5.3 Multi-Display Feature Issues...

I have been testing the multi-display feature throughout the beta releases. The behavior in 5.3 appears exactly the same as it has since prior to the release candidate builds with the input system broken and all windows having to be the same resolution. Is this feature actively being worked on? It is a showstopper for our current project so I need to know if the feature is ever going to work for our requirements (4:3 aspect on one display, 16:9 on a 2nd display with touch input). Otherwise I need to switch gears and start developing two separate apps - mid project at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars :-( No pressure, and I am not looking for unity to solve my problems, I would just like to know what the plan is for this feature. I asked several times in the beta thread and we only got sparse/vague answers. PLEASE advise.

 

Quick update on this. The release build is rendering windows on different resolutions, but the input system is still not working across all monitors. Also, it isn't rendering the windows perfectly, but it is an improvement over the beta builds. It looks like a black strip, the size of the windows 10 taskbar, is at the bottom of the screen on the second monitor running 4:3. But just to confirm, we were able to run one at 16:9 and one at 4:3 which is really cool.

 

Eek!!! Are you saying that the "target display" option on each camera is going to be removed?? What is there in 5.3 works for us well enough to meet our needs and now it sounds like you are going to remove it in patch 1?? Am I understanding you correctly?

 

I see, so the Target Display option on the canvas component will be removed? I guess we use both actually because the setup we have now puts the UI on a touchscreen and our game content on a projected display. I suppose we can use 5.3 and simply not patch until 5.4 but that is just very risky. I am feeling kind of stuck here, and I recognize that unity is pushing out a bazillion features to cover a bazillion requirements, but I am disappointed that your public roadmapping has failed in this case. The feature was green all the way up to release, leading us to count on it being there. We are not working on an indie game or anything like that. We are working on a major budget bricks and morter application. Ground is being broken, millions of dollars are being spent, and we have software to deliver that we can't without a major rewrite. I understand that roadmaps change and features come and go, sorry to vent, but this release news has simply ruined my day. :-(

 

Okay, thank you so very much for the information! I think we will press forward with 5.3 and try to get to 5.4 or a patch any way we can - even if we have to not update 5.3 for a while. We are getting around the screen resolution reporting problem by simply hardcoding the resolution on our second display - I realize that is not a realistic solution for other projects so I understand your need to disable it. For us, everything seems to be working across displays except the input system, but we don't really need input on the second display. Thank you again for sharing the information, we would have been baffled updating to Patch 1 only to find the feature disabled in some way.

 

@karl.jones I might have miss read this, but does this mean all support for multiple monitors is being dropped from todays release until 5.4? Is that why I cannot get it to work? This is a huge problem, more so after seeing it was a go for this release. I was also in desperate need for this and have had to use syphon until now.

@Awesumo Is there a demo package somewhere that shows the Multi Display working, or could you please help? I only need to send the video an do not need the interaction for the installation.

 

@karl.jones Awesome! Had me scared for a minute. I have a BIG project I am working on. Any chance there is demo somewhere that shows the multi displays working? I have tried using the demo script in the docs and I can't get it to work at all. My demo test was nothing more than a sphere with two cameras on it with the demo script and assignments in the inspector set to Display 1 and Display 2. After build, I get only one screen with 3 monitors connected.

 

Yes, and no matter how many displays I connect (3-4) It still only logs 1 monitor (in unity itself, I know I need to build for it to actually work):
Debug.Log("displays connected: " + Display.displays.Length);

Oddly, the Unity Game view allows me to switch cameras with no problem

 

Moving this from the beta link to this thread (sorry if that is a no-no but I found this beta doc to be very useful in getting multidisplay to work:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cWbyeiRy-Y2FnCiIvcKcZu7l5lf3vCcGYfrvAW53cTI/edit?pli=1

 

OK So here is what I am getting when I try to run this from the terminal:

---:~ tohmjudson$ /Users/tohmjudson/Desktop/rawTest.app/Contents/MacOS/rawTest -multidisplay
Mono path[0] = '/Users/tohmjudson/Desktop/rawTest.app/Contents/Resources/Data/Managed'
Mono config path = '/Users/tohmjudson/Desktop/rawTest.app/Contents/Data/Managed/etc'
2015-12-08 20:12:51.991 rawTest[1746:89483] Could not find image named 'ScreenSelector'.
2015-12-08 20:12:52.003 rawTest[1746:89483] *** WARNING: Method selectRow:byExtendingSelection: in class ScreenSelectorTableView is deprecated. It will be removed in a future release and should no longer be used.

Any idea what "Could not find image named 'ScreenSelector'." means?

 

After some major installing, I got it working on Windows 8.1, with the exact same files/code I was using on my Mac. So, thats a start

 

Well, camera support is still usable :
- For just screening a whole camera view on the display2 (like a fullscreen extend, pretty cool feature already.)

Only thing is that i reported a in/out focus bug, meaning it cant handle properly the 2 displays together once you minimize or "out of focus" the fullscreen app.
An out of focus fix in incoming patch would be appreciated for that !

Thanks !

 

Bug report : Case 754358
Thanks !

 

is Unity 5.3 multi-display working on OSX ?

 

Up - same problem here:
I have unity3d 5.3 pro on my mac pro(10.11.1) .
Two displays are connected, first one through HDMI port, and the second one with Thunderbolt.

Display.displays.Length always returns 1.

What can I do to fix it ?
is -multidisplay argument also works for mac ?

Best Regards !

 

Unity3D pro 5.3.0f4 & Unity3D pro 5.3.1f1
as steffanPL : Two displays are connected, first one through HDMI port, and the second one with Thunderbolt.

Making a new project with only 2 cameras and 2 GameObjects :
A) camera 1 (maincamera) linked to Display 1 - camera Culling Mask to a layer named "came one"
B) camera 2 linked to Display 2 - camera Culling Mask to a layer named "came two"
C) 3d object (cube) in the layer named "came one"
D) second 3d object (cube) in the layer named "came two"

Building 2 standalones (one in x86 , one in x86_64)
Launching the standalone 32b or 64b (same results) :

First : Show the Splash Screen ( if "Show Uniy Splash Screen" is cheched : normal behavior ) then...

...on OSX 10.8.5 :
Display.displays.Length returns 2 but nothing on second monitor. (content of camera 1 on first monitor but grey desktop on second monitor)

...on OSX 10.11.2 :
Nothing on all monitors. (black screen on all monitors)

Setting the first monitor to Thunderbolt and the second to HDMI with the same result.
Best regards

 

I'm also having substantial issues working with the multidisplay feature.

I created the simple scene as part of debugging when trying to add multidisplay support to my existing game. I have managed to get all three displays working correctly in Windows (VM in Parallels on a Macbook), when using the -multidisplay CLA. The three displays include laptop's built in display, HDMI out, and thunderbolt -> DVI out. This only works for me in an extremely simple test scene: three cameras pre-configured to each Display 1, 2, and 3. Each camera looking at each a: capsule, sphere, cube.

When working on my existing, more complex game and scene, it is not working. In the editor mode, toggling between "Display 1" and "Display 2", each display comes up correctly, leaving me to believe that I have set everything up correctly. However, when I launch the standalone, no additional displays are activated, even using the same script as working before. Worse yet, the active display that is rendered to isn't using the correct cameras for any of the displays: it seems to use at least one of the camera dedicated to Display 1, and then it's either missing a camera or using a camera dedicated to Display 2. Not only will only the main display activate, the content on that display isn't as it should be, and it's also different as captured in the Editor "Display X" debugging.

A solution I thought to this problem would be to use the simple and working multidisplay activation scene as the start up scene to successfully create the three rendering contexts. From there, I use a script to change scenes to the game scene. However, this brings yet another peculiar problem: the LoadScene only applies to the primary display. Is this intended functionality of multidisplay? How can I change the scene on the other displays? There's nothing in the documentation. On top of that, on one display it does change the scene on, the output is again not as it should be. I can't explain what would be causing the multidisplay to not work, using the same logic, between different scenes. Is there a limit to the number of cameras, camera settings, etc.? It's particularly strange that it works in the Editor, but not standalone (at least as far as expected output).

On top of all of this, I still can't get multidisplay to work in OS X, where I can rule out a hardware issue as the virtual machine on the same hardware works. I have also tried the CLA in OS X ("open -n ./twinkle.app --args -multidisplay"). The documentation says it is an OS X feature?

I am currently developing with 5.3.1f1, having just updated hoping some of the issues might be resolved.

Hardware: Macbook Pro 13" (Intel Iris 6100). Early 2015. OS X El Capitan 10.11.3. Parallels 10. Windows 10.

 

Guys, any news in this topic ?

 

I am preparing project for iMac with two external displays currently, and I am wondering whether it will work or not.
Last time - I had to remove MacOSX and install windows..

Hovewer installation is up and running now:

But I would prefer to avoid this issue that time.

 

Did you try to drag "OpenGL2" into the first line of "Graphics APIs for Mac" list ? (default is OpenGLCore, for mac).
You can change this settings in "Player Settings/Others Settings/" + uncheck "Auto Graphics API for Mac" checkbox. This works fine for me...

 

I have been using the multi-display feature now for several months and for right now it seems pretty stable. Now, if I could only render one display onto a rendertexture with the UI layer on the other display! Any ideas why UGUI doesn't show up in rendertextures?

 

hello sir. How do you call the 2nd Display screen so that I can use this script: Screen.SetResolution(); on the 2nd Display screen not the 1st main Display screen. Because whenever I use this. it sets the Main Display Resolution. I want it so that the 2nd Display changes. Please and thank you

P.S. I'm already using Unity 5.4

 

Try setting your canvas render mode to "Screen Space - Camera" instead of Overlay.

 

Hi, may i know the setup or the script example for the multi-display monitor? i am currently trying to do a interactive 3D multi viewpoint display with 3 projectors and a kinect sensor v1. thank you.

 

Was there a solution for how to set this up on a mac book pro?
I have a scene with two cameras, camera 2 is set to display on display two, in the editor it shows up on display two but either I have my monitors hooked up wrong on my mac or something because I can't seem to get camera 2 to display to the 2nd monitor....??
is there a step by step guide somewhere that shows how to get the dual display set up properly on a Mac?

 

Thanks @karl_jones,
I was looking at the unity page where it talks about that, I did put that code on the page on a script I attached to my main camera which is set to display on display one,
But reading the manual I was unclear about the activation stuff.... should I put a different script on additional cameras that are to display to display 2?

For my camera switching I'm using a camera switching object with a code on it like this:

Code (CSharp):

1. public GameObject camera1;
2.     public GameObject camera2;
3.     public GameObject camera3;
4.     public GameObject camera4;
5.     public GameObject camera5;
6.     public GameObject camera6;
7.     public GameObject camera7;
8.     public GameObject camera8;
9.     public GameObject camera9;
10.     public GameObject camera10;
11.     public GameObject camera11;
12.     public GameObject camera12;
13.     public GameObject camera13;
14.     public GameObject camera14; //Non Player Interactive (Call by Voice Command)
15.     public GameObject camera15; //Non Player Interactive (Call by KITT or Automatic)
16.     public GameObject camera16leftEye; //(Call by KITT after VR response)
17.     public GameObject camera17rightEye; //(Call by KITT after VR response)
18.     public GameObject camera18factoid;    //Factoid Camera (Call by KITT after VR response)
19.  
20.     // Use this for initialization
21.     void Start()
22.     {
23.         Debug.Log("displays connected: " + Display.displays.Length);
24.         // Display.displays[0] is the primary, default display and is always ON.
25.         // Check if additional displays are available and activate each.
26.         if (Display.displays.Length > 1)
27.             Display.displays[1].Activate();
28.         if (Display.displays.Length > 2)
29.             Display.displays[2].Activate();
30.     }
31.  
32.     public void CameraDefault() {        //Main Screen Camera
33.      
34.         camera1.SetActive(true);    //Main Menu Screen Camera
35.         camera2.SetActive(false);
36.         camera3.SetActive(true);    //Logo Camera
37.         camera4.SetActive(false);
38.         camera5.SetActive(false);
39.         camera6.SetActive(false);
40.         camera7.SetActive(false);
41.         camera8.SetActive(false);
42.         camera9.SetActive(false);
43.         camera10.SetActive(false);
44.         camera11.SetActive(false);
45.         camera12.SetActive(false);
46.         camera13.SetActive(false);
47.         camera14.SetActive(false);
48.         camera15.SetActive(false);
49.         camera18factoid.SetActive(false);
50.     }
51.  
52.     public void EnableCamera1() {            //Main Screen Camera
53.      
54.         camera1.SetActive(true);
55.         camera2.SetActive(false);
56.         //camera3.SetActive(false);
57.         camera4.SetActive(false);
58.         camera5.SetActive(false);
59.         camera6.SetActive(false);
60.         camera7.SetActive(false);
61.         camera8.SetActive(false);
62.         camera9.SetActive(false);
63.         camera10.SetActive(false);
64.         camera11.SetActive(false);
65.         camera12.SetActive(false);
66.         camera13.SetActive(false);
67.         camera14.SetActive(false);
68.         camera15.SetActive(false);
69.         camera18factoid.SetActive(false);    //Factoid Camera
70.     }

UPDATE:
I was able to get the 2nd display to activate but when the 2nd display activated both of my displays the layouts of my canvases become all messed up??

 

I posted a reply below @karl_jones,
I was able to get the 2nd display to activate only it made the 2nd screen flicker like a mess of gibberish and the other screen showed my screen canvas layout all messed up.
I'll post a photo for reference if you like?

 

Well the project is too big to share,
But basically I have several cameras set up, one camera the main camera is set to display any canvases associated with it to display 1,
now the additional cameras with their associated canvases are set to load to display two.
In the editor it all works flawlessly but if I try it with two additional monitors hooked up to my mac book I get wiggy results.

 

Thanks @karl_jones,
OK this is interesting, I changed the code on the camera switcher object to this in the start:

Code (CSharp):

1. // Use this for initialization
2.     void Start()
3.     {
4.         Debug.Log("displays connected: " + Display.displays.Length);
5.         // Display.displays[0] is the primary, default display and is always ON.
6.         // Check if additional displays are available and activate each.
7.         if (Display.displays.Length > 1)
8.             Display.displays [0].SetRenderingResolution (800, 600);
9.             Display.displays[1].Activate();
10.             Display.displays [1].SetRenderingResolution (800, 600);
11.         if (Display.displays.Length > 2)
12.             Display.displays [2].SetRenderingResolution (800, 600);
13.             Display.displays[2].Activate();
14.         if (Display.displays.Length > 3)
15.             Display.displays [3].SetRenderingResolution (800, 600);
16.             Display.displays[3].Activate();
17.     }
18.  

I got the main screen to display to one of the monitors (See attached)
You can see the desktop on both my mac book and the first monitor and our app'm main screen, (Display one) on the 2nd small monitor.

However if I pull out that last one for display [3]
Then I get messed up layout on one display and a whole lot of flickering and messing up on the other display.

 

I'll have to get back to you on that one karl... I'll see if I can create a new project with some simple cameras and canvases set up.

 

I did make a simple scene with two cameras and canvases set to display on separate displays, I could get them to work.... but in my main project, the main canvas with offshoot panels that are set to animations that slide in the panels displays all wonky see attachment.

I also notice if you look at the 2nd display in the attachment that the objects on my canvas seem much further away than in the editor?? All the canvases would appear to have the same settings? So I don't know why it is displaying that ll out of whack either??

Also since I have added in the display to display 2 option in my project I have been unable to actually press any of the button on any of my canvases??

 

Thanks @karl_jones,
I have version 5.4, I downloaded one with a patch for the Serial port not working with the Arduino in the editor mode. I'm sorry but the project file is too huge to post.
Basically it's just one big series of GUI's Canvases, cameras, panels on canvases some animated to slide into view when called by either a button press or V.R.
All in one scene,
All canvases are set to "Screen space -camera"
Then the appropriate camera is assigned.
A game object that has a camera switcher script on it, buttons or V.R. call the camera switch to display a different canvas in front of a different camera to display 2, display one stays on screen at all times.
In the editor it works beautifully, publish it out to use on dual display and it's garbaged.

here is a video demo:

In Car Test:

 

@karl_jones,
OK I just don't get this.... I made a small sample project with a couple of cameras in my scene, each camera has a canvas with panels, Camera one has some panels set off to the side out of view of the camera... these panels I used to indicate my "Slide in Panels"
I exported it out and tested it and they do not appear to over lap and screw up my layout.

As near as I can tell my main project is set up exactly the same way, the only difference I can see is that I have more cameras and canvases... see attached:

And yet when I publish it out and run it on the dual monitors it does stupid stuff like:
1 - makes my 2nd display appear farther away than in the actual editor display.
2- Totally garbages my UI layouts in display 1 (See 2nd Attached)

Why is it not displaying like in the editor on the dual display mode?

 

Which one @karl_jones ? The sample project I made as a test I can share, but that one work fine, it's my main project that is having the issues.... it's too large a file to share.?

I did post some demo videos in an above post though

 

Thanks @karl_jones,
I THINK I might have found the solution.... and that's a BIG I THINK lol But in the Canvas Scaler Script in the inspector I changed the dropdown from:
"Constant Pixel Size"
to
"Scale With Screen Size"

Re exported out the project to the stand alone player.... seems like it's possibly working... I'll share a vide demo in a minute.
Not sure if that was what I was supposed to da as the sample project I did as a test was not set up like that and appeared to display just fine.??

 

Thanks @karl_jones,
here is that video demo I promised with the project exported with the Canvas Scaler settings... like I say not sure if that was what I was supposed to do but it displays one hell of a lot better on that setting than the default one??