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Dark GDK / Extended monitor and hardware acceleration issue...

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WLGfx
16
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Nov 2007
Location: NW United Kingdom
Posted: 29th Nov 2010 00:26
I'm in need of a bit of advice on how to implement hardware acceleration when I drag a window over to another monitor. Using this code from my previous tests with WinApi's whenever I drag a window onto the secondary monitor the framerate drops considerably. Looking through various forums off this site I've found that other monitors are classed as separate devices. Is there a way to initialise the second monitor so I can get a full fps count the same as the main one?

I've even used dbScreenType() to determine whether the screen is hardware accelerated and on either screen it shows up that it is.
I am assuming it is a windows issue with monitors being separate devices but if anyone has any ideas please let me know. I'm currently using an Advent 8117 laptop with GMA 950 graphics.

Warning! May contain Nuts!
Cuddle Bunniezzz 12
15
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 14th Jan 2009
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posted: 29th Nov 2010 06:09 Edited at: 29th Nov 2010 06:11
I think the issue might be less with your code and more with the hardware. It's that Intel GMA 950 you've got. I've been stuck with one for three and a half years, so I have quite a bit experience with it (both programming and gaming).

I've had many issues when I was trying to write a game engine from a tech book (well, actually two) and found out that it doesn't use hardware accelerated shaders (very bad), and that you can't even program a game in VB.NET using managed DirectX (quite bad).

The best I've ever gotten out of it from a game was Half Life 2, Episode 1, but that was with a lot altered settings and toning down on the visual quality (lower poly models and low-res textures). And when playing "Psychonauts," (which is no where near the graphical quality of Valve games,) it even lags during non-prerendered cut-scenes (terribly bad). After adding the "Swift Shader 2.0," DirectX DLL (it's a replacement for d3d9.dll which renders shaders much quicker), It let me play portal; for a minute before crashing my entire computer.

You might want to try this program on a computer with a more powerful GPU and see if gives you different results (I might be able to help with this).

All I can say the Intel GMA 950 is a piece of crap. It's given me so many issues I don't even know why I bought this laptop. I haven't been able to play a single game made after 2005 because of it.



http://ref.darkgdk.us/ <- Online DarkGDK Refernece. More content coming soon.
WLGfx
16
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st Nov 2007
Location: NW United Kingdom
Posted: 29th Nov 2010 15:07
It is very rare I actually play games, I do a lot of video editing and just got back into 3d modelling so really all I need it for is to render some video FX backgrounds. Jumping from 200+ FPS on the laptops screen down to approx 30 FPS on the extended monitor is drastic. I do a lot of work on laptops as I prefer to be mobile. Programming, modelling and video editing. Things will probably improve if I win the lottery and buy and Alienware... lol

Warning! May contain Nuts!
WLGfx
16
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Nov 2007
Location: NW United Kingdom
Posted: 1st Dec 2010 13:43
I have solved the issue with the hardware acceleration on the extended monitor. This particular way works brilliant for the purpose I will be using it for.

This was wrecking my head for some time and here's how:

1. Extend your desktop onto the other monitor as you would normally.

2. Set monitor 2 as your primary device. (So simple)

and for all those wondering why the icons and the task bar are there now...

3. Drag the icons to your main screen.

4. Right click on the task bar and unlock it.

5. Click on the task bar and drag to the main monitor.

Run a 3d accelerated app on your second monitor... Voila...

Unfortunately though there's no acceleration on your main monitor anymore...

Warning! May contain Nuts!

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