Dual screen mode

I don't if it's me (probably) or Resolve (maybe) but dual screen mode is really acting screwy.

I only recently set it up. I followed the otherwise simple instructions. But it just seems like from one moment to the next Resolve has a mind of its own as to whether or not pay any attention to the set up.

I have the viewer and timelines on one large screen and the media pool, various tools and mixers on the other.

Sometimes only the viewer will show up. And then usually (not always) I discover that Dual Screen has shut itself off.

Other times I can't make heads or tails of why one screen won't show up, even though Dual Screen is on. I fiddle with it, and I end up making it appear. But I think those instances have to do with my temporarily going to Finder or my browser and that screws up one of the screens.

But today takes the cake. I left everything with dual screens showing. I didn't shut anything off. I'm not even sure how much the computer sleeps with Resolve open as I once saw in my Activity Monitor that it won't let the Mac sleep. The screens, though, do go dark. I opened them up and found only one screen showing the Resolve workspace (the larger screen) but NOT with the viewer or the timelines. Rather I found only the media and a set of sound mixers showing on the large screen and nothhing on the smaller one.

Usually I have been able to turn Dual Screens back on. But this time, I couldn't. I click "On" and nothing happened. I only managed to get the Dual screens working again by closing down Resolve and reopening it. When I did, the dual screens weren't back, but i could click "on" and they worked again. BUT with the roles of each screen reversed.

Am I missing something? Is this a known bug? Is it a question of memory? (I've got 64gb ram).

You mention Finder, so I assume a Mac. Which one exactly and how are your displays set and connected?
We have no issues here with dual screen on ours, while PCs are sometimes acting up if you allow any screen to sleep.

Macbook Pro M1 Max

I'm not sure how to describe the set up, which might be a clue. I have the Macbook set as the main display and the LCD screen as extended. I suppose I could switch them to see what happens then.

But I don't think the choice is the problem. The problem is that the choice seems to change day by day!

I'm thinking at least part of what is going on is that everytime after I've shut down for the day (closing the cover of the laptop, but leaving Resolve open) is that Dual Screen seems to shut itself off. Three times now I have only had Resolve appear on the larger screen, and nothing on the laptop. I have to go to Workspace/Dual Screen and choose "On" again. No big deal, but I don't understand why it shuts off.

If I understand your issue correctly, I used to do the same more or less. I start DR and then drag it into my external monitor so I keep Mac’s display for other things. When one of the displays go off, DR gets missed up that I need to restart DR or disconnect the external monitor.

Then I found out I don’t have to drag DR into the external monitor, as far as I remember, from Workplace menu, I set Primary Display > the external monitor / Video Clean Feed > Mac’s display - for color accuracy.

Thank you Omar. I hadn't taken any notice that second setting. But as it is, my setting was already as you describe setting it.

I am thinking what the main problem for me is that the dual screen thing SOMETIMES (but not all the time!) just shuts off after I close things up. I can leave Resolve open, but the next morning when I open the laptop again, the Dual Screen needs to be set to ON again.

Now that I know this is happening, I'm just going to check that as a routine.

But having Dual Screen does make odd things happen. If I happen to have something open on the laptop screen, but then click over to Resolve, that won't automatically replace the laptop screen with Resolve. I have to go to "Hide others" and have all the tools that should be there reappear. Another annoyance, but at least I know how to fix it now.

Just when I thought I had the Dual Screen figured out, a new development.

I have had Resolve closed for a couple of days. I open it. Everything just appeared on one screen. At first I thought the Dual Screen was shut off again. I tried clicking it, but nothing happened.

Then I discovered it WAS on but all the tools that had automatically appeared when I first set it up were no longer there. And what was appearing on the one screen was as if it was set for one monitor. Also clicking on Full Screen Timeline doesn't do anything. I'm thinking that might be the problem.

Is this me, or is there a real problem with setting up Dual Screen, and having it stay set up?

Ten minutes later: Davinci crashed, I reopened the project, now it all suddenly works.

I'm learning to hate this software.

I can't reproduce that here.
The only difference: The external 27" UHD is my main and the Mac's screen is secondary.

Uli, How much you want to bet that I wouldn't be able to reproduce it here again.

What is driving me crazy about this is that I'm going through the proper steps, and when in doubt I'm reading the manual (which is VERY sparse about Dual Monitors) and there just seems to be something random going on. The fact that Resolve fixed the problem itself by crashing and restarting is just another example of how difficult it is to even LEARN what I should be doing to fix it.

Through a search of this forum I learned about resetting the UI. That didn't work.

So with a problem like this, it is difficult to even know what to ask. I guess my recent post is just venting and ranting. I"m sorry. But I do appreciate your trying to replicate it yourself and reply.


Once it was working again, I've saved the layout as a preset. Hopefully, if it happens again, I can just click that to get it back. It's either that, or never close up Resolve ever again!