FARR v2 beta behavior with multiple monitors

[mhermes]

I'm using FARR 2.0 beta on Vista Business at work. I have a laptop with an external monitor - so two monitors. I switch between the two monitors and one (just the laptop screen) and back several times a day. For some reason unknown to me, FARR disappears sometimes. I can't get it to appear on either screen. At some later point it re-appears.

I'm wondering:
1. Is this due to a problem with FARR handling multiple monitors or due to the OS and my hardware?
2. Is there a workaround for this issue?
3. What I'd really like is an option in FARR that when enabled would force FARR to always display in the center of the primary monitor.

I've spent time evaluating FARR and competing products and I like FARR the most due to its extensive configuration capabilities and smarts but this issue is the reason I also have Launchy and KeyBreeze installed. I think these are the top three products in this category.

-Mike

[jgpaiva]

I haven't seen anything like this, and i use a similar setup as yours (including the constant connect/disconnect of the external monitor).

I have one doubt, though: does farr show on the taskbar but not on the screen?

One possible explanation might be that the last time you closed farr, it was on the external monitor, and when you disconnected it, you can't see it anymore.

Another question: do you set the external monitor as the primary monitor? Is it larger (in terms of pixels) than the internal monitor?

If you'd like, i could code something really fast that would allow you to bring any window to the center of the monitor.

[mhermes]

Thanks for the reply jgpaiva.

The FARR icon does appear in the system tray as expected, even when I can't get the FARR window to display.

I use the external monitor as my primary monitor when I'm at my desk. It is a 22 inch LCD monitor which is wider than my laptop screen. Both screens are set to the same resolution (1680x1050).

Before I take my laptop to a mtg, I use the Fn and CRT/LCD keys on its keyboard to switch the monitor configuration to just the laptop screen (from the dual monitor config). When I come back to my desk I usually have to use the "Personalize" feature of Vista to set the monitor config back to dual monitor with the appropriate settings.

Another idea for a workaround is perhaps using AutoSizer, AutoIt, or maybe AutoHotKey. I've just started playing with those tools. I'll need to research that.

[jgpaiva]

Sorry, but i meant if when you call farr, its button appears in the taskbar or not. If it does, then i can make something in ahk to bring it back to view

[mouser]

mhermes, I think your second post hit the nail on the head.
FARR remember where it was last displayed -- so if you last used it and had it show on one monitor, and then you disconnect that monitor, when you bring FARR back up, it will be located OFFSCREEN, and so won't be visible.

I'm adding to my todo list to make sure FARR is visible and move it to a visible monitor if not.  I may also add an option to always popup farr on current monitor that the cursor is on.

[kreatorr]

Would love to have this feature to be implemented.  As I use a notebook and connect to a external monitor off and on everyday, it would be good to not lose the focus of the FARR input box

[d4ni]

mhermes, I think your second post hit the nail on the head.
FARR remember where it was last displayed ...

Does FARR remember the absolute coordinates or does FARR calculate relative coordinates? As in, if FARR is currently displayed on a 1680x1050 resolution at 105 pixels (10% of height) from the top of the screen and for whatever reason I decide to close FARR, switch to a 1024x768 resolution and open FARR again, will FARR be displayed at ~77 pixels from the top or at 105 pixels again? Just a minor thing ofcourse, but I'd recommend using relative coordinates so FARR stays at the same position. This would at least keep FARR centered on any resolution if you had it centered at first .

[lanux128]

a short-term workaround is to use a tool like FreeSnap or its AHK-equivalent, WinManagement Snap! by Armando.