dual monitors

Blitz3D Forums/Blitz3D Programming/dual monitors

jhocking(Posted 2005) [#1]
Wow, it's been a while since I posted here. I haven't had a PC for a while, so I haven't been able to work with Blitz3D. I just ordered a new computer though so I should be back on the saddle soon.

Anyway, to get to the point, I'm wondering if there's a way to handle dual monitor rendering. Specifically, I want to do stereoscopic vision by rendering a different camera to each monitor. Also useful (and, thanks to the Viewport command, a good answer to the first request) would be to stretch the fullscreen rendering across both monitors.

I don't have any of the hardware yet so I can't give specifics; this post is a pre-emptive strike to find out if anyone knows anything relevant.


WolRon(Posted 2005) [#2]
I've heard that if you call for double the resolution width, that it may work, but I've never tried it.

All in all, I bet that it won't work in most cases anyways, because, like my scenario, I have two monitors side-by-side but running at different resolutions because the right monitor is larger than the left one.


IPete2(Posted 2005) [#3]
Joe,

You know you don't need two monitors to do steroescopic output don't you?

Check out my website for a picture of Ancient Tomb in 3D split red and blue, but this also works as an lcd glass game too. This is only one camera if I remember correctly, the drivers do the work of making it into a stereoscopic output. Get some red and cyan glasses and look:



OR




To do a wide desktop you need compatible gfx drivers that's all. B3d will stretch out across the divide as long as it is a single desktop (as I remember).

The hardware (nVida) has to have the drivers for it to work properly.

There are a number of hardware manufacturers who produce dual head cards, but Matrox does a QUAD head! (for less than £400 too).

IPete2.


jhocking(Posted 2005) [#4]
Thanks for the tips guys. I'll try the double-wide resolution, and check for driver support.


jhocking(Posted 2005) [#5]
@ipete: Incidentally, I should have clarified; I'm not simply trying to do stereoscopic output on a static monitor, I'm trying to do stuff for head-mounted display (think VR.)


IPete2(Posted 2005) [#6]
Joe,

The Quad card is for you then, with two outputs and the ability to display one camera on each with some displacement.

We've done a couple of experiments with VR stuff, infact we have an education project in the pipeline which features this technology along with a couple of clever science fiction ideas which will suit the same hardware.

Keep us informed Joe, I'd like to know about your progress and perhaps we can compare notes at some stage.

IPete2.


dena(Posted 2005) [#7]
Joseph:
At Bowling Green we are using Blitz3d to do passive stereographic projection, using a dual-head graphics card and two polarized projectors.
I use Jason Leigh's stereolib, at http://www.evl.uic.edu/cavern/agave/BLITZ3D_STEREO_DEPLOY/
basically 2 cameras, 2 1024X768 viewports.


jhocking(Posted 2005) [#8]
Well well well, that look vrry interesting. When I finally get my computer I'll have to examine that stuff more closely.


Trader3564(Posted 2007) [#9]
IPete2 , thats awesome! i bought some glasses just to test this. its very real! Where can i find the demo,? (and is there a way i could obtain a copy of that code ;P)


Trader3564(Posted 2007) [#10]
IPete2, i gave it a shot:
http://www.blitzbasic.com/codearcs/codearcs.php?code=2008