Second Monitor Windows Not Dynamic Under Mouse #103249

New Issue

Ryan Rickett · 2022-12-15T21:27:58+01:00

Ryan Rickett commented

2022-12-15 21:27:58 +01:00

System Information
Operating system: Windows 11 22H2
Graphics card: 3090 Ti

Blender Version
Broken: 3.4
Worked: Never

For as long as I have been using Blender (since 2.8) with two monitors, I've always had to click into the second monitor in order for the shortcuts to work under the mouse on that screen.

I once raised the concern that the item picker didn't work from one monitor to the next, and this was subsequently fixed very swiftly in Blender 2.9. I was very impressed! Ideally this is also a concern that can be address because it considerably slows down my workflow.

EXAMPLE GIVEN:

When I'm working on Monitor 1, I can roll the mouse over any area on the screen and use a keyboard shortcut that is relevant to that module without having to click into that area (in other words, it is dynamic). However, if I roll the mouse over to Monitor 2, none of the keyboard shortcuts work unless I click into that area somewhere.

This is disruptive because often when I click I am deselecting objects that I have just selected on the other screen, so I have to either hit undo or reselect the objects again. (i.e. if you have a top view on one monitor and a perspective view on the other monitor, and you want to seamlessly move between them, currently you cannot.)

This is just one of many examples of how this lack of dynamic response from one screen to the other is detrimental to the experience of using Blender.

**System Information** Operating system: Windows 11 22H2 Graphics card: 3090 Ti **Blender Version** Broken: 3.4 Worked: Never For as long as I have been using Blender (since 2.8) with two monitors, I've always had to click into the second monitor in order for the shortcuts to work under the mouse on that screen. I once raised the concern that the item picker didn't work from one monitor to the next, and this was subsequently fixed very swiftly in Blender 2.9. I was very impressed! Ideally this is also a concern that can be address because it considerably slows down my workflow. EXAMPLE GIVEN: When I'm working on Monitor 1, I can roll the mouse over any area on the screen and use a keyboard shortcut that is relevant to that module *without having to click into that area* (in other words, it is dynamic). However, if I roll the mouse over to Monitor 2, none of the keyboard shortcuts work unless I *click into that area* somewhere. This is disruptive because often when I click I am deselecting objects that I have just selected on the other screen, so I have to either hit undo or reselect the objects again. (i.e. if you have a top view on one monitor and a perspective view on the other monitor, and you want to seamlessly move between them, currently you cannot.) This is just one of many examples of how this lack of dynamic response from one screen to the other is detrimental to the experience of using Blender.

Ryan Rickett commented

2022-12-15 21:27:58 +01:00

Added subscriber: @glencandle-3

sockseight commented

2022-12-15 23:37:40 +01:00

Added subscriber: @sockseight

Harley Acheson commented

2022-12-15 23:57:36 +01:00

Added subscriber: @Harley

Harley Acheson commented

2022-12-15 23:57:36 +01:00

Although a pain, what you describe is the designed behavior of the Windows platform itself. Only one window at a time can receive focus (keyboard and mouse input). You select what window is active by clicking on it.

One option is to enable an option in Windows. https://www.majorgeeks.com/content/page/how_to_activate_a_window_by_hovering_over_it_with_the_mouse.html. However this affects all applications and I personally don't like it.

Another option is to compile and review the following patch: D13951: Win32: Auto-Raise and -Focus Windows on Hover to aid it in getting it approved and added to Blender.

Although a pain, what you describe is the designed behavior of the Windows platform itself. Only one window at a time can receive focus (keyboard and mouse input). You select what window is active by clicking on it. One option is to enable an option in Windows. https://www.majorgeeks.com/content/page/how_to_activate_a_window_by_hovering_over_it_with_the_mouse.html. However this affects all applications and I personally don't like it. Another option is to compile and review the following patch: [D13951: Win32: Auto-Raise and -Focus Windows on Hover](https://archive.blender.org/developer/D13951) to aid it in getting it approved and added to Blender.

Pratik Borhade commented

2022-12-16 07:58:43 +01:00

Closed as duplicate of #99269

Pratik Borhade closed this issue

2022-12-16 07:58:43 +01:00

Ryan Rickett commented

2022-12-18 22:05:14 +01:00

Added subscriber: @PratikPB2123

Ryan Rickett commented

2022-12-18 22:05:14 +01:00

Hi @PratikPB2123 thank you for taking an interest in this topic. However, I do not feel you should have closed it as the duplicate task #99269 isn't specific to the issue I'm talking about.

Would you mind reconsidering?

The issue in the other topic is about clicking into another window while using or holding a modifier key. My issue in specific is that all of the windows on one monitor are dynamic to the mouse, while all of the windows on the second monitor are not. Thanks.

Hi @PratikPB2123 thank you for taking an interest in this topic. However, I do not feel you should have closed it as the duplicate task [[ #99269 ]] isn't specific to the issue I'm talking about. Would you mind reconsidering? The issue in the other topic is about clicking into another window while using or holding a modifier key. My issue in specific is that all of the windows on one monitor are dynamic to the mouse, while all of the windows on the second monitor are not. Thanks.

Ryan Rickett commented

2022-12-18 22:09:37 +01:00

In #103249#1461453, @Harley wrote:
Although a pain, what you describe is the designed behavior of the Windows platform itself. Only one window at a time can receive focus (keyboard and mouse input). You select what window is active by clicking on it.

Hey @Harley I actually think you might be mistaken. I mentioned that I had previously raised the issue that the item picker could not pick items on the second monitor, and this issue was fixed in an update. Now, despite this prohibition of Windows (as you have pointed out), the item picker is dynamic. If it is possible to make a picker be dynamic from one monitor to the next, should it not also be possible to make the any tool be dynamic in this way (selector, brush, etc)?

One option is to enable an option in Windows. https://www.majorgeeks.com/content/page/how_to_activate_a_window_by_hovering_over_it_with_the_mouse.html. However this affects all applications and I personally don't like it.

Ironically I just enabled this feature in Windows and it works quite well with other applications (too well in fact, and quite annoying, haha), but within Blender itself, sadly, it does not work. Very strange.

> In #103249#1461453, @Harley wrote: > Although a pain, what you describe is the designed behavior of the Windows platform itself. Only one window at a time can receive focus (keyboard and mouse input). You select what window is active by clicking on it. Hey @Harley I actually think you might be mistaken. I mentioned that I had previously raised the issue that the item picker could not pick items on the second monitor, and this issue was fixed in an update. Now, despite this prohibition of Windows (as you have pointed out), the item picker is dynamic. If it is possible to make a picker be dynamic from one monitor to the next, should it not also be possible to make the any tool be dynamic in this way (selector, brush, etc)? > One option is to enable an option in Windows. https://www.majorgeeks.com/content/page/how_to_activate_a_window_by_hovering_over_it_with_the_mouse.html. However this affects all applications and I personally don't like it. Ironically I just enabled this feature in Windows and it works quite well with other applications (too well in fact, and quite annoying, haha), but within Blender itself, sadly, it does not work. Very strange.

Harley Acheson commented

2022-12-18 22:22:32 +01:00

@glencandle-3 Hey @Harley I actually think you might be mistaken...

I don't think so.

I had described how only one window can have focus at a time. You change focus between windows by clicking on them with your mouse.

In the previous issue (item picker) there was a mouse click involved. However there was a different bug but where if you clicked on a secondary window while any modifier was held down (shift, ctrl, etc) those modifiers would not carry through. So the window would gain focus but the mouse command would not work. That has since been fixed.

With this complain you specifically mention "keyboard shortcut". Hovering over an unfocused window and then pressing keyboard keys will not work because the window does not have focus so the keystrokes are not sent to it.

That is why I mentioned a different solution, that you can test here: https://devtalk.blender.org/t/please-test-windows-auto-focus-patch-build/

> @glencandle-3 Hey @Harley I actually think you might be mistaken... I don't think so. I had described how only one window can have focus at a time. You change focus between windows by clicking on them with your mouse. In the previous issue (item picker) there was a mouse click involved. However there was a different bug but where if you clicked on a secondary window while any modifier was held down (shift, ctrl, etc) those modifiers would not carry through. So the window would gain focus but the mouse command would not work. That has since been fixed. With this complain you specifically mention "keyboard shortcut". Hovering over an unfocused window and then pressing keyboard keys will not work because the window does not have focus so the keystrokes are not sent to it. That is why I mentioned a different solution, that you can test here: https://devtalk.blender.org/t/please-test-windows-auto-focus-patch-build/

Ryan Rickett commented

2022-12-19 01:27:23 +01:00

@Harley that is true, I didn't consider the click. However, when the mouse hovers over the object, the name of the object appears even before a click is made, suggesting that there is a dynamic relationship between windows/screens. So I am hoping it is possible to tweak the code and Blender can make all windows dynamic.

If that proves to be impossible than how about a 2nd monitor workspace where everything is essentially in one window across two screens?

@Harley that is true, I didn't consider the click. However, when the mouse hovers over the object, the name of the object appears even before a click is made, suggesting that there is a dynamic relationship between windows/screens. So I am hoping it is possible to tweak the code and Blender can make all windows dynamic. If that proves to be impossible than how about a 2nd monitor workspace where everything is essentially in one window across two screens?

Harley Acheson commented

2022-12-19 01:39:33 +01:00

@glencandle-3 - So I am hoping it is possible to tweak the code and Blender can make all windows dynamic.

There is such a tweak and I have sent you a link to it twice, hoping you can test it. https://devtalk.blender.org/t/please-test-windows-auto-focus-patch-build/26965

> @glencandle-3 - So I am hoping it is possible to tweak the code and Blender can make all windows dynamic. There is such a tweak and I have sent you a link to it twice, hoping you can test it. https://devtalk.blender.org/t/please-test-windows-auto-focus-patch-build/26965

Ryan Rickett commented

2022-12-19 20:24:08 +01:00

Hi @Harley yes I saw that and it sounds very promising. Forgive me but how do I know it is safe to compile code not downloaded from Blender official?

Harley Acheson commented

2022-12-19 20:42:39 +01:00

@glencandle-3 - how do I know it is safe to compile code not downloaded from Blender official?

Its up to you but that post contains a link to an already-compiled build of Blender containing the change, and it is directly on a blender.org server.

> @glencandle-3 - how do I know it is safe to compile code not downloaded from Blender official? Its up to you but that post contains a link to an already-compiled build of Blender containing the change, and it is directly on a blender.org server.

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Second Monitor Windows Not Dynamic Under Mouse #103249