dual monitors or sinlge large? opinions please

[Anonymous]

is it more effective to run say (2) 19" or 21" monitors or 1 larger single monitor? Am using 1 21" right now with different cad software & getting ready to switch to archi. Looking at demo version, looks to be alot of info to squeeze into 1 screen between all the tool bars, 2d & 3d windows.

[Ben Odonnell]

Using a monitor config like that would freak me out

I wouldn't know were to look.

Ben

[Anonymous]

Of course, you can always try these:

multi-tasking fetish that was.

[Anonymous]

Two screens side by side would be ideal but the 3D window cannot be moved outside archicad main window, therefore having plans "maximised" in one and 3D "maximised" in another is not possible?

[Anonymous]

simy wrote:
Two screens side by side would be ideal but the 3D window cannot be moved outside archicad main window, therefore having plans "maximised" in one and 3D "maximised" in another is not possible?

I never maximize anything, while working with two screens (well, almost anything, ArtLantis 4.5 is either max or nil).

So, I make a really big main window (not all the real estate screen area, about 98%(lets me access other stuff in the background)), and I put 2d plan window in one screen and seccion and 3d on the other, adjusting the size of the window manually.

This is done with Win XP. I do not know if it is possible on Mac, really hope it is, otherwise this tread will get two or tree pages long pretty fast

[Anonymous]

Krippahl wrote:
This is done with Win XP. I do not know if it is possible on Mac, really hope it is, otherwise this tread will get two or tree pages long pretty fast

The Mac is completely flexible with multiple screens (though I personally prefer one big one), you can put any windows anywhere you want (this has been true, as I recall, ever since the Mac started supporting external monitors (1987?). Windows has been getting better at this; NT sucked, 2000 was OK, and XP seems good (though I haven't had the chance to test it myself yet).

The one problem I have run into is, when switching from the large desktop screen to my laptop by itself, ArchiCAD will place some dialogs off the screen (where they were last on the big one). But this seems like more of a GS oversight than a hardware issue..

[Dwight]

you really should stage the disconnection to let the unit figure out the remapping. I make sure to reassign primary display status to the laptop before disconnecting. Adobe is bad this way, too. Artlantis, also.

But have we discussed cost? It is obvious that pixels are still cheaper in smaller units - so you'd stay away from a single big monitor if you were economizing..... with ArchiCAD having so may small windows, multidisplays are most sensible.

[Dave Jochum]

Matthew wrote:
The one problem I have run into is, when switching from the large desktop screen to my laptop by itself, ArchiCAD will place some dialogs off the screen (where they were last on the big one). But this seems like more of a GS oversight than a hardware issue..

This isn't an AC-specific issue, but does anyone know a Mac solution to this? In the office, I use a MacBookPro with a separate monitor for a two display setup. On the road I have just my MBP screen. All the windows, toolbars, menus, etc. annoyingly must be repositioned for the single monitor--not just for AC, but SketchUp, Photoshop, etc. The third-party "location" utilities don't appear to be solutions (Locations, Location X, etc.)

Anyone have a solution?

[Anonymous]

Dave wrote:

Matthew wrote:
The one problem I have run into is, when switching from the large desktop screen to my laptop by itself, ArchiCAD will place some dialogs off the screen (where they were last on the big one). But this seems like more of a GS oversight than a hardware issue..

This isn't an AC-specific issue, but does anyone know a Mac solution to this? In the office, I use a MacBookPro with a separate monitor for a two display setup. On the road I have just my MBP screen. All the windows, toolbars, menus, etc. annoyingly must be repositioned for the single monitor--not just for AC, but SketchUp, Photoshop, etc. The third-party "location" utilities don't appear to be solutions (Locations, Location X, etc.)

Anyone have a solution?

Make a work environment for the MacBook.

I know it's not exclusive to AC. It is true of any software that doesn't check for the current resolution and so allows windows to open off screen.

[Dave Jochum]

Matthew wrote:

Dave wrote:

Matthew wrote:
The one problem I have run into is, when switching from the large desktop screen to my laptop by itself, ArchiCAD will place some dialogs off the screen (where they were last on the big one). But this seems like more of a GS oversight than a hardware issue..

This isn't an AC-specific issue, but does anyone know a Mac solution to this? In the office, I use a MacBookPro with a separate monitor for a two display setup. On the road I have just my MBP screen. All the windows, toolbars, menus, etc. annoyingly must be repositioned for the single monitor--not just for AC, but SketchUp, Photoshop, etc. The third-party "location" utilities don't appear to be solutions (Locations, Location X, etc.)

Anyone have a solution?

Make a work environment for the MacBook.

Hi Matthew-Yes, if all apps had WE options like AC, I'd be set. I'm hoping for a OS-specific solution so I don't have to resize/reposition windows for every app I use outside the office. (Just re-read my original post. I didn't mean to lump AC into having this problem.)

[Dave Jochum]

After a lot of discussions on the Apple Discussion site, I've come to realize there just isn't any such utility. As with AC, it's typically handled by the apps themselves and not the OS. Though I wasn't aware, Photoshop has the capability as does Dreamweaver and a few others. So I'll be making feature requests to some developers--starting with Google for SketchUp Pro.