Using multiple monitors

by **residue** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 12:33 pm

i know how to have both screens show the same thing and how to have the desktop stretch across two monitors. what i want to do is have each monitor appear as a separate desktop that i can toggle between with a hotkey.

by **Camel toe joe** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 1:04 pm

I think i can do the same, but i don't know if my pc can handle TV and BF at the same time what do you think?

by **PudriK** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 1:47 pm

Multiple monitors is killer for work, espeically when your job requires looking at looking at references or cutting-and-pasting. Right now I run 1600x1200 at work on my 17" just to get close to the experience--it's all about real estate. (Would get a second, but the military is kind of anal about customizing your PC.)

residue, I don't think what your looking for is built into Windows, but perhaps there are some third-party programs out there. Back when I had a mac, there was a shareware program that enabled you to put multiple desktops on one monitor, and could also support a second monitor. I've heard linux K-windows has a similar feature.

I suggest digging around the Windows-customizing websites--there are a lot of shareware programs out there to cover every possible desire.

by **Evan** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 2:56 pm

ATI's HydraVision can do it *I think*.

by **RCinator** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 3:32 pm

Originally posted by residue
does anyone know how to configure a dual monitor setup so that each monitor appears as a separate desktop (with hotkeys to toggle between the two) instead of stretching the desktop across two screens?

does this require extra software not normally included with a 9800 pro?

Goto ATI's site and download the Hydravision software - it has some extra features that may get you close to what you want.

by **RCinator** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 3:38 pm

You can have as many monitors as you want on your system. If you only have two outputs on your vid card (there are some with four or eight), just throw in a PCI vid card or two and attach monitors as necessary. I used to run 3 monitors on an AGP and a PCI card back when I was using smaller 15" LCDS. Now I'm down to 2 19"s. Dualies are indispensible for writing code.

To answer the other questions: yes, having 2 monitors does take marginally more processing power, but it's nothing you will ever notice. And most games will not span multiple monitors. It's much more useful as a professional feature than it ever will be for gamers.

by **residue** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 3:38 pm

i have hydravision but it only seems to allow virtual desktops across both screens at the same time. not quite what i'm looking for unless there's some other option i haven't discovered.

by **RCinator** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 3:40 pm

Originally posted by residue
i have hydravision but it only seems to allow virtual desktops across both screens at the same time. not quite what i'm looking for unless there's some other option i haven't discovered.

There should be an option to include all of the extra Hydravision controlbar buttons. Those buttons should allow you to "send to monitor" x, "max to monitor x", etc.. If you combine that with multiple desktops, and just always use the right side only of desktop 2 and the left side only of desktop 1, you should have pretty close to what you want.

by **Evan** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 3:42 pm

I'd love to have what Residue is looking for. Though, HydraVision does come close.

by **RCinator** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 3:44 pm

Originally posted by Evan
I'd love to have what Residue is looking for. Though, HydraVision does come close.

Oh - or Virtual PC

by **Evan** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 3:45 pm

HydraVision:

Organize and create multiple desktops with MultiDesk
Multi-task with MultiDesk - Create, name, organize, and arrange up to nine active multi-monitor desktop combinations and cycle between them with a mouse click (e.g., web browser set to open on one display while your word processor application is open on the second display). Then move applications and documents between desktops or set selected items to appear on all desktops.

by **Ldsmith104** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 1:04 pm

Once you've had multiple monitors you'll never want to go back... I hate using someone else’s computer or my laptop screen alone because I am so used to having two monitors. It does a lot more for business type applications than gaming. Anything you have in a window can be on one or the other monitor. Web browser on one, the document you are typing on the other cut and paste and not have to switch between windows. Using Photoshop all your tool bars can be on one monitor with the picture you are editing full screen on the other. When gaming I do keep TS up on one with the game on the other. What I would love to have is BF one my primary display and the map or scoreboard full size on my second display but BF doesn't support it. :mad:

(anyone from EA listening?)

Now that you know you need them here's how.

First windows supports up to 32 monitors (might be just 16 but I think it's 32) not sure what you would do with that many unless you bought that old underground missile compound for sale on ebay and wanted to reopen it. http://forums.powervs.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=110979#post110979 You can by a video card with multiple outputs most new ones available with two and some three hopefully it won't be long before games support them (again EA...HELLO... :wall:

)
That's what I suggest if you game at all, and well if you don't you wouldn't be reading this here. The other is to add a pci video card yes they still make them.

I have two one 21" and one 19" the 21 is at 1600x1200 and the 19 is at 1280x1024 they line up and with those different resolutions when you move something from one to the other the stay relatively the same size. I am using nvidia gforce 4 card with two crt and s-video out. Supports up to two separate monitors can have two crt and s-video at the same time but two of the 3 are clones.

As for multiple desktops you don't need multiple monitors. Software was included with my gforce card to do that and you can have 32 or 64 desktops running at once and switch between them on just one or two monitors.

by **residue** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 1:17 pm

if you want a scoreboard in one monitor, you could try the bfstats page for the server.

i still haven't found any software to set two monitors as different desktops. the 9800 pro doesn't seem to include the necessary options.

by **Ldsmith104** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 1:41 pm

What I have...

by **Ldsmith104** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 1:43 pm

What I wish I had. This is the set up at our 911 dispatch center 4 21" dell LCDs:eek:

Using multiple monitors

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