Running MAME on secondary monitor

[comatsu]

I've hooked up a laptop to my cabinet with a J-Pac.  I've set the vga port to be an extended windows desktop using the ATI control panel. However when I run MAME it starts on the laptop screen and not on the second monitor.  How do I force it to display on the 2nd monitor?

[comatsu]

I've managed to get the games running my cloning the laptop display unto the attached arcade monitor.  I had to install soft15kHz for it to work, even though with it installed I do not get any additional resolutions to choose from.
However now the game, while it seems to be showing quite well is vertically stretched (both laptop display and arcade monitor are showing a resolution of 720x480).

MAME screenshot


As opposed to actual Neo-Geo screenshot


What can I do to fix this?

[ratsflif]

Extend your desktop to your other monitor and adjust it to your desired resolution.

Run mame -verbose from command line and see what your secondary display is called probably \\.\DISPLAY2

change your screen setting in the mame.ini from auto to \\.\DISPLAY2

done

[comatsu]

Thanks ratsflif - was wondering how to do that.  Unfortunately that still doesnt work.

Code: [Select]

C:\emulators\mame>mame -verbose
Parsing mame.ini
Parsing mame.ini
device ':' created
device ':screen' created
Video: Monitor 00010001 = "\\.\DISPLAY1" (primary)
Video: Monitor 00010003 = "\\.\DISPLAY2"
DirectDraw: Using DirectDraw 7
DirectDraw: Configuring device RADEON IGP 345M
DirectDraw: Unknown target mode: R=00000000 G=00000000 B=00000000
Unable to initialize DirectDraw.
  0022E8D8: 01BCDF9F (fatalerror(char const*, ...)+0x007f)
  0022E9B8: 00FF3B70 (winwindow_video_window_create(running_machine&, int, _win_
monitor_info*, _win_window_config const*)+0x05d0)
  0022EAF8: 00FF01B5 (winvideo_init(running_machine&)+0x0a75)
  0022EC48: 00FEBF5C (windows_osd_interface::init(running_machine&)+0x02dc)
  0022ED68: 016454B8 (running_machine::start()+0x0298)
  0022EE18: 01646434 (running_machine::run(bool)+0x02c4)
  0022F988: 0162EFCC (mame_execute(emu_options&, osd_interface&)+0x022c)
  0022FBA8: 0191BC42 (cli_frontend::execute(int, char**)+0x0f02)
  0022FEB8: 00FED5BF (utf8_main(int, char**)+0x01df)
  0022FEF8: 01BBD52E (wmain+0x006e)
  0022FFC0: 00401422 (__tmainCRTStartup+0x0292)
  0022FFF0: 7C817067 (RegisterWaitForInputIdle+0x0049)
Unable to complete window creation

C:\emulators\mame>

[comatsu]

Messing around with the settings, this seems to happen when using d3d or ddraw, but not gdi.
Unfortunately gdi also seems to be much slower than the other options.

Any fix?

[Howard_Casto]

You aren't trying to run hlsl effects are you?  Hlsl effects won't run on dual monitor setups... there seems to be a bug.

[comatsu]

No hlsl enabled.  The second monitor is a Hantarex Polo 25" so no need for that.

[Howard_Casto]

Well you could just try the easy way.  Setup a display profile for your vidoe card where the laptop display is completely turned off leaving only your arcade monitor on.  Usually you can save these profiles to a shortcut.  Launch the shortcut prior to mame.  MAME is infinately more reliable on single display setups.

[comatsu]

The problem is that I cannot figure out how to set the arcade monitor as primary screen, or even turn off laptop display and just use the monitor.  All related options to do something like that are greyed out.

[comatsu]

Still stuck here - any other suggestions?

[Howard_Casto]

Then you've got video card driver issues.... you need to take care of those first.

[comatsu]

Then you've got video card driver issues.... you need to take care of those first.

From what I've been reading online it seems pretty standard for laptop not to allow an external monitor to function as primary screen.

[Howard_Casto]

Not really... I mean super old and busted laptops maybe.  Video cards don't really work that way.  If you have the ability to display different things on each monitor then you should be able to turn them on and off independantly of each other.


You should be able to press win+p in windows 7 and it will bring up a quick switcher.

[Drnick]

What laptop do you have?  It will normally be a Fn & Function key to swap between the following,  onboard, onboard and secondary, secondary only.
Failing that then there should be an option much the same in the drivers.

[comatsu]

Laptop is an old compaq nx9010

To make matters worse I had to disconnect the laptop keyboard because it was not working and Im using a ps/2 kb connected to it instead, so cant try any of the FN key stuff.
Also im using winxp - so no win+p shortucts for me.

[Drnick]

http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=110&prodSeriesId=321850&prodTypeId=321957&objectID=c01369231&printver=true

Unfortunately the following applies.

The computer is now ready to display the same screen on all output devices, from monitors to projectors. Press the fn and f4 function keys at the same time to switch the image from the notebook display, to the external monitor, or to both.

So without the fn key I think you are outta luck. Let me do some more checking for you. 

OK it  looks like you can use something like this to use any key as any other key, hopefully function is in there for you, just assign it to a key you wouldn't normally use (tilder key or something)

[comatsu]

Drnick thanks for the help   but im not sure what program you are referring to that allows me to assign Fn key to some other key

[Drnick]

My bad I forgot the link    The program is called sharpkeys.  It may be that there are other softwares that perform the same function though.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/map-any-key-to-any-key-on-windows-xp-vista/

[joeH]

You aren't trying to run hlsl effects are you?  Hlsl effects won't run on dual monitor setups... there seems to be a bug.

I have a 3 monitor setup with the last one oriented vertically.  I'm able to run MAME on the 3rd monitor with HLSL enabled.  I did this specifically to run CAVE shmups with hlsl effects enabled.  Just had to select \\DISPLAY3 in the GUI startup options.