Slideshows & dual monitors

[stonemason]

Is there any way of playing slideshows on a second monitor ie projector, without having a mirrored desktop, thus enabling all the controls to be on the main desktop and hidden from the audience. If this is not yet possible would it not be a useful feature in a future version?

Geoff

[nobeefstu]

Geoff,

The features are usually provided/supported by the OS and Graphics Adapter/Drivers. The newer the OS and Graphics Adapter will provide better support and options available. Not all Graphics Adapters provide the same support/options.

Intel Graphics — Multiple Displays FAQ

http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/CS-031040.htm

MS Windows - Multiple monitors frequently asked questions

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Multiple-monitors-frequently-asked-questions

MS Windows - Understanding multiple monitors

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Understanding-multiple-monitors

Im not quite sure exactly what you mean by this comment:

thus enabling all the controls to be on the main desktop and hidden from the audience.

[stonemason]

Thanks for the reply nobeefstu. What I was looking for is the ability to force the exe file to play on the secondary monitor ie projector But still be able to see the desktop. It is achiveable by dragging the desktop to the secondary monitor but would be much more convenient if the option I outlined above was possible. What I am after is something like the - display 2 command which is available in the preview mode.

Geoff

[nobeefstu]

Geoff,

What I am after is something like the - display 2 command which is available in the preview mode

Its also possible to use the -display 2 command within a short-cut file.

Just create a short-cut file(s) of your slideshow(s).

Right-click the short-cut file and select Properties | Shortcut tab.

Enter/Edit the -display 2 command at the end of the Target filestring.

Play the shortcut file to see the slideshow on display 2

If you made a menu to play the slideshows ... you can use the -display 2 command inside with your button commands.

[stonemason]

Thanks for that nobeefstu I wasn't aware that command line parameters were supported using buttons I'll give that a try.

Regards

Geoff

[nobeefstu]

Geoff,

One final point to remember ...

The -display 2 command can only be used for PTE slideshows built with v5.7 or newer. Older version slideshows wont accept the command because the feature was not yet implemented/available ... they will need to be rebuilt in a newer version to accept the command.

*Note : there really was not a v5.7 release ... but the v5.7 or newer info came from Igor at the time. Actually v5.7 was short-lived and released as v6.0 with additional features and improvements. Heres the original statement:

- Command line parameter for any EXE file with a slideshow (since v5.7) to point a desired display. For example: MySlideshow.exe -display 2

[Barry Beckham]

Stonemason

Are you trying to achieve what power point does so your audience sees the show, but you can see something else like crib notes?

[stonemason]

Yes Barry that's one of the reasons plus the desktop is always hidden from the audience.

Geoff

[gsneville]

nobeefstu says

Just create a short-cut file(s) of your slideshow(s).

Right-click the short-cut file and select Properties | Shortcut tab.

Enter/Edit the -display 2 command at the end of the Target filestring.

Play the shortcut file to see the slideshow on display 2

Have tried this but windows just says not valid file path...

Any Ideas anyone

[nobeefstu]

gsneville,

Works just fine on XP. I can only assume your filestring is contained in quotes and you entered the -display 2 value within the quotes and not after the quotes.

As previously stated ... Enter/Edit the -display 2 command at the end of the Target filestring.

Some Target filestrings may or maynot contain quotes in the shortcut file. Quotes are automatically used when the filestring\path has spaces.

Examples:

"G:\Welcome Demo.exe" -display 2 (actual blue filestring contains spaces which require the filestring to be contained in quotes) (the command in red requires a space between the end of the blue filestring)

G:\WelcomeDemo.exe -display 2 (actual blue filestring contains no spaces and has no quotes) (the command in red requires a space between the end of the blue filestring)

[gsneville]

Thanks nobeefstu for an excellent explaination.

Think I might have tried every possible combination except this one...

Tried it and got it working thanks.