My multi-monitor application idea

britboy4321

britboy4321

britboy4321

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I've had a great idea for a free gaming application (someone program it please!). It is only of use to people with >1 monitor.


Virtually no game is multi-monitor compatible. My suggested application runs in the background .. and screen scrapes real-time any user-defineable part of the primary monitor's screen (Set by pressing alt-cntl arrow keys or something) .. and just stretches it up to ALSO take up the whole of the second screen. And thats it.

Therefore you can have magnified on screen 2 maybe the map if you're playing an RTS. Maybe your ammo and gun area of screen #1 if you're playing a FPS. Maybe the compass or the health bar.. whatever you want. It is, of course, all non-clickable. Information only .. but making use of that second monitor.

GOOD POINTS:

It makes every single game in existence multi-monitor compatible.
Sounds quite easily programmable to me.

BAD POINT:

It's not gonna look amazing as all you're doing is replicating and expanding part of monitor #1's stuff. Better than nothing though. I'd quite like a cool massive map as I'm playing Age Of Conan -- rather than the little piddly thing on the bottom left of the screen I have at the moment, whilst monitor #2 does precisely nothing.


Good idea? Or pants?
 
Its a good idea.

I wouldnt mind seeing somthing like this supported in game. Rather than through a 3rd party app

Things like Maps, Chat windows, Inventory Bags, Spell books, etc, would be great to have on another monitor.
 
Kodiak said:
Things like Maps, Chat windows, Inventory Bags, Spell books, etc, would be great to have on another monitor.
Click to expand...

I know that's been done for WoW.

There's also a piece of software that does create a triple screen environment isn't there?
 
Yes it is a nice idea to have just the game on one screen and inventory/maps/HUD etc on the other, however it would not be easy to program as you would not only have to program the new screens on to the second desktop you would also have to remove them from the original game which would break laws.
 
That is not quite my idea. The maps and HUD etc. still remain on screen #1 (to remove them would be too hard to program).

So all you're doing is screen-scraping a bit of screen #1 (and magnifying your screenshots). This is definately not breaking any laws.
 
Sounds like a good idea because as you say, it would work with all games and not require any extra coding.

The problem is of course that I'm not sure how easy it would be to actually implement. To get it displayed on the second monitor, you'd presumably need to be telling the video card to output just this specific area.

I can't help but think an easier solution might be to literally mirror to the second screen and then have some way of zooming in on there.

I guess performance considerations come into this too.
 
HangTime said:
Sounds like a good idea because as you say, it would work with all games and not require any extra coding.

The problem is of course that I'm not sure how easy it would be to actually implement. To get it displayed on the second monitor, you'd presumably need to be telling the video card to output just this specific area.

I can't help but think an easier solution might be to literally mirror to the second screen and then have some way of zooming in on there.

I guess performance considerations come into this too.
Click to expand...

What you could do is to run the app full screen on he 2nd monitor, the using a selective controller select the area on the first screen to copy, such as a map. The app then copies the map to the second monitor in its own window that sits inside the app window. You could then adjust the size.

I am not sure it would work brilliantly though, surely the image will just become more and more pixelated as you make it bigger?

You could always pop into the programming section on here and see if anyone is willing to help :)
 
Part of the reason game developers haven't started doing this the way many normal app developers have is that most gamers don't have a second screen yet. Most simply upgrade their current screen for a larger one.

I use two screens at work, but only one 22" wide screen at home, which frankly after being at work feels tiny!
 
About 6 or 7 years ago for a period of time I used to have a second monitor zoomed in on my crosshair in CS for when I sat camping happy with an AWP waiting for people to appear.
I always wished that I could have a second screen for the radar on it too, as it was often difficult to see properly back then due to it being transparent without an option to have it solid coloured.
I would hazard a guess that somewhere someone will have a simple application that theyv set to do something similar to what you want OP.
 
I must be honest, I have a fairly good multi monitor setup (link in sig) but I never ever use more than one screen at once, I can't get used to it.

I use the big screen for films and console gaming and the 24" for PC use. The other screen never gets used at all.
 
I think if i read it correctly your idea is that a program grab a section of the first monitor like say the minimap for the original Total annihilation and magnifies it so its bigger and puts it on the second screen.

Im thinking that maybe that would be possible with having the screens cloned so they show the same picture but the second monitor can be zoomed and moved so you can zoom in on what you want.
 
Well on the G19 I have it setup to display a certain area on my second monitor (no turned on) to display my rev counter on Live for Speed (external App), But as long as your run a game in window mode you could set the area on your main monitor and take the information straight from the game.
 
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