Eyefinity/Single/Extended Switching

[drinfernoo]

I like to use my triple monitors for different things. I usually use my monitors Extended for everyday computing. I typically switch to Eyefinity for games (BF3, Diablo 3, Portal, etc.). I have found that some games just are terrible in Eyefinity (BL, Spore), so I decided to try and figure out a solution to disable my outside monitors for those games, as well as movies and the like.

Using the Catalyst preset solution, I can switch between Eyefinity 5760x1080, Extended 3x1920x1080, and a Single 1920x1080, via hotkeys. However, this nearly always causes my a) desktop icons to change position, b) Rainmeter skins to change position, and c) _monitors_ to change position.

I can live with a and b. The one that becomes a real pain is c. According to CCC, my monitors are set up as 1-2*-3 left to right in Extended mode, 1-1*-1 in Eyefinity, and 2* in Single. This works fine but when I change from Eyefinity to Extended, it shows them as 2*-3-1, so that I have to move my mouse way off the side of the right-hand monitor to end up on the left-hand desktop. Not really doing it for me. I can go back to CCC and rearrange my monitors, but that is incredibly inconvenient. I would leave my displays in Eyefinity all the time if it weren't for what I asked about here.

Has anyone found a good solution/fix/alternative to this?

I found this, but I don't really understand it.

[Delphium]

Hi likewise I frequently run in this method of display, extended 99% of the time and eyefinity for games, very rarely do i go down to 1.

However I use a tool called "Fences" by Stardock, it allows me to pin my icons to the desktop and save the location, Fences can even remeber postions when you change resolutions per resolution, so each setup can be setup exactly as you wan it, regarding the icons at least.

Example, when switching from extended to eyefinity, my icons remain in the EXACT same position for each display setup... you do have to set the positions for each resolution first but after this its plain sailing and so much nicer to work with.

Rainmeter I am not sure about.

[Haldi]

"Fences" mhmm gotta try that out !

About the Other Methode.... it's kinda complicated. Just use Trial & Error to set Screen locations and try out if it works.

[Nox Deleo]

After all the glitches with catalyst profiles a (longish) while back, I took to using the win+p shortcut...don't know how this does it's thing (possibly exactly the same as catalyst profiles), but it's worth a quick try to see if you get a different (more desirable) behaviour to profile switching.

[drinfernoo]

I've looked at Fences... I use DisplayFusion to manage my monitors usually, multi-monitor taksbar and the like, and it allows you to save icon profiles, but that function isn't very reliable. So Fences works a little better?

I can "trial-and-error" my monitors into the correct position, but whenever I switch from Eyefinity to Extended, it "errors" them back to not being right. :(

[drinfernoo]

Does the pixel arrangement change when you change display modes? Shouldn't the top-left of monitor 1 still be (0,0), monitor 2 (1921,0), and monitor 3 (3841,0)? It occured to me that stuff switching places might be caused by them getting messed up or changed around.

[Delphium]

somtimes the profile does not fully take, try running the same profile twice nad it shuffles back into place.

Not sure why this happens but its been a random bug since many earlier versions of the drivers.

[chieftex]

somtimes the profile does not fully take, try running the same profile twice nad it shuffles back into place.

Not sure why this happens but its been a random bug since many earlier versions of the drivers.

^ THIS. I pulled my hair out until I did this accidentally about 6 months ago. I now almost have all my hair back!

Press the same hotkey AGAIN once it has switched to the wrong order, and it will correct the order. The way I "fixed" it before I did this, was to unplug all monitors from my video card apart from the left monitor (I have 3 monitors). Then I connect the middle monitor, then the right one. That way, windows calls them 1,2,3 in order, and setting up eyefinity in the default order always meant that my hotkey set the correct order first time. You only have to do this each time you reinstall a catalyst driver, not everytime you boot the pc, luckily :)

[drinfernoo]

somtimes the profile does not fully take, try running the same profile twice nad it shuffles back into place.

Not sure why this happens but its been a random bug since many earlier versions of the drivers.

Each time I switch?

[Delphium]

Each time I switch?

Sadly yes... OR do what I did a while back and use a .bat file to run it twice for me.

[chieftex]

The second time you switch, it's much quicker as it just changes order, not resolution.

[AussieTimmeh]

Noone has mentioned Windows-P yet? Surely this is the fastest most reliable way of achieving what the OP is trying to do here!

When I ran Eyefinity, I used Windows-P to toggle through them all. Computer Only I set to one monitor, Duplicate was Eyefinity, and Extend was my extended desktop. Just Windows P to what you want and away you go! It was reliable for me every single time.

[chieftex]

After all the glitches with catalyst profiles a (longish) while back, I took to using the win+p shortcut...don't know how this does it's thing (possibly exactly the same as catalyst profiles), but it's worth a quick try to see if you get a different (more desirable) behaviour to profile switching.

;)

But yes - OP have you tried this?

[drinfernoo]

[quote]Each time I switch?

Sadly yes... OR do what I did a while back and use a .bat file to run it twice for me.

Did this right after I posted. :P Not fool proof, but it works. Also, Fences, once I locked the fences down, works wonders. Now to tackle Rainmeter...

[drinfernoo]

Noone has mentioned Windows-P yet? Surely this is the fastest most reliable way of achieving what the OP is trying to do here!

When I ran Eyefinity, I used Windows-P to toggle through them all. Computer Only I set to one monitor, Duplicate was Eyefinity, and Extend was my extended desktop. Just Windows P to what you want and away you go! It was reliable for me every single time.

How do you configure Win+P to choose which monitors do what? for me, Computer Only is my right monitor, Duplicate has my left/middle as extended and the right as a dupe of the left, Extend is regular extended mode, and Project Only is the left monitor. :(

[drinfernoo]

I think Win+P only supports two monitors?

[AussieTimmeh]

I think Win+P only supports two monitors?

No, this is not correct. It works for all 3. They won't be setup natively.

Change it to Computer Only, then set the resolution to the native resolution of one monitor. Use the CCC to choose your center monitor, or alternatively, swap cables to make it the center. From now on, leave the monitor cables as they are.

Now change it to Duplicate, and then create an Eyefinity group in the CCC in this setup. You should now be able to Windows-P between the two setups. I used to do this ALL the time.

Now change to Computer Only. Now change to Extended. Use the Windows screen resolution to setup the three screens in an extended mode. You should now be able to change between all 3.

[drinfernoo]

[quote]I think Win+P only supports two monitors?

No, this is not correct. It works for all 3. They won't be setup natively.

Change it to Computer Only, then set the resolution to the native resolution of one monitor. Use the CCC to choose your center monitor, or alternatively, swap cables to make it the center. From now on, leave the monitor cables as they are.

Now change it to Duplicate, and then create an Eyefinity group in the CCC in this setup. You should now be able to Windows-P between the two setups. I used to do this ALL the time.

Now change to Computer Only. Now change to Extended. Use the Windows screen resolution to setup the three screens in an extended mode. You should now be able to change between all 3.

This works great; it even fixed my Rainmeter positioning issue. :) The only problem I have, is that when trying to set up Computer Only, my computer won't let the center monitor (monitor 3) be the enabled one. It always wants to enable the left monitor (monitor 1), and if I change it, either in CCC or Windows, it reverts itself back next time I choose Computer Only.

[AussieTimmeh]

If this happened to me, I would change to a single monitor, then swap cables to make it the center monitor. Then I would fix up my Eyefinity and Extended mode so they were in the right order in the CCC and Windows.

Peace.

[chieftex]

If this happened to me, I would change to a single monitor, then swap cables to make it the center monitor. Then I would fix up my Eyefinity and Extended mode so they were in the right order in the CCC and Windows.

Peace.

Yes I was going to suggest this - if you have to, unplug all the monitors and then plug the centre monitor back in first, making it monitor 1.