Eyeing for a triple-monitor setup - but don't want 3 x SLI!

[Cmdr Kharma]

What may I ask are the issues you have read about with the Thrustmaster and which model ?

if you are talking high end.....I have had no problems at all with my warthog.....

TrackIR you will love.............

[max2go]

What may I ask are the issues you have read about with the Thrustmaster and which model ?

if you are talking high end.....I have had no problems at all with my warthog.....

TrackIR you will love.............

Although off-topic, it might helps someone:

I read a lot of reviews about the Warthog and Rhino (mainly on Amazon but I also watched YT vids and comments) - seems that their QC is lacking and they use (or at least have been using) an inferior grease:

"My first unit (which died but was replaced) was smooth at first, but after one month of use, the stiction came about. The replacement unit had stiction from start. Some users have reported that they do not have this issue, while other do. [...]"

Solution:

"The solution is to take the joystick base apart and replace the existing grease with a better plastic safe grease. It's not hard but soldering is most likely required as breaking wire is almost certain if you don't know what you are doing. I've replaced the grease with Molykote EM-30L as suggested in the forum and now the stick is buttery smooth."

So I guess you were lucky to get one that doesn't have the issue (yet). And although there's a solution available, it requires opening (and AFAIK voiding the warranty) for a fairly expensive piece of equipment. And... I rather not and instead wait a few months / year.

Anyhow, the Logitech is quite nice, works great for what I'm doing ATM. I'm just not in a rush, so far I really like the Logitech, I agree to reviews that for its price, it's a great (accurate) flight / combat stick that provides everything in one package and thus is super compact. I wish it had more buttons but you can combo buttons, so it's ok. Even has an analog "slider" built in, which I use for the throttle and in my tests has been working great.

[Cmdr Kharma]

With the "Stiction" issue.....I can see that being a bit of a prob for a serious flight simmer.....

But in ED......I doubt it....That level of control is not needed....

[max2go]

I finally got everything set-up and had time to take a pic:

Cmdr max2go - triple monitor, head-tracking, flight combat stick

20151020--Cmdr-max2go--TripleMonitor-HeadTracking--816x612.jpg (184.45 KiB) Viewed 3265 times

About the monitors... they're 27" curved, which - theoretically - helps even more with the immersion - though IMO only really when being up-close, othewise the curvature isn't really noticeable :/

But the main issue for me though is, that I can't get rid of the monitor bezels - I took the monitor case off my first monitor, even then there's still about an inch (or about 1.5 cm) of a border around the main area (active part) of the screen. Which is quite common, though you'd imagine that nowadays with triple-monitor-setups, monitor manufacturers would take that into consideration.

The other issue is that even if there'd not been this border on the screen surface itself, I couldn't have been able to mount the monitor on the stand (unless I'd have made or bought some kind of custom VESA mounts) due to the VESA mount being part of the monitor case and therefore is not attacked to the actual back of the screen.

I also have a 1ms Asus monitor (which I gave my GF and instead I got me the curved Samsung) which I took apart some time ago and that one actually has hardly any bezel at all and also has the VESA mount attached to the back of the screen and not the monitor case - it's a bit smaller than my Samsung (I think the Asus is 25" vs. 27" of my Samsung) but there are probably larger versions of it available, if need to be.

All things considered, I might've been better off with a 4k 34" / 35" or larger curved monitor / TV (BenQ, LG and Samsung make those) - a Samsung 85" UHDTV would've been the most awesome but also most expensive (almost $10k) - but I didn't feel like spending that much money on it, plus my GF would've flipped... she already thought my current 3x27" monitor setup is crazy lol

[Cmdr Kharma]

Fuck me.......

Nice setup......

I was wondering to go with a triple head......Or just a large ultra wide......Or wait for the Rift etc.....

[max2go]

Fuck me.......

Nice setup......

I was wondering to go with a triple head......Or just a large ultra wide......Or wait for the Rift etc.....

LMAO that first comment

Re. Rift... I'm not sure if it's a great solution (yet) - from what I've read / heard (via YT actual test vids), its resolution is just not there yet, plus too clumsy. It's a neat toy, or gimmick, ATM, but can't replace triple-head (or more - I'm thinking of putting another 3 monitors on top of that, for a good view above lol... but that'll be next year maybe) plus IrTrack setup.

[max2go]

You should be plenty fine, unless you expect absolute full tilt graphics settings in all games at 3xUHD resolutions, then again I don't thing you are

I was running three 1920x1080p monitors on a SINGEL gtx 960 2gb just fine at just slightly below ultra settings and bezel correction
sure I was getting mostly 30fps inside stations, but outside, stable 60fps using all screens.

A amped up single 970 should get at least 40-50fps inside a station.

I am personally not really a fan of how the image is stretched so grossly across the left\right screen that they honestly just serves as high resolution mood lights than actuall screens for seeing 'stuff', I prefer mostly to just use downsampling (gets rid of jaggies and it does change distance rendering to the better) and only play on the center screen, I then have two other screens ready for web browsing, TS, netflix etc etc

I have had this three screen setup for at least 6 years now, and even though I started off trying Eyefinity as they called it back then, it allways boiled down to actually being quite useless for gaming imo, but three screens for desktop duties and spreadsheet o-boy I don't think I could live with just a singel screen anymore, it would be like trying to work off my 7" tablet..


I as mentioned is much more intrigued by the new super wide monitors, they seem to actually offer a bit more gaming usefullness other than two very large mood lights at either side that makes you think you are wearing somebody else's glasses.

Sorry for replying just now, I've been busy with RL stuff and setting everything up.

I understand where you're coming from and that you only go for single screen play and use the other two for other things. I kinda had the same thinking - without the head tracking. Though with it I think it does make sense. But yeah, an ultra wide (34/35 inch) single screen is still better than triple head, but because I already had one 27", I thought I'd rather stick with it and get two more.

All things considered, I'm thinking of getting a single ultra wide next year some time for gaming and one of my 27" on to like looking through the roof window area (if that is supported) and the other 27" for browser and such.

But that's just an idea, I'm quite happy with my setup ATM

[5an Holo]

This is my setup. Using the Icarus black screen 180 and 2 x Optoma HD projectors.

There are 2 x USB Monitors surrounded by the Cougar MFD's that display information that I keep forgetting (Star classifications for example. Also what each MFD button function is).

I prefer this type of setup as a can keep SA in the house, instead of losing the plot inside a VR headset.

http://vimeo.com/146150080

[max2go]

What's SA? And what plot would you be losing inside a VR headset?

Neat setup in general, though w/o IRtrack not as effective IMO. Plus the curved screen distorts the graphics quite a bit. I also get more than 1/3 additional screen real-estate at 5900 horizontal pixels, opposed to 3840 (2 x 1920), if that is the resolution you two projectors are running side-by-side.

I think the voice input is a nice touch, but I personally would only use it for functions that I don't use that often, such as switching firing groups, cargo hatch, landing gears, lights, auto-pilot, maybe engaging hyperspace drive too but that depends on how much traveling is involved - using too much voice would annoy me, plus it'd not work well in combat IMO.

I think I had mentioned a triple-projector setup... the curved canvas is nice, but I think I'd not curve it that much, to prevent distortions. I think also for the optimal setup, all the virtual function displays / screens (1 to 4 - navigation, communication, general, info / ship config) could all be put on their own displays and active at all times on their own dedicated displays and then accessed immediately via single touch, without having to move your head into the corresponding location. Because IMO the virtual screens that pop up when looking at the corresponding location at the cockpit, although neat, is still not super intuitive and is there for the purpose to make use of restricted availability of screen real-estate, which, in the scenario with dedicated displays (such as tablets), that restriction would not apply in that case.

Secondly, it'd be neat if even more displays could be used, one or more above and below, to cover the views above and below (ceiling and floor windows respectively) and perhaps even some toward the back. With that kind of setup it should be possible to have a full surround view, then it'd be possible to complete the illusion of being in a space craft

I know, that last bit might be quite over the top and unnecessary for a video game, but I've seen flight simulators (physical re-constructions of real airplane and space shuttle cockpits) on hydraulic platforms, used to train actual pilots / astronauts. But hey, who knows, perhaps in a few years there will be something like that for E:D lol

[5an Holo]

What's SA? And what plot would you be losing inside a VR headset?

SA = Situational Awareness. If you are happy to isolate yourself in a VR Headset with or without using its headphones. Be my guest. In the setup I am using, I can keep tabs on what is going on around me in the house - SA.

Neat setup in general, though w/o IRtrack not as effective IMO. Plus the curved screen distorts the graphics quite a bit. I also get more than 1/3 additional screen real-estate at 5900 horizontal pixels, opposed to 3840 (2 x 1920), if that is the resolution you two projectors are running side-by-side.

I am using TIR5.0. But in my video it isn't switched on. The IR unit is behind me, because the 180 screen is too high for the units traditional position (i.e. on top of a monitor).

I think the voice input is a nice touch, but I personally would only use it for functions that I don't use that often, such as switching firing groups, cargo hatch, landing gears, lights, auto-pilot, maybe engaging hyperspace drive too but that depends on how much traveling is involved - using too much voice would annoy me, plus it'd not work well in combat IMO.

Voice commands are subjective. However, I and quite a few others use it extensively. You are not keen, therefore, your choice not to use it.

I think I had mentioned a triple-projector setup... the curved canvas is nice, but I think I'd not curve it that much, to prevent distortions. I think also for the optimal setup, all the virtual function displays / screens (1 to 4 - navigation, communication, general, info / ship config) could all be put on their own displays and active at all times on their own dedicated displays and then accessed immediately via single touch, without having to move your head into the corresponding location. Because IMO the virtual screens that pop up when looking at the corresponding location at the cockpit, although neat, is still not super intuitive and is there for the purpose to make use of restricted availability of screen real-estate, which, in the scenario with dedicated displays (such as tablets), that restriction would not apply in that case.

You don't notice the distortion as it is minimal, especially out towards the periphery of your vision. In the triple projector setup you mention, I think you actually get 270 degrees FOV.

I have made quite a few touchscreens for my Mimo monitor. These were done last year, and were posted on the Frontier ED forum. However, I much prefer using the MFD buttons, which relate to the USB screens that display what button does what. I can bring up "Docking & Ship Alert States" (Say Red Alert, Systems & Engines get a pip each, Weapons get three pips and are deployed (Weapons Free) - Some lovely Klingon Battle Music starts playing to get the old ticker pumping.

I can also bring up Star Classifications and Ship-Ship Comms (I have pre-written Nav Hazard, Standard, Broadcast, Hostile and Assistance Hails. That transmit via voice commands).

Finally I have a Scanner Icon breakdown screen & my VLC Playlists. No pilot should transit systems without a bit of Alice Cooper, Rush or Queen keeping him entertained.

Secondly, it'd be neat if even more displays could be used, one or more above and below, to cover the views above and below (ceiling and floor windows respectively) and perhaps even some toward the back. With that kind of setup it should be possible to have a full surround view, then it'd be possible to complete the illusion of being in a space craft

TBH that would be a bit much for me. The screen I have now is more than awesome. Not only for ED but Cliffs of Dover, Fallout 4 and ArmA.

I know, that last bit might be quite over the top and unnecessary for a video game, but I've seen flight simulators (physical re-constructions of real airplane and space shuttle cockpits) on hydraulic platforms, used to train actual pilots / astronauts. But hey, who knows, perhaps in a few years there will be something like that for E:D lol

Agree shipmate. I think this stuff (if you are handy with a spanner) is available to build now. Back of the net!