Problem with two monitors, menues do often not work

[BenediZ]

Hello,

I have to different monitors, one 27" and one 32" with 4k resolution, so they have different resolution.

It makes always problems: As soon as there are panels on the second screen, all top menues do not work anymore until I take the panels back on the same screen.

The same issue with Maya, but not in other (non-Autodesk) applications.

I wanted to know, if this problem is gone, when I use 2 monitors of same resolution??

It's terrible annoying to have always move panels back and forth.

Thanks for sharing your experience

[10DSpace]

@BenediZ 

Thanks for sharing your experience

I have used 2 monitors (one  27"  and one 32" as it happens) for years with Max and many other graphics applications and have had no issues at all.  But then I am using HD resolution and not 4K.   

Just by the sheer volume of issues posted here relating to 4K monitors and scaling issues, I will hazard a guess that the issue is related to scaling issues across the 2 monitors with 4K, but if you search the forum here for 4K monitor scaling issues, you should a variety of posts and I think maybe some solutions.    I am pretty sure that @jon.bell  has helped posters on this issue.

[10DSpace]

@BenediZ 

For example see:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-forum/4k-monitor-ui-scaling-issue-within-3ds-max-2020-using-d...

[BenediZ]

Thanks for reply! I have played a lot with customization of scaling...

I gave up after a year to get it solved. Especially with other softwares (from foundry, substance) the settings can not be changed other than they are now. 

As far as I understand from the other post, the environment variable wasn’t a solution, too.

So interesting would be, if I should buy a second 27‘‘ monitor or if it can be a  (cheap) 32‘‘ with 4k. 

If the problem is related to 4k or if it’s related only to different resolutions. 

I guess then only someone can know, who has teo 4k monitors. 

Thanks

[DanielCantin]

Hi @BenediZ 

Sorry to hear about your monitor issue, 3ds Max and many software can struggle with multiple monitor with different scaling values, 3ds Max should perform well if all your monitors have the same Scale and Layout scaling values, for example 100% on all monitor or 150% on all, even if they are of different resolution, for example 4K and HD.

You should be able to adjust your Display resolution and preserve the same scaling if working at your native resolution on each monitor is not optimal.

We have investigated the issue and is not an easy to fix, we are listening to all reports of the issue to prioritize it, I'll add a link to this post so this new report of the issue can be consider. Thank you.

Please let us know if the workaround help or not.

[leeminardi]

Could you clarify how you are using the two screens?

Method A: The Max graphics window fills both screens.

Method B: The Max graphics window fills one screen and various command panels have been dragged to the other screen.

If method A, try B.

[BenediZ]

Hello,

sorry for late reply:

The Max graphics is only on the smaller 27" screen, it even must not touch the borders of it, because immediately it disturbs the menu functionality.

The 27" monitor has 100% scaling for "text/apps" and the 32" 4k-monitor has 150% scaling for "text/apps" from system preferences.

(Both "recommended from system")

As long as Max is only on one monitor (regardless which of both), everything works, but as soon as both screens are involved I can only work with already opened panels properly.

I always use the calibrated 27" monitor as main monitor. And as soon as I position panels on the second monitor, the interface on the smaller 27" monitor shows either wrongly huge scaled menus or does not open menus at all.

They are also often on wrong position opened, so I think that they were actually always opened but far out of screenspace.

It means that the 150% scaling of the second  4k-monitor is influencing the small monitor to do the same, which leads to inaccessable menus.

[BenediZ · Accepted solution]

Here is a workaround I have found today

(it helps not not to keep the scaling, but to enable the proper function of panels and menus, while it keeps different scaling at least for the rest of the the windows system)

Of course the panel scaling problem is gone, when all scaling is 100%, but many other applications including the desktop are bad usable, when this is changed globally.

So the workaround is to change this only for the APP (3dsMax and Maya) itself:

- Go to the Application "3dsmax.exe" and open its properties

- Go to the compatibility tab

- click on "High DPI settings"

Now another panel opens and the settings are different for 3dsMax and for Maya (at least in my case)

3dsMax:

- enable: Use this settings for scaling problems

- dropdown menu: when I open this application

- enable: overwrite high DPI scaling, made by "Application"

(I have only German computer, so the words can differ in my translation)

Maya:

- enable: Use this settings for scaling problems

- dropdown menu: when I open this application

- DISABLE overwrite high dpi scaling

(not sure why there is a difference, but I did not investigate because it worked this way)

Attached are screenshots...

Properties of the App3dsMaxMaya3dsMax is small, but system keeps running with scaled DPI settings. It looks like this on the 4k screen.

This is of course not a perfect final solution for 3dsMax and Maya, but it helps to go on with displays of different resolution until there is hopefully once a high-dpi support integrated.

[BenediZ]

Just wanted to report, that also this "workaround in Max and Maya is makeing problems.

Attached some screenshots and a screenrecording.

There are more examples, I only attached two screnshots (one 3dsMax and one Maya) and this link to screenrecording:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3rur2sh1j98bsrz/MAYA%20panels%20sometimes.mp4?dl=0

Thanks for understanding the severity....

Interface of Corona with "my custom scale corrections"

Extreme small marking menus

[BenediZ]

As a follow up:

I needed to change, which monitor is the main monitor, and set this to the 32" display (4k) with higher resolution.

Now another issue popped up, that I get a far too big UI scaling on the good 27" monitor.

In Maya there is at least a setting called "Do not scale", which takes again the standard scaling of the 27" monitor and displays everything down-scaled on the 32" monitor (of 4k).

But in 3dsMax it's lacking this setting.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-forum/how-to-change-the-overall-ui-scaling-of-3dsmax/td-p/100...

the only setting I found