Eyefinity/Surround with different resolution monitors

[ruhtraeel]

Hello,
I currently have 2 1280*1024 monitors and a 1920*1080 one in the middle.

I've been using SoftTH (Software Triplehead) to be able to run my games using all 3 monitors, having 1080-1024=56 pixels cut off vertically from the side monitors.

The problem is, the creator of SoftTH has moved on, and it only supports games up to DX9.

Are there any software alternatives (ie. not hardware like Matrox Triplehead2Go) that support newer games?

Thanks

 

[KingFatty]

Hello,
I currently have 2 1280*1024 monitors and a 1920*1080 one in the middle.

I've been using SoftTH (Software Triplehead) to be able to run my games using all 3 monitors, having 1080-1024=56 pixels cut off vertically from the side monitors.

The problem is, the creator of SoftTH has moved on, and it only supports games up to DX9.

Are there any software alternatives (ie. not hardware like Matrox Triplehead2Go) that support newer games?

Thanks

For alternatives, you specifically want alternatives that support different resolutions natively the way SoftTH did? So something other than Eyefinity or Surround?

Because first question is how do you like eyefinity on those monitors? Is your objection because it uses a 5:4 aspect for all monitors, because that's the only aspect ratio supported by the side monitors?

There may be a way to add support for a 16:9 aspect ratio to the side monitors, so you can run the middle (i.e., most important) display at its native aspect ratio with no distortion. Whether the side monitors distort will depend on whether they can letterbox themselves.

Anyway, it involves using a utility to add a 16:9 resolution to the driver for the side monitors, it's pretty straightforward based on EDID editing. Then you load that driver, and the monitors support it. Then eyefinity can pick up on that common resolution, and it looks good (though the side monitors would stretch vertically if they can't figure out how to letterbox).

 

[ruhtraeel]

For alternatives, you specifically want alternatives that support different resolutions natively the way SoftTH did? So something other than Eyefinity or Surround?

Because first question is how do you like eyefinity on those monitors? Is your objection because it uses a 5:4 aspect for all monitors, because that's the only aspect ratio supported by the side monitors?

There may be a way to add support for a 16:9 aspect ratio to the side monitors, so you can run the middle (i.e., most important) display at its native aspect ratio with no distortion. Whether the side monitors distort will depend on whether they can letterbox themselves.

Anyway, it involves using a utility to add a 16:9 resolution to the driver for the side monitors, it's pretty straightforward based on EDID editing. Then you load that driver, and the monitors support it. Then eyefinity can pick up on that common resolution, and it looks good (though the side monitors would stretch vertically if they can't figure out how to letterbox).

Yes, I want something that functioned the way SoftTH did. When I try to use Eyefinity, the 1920*1080 monitor gets turned into 1280*1024 while playing, which looks really ugly.

I remember that when I was using SoftTH to play DIRT 3, my aspect ratio total was 112:something. My total resolution was (4480 * 1080) - (56 * 2)

I think I follow what you're saying, but I wouldn't know where to start.



My monitor setup looked similar to this:
http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq82/gregpugliese/Cockpit_04-13-11_1.jpg

 

[KingFatty]

I feel your pain, this irks me so much that neither eyefinity nor surround can do what that picture shows.

I too came from SoftTH and I took it for granted that you could just mix and match monitors however you wanted. I mean if keygetys can achieve that functionality essentially in his spare time, why the heck can't AMD or NVidia!?

Anyway, here is the concept of what I propose:
Enable a 16:9 aspect ratio on the side monitors. This would mean adding the following resolution to the list they support: 1280x720.
This raises 2 questions
1) does your center monitor support this 16:9 resolution? Probably yes. But if not, what is another 16:9 resolution your center monitor supports, where the horizontal is less than 1280? If necessary, run a game on the center monitor and see what other resolutions it supports at 16:9 aspect.
2) what will happen when those monitors are driven with this 16:9 resolution? They could letterbox (nice), or stretch/distort (bummer). Either way, it's better to use 16:9 on the sides because that lets you run the center at native.
Use a first utility to extract the software driver for your side monitors.
Use a second utility to insert the desired 16:9 aspect ratio into that driver
Save the updated driver, and 'update' the software driver on the monitors to load the new driver.
Now your side monitors support a 16:9 resolution.
Now run eyefinity and select the resolution where all three monitors run at the 16:9 resolution.
Now eyefinity looks more acceptable, because the center monitor is not distorted. Whether the side monitors are distorted depends on whether they letterbox or stretch. Give it a try and find out.

Anyway, that's one way to mess around with the display driver itself to try to get more usefulness from eyefinity. Distorting the side monitors may be acceptable because often times they are already showing some distortion due to the huge wide aspect ratio. So even if they stretch vertically, your eyes will think it's acceptable distortion, especially when it's just peripheral vision.

 

[ruhtraeel]

I feel your pain, this irks me so much that neither eyefinity nor surround can do what that picture shows.

I too came from SoftTH and I took it for granted that you could just mix and match monitors however you wanted. I mean if keygetys can achieve that functionality essentially in his spare time, why the heck can't AMD or NVidia!?

Anyway, here is the concept of what I propose:
Enable a 16:9 aspect ratio on the side monitors. This would mean adding the following resolution to the list they support: 1280x720.
This raises 2 questions
1) does your center monitor support this 16:9 resolution? Probably yes. But if not, what is another 16:9 resolution your center monitor supports, where the horizontal is less than 1280? If necessary, run a game on the center monitor and see what other resolutions it supports at 16:9 aspect.
2) what will happen when those monitors are driven with this 16:9 resolution? They could letterbox (nice), or stretch/distort (bummer). Either way, it's better to use 16:9 on the sides because that lets you run the center at native.
Use a first utility to extract the software driver for your side monitors.
Use a second utility to insert the desired 16:9 aspect ratio into that driver
Save the updated driver, and 'update' the software driver on the monitors to load the new driver.
Now your side monitors support a 16:9 resolution.
Now run eyefinity and select the resolution where all three monitors run at the 16:9 resolution.
Now eyefinity looks more acceptable, because the center monitor is not distorted. Whether the side monitors are distorted depends on whether they letterbox or stretch. Give it a try and find out.

Anyway, that's one way to mess around with the display driver itself to try to get more usefulness from eyefinity. Distorting the side monitors may be acceptable because often times they are already showing some distortion due to the huge wide aspect ratio. So even if they stretch vertically, your eyes will think it's acceptable distortion, especially when it's just peripheral vision.

To be honest, I might just download the source code for SoftTH and try to adapt it to DX11, depending on how time consuming it is to learn. I really wish AMD or Nvidia would implement this because, like you said, if someone can do it in their spare time, a giant corporation should support this feature (unless it affects monitor sales?).

Taking the graphics course in my university would help a lot, but I've heard the stories about that course and they don't seem to be very positive... (it's in OpenGL though)