Odd behavior controlling things on a 2nd display

thayermc

📁 Original board: Elephant › Troubleshooting, Tips & Tricks

Hello, I've been having issues controlling any window on a secondary display. Elephant works fine when the window I'm trying to control is on my Surface Pro 7's main touchscreen, but if I move it to an additional display I have connected Elephant will take control of a knob and only move it for a limited range before becoming unresponsive. Would be very nice to have the functionality to the second display. Please let me know if I'm doing something wrong!

PabloMartin

Hello, I cant reproduce the problem reported, I test right now 2 and 3 monitors setup.
I assume you make reference in mouse mode, anyway no way here to reproduce the issue.
Elephant work on any screen of multiple screen setup.

No idea what are you moving "but if I move it to an additional display"
I assume you make reference of mouse on a second display.

Please provide more detailed info, software you are using, step to step guide to reproduce the problem.

PabloMartin

Try disable snaps (also know as sticky windows) and let me know if that works:

A guide here:
https://techcult.com/how-to-disable-sticky-corners-in-windows-10/

thayermc

Disabled snap windows but still having the same issue.

Elephant is working fine controlling any window on the Surface Pro 7's display. If I move that window onto my secondary display and try and use Elephant, it takes control of the selected knob but will only move it in the downward direction to zero when I turn the dial. Turning the dial in the other direction will not increase the knob's value. Elephant is running with the trackball / touchpad option turned on. I have tried this with both Arturia plugins as well as UVI workstation, in both standalone mode and running as a VST. Surface Pro 7 is connected to a Dell 1080p monitor via USB-C into a OWC USB-C dock.

PabloMartin

Looks like a problem specifically related to virtual video from OWC USB-C .
Can try setup OWC USB-C dock video out as the main monitor in order surface act as non the main monitor?

thayermc

Tried setting the Dell to the main monitor but it didn't solve the problem. Also duplicated the issue with another portable hub and an HDMI output. It's very strange how it works perfectly turning knobs down on the external display but it cannot turn up the knob.

PabloMartin

Unfortunately, you are using a very special setup I not have here to debug.
You can request a refund if you want, this problem is some trouble with the video driver of your device not handling in proper way virtual mouse events.
There is no way for me to debug a problem I cant reproduce, but I know the problem is related to that.
Elphant is tested and developed with real monitors. There is no way i start support virtual monitors, every vendor have their own drivers and their own implemetation.

thayermc

I definitely don't want a refund -- I want to support your cool software that you offer at a very reasonable price. But would like to get it working if I can as it would be so useful on the second display. I guess I don't understand what makes it a "virtual monitor" as opposed to a real monitor.

PabloMartin

Internally a USB display work different than a real video card, and this thing maybe is related to some issue on the driver of the vendor.
As I commented before, chameleon work ok on standard multimonitor setup using standard video cards. I understand this not is a option for you.
I plan order in few weeks a USB 3.0 to HDMI adapter in order to se if can replicate the problem.

PabloMartin

@[deleted] wrote:
Tried setting the Dell to the main monitor but it didn't solve the problem. Also duplicated the issue with another portable hub and an HDMI output. It's very strange how it works perfectly turning knobs down on the external display but it cannot turn up the knob.

What happen when switched the main monitor, now work on the dell and not work in the surface?

thayermc

Behavior did not change with Dell as main monitor. Knobs only move in the downward direction on the Dell and everything works properly on the Surface.

thayermc

Today I was testing Elephant with the Korg M1 plugin. The mouse cursor remains visible as the Surface Dial is turned in this plugin. On the primary Surface display. turning the dial to the right moves the cursor diagonally to the right (in a Northeastern direction). Turning the dial to the left moves the cursor diagonally to the left (in a Southwestern direction). Knobs in the software turn perfectly with Elephant here.

When I move the plugin to the secondary display, turning the dial to the right moves the cursor to the right, while turning the dial to the left moves the cursor down. Knobs turn down when the cursor moves down, but do not change when the cursor moves to the right. Perhaps this gives you a better idea of what's actually going on so I thought I'd share.

PabloMartin

Based on what you explain the cursor stop move diagnonally and move to left and to the right only on a secondary screen what confirms what I explained before related to your USB virtual video. That behaviour not happens on real video hardware and is related to driver of your USB device.

As a workaround I sugest not work with combined mode and work with vertical mode duet until I cant reprduce the problem there is no way to workaround programatically.

Reall sorry but this is a problem insolated to a third party hardware software.

F_lix_Mirabel

Hi,

thanks for the software it's awesom !

However I think I have the same problem here but with a classic screen connected in HDMi ... Any idea ?

Laptop : MSI GF63 THIN 9SC
Screen : Asus VX229

PabloMartin

Hello
Please explain your setup with all the detail possible included hardware, monitors, software and detailed workflow and how to replicate the issue.

F_lix_Mirabel

Hi, I'm

So for the config :

Laptop : MSI GF63 THIN 9SC
Second monitor (connected with HDMI) : Asus VX229

Nom du système d’exploitation Microsoft Windows 10 Famille
Version 10.0.18363 Build 18363

Processeur Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz, 2601 MHz, 6 cœur(s), 12 processeur(s) logique(s)

Carte graphique 1 : Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630
Type de carte Intel(R) UHD Graphics Family, compatible Intel Corporation

Carte graphique 2 : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
Type de carte GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design, compatible NVIDIA

I'm testing with ableton / reaper / Brainmodular Usine and it's all the same. The control is the ok at first and then start to become glitchy but only on teh second monitor.

Also in the second monitor the mouse reappear really far from the knob or slider.

Thanks for the rapide answer and for the software again 🙂

F_lix_Mirabel

EDIT : After more tests it seems that there is bugs only with the speed slow ++ / slow and normal. Fast and fast ++ are ok.

PabloMartin

There is some external thing creating the issue, unfortunately I cant fix what can reproduce here.
Over 1200 users use Elephant at this days, and 2 users report this issue.
I not mean I not try to find what cause this in your setup, but really cant reproduce this here with single, dual, triple, or quad monitor setup.

What are the resolutions of your monitors?

There is a point of interest here, you are using 2 video cards, no any setup here on my studio have the same configuration, i have multiple computers with up to 4 video outs, but no any one use 2 cards.
I will try reproduce something similar, but will be some moment next week. I suspect have some kind of relation.
Anyway I think already test that, but I repeat in order to try reproduce the issue.

F_lix_Mirabel

Ok thanks ! The monitor are 1920x1080.

Too bad I'm one of the two users having problem ...

F_lix_Mirabel

Hi, thanks for the answer 🙂

My laptop screen is at 60,030 Hz (weird ...) and I have no other choices. The other one is at 60 Hz and the problem is still there.