[deadalvs]

hi !


i really like my two 24" monitors...

but i'd like to add one more monitor in portrait format just for scripting and additional palettes.

now... technical question. i read about using three monitors on google that i just have to add a graphics card... but is it that easy ? (i'm using xp 64).

anyone having experience ?

[Fernando Tella]

Soon you'll have to use binoculars to see all your screens.

[Bubbaloo]

What graphics card do you have now? What kind and how many outputs on it?

[NicoR44]

Just a link that might help you out :
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/th2go/

[Bubbaloo]

Nico, that's bad ass. Do you use it?

[deadalvs]

What graphics card do you have now? What kind and how many outputs on it?

hi Bubbaloo !

this is my card:
ASUS EN7950GT/HTDP/512M, GeForce 7950GT, 512MB, HDCP

so it has two DVI outs.

* * *

hehe... that matrox thing's cool too... thanks, Nico !

[ivox3]

yeah ...... it's easy.

Grab a cheap pci card , ..keep it the same make(Nvidia) and hook it up. lol. It's best if you can use the same drivers.

You can mix card vendors, ..but you'll probably experience some problems.

Your definitely going to want a copy of Multi Monitor http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/overview/


This is the place for multi-monitors:

http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/faq.asp


Also interesting:

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000012.html


I'll tell you what's tough though ..... Having 2 machines that you want to use the same triple display setup on. You would need a pretty fancy KVM switch .... , .. double the difficulty level if you need it to be all DVI. I've managed to have a dual-display working though a dual-monitor KVM switch, ...but adding the third monitor is melting my mind. I think I'll just have the third monitor work with only one system, ... so, .. when I switch over, .. the third screen will still be displaying the primary desktop. Just rambling out loud .......

[deadalvs]

i'm working with the two displays on DVI with my main computer and the server's plugged to dual VGA. but using triplets really seems being a hard thing to tackle !

so i guess i'll go for just a second graphics card of the same type. or some of a similar type.

thx...

* * *

or i'll buy also one of these curved alienware displays...

they're so cool ! nerdy but cool...

[polynurb]

Hmm .. a thread on multi monitor .. I'll add some more rambling..

-same here.. I am using the dual display inputs for switching between the workstations,.. I never really trusted the KVM switches in terms of image quality. the ones i used till now didn´t do a to good job at 1900x1200. so i just use it for keyboard now.
-
the thing with the alienware screen is that it is a rearprojected multi DLP unit, so I assume it needs a lot of cooling and is really loud
-
one of my screens is an 19" eizo and it is switchable per software hotkey(usb connected);
so theoretically if you only had eizo screens (i know it's unrealistic ) you should be able to switch them simultaneously witch one key.

Talking about Eizo.. have you guys looked at their 30" model..? great color gamut 12bit lookup tables... and the unique possibility of connecting 2! graphics cards to display one 2500x1600 image. currently the only way to get decent accelertion at that resolution withou buying two frame-render capable quadros (~2500€) and running them in SLI...
-
for DVI the fiberoptic stuff from matrox looks pretty serious, but that costs more than the average pc

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/cadgi ... of1420.php

..and matrox is not the choice for 3d acceleration anymore.
-
btw. isn't that the perfect third screen:
http://www.wacom-europe.com/index2.asp?lang=en&pid=96
-
&..just on the side:

I very much enjoy using windows remotedesktop to connect to other machines while remaining switched to the workstation; so when i want to surf the net I connect to my dirty internet machine, to the server for maintainance, or to the rendernodes for monitoring. (no problems with multiple connections/ you can even cascade them)
And with the latest update 32bit color depth is supported too; just doesn`t work too good with videos, but it actually even displayed the overlay of my tv-card... just very slow with big windows.

[NicoR44]

Nico, that's bad ass. Do you use it?

Only for flight simulation at this moment

[ivox3]

btw. isn't that the perfect third screen:
http://www.wacom-europe.com/index2.asp?lang=en&pid=96
-

I think I like it better then the big one ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEI97_Ka-n4

[polynurb]

I think I like it better then the big one ...

the big one is a real monster, no way of leaning back with that thing in your arm.. and it is awfully slow at 30ms - no chance for proper 3d wireframe

the small one is 25ms but just fine for painting textures or sculpting, IMHO

[deadalvs]

oh i`ve been dreaming about such a toy too...

but none of them seems reallt to be usable for all tasks like modeling in zbrush, paining 2d/3d.

[deadalvs]

I think I like it better then the big one ...

the big one is a real monster, no way of leaning back with that thing in your arm.. and it is awfully slow at 30ms - no chance for proper 3d wireframe

the small one is 25ms but just fine for painting textures or sculpting, IMHO

so did you try this with zBrush or mudBox ?

[polynurb]

I tried the 21" at a studio tools roadshow some time ago..
then I decided to get a normal a4wide tablet (the Cintiq 21" model was 2800€ at that time )
The tablet is really nice; i even use it for modelling and cad in rhino besides the mouse.
with sculpting i was more thinking about T-splines and nurbs, but as far as i know Z-brush and mudBox work fine with the stylus pressure features,
so painting directly on the screen is even more of a kick.