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    #1

    Dual Head?

    Guys

    Been planning on adding a touchscreen to HS.

    Thoughts were a long the lines of adding the screen as a second monitor on the HS server, with a VGA-> CAT5 -> VGA cable, along with probably serial back for the touchscreen.

    The main idea is to avoid a second PC for touchscreen duties...save power and all that!

    Has anyone taken this approach, or indeed, utilised one of the 4 (or greater) output display cards to support multiple touchscreens?

    Thoughts?

    David
    ---------------------------------------------------http://weather.penicuik.org
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    #2
    can be done, depending on which touch screen interface you plan on using. IE, Maestro is web based, so you can open as many instances of the browser on different displays as you want. I think the same is true of HAControl and John00's. not sure about MainLobby or that other one...what is it...oh yeah, HSTouch
    Plugins:
    BLLogMonitor, BLGarbage, BLBackup, BLOutGoingCalls, BLUps, BLRfid, JvEss, DooMotion, Applied Digital Ocelot, AC RF Processor, UltraMon, PJC AVR 430, UPB, Rain8net, DSC Panel, JRiver Media center, Windows Media Player, SageMediaCenter, SnevlCID, MCSTemperature.

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      #3
      Thanks for the reply.

      So - just how many "heads" have been tried Guys, and what graphics card did you use?

      Also, I wonder how touch screens work...hmmm.. could you have three or four touch screens connected..!?!?

      David.
      ---------------------------------------------------http://weather.penicuik.org

      Comment

        #4
        David,

        According to this post, HSTouch can only be on the primary screen. This obviously could change in the future.
        Jon

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          #5
          the problem with doing too many at once is that each one of them has their own pointer device. now as long as you have enough usb ports to plug them all into, that's fine, but depending on drivers and OS and all, I don't think there is a way to isolate the input from display A from the input of display B and so on. in other words, if you have simultanious use of the touch screens, they will conflict with each other as far as what you're touching.

          I've used several different multi head cards. in fact, if you are interested, i may have one to send to you if you wanted to try it out.
          Plugins:
          BLLogMonitor, BLGarbage, BLBackup, BLOutGoingCalls, BLUps, BLRfid, JvEss, DooMotion, Applied Digital Ocelot, AC RF Processor, UltraMon, PJC AVR 430, UPB, Rain8net, DSC Panel, JRiver Media center, Windows Media Player, SageMediaCenter, SnevlCID, MCSTemperature.

          Comment

            #6
            Thanks for your thoughts Chaps.

            I think touch is the way forword in the "family" integration, but adding yet more PCs or devices to manage the interface is lousy...especially with the current (sic!) cost of powering them all 24/7...even with screen savers etc, there is still 12v or whatever running to these devices.

            I think I will go with trying the multi head idea further as its got legs. I aloready use Geovision on a "second head" (and out to an rf modulator) so having one/more HS touchscreen sessions should be fun.

            My only reservation will be Govisions DirectDraw issues with cards....

            Multi head for me is the best way to go...

            I will keep you posted.

            David
            ---------------------------------------------------http://weather.penicuik.org

            Comment

              #7
              You could possibly use one of the RDP based systems out there. That, coupled with "virtual clients" (i.e. something like VMWare server, which is currently free), you could run multiple separate instances on the same machine and avoid the multiple input problem.

              Not as elegant as multiple touchscreens on the same machine, but probably easier to implement.

              Brian

              Comment

                #8
                Hi Brian

                YEs, good idea using one of the VM solutions for the input problem, although I dnt know how often two people in the house will want to use a touchscreen at the same time... but it could happen.

                I guess I am really just looking for something simple, and does not add the the heap of devices that add to my energy useage...

                I guess time for more playing... and buying another touchscreen.

                David
                ---------------------------------------------------http://weather.penicuik.org

                Comment

                  #9
                  Well, if you run a server O/S and you use a RDP client, you can get two terminal service sessions that way, without any extra software, and it still solves the multiple input issue. I haven't priced any, so I have no idea how "cost effective" the RDP touchscreen would be.

                  The other thing to keep in mind about the multiple input issue, if it happens as it sounds it would, when you "click" on something on one screen, you may inadvertantly click on something else on the other screen, regardless of whether there's a second user or not. If the screens are not in sync, who knows what the click would do.

                  Brian

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Hi Brian

                    My biggest wish is NOT to add more clients, hence multi head, so it only uses the HS server, which is obviously running anyway...

                    Regardless of power consumption, I want to avoid any "remote" client... just want a remote display....

                    David
                    ---------------------------------------------------http://weather.penicuik.org

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