Ad a touch screen to an Eyefinity triple display system

rellick · 14 Jan 2011

I have a Radeon 6970 video card that I use to run 3X24" displays.I would like to add a touch screen monitor.This is a gaming system and the touch screen will be used push buttons and flick switches that are mapped to keyboard commands.

I found a 3M Microtouch 15" touch screen online for $50.It came without a manual and software so I emailed the vendor who promised to forward everything but I'm not holding my breath.

I found the drivers at the 3M site and tried it on my laptop with vista.I was able to drag programs and desktop shortcuts to the touch screen with the mouse but when I touched them there nothing happened.Then I noticed that the touch screen was acting as a big touchpad for my laptops display.I believe the display works now I just need to learn how to properly set it up.

I would like to run all four displays off the one PC if possible.The program I want to use can be run on one PC that supports multiple displays or you can network from a second PC if your system is not adequate.

Currently the 3x24"s are setup as one display.The image is spread across all three.Two of the displays connect to DVI and the third to mini DP utilizing a mini DP to DVI active adapter.Would it be possible to run the touch screen as a fourth display utilizing a mini DP to VGA active adapter?The 6970 has two DVI,two mini DP and 1 HDMI ports.If it's determined that this can be done how would i properly configure the displays?

If I am forced to use my laptop then how would I configure the displays so the touch screen worked properly and does not effect the laptop display?The laptop is Vista but the 2 OS's seem similar.I just started using Win7 this week.

I understand if all this cannot be answered here but any input would be much appreciated.

Thanks and best regards

John

Here To Help · 16 Jan 2011

It should work on the desktop. Windows can auto negotiate which screen is a touch screen. Also you have to install tablet services.

To install go to "Uninstall or change a program" then on your left click on "Turn Windows features on or off" then select the box for tablet services and any other services you see that are related to touch screen. Then restart and you should be good to go. Also if you where to do a clean install these services woul turn on automaticly if the monitor was plugdin at the time of instalation. Post what happens.

rellick · 17 Jan 2011

Hi and thanks,yes I checked that and tablet service was running.

I have touchscreen working.My problem is that it seems to be backwards.If I touch the screen bottom right it registers top left.If I touch the display and drag left it goes right and vice versa.I had to designate the touchscreen as my main monitor because when I touched it my laptop display was effected.

rellick · 18 Jan 2011

Update/edit:I mentioned that I had touchscreen working but was not clear so I feel I should be more specific.

Eventually I want to set the touchscreen up as a fourth display on one PC with a Sapphire 6970 video card.I'm not sure if that can even be accomplished so the three 24" displays handle the game play while the touchscreen displays a button box of sorts to handle keyboard commands.Before I even consider setting up the 4th display on my new PC I'm putzing away on my laptop with vista.The OS's are quite similar from what I can tell.I am looking for a mini DP to VGA or DVI to VGA active adapter to hook up with the 6970 when I'm ready.

Since my first post where I had downloaded drivers from 3M the vendor I purchased display from has sent me the drivers they had neglected to ship.I uninstalled the 3M drivers and installed what was sent but there does not seem to be a difference.The touchscreen acted like a touchpad for the main display but mirrored/backwards.I have designated the touchscreen as the main display and I can in fact perform touch functions but need to guess where to touch because its backwards.This is not an option when/if I switch to the new PC.

I won't be too upset if I need to run the touchscreen on a separate PC and network but 1st I need to get it to run right lol.

It should be apparent by now that I am for the most part computer illiterate

.I bought my 1st PC in 1996 when I saw you could race simulations and have been fumbling ever since.I'm quite sure I'm missing something simple now in terms of simply getting it running correctly.Once I do I will start working on getting it working with the 3 other displays on the 6970.(translation:as soon as I get another adapter I'm going to plug it in)

I will update this thread as information becomes available to me so others might learn from it.

Best regards

John

SailingNut · 18 Jan 2011

I'm not certain why the touch screen is registering touches improperly. (i.e. backwards) But I have worked a fair bit with these types of devices. One thing that you should do is try to "calibrate" it. There should be a function available somewhere in the driver or as a seperate executable that was installed. It will run you through touching specific points on the screen (should display a little target to touch on the screen) so that it can accurately register touches on the screen.

One potential problem I can see with what you want to do is that when you have the touch screen set up as a monitor and you touch it, the mouse cursor will jump from wherever it is on the screen to where you touch. So, if you're in the middle of playing a game and touch on a button on the touch screen, the game will loose focus and likley won't receive the key sequence you are trying to send. You would actually need customized software to treat the touchecreen more like a keyboard than a "pointing device."

rellick · 18 Jan 2011

Hi sailingnut,ty for the info.Yes I must look for a calibrating utility in the software.later when I have more time I will look for it,run that and report back with my findings.

There is a program that I intend on using to convert the touchscreen to keyboard command.It's called Touchbuddy and was conceived by some flight simmers.

Best regards

John