Dual monitor setup with AutoCAD 2020/tabs

[ScottRoth]

Hello,

Just got a second monitor for the purpose of having two tabs open at the same time to work on two drawings with only one session of ACAD2020 opened using windows 10. Being a novice at this setup, not sure if/how possible. I have the display setting at "extend these displays" under multiple displays. I can open separate sessions of AutoCAD in each monitor (workaround) and can have multiple tabs in each monitor opened. I want to be able to open 1 session with a separate tab opened on each monitor.

I can do this with MS products (excel) by opening the program and multiple tabs, then dragging one of the tabs over to the other monitor. This process doesn't work with AutoCAD though...

Is this possible? If so, how is this done??

Thanks in advance,

- Scott

[ScottRoth]

Thank you. Finally found someone understanding my issue! Guess will just have to wait for autocad to get up to speed with revit.

[chandler]

Being able to do this in Revit has lead me here lol

Thanks for clearing that up!

[nrz13 · Accepted solution]

AutoCAD 2022 has added the functionality to drag windows out of the main program window.  Look up the SYSFLOATING command.

[ScottRoth]

Wow, thanks - did not know that. I'm still using 2021 version but when I make the swicth will make note of that command. Thank you!

[elie.accari]

What nrz13 said. 

[csalvian]

That still doesn't achieve a true multiple monitor setup though. The dream is to have one file: model space open on the left monitor, paper space (or multiple paper space views) open on the second or third monitor - make a change in model space, see the change reflected in the sheet view in each of the paper space views.

[elie.accari]

interesting, in my case if i'm working on sheet view, i persoanlly prefer one monitor and i toggle/ use:

chspace

mspace

pspace

or double click in and out

[ВeekeeCZ]

---

@ScottRoth wrote:

Wow, thanks - did not know that. I'm still using 2021 version but when I make the swicth will make note of that command. Thank you!

---

Don't get too excited (as I did), the feature is useless (as found later). Hopefully, it's just a first step and the feature would be further developed and enhanced in the future.

[jrreid]

Your monitor settings I am sure is correct.  Your problem is you need to upgrade to AutoCAD 2022. They call it Floating Drawing Windows - Drag a file tab off of the AutoCAD application window, creating a floating window. This makes it easy to move the drawing to another monitor. No other versions of AutoCAD allowed this. I used to open (2) sessions of AutoCAD to do what this does now so easily.  It works great and this is how it looks:

Hope this helps!

JRR.

[csalvian]

I've seen that feature and, please correct me if I'm wrong, it still doesn't accomplish what I described. Yes, it lets you pull a different drawing file off the tab and let it float outside the main drawing window, but it still doesn't let you pull the SAME drawing file out just with a different view: one paper space, one model space. Similar to how, in Excel, I can have two sheets within the same file open, so that if I make changes in Sheet1, it automatically updates the results in Sheet2, which references Sheet1.

[nrz13]

The equivalent of your Excel example would be to have your model space in one drawing, then x-ref it into your layout drawing.  Then you can have both views open at the same time on two separate screens by pulling one or the other out. Now, it's not real-time updates, but you could use a keyboard shortcut to refresh the layout regularly. Real-time pushes to referenced drawings would be a handy improvement.

[csalvian]

That still doesn't update automatically though, which is what Excel does. Other than AUGI with their wish list, does Autodesk have a feature suggestion area? I haven't seen anything on their websites.

[RobDraw]

What you are asking cannot be done on one monitor. How can you expect it to work on more than one?

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> does Autodesk have a feature suggestion area?

Yep: >>>Autodesk Product Feedback<<<

- alfred -

[csalvian]

Well that's an incredibly not useful feedback page. When I click "Submit" I get a 403 Forbidden website error.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> When I click "Submit" I get a 403 Forbidden website error

For me it worked a time ago (and have not gotten a feedback like yours whenever I recommended it), have you tried a different browser?

- alfred -

[jonathancaTZ46T]

OPEN 2 SESSIONS OR GET THE 2024 VERSION WHICH COMES WITH THAT FUNCTION.

[nrz13]

As already noted above, this was added in the 2022 version.

AutoCAD 2022 has added the functionality to drag windows out of the main program window.  Look up the SYSFLOATING command.

[csalvian]

Ok, this post is a little outdated, but I was able to get AutoCAD to do what I wanted it to do (kind of). It will definitely give you the idea of what the functionality is that would probably be useful to a large number of people that use multiple monitors, because the ability to pull another FILE out of the drawing window (which is what is currently implemented in AutoCAD 2024) is NOT this:

Re: Spanning multiple monitors - Autodesk Community - AutoCAD

[ccanada_global]

I first clicked the restore down button on my launched AUTOCAD app, then manually resized the Autocad window to fit one AUTOCAD window in 2 monitors. Just drag the edges of the app towards the end to end of the 2 monitor. 

Hope this helps