VisiLogic & Multi-Monitors

[Deke]

Hi,

VisiLogic is not very friendly to multi-monitor usage, what I mean is lets say one time I use a single monitor, then another time I use 3 monitors 2 of them set to extended, for whatever reason any popup dialogs that may have been placed on an extended monitor will not show when only using a single monitor as it seems to remember where it had appeared before when using multi-monitors.

I would think if I was only using a single monitor that all popup dialogs and or windows would appear above the VisiLogic client area.

Or is this just a Windows thing with multi-monitors that I'm just now noticing?

Thanks,

Deke

[Emil]

Hi Deke,

The times VisiLogic was developed, about 10 years ago, most of computers were running on DOS mode, monitors were 14", mostly B/W and took quite a lot place. "Multi-monitor usage" was not even dream...

[Joe Tauser]

Emil - 10 years ago we were running Windows 98 on color CRT's. Don't tell me your memory has gotten as bad as mine!

Unfortunately, I have recently acquired a lot of experience running multiple monitors with Windows on a project. We have a LabView app that is supposed to put separate windows on three separate monitors. Trying to get it working right has been a nightmare. The picture on the front of the video card box makes it look so easy!

First of all, XP does not have multi-monitor management built into the O/S. It's dependent on the utility that comes with the video card.

Windows 7 does have multi-monitor management built in, but as of now you can not select which monitor is 1 and which is 2 (or 3). You are allowed to select which one is your primary workspace, which contains the taskbar. The monitor designed as 1 will be the first one the computer sees when it boots, and it will remember this for next time. Unfortunately, if that monitor isn't powered up when the computer boots, it will look for another and assign it #1, and remember it until you go back and disconnect it, power up the other one, and then reboot the computer.

Another problem you run into is using HDMI connections at 1920x1080 resolution. If the monitor or TV is smart enough and the video card can communicate with it, everything will work fine. The problem is that sometimes you run into a manufacturer that trims the outer 50 pixels off each side so no "frame" is visible. This dimension just happens to correspond with the size of the taskbar as well as the upper left window control icons. The resolution you have to use here is 1776x1000.

Any program (such as Visilogic) will throw any dialog boxes to the primary monitor, even if you're running the program on the extended desktop monitor, as Deke pointed out. This is a Windows thing.

In short, I would not wish the additional support grief on the Unitronics staff for multiple monitors. Programming software is secondary to our main product, PLC's. I'd prefer that R&D focus on enhancing the functions available for us to work our control magic. Free Programming Software = You Take What You Get.

Joe T.

[Eric @ SM]

Emil - Back with DOS, we ran a 14" color CRT and a 12" monochrome (yellow) CRT on an old Leading Edge with dual 5.25 floppies and a 20mb hard drive.

A game called MathBlaster required the monochrome display, but MS FlightSim needed a 16 color display (16 colors woot!!!).

[Damian]

Hi Deke,

The times VisiLogic was developed, about 10 years ago, most of computers were running on DOS mode, monitors were 14", mostly B/W and took quite a lot place. "Multi-monitor usage" was not even dream...

I think this be exactly the point. 10 years from now are you going to be telling people not to expect too much from your product because it was written 20years ago?

[Nacho]

Is there any date for the new generation with a new software with multi-monitors, multi-projects, simulator???

The Visilogic was a awesome software ten years ago, now it needs a lot of changes or reborn again.

[Jonathan Turgeon]

I use a notebook with an additional display and once in a while when I'm in a meeting and using visilogic it tries to use the 2nd monitor even though its not connected and Visilogic is no longer responsive. Is there a work around or setting that can be adjusted?

[bc_fred]

Jonathan:

I had this problem as well. I had worked in Visilogic on a 24" extended monitor turned vertically, then I went to another location and hooked up to a horizontal extended monitor. I thought I had a corrupted copy of Visilogic. It turned out that a dialog box was positioned off-screen at a location that Visilogic remembered from the previous session. I was using XP Pro and had hibernated the laptop for the location change.

Have a look at the open windows in the taskbar. The one thats trapped offscreen can be moved by right-clicking on it in the taskbar and selecting "Move". You can then move that window using the cursor keys.

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Speaking of using Visilogic on a 24 inch monitor in vertical mode, it's wonderful to be able to see multiple rungs or all of a complicated one, as well as watchpoints and lots of addresses at once. How I wish it were possible to widen the ladder to full width!

[Damian]

Just a quick tip for all that go back and forth between an extended monitor.

First select your program with Alt+Tab so it is the actice application (skip this if it is already active) and then use Alt+Space+M. Now you can use the arrow keys to move the window back into view.