How to setup/use two monitors with the game?
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Whats the current best method for using two monitors with the game? How best to setup? Do I need to use mods? Had a quick search but couldn't find anything. ELI5 would be best
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The game natively supports two monitors - but - they must be connected on the same video card. You cannot, for example, use one monitor on the motherboards video, and the second on a video card. SCFA will not recognize that.
You don't need any additional software.
Some limitations. You cannot run windowed mode on either monitor - they'll both run in fullscreen. This is a problem, since if you like to alt-tab to other applications, SCFA is quite unstable when you do. Some people have little problem doing so, but many report that they become stuck on a 'grey screen'.
I've used dual screens for years, without any issue (except the above) - and frankly, I find it difficult to play without it. It's been completely stable in every way other than what I mentioned.
Now, alternatively, if both your monitors are identical, you can simply play 'windowed' mode and stretch the window across both monitors. This works (if you don't mind the bezel), but it's really still a single display. The true dual screen implementation allows completely independent views, and zooming, and tracking, on each monitor.
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@sprouto Great answer thank you ! Do you use one screen for the game and the other solely for the radar?
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That depends on the game, most times that is indeed the case - it's like a really large radar screen - but, if I want to keep a watch on one position, while engaging at another - I can do that to. And since it's another interface, I can issue orders to units over there, without losing contact with what I was watching on the other.
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Ok, first attempt is good so far. Only setback I can see is that while i am sitting in the lobby waiting for it to fill, a grey screen takes over my 2nd monitor and I can't use it for any other purpose. Any adjustment I can make to prevent this?
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That would be something about the FAF client, not the game itself, so I cannot help you there.
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Fullscreen mode is bad .. there is some instability with it and alt-tabbing takes too long. Make it windowed mode and just drag it across two screens. Then use ui party and turn on start split screen option. It rearranges menus like the construction bar so it spans only the left monitor
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Yeah, don't use full screen, use windowed mode. There is supposedly a mod that removes the top bar of the window too.
If you have two identical resultion monitors, you can 'split' the view and just stretch the monitor across two screens.
I have used fullscreen dual monitor, with the actual set-up in the game for a while, but it's just not stable making you loose all epic long-lasting games because the stuff freezes. I now just use one 30" 2560x1600 monitor with the game in windowed mode.
The other monitors have my discord, FAF client, Outlook... anything really.
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@serpentor You can follow this thread https://forum.faforever.com/topic/123/guide-fake-fullscreen-and-optimisation/66
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Apparently I mis-read the Secondary Adapter video setting as Secondary Monitor. If I read @Sprouto correctly, that setting doesn't work in faf?
I had a tentative plan to try that again at some point in the future and record my (Linux/Proton) error messages to post here. But it sounds as if that would be pointless.
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I believe it does work, when in the actual game - it's just not part of the FAF client.
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@Sprouto thank you. By actual game, you mean the Steam (or GOG) version of SCFA?
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The gameplay portion of FAF, it should work there as well - but the FAF client isn't built for it that I'm aware of. And yes - it works quite well in both the Steam and GOG versions - provided you observe the previously mentioned limitations - no alt-tab operations. Despite claims to the contrary, I've used it since the advent of the game, and it's been entirely stable.
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Same here - it works and it is stable.
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Oh, duh (headslap). FINALLY I grasp your meaning, which should have been clear on first read.
OK at some point I'll report my results. I know I'm asking a lot of Wine / Proton, but it would be a huge step forward to get that second monitor working.
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@gramps Try my Definitive Supreme Commander Launcher in https://forum.faforever.com/topic/123/guide-fake-fullscreen-and-optimisation/66
you also need to install the mods
Common Mod Tools and ui-party -
@thecore: Many thanks! Both for the mod and the fake-fullscreen guide link. I absolutely will try out the mod. First I'm trying to digest as much as I can from that other thread. (Sorry, I move really slow - I fear that means I'm not gonna get far in faf.)