Route Building With Two Monitors Possible?

[leader2302]

I would like to build my route in TRS04 by simultaneously using two monitors.

One monitor will have Surveyor open while the second monitor will have railroad photos open in Microsoft Office Picture Manager.
I can then look at the photo of the area I need to model on one screen and compare it to what I am building in Surveyor on the other screen.

This will make the building of a prototypical route much faster and more accurate then using Alt-tab to switch back and forth between Trainz and Picture Manager.

These are my current system specs:
TRS 2004, Windows 7 Pro 64 bit, two Asus Radeon HD 5870 1 GB video cards running in Crossfire, Asus VW266H 25 inch LCD monitor, 12 GB ram, Intel I7 920 cpu.

Does TRS04 need to be running in a window for this too work?
Before I spend money on buying a second VW266H monitor, can this even be done?

 

[Gandalf0444]

I run Trainz in windowed mode on 1 screen, while on the other screen I have a picture of what I am working, track chart or whatever the case maybe.

It is VERY useful to have 2 screens if not even more then 2 when your route building... I think 3 would be best actually. One ofr trainz..obviously. One for the internet browser so you can pull up information and history and such as needed. And the 3rd to show a track chart or other pictures.

http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae97/tcrstaff1/headsup.jpg

And with your 2 graphics cards you can run up to 4 screens at once very easily.... You can set the screens like I have done where the desktop stretches across both screens, OR since your computer is powerful enough you can set each one as an independent screen, which means only 1 screen will have the task bar on it, and the other 3 will just act as a screen, each can then have there own desktop image. You can also run a full screen application on 1 screen while the others remain at the "desktop" however some programs don't like that very much and don't work.

 

[leader2302]

Gandalf,

That is great news! How do you get TRS04 to run in a window?

 

[Gandalf0444]

Gandalf,

That is great news! How do you get TRS04 to run in a window?

Does TRS2004 have a trainzoptions file like 06 does?

 

[leader2302]

Yes, it does have a Trainz Options file:

-DepthBits=24
-StencilBits=8
-fastmenus
-keepallresources=1
-keepparticles=1
-loadingtime=4
-framestoaverage=8
-forcerealtimeload=0
-fullscreen
-Jet=bin
-cabinfov=65
-driverfov=55
-intro=disable
-width=1920
-height=1200


What parameter should I change?

 

[Gandalf0444]

Get rid of -fullscreen, and replace it with -windowed. Then set the resolution to the size of the one screen...for example. -height=768 and -width=1024.

Then before you launch trainz go into the options menu make sure the selected resolution matches what you put in the trainzoptions file. such as if I put the above in, it should be 1024x768.

 

[cascaderailroad]

You can run Trainz, and the web, on one PC screen, windowed (trainzoptions file change the line from -fullscreen , to read -windowed ).

Set Trainz "Optons"-"Display" to run in the next smaller window size down, than what your PC monitor screen resolution is set at.

You can slide Surveyor off to the side, and look at topo maps, or search the web.

You can also run surveyor, and the CMP at the same time.

You can also run the Black Pages DLS with the Game-CMP-DLS open at the same time, and minimize each webpages and resize so it looks like this: http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/DLSBlackPages.png

=============================================================
Or you can run two monitors in tandem.
Trainz on one monitor, and the web on the other monitor.
=============================================================
Other usefull Trainzoptions file lines are:
-freeintcam (allows roaming about inside of the cab, and outside of the cab, using the KB arrow keys).
-surveyorfov=55 (which can be altered as far as the numeral =185)

Use your PC Accessories-"MS Snipping Tool" to capture screenshots as a jpg in your PC Pictures file.

 

[AndyKay]

And with your 2 graphics cards you can run up to 4 screens at once very easily.... .

technically he could run 6 monitors on his 2 graphics cards with ATI eyefinity

 

[leader2302]

Get rid of -fullscreen, and replace it with -windowed. Then set the resolution to the size of the one screen...for example. -height=768 and -width=1024.

Then before you launch trainz go into the options menu make sure the selected resolution matches what you put in the trainzoptions file. such as if I put the above in, it should be 1024x768.

Hi Gandalf,

I changed the setting in Trainz Options to -windowed and nothing happened. It looks like Trainz is still running full screen. I am currently only using one monitor until the second one arrives. Should I see some difference in Trainz on my single monitor when I change the options file to read -windowed?

 

[backyard]

TRS2004...

I never was able to get 'o4 windowed. Both 'o4 & 'o6 kick & scream when you finally do get out, using the task manager.

TS2009 will easily window, you change it in the options screen. It sets peacefully by whilst you work the second monitor for whatever then picks back up with an initial click.

Most graphics cards will only support two monitors at a time. Since my 8800GT has two monitors on it(one DVI, one VGA), it will not support a TV connected to it(SATA).

 

[Gandalf0444]

Hi Gandalf,

I changed the setting in Trainz Options to -windowed and nothing happened. It looks like Trainz is still running full screen. I am currently only using one monitor until the second one arrives. Should I see some difference in Trainz on my single monitor when I change the options file to read -windowed?

Yes you should, did you add the parameters for the screen size that you want the game to run at in the trainz options file?

If you have you could also try selecting a smaller resolution from the launcher then what your native resolution is?

Sorry if it doesn't make much sense...Spent from 9am to 6pm today working at the Valley Railroad...and I am beat....

 

[cascaderailroad]

Set Trainzoptions file: -windowed.
Set Trainz: "Options"-"Display Setting" to run in the next size down resolution, from what your PC Monitor is runnng at. Like: 1024x768, or maybe bigger.