[spartacus51]

For now I'm happy with my solution. I'm running windowed with ultramon. In Shortcut Properties > UltraMon - Window Settings I put the window at (1280, 0) to put it on my TV. Then on my TV I just stretched and moved the image to effectively crop out the border and top bar. This has the additional benefit of being able to right click > close on the taskbar when XBMC stops responding. I suppose a stable final release would eliminate that need, but for now it is handy. I only have a laptop so I need my mouse free and my laptop panel MUST be my primary screen; everything freaks out when I try swapping them. Perfect solution? No. Perfectly functional? Yes.

[palombasso]

No, 'cause mouse and keyboard will still be in use by XBMC.

I actually opened up a thread asking something similar to this:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=37623

In the music player foobar2000, for example, you can set keyboard shortcuts as a "global hotkey". This means that no matter what program currently has focus, when you press the assigned key combination foobar2000 responds, not changing window focus.

It would be great to be able to do that with xbmc. I'd like to set all of xbmc shorcuts to combinations like CTRL+SHIFT+P for pause, etc. Then you could map these combinations to a remote so the remote key presses would not disturb any other pc activity but xbmc.

Don't know if I was able to make myself clear enough....is something like this currently doable in XBMC?

[frotsen]

I just made a simple program to fullfill my needs. This program puts xbmc on a given monitor. It launches Xbmc in windows mode, then remove its borders so i looks fullscreen and places it on a given monitor. This way you have a "fake" fullscreen but still can use your mouse etc.

For those who are intrested
http://www.rodhette.org/xbmcLaunch.exe

Regards
Frotsen

[xbs08]

@frotsen
Does your program prevents the openning of a second instance of xbmc when started with a remote button via translator (IR server suit)?

[frotsen]

No

The program is really simple. You just locate your xbmc.exe file. This is used to launch xbmc, and with some commen windows api i remove the windowframe and move xbmc to a given monitor.

I didnt plan to do anything with the program, but if needed i can make it use commandline parameters so you can launch it with a Ir server suit

[xbs08]

I didnt plan to do anything with the program, but if needed i can make it use commandline parameters so you can launch it with a Ir server suit

That would be awsome
As im looking for a simpler way to run xbmc in a secondary display and be able to launch it via remote (MCE in my case).
The other aspect im looking for is preventing a second instance of xbmc from running if the start remote key is pressed again.
I've tried disable system wide actions in translator but that doesn't seem to prevend second instances from running

Thanks a bunch!

[frotsen]

Just added a simple commandline option and "only run one instance of Xbmc"


Commandline:
xbmcLaunch.exe path,monitor

eks.

xbmclaunch.exe C:\Programfiler\XBMC\XBMC.exe,2

http://rodhette.org/xbmcLaunch.exe


Have fun

[harlekin]

Great App! Thanks a bunch! For anyone wondering how to use it, set XBMC to run in the desired resolution, but not in Full Screen mode (Settings/Appearence), launch it using the *.exe (or an *.Ink with the command line parameters) and if you have to, maximize the App by clicking on the its tab on the Start bar.

[WiSo]

@frotsen: Do you ise the SetWindowPos (or similar) function to set XBMC on another monitor?
If you have another way please let me know as I don't want to spawn another process inside XBMC to restart it on another screen.

[xbs08]

Isn't working for me
XBMC opens windowed, the out bars are removed and then XBMC gets minimized to task bar and i cant maximixe it, all this occurs on the primary display, second display does not show anything.
I'm running 1st display at 1152*868, 2nd display and XBMC at 720p.
Can anyone help?

[frotsen]

yes, i use set SetWindowPos to move xbmc, and SetWindoLong to remove borders and caption. This because if you launch xbmc in fullscreen and have two monitors with different resolution and try to move it, it fucks up your resolution on your primary and secondary screen. This way your mouse is not locked to xbmc either.

[frotsen]

@xbs08
Can you download it again, i just made it so you can move xbmc from the appBar. Just right click on Xbmc on appbar and choose move. Then use your arrow keys.

On the otherhand you can try launch xbmc the regular way in windowmode, and then try again with the xbmcLaunch

[harlekin]

In addition, this makes it possible to launch Xbmc on the primary screen as a background layer, running the milkdrop visualizer, or even a movie - without borders and the distracting caption. In windowed mode it is also better integrated in Windows Aero, showing content in realtime, while switching to other applications by pressing Win+Ctrl+Tab, or hovering over the tab in the start bar.

I honestly can't find a reason, why I would launch XBMC any other way from now on.

Thanks again, you made a very usefull application yet more usefull.

[oscarliu]

frotsen,

The program partially works for me. I have two problems:

1.

I use the following command line,
"G:\My xBox\xbmcLaunch.exe" C:\Program Files\XBMC\XBMC.exe,1

An error pop up saying "The file 1 does not exits" and a form comes up by which I can still launch XBMC in my 2nd monitor.

2.

XBMC launched minimized in bottom bar. I need to right click > Move and press ESC to really see it.

Any ideas?

[frotsen]

@oscarliu

Can you try to just run the program the regular way. (double click on it) Then in the form, browse to xbmc and type 1 in Monitor nr, then see if its starts xbmc correct?