Two monitor setup, is it easy?

[tcastudios]

I can only speak for Mac. No problems what so ever. Used up to three monitors.

Cheers
Lennart

[/\>Scott M C4D</\]

If your graphics card supports dual display like TFT and CRT then there shouldnt be a problem setting it up. You just set it up in the graphics card settings.

[Srek]

No problem with CINEMA.
Cheers
Srek

[mbw]

Thanks guys:thumbsup: Wow that was a quick response, but I'm happy and
sad that it is so easy.

Happy, that I am going to be able to have more screen real estate

SAD... my bank account is going to be smaller. :-(

Thanks again.

Mark

[LucentDreams]

how easy it is depends partly on what graphics card you have and such.

in temrs of cinema 4D specifically, it works great on dualdisplay, one of my favourite apps in terms of dual display usability in fact. witht he large number of managers andsuch they can all be placedoon the second screen,and with grouping windows its like having a window on each screen rather then one app splayed across both screens.

[kromekat]

Dual screens are great with Cinema - even a pair of 17" at 1280x1024 gives you a lot of space to expand all your palletes and managers, and you can have fun making dual versions of all your layouts! ;)

http://www.kromekat.nildram.co.uk/stuff/duals.jpg

[ODoul]

Adam, jealousy prevents me from being your friend anymore.

[kromekat]

Adam, jealousy prevents me from being your friend anymore.

:cry:

Don't hate me cos I'm cool! :cool:

[Dellen]

I agree with the posts before.
Let me add I faced some problems with my dual monitor card (maybe the driver tried to override Windows) but I worked around buy installing a cheap used PCI card (1024x768 is enough for most tool-palettes but watch for true colour - a must with Photoshop's colour palettes).
If you're using Cinema and Photoshop only, you're fine. Freehand has one major and some minor dual-screen bugs, other software (from Macromedia and others) isn't perfect, neither.
When using some cheaper graphic tablets, you probably can only use the primary monitor with the tablet.
And learn from a stupid mistake which cost 3 days of my life: When re-booting for the first time with dual screens, make sure BOTH are switched on - your former only monitor isn't necissarily the primary one. The starting screen may seem to freeze but it really switches to the other monitor...

Despite some problems I had I still promise 3 things:
1. You won't easily go back to a single monitor
2. You will ask yourself how you could ever work without the 2nd monitor in the past
3. Most important: Your workflow will be significantly accelerated - I'd guess at least by 50%

As for the tight budget: unlike graphic cards or CPUs, a 2nd monitor is an investment that lasts for some years and will make YOU work faster - a remarkable difference to some seconds shaved off the rendering time...

[ODoul]

:cry:

Don't hate me cos I'm cool! :cool:


Can I hate you because you misspelled creeated on your website? ;)

[kromekat]

Can I hate you because you misspelled creeated on your website? ;)

Yes, that would be fine! - you can hate me because my site is so out of date it's embarrasing too if you like! - but never, never hate me because I have a pair of very nice LCD screens... on my Dual 2.5 G5! :buttrock: lol!

[ODoul]

You're a good sport Kromekat. You can return the hatred when I upgrade my system with Apple's new fall line-up (hopefully). My computer will come over to your house and kick your computers butt then.

Let's try to put aside our petty differences for a while so you can explain your system to me. I'm so ignorant when it comes to these things. Do the new Macs come standard with video cards that support dual monitor set-ups? My old 933 has two video ports on the back but when I tried to hook up a second VGA monitor, it didn't fit next to the existing 21" Cinema Studio Display jack. I was pretty excited at the prospect of having dual monitors but there was just no way to hook them both up.

I'm pretty sure that when the time comes, I'll go the same route you went in regards to displays but I'd like to keep my Cinema display considering the amount of change I spent on it.

[kromekat]

lol! :)

Well, I bought these 2 LCD's in prior to the G5, and ran them on a G4 1ghz (FW800) with a GeForce 4MX 64Mb. That card, like several generations of G4's before it has an ADC and a DVI port. In my case, prior to these LCD's I had run a single 21" CRT with the supplied DVI to VGA connector, and since these panels were both DVI, I had to buy a BrBott ADC to DVI adapter, to enable running them both as digital.

The G5 came with the 9800XT and that has the same configuration - one ADC and a DVI, so it was just plug and play again using that adapter.

When you say 933, what model/gen is it? - what is the gfx card?

The first couple of Cinema screens came as ADC, and haven't they switched to DVI now making the ADC ports on the OEM cards in our Macs kinda redundant? - which model is your Cinema Screen?

[ODoul]

Slow down there big fella, that's too many LCD'S, CRT'S, DVI'S, VGA'S AND ADC'S for this old coot to digest. I'll have to get back to ya on that one.

[kromekat]

LOL! OK FAB M8! :thumbsup:

[mustardseed]

Kromekat,

How do your Samsungs compare to Apple's cinema displays? Color accauracy, viewing angle, brightness/contrast oh and of course price.

I'm definitely considering dual CRTs to save cost when I purchase a G5 later this year, but if there are good quality alternatives to Apple LCDs I might pay a little more for it.

I'll be doing print work mostly.

Thanks!

[MJV]

I can't believe that anyone ever doesn't use two monitors. It's like asking if color really is better than black and white.

[kromekat]

Kromekat,

How do your Samsungs compare to Apple's cinema displays? Color accauracy, viewing angle, brightness/contrast oh and of course price.

I'm definitely considering dual CRTs to save cost when I purchase a G5 later this year, but if there are good quality alternatives to Apple LCDs I might pay a little more for it.

I'll be doing print work mostly.

Thanks!

Well on paper the specs of the Samsungs are greater in most respects - and in use, I am continually blown away by their quality!. I have recommended them to a few others, and they have all been very pleased with the results, including guys that use them purely for print based work. Personally I use them for both, but obviously the tones approaching pure RGB colours are somewhat more vivid on screen than on paper as you'd expect, but I havent found anything detremental in that regard so far - no big shocks!

I haven't done a side by side comparison on the Apple screens and these, but when I have seen the Cinema displays, they haven't made me feel I made the wrong decision - couple this with the enormous price difference pixel for pixel, and it's a no brainer (for me anyway)
The brightness, sharpness and subsequent relief to your eyes btw is amazing compared to CRT. ;)

The only downside potentially is that there are no controls to alter the brightness etc - Samsung provides no drivers/control panel for the Mac, but maybe Tiger will address them directly!? - for me that hasn't been an issue - I was happy with them straight out of the box, and they are a very good paired match in colour temperature and identical brightness.

[Kuroyume0161]

It's been a while since I had my Apple Display and general quality of other brands has certainly increased, but at the time, the Apple's had the best quality. Rated for the least "dead pixels" and color quality. But again, competition may have leveled the playing field.

I'm back to clunky (and weighty) CRT displays only because LCDs do not support stereographics (pity that is).

On topic, dual monitors with most modern dual channel cards is a snap. Personally, I prefer NVidia to ATI, but that is only my own preference. Not certain, because some older OSs (e.g.: Win95, Win98, Win!Me) have no multi-monitor support, but Win2000 and XP both have multi-monitor support. And of course, MacOSX (except for eMacs hardware-wise) supports it also.

It truly is a necessity when you do 3D CG and other things simultaneously. I've lately considered going to three monitors just for the real estate (two for Cinema 4D and the other for 'other'). ;)

[mustardseed]

Does that mean that you can't adjust the settings through Displays in System Prefs, and you can't calibrate the monitors or generate monitor profiles?

What model are you using BTW?

The only downside potentially is that there are no controls to alter the brightness etc - Samsung provides no drivers/control panel for the Mac

[kromekat]

Does that mean that you can't adjust the settings through Displays in System Prefs, and you can't calibrate the monitors or generate monitor profiles?

What model are you using BTW?

You can adjust the amount of colours, the Hz rate and the resolution yes, and they will use a profile, but you can't adjust the settings of the monitor to make a new profile, unless done through a Windows software emultaor or on a PC. That said, clicking through the existing Syncmaster profile, everything is set accurately anyway. It's not ideal if you really want to have that control, but it's not a necessity either! Mine are the 173P LCDs, but maybe some newere ones (this years) will have software support or physical controls.

[alanmac]

Adam

On top of this you are angling for a Powerbook !! Some people are so greedy.

The only way my set up gets anywhere near yours is we both have the same mobile phone. No, don't tell me you're bored with it and are getting a new one tomorrow !!

Seriously though with the number of tool palettes in programs a dual monitor set up would be ideal for so many of todays applications. I started my "computer life" using a 14" monitor and by the time everything loaded I had about two square inches of working space. Happy days - huh.

I'm running an old 21" CRT at the moment but the increasing eyestrain ( it's my age)and headaches has got me looking at TFT's. I find text a little blocky, for want of a better expression, on them and whilst there is this arguement about colour etc. I do so little print work these days that I don't think it will be a problem.

Dell recently had an offer on 19 and 20" monitors and I'm kicking myself now for not taking the plunge. I see they have a new 24" out which one guy has several on ebay for sale at £800. Despite being a PC supplier these are being used by some Mac operators and the reviews on all their top models have been good. Digit are doing a review of TFT's next month so I'll see what comes from that.

It would seem two 19" panels for a little more would be the better option than one 24" in terms of veiwing area putting to one side the surrounding bezel., and if your using one for palettes its not a problem anyway. Plus if one goes down you can still work a a pinch with the other.


Yours very enviously...ggrrr

Alan

[kromekat]

I know, it's all want, want, want with me isn't it!? :rolleyes:

Yes, having the 2 17 or 19s at 1280x1024 gives you a significant amount more pixels and useable desktop space (horizontal). If you think about it, 2 17s is actually more physical screen area than the 30" Cinema screen at a fraction of the cost. :)

...maybe I should get another and have a nice L/C/R setup!... hmmm :cool:

All I need now is some more bloody work to pay for stuff (having a total drought at the moment!)

[Erik Heyninck]

I can chime in here...me too I have been balancing on that 20inch Dell, but now it's again full price, so too expensive. Yet indeed two 1280x1024 give more than 1600x1200 and the second one can be of a lesser quality as it is used mainly for palettes. Which would free some more money for the first one. Yet it won't be for now as mr Taxman just sent me a letter...

[UK3D]

Just one thing to watch for with cinema 4D and two monitors. I've got one screen dedicated to the image view or texture view depending. The other is full of all the dialogue boxes settings etc. When working on rigging and using Claudbonnet the brush slows to a snail pace. I have to hide the second monitors views and whoosh back to normal speed. Only a small iritation but one to watch for.

One further question related. Do you wacom users with two screens map accross both or just one? I've always mapped to one as it felt more acurate in BodyPaint..

Ta Sean

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.