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Support for Multiple Monitors

Support for Multiple Monitors

Full support for multiple monitors

Allow browser(s) to dock correctly on any edge of any screen, not just docking when inside 'parent' application

Allow browser(s) to be 'Always On Top' when used on different screen to 'parent' application

 

 

27 Comments
MattH_Work
Collaborator

In addition, when Inventor (ie 'parent application') is not the active application on its main screen (having switched to Outlook for example) then also hide browser(s) placed on other screens

MattH_Work
Collaborator

In addition, allow browser(s) to dock to each other, not just the screen or parent application

FarrenYoung
Collaborator

I would like to see docking behave more like visual studio in that if you dock to the bottom for example, it could take up the entire bottom so that any side panels sit on top of it or it could fit the bottom disregarding the space the left panel takes up.

 

 

or

 

scottnewman
Enthusiast

Great Idea!  I can do it with Internet Explorer and other programs, why not this?

dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Under Review
 
dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Comments Requested

Hello MattH & everyone,

 

It would seem that the majority of the ideas submitted under this "Support for Multiple Monitors" topic technically apply to single monitor configurations as well (dock to any edge, dock to other browsers, always on top setting, hide when primary app not active, browser overlap intelligence). Would you agree?

 

Likewise, if implemented, the benefits should cascade when multiple monitors are configured. Agreed?

 

Also - With multiple monitors configured, I was unable to get another application to appear over my detached modeling brower, ilogic browser or Studio animation timeline. Is there a particular browser or application that brings this requested idea to light (vault browser, or other application)? Please let me know what applications or detached browsers give you trouble in this configuration.

 

Thanks!

Dan

MattH_Work
Collaborator

See attached JPG's

 

Quote

 

Also - With multiple monitors configured, I was unable to get another application to appear over my detached modeling brower, ilogic browser or Studio animation timeline. Is there a particular browser or application that brings this requested idea to light (vault browser, or other application)? Please let me know what applications or detached browsers give you trouble in this configuration.

 

End Quote

 

1. What I get.jpg

 

2. What I want.jpg

 

dan_szymanski
Autodesk

Ok, thanks. I thought there were situations where the detached browsers were not appearing on top while the Inventor application was active. So in short, this particular idea would be satisfied by providing an "Always on top" setting/override (like Windows task manager provides today) that would trump all windows, active or not.  Got it thanks.  Any comment regarding my first question?

 

Thanks,

Dan 

MattH_Work
Collaborator

With regards to your first comment, I think I agree. Anything that is single monitor capable, should be multi monitor aswell

dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Accepted
Accepted ideas [US16721] [US16734]. Thanks!
DeerSpotter
Collaborator

new idea.jpgi hate that you beat me to it... I had this in my log book for a while now.. Let me know what you think.

JamieLaing
Contributor

This feature would be fantastic.  A good example of how this should work is Microsoft Visual Studio 2013 or higher.  Windows can be undocked from the parent application, moved to whatever monitor or screen location you want.  I'm not a huge Microsoft fan or anything but they got this feature right, particularly the queues provided when you are looking to dock a window here or there within the parent application.

mrattray
Advisor

There is an add-on (or extension or whatever it's called) for Windows that was created back in the Windows XP days called Multi-Monitor Taskbar. It's intention is to extend the taskbar across your additional monitors. It still works in Win 7, although not very well. Anyways, it adds buttons to bump windows back & forth between different monitors as you can see here in the image. Currently this doesn't work with AutoDesk Apps because they have their own fancy window styles instead of the default Windows one, but it's obviously possible since this does work on other applications.

 

Capture.JPG

Quickcola
Enthusiast

I wish the browser was something more like the view cube.
I wish Inventor was more dual screen friendly.

I work on a dual screen. I like having the part that I am working on the left screen and it's assembly on the right. Or working on the drawing on the left while the part or assembly is on the right. Or comparing parts and or assemblies on each screen.

This saves a lot of ctrl+tab since the way I work involves having several files open at once, (on normal average 5 or 6 files at any one time, sometimes I hit 15 because changes in one place often affect a lot of other places.)

I also do a lot of drag/drop like when I add a part to an assembly, I'll drag/drop it from one screen to the other.

Unfortunately Inventor is not very dual screen friendly. The browser plane acts like a toolbar and will only be in one place for both my screens no matter which file is active.

In SW, the browser is part of the drawing, assembly or part much like in inventor the way the view cube acts. This allows less confusion in making sure what I see in browser is for correct file and also facilitates comparisons.

Right now not only is Inventor less friendly in this matter, more confusing, but also forces me to send my mouse icon all the way to the left of my left screen when I want to find something in the right screen, like a part, a feature or a work plane. I can change the browser's docking position but that's it.
SW even has an icon atop the file windows to quickly, (with single click,) send a file from one screen to the other.

In SW, when I drag/drop parts in assemblies, if I drag a part by clicking a face or an edge, when I'm at the drop, I can also automatically add one or two constraints in the same operation, saving lots of time, (especially with hardware.) Dragging a bolt from its round edge and dropping to the edge of a hole should also add and insert without any other input.

brotherkennyh
Advocate

Inventor does need to be dual screen friendly.

I don't know why anyone needs the browser to stay in front of other active applications. From windows 8 and onwards the operating system comes with multi monitor taskbar as standard so you can just click back into the application using that monitors taskbar icon. I can't see the point of keeping the browser on top of other application, it would just get in the way.

As someone already mentioned the multi window/monitor system used in Visual Studio is excellent, every window/panel can be dragged around and relocated including docking positions/autohiding windows. Inventor should aim to be taking steps towards this.

dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Implemented

This idea has been implemented within Autodesk Inventor 2016. Special thanks to the author of this Idea and likewise to everyone who cast your Kudo for it. While working with one or more monitors, Inventor browsers (such as modeling, iLogic, Vault & Tutorial (Learn) browsers) can be detached and attached to a secondary monitors screen edge.  Also an "Always on top" context option is available for all detached browsers. Browser positions and settings persist from session to session.

ic198
Advocate

I can't seem to open two model files and have one displayed on one monitor and one on another- or am I missing something? I can move the browser bar on to a second monitor and tile the two model files on the first monitor, but what I'd really like is to have the browser bar and one model file on one monitor and a second model file on the other monitor, for reference.

brotherkennyh
Advocate

I think implementation of multi monitor support was half a job.

The browers and other dockable windows can be moved outside of the application and onto multiple monitors.

 

You cannot as far as I can see undock the graphics window, keeping your models within the same application.

 

I tried moving the browser bar to a different monitor and it disappeared! As it happens my monitors are configured so windows thinks they are diagonal to each other. In reality they are next to each other, but this means the mouse has to move to the corner of the screen to switch between monitors. I prefer this over the mouse jumping between screens when it reaches the edge of the monitor and it is useful to be able to use the screen snap. I reconfigured my monitors so that they were horizonal to each other and found my browser bar. From the looks of things it cannot leave the horizontal confinds of the application.

 

As I have said previously all toolbars, browsers and graphics windows should be movable undockable windows in the same way that Visual Studio items are. Allowing them complete flexibility to be rearranged and moved to different monitors.

I have often used a second sesson of inventor to get another model/drawing on a second screen, but we also use Vault and it has a tantrum every time it detects more than 1 inventor session running.

DRoam
Mentor

I agree with @ic198 and @brotherkennyh that the multi-monitor support was a half job. In fact, I think it was a negative job.

 

I'm not sure what issues people had with putting browsers on secondary monitors, but I've used multiple monitors with Inventor for years and never had an issue with my browser being on a secondary monitor--until this "support" was added in 2016. Since then, I cannot drag the top of my browsers above the height of the top border of my primary monitor. In addition, if I change the browser view from "Assembly View" to "Modeling View" or vice-versa, the browser windows all jump to the top left corner of my primary monitor. And finally, I've also had issues with browsers disappearing somewhere off-screen. None of these were an issue before 2016. There's a thread discussing these issues here: Inventor 2016 Multiple Monitor Issues. Autodesk was corresponding about the bugs for a little while but we haven't heard anything for a few months.

DRoam
Mentor

Also, as ic198 and brotherkennyh mentioned, Inventor is sorely missing the ability to have multiple windows running per session for side-by-side viewing. There's a request for this functionality here if anyone would like to vote for it: Multiple Windows per Session.

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