Support for multiple monitors

• Jun 25, 2016 - 20:55

Hi,

I transcribe music quite often and have just started using MuseScore instead of a tabulature program I have used for years. MuseScore is very good already indeed and better for keyboard instruments than my old tool. Thanks.

However, I noticed that I can't start multiple instances of MuseScore. I have multiple monitors to make working easier. If there is a strong reason not to allow multiple instances, then please could you allow child windows to float so that they can be moved to other monitors.

Thanks,

Rob


Comments

It seems to be logical extension of having tabs to be able to choose to open them in different windows.

In the meantime you can open multiple documents in the same window if you go to the View menu and choose "Documents side-by-side" or "Documents stacked". If you resize the window so that it extends across both monitors then you will basically get what you are after.

In reply to by shoogle

"It seems to be logical extension of having tabs to be able to choose to open them in different windows."

Well yes, when transcribing a working copy and a save copy are usually good to have open at the same time and perhaps some other versions too regardless if working with tabs or standard notation or both. Then there is the Transcribe! to slow the tune down and it requires plenty of room too and usually a browser is open and some other stuff as well. There are display adapters that support more than two monitors but other means to have more than two monitors are available too. I have become a great fan of multiple monitors, the benefits are so obvious. :-) To be able to resize each window individually as required and to be able to drag them to any of your monitors is what you want eventually.

regards,

Rob

In reply to by robopo

Yes, I understand all that - no need to persuade me! I was just pointing out that it will take some time to add the ability in the code (assuming someone is willing to implement it), and that there is a workaround you can use while you wait.

Waiting for an evolution....
...in most cases one of the 2 windows is just to be looked at. So one could export it to pdf and open it in the second screen...

Child dialogs (e.g. upload, Export, Score Properties, ...) need to be centred on the parent window, irrespective of which screen it's on. Currently they always open in the middle of screen 1 even if Musescore is on screen 2.

In reply to by memeweaver

Musescore also needs to check what screens are active before displaying windows.

If you move a child dialog to another screen (e.g. to be centred on the parent window), Musescore remembers the location. However if you unplug the screen (as I do when working solely on my laptop), then the next time the app opens this dialog, it places it "off screen". If you don't know that this is the issue then the app can be frozen by having a modal dialog open "invisibly". To recover access, you either have to plug-in an additional screen, or juggle it back into place using the standard tricks.

EDIT: You can't move the inspector, palette windows back to the current screen, other than (I suspect) by completely resetting the workspace. This is because they are opened without the child window getting focus. Musescore doesn't support using Ctl+Tab, Ctl+F6 or other mechanisms to cycle between child windows. As a result you cannot use alt+space to access the window menu and move it using the keyboard.

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