Best way for glass cockpit screens?

[machineman9]

Not for a while will I be able to get a pit started properly, so for now I need to work on getting something done with the space I have, and that is limited.

For sake of space and the ability to actually have some gauges that I can see (for some reason I can hardly see the G1000 on FSX because of the size) I was thinking about getting a few small LCD screens to put around my larger 19" screen.

The space I have isnt too big, but something could still get done I am sure. For underneath my monitor I was first thinking of building a frame and putting some glass cockpit type things on it there. The height from the desk to the bottom of the screen (frame) is less than 7cm, and to the bottom of the pixels it is roughly 10cm.

What would be better? To have the gauges quite this small and under the screen, or perhaps build a frame which would sit on the edge of the table close to the keyboard so that I can have them larger... if I did the  latter they could easily be 21cm high before they block my vision to the monitor.

I do have a digital picture frame downstairs (USB) but I cannot find a way to make it act as a different monitor, I cant even find a brand or model number for it.

What are some good value brands for small monitors? Which sort of set up do you think would be better?


Cheers




edit: also how could they be linked to my graphics card? I have one free DVI output (with VGA adapter on it) and an S-video... what would be a good solution for perhaps having 2 screens? Is there a sort of splitter that isnt too expensive?

[pepper_airborne]

Yeah you can get a splitter for the screen, i believe its called a matrox spider, although i could be wrong here.

Do you have a photograph or a drawing to visualize your situation? I think i know what you mean, but i cant be sure how you should do it without visualizingi t.

[machineman9]

Alright as you can see from the picture below (or probably cant see... yeh its a fairly terrible drawing. Tablet and my hands dont seem to want to work together) it is like a small box near the edge of my table with the screen mounted in it, like a 9" wide-ish screen or so.




The other idea was to build a frame around my monitor like shown here and have space for newer screens, speakers or whatever later.


P.S, I hate drawing unless it is very neat  ;D



Also, arent those Matrox ones really expensive? Not sure about that Spider one (will check now) but I remember them being a bit on the steep side. Perhaps buying a PCI card with 2 outputs (if that exists) could work. I dont know about running multiple different cards.

[pepper_airborne]

hmm yeah, interesting idea!