Hardware fullscreen opens on non-primary monitor in multi-monitor configuration

[Silken Healer]

Message to future people: my initial post here was wrong about assuming Windows Key + Shift + Left/Right Arrow wasn't a standard and didn't work in Lix, read all the posts here for the full context
Lix Version: Lix 0.10.30 64-bit ((thought perhaps I should also mention just in case it matters (doubt it will) that I'm on the unlimited titled build Simon sent me, but that should be exactly the same as normal 0.10.30 except for that))
Operating System Version: Windows 10 LTSC 2021 64-bit English-United Kingdom, Version 21H2 OS Build 19044.5608
Description: When Lix is set to hardware fullscreen, in a multi-monitor configuration, it opens on the non-primary monitor. This also applies to changing it while it's already on software fullscreen on your primary monitor. By the way, I use "primary" as in what monitor I use primarily, and as in what's set to the primary monitor in my operating system settings. As both setting it to automatically go to your primary monitor based on your operating system settings, or an ability to change it manually would be ideal. This basically forces me to turn off all my other monitors before I play Lix on hardware fullscreen. May I suggest this solution I saw on a separate game named "Terraria", that allowed you to change it with Windows Key + Shift + Left/Right Arrow. I like that solution
Steps to reproduce:

• Use a multi-monitor configuration
• Open Lix
• Change it to hardware fullscreen
• Watch as it opens itself on another monitor

Screenshots/Recordings: None
Expected behaviour: Can be discussed, but ideally (a) Opens based on operating system settings to primary monitor first (b) Allows you to change it with Windows Key + Shift + Left/Right Arrow

[Forestidia86]

In your linked thread there is an answer that says "make sure its not full screened in the settings. it has to be windowed mode for this to work", though I don't know if it's accurate.
Does the Win+Shift+left/right arrow work with software fullsceen?
Is your primary monitor called 1 in the monitor settings or a different number?

[Silken Healer]

The linked thread was for an entirely separate game, I was just merely saying I liked the Windows Key + Shift + Left/Right arrow as a solution and I thought Simon should steal it.

I doubt that key combination would work at all in Lix as it's from an entirely separate game, I don't think it's a standard thing, I think it's just something from that game. But even if it does, that isn't pertinent to me as I need it for hardware fullscreen.

My primary monitor is set as my main monitor, but it isn't numbered number 1 for some reason. This is a problem I've had on Windows 10 for years. But regardless of that Lix should (a) detect via the setting wether a monitor is set as a main monitor, not via it's number and (b) should have an option for manually changing it.

[Silken Healer]

Double post: Ok so never mind, I was completley wrong. The Windows Key + Shift + Left/Right arrow is a standard Windows thing, and it didn't have anything to do with that particular game, and does work in software full screen. Funnily enough, I may have discovered a seperate Lix bug: Lix then changes it's resolution if it gets switched to a monitor with a lower resolution and doesn't change back, but it doesn't have a title bar, and it softlocks me so I can't move to the exit button.

But this still doesn't take away from the main issue of hardware fullscreen opening to the non-main monitor and/or not having any options to change it.

[Silken Healer]

Ok double double post: Windows Key + Shift + Left/Right arrow does try to do something for hardware fullscreen too. I never bothered to try it as I didn't know it was a standard thing. However, it just turns the Lix windows in to an entirely black square, moves it around my monitors, and keeps the image of the Lix title screen duplicated on whatever monitor it opened on too first.

[Simon]

Sorry, no time to investigate yet, but I'd like to understand what bugs remain.

You want Lix to open on the primary monitor when you use hardware fullscreen, not on monitor 1. Okay, I can look into the Allegro 5 API, maybe I can solve this in Lix itself.

Where does Lix open when you choose software fullscreen?

Then there is the problem that "turns Lix window into entirely black square" for hardware fullscreen. Instead, you want the Windows hotkey (Winkey + Shift + Left/Right).

Do need hardware fullscreen? Is the point to make Lix pixellated, or are you working around technical problems of software fullscreen? This investigation will be a lot of work. Is some of this stuff broken for software fullscreen, too? E.g., what happens when you run Lix in software fullscreen, then press (Winkey + Shift + Left/Right)?

-- Simon

[Silken Healer]

To preface this message, it's been nearly two weeks since I post this, so apologies if I accidently send any misinformation, or forgot something that was based on context I had in my short-term memory at the time

Where does Lix open when you choose software fullscreen?

Works as expected, never had any problems here, I assume it just opens up to your operating system settings primary monitor.

Then there is the problem that "turns Lix window into entirely black square" for hardware fullscreen. Instead, you want the Windows hotkey (Winkey + Shift + Left/Right).

I think this is correct. Apologies, but I'm struggling to comprehend the meaning of what you were trying to convey here. I think this may be due to English being your second language. Just to clarify, the black square is only for hardware fullscreen if you try Windows Key + Shift + Left/Right arrow

need hardware fullscreen? Is the point to make Lix pixellated, or are you working around technical problems of software fullscreen?

I wanted to get the old Lix look back. It's been a while so I forgot, but I think we discussed on IRC that hardware fullscreen 640x480 is the same as the old Lix look except for the font. Also, for some reason, when I run Lix on hardware fullscreen 640x480, The Frog-Hotel becomes massively easier.

Is some of this stuff broken for software fullscreen, too? E.g., what happens when you run Lix in software fullscreen, then press (Winkey + Shift + Left/Right)?

Yes, I said so previously in this thread. Apologies if I wasn't clear enough. If I do this, it works fine (except for the fact it doesn't fill up the whole monitor, remaining the same size, and doesn't have a title bar border) if Lix only shifts between monitor sizes which are the same or greater than the current monitor size. However, if it moves to a monitor size that is lower than one it's already been on, the Lix window will get squashed and remain like that even after pressing Winkey + Shift + Left/Right again, as if it's gotten "locked to that size"), and you'll be softlocked due to not being able to move the mouse properly.


I'll try to record some footage later if that's helpful, I think it will be a lot easier to show what I mean by just recording it rather than doing it through text. I might not be able to do it right away though because the footage will have to include all four monitors, and closing and opening Lix from a file browser, so I'll need to consider how I'm going to record it to make sure I don't accidently record anything private, and I'll also need to figure out how to get that thing that shows an overlay of the keyboard on OBS.

[Simon]

Thanks! Sorry for asking again about software fullscreen. Yes, you wrote about it.

Lix doesn't react to external resizing of the Lix window, neither when windowed nor when in software fullscreen (= really a fullscreen-sized window without title bar).

Lix doesn't react to user moving the Lix window to a different monitor, neither when windowed (which shouldn't matter) nor when in software fullscreen (here, it matters, as you described).

Then there is the problem that "turns Lix window into entirely black square" for hardware fullscreen. Instead, you want the Windows hotkey (Winkey + Shift + Left/Right).

I think this is correct. Apologies, but I'm struggling to comprehend the meaning of what you were trying to convey here. I think this may be due to English being your second language. Just to clarify, the black square is only for hardware fullscreen if you try Windows Key + Shift + Left/Right arrow

Sorry for the ambiguous terseness. I meant: For Lix in hardware fullscreen, you describe the following problem: You want to move Lix (in hardware fullscreen) to a different monitor, and to do that, you press Winkey + Shift + Left/Right.

You observe: Lix turns into a black square and moves to the target monitor. Graphical relics of Lix remain on the source monitor.

You expected instead the result of Winkey + Shift + Left/Right that you know from other games, which is: Lix moves to the target monitor fully visible (not as a black square). Lix leaves no relics on the source monitor. Lix remains fully playable.

record some footage later if that's helpful, I think it will be a lot easier to show

Thanks for the offer, yes, such a video will eventually be helpful.

Don't rush it. The first part of the investigation into these bugs must be: I'll have to read the Allegro documentation. It's well possible that Allegro expects me to do something with the monitors in the Lix code. I'll have to see when I find time for that. I'm still busy.

I had never expected people to move fullscreened Lix (either mode) to a different montior. There is no code in Lix whatsoever about this. And I had hoped that Allgero would somehow put hardware-fullscreened Lix on the right monitor. Again, no code in Lix about this.

-- Simon

[Silken Healer]

Sorry for the ambiguous terseness. I meant: For Lix in hardware fullscreen, you describe the following problem: You want to move Lix (in hardware fullscreen) to a different monitor, and to do that, you press Winkey + Shift + Left/Right.

You observe: Lix turns into a black square and moves to the target monitor. Graphical relics of Lix remain on the source monitor.

You expected instead the result of Winkey + Shift + Left/Right that you know from other games, which is: Lix moves to the target monitor fully visible (not as a black square). Lix leaves no relics on the source monitor. Lix remains fully playable.

Yes. In fact, I think you can play it still on the source monitor, but you use the mouse on where the black square is, but this doesn't matter because Lix uses it's own cursor. But Yes I know what you mean.

[Silken Healer]

To preface this, sorry for the double post, as I remember reading somewhere some people don't like that on forums. However, I have discovered another bug with Windows Key + Shift + Left Arrow/Right Arrow. If I use it in hardware fullscreen, I can get a similar "softlock" bug where my Lix mouse cursor can't reach certain parts of the screen, even when the other monitors don't have a greater width nor height than the hardware fullscreen resolution. I'm not sure what gets it to trigger though. I haven't even tried Windows Key + Shift + Left Arrow/Right Arrow on hardware fullscreen to monitors with a lower greater width or height than the hardware fullscreen resolution. I doubt that will give any sort of desired behaviour either, as that's basically a double whammy of what we've been discussing.