Are Two Monitors Better Than One?
The proverb 'two heads are better than one' is also applicable to the ideal number of monitors in any 3D workstation. 3D modelling can be a long and painstaking process. With increased accuracy and efficiency any architectural rendering workflow will become more profitable. Visualisation studios constantly strive for better accuracy and efficiency in their working pipeline and there are countless ways that this can be achieved but one of the quickest and easiest methods to begin the long journey towards visualisation perfection is increasing screen real estate.
Before flat panel LCD monitors became accessible to the everyday user dual monitor setups were less appealing due to the large amount of desk space used up by each CRT monitor. Today relatively large LCD monitors with higher screen resolutions are becoming increasingly more affordable, however, monitors are exponentially more expensive as the size of the individual monitor increases. So it is therefore more cost effective to consider two slightly smaller and less expensive LCD monitors rather than one single very large and very costly monitor. Due to the way that Microsoft Windows organizes the application windows on your desktop it is also arguably easier to control the setup of these windows through two slightly smaller monitors rather than in one very large monitor.
What Are the Practical Applications?
The practical applications of using two monitors are endless. Having the ability to work with various applications at any one given moment has enormous implications for the productivity of any visualiser. Having the capacity to refer to and compare previous renders, read emails, search for reference images on the internet or glance at plans and elevations without having to minimise, restore, expand or close and re-open any window whilst simultaneously still working in your 3D software package is incredibly useful.
Why Stop At Two?
Graphics cards that support more than two monitors are in most cases currently significantly more expensive than those that support only dual monitors. However, motherboards that support more than one graphics card are becoming more and more common due to the demand in the video games sector so dual graphics cards with three or four monitors is also a viable option depending on your budget. In many fields it is not uncommon for workstations to have six or more monitors.
Are Dual Monitors the Only Way of Increasing Screen Real Estate?
There are other methods of increasing screen real estate that will compliment the use of multiple monitors to further increase your efficiency. Software toolbar customization enables the user to access the tools that they most often use but in most cases also reduces viewport screen real estate. Becoming explicitly familiar with, and customizing, keyboard shortcut hotkeys is therefore an essential way to maintain viewport sizes whilst increasing the efficiency of your workflow. A combination of customized menus and toolbars as well as hotkeys is most preferable.
It is becoming progressively more cost effective for 3D visualisers to consider large multiple monitor setups on their workstations and the bottom line is that with multiple monitor setups comes increased productivity and therefore profitability. In order to have the largest viewports possible along with all of the desired customized toolbars, menus and software applications on your screen all at one time you will need to consider working with dual monitors. Currently most graphics cards support at least two monitors so provided you have the desk space dual monitors are a must for all serious 3D artists.
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