to launch FSX and Aero) - but it is quite "do-able".

If you get stuck - come back here or pm me - ok!

pj

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the response. Are you saying that the problem could be that in DX10 we need to have Aero running in windows? Funny thing is I was reading some posts on a different forum and downloaded a patch that fixes the FSX.exe so now Aero runs properly when running FSX. The reason I tried this patch is that some users had reported better performance when Aero was running and I have to say that things have never been so good

I actually thought about trying a 2nd monitor again to see if running Aero made a difference. The only thing is that my extra monitors are in storage as I am getting ready to move lol. I am really interested to see if this makes a difference, this has been driving me somewhat crazy as I have my new simpit all planned out and really would like to get the 2d panels working on a different monitor. I had even considered running something like sim avionics on a spare PC but obviously there is quite a high cost attached to that

I will try again and let you know

Regards

Richard

[Paul J]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the response. Are you saying that the problem could be that in DX10 we need to have Aero running in windows? Funny thing is I was reading some posts on a different forum and downloaded a patch that fixes the FSX.exe so now Aero runs properly when running FSX. The reason I tried this patch is that some users had reported better performance when Aero was running and I have to say that things have never been so good

I actually thought about trying a 2nd monitor again to see if running Aero made a difference. The only thing is that my extra monitors are in storage as I am getting ready to move lol. I am really interested to see if this makes a difference, this has been driving me somewhat crazy as I have my new simpit all planned out and really would like to get the 2d panels working on a different monitor. I had even considered running something like sim avionics on a spare PC but obviously there is quite a high cost attached to that

I will try again and let you know

Regards

Richard

Are you saying that the problem could be that in DX10 we need to have Aero running in windows?

Hi Richard!

No - I'm not saying that, Richard. What I am saying is that this is the answer for those DX10 folks who want to run:-

1). FSX in "FullScreen" mode.... 2). while running a second, different monitor (with their FMC/GPS, (etc.,)) at the same time.... 3). AND have vSync working (in the fullscreen).... 4). AND not suffer the "rotating timer" issue..

This is not normally possible unless using DX9, and most folks will just run fullscreen, and never bother with a second monitor for PlanG, GPS, etc.. - that method having vSync from Inspector/RadeonPro. There really has been no solution to this until I began working with Ron Attwood and Howard (Rockliffe) on Howard's problem.

"Pseudo FullScreen" supplies a "fullscreen" - i.e. actually a windowed mode screen without borders, Aero provides the vSync, and a rt-click on the re-sized window on the second monitor will get rid of the spinning timer. This all works, and is for all intents and purposes - a reasonable work-around for this "type" of flying when using DX10.

Not having buit a multi-monitor flight deck - it seems that best move is to get three or four cheap pc's, all running WideFS (from Pete Dowson (FSUIPC)).

... and I thought this was just a game...

All the Best,

pj

[Richdem]

Hi Richard!

No - I'm not saying that, Richard. What I am saying is that this is the answer for those DX10 folks who want to run:-

1). FSX in "FullScreen" mode.... 2). while running a second, different monitor (with their FMC/GPS, (etc.,)) at the same time.... 3). AND have vSync working (in the fullscreen).... 4). AND not suffer the "rotating timer" issue..

This is not normally possible unless using DX9, and most folks will just run fullscreen, and never bother with a second monitor for PlanG, GPS, etc.. - that method having vSync from Inspector/RadeonPro. There really has been no solution to this until I began working with Ron Attwood and Howard (Rockliffe) on Howard's problem.

"Pseudo FullScreen" supplies a "fullscreen" - i.e. actually a windowed mode screen without borders, Aero provides the vSync, and a rt-click on the re-sized window on the second monitor will get rid of the spinning timer. This all works, and is for all intents and purposes - a reasonable work-around for this "type" of flying when using DX10.

Not having buit a multi-monitor flight deck - it seems that best move is to get three or four cheap pc's, all running WideFS (from Pete Dowson (FSUIPC)).

... and I thought this was just a game...

All the Best,

pj

Hey Paul,

I just ran and grabbed one of my spare monitors and re tried the whole D3d Overrider. Sad to say with a 2nd smaller monitor also running in full screen I get micro stutters. I messed around with inspector for a bit to no avail. It's weird when I dod this in DX9 I had no performance loss whatsoever. Back to the drawing board I guess

I did hear about something called FSXpand which looks a lot more reasonable than sim avionics. I have a spare couple of PC's so maybe that is the best option for me. I do want a 3 screen setup as I know my new GTX780 will easily handle it but I would like to expand my hardware and run the flight displays on separate monitors.

I bet NASA never had this many challenges when they put a man on the moon lol

[Paul J]

Hey Paul,

I just ran and grabbed one of my spare monitors and re tried the whole D3d Overrider. Sad to say with a 2nd smaller monitor also running in full screen I get micro stutters. I messed around with inspector for a bit to no avail. It's weird when I dod this in DX9 I had no performance loss whatsoever. Back to the drawing board I guess

I bet NASA never had this many challenges when they put a man on the moon lol

I don't think D3DOverrider does anything more than provide vSync, Richard - that's why I made the note in the setup guide. It was recommended by a number of folks - but I'm not sure that their "methodology" was good.

The three sections following DO work as written though. I suppose I have to see what setup you were running in order to understand your micro-stutters, but if you want to do it you need to follow (word-for-word) the pseudo-thingy and the bat file creation. Both "Themes" in Services and Aero must be enabled for it to work.

pj

[Richdem]

Thanks again Paul,

I will try and re visit this once my beloved other half is back on shift lol

[Ron Attwood]

Hi all. First post here, but I have lurked a lot! Thanks for letting me in.

If I may, I'd like to tack onto this thread with a request to Paul. Hi Paul. With regard to PsuedoFullScreen. I've got the script from AVSIM, I've got Autokeythingy but there is no way I've been able to marry the two! It seems to me that being PC savvy isn't enough, you have to be a programmer! Any chance of an idiots guide to making Win+F11 do something? 2+hours last night trying every combination I could think of, till my head slumped onto the keyboard.

[Paul J]

Hi Ron - glad the private key/public key/RSA-generated 1024-bit-handshake secret algorithm worked!

I'm right in the middle of changing a thermostat and fixing an EGR valve on Dorothy's clunker at the moment, and have to go into town to pick up some bits and pieces, but I'll jump on the Finnglish TS when I'm done. (I'd like to try the SOH one at some time, too, as Ric and I will be on that one when he's ready). It'll probably be in a couple of hours.

PRJ

[ncooper]

Hello Ron,

Download and install Autohotkey.
Navigate to the Compiler folder and run Ahk2Exe.exe.

Unzip the fullscreen.ahk download from Avsim and enter the path to it in the Source File box.
Then enter the location that you want the exe file to be created in and a name for it in the
Destination box.

Thus:



Click on convert and the new FullScreen.exe file will be created.
You can then put it into a folder of your choice and create a task bar or Start Menu shortcut to it.

Start the new program and open your 32 bit program in a Window.
Once done, press the Windows key and F11 and it will go to full screen windowed mode.

Regards,
Nick.

[Ron Attwood]

That's lovely Nick. Simple, plain English that even an old fart like me can understand. Appreciate it.

[Paul J]

Thanks a bunch, Nick. Don't leave town ok! It's been a busy day. That's the original way I did it too, but I had come across several posters complaining and failing to follow the convoluted instructions, so for the purposes of simplicity I just packaged the newly-created Pseudo_FullScreen.exe with the .ahk and readme, giving the default WinKey+F11. I had placed it in the DropBox "Files" location before - but it's such a "kludgy" method to get a file, so it's now in with the "Photos" - Here. Win-F11 does it.

So - you're setup now Ron? Are you using the Windows Aero for vSync?

pj

[Ron Attwood]

Phew! Unfortunately I couldn't get Nick's method to work. Although I followed instructions explicitly. Paul's 'ready to wear' version came out fighting! I've assigned a macro on my keyboard for a one hit key and everything in the garden is lovely! Only one thing, it's strange to see the other monitor with desktop, Teamspeak etc. It does take away the feeling of being 'in the sim' a bit. But otherwise well pleased. Oh, yes Paul Aero is on and no tearing.

[ncooper]

Just like Paul, I don't really understand why the finished .exe file wasn't put up at Avsim.
I assumed, rightly or wrongly that it was somehow a promotion for the AutoHotKey software, though
it is freely available.

I expect that posting the finished file would have saved hundreds of hours of frustration
between the many people who tried it and failed and would therefore have been a better idea.

I suspect that as the installation by default puts the program into the program files folder which is never a good
thing in Windows, this may result in it not working correctly for everyone.
I never do this with third party software, I have created a C:\Programs folder instead which avoids the protection issues
which afflict the program files and program files (x86) folders.
I also always set their .exe files to run as an administrator.

I ran through a creation of the .exe file as you can see from the screen shot while I posted my reply and it worked again, I am sorry it
didn't work for you but thanks to Paul for bypassing the problem.

Regards,
Nick.

[Ron Attwood]

No fault of yours Nick, I'm sure. I obviously misunderstood something. Wouldn't be the first time!

[Paul J]

Same here, Ron! I played with this sucker for a while, before the concept hit me.

I reckon there's many "stages" of being "computer-literate", and to fathom the vagaries - the relationship - between these two programs, and why and how they work - is not as straight-forward as they should be, and there are lots of folks here who are in that spectrum. It works - that's all that matters. (Don't tell Rocky, though....)

All the Best!

pj

[Ron Attwood]

Same here, Ron! I played with this sucker for a while, before the concept hit me.

I reckon there's many "stages" of being "computer-literate", and to fathom the vagaries - the relationship - between these two programs, and why and how they work - is not as straight-forward as they should be, and there are lots of folks here who are in that spectrum. It works - that's all that matters. (Don't tell Rocky, though....)

All the Best!

pj

I love it when you talk dirty.

[Ron Attwood]

Further to my PseudoFullScreen experience. All worked well, it full screened just like it said on the tin. However, during an online session my C210 couldn't/wouldn't get to more than 65kts before the end of some pretty long runways! Strange. Now I'm not saying the PFS was the cause but after reverting to the 'normal' full screen the same plane accelerated as it ought. Weird or what?