9 replies to this topic

[Brer Frog]

Usually I play DT with one monitor but sometimes connect a second & play FS. The main display is usually a 23" and the secondary is a 19". I never had a problem with this combo. Then I bought a 27” for the playfield & it also worked great with the 19” backglass.

A month ago I did a fresh Win7 and VPX 10.2 all-in-one install. About 2 weeks ago I tried the 27” & 19” combo but the backglass image displayed on the playfield monitor either on top or under the playfield image. This is with either VP9 or VPX tables. This may be the first time I used the 27” with VP 10.2 but am not 100% sure. Yet the system still worked flawlessly when using the 23”/19” combo.

I tried various settings, rolled back Windows, did a new install of NET Framework. Even deleted some registry keys that determined the monitors Identities & these got re-created but it made no difference. Also updated the video card driver (GTX 750Ti SC) but to no avail.

Here's what eventually worked. I changed the screenres.txt entry that affects the backglass offset. The line that says “(normally left at 0)”. I used an offset of 1920 which is the size of the playfield.
1920
1080
1280
1024
2
1920
0
0
0
0
0
0

I don’t know why I had to do this since there wasn’t a problem before. Amazingly it did not affect how things worked when I used the 23”/19” setup. You’d think if this setting moved the backglass image 1920 pixels when using the 27” monitor that it would do the same with the 23” one, which is only 1680 and therefore it would move the backglass image too far. But it doesn’t affect the 23”/19” combo at all.

1) This makes me wonder if something is not optimally setup with my system.

 

2) I’d also just like to know what is going on, especially since the offset has no affect when using the 23” playfield.

 

What has changed?

[Drybonz]

It sounds like your monitors were different resolutions.

[gtxjoe]

The backglass monitor = 2 is wrong for your setup.

You added an offset of 1920 pixels to shift the backglass to the right to compensate for the incorrect monitor number

The typical approach would be to set the offset back to 0 and then try backglass monitor number from 1 to 15 until the backglass appears in the correct location

Why this happen? Windows monitor number assignment changes when you use different video ports or If you plug/unplug or enable/d disable different combos of monitors

Edited by gtxjoe, 03 February 2017 - 02:10 AM.

[Xendo]

Use the B2S Debug program. It will help show exactly what number your screens should be.

[Brer Frog]

The monitors are different resolutions but that never affected anything before.

 

When the 19" backglass is connected it always becomes Identity #1 and the playfield gets kicked back to #2. I don't recall if it was that way before I reinstalled things. In the Screen Resolution setup I drag the 19" to the right of the playfield and make the playfield the main display.

 

I'm confused about monitor numbers. Apparently you're not talking about the Identity number that Windows assigns & that you see when looking at "Screen Resolution" on the desktop.

 

I just searched & found the link to the B2S Debug program as mentioned. I'll run it & see what it comes up with.

 

I'm getting the impression that the 27" playfield will have a different number than the 23" playfield. That the screenres.txt that I use for the 23" will not work properly for the 27", and which it does not, And if I change the screenres.txt to reflect the proper monitor number for the 27" then it will not work for the 23". Does that sound about right?

 

Was I just lucky with my original Windows installation that both playfields were assigned the same number?

[Kellogs]

Where did you find the B2S Debug program, just seached the database, but could not find it. Please provide a link, if this is possible

[Brer Frog]

I found a link to the B2S Debug program in this thread, see message #6.
http://www.vpforums....showtopic=19687

===============================================

This is with the 1680x1050 playfield monitor & the 1280x1024 backglass monitor.

"1280","   Screen2ResX"
"1024","   Screen2ResY"
"0","   Screen2PosX"
"0","   Screen2PosY"
"\\.\DISPLAY2","   displayname"
"------------------------------------------------"
"\\.\DISPLAY1","   First screen"
"\\.\DISPLAY2","   Second screen"
"------------------------------------------------"
"\\.\DISPLAY2","   Selected screen"
0,"   Working Area Top"
1024,"   Working Area Bottom"
1680,"   Working Area Left"
2960,"   Working Area Right"

===============================================

This is with the 1920x1080 playfield monitor and the 1280x1024 backglass monitor.

"1280","   Screen2ResX"
"1024","   Screen2ResY"
"0","   Screen2PosX"
"0","   Screen2PosY"
"\\.\DISPLAY2","   displayname"
"------------------------------------------------"
"\\.\DISPLAY1","   First screen"
"\\.\DISPLAY2","   Second screen"
"------------------------------------------------"
"\\.\DISPLAY2","   Selected screen"
0,"   Working Area Top"
1040,"   Working Area Bottom"
0,"   Working Area Left"
1920,"   Working Area Right"

============================================

Both setups indicate Display 2 is the second screen. FWIW Windows Identity 2 is the playfield screen in both setups.

What I see different is the Display 2 Working Area Left & Right figures.

With the 1680x1050 backglass, the Display 2 is shifted by 1680.

With the 1920x1080 backglass, the Display 2 is not shifted.

 

Any ideas why the difference?
 

[Kellogs]

Thank you for the link, I'll give it a try, because I think, that I had the same problem, that you have right now. I allready discribed the settings of my screenres.txt on my homepage. Although, it is written in German, maybe google translat an the pictures might help you a little bit further. http://vpinball.de/i...ackglas-anzeige

[Brer Frog]

I'm still confused.

 

In message #7 above, the B2S debug for either the 23" or 27" indicates this same data:

"\\.\DISPLAY1","   First screen"
"\\.\DISPLAY2","   Second screen"

But the 27" setup displays the backglass image on the playfield. If the DISPLAYS & screens have the same information why don't the two setups behave the same?

 

========================================

 

Now I changed screenres.txt so the backglass = 1.

1920
1080
1280
1024
1
0
0
0
0
0

========================================

 

This is the B2S debug when using the 27", 1920x1080 playfield: This now displays the backglass properly on the backglass monitor.

But it only lists DISPLAY1","   First screen". Why no mention of the second Display or screen?

"1280","   Screen2ResX"
"1024","   Screen2ResY"
"0","   Screen2PosX"
"0","   Screen2PosY"
"\\.\DISPLAY1","   displayname"
"------------------------------------------------"
"\\.\DISPLAY1","   First screen"
"------------------------------------------------"
"\\.\DISPLAY1","   Selected screen"
0,"   Working Area Top"
1024,"   Working Area Bottom"
1920,"   Working Area Left"
3200,"   Working Area Right"

 

========================================

 

This is the B2S debug when using the 23", 1680x1050 playfiield: This messes up things & displays the backglass on the playfield.

Again, why no mention of the second Display or screen?

 

"1280","   Screen2ResX"
"1024","   Screen2ResY"
"0","   Screen2PosX"
"0","   Screen2PosY"
"\\.\DISPLAY1","   displayname"
"------------------------------------------------"
"\\.\DISPLAY1","   First screen"
"------------------------------------------------"
"\\.\DISPLAY1","   Selected screen"
0,"   Working Area Top"
1010,"   Working Area Bottom"
0,"   Working Area Left"
1680,"   Working Area Right"
 

========================================

 

If DISPLAY1 always says First screen and DISPLAY 2 always says Second screen, how do you determine which backglass number to use in screenres.txt?

Edited by Brer Frog, 04 February 2017 - 09:24 AM.

[Brer Frog]

Thought I’d simplify the amount of data & see if this makes more sense.

I have to change the backglass display number in screeners.txt depending on which playfield monitor I use.

Setup A) 23” playfield with 19” backglass.
Setup B) 27” playfield with 19” backglass.

The B2S Debug program shows this same exact info for either setup:
"\\.\DISPLAY1","   First screen"
"\\.\DISPLAY2","   Second screen"

Setup A needs the backglass monitor = 2, otherwise the backglass image displays on the playfield.

Setup B needs the backglass monitor = 1, otherwise the backglass image displays on the playfield.

Why do they behave differently if the B2S Debug shows the same display info, or am I misinterpreting things?

 

Thanks