Modeling
About Archicad's design tools, element connections, modeling concepts, etc.

Using archicad with dual monitors

Anonymous
Not applicable
Is there a way to have plan view in the main archicad window on one monitor, and the 3D window in a separate window on a second monitor, or vice versa?

I can't seem to be able to get this to happen but I have vague memories of doing it in older versions. I might be mistaken though. Would certainly make life easier!

I'm running AC18

Cheers, Jake
7 REPLIES 7
Anonymous
Not applicable
Jake,
AC implementation not really great for dual monitor setups.
If you maximise AC across both monitors you can have multiple windows open but only the active window will update
Scott
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thanks Scott,
that's a start I guess. Do you know why this isn't made possible?
I do some modelling in other programs such as rhino and the multi view thing really is handy sometimes. Very different programs I know and maybe it doesn't work with Archicad, but it would be great to be able to work in plan and 3D simultaneously.
Link
Graphisoft Partner
Graphisoft Partner
I think it would bog down your computer with large models.

ArchiCAD 19 has background processing so that if you have the 3D window tab open then as soon as you click on it, the model will be updated in next to no time. So not live, but pretty close!

Cheers,
Link.
jake_h03 wrote:
Thanks Scott,
that's a start I guess. Do you know why this isn't made possible?
I do some modelling in other programs such as rhino and the multi view thing really is handy sometimes. Very different programs I know and maybe it doesn't work with Archicad, but it would be great to be able to work in plan and 3D simultaneously.
I'm going to go ahead and guess that you're on PC and not Mac.

It's available and possible on Mac (and has been for a while, if I'm not mistaken) but not on PC

Why this is, I have no clue.

Why they (GS) believe this isn't important enough to implement on the PC side for PC users, I have even less of a clue of.

Using multiple monitors and displays for a CAD and 3D Design and modeling program and in a field like Architecture, should be a no-brainer at this point in the technological hardware advancement of Graphics Cards and Video/GPU cards (most of which are more powerful than even the CPU's in terms of the overall number of cores they have).

And the stretching the program along two monitors is a rather clunky work-around that doesn't make sense with how we use multiple monitors or windows in general.

It's been a request on the wishlist for quite a while now, but there doesn't seem to be any hope of it getting addressed any time soon.
Which completely boggles my mind.

Monitor space and screen real estate is vital to how we work and being able to see all manner of information even as I work on a primary view and monitor. And it wouldn't even matter that it wasn't live or realtime in the non-primary monitors. Sometime you just like to keep windows in view even for reference (beyond the trace reference) because they contain information pertinent to what you're currently working on and which doesn't have to be updated live all the time (like with attached drawings and PDFs on assigned Worksheets - I don't need those clogging up my primary screen even while I might need to reference their information every now and then).
I suppose the new Tab bar in the upcoming ArchiCAD 19 is a novel way to help users deal somewhat with the chaos that our workscreens and become with multiple windows open.. But still, it's just circling around the real solution rather than addressing it directly IMHO.


Oh, and most of the work in handling display in multiple monitors is handled by the graphics cards. So a large model wouldn't necessarily slow your model down any more than if it were just one monitor - assuming you have enough (and powerful enough) graphics cards to distribute the workload.
Certain Graphics cards (NVIDIA, I believe) even allow you to assign specific graphics cards (and consequently the monitors connected to them) to be the primary cards associated with certain programs. (Like, you could assign Card 1 to Windows, and have the rest of the cards (if you have that many) share the work of the rest of the programs).
All of this goes wasted as long as we're limited to single monitors on programs that should otherwise be well lent to being used on multiple screens.
Anonymous
Not applicable
All very good points! Sums up my thoughts very well. I'm glad it's something that's on the agenda for other AC users, and hopefully GS will take notice eventually. I have no doubt it's possible for them to make this happen.

And as you said, it really doesn't HAVE to be live. I would be happy to work in plan or 3D and just be able to have the other open in a second window for reference. Even if we could just click in the secondary window for it to update then click back to the primary window, that would be great! It would really help in designing complex layouts over numerous levels, which I am doing right now.

Make it happen Graphisoft!
Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin
Maybe you guys should vote on this wish to bring it again to the attention of the developers:

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=34226
Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
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Anonymous
Not applicable
I have used a Dual monitor setup for as long as I can remember. Now even with AC 19 I can, but have not figured how the new Tab Bar will work.
As you may see with the attached picture, my monitors have different resolutions. I have always had the Plan view on my left and would have 3D views and Layout sheets on the right. I will also often open different Section cuts on each monitor for noting and detailing work.

Are many of the "Dual Monitor" folks finding the Tab Bar helpful and changing there work environment to utilize this feature in AC 19?
* I have asked this in a separate thread found here.
dual monitor.jpg