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micpool@mac.com
14-01-2006, 10:32 PM
I am just trying out the beta of Catalyst 4 and it works fine full screen. If I exit full screen I have nothing in the output 1 window (I am just testing it on a G4 powerbook, but in 3.3 the output1 window works fine in preview).

Best Regards

Mic

samsc
15-01-2006, 03:54 PM
non-full screen mode has an impact on performance. so it was removed.

Technickal28
23-09-2009, 09:28 PM
With the new implementation of SSD drives and faster processing more memory, etc. . . is there any way to get the Output1 and Output2 windows back up. We're installing a MacPro with 8 core, 8GB ram and SSD drive. I'm not too worried about performance, but the Output1 and Output2 windows would be exceptionally helpful. Two outputs one card are going to projectors, and one output on the other card is going to a reference monitor in a closet where the rack is living.

NevBull
23-09-2009, 10:10 PM
Hello

You can only have one graphics card in the Catalyst server, so you would have to split the projector output using a Matrox DualHead2Go and use the other output for monitoring.

Mic's post was referring to the fact that 'in the old days' when Catalyst windows were not full screen, the output appeared on them - this is no longer the case. You have to be in full screen mode to see images on screen.

If you need to discuss your project or need further help, please email or PM me.

regards

Nev.

Technickal28
23-09-2009, 10:32 PM
we presently have two graphics cards in our catalyst. The machine has a ATI Radeon HD 4870 that we added, and an NVidia GeForce GT 120 that came standard, and I've had one catalyst output on the ATI, and one on the Nvidia, and it works fine. I managed to get two full screen outputs and one screen with the control window / cue list / etc.

I'm sure we can get a Matrox box to do the deed, but it was more out of curiosity that it would be great to have the output 1 and 2 windows back as an available preference for a "non-full screen" preview

-Nick
www.digitalmediadesigns.net

NevBull
24-09-2009, 06:20 AM
Hi Nick

Catalyst has always been designed to work with a single graphics card, there has been no way to synchronise multiple cards within the Mac. I am not sure how or why you have got outputs from two cards, but it is certainly not a supported feature of Catalyst.

You can certainly get a preview of any mix/output on a preview by assigning a second, smaller mix window on the preview output to the layer(s) and as scaling within a mix is proportional, you will see what is being sent to both mixes.

Alternatively, if all mixes are keystoned mixes, on the preview monitor, setup a 'SubMix Preview' mix - this will show a preview of all mixes in one window.

I hope this helps!

Nev.

Technickal28
24-09-2009, 10:36 PM
Nev.

Thanks for the tips. I've been doing some testing with the machine, and while I don't think I'd take it showside without some serious testing, I do believe there's some functionality built in for Catalyst recognizing more than one video card/two outputs.

I completely agree with you that the software currently only generates TWO full screen video outputs. with no preview capabilities on the Output1 and Output2 windows. I've worked with it enough to know that. I'm still stubbornly looking for a third output / monitor option

The first inkling I got of this was when I had four monitors attached, and two full screen outputs, with the control and library windows on a third and fourth screen (respectively). I did this by just installing an apple supported video card, and dragging the windows onto the other screens. When I closed the program, and reopened, the windows reappeared on the third and fourth monitors telling me that Catalyst recognized that they were there.

In further digging, I found the screen shot you'll see attached. It seems like deep in the Catalyst software it's seeing all the displays that Mac is seeing.

Maybe this thread is shifting into the requests section of the forum that deals with what we'd like Catalyst to do. It seems like with the constant increase of Mixes, Layers, Universes, etc. . . that full screen outputs could be one of those things that goes up in the next coupla versions.

Just some thoughts.
Nick
www.digitalmediadesigns.net

samsc
25-09-2009, 07:42 AM
using matrox triple head to Go and dual head to go is much better - as there is only one graphics card- and nothing needs to be transferred between them - there is no cpu/dma/pci hit at all using a triple head.

the problem is that there is no direct internal way for two graphics cards to share the same movie data without it going through the cpu/dma/pci bus - twice - the texture needs to be uploaded to all graphics cards - not just one...

using another graphics card could have a huge impact on performance - and might make the whole setup not work- possible - 25-50% degradation and playback instability- not performance neutral. not a no cost path...

using triple head has no impact on performance or on playback stability.


and you can use a triple head to go with a mix or layer preview mix..... you can preview anything on them.

the way people use this stuff- with the same movie data texture shared across all graphics cards - means that this is the technical limitation- and might kill the performance of the machine ( depending on how apple implements sharing textures between graphics cards .... )

people want to preview on a 3rd monitor - on a second graphics card - unfortunately thats the hardest thing to do - as ALL the movie textures then need to be on all graphics cards......

fine for games - but when people are doing what they are trying to do with this- it double or triples the pci data transfers with completely unpredictable results.

AND the only cards that you an use more than 1 - are the low end graphics cards...


Nev.

Thanks for the tips. I've been doing some testing with the machine, and while I don't think I'd take it showside without some serious testing, I do believe there's some functionality built in for Catalyst recognizing more than one video card/two outputs.

I completely agree with you that the software currently only generates TWO full screen video outputs. with no preview capabilities on the Output1 and Output2 windows. I've worked with it enough to know that. I'm still stubbornly looking for a third output / monitor option

The first inkling I got of this was when I had four monitors attached, and two full screen outputs, with the control and library windows on a third and fourth screen (respectively). I did this by just installing an apple supported video card, and dragging the windows onto the other screens. When I closed the program, and reopened, the windows reappeared on the third and fourth monitors telling me that Catalyst recognized that they were there.

In further digging, I found the screen shot you'll see attached. It seems like deep in the Catalyst software it's seeing all the displays that Mac is seeing.

Maybe this thread is shifting into the requests section of the forum that deals with what we'd like Catalyst to do. It seems like with the constant increase of Mixes, Layers, Universes, etc. . . that full screen outputs could be one of those things that goes up in the next coupla versions.

Just some thoughts.
Nick
www.digitalmediadesigns.net