On MacOS, can't drag timeline to a separate monitor Topic is solved

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BruceM
Posts: 245
Joined: 17 Jan 2014, 15:39

On MacOS, can't drag timeline to a separate monitor

Post by BruceM »

I'm using 64bit version on an iMac. I'm planning to get a 2nd monitor to display just the timeline so that I can have more space on the Cintiq for the drawing window.
The problem is that, as a test, when I drag the TVP timeline from my iMac to my Cintiq, only my cursor is visible as it moves to the Cintiq screen. There is no timeline visible on the Cintiq.

Any thoughts on this?
o0Ampy0o
Posts: 137
Joined: 25 Oct 2015, 22:26

Re: On MacOS, can't drag timeline to a separate monitor

Post by o0Ampy0o »

In the process of experimenting with the trial I contacted TVPaint support because I wanted to have one screen devoted to the drawing area and move the tool panels and timeline to the second display.

I was informed that you cannot move anything outside the interface borders. Not having a Cintiq I can only assume in this regard it is essentially a second display in every way except that you can draw on the screen and it has buttons. This means you are in the same boat as people using dual displays.

You can drag the interface so it is stretched across multiple screens. Then within the stretched out interface border you can arrange the tool panels. In this way you could end up with the drawing area filling up one display or your Cintiq.

I do not have a Cintiq. I use an iPad Pro with Astropad as a Cintiq-like tablet and I also utilize two displays. The iPad/Astropad setup acts as a mirror of a designated area of the interface. However in order to drag TVPaint across additional displays you cannot have the displays in mirror mode.......at least this is how it works on a Mac system. (So the displays are not mirrored but the iPad/Astropad does mirror a portion of one display). In your case with a Cintiq I imagine you should make sure that the displays are not set to mirror in System Preferences.



Note: People have commented on how TVPaint does not remember the stretched out layout of multiple screens and you have to reposition everything each time you open the software. I have found that as long as you do not use full screen mode and leave a little space around every edge of the interface the software remembers how everything is laid out. IOW, when you stretch out the interface do not allow any edge of the software's interface to touch the edge of the display. Leave 1/16"-1/8" all the way around. In your case with a Cintiq I imagine you would do the same making sure there is a space around the interface.


From the TVPaint FAQ:

"Why can't I separate the main window from the other panels, like in other programs ? It's especially important for multiple monitor setups...

TVPaint Animation uses a proprietary UI instead of standard OS UI libraries, which comes with many advantages at the cost of free-floating windows and palettes. TVPaint Animation's User Interface has been optimized to refresh much more efficiently and quickly than other programs that rely on standard OS UI libraries. TVPaint Animation's UI is consistent between all OS ports of TVPaint Animation. Tablet pressure graph controls, specialized sound and animation tools and other custom controls would require exorbitant amounts of CPU power to update and redraw via separate windows.

However, TVPaint Animation's main window can be stretched across multiple monitors and the panels and canvas windows can be moved around to your liking. You might want to disable the panel bins (Edit => Preferences => Display)
"
Main System: Mac Mini running OS X: Big Sur | M1 | 16GB RAM | have not installed TVPaint on new M1 need to update to current as of 9/2022 ...pending non-dongle license 1/2023 | iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and Astropad | Wacom Intros Pro
Elodie
Posts: 13913
Joined: 06 Jan 2009, 09:53
Location: Metz

Re: On MacOS, can't drag timeline to a separate monitor

Post by Elodie »

Ampy has answered you better than I would !

Anyway, since floatting windows request is frequently asked, we plan to fix this for the next engine.
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