Table of Contents

What is Virtual Monitors?

How to...

Switch between monitors

Determine the current monitor

Move applications between monitors

Name Monitors

Set options

Change between interfaces

Use the Virtual Monitors Task List

Load/Save monitor layouts

Create Screen Links

Use the Window Wizard

Use the Features buttons


Information
Copyright Information

Copyright © 1993 by Federated Telecommunications Corporation

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What is Virtual Monitors?

Virtual Monitors is an application written for Windows that solves the cluttered monitor display, speeds up application selection, and makes your Windows sessions more productive.  With Virtual Monitors, you have the ability to create multiple screen of information.  With these multiple screens, your applications no longer have to be disorderly.  Virtual Monitors gives you the ability to set up your applications and windows as if you had 12 monitors.  Think of Virtual Monitors as a desktop expansion kit in which your Windows desktop actually extends off your monitor.  Imagine that there are 12 screens on your desk, stacked four across by three hight.  Now imagine looking at one screen at a time without being able to see the others.  In a sense, this is how Virtual Monitors works.


Switching Between Monitors

There are many ways to switch between monitors in Virtual Monitors, depending on the interface you like to use.  Select one of the methods from the following list:

System Menu

Icon Keypad

Hot Keys

Map Interface

Big Keypad Interface

Small Keypad Interface

Screen Links

Virtual Monitors Task List


Switching Monitors - System Menu
Switching Monitors with the System Menu

You can easily change between monitors by using the System Menu on the Virtual Monitors icon.  Click once on the icon and a menu similar to the following will appear:

Click once on the number/name of the monitor you would like to change to.


Switching Monitors - Map Interface
Switching Monitors with the Map Interface

You may switch between active monitors when using the Map Interface as well.  To do this, move the mouse cursor on top of the monitor you would like to display.  Double-click the right mouse button to change to that monitor.  A red border around the monitor cell indicates the currently displayed monitor.


Switching Monitors - Big Keypad
Switching Monitors with the Big Keypad Interface

Across the top of the Big Keypad Interface, you will find a row of buttons.  These buttons are labeled from 1 to 12.  Click once on one of these numbered buttons to change to the appropriate monitor.

NOTE: The one button that is "ghosted" or disabled indicates the current monitor you are viewing.  Therefore, in the sample above, the currently selected monitor is Monitor #2, since its button appears lighter than the rest.


Switching Monitors - Small Keypad
Switching Monitors with the Small Keypad Interfaces

As discussed in the Options section, you may be using one of two possible Small Keypad Interfaces, depending whether Show Monitor Names is enabled or not.  In either case, you will notice two rows of buttons near the top of the Interface window.  Each button is labeled with a number between 1 and 12.  To change to a monitor, click on the respective numbered button.

If you are using the Small Keypad Interface while the Show Monitor Names option is enabled, the interface will also list all of the monitor names.  You may also change monitors by double-clicking on the appropriate monitor name.

NOTE: The one monitor button that is "ghosted" or disabled indicates the current monitor you are viewing.  Therefore, in the samples above, the currently selected monitor is Monitor #2, since its button appears lighter than the rest.


Switching Monitors - Screen Links
Switching Monitors with Screen Links

If you have already placed Screen Links on your windows desktop, you can change to that linked monitor by double-clicking the left mouse button on the Screen Link icon.  For example:


Switching Monitors - Task List
Switching Monitors with the Task List

You may swich to any application while using the Virtual Monitors Task List, therefore also changing to that monitor that the application exists on.  To switch to an application, first find the application in the application list.  To change to that application, you may either double-click the left mouse button on the application listed, or choose it once with the left mouse button and then select the button Switch To.

NOTE: The name of each application listed in the Task List is preceded by a number.  This is the Virtual Monitors Monitor number on which that application currently exists.


Moving Applications
Moving Applications Between Monitors

Applications may be positioned on different monitors using a variety of methods, depending on the Virtual Monitor interface you like to use.  Select one of the methods from the following list:

Map Interface

Big Keypad Interface

Virtual Monitors Task List


Moving Applications - Map Interface
Moving Applications with the Map Interface

The most intuitive method for moving applications between monitors in Virtual Monitors is with the Map Interface.  To move an application, first open the Map Interface by either double-clicking on the Virtual Monitors icon, or by selecting Map from one of the other interfaces.  When the Map Interface appears, find the graphic window of the application you wish to move.

NOTE: Sometimes other application windows will be covering the application you want.  If this is the case, continuously press the [image] and [image] keys on your computer keyboard to shuffle the order of the windows.  If you continue to press a direction key, the application you are looking for that was previously covered will surface to the top.

To move an application from one monitor to another, move the mouse cursor on top of the graphic for the application and hold down the left mouse button.  Drag the window to a new monitor cell and then release the button to complete the move.  For example, if we were to move the Notepad application from Monitor #3 to Monitor #10, we would hold the mouse button down while the cursor is over the Notepad window in Monitor #3.  We would then drag the window, while still holding down the mouse button, into the box for Monitor #10 and release the mouse button.

IMPORTANT: To save the new layout of windows, you MUST pick Use Mapping from the Map Interface Menu.


Moving Applications - Big Keypad
Moving Applications with the Big Keypad Interface

Applications may be moved between monitors with the Big Keypad Interface as easily as with the Map Interface.  First activate the Big Keypad Interface by either: double-clicking on the Virtual Monitors icon, by selecting Expand from a Small Keypad Interface, or by picking Small Keypad Interface from the Map Interface menu.

To move an application, find the name of the application you wish to move in one of the program list boxes.  After you have found the application, click once on the name.  Then click on one of the Move To buttons that are directly to the left of the monitor number to which you would like to move the application.

You may also click on the name of the application you would like to move and hold down the left mouse button.  Then drag the mouse cursor, which turns into a horizontal bar ( [image]), on top of the list box for the monitor to which to move the application.  For example, to move Notepad from Monitor #3 to Monitor #10: click and hold the left mouse down on the application's name in the list box for Monitor #3; Move the mouse cursor down to the list box for Monitor #10 (while still holding down the left mouse button); Release the mouse button.


Moving Applications - Task List
Moving Applications with the Task List

To move an application between monitors with the task list, first switch to the monitor to which you would like to move an application.  You may switch monitors by using any method discussed in Switching Between Monitors.  After you have switched to the correct monitor, either double-click the right mouse button on the Virtual Monitors icon or click the left mouse button once on the icon and choose VMON Task List... from the Virtual Monitors icon menu.

When the Task List has been displayed, find the application that you would like to move in the application list.  After you have found it, click once on the name or icon of the application to select it in the list and then click on the Move App button.  The application that was selected will then be moved to the current monitor.


Switching Monitors - Icon Keypad
Switching Monitors with the Icon Keypad

If you have enabled the Icon Keypad option, you will see the following icon for Virtual Monitors (instead of the Monitor-Head icon):

When this icon is visible, you may position your mouse cursor on top of any of the numbered buttons and click the left mouse button once.  The monitor you have selected will then be indicated by a depressed, darkened button.  In the picture above, the currently selected monitor is Monitor #1.


Switching Monitors - Hot Keys
Switching Monitors with the Hot Keys

If you have enabled Hot Keys with the Virtual Monitors options, you may use your keyboard's numeric keypad to change quickly between monitors.  The following is an example of you keyboard's numeric keypad:

By pressing any of the keys that are highlighted with red text above, you will change to that monitor.  To change to any monitor between 1 and 9, press the respective key on the keypad.  To change to Monitor #10, #11, or #12, press either the 0, /, or * key respectively.

If you have the Require CTRL option enabled as well, you must hold the CTRL key on your keyboard in addition to any of the keypad keys to change monitors.  This was intended for people who use the keypad for data entry, but still want quick access to each of the monitors.


Naming Monitors

Although you can reference monitors quite easily by a monitor number, it may be easier to remember what applications exist on a given monitor by assigning that monitor a name.  There are two methods by which you may assign names to monitors.

Through the Big Keypad Interface

Through the Map Interface


Naming Monitors - Big Keypad
Naming Monitors Through the Big Keypad Interface

You will notice that beneath each list of applications on a monitor, there is a entry field.  This is where you may specify the name of the monitor.  To name monitors in the Big Keypad Interface, move your mouse cursor over one of these entry fields and click the left mouse button once.  When the text cursor blinks, type in the new name for a monitor.

To save the new monitor names, click on the OK button.  The following message will appear:

If you want to save the monitor name changes, click on Yes, otherwise choose No.

You may also save the monitor names at any time by clicking once on the system menu in the top left corner of the Big Keypad Interface window.  The following menu will appear:

Choose the Save Monitor Names to save the names without closing the Big Keypad Interface.


Naming Monitors - Map Interface
Naming Monitors Through the Map Interface

Monitor names may be assigned through the Map Interface.  To do so, choose Monitor Names from the Options menu in the Map Interface.

The following window will then appear:

To name monitors, simply type the name of the monitor into the appropriate entry field.  When finished, choose OK to save your changes.


Setting Options

One of Virtual Monitors' greatest abilities is to work the way you want it to work.  To set up Virtual Monitors the way you would like it to perform, there are several option windows available to change settings.  To invoke these option windows, click once on the Virtual Monitors icon to display the system menu and then choose Set Options from the list.  A second menu will appear to the right of the system menu, listing all of the possible options in Virtual Monitors.

General Options

Mouse Options

Clutter Control

Toolbox Options

System Options

Hot Key Options


Setting Options - General Options
General Options

These options are options that affect the overall use of Virtual Monitors.  The following is a sample of the General Options window:

Show Monitor Names - This option specifies whether monitor names should be shown or not.  When checked, each monitor's name will appear at the bottom of the Map Interface and the Small Keypad Interface with monitor names will be used.

VMON to Top - This option forces the Virtual Monitors icon and windows to always float on top of any other open window.  This makes it easier to access Virtual Monitors while using maximized windows.

Minimize on Use - If you wish to iconize applications that are not being used, Virtual Monitors will do so automatically with this option.  However, this option only works with the Big Keypad Interface.  When this option is enabled, you may select any application name in any of the monitor groups listed in the Big Keypad Interface by double-clicking the left mouse button.  All other applications in that monitor group will be iconized and the one you have chosen will be restored.

Save Memory - To conserve computer memory, this option closes all applications except for those on the current monitor and the first monitor.  When you changes monitors however, the applications on the new monitor will be re-opened.

NOTE: When using programs with data files such as paint programs or word processors, that application may ask if you want to save your changes each time it is closed.

Auto Restore - With this feature, it is possible to automatically restore windows when you decide to close any application.  Auto Restore will work when all of the applications are in their icon state or when there remains one last icon after closing other applications.

NOTE: The order in which Virtual Monitors determines to restore iconized applications is determined by the Big Keypad Interface's Program List for the current monitor or by the Task List.

Auto Save - This option will cause Virtual Monitors to automatically save the current monitor layout each time Virtual Monitors is closed.  The session is saved under the same session name that is chosen as the default session.  For more information on sessions, see Load/Save Monitor Layouts.

Icon Keypad - You may change the icon for Virtual Monitors to be either the default Monitor-Head icon or the Icon Keypad.  When using the Icon Keypad, click on any of the numbered buttons to change to that monitor number.  If you wish to display the system menu, click once on the title VMON that appears directly above the keypad buttons.

MultiMap #12 - Occasionally, there will be applications that you would like to have appear on every monitor.  Without the Multimap #12 option, you would need to open that program once for each monitor.  With this option checked, you only have to open that application once and place it on Monitor #12.  Then that application will appear automatically on all of the other monitors.

Graphically Display - In the MultiMap group, the Graphically Display option controls the option of displaying MultiMapped applications on every monitor of the Map Interface.  When this option is enabled, any applications on Monitor #12 will also appear graphically on every other monitor.  However, they will appear as gray windows on every monitor but #12.  Therefore, you cannot move MultiMapped applications on any other monitor than #12.  You may add, remove, or change the placement of applications on monitor #12 for the entire session.

Default Display - You may choose one of three different displays to use as the default for selecting monitors and moving applicaitons.  Each of these displays are discussed in the sections Moving Applications and Switching Between Monitors.

NOTE: The Default Display selection determines Virtual Monitors' interface only after initially loading Virtual Monitors.  If you use the Map, Shrink, or Expand buttons to change between interfaces, the last interface selected will always be used until Virtual Monitors is started again.

Auto Start - You can instruct Virtual Monitors to automatically start with each Windows session.  However, you must specify a default session to load when starting Virtual Monitors.  If this option is checked, Virtual Monitors will begin each time you start Windows and will automatically launch all of the applications that are included in the default session.

Ask for Group - When automatically starting Virtual Monitors, you may decide not to start with the default session.  Instead, you may specify which session to load each time Virtual Monitors is started by checking this option.


Show Monitor Names - Example


Save Memory - Example

Let's assume that you have a word processor on one monitor and the clock application on a second monitor.  If you decide to switch to the word processor monitor, the clock application is actually closed to save memory and the word processor is recalled.  Likewise, if you decide to change back to the monitor that the clock was on, the word processing program would close before the actual switch occurred and the clock would be reloaded automatically.


Auto Restore - Example

Let's assume that you have both a word processing package and spreadsheet program running and only the spreadsheet is currently iconized.  In this case, if we terminate the word processor, the icon of the spreadsheet application will be restored automatically.


Virtual Monitors Icons

Monitor-Head Icon:

Icon Keypad:


MultiMap #12 - Example

Let's say you would like to see the clock application on every monitor.  With the MultiMap option enabled, the last monitor (#12) acts as a global monitor.  That is, whatever applications exist on Monitor #12 will automatically be shown on all monitors.  Therefore, you would open the clock application and then move it to Monitor #12 in order for it to be used on every monitor.


Graphically Display - Example


Ask for Group - Example

When the Ask for Group option is enabled, a window similar to the following will appear the next time Virtual Monitors is started:

You may then select the group that you wish to load by either double-clicking on the name in the list box or by clicking once on the name and then selecting OK.  If you decide not to load a group, select Cancel.


Setting Options - Mouse Options
Mouse Options

If you like using a mouse, you can define several features that make Virtual Monitors even more powerful.  With the mouse, you can define short-cuts to the most frequently used functions in Virtual Monitors.  To view these mouse options, choose Mouse Options from the Options sub-menu in the Virtual Monitors system menu.

Mouse Button Control - You can create short-cuts to some of Virtual Monitors' most used fuctions through this option.  You will notice two columns labeled Right and Left and Right.  Listed beneath each of these columns are six particular functions of Virtual Monitors.  You may define what Virtual Monitors function the right mouse button, or both the leftmost and rightmost mouse buttons, will do when held down for two seconds or more.

NOTE: To turn off this functionality, make sure that both columns are marked Off.  Also, if you have a mouse with more than two buttons, make sure to hold the leftmost and rightmost buttons.

Auto Activate - Most of your time in Windows is spent activating the windows that are on your desktop.  Usually to change between windows, you must click once inside of the window to make it active.  With the Auto Activate setting enabled, you can merely pass the mouse cursor over a window in order to activate it.

Auto Activate Time - Sometimes you may find that the Auto-Activation of windows is too quick.  You may wish to slow down the amount of time it takes between passing the cursor over the window, and the window becoming active.  To change this time setting, click on the [image] and [image] buttons to adjust the time.

Mouse Monitor  # - With 12 monitors, it can become easy to forget which monitor you are viewing.  Unless you have the VMON to Top setting enabled, it also becomes difficult to see which monitor you are viewing when working with maximized applications that occupy the entire screen.  Therefore, you can click on the Mouse Monitor # setting to display the current monitor number underneath the mouse cursor arrow at all times.

Side Switch - Often commonly used applications will be spread out within only a few monitors of each other.  Therefore, instead of fumbling for the monitor number, you can use the Side Switch to advance or go back one monitor.  When this option is checked, you may move the mouse cursor to either the extreme left or right of the screen.  At the edge, the mouse pointer will change into a [image] on the left side or a [image] on the right.  When either of these arrows appear, click once with the left mouse button to either go back or advance a monitor respectively.

Up Icons - The Up Icons selection will allow you to see all of your iconized applications through a currently selected, maximized window.  By setting a mouse command for Up Icons or by pressing CTRL and ALT together, any icons that are hidden by a maximized window will appear.  They will remain visible until you select one or until five seconds have passed.


Mouse Button Control - Example

Let's assume that you have checked the Map option underneath the column Left and Right.  In this case, if you were to hold down your left and right mouse buttons together for more than two seconds, the Map Interface would appear.


Auto Activate Time - Example

Let's set the time delay to 5 seconds.  To do this, click on the [image] or [image] to adjust the number in the middle to 5.  Now, after the mouse cursor is passed over a window, the window will not become automatically selected for 5 seconds.


Mouse Monitor # - Example

With the Mouse Monitor # setting enabled, the current monitor number appears beneath your mouse cursor.


Side Switch - Example

If you are currently viewing Monitor #1, you can move the mouse cursor to the far right hand side of the screen until the [image] appears and click the mouse button.  Virtual Monitors will then display Monitor #2.  Likewise, if you were to move the mouse cursor to the extreme left side of the screen, the [image] will appear.  Click once on the left mouse button to go back a monitor, or in this case, view Monitor #1.


Up Icons - Example

This is an example of the application icons appearing through a maximized window:


Setting Options - Clutter Control
Clutter Control

Virtual Monitors already reduces the amount of "screen clutter" on your monitor by spreading applications across multiple monitors.  However, you can further reduce needless window clutter with Virtual Monitors' built-in Clutter Control.  This feature hides the least recently used application windows or icons in order to reduce the amount of used desktop space.

With Clutter Control features, you can specify the maximum number of visible windows and icons.  When the number of open windows or icons exceeds the clutter control settings, applications not frequently used will be hidden from the desktop.  Clutter Control settings may be altered by selecting Clutter Control from the Set Options sub-menu.

# of Open Windows - This setting specifies the maximum number of windows that may be displayed on the screen.  Use the [image] and [image] buttons to change that number.  If you wish to disable clutter control and allow all windows to be visible, set this value to 0.

# of Visible Icons - Similiar to the # of Open Windows option, you may specify the maximum number of minimized icons that may be displayed at a time.  Again, use the [image] and [image] buttons to change this setting.  A value of 0 disables the Clutter Control feature on iconized windows.

Icon Time - If you wish to view all of the icons that are available without minimizing or moving overwriting windows, you can press the CTRL and ALT keys.  Pressing these keys together will cause the icons to "pop-up" through the window that is covering them.  These applications will display for a limited amount of time and then disappear.  You can adjust the amount of time in seconds that the icons will be displayed by altering the Icon Time.  Again, use the [image] and [image] buttons to change the amount of time.

Enhanced Drag and Drop - This feature improves on the standard drag and drop techniques used in Windows.  When enabled, Enhanced Drag and Drop will automatically restore and select an iconized application when an element is dragged onto its icon.


Enhanced Drag and Drop - Example

Let's assume that you are using the Windows Paintbrush accessory and are looking for a particular bitmap file to load.  After finding the bitmap in the File Manager, you decide to drag the picture's name down to the icon for Paintbrush to load it.  In typical Windows, the bitmap chosen will then appear in the Paintbrush application.  However, Paintbrush remains iconized.  With Enhanced Drag and Drop enabled, Paintbrush will automatically be restored and selected once you drop the picture file on top of the icon.


Setting Options - Toolbox Options
Toolbox Options

Virtual Monitors also offers access to many of its features with a toolbox.  This toolbox may be set to either attach with each application's window, float freely on the screen, or to be turned off completely.

The toolbox option is currently unavailable in this version of the beta software.


Setting Options - System Options
System Options

Did you ever wish that you could always have a clock handy on the screen, without it getting in the way?  How about getting information on system resources by an easy to read fuel gauge?  Virtual Monitors provides both of these features through the System Options choice through the Set Options sub-menu.

Show Time - To display the current time in each window, check this setting.  With this option enabled, the system's clock will automatically be inserted after the currently active window's title, even when minimized.

Display Free Resources - Enabling this setting will display the amount of free system resources on the active window.  A gauge will be displayed in the upper left hand corner of the active window.  The G is the graph for the GDI resources while the U is for the User resources.  These bars will shrink and expand as system resources change.

By placing the mouse cursor on top of the Resource gauge and holding the right mouse button down for two seconds, a detailed window will appear.  This window will provide information on all of the system resources as well as available disk drive space.

All System - Window List - Once this option is enabled, Virtual Monitors will append the choice VMON Window List to every window's System Menu.  With this menu choice, you may invoke the Virtual Monitors Task List at any time from any application's window.


Show Time - Example

The following is an example of the time being showed after the window title:


Display Free Resources - Example

The following is a sample of the resource bars on the active window:


Display Free Space - Example

After holding the right mouse button down while the mouse cursor is on top of the resource gauge, a window similar to the following will appear:


All System - Window List

The following is an example of the System Menu from Program Manager while the All System - Menu List option is enabled:


Setting Options - Hot Key Options

As discussed in the section Switching Monitors - Hot Keys, you may use the numeric keypad on your computer to quickly switch between monitors.  To change Hot Key settings, choose Hot Key Options from the Set Options sub-menu.  The following window will appear:

Enable Hot Keys - This switch enables or disables the ability to use Hot Keys to switch between monitors or access other Virtual Monitors features.

Require CTRL - If this option is selected, you must hold the CTRL key down in addition to the keypad key in order to switch between monitors.  This allows you to still use the keypad for numeric data entry.

Set Hot Keys - This option is currently not available in this beta version of the software.