G-force platinum 3.5.7 on a MSI NX 6600 (Nvidia)
The program will not paint anything on the graphics window if I drag it to the second monitor. Not even in full screen mode. Yet the application is obviously running as when I drag it back to the main monitor it works just fine.
I suspect there is a solution to this. Has anyone seen anything similar?
Will not paint on second monitor
Re: Will not paint on second monitor
Vreejack wrote:G-force platinum 3.5.7 on a MSI NX 6600 (Nvidia)
The program will not paint anything on the graphics window if I drag it to the second monitor. Not even in full screen mode. Yet the application is obviously running as when I drag it back to the main monitor it works just fine.
I suspect there is a solution to this. Has anyone seen anything similar?
I use GF on my TV which I use as a second monitor and I dont have this problem.
I can get it to work in clone mode, but it's pretty much unacceptable as I have to match screen resolutions and my primary is not a wide screen.
I think I tried this about a year ago and had the same problem at first, but soon got it running, except for full screen mode, which always went to the primary monitor. I finally bought the program because I saw that there was a new option for selecting monitors.
I think I tried this about a year ago and had the same problem at first, but soon got it running, except for full screen mode, which always went to the primary monitor. I finally bought the program because I saw that there was a new option for selecting monitors.
The problem has to do with your video card/driver... Not really a problem, but more of how the driver tells the hardware to work...
Most cards will only output 3D processed (or whatever... don't know the terminology) video to your primary display...
I assume you're running your display in Extended or Spanned mode where you drag your mouse through whatever side of the screen you set it for and it pops onto your TV.
Try this out... Play a DVD in whatever software app you want, and drag that window to your TV display... The DVD video probably won't display either, just a black window.
In cloned mode, the video will display on both, but as you found out - you have to run in the same resolution...
So... try setting your TV as the Primary display and your LCD as the secondary inside of your video driver app or in Windows' Display applet...
Most cards will only output 3D processed (or whatever... don't know the terminology) video to your primary display...
I assume you're running your display in Extended or Spanned mode where you drag your mouse through whatever side of the screen you set it for and it pops onto your TV.
Try this out... Play a DVD in whatever software app you want, and drag that window to your TV display... The DVD video probably won't display either, just a black window.
In cloned mode, the video will display on both, but as you found out - you have to run in the same resolution...
So... try setting your TV as the Primary display and your LCD as the secondary inside of your video driver app or in Windows' Display applet...
G-force only works on the monitor with the task bar in it, which means I cannot use it on the HDTV. My desktop monitor must have the taskbar.
I believe the problem is cause because G-Force is not accessing the MMX hardware on the secondary monitor. This is a software setting someplace. The DVD monitor bundled with nVidia has a similar problem; you have to permit "video mixing" (or something) in the player or you will get a blank window. This is a setting in the DVD player, not Windows.
Whether my video card calls the TV number 1 or number 2 is irrelevant, the only thing that matters is which monitor the Windows taskbar appears on, which is (usually) the Windows primary monitor. Sometimes Windows gets confused and places the taskbar on the wrong screen, but that does not help as I need the taskbar and G-Force working on separate screens.
I believe the problem is cause because G-Force is not accessing the MMX hardware on the secondary monitor. This is a software setting someplace. The DVD monitor bundled with nVidia has a similar problem; you have to permit "video mixing" (or something) in the player or you will get a blank window. This is a setting in the DVD player, not Windows.
Whether my video card calls the TV number 1 or number 2 is irrelevant, the only thing that matters is which monitor the Windows taskbar appears on, which is (usually) the Windows primary monitor. Sometimes Windows gets confused and places the taskbar on the wrong screen, but that does not help as I need the taskbar and G-Force working on separate screens.
a.k.a. the Primary display (1)...G-force only works on the monitor with the task bar in it
I just went back and checked my setup... but on my system G-Force and SoftSkies will 'paint' on both (1) and (2) in all modes; cloned, spanned, and dual-view. Although, I've seen what you describe many times (in conferences were someone tries to display a DVD or graphic-intense app through a Secondary monitor or projector for instance) and changing the Primary display does the trick... But, as you said that's not a solution for ya' as you want the taskbar on your LCD.
I run Win MediaCenter Edition with an nVivida 6200 TurboCache card and the nVidia MediaCenter Edition driver package... maybe that makes a difference.
Just out of curiosity, is your output to your HDTV through s-video or DVI?
Vreejack wrote:G-force only works on the monitor with the task bar in it, which means I cannot use it on the HDTV. My desktop monitor must have the taskbar.
I believe the problem is cause because G-Force is not accessing the MMX hardware on the secondary monitor. This is a software setting someplace. The DVD monitor bundled with nVidia has a similar problem; you have to permit "video mixing" (or something) in the player or you will get a blank window. This is a setting in the DVD player, not Windows.
Whether my video card calls the TV number 1 or number 2 is irrelevant, the only thing that matters is which monitor the Windows taskbar appears on, which is (usually) the Windows primary monitor. Sometimes Windows gets confused and places the taskbar on the wrong screen, but that does not help as I need the taskbar and G-Force working on separate screens.
I like to view GF on my 32 inch TV, but I also cannot get GF to go fullscreen on the TV . its not GF thats the problem I think it has something to do with the way windows handle the video. but, since GF will remember the last position it was in while in windowed mode all I have to do is drag the GF window to my TV where it works just fine. stretch the window to fit the screen . because my video card has an overscanning option I never see the border of the window which is streched beyond the limit of my screen. now evey time I open the stand alone it opens where I left it on my TV.
this will alow you to keep your task bar on the original screen while watching GF on your second monitor.
I hope this will help !
No, I tried this, accidentally. It still doesn't work if it starts on the second monitor.juxtiphi wrote: I like to view GF on my 32 inch TV, but I also cannot get GF to go fullscreen on the TV . its not GF thats the problem I think it has something to do with the way windows handle the video. but, since GF will remember the last position it was in while in windowed mode all I have to do is drag the GF window to my TV where it works just fine. stretch the window to fit the screen . because my video card has an overscanning option I never see the border of the window which is streched beyond the limit of my screen. now evey time I open the stand alone it opens where I left it on my TV.
this will alow you to keep your task bar on the original screen while watching GF on your second monitor.
I hope this will help !
Curiously, when I tried an earlier version of the program with an older nVidia card last year I had a problem simiar to the one you describe. It would paint on both monitors but would only go full screen on the primary. Now there is actually an option to set the default full-screen so that should no longer be a problem.
I think the setting is FSm. Set it to 0 or 1 for monitor 1 or 2, or leave it at -1 to go full screen on whatever monitor it is already on.
Time to search Google some more, I think.
I discovered a work-around.
Wherever the bogus software is that caused the problem (G-Force? Windows? nVidia?) it only runs when G-Force starts up, so you can switch the primary monitor at will AFTER G-Force is up and running.
1) Set the second monitor to primary
2) Start G-Force
3) Set the main monitor to Primary.
A bit of a nuisance but it's good for now. This way applications and dialogs will start on the desktop monitor instead of being invisible behind G-Force.
Wherever the bogus software is that caused the problem (G-Force? Windows? nVidia?) it only runs when G-Force starts up, so you can switch the primary monitor at will AFTER G-Force is up and running.
1) Set the second monitor to primary
2) Start G-Force
3) Set the main monitor to Primary.
A bit of a nuisance but it's good for now. This way applications and dialogs will start on the desktop monitor instead of being invisible behind G-Force.
Between iTunes 7.1 and G-Force 3.6.1, the secondary display device problems should be resolved. Let us know how things go either way...Vreejack wrote:I discovered a work-around.
Wherever the bogus software is that caused the problem (G-Force? Windows? nVidia?) it only runs when G-Force starts up, so you can switch the primary monitor at will AFTER G-Force is up and running.
1) Set the second monitor to primary
2) Start G-Force
3) Set the main monitor to Primary.
A bit of a nuisance but it's good for now. This way applications and dialogs will start on the desktop monitor instead of being invisible behind G-Force.
Thanks,
Andy