3 Monitor Setup - Display Order Priority?

Anyone using 3+ screens? I've just started to and set the preferred one to be the main display but, in regards to FCP X, does anyone know how to determine which it considers to be the secondary screen?

Right now when sending the browser to the second display it chooses the wrong one, for what I'd prefer.

Trying to get the browser to the other display isn't working.

This is my setup:


This is what happens when I try and move the browser from one secondary screen to the other, where I want it:

Not at my computer at the moment, but off the top of my head....In your OSX display preferences check the arrangement tab to position the displays where you want them in relation to each other. Make sure mirroring is unchecked. I think you might also need to be sure "Windows have separate spaces" is unchecked (I think this is found in Mission control preferences).

This is what I see in Mission Control. I see "Displays have separate Spaces" but not a "Windows" one.

I tried unchecking "Displays have separate Spaces" but it did the same thing when i dragged the window over. All that does is remove the menu bar and docks from the other windows.

Yes, the "Displays" have separate spaces was what I was referring to. On my 3 monitor setup I have that unchecked and in Display preferences I have the displays arranged to have my viewer on the left, browser on the right and then the AV output feeds a 43 inch LG monitor above. My output use a Black Magic decklink card, but before that it was fed from HDMI off a graphics GPU. Either way the display arrangement was the same. FCPX considers the main viewer display to be the one that has the menu bar, which is why you don't want separate spaces. You can leave that unchecked and move the white bar in the display preferences to put the menu bar on whichever display you choose.

I get that but it doesn't help in my situation, from what I could see. One of the monitors (the iMac on the right) is for other use, not FCP X.



I'm not referring to A/V out, that's a different situation. I'm just trying to get the Library Browser to the vertical screen.

FCP X has two options for a secondary display it could use, but defaults to the iMac screen. I'm trying to figure why and how to get it to default to the vertical one.

Turning off separate spaces didn't help. The browser disappeared when put on the vertical screen just like before when separate spaces was on. .

How are the displays connected? What happens if you disconnect the iMac? Does FCPX then use both displays (Left and Middle) properly?

The two displays are connected to the iMac. The iMac is the brain so I can't disconnect it. Without the iMac the other displays are just blank screens, haha.

Here's the video of what happens when Spaces is turned off:

It looks as if your browser does switch to the vertical display but when you try to maximize the screen FCPX won't conform to a vertical layout. I've never tried that but you might experiment with full screen preference settings. If you can temporarily set the vertical display to horizontal, see if the browser stays maximized. I'm not sure if FCPX will allow what you're trying to do, but frankly, I really don't know. I'll look into that when I have a chance.

After thinking about this a bit more, I believe FCPX will only allow you to place the events or the viewer on one single additional display. Either both on the main monitor or viewer or events on a second display. You seem to be dragging a screen to a third display and FCPX doesn't seem to want it there. Try switching the HDMI cables for the two displays to see if you get the same problem only now on the other display. Not sure what else to suggest, but if it still exhibits the same issue then I'd guess you might be trying something that won't work.

What do you by full screen preference settings? Where?

I already tried switching the inputs on the iMac, no luck.

Also, when I tried putting the menu bar on the iMac it did put the 2nd panel on the vertical display, but then my main screen was not correct of course. While I was there though I tried dragging the 2nd panel to the ultra wide. It did the same thing with that one. Bounced back. The behavior is odd seems random what monitor it chooses to use.

Hi,

In System Pref, if you open your Monitors Preference utility, you'll notice a small white rectangle which you can slide on either one of your 3 monitors. Doing so determines, amongst other things, the secondary monitor FCPX will be using. I work with 4 monitors hooked up to a MacPro and this behaviour always work.

Regards.

Hello,

I've also had a similar situation.
I found that switching the order of the physical connections on the iMac solved the problem.

However, in my case the iMac was still primary for me, and the vertical screen was secondary, the third screen was a colour monitor via a mini ultra studio monitor.

Hope that helps.

I have explained a few times how to solve this. I would point to a relevant discussion in Apple's forum, but they seem to be down now, so here is an abridged version.

Unfortunately, FCP X does not let you explicitly choose what the second monitor will be. It is, however, easy to choose what the *first* or main monitor is: as was already explained here, it is the one that has the menu bar on it in System Preferences->Displays->Arrangement.
(Note: this is *also* true if you have "Displays have separate Spaces" checked - even though in reality *all* displays have menu bars on them, in System Preferences there is still just one, and that marks the "main" display)

So the trick to make FCP X use "display A" as the main display and "display B" as the second display: mark "display B" as the *main* display (in System Preferences, as above). Drag the FCP X window from display B (where it moves automatically) to display A. Then do Window->Show Viewers on Second Display (or Events, if that is what you want). They will go the display B.

I realize I wasn’t clear enough. I should have mentioned my settings in FCP.

I my case there are 4 monitors. Forget number 4 since it is solely used for assorted Mac commodities (Mail, clock, news, weather, etc.).

That leaves us 3 displays: from left to right # 1, 2 and 3 (see attached screen dump).

in System Preferences->Displays->Arrangement, I’ve appointed # 1 as my main monitor. Also, in FCP, I chose to have my main viewer on the Second Display.

As a result, when I boot FCP, my #1 display always sports the viewer, and my #2 display has the software main working space. As for #3 display (mainly used for my clips and photos bank), it becomes my main viewer display when I need to show my work to a colleague (there’s always an empty seat to my right...). All I need to do, then, is to grab FCP’s window on #2 display and slide it on top of the viewer on #1 display. Automatically, the later slides on #3 display. I can’t explain why, but it’s what it does. And it fits my needs.

Sometime I miss Adobe ...

Regards.

Oh, your set-up looks really great actually. I do not have a 3 monitor set-up actually. I am only using a 2 monitor set-up, however I would also like to get the third one actually, however I am not really sure about what monitor should I actually get. I did not really need a 3rd monitor untill now, as I have finally started trading. I need a screen for the graphics, one for the emails, another for facebook and all the social media. Oh yeah, don't you know guys how can I find out who views my facebook acc ? I really need that.

Yesssss. This worked. Thank you!

 to lichinho: your trick works. But there is another solution. 
You have three monitors.
One is for a/v output. 
Open FCPX with a one window-layout.
Leave the main FCPX window where it is, or drag it to the monitor of your choice (but not to the dedicated a/v output monitor).
Now tell FCPX to show a/v output on your a/v output monitor.
Then choose - workspace - two monitors
The second monitor will now show the second window (overview, viewer, timeline) on the last of your three monitors.
Should work also with a vertikal oriented monitor. 
This is a long time bug in FCPX and should have been solved years ago.(Do you read this, apple?) I can hear the deep sighs of thousand of new FPCX editors, when they run in the "how to setup three monitors" struggle.