Monitor Re-Count

[azdayton]

In our "brave new world" of mobility, I'm finding more and more that the number of monitors in use can change on-the-fly.  For example, a user with two monitors unplugs their laptop to go to a meeting.  Now instead of two monitors, they have one.  (There are MANY other scenarios as well).

 

MEP has the ability to count the monitors, so I can have the macro perform differently in different scenarios.  Unfortunately, this "count" only seems to occur when MEP is started.  So if the number of monitors changes, the macros can have unexpected results.

 

What I'd like to find is a way - other than restarting Macro Express - to have MEP re-count the current number of monitors.

 

I've been unable to find any method to re-count them other than using the "Restart Macro Express".  Unfortunately, doing that results in a number of other issues, as MEP does a lot of  other stuff on start-up.

 

Is there such a method?  If not, I think it'd make a great Feature Request!

 

Thanks in advance for any help.  Note that because this issue involves multiple users, many of whom are not experts at this, any "solution" that's "complex" may not be feasible.  So please don't waste your time trying to help with that sort of thing.  My users are business folks, not programmers or techs. 🙂

[acantor]

This little script seems to work without rebooting or restarting Macro Express:

 

Variable Set Integer %x%: Set to Number of Monitors
Text Box Display: %x%

 

It can be activated by pressing a hotkey, some kind of fancy mouse click, etc. But maybe for your group, the "safest" option would be to schedule it to run every, say, five or ten minutes.

[azdayton]

No, it doesn't address the issue at all.

 

Scenario: 

1. I boot up with three monitors.
2. I run the macro, it says 3.
3. I disconnect one monitor.
4. I run the macro.  It STILL says 3.
5. I restart Macro Express.
6. I run the macro.  Now it says 2.

[rberq]

1 hour ago, azdayton said:

• I run the macro.  It STILL says 3.
• I restart Macro Express.
• I run the macro.  Now it says 2.

 

Suggestions:

 

Contact Insight and report it as a bug, see what they have to say.  The Macro Explorer menu has a Help selection, and under that is "Online Support" which allows you to report bugs. 

 

Worst case while waiting for an Insight response -- give your users a macro that runs the Restart Macro Express command, and tell them to use it whenever they change monitors.

 

P.S. What version of ME are you using?  Strange that acantor's macro works for him but not for you.

[acantor]

There's the "Restart Macro Express" instruction, which closes and relaunches the program in a couple of seconds.

 

But I encourage you to submit a feature request: update the monitor count without the need to exit and restart MEP.