How to Alt-tab between xLights and preview

[battle79]

Hi All,

I seem to be missing something, when using xLights on my laptop I only have the one screen and can't seem to figure out how I can start playing a sequence and Alt-Tab to the preview. The preview screen seems to not be a separate window, and can only be moved around and is always on top of the xlights window when not docked.

Is their a separate windowed preview that I need to enable, or how do other people deal with this?

Regards,
Rowan

[algerdes]

To "separate" the preview, simply grab it and drag it to a new location.  If you have multiple monitors, it is really great to put it on the second (or third) monitor.  The same is true with each of the sections on the xLights screen.  Drag them to new locations, even outside of xLights main screen.

[Gilrock]

Yep once you make it a floating panel it's always on top.  You only alt-tab between different programs not between multiple panels in the same program.

[battle79]

Thanks for answers guys,

I guess I didn't explain it that well. The fact that it is always on top is precisely the problem.
Vixen user here looking to make the switch FYI.

Vixen workflow (on laptop at least) was to start the sequence running and then ALT-Tab to the preview window, IE never taking hands off keyboard and quick enough to catch the start of the sequence. Then Alt-Tab back to editor to make any changes.

I've separated it but I do not have the screen real estate to keep it open while editing. Only was I can see to do it is to go to VIEW drop down menu and enable and disable the preview window. Alternatively I could move it almost off screen, say at the bottom and then grab it to move back up after I've started the sequence playing. Both require many more movements and also a delay that means I miss the start of the sequence.

I'm guessing I'm just missing something and if people could chime in with examples of how they manage their workflow with regard to preview that would be awesome.

Regards,
Rowan

[ScottyJ]

What I do on my laptop is to make the preview as large as I can, then grab the top of the preview screen and bring it down to just below the play buttons then use to toggle button to turn the preview screen on and off.
Hope that makes sense
Scott

[Gilrock]

No I think I understood you perfectly and was just telling you that behavior is not changing.  The way those panels work is build into the structure of the underlying wxWidgets AuiManager that maintains the panel states.

When on one monitor I just keep the preview smaller docked on the left.  When I want full preview I have a second monitor.  I've seen those programs like LSP that switch to the preview while playing and I never liked it.  I like seeing the play line scrolling past my effects on the grid.

[battle79]

Thanks ScottyJ, Sounds like that will be the go. I'm considering buying one of the really thin USB monitors that clip onto the side of your laptop screen to give me a second screen when not using my main computer.

Gil, I definitely like to see it scrolling too, and when home I have plenty of monitors so no problem. I was wondering if it was a feature of using different underpinnings as to why the various softwares ended up with different ways of doing the same thing. I shall adapt soon enough, ScottyJ seems to have it sorted. 

Thanks for enlightening me and helping me on my way to the light side,
Rowan

[Gilrock]

Well for freeware projects most of the design comes from the wants and needs of the guys writing it.  I know Keith works exclusively on a laptop so if anyone he would be the one that would need a better way to display a bigger preview during playback.  Not sure how he has his setup since there are so many options to layout your windows.

[dkulp]

One thing we could likely do is at a hot-key for the Show/Hide Model/House Preview menu items.  That would likely do what he wants, or at least close enough.

[Gilrock]

Rowan you said you goto the View drop down menu to activate/deactivate the preview panel.  There are buttons on the tool bar that will do the same thing and would be much faster.

[QldKing]

Didn’t someone put in a request recently to have playback controls in the house preview panel?


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