New widescreen monitor settings.

[doylebob]

Just had a hiccup with my computer and had to replace both the monitor and the video card. The frame rates seem better now but I haven't really had much of a chance to test it out yet.
The new monitor is a "widescreen" format, something which is new to me, and stretches/distorts my panels. My old card/monitor setting was 1280x1024. With the new card/monitor, the resolution goes up to 1680x1050. The new panel has a "4:3" switch which shrinks the width and kinda blocks out a couple of inches either side.
Just wondering what people's take on what settings I should try using for best success in FS9. I kind of like the extra details of the higher resolution but don't want to have to modify all my panels to suit it. I was also wondering whether the settings within FS9/Settings/Display have to match the settings I choose in Start/Settings/Control Panel?
Any thoughts or findings from anyone who has made the conversion to widescreen would be appreciated.
Bob

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi,

I have a widescreen (1920 x 1080), and have found that I get used to the stretched panels pretty quickly. I use a zoom of 0.75, which works out the same mathematically to a zoom of 1.0 on a 4:3 standard monitor. I have widescreen versions of my panel cfg files in the Widescreen Monitors folder of my panels (Convair, DC-6, DC-7). They have different side views and the 0.75 zoom settings.

The setting in FS9/Settings/Display are for the fullscreen mode, while the ones in Start/Settings/Control Panel are for the windowed mode. They do not have to match. Make sure you choose the X32 settings, since it gives better color rendition.

Hope this helps,

[hermankreimes]

Hi Bob;

I use a 32 in. WS monitor and I have found that a setting of 1280 x 768 in FS9 works good for me as far aircraft and panel display is concerned.

There is a small amount of distortion on the panel gauges... not enough to really bother me. It's a compromise which you either accept, the alternative being, is to accept a smaller screen size, which to me defeats having a larger image.

There are probably other resolution combinations but that one works for me.

Herman

[doylebob]

Thanks Tom and Herman for your responses.

I've had a little bit of time now to try out the new monitor and unfortunately I must say the resulting stretched panels are not growing on me. I tried the 1280 x 768 suggestion and that was completely unusable for me. I do have another question if I could please. Are the resolution options determined by the video card or the monitor or a combination of both? (ie. if I returned my new monitor and went for a larger one say, would the options of resolution likely increase for me)

Thanks for the help

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi,

The resolutions will make little difference to the panel stretching. As long as you use a widescreen monitor in widescreen mode, the panels will be stretched. You have a few choices though:

1. Use the VC - the gauges aren't stretched, and you can view enough of the panel to make it really usable. Be sure to use the lower zoom value and my widescreen version of the panel.cfg file to get a better view. The exact zoom value for your resolution can be calculated using the text file in my Widescreen Monitor folders.

or:

2. Drag one edge of the panel and the outside view to the normal 4:3 shape, and put other sub panels into the blank area. Or drag both edges in towards the middle. In windowed mode, you can even put other programs there (a flight planner, etc.).

Hope this helps,

[doylebob]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your input. I really appreciate the help. The reason for my question is that I bought the monitor in a kind of a hurry Saturday while trying to troubleshoot/correct a PC problem. It turns out I only actually needed a new monitor but I purchased a new video card as well. It was an upgrade to the original so I'm happy with that. The monitor was not exactly top-of-the-line. It's an LG W2242T and I bought it as much for it's price ($179) as much as anything as my primary focus was getting my PC back on-line. Now that I have installed it and see the "stretching", I'm wondering if I purchased a higher-end monitor I may have other/better options. For example, my orig resolution was 1280x1024 (ratio of 1.25:1). I have that res option on the upgrade but feel I'm missing out, as the 1680x1050 (my new max) is a marked improvement in terms of quality but at a ratio of 1.6:1 which is causing the stretch (I assume!). If I purchased a better monitor I might get an option that was say 1680x1344 or something which is the right ratio but at a higher resolution. Am I making any sense?

Bob

[Tom/CalClassic]

Keep in mind that to keep things the same size you would also need a bigger monitor (top to bottom). You would be going from 1050 pixels vertically to 1344 pixels. For me eventually everything gets so small I can't read it. I can't use large letters or large icons due to problems with certain programs.

[doylebob]

Ok Tom,

Thanks for your help.

Bob

[hermankreimes]

Hi Bob;

Below a couple of panel screen shots. ( sorry; they are of a HJG 707)
As I said there is a bit of distortion and of course my sight is not 22\20 anymore, which in this particular case is working for me.





Herman

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi Herman,

That screen you display is only a "moderate" widescreen - some are much more wider than tall and distort the gauges more than that. I have one of each, so I've seen the difference.

Here's the 580 on my widest screen:



Hope this helps,

[doylebob]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the replies. I actually wanted to post a screenshot of the "before and after" to help explain but I couldn't quite figure out how to do include it in the post. Anyway, it looks very similar to the screenshot Tom posted.

I'm going to give it a week or so before I do anything, but I'd say I might be looking at modifying all my panels.

Thanks for the help though,

Bob.

[hermankreimes]

Hello Tom and Bob;

I suppose to an old guy like myself it's all a bit confusing....all this business about "resolutions and aspect ratios etc."

I always thought that all WS monitors had a 16x9 aspect ratio and no matter what size, the exterior dimension would also be in that same ratio.

The resolution part and the effects it has with image sizes is a bit more puzzeling to me. I understand the concept of higher resolutions, but to make a long story short, with my 32 in. screen I found that to get the least amount distortion and the whole panel and all swithes and icons to display I had to go with 1280x768 on the monitor and 1280x768 in FS.

Below a screen shot of the same CV 580 panel. Perhaps a little less distortion than your image.

Herman

[doylebob]

Hi Tom & Herman,

I was not satisfied with the new monitor and returned it for a better one (I hope!). I went for one with a higher resolution (25.5" w/max. 1920x1200). It still streches the panels but for some reason does not seem as bad as the first one. Perhaps it's just because it cost me more! I figured if I was going to have to modify all my panels I might as well splash out and get a decent monitor (ASUS - VW266H).

Thanks to both of you for your help.

Bob

[robertorizzo]

Sorry,
can anyone remember me how to drag & put other sub panels into the blank area of a widescreen monitor? I don't remember the keys to be pressed. THX

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi,

The only keys you need to press would be the ones to bring up the subpanels - Shift 1 through Shift 9, or use the Views/Instrument Panel menu.

Here is an example of what I mean, using the 580 panel as an example:



Here's how:

1. Drag the panel's right edge to the point that your gauges are round.
2. Drag the outside view window to the same point.
3. Press Shift 3 to bring up the radios. Drag the edges to reduce the size to fit into the empty space, and drag to the upper right.
4. Press Shift 7 to bring up the FE Notepad, and drag it to the lower right. You can repeat this using Shift 5 and Shift 6 for the Planner and Pilot's Notepad if you wish.
5. Press Shift 4 to bring up the lights panel. Drag the edges to resize and drag to the right - I covered up the Notepads, then used Shift 4 to make it disappear until required.
6. Use the Views/View Options to reset the Zoom to 1.0, if you are using a widescreen panel.cfg file.
7. Save a flight - I called mine CV-580 Panel Adjusted. Use this flight each time you want to load the panel with this arrangement.

Hope this helps,