QtCreator and multiple monitors

tobias.hunger · wrote on 23 Jun 2010, 14:19

Alexandra: We do have wishlist bugs for multi monitor support. E.g. "QTCREATORBUG-45":http://bugreports.qt.nokia.com/browse/QTCREATORBUG-45

Unfortunately we have not yet come up with a good way to do it. Suggestions are always welcome! Of course demos and merge requests are even more welcome:-)

andre · wrote on 23 Jun 2010, 14:30

[quote author="Utku" date="1274805272"]Documentation in one screen, and the code or the designer in the other screen... It would be awesome.[/quote]

I do that all the time, by simply having one instance of QtCreator and one instance of QtAssistant open; each one on their own screen. Works nicely for me!

troubalex · wrote on 23 Jun 2010, 14:58

[quote author="Tobias Hunger" date="1277302790"]Alexandra: We do have wishlist bugs for multi monitor support. E.g. "QTCREATORBUG-45":http://bugreports.qt.nokia.com/browse/QTCREATORBUG-45

Unfortunately we have not yet come up with a good way to do it. Suggestions are always welcome! Of course demos and merge requests are even more welcome:-)[/quote]

Cool. At least it will not just be forgotten. :)

alexander · wrote on 23 Jun 2010, 15:09

bq. I do that all the time, by simply having one instance of QtCreator and one instance of QtAssistant open; each one on their own screen. Works nicely for me!

I also do that. But, it will be useful to have possibility to show context help (F1) from cpp file in the Creatosr to the Assistant on second screen or detach cpp file and move it to the second screen. It's useful to have one *.h file on the first screen and *.cpp file on the second screen.

troubalex · wrote on 24 Jun 2010, 10:35

I don't know if everybody is aware of this: since it is already filed as a wishlist bug in our bugtracker you can vote for it! It's of course not a guarantee for a coming implementation but it increases the chances if there are many people voting for a bug.

ziller · wrote on 2 Jul 2010, 08:13

Because I read someone mentioning debugging windows, that is actually one of the few things that should work wrt multiple monitors:
In Debug Mode uncheck Window->Views->Locked, you can then drag the debugger views around, and also float them. When you've decided about your favorite layout, just re-check Locked to get rid of the visual clutter again (floating states etc will be preserved).

DenisKormalev · wrote on 2 Jul 2010, 13:37

Eike, yeah you're right. But it will be awesome to have complete debug panel detaching (with start/stop/step buttons).

1blah111111 · wrote on 29 Aug 2010, 18:03

You could always have the separate panels render as separate windows, and separate processes, using a hub process for communication between them.

now if i could get Gnome to like dragging windows to a separate X desktop..... it lets me move the mouse just fine, but it hates dragging windows... I can't just set it up as a dual view, because my graphics card doesn't like me, dual CRT's it really doesn't like, it says it's too much work :D. It's already forced me to make wine emulate a virtual desktop, just to be able to see everything. At this point I wish it Couldn't render monitors at 320 by 175 pixels, as that's what it keeps wanting to do....

Felix · wrote on 8 Sept 2010, 08:23

what I noticed for multiple monitors is, that if you close creator in maximized mode, and start it again after, it is maximized on your primary screen, not on the screen where you closed it. Im working on Windows7 64bit. Is it a bug or are there any reasons for that?

1blah111111 · wrote on 12 Sept 2010, 14:18

wait, why aren't you using it on your main monitor and using the secondary one for reference? I have a dual monitor setup so i do at least know what your talking about, although i am using Ubuntu linux, and have the second monitor configured as a seperate X session, so the windows don't really drag, but oh well (i can't get my 512mb nvidia graphics card to like linux, and i don't want to buy windows, so i'm working with it as i am able, hopefully i can manage to get it to support a decent resolution on both monitors (their both CRT monitors at 1024 by 768 pixels, i would prefer they be at 1280 by 1024, but the graphics card doesn't seem to like that idea)

Felix · wrote on 13 Sept 2010, 07:18

because of the position of the screens, i want to have on my left screen, the documentation on my right.
Also my taskbar shall be on the right aswell as some other applications (Browser, outlook etc.). so it makes more sence to me that the right one is the primary monitor, since on the left is only creator.

alexander · wrote on 21 Sept 2010, 15:41

I use last QtCreator from "http://qt.gitorious.org/qt-creator/qt-creator":http://qt.gitorious.org/qt-creator/qt-creator and it's really comfortable to have documentation in the separate window on the second screen. Thanks:)

[marked up link, Tobias Hunger]

GordonSchumacher · wrote on 8 Dec 2010, 15:07

[quote author="Tobias Hunger" date="1277302790"]Unfortunately we have not yet come up with a good way to do it. Suggestions are always welcome! Of course demos and merge requests are even more welcome:-)[/quote]

Hmm... ==sigh== if only I could create an extra ten or twelve hours a day, or not need to sleep or something, this would all be so much easier :)

baysmith · wrote on 8 Dec 2010, 16:49

[quote author="GordonSchumacher" date="1291820857"]Hmm... ==sigh== if only I could create an extra ten or twelve hours a day, or not need to sleep or something, this would all be so much easier :)[/quote]

Here is a book I enjoyed about a future where some people don't need sleep: "Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress":http://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Spain-Nancy-Kress/dp/0060733489

disperso · wrote on 8 Dec 2010, 17:05

BTW, in an old post (august) it was mentioned that the master branch of Qt Creator could detach the Help window, but I don't know if any stable branch contains the feature. I'm using Creator 2.1 RC, and I can't find the feature. Is slated for 2.2 then?

disperso · wrote on 8 Dec 2010, 17:08

OMG, never mind, I found it (it's very hidden!). I thought I could attach and dettach it at will (like the split view, because I don't always have my second monitor on), but it's a setting that you have "fixed".

baysmith · wrote on 8 Dec 2010, 20:12

For others who may be wondering the option is Tools/Options/Help/General Settings/Startup/On context help:/Always Show Help in External Window

DerManu · wrote on 28 Jan 2012, 16:05

Just to make sure this issue isn't forgotten. Support for dual-head currently is restricted to QtAssistant on second monitor and for debugging at least the stack trace and variable watch.
Why not let us split off editors (maybe with own hierarchy/file/project sidebar), too?

Another issue at least on linux: The undocked windows don't have proper frames, they're just kind of flying white boxes which don't properly interact with the window manager like e.g. QMainWindows. Further, and this is most annoying, column widths are obviously not saved. So I have my right screen filled with stack trace and variable watch, yet, when I restart QtCreator, the columns are smashed to the left border where little to nothing is readable (except in the last column, that's stretched over 80% of the screen – great). So I have to resize them every time. Isn't restoring column layout kind of standard in this century ;)?

//EDIT: Oh yes, and I love QtCreator. The add to implementation refactoring is very handy to now also have in QtCreator.

bolovan · wrote on 9 Feb 2012, 10:32

One interesting think with tow dual display is: when split in two...one spleet to be on second display.
Offen I use two big classes in two big files...and I need offen switching between files.

RaubTieR · wrote on 9 Apr 2012, 12:02

I'm unsure if that helps, but i do the following to my Qt Creator if i wish to use 2 displays to edit single project:
"split side by side":http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/4005/twodisplay.jpg
As for documentation, I'd suggested openning the second instance of creator.