Dual Screen Gaming... questions

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hiho

i currently have a couple of monitors knocking about so someone was asking if i used a dual screen setup when playing games.

having had 2 screens connected before, whenever i ran a game, the 2nd monitor would turn off so i didnt really see much point in having a dual screen setup for gaming.

however someone mentioned to me that they heard you can have the main view on one screen and have the scores page on the other screen for example.

anyone know about anyting like this? or how to achieve it?
i'm guessing it would depend on the game?

shedding any light on this would be appreciated :)

:confused:
 
I use it to have Teamspeak MSN and browser open on the other monitor. But no you cant have the score displayed on the other monitor afaik.
 
thingy supreme commander is meant to have such a feature if i recall, which sounded very very cool.

you have the map thingy on one screen apparently either that i was dreaming.
 
omi said:
thingy supreme commander is meant to have such a feature if i recall, which sounded very very cool.

you have the map thingy on one screen apparently either that i was dreaming.

Yeah the devs did say that a few months back, not sure if it made it in to the beta. I've not got my second monitor any more to test it.
 
Only game i remember that uses dual monitors well was X2.

I use dual screens at work and have them at home as well but for gaming its main for game, second for msm/TS/IE

Im sure i saw a screeny of BF2 running tac map on one screen and game on another, and games like EQ2 would be great if you could have Inv/map/chat on another screen.
 
You can play Armed Assualt over 3 monitors. :cool:

http://blog.pcformat.co.uk/page/pcformat?entry=armed_assault_holy_trinity

windetriptych.jpg
 
Last edited:
you could write an application to go on your second monitor though, in the same way that you can write code for the G...whatever keyboard by logitech. Just needs to use the win32 api to grab the scores etc and display them.

I'd be tempted if I had more time and a second monitor.
 
With supreme commander you have to enable it in your Game.prefs file & add this to your shortcut /dualhead 1280 1024, this works in the 2.7 beta as well.

game.prefs

Code:
profile = {
	current = 1,
	profiles = {
		{
			console_size = 5,
			Lobby_Team_Spawn = 2,
			LastPort = 0,
			massDetailedView = true,
			console_fade_delay = 3,
			scorewalltime = false,
			LastScenario = '/maps/scmp_019/scmp_019_scenario.lua',
			console_font = 'Zeroes Three',
			NetName = 'FireSeven',
			last_game_name = 'RAWR',
			Lobby_Gen_ShareResources = 2,
			Lobby_Gen_Cap = 2,
			layout = 'bottom',
			scoreoverlay = false,
			console_font_size = 24,
			console_font_color = 'FFbadbdb',
			Lobby_Team_Lock = 1,
			Name = 'Platinum',
			Lobby_Gen_Victory = 3,
			options = {
				master_volume = 100,
				eula = true,
				tooltip_delay = 0,
				tooltips = true,
				secondary_adapter = '1280,1024,60',
				antialiasing = 2,
				econ_warnings = true,
				ui_animation = true,
				mp_taunt_head_enabled = 'true',
				wheel_sensitivity = 40,
				bg_image = 0,
				texture_level = 0,
				primary_adapter = '1280,768,60',
				uvd_format = 'full',
				strat_icons_always_on = 0,
				music_volume = 35.119049072266,
				fx_volume = 100,
				stratview = false,
				ui_volume = 100,
				shadow_quality = 2,
				vo_volume = 100,
				dual_mon_edge = 'closed',
				fidelity = 1,
				mp_taunt_head = 'Ariel',
			},
			energyRateView = 1,
			energyDetailedView = true,
			skin = 'uef',
		},
	},
}
version = {
	major = 1,
}
Windows = {
	Main = {
		maximized = false,
		x = 0,
		height = 1024,
		Previous = {
			height = 1024,
			width = 1280,
		},
		y = 0,
		width = 1280,
	},
}
options_overrides = {
	shadow_quality = {
		default = 1,
		custom = {
			states = {
				{
					text = '<LOC _Off>',
					key = 0,
				},
				{
					text = '<LOC _Low>',
					key = 1,
				},
				{
					text = '<LOC _Medium>',
					key = 2,
				},
				{
					text = '<LOC _High>',
					key = 3,
				},
			},
		},
	},
	fidelity = {
		default = 2,
		custom = {
			states = {
				{
					text = '<LOC _Low>',
					key = 0,
				},
				{
					text = '<LOC _Medium>',
					key = 1,
				},
				{
					text = '<LOC _High>',
					key = 2,
				},
			},
		},
	},
	antialiasing = {
		default = 0,
		custom = {
			states = {
				{
					text = '<LOC OPTIONS_0029>Off',
					key = 0,
				},
				{
					text = '2',
					key = 2,
				},
				{
					text = '4',
					key = 4,
				},
			},
		},
	},
	primary_adapter = {
		default = '1024,768,60',
		custom = {
			states = {
				{
					text = '<LOC OPTIONS_0070>Windowed',
					key = 'windowed',
				},
				{
					text = '1024x768(60)',
					key = '1024,768,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1152x864(60)',
					key = '1152,864,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1200x900(60)',
					key = '1200,900,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1280x768(60)',
					key = '1280,768,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1280x800(60)',
					key = '1280,800,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1280x960(60)',
					key = '1280,960,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1280x1024(60)',
					key = '1280,1024,60',
				},
			},
		},
	},
	secondary_adapter = {
		default = '1024,768,60',
		custom = {
			states = {
				{
					text = '<LOC OPTIONS_0070>Windowed',
					key = 'windowed',
				},
				{
					text = '1024x768(60)',
					key = '1024,768,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1152x864(60)',
					key = '1152,864,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1280x768(60)',
					key = '1280,768,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1280x800(60)',
					key = '1280,800,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1280x960(60)',
					key = '1280,960,60',
				},
				{
					text = '1280x1024(60)',
					key = '1280,1024,60',
				},
			},
		},
	},
}
Options = {
	Log = {
		Log = false,
		Custom = true,
		Warn = true,
		Spew = true,
		Error = true,
		Filter = '*debug:',
	},
}
 
C&C games work :) used to play red alert 2 over 2 tfts with an x800pro

in ati catalyst control theres an option extend the display on monitor 1 over to monitor 2, then just go to the good ole' ini file of RA2 and set the res to what ever (in my case was 2560x1024, i.e. two 1280x1024 tft's)

looked awesome :) (will get a pic up later if ya want)
 
cokecan72 said:
C&C games work :) used to play red alert 2 over 2 tfts with an x800pro

in ati catalyst control theres an option extend the display on monitor 1 over to monitor 2, then just go to the good ole' ini file of RA2 and set the res to what ever (in my case was 2560x1024, i.e. two 1280x1024 tft's)

looked awesome :) (will get a pic up later if ya want)


This man speaketh the truth. Just make a custom resolution and double the width to match the total width of your displays. Generally it works ok in strategy games, not so well in fps since the cross-hair ends up split in the middle between the two! Can imagine it would be good with 3 though.

I gave up dong this ages ago though. Its far more convenient to play a game on one while watching tv on the other :)
 
Locrian said:
I gave up dong this ages ago though. Its far more convenient to play a game on one while watching tv on the other :)

Cant beat a bit of fraggin on one monitor whilst having your fave porn stars go at it on the other monitor ;)
 
Game developers should really work on this now its coming common for more than one monitor, so much more could happen. Even simple things like in CS:S having a nice big map on a secondary monitor would be ace.
 
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