Adding Support for Dual Monitors

[Qai]

Any possibility of adding support for dual monitors? Currently FG doesn't support this feature. I run my sessions from a laptop as I'm always on the go between home and school. When I'm at home I have the option of hooking up a second monitor to my laptop. However, it would still be useful to keep dual screens as the laptop could serve for such things as GM notes, combat tracker, dice rolls, chat window, etc., and reserve the big monitor for full screen maps and narratives.

[Griogre]

I just wanted to make sure you knew that you can currently drag FG over two screens if it is in windowed mode, I do that all the time.

[Qai]

Very interesting solution. It does work to an extent and is definitely helpful for sure. But seems a bit hackish. Nonetheless, it gets the job done :) Thanks!

[Doswelk]

Very interesting solution. It does work to an extent and is definitely helpful for sure. But seems a bit hackish. Nonetheless, it gets the job done :) Thanks!
Out of interest how would you want it to work?
Just curious

[Qai]

Since you are spanning one app over two displays, the handle associated with the app for displaying on the screen is anchoring to the main display, which prevents proper resizing on the second monitor, i.e., have native resolutions for each of the displays. It appears that all the UI elements within FG itself are anchored to (or inherit) the same handle as the main app. It's really a moot point and being nit-picky, but for multiple monitor support you would ideally like to have separate handles for each UI element so that they anchor to the display they are active in rather than to the main app's handle.

[Hitknox]

Just mouse over to the edge and spread it out over two monitors.

[hangarflying]

Just mouse over to the edge and spread it out over two monitors.

Doesn't work very cleanly when the two displays work at different resolutions. Yeah, it can be done, but there also seems to be wasted space.

[Griogre]

True, but I find I actually almost never pull FG across both screens since I usually, in practice, have a browser, PDF or voice app on half of one screen.

[Dakadin]

Doesn't work very cleanly when the two displays work at different resolutions. Yeah, it can be done, but there also seems to be wasted space.

True but if it did it in full screen mode it would end up reducing the resolution of the monitor with higher resolution to accomplish it so you wouldn't really be gaining back that space. You would need 2 monitors that could handle the same resolution to remove that space.

[damned]

i use Fantasy Grounds on my laptop and I usually end up running FG on an external display and accessing PDFs etc on the local display.
if i have more than half a dozen things open on my FG screen i start getting confused :)

[jasonlalanne]

I would like to see the ability to pull the combat tracker, character sheets etc out of the main window. I have 2 displays one is a 4k and the other 1920x1080 and if I pull them across both screens I can only use 1/4 of the top of the 4k display. I would love to be able to have the maps and other images available to me on the 4k display and then pull the other windows over to the 1080p display (easier to read) Any chance you're working on this? Then I can also have my google hangouts windows open on the 1080p screen and see the adventures I'm playing with.

[ddavison]

That's a cool idea. It's not something we have in the near term list of features to work on, but something that you've at least planted a seed for.

[Falantrius]

Just mouse over to the edge and spread it out over two monitors.

Im with him - I have three monitors and the one I want the combat tracker on is Vertical vs the Horizontal on my laptop. FG when expanded in window to the second monitor - only spans over a band at the bottom of the vertical monitor. I personally would like to allow the Windows to undock from FG so I can drag just "combat tracker" or other window to the second monitor.

[The Scriven One]

Im with him - I have three monitors and the one I want the combat tracker on is Vertical vs the Horizontal on my laptop. FG when expanded in window to the second monitor - only spans over a band at the bottom of the vertical monitor. I personally would like to allow the Windows to undock from FG so I can drag just "combat tracker" or other window to the second monitor.

Same here. Three monitors-all different resolutions (unfortunately) and I only need the last one for a name generator. I'd love to have chat and maps on my big monitor, and the buttons/NPC data etc. on the medium monitor- or vice versa, depending on the needs of the moment.

[Trenloe]

Add your vote to this item in the FG wishlist: https://fg2app.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=54190

[zephyr]

I have to say, not having this support is why I decided not to purchase Fantasy Grounds yet. I have been using 2 instances of Maptools (GM and Player), and a separate Combat tracker for my Pathfinder games. I was looking to consolidate for my GURPS game, but it looks like I need to use Maptools to keep the functionality of separate Player and GM instances on the same system.

[Griogre]

For what it's worth you can run two instances of FG - a GM and Player, though unless you are streaming or using the second instance to display info to the players in a face to face game there is not that much reason to do so. I've haven't used MapTools in a long time. Why are you running both instances?

[Xorn]

https://imgur.com/FEbLObM

Host window is on my laptop, the player client is up on the bigscreen (connected to Localhost). I used FG for my face-to-face games for awhile--then I moved to Montana, so I'm back to using FG as a VTT again. :)

[Nylanfs]

Are you saying that buffalo and steer don't make good roleplayers? I would have thought they'd come up with some moooving character concepts.

[ianmward]

I agree that this possibly the best solution. I could then drag the char sheet to my ipad running as a second screen.

I would like to see the ability to pull the combat tracker, character sheets etc out of the main window. I have 2 displays one is a 4k and the other 1920x1080 and if I pull them across both screens I can only use 1/4 of the top of the 4k display. I would love to be able to have the maps and other images available to me on the 4k display and then pull the other windows over to the 1080p display (easier to read) Any chance you're working on this? Then I can also have my google hangouts windows open on the 1080p screen and see the adventures I'm playing with.

[Falantrius]

https://imgur.com/FEbLObM

Host window is on my laptop, the player client is up on the bigscreen (connected to Localhost). I used FG for my face-to-face games for awhile--then I moved to Montana, so I'm back to using FG as a VTT again. :)

I was just told in another thread that running a second client on localhost on the same PC will cause problems and possible crashes down the line - something about both of them updating the cache locally and eventually hitting a race condition that causes a crash. He said "it wasn't designed to work that way and you should use it the way it was designed - with a player Client on a separate PC for that monitor"

I wasn't happy. But the rebel that I am - I'm going to try it anyhow :) Its the only solution I currently have as a work around for my setup with one horizontal and one vertical monitor for the players.
Hummm.....

[Trenloe]

I was just told in another thread that running a second client on localhost on the same PC will cause problems and possible crashes down the line - something about both of them updating the cache locally and eventually hitting a race condition that causes a crash. He said "it wasn't designed to work that way and you should use it the way it was designed - with a player Client on a separate PC for that monitor"
Xorn only mentions running one additional client using localhost to connect. I specifically said in the other thread that the issues arise if running two or more clients on the same PC. GM = Server, Player = client. You can one run GM instance and one player instance on the same computer, the system is designed to work this way. It is not designed to have two or more player instances connecting to the GM on the same computer.


I wasn't happy. But the rebel that I am - I'm going to try it anyhow
Don't start complaining if you have issues! ;)

[Falantrius]

For what it's worth you can run two instances of FG - a GM and Player, though unless you are streaming or using the second instance to display info to the players in a face to face game there is not that much reason to do so. I've haven't used MapTools in a long time. Why are you running both instances?

To solve the multi monitor problem
I have one monitor that is horizontal that I run the game on - and a 53 in vertical wall monitor that the players see. It shows maps of the land, monster photos, etc.
With FG, I want to have the combat tracker and party Sheet on the vertical. People have said just open the window across the two monitors but unless you like FG at the bottom / top of your vertical - and at a different resolution - that's doesn't work. (Horizontal to Horizontal and same resolution - yes)

So the suggestions I have had is to run a player instance on the vertical monitor - maximize it and load the combat tracker and party sheet on it - one on top of the other.
That's why I'm looking at running both.

[Falantrius]

Xorn only mentions running one additional client using localhost to connect. I specifically said in the other thread that the issues arise if running two or more clients on the same PC. GM = Server, Player = client. You can one run GM instance and one player instance on the same computer, the system is designed to work this way. It is not designed to have two or more player instances connecting to the GM on the same computer. ;)

That's good to know - I swear someone said both but its good to hear the clarification.