Open on second monitor by default

GD
Posted By
Gauthier_Delacroix
Nov 13, 2008
Views
1863
Replies
14
Status
Closed
Hello!
I’d like to know if it’s possible to force Photoshop to open pictures on the second monitor by default.
Actually, I have 2 monitors, 1 for tools, 1 for fullscreen picture view. On the "tools" monitor, toolboxes takes all the screen and pictures opens behind these toolboxes.

I ALWAYS move pictures fullscreen on the second monitor so I’d like to open them like this by default, but I don’t find how…

(I’m currently on CS3 and trying CS4)

Thanks !

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F
Freeagent
Nov 14, 2008
In CS3 I did this too, only "mirrored". I had the main app window and palettes on monitor #2 and the images opening on the main monitor. Once you move one image over that’s where subsequent images will open, too. So I know that works.

I also have problems duplicating that behavior in CS4, even if I save it as a workspace. New images always open behind the palettes.

Although I have nothing against the tabbed workspace, that behavior tied so nicely in with my InDesign workflow that I really want it back.

I’ll see if I can cook something up for the feature request section.
GD
Gauthier_Delacroix
Nov 14, 2008
This is a good workaround but I really don’t want my pictures in the main Photoshop window because I will loose space that I won’t loose in fullscreen on second monitor
F
Freeagent
Nov 14, 2008
Gauthier,

They didn’t open in the main Photoshop window, but on the (uncluttered) main monitor. PS itself was over on the second monitor.

But like I said, I can’t get it to work in CS4.
L
Lakiopaalu
Nov 21, 2008
Hi

Same problem here with Ps CS4 🙁

I also dual monitors, one for palettes and one for image viewing. The one with the palettes also has the menubar (I’m on a Mac), so programs seem to think it as the main monitor, but for me the absolute free pixel height of the image monitor is paramount.

This is a step backwards for Photoshop – the same thing happened a few versions ago to InDesign.

Illustrator CS3 is able to open windows to the same location where they were when closed – InDy CS3 is not.
Both of then open new & previously un-opened (ones gotten from an another machine) under the menubar (id est, the wrong monitor for me)

Photoshop was in the previous versions able to open even the new (blank) documents on the "image" monitor – no longer 🙁 🙁

Hope that the programmers will look into this, and include a fix into the updates…
F
Freeagent
Nov 21, 2008
Absolutely. I think this drowned in the noise of the new tabbed workspace.

This is quite a big deal for me and I sincerely hope it’s possible to get the old behavior back.

Here’s how I want it, in CS3:

< http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1BF4ojSwAecUcWWx0j CGfEIS32cwl0>

Here’s what happens in CS4:

< http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1nRX2splqRRY2JgqCN W4POc2QLtB>
DM
dave_milbut
Nov 21, 2008
whoa. that’s bad… i’ll be watching this one. hope you get it worked out or adobe issues a fix if necessary…
F
Freeagent
Nov 21, 2008
It’s a fairly simple concept, although I have no idea if it’s "easy to fix" in the new interface without extensive rewriting of code.

Simply, a new image opens in the main application window no matter what the screen mode is, no matter where previous images were moved to, no matter which monitor is primary, and no matter on which monitor the main app window is.

I’ve tried every conceivable combination. It just won’t leave home.
DM
dave_milbut
Nov 21, 2008
Simply, a new image opens in the main application window no matter what the screen mode is, no matter where previous images were moved to, no matter which monitor is primary, and no matter on which monitor the main app window is.

how about leaving the main app window on the 1st monitor and keeping all your palettes on the 2nd as you have them now. is there a reason you HAVE to have the app window on monitor 2?
F
Freeagent
Nov 21, 2008
Yes, that’s what I do now, and of course it’s not as if I can’t get any work done… 🙂

But there are two things: First, I like having the image(s) on a completely clean and empty backdrop, while everything related to tools are out of the way on the second monitor. And full screen is really full screen – nothing else takes up screen real estate.

And second, it ties in with my InDesign work. I have that on the left monitor, and I frequently need to adjust images – eg to match on the same page. If I then "Edit original" in ID, I get them both up right in front of me.

It’s not killing me. But if I had a choice…
DM
dave_milbut
Nov 22, 2008
I hear ya…
F
Freeagent
Nov 22, 2008
….and Nack himself keeps saying "everything you want etc…"

Probably just an oversight. I hooked a similar post onto a similar thread in Feature Requests, so I guess someone in San Jose will catch it.
L
Lakiopaalu
Nov 24, 2008
I found a way around it, sort of…

In Preferences –> Interface, click Open Documents as Tabs

Open a new image ("placeholder"), drag it to the right monitor, keep it open as long as long you have Photoshop open.
Now every document you open, opens into the same space, and can be dragged to individual windows. Not perfect, but at least I don’t have to drag them from underneath the palettes.

…. to individual windows because then I can shift through them with [ command < ] (the Mac shortcut for "Move focus to next window in active application" – was default in MacOS X before Leopard and can still be taken into use from SystemPreferences)
F
Freeagent
Nov 24, 2008
I see what you’re getting at, but this is still not what I need. I want the images to go straight to the other monitor (don’t care which one as long as it’s the other) without being asked.

My guess is that this will be quietly noticed as the slip-up I’m sure it is, and fixed in CS5. They have more serious problems on their hands right now, with the OpenGL thing…

Thanks for posting anyway.
GD
Gauthier_Delacroix
Nov 24, 2008
This is not a solution for me beacause toolboxes on my main monitor take all screen space and, with your solution, my images are opened in a 1px wide tab…

Futhermore, when my image opens in this 1px tab, I have to retract a toolbox to see it and move it on the second monitor and then when the image is fullscreen on the second monitor => OpenGL is disabled ! And I have to restart Photoshop to re-enable it…

That’s not that I really "need" OpenGL but, as CS4 without OpenGL is a lot slower than CS3….

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