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Multimonitor experiences?
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Shade Alidiana
PROSPERO Corporation
#1 - 2015-10-27 05:09:59 UTC
Hello everyone,
I've bought a 2nd monitor solely for EVE a few years ago, and am kinda happy with it running as a fullscreen 3840x1080 window on an expanded desktop, but there's some stuff not abailable in this mode... Have anyone got better ideas how to get best graphics possible out of it? Or maybe other stuff. I'm using AMD card so could try and make an eyefinity monitor instead, just not sure if it'll work.
Ajunta Pal
Sith Wannabies Annonymous
#2 - 2015-10-27 05:23:30 UTC
well, I use nvidia (and 3 monitors 5760x1200) so anything I say should be tested with your setup. if you use fixed window mode and set it to your desktop resolution it should atleast "appear" to be full screen, for me it runs almost as fast as true full screen. nVidia surround also works for me and lets me do full screen at my desktop resolution - with surround you need identical monitors. If you could tell me whats not available I may be able to tell you how to get it available. I can also run it fixed window with DSR enabled (super sampling) and have an effective resolution of 11520x2400. DSR is not compatible with surround.
Shade Alidiana
PROSPERO Corporation
#3 - 2015-10-27 06:14:47 UTC
Ajunta Pal wrote:
well, I use nvidia (and 3 monitors 5760x1200) so anything I say should be tested with your setup. if you use fixed window mode and set it to your desktop resolution it should atleast "appear" to be full screen, for me it runs almost as fast as true full screen. nVidia surround also works for me and lets me do full screen at my desktop resolution - with surround you need identical monitors. If you could tell me whats not available I may be able to tell you how to get it available. I can also run it fixed window with DSR enabled (super sampling) and have an effective resolution of 11520x2400. DSR is not compatible with surround.

Well anti aliasing doesn't seem to work any well and I can't control any filtering through drivers, since they only apply to fullscreen apps. And performance wise I have plenty space to play with, card rarely reaches 90% load.
And regarding DSR.. Well that could partly fix the problem, but I wasn't sure how it can work for a fullscreen window mode without resizing my actual desktop. At least the AMD implementation of it.
Daemun Khanid
Corbeau de sang
#4 - 2015-10-27 06:58:01 UTC  |  Edited by: Daemun Khanid
(correction: you do have to run in fixed window to get it across both screens without using an eyefinity setup. Eyefinity will of course allow you to run full screen across both monitors.)

Once in full screen AA options located in the display driver should work more reliably. AA options available in game should function fine regardless of what mode you're in.

Personally I prefer to run in fixed window mode because it results in much less delay when alt-tabbing with very little difference in performance.

Enabling VSR (amd) will simply make other, higher resolution options available within the games selections for resolution. Unless you're just trying to get a super smooth image without AA then it's not really worth it imo. At 1080p or higher resolutions with AA enabled in game eve has very few jaggies as it is.

I'm not sure what you're implying isn't available when just running it as an extended desktop. Anistrophic filtering options and such as set in catalyst control center will have little to no effect on image quality in eve regardless of what type of window you're running it in. The only major difference is morphological filtering which has to be in full screen to work but I'd highly advise against using it. It's just a post render blur effect that gets rid of jaggies without the performance hit of normal AA modes but it is applied to the entire scene and it blurs the text in EvE horribly.

I've run EvE across 2 monitors on 2 different AMD cards using the same methods and I'm running 2 clients on separate monitors now with no issues.

Also, your desktop resolution has nothing to due with Eve's resolution unless you're running in a non-maximized window w borders. (Was wrong about this, if in fixed window and eve's resolution is higher than the desktop resolution your screen will extend beyond the physical boundries of the monitor. )

Daemun of Khanid
Shade Alidiana
PROSPERO Corporation
#5 - 2015-10-27 08:05:51 UTC
Daemun Khanid wrote:
(correction: you do have to run in fixed window to get it across both screens without using an eyefinity setup. Eyefinity will of course allow you to run full screen across both monitors.)

Once in full screen AA options located in the display driver should work more reliably. AA options available in game should function fine regardless of what mode you're in.

Personally I prefer to run in fixed window mode because it results in much less delay when alt-tabbing with very little difference in performance.

Enabling VSR (amd) will simply make other, higher resolution options available within the games selections for resolution. Unless you're just trying to get a super smooth image without AA then it's not really worth it imo. At 1080p or higher resolutions with AA enabled in game eve has very few jaggies as it is.

I'm not sure what you're implying isn't available when just running it as an extended desktop. Anistrophic filtering options and such as set in catalyst control center will have little to no effect on image quality in eve regardless of what type of window you're running it in. The only major difference is morphological filtering which has to be in full screen to work but I'd highly advise against using it. It's just a post render blur effect that gets rid of jaggies without the performance hit of normal AA modes but it is applied to the entire scene and it blurs the text in EvE horribly.

I've run EvE across 2 monitors on 2 different AMD cards using the same methods and I'm running 2 clients on separate monitors now with no issues.

Also, your desktop resolution has nothing to due with Eve's resolution unless you're running in a non-maximized window w borders.


Okay, so how do I enable VSR for fixed window? Because even though rare, but I still get those jagged edges here and there. Not like they're everywhere though
Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#6 - 2015-10-27 09:27:00 UTC
Best way to do dual monitor and eve, imo, is running two clients.

Murderers of Negotiable Motivations

=]|[=
Daemun Khanid
Corbeau de sang
#7 - 2015-10-27 16:49:56 UTC  |  Edited by: Daemun Khanid
Shade Alidiana wrote:

Okay, so how do I enable VSR for fixed window? Because even though rare, but I still get those jagged edges here and there. Not like they're everywhere though


Well having now tried it I see the issue. Just enabling VSR makes the other resolutions available however since eve automatically spreads the display across the screens if the resolution is higher that reported by the display you can't really utilize it in fixed window mode. If you set the desktop resolution to double res you may be able to keep it within the bounds of your screens but as you mentioned before the best way is going to be to use eyefinity and run it full screen.

(edit: Setting your desktop to double resoultion and then setting eve to run at the combined res that's made available should work. I tested that method on my own setup but across 3 screens and it functioned properly so the res options to cover 2 screens should be there as well on your setup. It does make for a nice sharp image but it's also going to shrink all of your text in eve and all of your text and icons in windows which makes it a less than functional choice I think.)

It's really simple to do. (eyefinity) The visual improvements are really going to be minor though. Its going to nearly double the workload on your graphics card and depending on your setup you may start dropping below 60 fps in certain environments which is imo much worse than a jaggie or two. If all of the graphic option in EvE are maxed out then there's really nothing that's going to magically make it look better.

(edit: Just tried it on a single screen, full screen, VSR enabled and the double res selected in EvE and the text is microscopic. The shrunken text might won't be as bad across 2 monitors but I still found it too small for comfortable viewing even across 3. If you have really large monitors perhaps it can work for you but for me on 22" monitors its a major no go. Combine that with the increased convenience of instant alt tabbing when running in fixed window and I really can't see any point in using VSR or in going through the trouble to use eyefinity just to get the game running in full screen.)

Just to sum up, you can...
1. Enable VSR and select double resolution on both your desktop and in EvE and run EvE in fixed window mode. Downside, all windows desktop icons and text and eve UI elements and text will shrink to rather uncomfortable sizes.

2. Enable VSR and setup an Eyefinity display group. This way you can run EvE at double res across both screens while preserving your desktop res. Display driver filtering settings should function since you're in full screen. Downside, all text and UI in EvE is still going to shrink, driver induced filtering may make text unreadable and you have to deal with screen flickering and delays when alt tabbing to another window.

3. Leave everything alone and just run EvE in a fixed window across 2 screens. Downside, (shrug) maybe reduced sharpness of 3d objects... but at least your text will be readable.

If you REALLY want to maximize the visuals, getting 4k monitors is about the only thing that's really going to do it for you without side effects (as long as your setup has the power to run dual 4k monitors)

Daemun of Khanid
Shade Alidiana
PROSPERO Corporation
#8 - 2015-10-27 17:58:50 UTC
Daemun Khanid wrote:
...

Well, there's still UI scaling built in client, but yeah, seems I'll have to leave it as is. Unless CCP build something for VSR in the client itself (I really love how EVE becomes an alternative desktop when in fixed window).
Thanks for input
Tau Cabalander
Retirement Retreat
Working Stiffs
#9 - 2015-10-27 18:57:10 UTC  |  Edited by: Tau Cabalander
Erm... I run in windowed mode.

You can make the window any size you like to span monitors. Click and drag a corner to resize like any window.

I seem to recall you can even have the window frame decoration removed, but I like the frames so I can ID which character it belongs to.

All graphics settings / filters have an effect for me, and I'm using an older Nvidia GTX 690 (dual Kepler).
Daemun Khanid
Corbeau de sang
#10 - 2015-10-27 19:07:02 UTC  |  Edited by: Daemun Khanid
Tau Cabalander wrote:
Erm... I run in windowed mode.

You can make the window any size you like to span monitors.

I seem to recall you can even have the window frame decoration removed, but I like the frames so I can ID which character it belongs to.

All graphics settings / filters have an effect for me, and I'm using an older Nvidia GTX 690 (dual Kepler).


Fixed window is essentially window w/o frame. Many driver settings will have no effect unless you're running fullscreen and specify that fact in their tool tips depending on what management software youre using. In any case an old nvidia card isn't a comparable environment as the same options/filters/effects and behaviors just aren't the same.

But anyway, OP has no problem running across 2 monitors, afaik he just wants to know what if anything he can do to further improve image quality.

Daemun of Khanid
Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#11 - 2015-10-27 19:13:22 UTC
Daemun Khanid wrote:
Tau Cabalander wrote:
Erm... I run in windowed mode.

You can make the window any size you like to span monitors.

I seem to recall you can even have the window frame decoration removed, but I like the frames so I can ID which character it belongs to.

All graphics settings / filters have an effect for me, and I'm using an older Nvidia GTX 690 (dual Kepler).


Fixed window is essentially window w/o frame. Many driver settings will have no effect unless you're running fullscreen and specify that fact in their tool tips depending on what management software youre using. In any case an old nvidia card isn't a comparable environment as the same options/filters/effects and behaviors just aren't the same.

But anyway, OP has no problem running across 2 monitors, afaik he just wants to know what if anything he can do to further improve image quality.

A second client Blink

Murderers of Negotiable Motivations

=]|[=
Tau Cabalander
Retirement Retreat
Working Stiffs
#12 - 2015-10-27 19:30:18 UTC
Daemun Khanid wrote:
Tau Cabalander wrote:
Erm... I run in windowed mode.

You can make the window any size you like to span monitors.

I seem to recall you can even have the window frame decoration removed, but I like the frames so I can ID which character it belongs to.

All graphics settings / filters have an effect for me, and I'm using an older Nvidia GTX 690 (dual Kepler).


Fixed window is essentially window w/o frame. Many driver settings will have no effect unless you're running fullscreen and specify that fact in their tool tips depending on what management software youre using. In any case an old nvidia card isn't a comparable environment as the same options/filters/effects and behaviors just aren't the same.

But anyway, OP has no problem running across 2 monitors, afaik he just wants to know what if anything he can do to further improve image quality.

I think my point was missed: the full complement of all in-game video settings work.

I'm sure there are some available through driver apps that tweak behind-the-scenes settings that only function in full-screen.
Arciadian
Stars and Stripes INC.
#13 - 2015-10-27 19:41:11 UTC
I use 2 37" 1080P Toshiba TV's. It seems to work great on this.
Daemun Khanid
Corbeau de sang
#14 - 2015-10-27 19:50:53 UTC  |  Edited by: Daemun Khanid
Tau Cabalander wrote:

I think my point was missed: the full complement of all in-game video settings work.

I'm sure there are some available through driver apps that tweak behind-the-scenes settings that only function in full-screen.


Not a lot. Driver selected AA options aren't going to have much if any noticeable difference over max AA selected in game. In fact I've found the game's setting for AA produce a much sharper image than messing with the forced driver options.

Anistrophic filtering is more noticeable in games where you're walking across a surface and can see the textures reducing in detail at increasing range, not really an apparent effect in EvE since you're flying around in space.

Filter quality has no visible improvement in EvE.

Morphological filtering which is only available in full screen is just a big no-no for a text heavy environment like EvE due to blurring.

Tessellation has no visible effects in EvE.

None of the other options other than VSR that are available for an AMD card are going to have any effect on what you see in game. As mentioned before VSR will give you a sharper image but significantly increases workload and will require UI scaling which may still not even get everything looking quite right.

If the hi-res texture options that have been discussed on the forums in the past ever get implemented some of those driver based texture filtering options may be more useful. As it stands though just leaving everything in the driver set to "use application settings" and running in fixed window is probably the best way to go.

Daemun of Khanid
Daemun Khanid
Corbeau de sang
#15 - 2015-10-27 20:06:05 UTC  |  Edited by: Daemun Khanid
Really though, if you want to see for yourself it's really simple. Just setup eyefinity, set eve to full screen and select the appropriate resolution and try them out for your self. You could even just forgo the eyefinty and try fooling around with the settings while viewing eve in a single full screen and see if you notice any changes. Many graphics options can be subjective so perhaps you'll see a difference that isn't so apparent to me. If not then it only take a matter of seconds to revert back to the way things were.

Edit: I just tried running a fullscreen with VSR and the display scaling set to 150%, results are not pretty. Besides the fact that it leaves the UI looking poorly scaled and blurry, the resolution is just so much sharper then the resolution of the textures it just makes it more apparent that the textures are so low res.

+1 for CCP to release a high res texture pack. :)

Daemun of Khanid
Shade Alidiana
PROSPERO Corporation
#16 - 2015-10-28 08:08:02 UTC
Daemun Khanid wrote:

+1 for CCP to release a high res texture pack. :)


+1 from me as well. We can handle this, just let us the way to