Multi-monitor support?

[meriadoc]

I'm glad to hear that Civ3 will support multiple monitors (or, at least that what it sounds like). I have a Matrox DualHead card and I do occasionally use two monitors, so I can think of a few uses for this ability.... (Of course, since my second monitor just died, these uses will have to wait.)

[MarkG]

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...

hey mike, how about a 2048x768 mode for Civ3?????

[StSz]

well, I have a Matrox G400 (Matrox makes the _BEST_ TV-OUT and multi-monitor cards), and if I use the dual-monitor feature (quite often) it doesn't matter if a prog. changes resolution or color-depth.

The second screen is completely independant to the first one. I often use 800x600 on the second one (PAL TV)


However... It would be cooool if Civ3 would support Multimonitoring in some way...
(so you are able to move the stat screen, or else to the second screen)

[SerapisIV]

Does anyone know of a webtutorial somewhere that will explain how to set up dual monitors. I recently upgraded video cards and have an extra card lying around, so I'm thinking of trying. Also, those of you who use Win98 and dual monitors on two different video cards, any instability problems?

[Jarouik]

Originally posted by SerapisIV
Does anyone know of a webtutorial somewhere that will explain how to set up dual monitors. I recently upgraded video cards and have an extra card lying around, so I'm thinking of trying. Also, those of you who use Win98 and dual monitors on two different video cards, any instability problems?

I don't know of any tutorial, but there really is no need for one - provided that your video cards work correctly with the dual monitor feature (and most do), setting up dual monitors is as easy as installing the second card to your computer and booting up. (If you have one AGP and one PCI card, you will probably be able to select in system BIOS which one of the cards will be used as primary, which is the card used for full-screen games, DOS etc.) Anyway, when you boot, once you have installed the drivers for the second card, you just go to Display Properties and select the Settings tab - it should now have a picture of two displays, and you just need to click on the second display and select Extend Windows desktop onto this monitor.

As for instability problems, before upgrading to Windows 2000 I used dual monitors in Windows 98 with two different video cards (a Voodoo3 2000 PCI and a lousy integrated SiS 530 AGP controller, with Voodoo3 as primary) for over a year and had no problems whatsoever. I don't know, however, if other people have encountered stability issues with the feature.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

No stability issues for me either. You can buy a PCI card for 25£ which is really handy if you have a spare monitor.

[tniem]

For those that want a step by step guide:

http://www.help.com/cat/2/191/192/193/hto/125/1.html

It details it for 98 and should be helpful for all Windows based OS

[CapTVK]

The original question isn't completely answered

Not to be a spoilsport or anything but the original question hasn't been answered. So Mike can run Civ3 on one screen and a debugger on the other, so? That isn't news, many programmers already use that one for years. Hell, on some non-window OS's with a commercial X-window manager you can do 4 or more if you want. (if you have the space of course )

The only thing that's certain now is that Civ3 will run safely on a multiple monitor setup. Now back to the original question...

The original poster also wanted to know if Civ3 could be run OVER TWO MONITORS. Meaning: "can I have the map screen running in one screen and the diplomacy, city mngt windows on the other"?


That question still hasn't been answered.

[BlastDuke]

A really good Multi-Monitor website can be found at:

http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon

You will find answers to nearly all your questions and there is also a great database of already working dual-monitor-systems.

[Al'Kimiya]

Re: The original question isn't completely answered

Originally posted by CapTVK

The original poster also wanted to know if Civ3 could be run OVER TWO MONITORS. Meaning: "can I have the map screen running in one screen and the diplomacy, city mngt windows on the other"?

actually, I didn't mean that, and I'm pretty sure we won't be able to...

[CapTVK]

Re: Re: The original question isn't completely answered

Originally posted by Al'Kimiya


actually, I didn't mean that, and I'm pretty sure we won't be able to...

If that's the case then Civ3 is a step backwards on that account. Civ2 truly was windows based. meaning you could shrink/expand individual windows, move them over the screen, hide them under each other etc....

There was actually a discussion on this a year back (wasn't AH the protagonist in that particular case?) that it should be window based and not full screen so people could use their own messenger services, browser at the same time.


The fact that Civ3 isn't a true windows program, bit of an irony there , might have something to do with the fact that it requires DirectX8 which doesn't seem to offer much for multiple monitors anyway. Trouble for me is that I use WinNT 4.0 which only supports DirectX3. Civ2MP works like a charm on NT but I know for certain that Civ3 won't. If someone can inform me otherwise I'll be a contend man.


I mean, why does Civ3 need DX8 anyway? It isn't as if Civ3 is pushing polygons to the limit, is it?

[Jarouik]

Re: Re: Re: The original question isn't completely answered

Originally posted by CapTVK
The fact that Civ3 isn't a true windows program, bit of an irony there , might have something to do with the fact that it requires DirectX8 which doesn't seem to offer much for multiple monitors anyway. Trouble for me is that I use WinNT 4.0 which only supports DirectX3. Civ2MP works like a charm on NT but I know for certain that Civ3 won't. If someone can inform me otherwise I'll be a contend man.


I mean, why does Civ3 need DX8 anyway? It isn't as if Civ3 is pushing polygons to the limit, is it?

While I agreed a while ago that the best way to do Civilization would be in windowed mode (and still do), I can see the reasons for making Civ3 a full-screen DirectX game.

Displaying and drawing graphics in a window is slower than doing it full-screen with DirectX. The game is every bit as much a true Windows program as any else - it has just been designed to run in full-screen mode, as you certainly are aware that most games are. I am certain that if Civ3 were to draw the same kind of graphics inside a window, it would either be a lot slower and more unplayable or take a year or so further testing and optimising to make the windowed mode work fast enough... and yes, the graphics, while a subject of debate, are in my opinion a lot better (or at least look more sophisticated and therefore require more computing power ) than those of CTP, and I can understand why they wanted to use the latest DirectX - even SMAC, with considerably simpler (or lower-resolution and color depth) graphics, required DirectX 6.

An additional reason, of course, is that by relying on standard Windows interface elements and displaying the game inside a window, while admittedly handy in a game as complex as Civ, does take away a lot of liberty in designing the game interface and certainly diminishes the feeling of immersion into the game world. I think there is also a bit of marketing involved in the decision to run the game full-screen. Therefore, I am content with Firaxis' decision with full-screen, as long as you can run other programs alongside it on other displays with no problems...