Multi-monitor support?

[Al'Kimiya]

Perhaps this is a minor issue for most people, but I post it anyway...

We've heard that the game will not run in a window, but to be very "alt-tab friendly", where ICQ, Winamp and other programs could be on top.

In newer versions of the Windows OS, there is built-in support for multi-monitor. So if you have more than one graphic card you just plug in another monitor and expand the desktop onto it.

My consern is that when running a full screen game, it often insists on changing the resolutions back and forth on the main screen, thus rearranging all windows, not to my liking. (For instance, the intro movie in Call to power 2 did this).

What I would like is that any movies could be scaled to the current resolution (which I hope can be edited to use the current windows desktop resolution or some user defined). I would also prefer if possible to have the mouse cursor "free" so it can be used for programs on the other screen, while civ3 stays "in place". This is good for IRC and surfing or whatever.

Would be thankful for any comments. From Firaxis or others.

[Inverse Icarus]

yea, i have that (Raedon VE Dual Head).

works well with civ2 (a couple of "Track Enemy Moves" windows and a huge mian screen), but that was a windowed game where you could move and resize all the windows.

Jeff, care to answer?

[SlowThinker]

I go with Al'Kimiya.

I use that second monitor for notes about my plans, units, cities of the Civ game that is under way, I browse a scanned tech tree chart etc.

I dislike that fact about non-windowed Civ3 very much.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

I have two monitors as well. And non-windowed game is a step back for me.

My proposal would be that you could at least try to patch multi-monitor support in the future, if it will be user unfriendly at the beginning. There are more and more people using this feature . And it is really handy if you have to wait.

[Mike Breitkreutz FIRAXIS]

I'm also using two monitors -- I often use one for the game and one for the debugger (and to browse Apolyton). I haven't had any problems...

[tniem]

Originally posted by Mike Breitkreutz FIRAXIS
I'm also using two monitors -- I often use one for the game and one for the debugger (and to browse Apolyton). I haven't had any problems...

Mike thanks for the information. Just to let you know, it is your 14th post here on Apolyton which means your still a settler. How 'bout racking up your post counts with some more information...

[Al'Kimiya]

Originally posted by Mike Breitkreutz FIRAXIS
I'm also using two monitors -- I often use one for the game and one for the debugger (and to browse Apolyton). I haven't had any problems...

Sounds good, thanks

[OneFootInTheGrave]

This is the step up.

Thanks for info.

[Gramphos]

This is very good news, now the only thing I need is a new video card, a new monitor and a new OS

Or what OS' supports Multimonitoring, is there apps that makes it work for other OS?

I smell a news Item, now where is Snapcase. He is listed as online, so He is probably writing one now.

[SlowThinker]

Originally posted by Mike Breitkreutz FIRAXIS
I'm also using two monitors -- I often use one for the game and one for the debugger (and to browse Apolyton). I haven't had any problems...

Are you sure? The situation might be different in the case of debugging and in the case of a regular game...

Normally all non-windowed games dissapear form the primary monitor after you Alt-tab, and so you cannot see the game and other windows related to the game (notes etc.) simultaneously.

[Al'Kimiya]

Originally posted by Gramphos
Or what OS' supports Multimonitoring, is there apps that makes it work for other OS?

Windows 98/ME/2000/XP supports multimonitoring.

[Al'Kimiya]

Originally posted by SlowThinker
Normally all non-windowed games dissapear form the primary monitor after you Alt-tab, and so you cannot see the game and other windows related to the game (notes etc.) simultaneously.

I think Alpha Centauri didn't, not sure though.

[Gramphos]

Originally posted by Al'Kimiya
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP supports multimonitoring.

Good, I thought it was ME/2000/XP (not 98) as I only have used it with 2000, now I only need a new videocard and a monitor. (I maybe can get some old from work).

[SlowThinker]

Originally posted by Gramphos
This is very good news, now the only thing I need is a new video card, a new monitor and a new OS

Or what OS' supports Multimonitoring, is there apps that makes it work for other OS?

Win 98 and higher. A bulk of video cards supports multi-monitor.

[Jarouik]

Originally posted by SlowThinker

Are you sure? The situation might be different in the case of debugging and in the case of a regular game...

Normally all non-windowed games dissapear form the primary monitor after you Alt-tab, and so you cannot see the game and other windows related to the game (notes etc.) simultaneously.

I think that if he has a debugger program and/or web browser on his secondary monitor and he can use them while the game is visible on the primary monitor, it seems safe to say that Civ3 won't change resolutions and/or color depths of your monitors and as such can be used in a multi-monitor setup better than e.g. SMAC, which forced you into 8-bit colors, rendering the apps on the secondary monitor so ugly as to be unusable (and distorting the game graphics completely whenevery you clicked on another program), even though SMAC did allow you to operate windows on your second monitor without alt-tabbing.

So, I can only rejoice that Firaxis has taken multi-monitor users into consideration as well - little things like this make a huge difference when you play a game a lot and wish to use other software at the same time.

And on the topic of operating systems that support multi-monitoring, only the Professional version of Windows XP will support multiple monitors. Even though Windows 98 introduced the feature, it has been removed from XP Home Edition - so anyone who uses multiple monitors will have to get XP Professional, which is more expensive. I won't be upgrading from 2000 any time soon...