Expected behavior for excluded monitors

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smacdav

Expected behavior for excluded monitors

Postby smacdav » 09.12.2011 20:04:02

I thank you for adding the feature to only exclude a monitor when there are multiple monitors. The behavior is now closer to what I would expect, but it still isn't quite what I would like to see. Here are some things I'd like to see either as options or as standard behavior if you have time to get them into the release before the beta period is over:

  • Start with two monitors and exclude one of them from switching, then switch to one monitor (say, by undocking a laptop). I'd like to see all windows that were on the excluded monitor copied to all desktops so I can still access them regardless of which desktop I'm on.
  • After doing the above, switch back to two monitors (redock the laptop). Those windows that were on the excluded monitor move back to that monitor and those that were not (whether they were open when undocking or while undocked) stay in their respective desktop on the included monitor.
    • Alternatively, all windows copied to all desktops could be moved to the excluded monitor, regardless of whether they were on the excluded monitor to begin with or not.
  • I had something else but it has slipped my mind. :oops: I'll add it to this thread when/if I remember it.

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Patrick
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Re: Expected behavior for excluded monitors

Postby Patrick » 10.12.2011 15:42:26

:dex:

smacdav wrote:Start with two monitors and exclude one of them from switching, then switch to one monitor (say, by undocking a laptop). I'd like to see all windows that were on the excluded monitor copied to all desktops so I can still access them regardless of which desktop I'm on.

Seems rather confusing to me. What if you manually move a window over from an excluded monitor? Should it be copied to all desktops as well?

After doing the above, switch back to two monitors (redock the laptop). Those windows that were on the excluded monitor move back to that monitor and those that were not (whether they were open when undocking or while undocked) stay in their respective desktop on the included monitor.

Dexpot is not meant to be an all-purpose multi-monitor tool. Remembering which windows were last placed on which monitor and moving them back when a monitor is reconnected sounds more like a job for UltraMon or DisplayFusion.

Guest

Re: Expected behavior for excluded monitors

Postby Guest » 12.12.2011 17:45:20

Patrick wrote::dex:

smacdav wrote:Start with two monitors and exclude one of them from switching, then switch to one monitor (say, by undocking a laptop). I'd like to see all windows that were on the excluded monitor copied to all desktops so I can still access them regardless of which desktop I'm on.

Seems rather confusing to me. What if you manually move a window over from an excluded monitor? Should it be copied to all desktops as well?


I was just thinking that anything that was on the excluded monitor at the time of undocking would be copied to all desktops. Manually moving a window from an excluded monitor seems to be saying that you want that window to only be on the desktop displayed on the new monitor.

Patrick wrote:Dexpot is not meant to be an all-purpose multi-monitor tool. Remembering which windows were last placed on which monitor and moving them back when a monitor is reconnected sounds more like a job for UltraMon or DisplayFusion.


I have UltraMon. Unfortunately, if I run a script to have it remember the monitor it was on and then, after re-docking, I run the restore script, it copies all windows that need to be moved to the current desktop. I brought it up here because Dexpot is supporting multiple monitors with this release but (to my knowledge) UltraMon isn't creating any special support for virtual desktops. I'm not familiar with DisplayFusion; I'll have to check it out.

I understand that the behavior I would like to see may well be outside your scope. I didn't see any harm in throwing it out there, though. You're doing a great job. :-)

smacdav

Re: Expected behavior for excluded monitors

Postby smacdav » 15.12.2011 16:51:04

Guest above is actually me. I neglected to enter a username, sorry.

Anyway, some of what I want would be taken care of if, upon undocking, rules were applied to the windows on the ignored monitor. I have a number of applications that I run on the ignored monitor and rules that say to copy those applications to all desktops. When I undock, those applications only appear on the desktop that happens to be active at that time. I have to go through and apply rules manually to get them on all desktops. That seems like a bug to me.

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Patrick
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Re: Expected behavior for excluded monitors

Postby Patrick » 15.12.2011 22:44:16

Instead of copy rules, try the application assignment feature, assigning the applications in question to "all desktops". Switching desktops "uncopies" all windows on excluded monitors from the desktop being left. That's likely the reason why the rules appear not to work.

smacdav wrote:I understand that the behavior I would like to see may well be outside your scope. I didn't see any harm in throwing it out there, though.

There is none. Feel free to throw as many suggestions out there as you like. :wink:

smacdav

Re: Expected behavior for excluded monitors

Postby smacdav » 27.12.2011 21:28:27

I hadn't even thought to try the assignment feature. That makes me happy. :D


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