Continue to Site

Eng-Tips is the largest engineering community on the Internet

Intelligent Work Forums for Engineering Professionals

  • Congratulations cowski on being selected by the Eng-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

Dual Monitor Software OpenGL Option

Status
Not open for further replies.

SWKennedy

Mechanical
Dec 8, 2009
33
I'm currently running two monitors, with one being a widescreen. The settings between the two are identical except for the resolution (1600 x 1200 vs 1920 x 1200). The widescreen is my secondary monitor where I have solidworks most of the time.

If I have solidworks on my primary monitor, I don't have to have the check box for "software OpenGL" checked in order to see my model. However, if I move solidworks to my secondary widescreen monitor, the viewing window freezes. I can activate sketch and modeling commands, but i can't see what I'm doing...whatever the last image was on the screen is what stays there. If I check the software OpenGL box, it runs on both monitors, but it is clunky and doesn't run near as well as it does on the primary monitor without that option checked.

I've browsed a few other threads and didn't find any conflict of interest in having two different sized monitors, am I missing a setup option or should I just expect to have the OpenGL option checked when working on my widescreen? Solidworks keeps warning me that it is on every couple days like there is something wrong, and I can't use every feature (not that I would consider the magnifying glass handy, but it is one example of something I can't use).

Windows XP x64
Xeon X5482 Processor
8 GB Ram
Nvidia QuadroFX 4800
 
Replies continue below

Recommended for you

Make sure you are running the correct driver. Not necessarily the latest, but the one recommended for your card on the SW website.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)
 
I do routinely check to make sure SW says I have the "best" driver possible. It's been an issue ever since I got this machine using 2009 sp1. Now I'm in 2010 sp2.
 
Does the problem go away if you swap the cables so that the monitor that you want to have SW open on is the primary monitor?

Eric
 
SWKENNEDY, Have you found a fix for your dual monitor problems? I have the exact problems that you described. Any info that you can share would be a big help!
Thanks Ron
 
I had this problem, word for word (same setup and maybe even same resolutions) and my VAR said to check the OpenGL box as well. I haven't had any weirdness (what you described, model view stays static or allows highlighting edges, but you can't actually see what's going on, though the software/menus are responsive) since making the change. I get the reminder note, but that's about it. I haven't noticed poor performance as a result. I too was using the newest SW-approved driver.
 
I have worked with a Solidworks support tech for several hours on this problem, we have tried several different drivers including the latest from NVIDIA and the SW recomended driver. The SW tech has tried everything in his bag of tricks and settings and still no improvement.
Has anyone had this problem and actually found a fix?


Dell T5500
WINDOWS XP PRO x32
4 GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX1800
Dual 23" Samsung SyncMaster 2333 wide screens
1920 x 1080 Resolution
 
I have not actually had any more information either. I have contacted my VAR, reinstalled, tried new service packs, multiple drivers, flipped monitors and nothing has so far has allowed me to use my widescreen monitor without the OpenGL option turned on.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor