Can't Get MWiF to Work Correctly with 3 Mismatched Monitors

[rkr1958]

I don't hold too much hope that I can solve this one, but what the heck ... I thought I'd post and see if someone can help me with what I consider an obscure tech issue. Here's the situation. I've been playing MWiF fine with dual monitors for nearly a year now. I've played it successfully with two different dual-monitor configuration: (1) HDMI 1920 x 1080 + VGA 1600 x 900 and (2) HDMI 1920 x 1080 + External HDMI Video Card to USB-2 1920 x 1080. It's this second configuration that I've been successfully running for the last month or two and really like it. My computer only has 1 HDMI video port and 1 VGA port. My current configuration uses an external video card that hooks up to my second monitor via HDMI and to my PC via USB-2 (or USB-3) port. The second monitor I'm using in my second (current) dual-monitor configuration is different (newer) than the one I was using with the VGA hookup. That monitor is 8 to 10-years old and has the older DVI port, as well as VGA.

So today, with the help of my 14-year old son, I moved things around so that I could also hook up the older VGA monitor and give myself three monitors. Everything worked well except when I tried to play MWiF. Every form loaded ok except the main map. It disappeared to who knows where. Now, if I unhook the VGA cable from the older monitor, start MWiF and hooked the cable back in everything, including the main map, works as I had expected. But, if all three monitors are hooked in when I start to play MWiF then I loose the main map.

Just to reiterate, I've successfully played MWiF on all three monitors but only 2 at a time (i.e., dual-monitor configuration). It's just when I hook all three in at once and then start up MWiF, I loose the main map. All other forms appear and seem to work properly.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Orm]

I am sorry that I can't help you except to suggest that you check carefully for a tiny part of the main map showing at the edge of the monitor? Probably not the case but I know that, sometimes, long ago, it happened with two monitors.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Orm

I am sorry that I can't help you except to suggest that you check carefully for a tiny part of the main map showing at the edge of the monitor? Probably not the case but I know that, sometimes, long ago, it happened with two monitors.

Yeah ... I thought that too, but I can't find a trace of the map.

[paulderynck]

First off, once MWiF launches, open the Player Interface Settings (the only choice under the "Interface" menu item at the top). At the bottom of that dialog you should see what MWiF thinks how your monitors are configured and what coordinates correspond to the left, right, top and bottom of the area the program thinks it can use. Negative numbers are bad. You could experiment with repositioning the monitors relative to each other, then opening MWIF and see how the Player Interface Settings might have changed.

Did you make a screen layout with the 3-monitor configuration? Even if you didn't you can make one and call it "test.sly". Then open it with Notepad and see section 11.4.2 of the Players Manual and you may be able to see what coordinates MWiF thinks the Main map is at. If any of them are negative (note the '-1's you may see are not coordinates), then it may be that your top left corner is not coordinate 0,0.

Do you get any feedback from Windows or your Graphics Card GUI as to what your total screen size is and which monitor is at the furthest left? That monitor should be the Primary and have coordinate 0,0 at its top left. Depending how you set up your monitors, your top left coordinate might be -1920,0.

If this is all Greek to you, you can make the screen layout file, zip it and post it here, and I'll take a look at it for you.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

First off, once MWiF launches, open the Player Interface Settings (the only choice under the "Interface" menu item at the top). At the bottom of that dialog you should see what MWiF thinks how your monitors are configured and what coordinates correspond to the left, right, top and bottom of the area the program thinks it can use. Negative numbers are bad. You could experiment with repositioning the monitors relative to each other, then opening MWIF and see how the Player Interface Settings might have changed.

Did you make a screen layout with the 3-monitor configuration? Even if you didn't you can make one and call it "test.sly". Then open it with Notepad and see section 11.4.2 of the Players Manual and you may be able to see what coordinates MWiF thinks the Main map is at. If any of them are negative (note the '-1's you may see are not coordinates), then it may be that your top left corner is not coordinate 0,0.

Do you get any feedback from Windows or your Graphics Card GUI as to what your total screen size is and which monitor is at the furthest left? That monitor should be the Primary and have coordinate 0,0 at its top left. Depending how you set up your monitors, your top left coordinate might be -1920,0.

If this is all Greek to you, you can make the screen layout file, zip it and post it here, and I'll take a look at it for you.

Paul,

Thanks. You gave me a few ideas on things to try. But none work. I've got several screen caps that I hope describes my situation better. And, at the end I'll attach an SLY files. But first, one of my dogs is bothering me to take her out and if I don't ... you know what happens then ... [;)]

[paulderynck]

Not sure if this thread is helpful or extinguishes all hope, but check it out...

tm.asp?m=3597241&mpage=1&key=three%2Cmonitor&#3642057

[rkr1958]

Here's the screen resolution for the two monitor configuration that I've (successfully) been using lately.

[rkr1958]

Here's what the interface setting are in MWiF for that (2-monitor) configuration.

[rkr1958]

This cap is actually a series of three caps (two to bottom). The top (third) plane is the appearance of the game across my two monitor configuration. The middle (third) panel is when I hook up my third monitor, which is to the left of the main monitor. Interestingly, the MWiF splash screen shows up. However, when I took the screen cap for these displays that splash screen went away on its own and the bottom (third) panel was what was across the three monitors.

[rkr1958]

What I then did was to save the screen layout and restore it. Hey, that should work shouldn't it? But it didn't. The top (half) panel was what MWiF appeared as across my three monitors when I saved the screen layout. The bottom (half) panel is what it looked like after I restored the screen layout to the newly save format.

[rkr1958]

Here's the windows resolution setting for my three monitor configuration.

[rkr1958]

Here is the MWiF interface settings for that (3 monitor) configuration.

[rkr1958]

And attached is the SLY file for the 3 monitor configuration that I created in all this and which did restore properly.

[paulderynck]

As I said negative numbers for coordinates are bad. Ideally you want the primary monitor on the left. Also when I tested with multiple monitors originally, I don't think I ever got consistent good results unless I put the Main Form above the Main Map and had both of those on the Primary monitor. Like you I wanted the Main Map to occupy one entire monitor, but even when I thought I'd succeeded, various forms like the NRD would not show up or would show up in places I'd prefer they didn't. Saving an SLY after moving them didn't always work either.

Also it has been remarked that you should always put the Main Form over to the right at least the width of the form that opens to select eligible aircraft for missions.

Try and get your primary monitor on the left and put the Main Form over the Main Map and see if you can get something stable. Then maybe experiment from there.

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

Here is the MWiF interface settings for that (3 monitor) configuration.

Another concern is that MWiF is claiming you have only two monitors, and yet here in post 1:

tm.asp?m=3597241&mpage=1&key=three%2Cmonitor%EF%BF%BD

...it appears to recognize three are in use (although not very well [:)])

Edit:Mind you in that post the user had 4 monitors!

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

Here is the MWiF interface settings for that (3 monitor) configuration.

Another concern is that MWiF is claiming you have only two monitors, and yet here in post 1:

tm.asp?m=3597241&mpage=1&key=three%2Cmonitor%EF%BF%BD

...it appears to recognize three are in use (although not very well [:)])

Edit:Mind you in that post the user had 4 monitors!

Sorry ... I posted the wrong screen cap. Here's the correct cap for MWiF interface setting with three monitors ...

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

Not sure if this thread is helpful or extinguishes all hope, but check it out...

tm.asp?m=3597241&mpage=1&key=three%2Cmonitor�

Thanks. I opened MWiF, put my computer in sleep and then woke it up. That didn't work.

Something interesting if you look at the global map. I've noticed in the past that when you minimize (i.e., roll) up the map it appears as a narrow sliver on the global map. However, the long axis of the sliver is horizontal. In the below screen cap for the three monitor configuration, in which I can't find the map, the map stills appears as a sliver on the global map but its long axis is now horizontal.

[paulderynck]

Like most game config files, the SLY file is really a csv (comma separated spreadsheet). I downloaded it, renamed it to be a csv file and opened it in excel. Then I labelled the entries per the Players Manual page 206. I added row 3 which titles the important columns. The function of each of the lines is written on the right starting in column 'L'

Actually the x-y positions shown make sense given your config, so I must conclude the MWiF program is blowing up trying to deal with the negative position numbers. From your screen caps of the screen config, I can tell you that the numbers1,2 and 3 for the monitors are a function of how they are connected, thus assigned by the hardware and will not change unless physically reconnected. However, you can select which one is the Primary with the checkbox on the bottom once that particular screen is highlighted and you should be able to click on a screen and drag it up, or down or left or right of the others. Thus you should be able to get the screens you want in the order you want, with the Primary screen on the left and its left position as zero.

Also see my post 14 about putting the Main Form above the Main Map.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

Like most game config files, the SLY file is really a csv (comma separated spreadsheet). I downloaded it, renamed it to be a csv file and opened it in excel. Then I labelled the entries per the Players Manual page 206. I added row 3 which titles the important columns. The function of each of the lines is written on the right starting in column 'L'

Actually the x-y positions shown make sense given your config, so I must conclude the MWiF program is blowing up trying to deal with the negative position numbers. From your screen caps of the screen config, I can tell you that the numbers1,2 and 3 for the monitors are a function of how they are connected, thus assigned by the hardware and will not change unless physically reconnected. However, you can select which one is the Primary with the checkbox on the bottom once that particular screen is highlighted and you should be able to click on a screen and drag it up, or down or left or right of the others. Thus you should be able to get the screens you want in the order you want, with the Primary screen on the left and its left position as zero.

Also see my post 14 about putting the Main Form above the Main Map.

Thanks! I'll definitely make use of this information and see what I can do. Honestly, the 3rd monitor really doesn't add a lot, but getting 3 to work has become a quest in itself. But, second to playing and enjoying MWiF.