Choose default monitor to use?

[shanti]

I am a new GameEx registered user and so far I love it! there is just one thing keeping me from getting the lifetime upgrade and its the option to choose the default monitor to use

I have 4 monitors (3 PC monitors 1 HDTV) connected to my computer, I know it is not a typical setup so I understand why this is not an option.

I know its possible to select "secondary monitor" as a start up for GameEx, but I want to select my 4th monitor and use that for GameEx, is this currently possible? right now I have to make my 4th monitor (HDTV) mi primary monitor then run gameex and it will open there, its a workaround, yes it works, but its a pain to re-arrange everything after I am finished playing, and it would be so much simple if I just selected this as an option in GameEX, as I can do it in mame.ini and mame opens in my 4th monitor no problem

please help!

[Draco1962]

Hi shanti and welcome to the GameEx forums! I saw that you posted a feature request for the same and that is great! Yours is not the first for this and I wouldn't let that dissuade you from going for a year or lifetime license for this software. I have checked about and have not found any frontends or HTPC syuites that natively support more than 2 monitors without using a 3rd -party app (it is possible that this capability may come to GameEx sometime in the not too distant future).

That being said, there is an application that available that may help you accomplish your goals in the immediate term called Actual Multiple Monitors by Actual Tools. The link have provided shows how to set this application up to run on your system and set up rules to tell your PC where to open a specific application! This may be exactly what you are looking for.

If you should go that route, let us know if/how this works for you (or anyone else that tries it for that matter)!

Edited October 13, 2012 by Draco1962
Will run in windowed mode only

[DJoneK]

You could also take a look at 12noon Display Changer and configure GameEx so a batch runs before and after you run GameEx. Make the batch that runs before switch your HDTV as your primary, then the other batch will swap it back to default when it exits.

The reason I suggest this is because a lot of emulators can't be configured to run on secondary monitors anyways, so unless you use GameEx strictly for MAME, you'll run into problems later down the road. If configured this way, all your emulators will load properly on your primary display (HDTV on your case) with no extra setup needed.

[Krakerman]

Nice find guys! Thanks for sharing....

[shanti]

That looks like a nice workaround, I will try it. (BTW I have a year license but the reason I did not went with lifetime was the monitor issue, but I surely will now ) and you are right, I haven't found a FE that will let me choose a monitor by default, but still GameEx was the best for me of all the ones I tried

Djonek, you have a point on the emulators also having to support the display GameEx is so full of options and its so great, I sometimes forget its just a FE I have Display Changer, and I finally got it to work, but, the huge problem for me is that my HDTV is not always connected, so when I disconnect it and reconnect I have to recreate the bat file since for whatever reason the monitor ID changes it would be perfect if I could choose the monitor by number (like they are shown in windows) then it would be perfect

[Draco1962]

I would check to see if it is possible to select from multiple profiles. I know that you can with Actual Multiple Monitors. DisplayFusion is another possible alternative that allows you to setup app/monitor supported profiles.

[Adultery]

Been awhile but can you detect a monitor by name via bat file?

[Draco1962]

@Adultery - Can you take a look at this Dual Monitor Tools in your spare time? Has some neat features but some of which I think are probably more than needed for creating a GUI that uses existing command lines to do some of what Windows already can do and have them assigned to key presses. Seems to me that it should be simple to dev a bat file or plugin (or hell, AHK for that matter) that would perform a Win+Shift+Right to toggle the active application to the next active monitor heading right (or Win-Shift-Left to toggle to next left monitor). Also, hot keys can be assigned within the this app to change the size of the maximized window (not full screen, however) to a specific resolution (Window 7 can do this with Win+Up or Win+Down key presses).

[shanti]

Been awhile but can you detect a monitor by name via bat file?

yes you can, but unfortunately for me, 3 of my 4 monitors are named exactly the same :S including my HDTV