Dual Monitor / Dual PC Set-Up

As we all probably know by now, the modding tools don't work in Win 8.1, 3ds Max 2014,2015, or Photoshop CC 2015. So what do we do when it's time to upgrade our PCs? Are you just going to stop modding, or only use XXL?

I am new to CXL modding, and I have had nothing but trouble trying to install the modding tools to my win 8.1 system, with the updated software. However, I did remember that I had another system with Win.7, and it has 3ds max 2012 on it. So I tried copying that program to this system. That worked, but some of the tools only work in Win 7. So I was back to the drawing board.

Most of us that upgrade from Win 7 to Win 8 buy new systems, and usually have the older one setting around collecting dust, since we prefer to use our new systems. Some of us just trash the old one, or try and trade it in. Another thing, if you view a lot of tutorials like I do, you find it easier to use a duel monitor setup. This way you can view the tutorial on one, while working on the other.

Well, I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to get up and go to the other pc, every time I want to make a mod. And if I am just learning how to do this, I don't want to stop what I'm doing, to view a little bit of a tutorial, then go back to my model, then if I need to use something on my new system, I need to get up and go back to it.

I thought long and hard about how I could work on my Windows 7 system, where I have my 3ds Max 2012, and Photoshop CS6, and stay at my desk where I have my new windows 8 system.

There are 2 solutions to this problem. One is to, reallocate your hard drive, which can easily be done using a tool called "EaseUS Partition Master", and it can be found here: http://www.easeus.com/partition-manager/
This will allow you to install windows 7 on your windows 8 system, or visa versa. I have already done this with my windows 7 system when windows 8 first released their Beta trial version, and it worked fine.

The other is a simple KVM switch. This allows you to work with One mouse, One keyboard, One monitor, and 2 PCs at the same time. But I needed 2 monitors as well.

So, below is a brief description of haw to put this setup together.

First you will need to pick up a KVM switch, 2 if you are going to use dual monitors. You can get theses for as little as $22.00us at Amazon.com


If you are using a single monitor, fallow the wiring diagram below.
This setup will allow you to switch from one PC to the other, on the same monitor.






If you choose to use dual monitors, Fallow this wiring diagram,
This will allow you to hook up dual monitors through an extra DVM.




With this setup, you can set at your desk and run Win 7 with 3ds Max 2012, and Photoshop CS4,5,or 6, and all the tools for modding will work just fine. You can now also install the XXL program on your Win 8 system, and create mods using the new tools for XXL. All using the same keyboard, mouse, and Monitor, or dual monitors if you wish.


One last bit of information, again, most of us like our new systems since they have the faster video cards, more ram, etc. just an all round better system. So naturally we are going to want to run any games we can on our new system. Here's the deal, set yourself up a drop box on both PCs. You can get the drop box here; https://www.dropbox.com/
This drop box works just like a working folder, you can save mods, images, textures, etc. in these folders. Now create your mods on your Win 7 system, drop the finished files into the drop box, hit the KVM switch, retrieve the files from your drop box, and if I am correct, simply import the files into the game on your new system, since the Pack-Unpack tool works in Win. 8.1.


If there is anything I may have wrong here, please let me know, since I have done any type of tutorial in my life. I am just trying to come up with a solution to the problem at hand.


Hope this helps some of you. Just remember, don't toss out that old Win 7, Vista, or XP system you have just because you bought a nice new one with windows 8.1, you can always find a way to use them, especially if you are running older programs.

 

A little PS. For those of you that can't afford $22.00 for a KVM, shame on you for buying a $29.00 game.

 

What system are you running, since none of the tools seem to work for me on Win 8.1? My other PC is only 3 years old, but I needed a PC with more ram, and a more powerful video card. My windows 7 system has an integrated graphics card, and not even close to being fast enough to keep up with gaming or even rendering engines, not to mention, it only has 4g ram.

Well, I'm going to be out for a while till I get the KVMs ordered. So I will just spend some time reading tutorials. I can't go wrong there!

 

DO you develop websites? Not too many people checking out old versions of IE, unless they are a developer.

When it comes to websites, since there are so many platforms now, I mean, I pads, Smart Phones, Laptops, etc. Then IE using one form of html, while others are using html5, then you have Yahoo, that uses there own rtml code. I stick to simplicity by using the tools developed by Adobe for web design, it figures most of this stuff out for you.

 

Anyways, Back to the books

 

I find 8.1 pretty easy to use now, When I first got it, I felt like throwing it in the street. I categorize all my programs, and use the entire start page for my desktop, I only pin programs to my task bar that I use constantly. I can't stand a cluttered desk top, and this keeps my work area spotless.

You should see my wife's laptop, if there's enough room to place one more file folder on her desktop, I'll eat my hat!

 

I hear ya. I know a lot of people that can't stand it. Windows, just trying to keep up with the Jones's!