How to move floating panels between different monitors?

[akirot]

Since last week I use 2 monitors at my PC. They have the same size but different resolution (4K and WQHD).
Of course I can move and arrange different windows on them.
However, it is not possible to move a floating IMatch panel (e.g. Quickview or map) from IMatch's (main) window to a different monitor. Moving a panel (with the mouse) it flips back to its original position as soon as it is moved half way to the destination monitor (at the same time switching to the resolution of the destination monitor).
Having floating panels open one can move IMatch's main window to a different monitor, open floating panels stay in place on the source monitor.
However, the open panels can't be moved to the other monitor, they flip back.
I remember it working on a different system with two identical monitors.
If this is a lack of user capability 😉 please help - or is it a feature ☹?
If it's a bug please move this post accordingly.

[Mario]

I use two monitors and I have no problems moving IMatch panels, including the QuickView Panel, to the second monitor.
Just tried again, works. I'm sure many other IMatch users also use multiple monitor setups, docking stations and suchlike.

[akirot]

I remember it working too (on a different system).
Any idea where to look for a solution?

[Mario]

Can you move the entire IMatch window to the second monitor?
Any special software installed which may interfere?

[thrinn]

I had this problem in the past when I used two monitors with...

• different resolutions: 4k UHD on the main monitor, 1280x1024 on the second one;
• different scaling factors;
  
• different orientations (main monitor landscape, second one portrait mode).

The reason for this very peculiar setup was that I wanted to use an old 19 inch monitor just for the Quick View panel.
In the end, I used a simple AutoHotkey script to put my Quick View panel where I wanted it.

In the mean time, my old monitor has been retired, and with a second 4K monitor the problem vanished.

[Mario]

I can use monitors with different resolutions and DPI factors (2560px vs 4K), no issues.

[akirot]

@Mario:
Apparently I use the same resolutions and DPI factors as you - having the issue.
The entire IMatch window can be moved (whilst any open floating panels stay in place on the source monitor but cannot be moved to the other monitor).
As soon as a floating panel is moved more than half way to the other monitor it flips back.
Looks like a bug of the 3rd party GUI.
(The ECP e.g. can be moved - it's independent of the GUI and it can't be docked neither.)
No special other software installed.

@thrinn:
What did the AutoHotkey script do to put the Quick View panel where you wanted it?

[thrinn]

@thrinn:
What did the AutoHotkey script do to put the Quick View panel where you wanted it?

The AutoHotkey script is a simple 3-liner:

Code Select Expand


WinTitle := "Quick View"
WinActivate, %WinTitle%
WinMove, %WinTitle%, , 5750, 1330 , 1550, 1850

The last 4 parameters of the WinMove command are X, Y , Width, Height. These have to be adapted to your specific monitor layout. The coordinates to use are not self-explanatory - they depend on what you have configured in the Windows settings for multiple displays. For example, if the bottom or the top of the 2nd monitor are not aligned with the main monitor, the origin of the coordinates may not be 0. Also, it makes a difference if the 2nd monitor is positioned to the left or the right of the main monitor (not physically, but according to the W10 display settings).
Fortunately, AutoHotkey comes with a Window Spy script which will tell you what the current "mouse position" is. The coordinates you see there can be used for the WinMove command. But still, expect a bit of trial and error...

[akirot]

Thank you Thorsten,
quite interesting that this window move works - will try it.

What I found out in the meantime:
Having tried to move a panel to the other monitor and having it flipped back it apparently "thinks" being on the other monitor: Right mouse click in the panel title and then "maximize" maximizes it on the other monitor...
I suspect it's a GUI bug :-(

[akirot]

Can this be moved to the bugs section please?
All other software works flawlessly with my two monitors.
Thank you

[Mario]

No other user reports the same problem.
I cannot reproduce this on two computer systems, both with two monitors. I've even tried vastly different screen resolutions like 4K and 1920px/2056px etc. No problem, with 4 monitors and two computers. All panels can be moved freely between all monitors.

This may be something that only happens on your computer and with your specific configuration. Not sure what I could do about this.

[akirot]

I'm fully aware of the challenge to reproduce this behaviour and eventually find a solution.
So that it doesnt't get forgotten I just asked to move this thread to the "right" (i.e. "bug") section.

No other user reports the same problem.

May I remind you thrinn experienced the same.

[Mario]

Which makes two users out of many.
What are the similarities? I don't recall a similar bug report ever. I might have forgotten, but a quick search also revealed nothing.
If I cannot reproduce it, I could waste a week of development time for the off-chance that I somehow can figure it out. For a problem that happens only for one user.
thrinn has the problem no more because he uses two monitors with the same rez now.

I also use 4K monitors, but when I change one to 2560 or even 1280, I still can move the panels.

Did you try other panels than the Quick View panel? What about dialog boxes like Edit > Preferences > Settings?
Any warnings or error messages in the log file?

[jcldl]

I have exactly the same problem than AKIROT. Until today I had two monitors, one Dell 2410 1920x1200 and one Eizo CG223w 1600x1200 and i had no problem installing panels on one monitor and I match main window on the other. I bought a new monitor Asus PA329C  3240x2160 and I kept my Dell 2410. Now I have the same problem thanAkirot.
It is not possible to move a floating IMatch panel from Asus to Dell the panel flips back. Only the  Viewer goes and  stays on the other monitor.
But if I open Imatch main window on Dell monitor (the smallest monitor) I can move panels from Imatch main window to Asus monitor. . Of course I prefer opening Imatch main window on Asus...
Is there anything I can do? Anybody knows?

[Mario]

Since I could not reproduce this on two systems, even using vastly different resolutions and DPI settings (scaling) (see above), I have nothing to add.
Could be an issue with the graphic driver you use, or the Windows window manager.

Tip: Make sure the panel is sized to match the smaller screen (make it smaller on the big screen) before you move it.
If it exceeds the screen size when you move it, Windows may swap it back. I guess. Don't know.

[akirot]

Welcome (to the club) jcldl.
This problem/behaviour persists :-(
I don't think Mario can solve this - it seems to be a Windows problem (or better a problem of the library a specific software uses to handle windows/panels).
I could reproduce the appearance with one other software (but can't recall right now which one it was).
This workaround still works: Move a panel less than halfway to the second monitor, grab it there and move it more than halfway. Then take the remaining part from the first monitor and move it to the second. Size the panel on the second monitor to your liking.
In my case the moved panels are part of the IMatch workspace. I have to remember to switch on the second monitor before I start IMatch - they appear there as left the last time.

[Mario]

the second monitor before I start IMatch - they appear there as left the last time.

IMatch displays a warning in this case, to remind you that you have used a different monitor setup the last time.
IMatch will not forcefully move all panels back to the active monitor - this would be most undesirable.

Tip: If you work in environments with different monitor counts or layouts frequently, setup different workspaces and switch as needed.

[jcldl]

Today I moved my panels from my large monitor to smaller one without problem. I do not know what happened yesterday!

[StanRohrer]

I was searching for resources to make IM work on my dual monitor setup when I came across this discussion. A little background... Updated video card and monitor maybe 6 weeks ago. Decided at the time to add a second monitor for a trial run. IM didn't like for me to move panels to the second monitor. A couple weeks back I updated CPU, motherboard, memory, disks. Same IM display issues. Updated IM to the current v2021.11.4. Same issues. I am running Windows 10.

Mario can add another IM user (me) to his list of reported Dual Monitor problems.

My problem is well described above where I drag a panel from the big screen to the smaller screen but it snaps back and stays on the big screen. The one noted workaround, above, is a right click and maximize – which indeed takes the panel full size to the smaller screen – also for me.

Attached are screen images of my usual display resolutions and setups.

In troubleshooting, I note that my #1 display is scaled normally to 175% and display #2 to 100%. When I set display #1 scale to 100% (matches display #2), then iMatch correctly was able to drag panels and drop them on the second screen. So, there must be some IMatch and Windows issues that affect us somehow related to the scaling factor. To wit, I also failed panel moves with scale factors of 125% and 150% on Display #1.

With display #1 at 175%, I set Display #2 to 175%. IMatch panel moves worked as expected. IM must like the same scaling factors on both monitors.

With displays at 175% / 150% moving panels was kind of strange. Sometimes they would move to the screen and sometimes they would snap back to the big screen. Sometimes I could move part way and then move the mouse to the other screen and then pick up to get to a final location.

With displays at 175% / 125% I could drop a panel part way to the second screen. But I could not pick it up and get to a final location. Generally, it snapped back to the big screen.

Maybe this info is enough to help Mario look into the dual screen problem when they are using different scaling factors.

It may be interesting to note that Adobe Photoshop panels can be dragged to the second screen, correctly, during my normal 175% / 100% scaling. Albeit, none of us know what they are doing at the programming level and Windows interface.

[Mario]

I have no control over how the user interface toolkit or the Microsoft runtime system deal with this.
I use two 4K monitors. When I change the resolution and/or display scaling of one monitor (default 4K, 150% scaling) to 1600 pixel and 100% or any other of the offered modi, I have no problem moving panels.
Of course this is a real tough situation, because suddenly windows may report a panel as being 1000 pixels and 600 pixels wide, depending on how the panel sits between monitors.

You may need to move the panel first so it overlaps both monitors. Then grab the panel caption on the other (target) monitor and move it completely.
Works here all the time, even when I move from a 4K 250% DPI scaling screen to a 1600 pixel 100% DPI scaling screen.
Note: If your display resolution varies a lot, undock the panel first, resize it to be very small, then move it. Else Windows display snapping may interfere (e.g. the panel is wider or higher than the target monitor), causing additional issues.

[StanRohrer]

The two step overlap panel move doesn't work at my normal display settings. As noted above, I can change a scale setting and have it work - albeit the scale is not useful for normal viewing. At my normal settings, resizing to a mini panel on display #1 still does not help with the drag operation.

Since you are not able to fix it, I guess my most viable option is to buy another 4K monitor to be my second display and that matches my first 4K display. Since I'm moving menus over to the second, and not doing color retouching, I should be able to buy a cheaper or used monitor. I will hope different monitor vendors do not play into this scaling/sizing/driver issue.

[thrinn]

I had a similar issue WAY back in time... If I remember correctly, the problem was also dependent on using different orientations (portrait and landscape) on the monitors. I do no have this setup anymore, as I replaced my very old 1920x1200 monitor with a new 4K one many months ago. But two monitors with different resolutions, different scaling, and different orientation did not play nicely together.

[StanRohrer]

So I bought a second monitor to sort of match the first. I didn't pay the price for an IPS display panel (color gamut and accuracy), but did match the 31.5", 4K resolution. Moving panels does now work, albeit still not quite as seamless as it should be, as I sometimes need to drag and reposition the IM panels. I still need to calibrate this display and work on my font and display sizes.

I also discovered a 1st world problem that was not anticipated. A 32" screen, vertical, extends pretty high. It is a literal pain-in-the-neck to tilt my head back and dial in the bifocal glasses to read near the top of the screen.  ;-)

[sinus]

Oh, looks super!

I wish you good working with this new gadget/s.