Dual monitor for debugging fullscreen?
by Danner Jones · in Torque Game Engine · 09/30/2004 (1:08 pm) · 6 replies
I've searched the forums for threads related to dual monitor support, multihead, etc. and the topics listed seem to be centered on developing a game that uses two monitors. I'm more interested in setting up my machine to use two monitors, one for running Torque fullscreen and one to show a code window, help files, etc. - regular windows.
I'm using an ATI 9500 Pro with two monitors on one card. This works fine in windows - I'm using the "Extend my desktop" mode (versus clone). I can drag windows from one monitor to the other and maximize each individually.
When I run Torque fullscreen it picks the main monitor (VGA out on the card) and works great - peformance wise, I'm still getting great frameratee. On the other monitor, where I have a browser maximized, the browser windows "shifts" to the right a bit. I read that this is due to the resolution differences - I can try fixing that when I get home and isn't much of a concern.
The issue is when I'm at a menu in TorqueDemo and I move the mouse to the other monitor (the non-Fullscreen TorqueDemo one) and click. Moving the mouse is fine, but when I click on the other monitor, Torque minimizes itself.
I did a quick scan but couldn't figure out what's causing the minimizing.
What I'd like, ideally, is to be able to switch to the other monitor while running fullscreen and either step through code (if that's where Visual Studio's window is), or just review/update notes in an editor without having Torque minimize itself.
Anyone have this working? Maybe a resource here at GG or Google that shows how to set this up?
I use OpenGL for the driver, as a default. I can switch to DirectX if that works better for this type of dual monitor support but it's a bit slower on my Radeon card.
-ner
I'm using an ATI 9500 Pro with two monitors on one card. This works fine in windows - I'm using the "Extend my desktop" mode (versus clone). I can drag windows from one monitor to the other and maximize each individually.
When I run Torque fullscreen it picks the main monitor (VGA out on the card) and works great - peformance wise, I'm still getting great frameratee. On the other monitor, where I have a browser maximized, the browser windows "shifts" to the right a bit. I read that this is due to the resolution differences - I can try fixing that when I get home and isn't much of a concern.
The issue is when I'm at a menu in TorqueDemo and I move the mouse to the other monitor (the non-Fullscreen TorqueDemo one) and click. Moving the mouse is fine, but when I click on the other monitor, Torque minimizes itself.
I did a quick scan but couldn't figure out what's causing the minimizing.
What I'd like, ideally, is to be able to switch to the other monitor while running fullscreen and either step through code (if that's where Visual Studio's window is), or just review/update notes in an editor without having Torque minimize itself.
Anyone have this working? Maybe a resource here at GG or Google that shows how to set this up?
I use OpenGL for the driver, as a default. I can switch to DirectX if that works better for this type of dual monitor support but it's a bit slower on my Radeon card.
-ner
#2
I am sure there is a programmatic way around this since my DVD application and Windows Media Player can run "Fullscreen" while I work with other windows. However, I don't believe that these applications are actually running in "Fullscreen mode", I think they are programmatically removing the window frame and title bar then extending the window interior to fill the screen. I say this because when you run them "Fullscreen" the other monitor does not seem to change resolution or shift to the right. I could be completely incorrect.
- Jeff
09/30/2004 (1:49 pm)
I have the same difficulty. I think it is a windows thing. When you run Torque in fullscreen it has the focus and I believe both monitors go into fullscreen mode, but when you move the mouse to the "non-fullscreen" and click a window that window now has the focus and the system shifts back to windowed mode. Windows then minimizes the Fullscreen application. Essentially the same as hitting Alt-Tab.I am sure there is a programmatic way around this since my DVD application and Windows Media Player can run "Fullscreen" while I work with other windows. However, I don't believe that these applications are actually running in "Fullscreen mode", I think they are programmatically removing the window frame and title bar then extending the window interior to fill the screen. I say this because when you run them "Fullscreen" the other monitor does not seem to change resolution or shift to the right. I could be completely incorrect.
- Jeff
#3
09/30/2004 (2:35 pm)
Same here -- same card, same setup, same behavior. :(
#4
I remember reading some DirectX articles about setting up dual monitors for debugging, but I can't remember where they were (back in DX7 or maybe DX7 beta). Maybe the articles were talking two cards even.
I suppose I could put an old PCI card in the computer and run the 2nd monitor off of that. If anyone has gotten that working (fullscreen on one card, windowed mode on the other), let me know.
As a third, and most drastic, alternative, I could finish putting together a 2nd computer and attach the monitor to that and use it to terminal service into the first. That way it would "be" on the 1st machine, but in a whole other "memory space" as the first, but still able to modify the local files and such. I'd rather not build another machine from scratch as I spent *last* weekend building my wife's new machine...
-ner
09/30/2004 (2:51 pm)
@Jeff "Ddraig Goch" Parry: Those application use a standard fullscreen window, as opposed to DirectX or OpenGL which change the display to "exclusive" mode. I remember reading some DirectX articles about setting up dual monitors for debugging, but I can't remember where they were (back in DX7 or maybe DX7 beta). Maybe the articles were talking two cards even.
I suppose I could put an old PCI card in the computer and run the 2nd monitor off of that. If anyone has gotten that working (fullscreen on one card, windowed mode on the other), let me know.
As a third, and most drastic, alternative, I could finish putting together a 2nd computer and attach the monitor to that and use it to terminal service into the first. That way it would "be" on the 1st machine, but in a whole other "memory space" as the first, but still able to modify the local files and such. I'd rather not build another machine from scratch as I spent *last* weekend building my wife's new machine...
-ner
#6
debugging with a dual monitor setup rocks!
10/11/2004 (6:02 pm)
This works wonderfully on TSE havent tried TGE debugging with a dual monitor setup rocks!
Torque Owner Teck Lee Tan
As for the screen shift, it's indeed due to resolution differences. If your app is running at the same resolution as the primary display, you won't see a shift in the second display.