This is rather a weird problem, and im thinking it might have something to do with my PC.

I recently made a cockpit out of wood which looks like shit, but its good enough for the moment. I have a 19'' screen on it, and i have a 22'' screen as my main screen. What i want to do is to mimic or clone the main screen, onto my cockpit screen for LFS. Seems simple right?

The problem is, it works, but when i clone the 22" screen onto the 19" screen (and ive tried vice versa), the 22" screen only has the same resolution as the 19" and it looks very weird. Is there anyway to make it have seperate resolutions?

The reason why i think it may have something to do with my PC, is because i tried out my sisters laptop, and another laptop and it works fine, no problem what so ever, and the laptops even have a pop up when i plug it in saying what i would like to do (mimic/extend etc). My computer does nothing, and when i try to mimic/clone, it does the problem above.

Both laptops were running Vista 32bit, just like my computer.

My graphics card is an nVidia 9500GT and i have the latest drivers and software. Ive tried doing this btw, via display settings in windows, and display settings in the nVidia CP.

Is there anyway to fix this or would i need to get the same size screen?

if it is like my pc, you have to go to the display settings screen...select the 22" moniter and change the resolution, you do not have to open up any new windows or anything

I had many issues trying to get even laptops to clone monitors that are differnt resolutions. Sometimes you get lucky and it works, depends on the graphics card mostly.

The 19" wont (can't) use the same resolution as the 22" so it just puts both to the lowest common demoniator so that you can at least see the image on both. You choose clone and it tries to clone the 22" res to the 19" and it won't happen so it throws the 19" res at both. At least I think this is what's happening.


You might be able to try 'Extend' mode. That way you can select each one separately (display options) and assign each one it's own resolution. Then run LFS in windowed mode, drag it to your main screen and shift-F4 it to full screen and it will fill that monitor. It might be all you can do to get each monitor to run at different resolutions at the same time.

Yeh what i have done now, is im in extended mode, and in LFS you can choose which monitor you want to use for LFS only which is great so when i click LFS, this main screen stays how it is (in windows) and the 2nd screen is on LFS, which is even better for me IMO...

Only problem now is sound works for the main, but not lfs on the other screen :S.. Does that make any sence? Because its not working.

Edit: Problem solved, everything works great! Thanks for the help!

Quote from JasonJ :

The 19" wont (can't) use the same resolution as the 22"

There are both 19" and 22"'s with 1680x1050.

Glad you've achieved something you can use now.

Aoun, just out of interest, what is the default (native) resolutions for your screens? I assumed from what you wrote and what you were trying to acheive that the 19" and 22" were 1440x900, 1680x1050 respectively and that's why you required separate resolutions.

I also thought it was possible you might have had 19" 1280x1024 and 22" 1680x1050

Yes, those resolutions are correct.

What was happening was my 22" was going from 1680x1050 down to 1440x900 when i tried to mimic the 22".

now that it is resolved...does lfs use the dual moniters or no? i am getting dual moniters but until then i can only wonder...

Using only LFS, and forcing it to run at your combined multi monitor resolution will look funny. You'll have the wheel in between the bezels on the two monitors. If you are, it is better if you use LCD monitors.

However, a solution is to use Triplehead2Go, or if you can't get that, then you can use SoftTH, which is my multi - monitor solution. This way, you'll be able to get your wheel on the 'primary' screen, and the rest on the other screens. I can link you to screenshots of the differences. However, because of this switch, I had to switch to drive on the left side, from the right. It was just easier to configure the cfg. in the softTH.

It is good to note however that using SoftTH, you will be rendering the conventional 3 screens (it was designed to use 3 screens 'SoftTripleHead?'), but displaying 2 screens, in your case (and my case). At any given time, you can attach a third monitor, and you are set. If you want, I can upload you my configuration for the dual monitor LFS setup. It is rather simple, but you will have to manually set the resolutions for your monitors; I am using 2 CRT monitors, that I picked out in my basement. I didn't want to multi screen a CRT with an LCD, with different resolutions 1440 x 900 + 1024 x 768, will look weird, which I'd get 3488 x 900 or something.

You should do some research. I am totally horrible at explaining, but I hope I've given you a general idea; that you can run LFS on 2 monitors.

Note:You should have a decent video card though. I dropped from my usual ~90- ish frames (I think I had vSync on, so could be more), to around 40 - 50 frames per second. This is a 7600GT running @ 3072 x 768, thus, if you are running multi screen on something like a 8800GT or something, regardless of your resolution, you should be fine.

Note2: For setting up SoftTH, search it on google, and simply follow the Readme. It's a simple Copy & Paste thing.

Good Luck, GenesisX

Awesome post man. ^_^

You know what? I really need to thank you~! All it took was 5 minutes of searching, and I think I save rendering a screen. I discovered something that I might have overlooked a few weeks ago when changing to multi Again, I'd need to test if this works on my rig first. Try it!

Anyways, back to LFS. I'll describe to you the problems with LFS, and things we can do:

a) SoftTH. I describe to you the problems using SoftTH, and what I do to resolve it. Then:

b) They call it 'Adjustable FOV'.
I still have to test if it works. I'll follow it up when I have to the time to test it out myself. I'm quite sure it works though.

What our problem was with dual screen displays in LFS, was that after setting our resolutions (my case 2 1024 x 768) to 2048 x 768, was that, as usual, the wheel was set in the center. Now, this wouldn't be a problem if I had only one screen. The wheel would be dead on in the center. However, with CRTs, we have this thing called bezel, which from context of reading previous posts, is that plastic-ie thing at the edge of each monitor. Thus, my wheel would have a 11" wheel would have a diameter of 11" from top to bottom, but have a diameter of 13 - 14" at the side (visually).

Look here:
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/4115/monitor2mj7.jpg

When we try to fix this, we'd normally try to shift the view over, or the FOV over, so that the wheel would be on one side. However, we'd be viewing everything on an angle, as seen here:

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5271/monitor1ao6.jpg

(Credits to:Mcintyrej from http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=41869) You can look there.

Solution 1) SoftTH (I have NO knowledge of TH2Go). Typically you'd be running 3 monitors here. The center monitor (primary) would display the focus of what you'd want to see, typically the wheel, as such. The remaining left and right monitors act as secondary monitors. As suggested, they show what is secondary to what information is viewed and given. In a dual monitor setup, and in a left - wheel positioned car, the left monitor would act as the primary, and the right would act as the single secondary, displaying the remainder of the interior. Anyways, this is what is generally done, and what I do. You may choose to do this the other way, such that the right is secondary, and left is looking out the window. Vice-versa applies here, where you are driving on the right, and respective monitor roles are reversed.

A problem found here, is setting up the config file for SoftTH. Generally, after downloading the RAR file off the SoftTH website found here:

http://www.kegetys.net/SoftTH/

you would extract the files and Copy & Paste the selected files as stated in the Readme into the LFS root folder. Then you would simply state what resolutions are used into the bottom of the cfg. file. In a triple screen setup, you should be able to double click LFS, and you basically configure inside LFS, and you would be gripping, racing, drifting, crashing, or goofing off. However, if in a double screen setup, you would need to setup which screen is which (actually in a triple screen, you would too, but a bit easier). For me:
Left Screen has ID #2, thus for "DeviceIDright=" I'd have 1 there, as my right screen ID is 1. For my leftscreen, which I currently don't have connected, I've set "DeviceIDleft=-1". It should be rather straight forward, but it was a jack-@ss for me to setup, as I had no previous knowledge of this. You'd also need to set the perameters beneath it. I forgot to set those, and I always received errors. There is a forum at
http://www.kegetys.net/SoftTH/ , so if you are interested, and you have a problem, you can consult them.
After that, it is simply setting the right options such as setting the driver to "[Insert Card model here] with SoftTH" inside LFS, and setting the correct resolution which is found by "[(Width of secondary monitor) x 2 + (Width of primary monitor)] (x) height". I am not sure how the height works if they are different; I guess you'd utilize the greatest height of the monitors. Typically you'd have secondary monitors with the same resolution, (I think you have to, as it is forced in the CFG.). I'm putting brackets around x, because it is crucial for you to know that they should be seperate, as resolution is simply width x height =D.

Example: For me, I have (3) monitors @ 1024 x 768, thus "1024 x 2 + 1024 (x) 768 = 2048 +1024 (x) 768 = 3072 x 768. Then you'd need to add bordersize, but I would talk about that at another time, at which I don't even know if you are interested 100% in a dual monitor solution. Anyways, it is rather easy after reading the Readme.

Solution 2: Adjusting FOV. http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=31026 There was a suggestion with an adjustable FOV, which was virtual still right now. Basically with this setup, Copy & Paste into root, I guess, and adjust the config. file. Should be straight forward. Haven't tried it yet. You should trust the people who created this, rather than me, as I am still a Demo, right? They have been here for a long time, rather than me being only active for like 3 - 4 days =D.

Hope you luck. I'd only wish that you can finish reading this post without falling asleep :sleep1:.

Haha, good luck, GenesisX

i did not read the whole thing, but i only looked at the pictures...after that thing you rambled on about is in use can we have a picture, or did i not read enough of the post

I can't exactly make out what you are trying to say. Try to clearly state what you have questions about. I tried to explain what I am thinking from typing it out, and you can at least look for what you have problems with.

from what i read you were promoting the previous suggestion...i saw what it would be like with the 2 moniters regular, read a bit about plastic in-between, and saw a picture of the angle kinda view, and then there was a lot of typing and there were no more pictures...so are you promoting what was previously stated

It's called elaborating. You can't dis' him for something you didn't read after asking asking for help on something.

He put a lot of effort into explain the extra things so you shouldn't right it off.

In terms of the explanation. The part afterwards (no pictures), is the part where I explain installing SoftTH. It shouldn't be a hard process, but I wrote it in anyways, because I had trouble installing with only 2 monitors. The resolution was easy. It is there for reference only, and reading it is only up to you. No one is going to make you do it. However, it'd be easier if you did, because it may answer your questions.

I can try to upload pictures, if that makes it easier. I know that personally I am also a visual learner, but I adapt if there isn't any, such as the Advanced Setup Guide, where there weren't pictures for such things as dampers, scrub radius, track, and stuff. I had to make up what the explanation was in my head, and 'IMAGINATION'. Can you see the rainbow ? If that isn't enough, I even go online and look for further articles or pictures.

It is in the question of you. Do you want more information? I'd be more than glad to help you, as for instance, I learned that there is such thing as an "adjustable FOV' now. Too lazy to install it though ;D.

@ "so are you promoting what was previously stated"

I'm not promoting anything. I'm not a sales representative of either things. It is up to you. You should choose what is better, dependent on what you have, and what you want to get accomplished. They are both good choices for you to choose from, and there are many ways of getting them done. I'm just explaining them to you, but the programmers, or creators of them will probably help you get this done a lot easier.

Quote from JasonJ :

It's called elaborating. You can't dis' him for something you didn't read after asking asking for help on something.

He put a lot of effort into explain the extra things so you shouldn't right it off.

i was not dissing him in any way what-so-ever

Quote from genesisx :

words (my multiquote is not working)

stupid internet explorer

if you could upload pictures of what it looks like after you installed that would be great (sorry if yuo thought i was dissing you )

No no. Of course I didn't think you were dissing me. However, I'd make my life a whole lot easier if you simply took 3 minutes to read it, where I would've taken me 20 or 30 minutes to write.

I'll try, but I am rather busy tomorrow. This means my S2 purchase has to wait until Friday or Saturday. Good Luck.

BTW, does anyone know if Soft will work with FSX with an actual span, not stretched mode?

i am a slow reader so it is more like a 7 minute read...and dont take time for me instead of your s2, get that at all costs first
EDIT: ok 10 minutes later i finished
i mis-understood from what i read and with the 2 moniters those options are your only 2 options wow im glad i did not spend the extra 100 $ on getting a moniter with my computer, cause then i would have 2

In fact, there are more. But the other one I can think of is TH2G which costs $300.

EDIT: Please take the explanation by reference. Surely they may get you going on a dual monitior setup, but please research for more ways. I don't want you to get limited because I only stated only 2. There may be better options just sitting there, waiting, waiting for you

You scared? :P