Hardware recommendations for multi-screen sim

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Hi all,

I'm planning to build a glider simulator for my gliding club, to be used
for instruction. Since gliders have great visibility from the cockpit, the
plan would be to use multiple projectors to display as much of the view as
possible, not only out to the sides but top and bottom as well. I'm
guestimating that this would require using up to 8 projectors. The
projectors I have in mind have 1280x800 pixel native resolution.

The first of many problems is that I have last built a desktop PC around
2002 (been using laptops since) and thus have no hands-on experience with
modern gaming hardware. What configuration should I go for? One high end
machine stuffed with cards to provide all the displays? Multiple networked
display slaves? How many displays per machine? What graphics cards should I
go for? What would provide acceptable performance in this setup?

Also has anyone implemented projector edge blending using Flightgear
before? Unless anyone has better ideas I was thinking about using Linux
with a flexible window manager such as Windowmaker to overlay a transparent
OpenGL window on each display to provide the mask while keeping the input
focus on Flightgear. The overlay would be a small custom OpenGL program
that loads some kind of image (which I would edit in Gimp). The overlay
would cause a performance penalty but having tried it on my laptop I've
found it to be only about 5fps at 1920x1200 resolution.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I realise that building a spherical
display system like this has numerous challenges to overcome. I was
planning on getting one PC and maybe three projectors initially, then play
around with the alignment and masking. Then if we decide that it isn't
feasible, we can always fall back to a more traditional three or 5
projector arch. I'm asking for hardware recommendations in advance so I
don't end up buying kit we would not be able to use in the end.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Cheers,
Vik
-- 
My other sig is hilarious

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div><div>Hi all,<br><br></div>I&#39;m planning to bu=
ild a glider simulator for my gliding club, to be used for instruction. Sin=
ce gliders have great visibility from the cockpit, the plan would be to use=
 multiple projectors to display as much of the view as possible, not only o=
ut to the sides but top and bottom as well. I&#39;m guestimating that this =
would require using up to 8 projectors.  The projectors I have in mind have=
 1280x800 pixel native resolution.<br><br></div>The first of many problems =
is that I have last built a desktop PC around 2002 (been using laptops sinc=
e) and thus have no hands-on experience with modern gaming hardware. What c=
onfiguration should I go for? One high end machine stuffed with cards to pr=
ovide all the displays? Multiple networked display slaves? How many display=
s per machine? What graphics cards should I go for? What would provide acce=
ptable performance in this setup?<br><br></div><div>Also has anyone impleme=
nted projector edge blending using Flightgear before? Unless anyone has bet=
ter ideas I was thinking about using Linux with a flexible window manager s=
uch as Windowmaker to overlay a transparent OpenGL window on each display t=
o provide the mask while keeping the input focus on Flightgear. The overlay=
 would be a small custom OpenGL program that loads some kind of image (whic=
h I would edit in Gimp). The overlay would cause a performance penalty but =
having tried it on my laptop I&#39;ve found it to be only about 5fps at 192=
0x1200 resolution.<br></div><div><br></div><div><div><div><div>Any suggesti=
ons would be appreciated. I realise that building a spherical display syste=
m like this has numerous challenges to overcome. I was planning on getting =
one PC and maybe three projectors initially, then play around with the alig=
nment and masking. Then if we decide that it isn&#39;t feasible, we can alw=
ays fall back to a more traditional three or 5 projector arch. I&#39;m aski=
ng for hardware recommendations in advance so I don&#39;t end up buying kit=
 we would not be able to use in the end.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Thank=
s for your help in advance.<br><br></div><div>Cheers,<br></div><div>Vik<br>=
</div><div>-- <br><div class=3D"gmail_signature">My other sig is hilarious<=
/div>
</div></div></div></div></div>

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