I can't get arma 2 and eyefinity to work properly

[blurgh 10]

I have three 22" monitors which are running eyefinity at a resolution of 5760x1080. There native resolution is 1920x1080.

In arma 2 I have chosen 5760x1080 for resolution and 3d resolution and the only triple screen aspect ratio available. This unfortunately is not the correct aspect ratio as far as I can tell. The two side monitors look very stretched and so does the middle one (although to a much lesser extent).

it seems like arma 2 does not support the correct aspect ratio for my eyefinity setup. Is there anyway to get around this if so... How ? I am pretty computer retarded so please try and explain what to do as simply as possible especially if it involves editing config files etc.

I got these monitors specifically for arma 2 and to find out they don't work properly with arma 2 is a big disappointment.

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance :cool:

[lozz08 10]

OK, navigate to C:\users\your username\my documents\arma2\

open up the file that is named your username in a text editor such as notepad. If there are two files there with your username as their name, do this for both of them.

scroll down to the bottom of the file. See the lines that say FOV top and FOV left.

the number next to FOV left should be close to 5.3333 times the number next to FOV top.

So if FOV top is 0.75, as is default for arma 2, then FOV left should be exactly 4.

In summary, set FOV top to 0.75 and FOV left to 4. If it is already at those values, then this isn't your problem.

Edit:The fact that you're playing at 5760X1080 tells me you haven't setup bezel correction. In AMD catalyst, go to your display group, right click it, and find the bezel correction setup.

Edited August 28, 2011 by lozz08

[HR4 Elite 10]

OK, navigate to C:\users\your username\my documents\arma2\

open up the file that is named your username in a text editor such as notepad. If there are two files there with your username as their name, do this for both of them.

scroll down to the bottom of the file. See the lines that say FOV top and FOV left.

the number next to FOV left should be close to 5.3333 times the number next to FOV top.

So if FOV top is 0.75, as is default for arma 2, then FOV left should be exactly 4.

In summary, set FOV top to 0.75 and FOV left to 4. If it is already at those values, then this isn't your problem.

Edit:The fact that you're playing at 5760X1080 tells me you haven't setup bezel correction. In AMD catalyst, go to your display group, right click it, and find the bezel correction setup.

I too am pretty computer illiterate as well so I’m always asking the PC wizz who built my PC, sometimes he tells me what I need to do and it all seems way too technical. Now this answer even I could follow, not that I need it as I don ‘t have multi screens, however just saying well done for a great answer explained without any PC snobbery or satire but purely to help, even if it doesn't sort out the problem, great way to answer:)

Shame there are only a very few on here that answer this way...:mad:

[blurgh 10]

OK, navigate to C:\users\your username\my documents\arma2\

open up the file that is named your username in a text editor such as notepad. If there are two files there with your username as their name, do this for both of them.

scroll down to the bottom of the file. See the lines that say FOV top and FOV left.

the number next to FOV left should be close to 5.3333 times the number next to FOV top.

So if FOV top is 0.75, as is default for arma 2, then FOV left should be exactly 4.

In summary, set FOV top to 0.75 and FOV left to 4. If it is already at those values, then this

isn't your problem.

Edit:The fact that you're playing at 5760X1080 tells me you haven't setup

bezel correction. In AMD catalyst, go to your display group, right click it, and find the bezel correction setup.

hi thanks for the response, it's appreciated.

I did the bezel correction which gave me a resolution of 6048x1080

I then went edited the file you mentioned so that the FOV top was 0.75 and the FOV left was 4. I then loaded up arma and selected my bezel compensated resolution which is 6048x1080. I went to look at the aspect ratio setting but it as set to custom so I thought I'd leave it at that.

however whilst the centre screen now seems ok the two side screens are still stretched. Actually upon checking the centre screen doesn't seem completely centred either, in the menu screens the sides are slightly hidden behind the bezels. When I switch back to 5760x1080 it sorts out the centre screen and everything looks good but the side screens are stretched just like they are at 6048x1080 :(

Anyone got any idea what I'm doing wrong and how to fix it ?

Edited August 29, 2011 by blurgh

[lozz08 10]

yeah, at 6048X1080 FOV Left should be 4.2.

The formula is;

FOVL=(W/H)*FOVT

That is, the number for FOV Left equals your total width in pixels divided by your total height in pixels, and then that multiplied by whatever FOV Top is.

Beyond that, the only thing you can do is angle your screens differently. There will always be some distortion because with such a wide FOV the screen should really be curved.

In actuality, unless every pixel on-screen is equidistant to the centre point between your eyes, IE. The screen looking sort of like a big long oval concave lens, even with a single screen there is FOV distortion, just less noticable than with eyefinity.

I also suggest playing around with FOV top and left. There will be a sweet spot where it is correct for the distance at which you are sitting from your screen. Just keep it in the right ratio as above. That's the other part of the equation; the ideal FOV is dependant on screen sizes and your distance from them.

Edited August 29, 2011 by lozz08

[blurgh 10]

Ok cool, cheers I'll try that out.

Ater doing some reading I'm finding that stretching in the corners of side monitors is apprantley normal for eyefinity and it does it for pretty much every game which is a bit dissapointingto say the least... It looks especially bad in arma unfortunately.

[dmarkwick 261]

Ok cool, cheers I'll try that out.

Ater doing some reading I'm finding that stretching in the corners of side monitors is apprantley normal for eyefinity and it does it for pretty much every game which is a bit dissapointingto say the least... It looks especially bad in arma unfortunately.

I think that's a consequence of current geometry rendering from single viewpoints, there is no performance-friendly way to render extreme FOVs without such distortion.

One way around it would be to render each view separately, which currently ArmA2 cannot do. But you would still get minor distortions where the images meet.

[blurgh 10]

It's just deeply confusing to use.

For example I'll be running through a field and I'll have these trees on my right monitor that look like they are next to me and then I turn round and focus on them (putting them on centre monitor) and they are nowhere near me whatsoever.

It gives you a completely distorted perception of distance, so much so that I would argue it's more of a hinderance to run three screens than it is to run a single one.

May just sell the screens and get track ir tbh

[liquidpinky 11]

Once you get used to it the distortion is helpful, you can see things out of the corner of your eye better and actually squint sideways to spot enemies easier.

Here are my FOV settings:

fovTop=0.55000001;

fovLeft=3;

[dayglow 2]

Don't use bezel comp resolutions with Arma as you'll loose part of the HUD. As for the stretching on the side monitors as stated you can't get rid of it. I find that I consintrate on the center screen and the side screens fill your periphrial. If you try to take all 3 screens in focus, it will throw you off. The side screens will simply immerse you much more into the game as motion stretches into your peripheral vision.

Once you get used to it there is no going back to a single screen.

[HR4 Elite 10]

One large 40†screen and sit 6ft away from it if you can’t get the multi thing working, should feel pretty real then I would have thought..could give you a headache tho…

Sorry I would like to help but don’t know anything about it...having just the one 22†monitor, I sit right in front of that and when the action begins it seems pretty absorbing to me, even with that.

[liquidpinky 11]

One large 40†screen and sit 6ft away from it if you can’t get the multi thing working, should feel pretty real then I would have thought..could give you a headache tho…

Sorry I would like to help but don’t know anything about it...having just the one 22†monitor, I sit right in front of that and when the action begins it seems pretty absorbing to me, even with that.

I sat with a 42" 1080p tv the same distance as my three monitors but it still deosn't compare, it is all about the resolution.

[HR4 Elite 10]

I sat with a 42" 1080p tv the same distance as my three monitors but it still deosn't compare, it is all about the resolution.

Explain.. I’m interested…is it for the peripheral view that its important, however you will only ever see the forward view, would you not. How could you ever see the peripheral view unless they build it into the sim/game..or is it already in there..

.

[bullet purveyor 85]

Using a bigger screen don't do anything else than give you a bigger picture.

You still have 1920x1080 resolution, so the information on the screen is exactly the same on a 20 inch monitor as a 102 inch TV.

With 3 screens you will have three times the field of view, 5760 pixels in width x 1080 height.

[HR4 Elite 10]

Using a bigger screen don't do anything else than give you a bigger picture.

You still have 1920x1080 resolution, so the information on the screen is exactly the same on a 20 inch monitor as a 102 inch TV.

With 3 screens you will have three times the field of view, 5760 pixels in width x 1080 height.

OK, ‘just resolution for more detail’, only have 1920x1080 on my little 22†but there seems to be plenty of detail there, if you were to turn to three screen set-up would the breaks (between monitors) become un-noticeable over time...

Interesting this as it may be a pos for me further down the road if I get the space to do it and the wife lets me...

.

[lozz08 10]

HR4, when we change the resolution with a triple-monitor setup, we also change the field of view; the game renders a picture over a much wider field of view, so in answer to your question, yes, the game can render what you call "peripheral view" as peripheral view is just a different way of saying "the things we see on the wider extremes of our field-of-view."

It's not the sort of thing that is "built-in" to a game; every game renders a picture with a particular field of view, and that field of view is determined somewhere in code, and so it is a fundamental property of three-dimensional game environments the "peripheral vision" can be rendered; you just change the field of view.

[HR4 Elite 10]

HR4, when we change the resolution with a triple-monitor setup, we also change the field of view; the game renders a picture over a much wider field of view, so in answer to your question, yes, the game can render what you call "peripheral view" as peripheral view is just a different way of saying "the things we see on the wider extremes of our field-of-view."

It's not the sort of thing that is "built-in" to a game; every game renders a picture with a particular field of view, and that field of view is determined somewhere in code, and so it is a fundamental property of three-dimensional game environments the "peripheral vision" can be rendered; you just change the field of view.

Thank you for that reply, its beginning to sink in now...its very interesting, is it possible to have a wraparound view then ?

[dayglow 2]

Thank you for that reply, its beginning to sink in now...its very interesting, is it possible to have a wraparound view then ?

Yes

rgIoExNoarU

[liquidpinky 11]

Yes

rgIoExNoarU

You can get a wrap around view without curved monitors, it is down to FOV setting.

When using TrackIR I can almost see my left shoulder while looking fully to the right, even with the head stopping at a realistic and natural angle.

[HyperU2 11]

I wish they'd just start offering virtual reality helmets.

[lozz08 10]

They would, if it was commercially viable. Why do you think people still buy iphones ahead of android phones. They look cool. No self-respecting apple-age consumer wants to have a funny looking helmet on when they play their games!

If only the demographic of ARMA players was actually significant...

[HyperU2 11]

I'm a proud Android owner.

They have marketing outside of games, I can laugh at kittens on youtube in 360*.

[liquidpinky 11]

Ideally something like this would be the win, http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/media_vehicle_simulates_a_cocoon.php

[cjph 0]

I moved to an eyefinity triplehead setup with three 1280x1024 screens to give 3840x1024 (after a lot of playing on a 22 inch screen) as I was unhappy with the FOV (and to be honest, was getting killed too often by enemies I had missed).

The trade off of the side screens looking un-naturally closer/larger is spotting threats earlier, which I find well worth it and only really use them for peripheral vision. I like the better feeling of immersion with flying as well.

Hope to get three 22 inch screens some day . . .

cj

[polecat.uk 11]

arma 2 with 3 projectors