Recycle Plugins on a Second Monitor

[noynekker]

A bit of a frustration for me . . . when I try to open multiple plugin windows on my second monitor, it doesn't work . . . launching the next plugin just closes the previous plugin. I have the setting "Recycle Plugins" unchecked in preferences, and it works correctly on my main monitor. (I have Track view on main (left) monitor, and Console view on second (right) monitor) So, if I try to launch multiple plugins on my Console view second  (right) monitor, plugins just close the previous one ? Please tell me there is a button to fix this somewhere ?

[reginaldStjohn]

You can always "pin" a window by clicking on the pin button at the top right

[noynekker]

16 hours ago, reginaldStjohn said:

You can always "pin" a window by clicking on the pin button at the top right

FYI, the setting "Recycle Plugins" unchecked in preferences does exactly that, they are all launched as "pinned"

When I looked at this further, the real issue here for me is that on my second Console monitor, they are indeed remaining open (pinned), but they disappear from view when opening the next plugin . . . they go behind the main window. A workaround I found is to use Ctrl+TAB to toggle through the pinned plugins, which brings them back in front of the main window.

I think when you launch plugins, they should all remain in view, unless you minimize them, where they minimize bottom left, in front of the main windows, but are still visible, even though minimized. Perhaps this is a Windows thing, because it treats the right side monitor as secondary to the program running on the main monitor.

Still, I have used other DAWS where all plugins remain visible on both monitors until they are closed.

[reginaldStjohn]

It could be that the window you have on your second monitor is just another window to cakewalk or windows so when you open a new window all the others go to the back?

[noynekker]

2 hours ago, reginaldStjohn said:

It could be that the window you have on your second monitor is just another window to cakewalk or windows so when you open a new window all the others go to the back?

Yes, I think that may be the case . . . but two monitors are pretty normal these days, there should be something to compensate for this in the software programming, I don't think Cakewalk has adjusted for this yet.

[User 905133]

22 hours ago, noynekker said:

A bit of a frustration for me . . . when I try to open multiple plugin windows on my second monitor, it doesn't work . . . launching the next plugin just closes the previous plugin. I have the setting "Recycle Plugins" unchecked in preferences, and it works correctly on my main monitor. (I have Track view on main (left) monitor, and Console view on second (right) monitor) So, if I try to launch multiple plugins on my Console view second  (right) monitor, plugins just close the previous one ? Please tell me there is a button to fix this somewhere ?

I remember this came up before and since I have a few Workspaces that use two monitors, I gave it a try.  Not 100% sure of if I remember why it worked for me and not the person with the problem. I'd have to find the thread and reconstruct what I did. BUT: I vaguely recall that I had the main Cakewalk views on Monitor 1 and an undocked/floating MultiDock including the Console View on Monitor 2. I don't recall if I had tabbed plug-ins in the MultiDock or if they were in floating windows.

I believe  there was an issue someone else had because the person wanted the main Cakewalk View set up to cover two monitors and not the way I did it.

Can you be more specific about what you mean by "I have Track view on main (left) monitor, and Console view on second (right) monitor?"

UPDATE: In this thread one user had a feature request for the single contiguous Cakewalk spread across two monitors configuration:

If that's what you are doing (or want to do), my floating window is not what you want.   

Edited December 29, 2022 by User 905133
to post a link and comment to another related thread.

[noynekker]

I have tried the Console view on Monitor 2 docked and dragged from Monitor 1, as well as Console view on Monitor 2 as a whole new window, and it makes no difference.

[User 905133]

2 minutes ago, noynekker said:

I have tried the Console view on Monitor 2 docked and dragged from Monitor 1, as well as Console view on Monitor 2 as a whole new window, and it makes no difference.

Thanks for the clarification. I will try to find my two-monitor solution to see if it does what you want or if I am misremembering.  Probably not tonight; I am fading fast.

[Starship Krupa]

I remember this coming up on the forum a while back, confirmed the behavior: if you have either the Multidock or any other Cakewalk child window on monitor 2, plug-in windows will get hidden behind it when it is in focus.

Whatever logic keeps plug-in UI's on top of the main window when it is in focus is broken for child windows. Needs to be fixed.

[noynekker]

46 minutes ago, Starship Krupa said:

I remember this coming up on the forum a while back, confirmed the behavior: if you have either the Multidock or any other Cakewalk child window on monitor 2, plug-in windows will get hidden behind it when it is in focus.

Whatever logic keeps plug-in UI's on top of the main window when it is in focus is broken for child windows. Needs to be fixed.

Thanks for confirming Superabbit . . . my workaround Ctrl+TAB to toggle through, and bring back open plugin windows works for now, maybe @Noel Borthwick could shine some light on this . . . if it is something that can be adjusted in Cakewalk, or perhaps a limitation of the way Windows does dual monitors ?

[User 905133]

13 hours ago, Starship Krupa said:

I remember this coming up on the forum a while back, confirmed the behavior: if you have either the Multidock or any other Cakewalk child window on monitor 2, plug-in windows will get hidden behind it when it is in focus.

Was that the thread I did an insane amount of testing with?  If so, please PM me the link--I couldn't find it. It would help me find my older Workspaces and Projects.

12 hours ago, noynekker said:

Thanks for confirming Superabbit . . . my workaround Ctrl+TAB to toggle through, and bring back open plugin windows works for now . . . .

I seem to remember that depending on the placement and size of overlapping windows, it is possible to have new floating windows cover up other ones.  But, I seem to remember staggering undocked windows and then saving either the project or the Workspace.  Those workspaces and projects are on an older PC which doesn't have a whole bunch of CbB updates and I am sure most of my highly customized Workspaces have not been updated.

But on my current PC, I took a working Workspace and tweaked it for a full-sized Multi-Dock on Mon. 2 including one instance of a tab-docked Instrument.  On top of that I inserted a couple of floating plug-in windows (Instruments) and re-saved the project.  Upon reopening CbB and the project, the full-sized Multi-Dock occupied 100% of Mon. 2.

To open the individual floating Instruments, I used the synth icons in the track view.  Both opened up in the same location with the same size as each other (i.e., one hid the other!  they were not staggered), not as the project was saved.

NOTE: I have the Synth Rack in the Mult-Dock.  There is an important difference when the icons in the Synth Rack are used to display the individual floating Instruments:  (1a) the location is different for each staggered, but (1b) each time, the previous floating plug-in UI disappears, (2) unlike using  the Track View on Mon. 1.

However, after I reposition them, the positions of the two floating plug-in UI are the same for both display methods (from Track View on Mon. 1 and from the Synth Rack docked in the Multi-Dock as long as I don't close the plug-in Windows. In that case, they will display on top of each other (i.e., hidden). 

I have not tried using Screensets with this scenario, yet. But, I wonder if they can bet used to help restore saved floating plug-in locations on Mon. 2.  I will defer to others who still actively use Screenset switching.

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by User 905133
To add additional details from my tests

[SVSX]

22 hours ago, User 905133 said:

I remember this came up before and since I have a few Workspaces that use two monitors, I gave it a try.  Not 100% sure of if I remember why it worked for me and not the person with the problem. I'd have to find the thread and reconstruct what I did. BUT: I vaguely recall that I had the main Cakewalk views on Monitor 1 and an undocked/floating MultiDock including the Console View on Monitor 2. I don't recall if I had tabbed plug-ins in the MultiDock or if they were in floating windows.

I believe  there was an issue someone else had because the person wanted the main Cakewalk View set up to cover two monitors and not the way I did it.

Can you be more specific about what you mean by "I have Track view on main (left) monitor, and Console view on second (right) monitor?"

UPDATE: In this thread one user had a feature request for the single contiguous Cakewalk spread across two monitors configuration:

If that's what you are doing (or want to do), my floating window is not what you want.   

Yep, the plugin behavior is one of the reasons, why i asked the CW-team to implement more customisation options for multiple screens on Skylight.

[noynekker]

23 hours ago, User 905133 said:

 

Can you be more specific about what you mean by "I have Track view on main (left) monitor, and Console view on second (right) monitor?"

 

 

My Console view on second (right) monitor . . . is usually dragged over to the right side monitor from a docked Console view . . . but I also tried dragging Console view over not from a docked position, just a floating window, but got the same result.