Never wondered how cool it would be when your AIR application runs on 2 or more monitors at the same time?
Adobe AIR supports multi-screen by offering the developer a Screen-class.
This class makes it possible to detect screens, get some info, and that’s it.
To open a window on a screen, you’ll have to do some calculations yourself.
To make positioning screens, moving screens, … easier , I quickly build a ScreenManager that takes care of your NativeWindow(s).
Make an instance of the nativewindow and send it throught the manager.
Like this:
var nw:NativeWindow=new NativeWindow(new NativeWindowInitOptions()); nw.width=250 nw.height=90 var mc:MovieClip=new MovieClip(); //movieclip with content nw.stage.addChild(mc); ScreenManager.openWindowCenteredOnScreen(nw,2);
The ScreenManager is a static class.
It allow the developer to control a NativeWindow through the following methods:
(incorrect signatures)
- ScreenManager.centerWindowOnScreen()
- ScreenManager.getActualScreenBounds()
- ScreenManager.getScreenColorDepth()
- ScreenManager.getVisibleScreenBounds()
- ScreenManager.moveWindow()
- ScreenManager.openWindowCenteredOnScreen()
- ScreenManager.openWindowOnScreen()
- ScreenManager.stretchWindowToAllScreens()
- ScreenManager.stretchWindowOnScreen()
- ScreenManager.openWindowFullScreenOn()
- ScreenManager.setWindowFullScreenOn()
- ScreenManager.moveWindowToCorner()
- ScreenManager.openWindowInCorner()
and the following properties:
- ScreenManager.mainScreenIndex
- ScreenManager.numScreens
- ScreenManager.maximumAvailableResolution
The ScreenManager can be downloaded here .
nice one! I was trying to figure out the Screen stuff myself but this class will do just fine…
thanks.
Sweet! Thanks for breaking it down and making a nicely written class.
nice! really.
I’m getting a strange compilation error.
ScreenManager.as, Line 166 1047:Parameter unknow or is not a compile-time contstant.
ScreenManager.as, Line 184 1047:Parameter unknow or is not a compile-time contstant.
I’m guessing that it is complaining about the displayState:String=StageDisplayState.FULL_SCREEN_INTERACTIVE in the argument list of openWindowFullScreenOn.
I’m compiling the code as an AIR application using Flash CS4.
Hi Steve,
That displaystate is included in the AIR api, so I don’t know why it won’t compile.
You sure you’re compiling to an AIR app? What version of AIR are you compiling to?
Maybe you can use it’s value – ‘fullScreenInteractive’ instead of ‘StageDisplayState.FULL_SCREEN_INTERACTIVE’. If your authoring environment uses Flash Player 9.0.28.0 or higher it’ll work.
And should this not work, just change it to StageDisplayState.FULL_SCREEN.
Hi, i was reading your interesting article about the screen manager. I wounder if you could give some more details about the all procedure or if you could point me somewhere i could find some more information about it. Sorry for the hassle, I am new to adobe air and applications. Where do you include the code above described? Do I require Flex as well? I am trying to build a flash file to play and control on multiple screens. I am so sorry to disturb you and hope to hear from you soon. Many thanks in advanced!
I think I’m missing something but how do you call an custom component to be in the new window?
so I changed:
var mc:MovieClip=new MovieClip();
nw.stage.addChild(mc);
to
var mc:FlashContainer=new FlashContainer(); //my custom component I made in flex 3
nw.stage.addChild(mc);
I’m I missing something?
I always get a white window no matter what I try.
Great class!
I am running into a slight hiccup though. I’m trying to get a single native window in an AIR app to maximize across two screens simultaneously, and I can’t seem to expand a window beyond the bounds of the screen that it is on.
So for example the top monitor has a height of 768, and the bottom monitor has a height of 800. But when I try setting the height of the app/native window/stage to anything bigger than 800, it just maximizes to the screen that it is on. It doesn’t stretch across both screens (and stretchWindowToAllScreens() has the same behaviour).
If this is something you’ve run in to before, any guidance you could pass on would be great. Otherwise, thanks for the class!
Hi William,
This maybe a limitation of your OS.
I noticed when building this class that on my Mac, the window cannot be bigger then a certain resolution (I think it was something like 1000×1000).
It stretched on multiple screens, but not fully.
I’m guessing your on Windows, and it wouldn’t surprise me a window can only be as big as the screen resolution.
The only option is that you open 2 windows and simulate the dual screen functionality.
Hi Joris,
Actually, I happen to be working on a Mac as well. There is documentation for AIR that says the window will maximize on the screen (and thus the monitor) it is currently being displayed on. I’m just hoping that there is some way to get a single window to stretch across multiple monitors.
I’ve actually taken the approach you suggested about opening two windows and trying to simulate the dual screen functionality, but unfortunately certain items on the screen need to appear to be moving back and forth between monitors, which I haven’t been able to really replicate smoothly.
Hey William, If you maximize(), only one screen will be filled, that’s the OS’s doing, so don’t do that.
stretchWindowToAllScreens can theoratically stretch a window over all screens, but I noticed when developing that ScreenManager class that stretchWindowToAllScreens only goes up to a certain width & height, probably something like when width * height = 0xFFFFFF, same issue with images and BitmapData in the FP.
Good luck anyway!
Thanks very useful
Would this work in FLEX, by any chance?
Yup, this will work in Flash and Flex as long as you target AIR using AS3.
Doesn’t mather which version.
I wonder if you have a real simple sample.
I need to make an air app that will put one thing on one screen, and another thing on the second screen.
Both will need to be full screen.
as to the sample on the top of the page:
var nw:NativeWindow=new NativeWindow(new NativeWindowInitOptions());
nw.width=250
nw.height=90
var mc:MovieClip=new MovieClip(); //movieclip with content
nw.stage.addChild(mc);
ScreenManager.openWindowCenteredOnScreen(nw,2);
This last line^ (nw,2)
is 2 the second screen?
You can find a simple example at the top of the post.
Yes, as described in the comments, the first parameter is always the windows instance and the second is the 1-based screen index.
So 2 is indeed the second screen.
Thanks for the reply.
sorry I missed that before making the first post ;o)
I am getting the same errors as Steve up there.
/Desktop/AIRScreenManager/be/boulevart/air/utils/ScreenManager.as, Line 166 1047: Parameter initializer unknown or is not a compile-time constant.
/Desktop/AIRScreenManager/be/boulevart/air/utils/ScreenManager.as, Line 184 1047: Parameter initializer unknown or is not a compile-time constant.
I tried your solutions listed below that post…
so far not working…and don’t understand what it is I could be missing…
Adobe AIR2
Flash CS5
working on a I-mac
also, while we wait, I wanted to be clear…
I am working with a sample on my end.
Got a mc in my library with an image in it.
To put one mc on the 1st screen, and one mc on the 2nd screen, my code might look something like this? (or am I wrong?)
stop();
//
import be.boulevart.air.utils.ScreenManager;
//
var nw1:NativeWindow=new NativeWindow(new NativeWindowInitOptions());
nw1.width=700;
nw1.height=350;
var mc1:MovieClip=new mc_1(); //movieclip with content
nw.stage.addChild(mc1);
ScreenManager.openWindowCenteredOnScreen(nw,1);
//
var nw2:NativeWindow=new NativeWindow(new NativeWindowInitOptions());
nw2.width=700;
nw2.height=350;
var mc2:MovieClip=new new mc_1(); //movieclip with content
nw2.stage.addChild(mc2);
ScreenManager.openWindowCenteredOnScreen(nw2,2);
I am trying to add the same movie clip to two different Native Windows. Basically I’m duplicating the DISPLAY on two different monitors. Only the last added to stage seems to work and the first one displays white blank screen.
Here’s what I’m doing:
var nw : NativeWindow = new NativeWindow(new NativeWindowInitOptions());
var nw2 : NativeWindow = new NativeWindow(new NativeWindowInitOptions());
var mClip : MovieClip = new MovieClip();
nw.stage.addChild(mClip);
nw2.stage.addChild(mClip);
ScreenManager.openWindowFullScreenOn(nw, 1);
ScreenManager.openWindowFullScreenOn(nw2, 2);
nw2 is playing the content..but nw1 displays blank screen..Your comments on this are really appreciated.. Thanks
…/ScreenManager.as, Line 166 1047: Parameter initializer unknown or is not a compile-time constant.
I’m getting the following error when trying to use: ScreenManager.openWindowCenteredOnScreen(nw,2);
Joris,
Great class man, you’ll save me tons of time. Problem I have the same error that Steve had on 01/07/10:
ScreenManager.as, Line 166 1047:Parameter unknow or is not a compile-time contstant.
ScreenManager.as, Line 184 1047:Parameter unknow or is not a compile-time contstant.
StageDisplayState is in the API but for some reason that error appears. Any ideas?
I have an Adobe Air 2.0 app using Flash CS5.
Love it! Helped me get a dual-fullscreen Flex app up and running in no time. Thanks!