Is there a way to use DirectX to write to a monitor on a second display adapter when the monitor is detached from the Windows (XP Pro) desktop
The MSDN library contains a topic "Using Multiple Monitors as Independent Displays" which suggests that one can use the GDI function CreateCD or the DirectX function DirectDrawCreate (now a deprecated function). What currently supported DX9 function will let me open the device and use it for DMA data transfers
Multiple Monitors as Independent Displays
ShyamN MS
Have you checked if you can enumerate the second adapter with IDirect3D9::GetAdapterCount and IDirect3D9::GetAdapterIdentifier
I must confess that I am never used a detached second adapter and don’t know if it can enumerate.
Anyway there are no Direct3D functions that support direct data transfer from one adapter to another.
DeanRIowa
IDirect3D9_GetAdapterCount returns 2 when the Windows desktop extends onto both monitors. Alas, IDirect3D9_GetAdapterCount returns only 1 when the second monitor has been detached from the desktop.
I am testing with the February 2006 DX SDK, installed this morning. Previously I was using DirectDraw8, which also fails to enumerate the second monitor when it is detached from the desktop.
So, no success.
I have seen on another website that the GDI will create a Device Context on an independent monitor even when EnumDisplayDevices fails to enumerate it, but this I expect would make the display very slow. Possibly there is some method in DirectShow.
flosee