Multiple Monitors

[hasanberacoskun]

I am not sure if this idea or issue has been discussed elsewhere, but I was thinking it would be great (I don't know how tough it would be to implement this) if lmms subwindows(things such as the "Song-Editor" and "Mixer") could be separate rather than confined to the single window provided, such as in Gimp. I feel like this would be really useful in properly using more monitors.

Of course, the windows will have the proper window style (Based on operating system).

Or it can be like Blender's system where you can pop out windows by pressing shift and dragging. And ideas on this?

I'm new to this and I'm not sure if I posted this on the right spot. If not, please tell me where these things go.

Edit: I would love to contribute, but I don't think my coding is up to par yet. Hopefully, when I get better.

[tresf]

Yes, breaking from the QMdiArea could squash a few real-estate problems for us as well as some bugs.

Gimp does the floating dialogs and there are some quirks to using it as you generally use a hotkey to make them disappear and come back (or raise to the top). Most desktop software seems to have moved away from the Multiple Document Interface for similar reasons.

[hasanberacoskun]

Is there some other way better multimonitor support can be added? The floating dialogues is the only way I can think of right now...

[hasanberacoskun]

Would coding this be tough in any way?

[tresf]

Since the code which shows/hides items for the most part doesn't care about the specific container type, it may be quick to whip up a proof of concept but I've not the QT knowledge to know for sure.

A proper switch to floating windows would certainly be some effort.

[softrabbit]

@tresf - you're right, it should be a quick thing to whip up. IIRC, putting the mixer in a separate window took something like 10 lines of code when I explored that direction ages ago. No idea on the heap of usability issues this'll lead to, though.

IMO the behavior should be configurable so that those who don't want a GIMP-like explosion of separate windows still have a choice. Maybe detachable windows would be the way to go.

[diizy]

On 11/04/2014 02:34 PM, Raine M. Ekman wrote:

Maybe detachable windows would be the way to go.

IMO I'd rather go with custom views - allow the user to have multiple
master windows and divide the mdi subwindows between them.

Lots of floating windows is a much bigger pain in the arse to manage
than lots of subwindows... just try to use Zyn in LMMS and you'll see
what I mean.

[tresf]

Lots of floating windows is a much bigger pain in the arse to manage than lots of subwindows

I think this depends if they are creating a separate window in the window manager or not. Gimp spawns separate windows for many of it's dialogs and it is terrible IMO, however for some of its components (such as the main toolbars) they seem to float properly above the master window.

[hasanberacoskun]

I think diizy's idea would work out. Blender comes to mind...

[Rossmaxx]

i got an idea (not really unique but feels good). how about an attach/detach button each of the major subwindows (if it's attached, works like what we have now, if detached, works as it's own window).

[tresf]

i got an idea (not really unique but feels good). how about an attach/detach button each of the major subwindows (if it's attached, works like what we have now, if detached, works as it's own window).

#3532

[Rossmaxx]

Didn't realise it's already a thing. Why are all my ideas are just repetitions of older ones.