Use TitleDriver > Settings > Display windows tab to name, configure and place Display Windows.
An additional video output device is generally required for each additional Display Window, however it is possible to place two (or more) Display Windows in a single video output.
You will want to be familiar with the System Settings utility, which is accessed via the Apple menu at the left of the menu bar.
Configuring video outputs:
Use System Settings> Displays to configure the desktop area in which your Display Windows will appear.
In TitleDriver's Setting>Display windows tab, a button is provided to instantly open the system settings panel.
In the Displays Settings panel you choose the pixel resolution desired for each video output card. Generally, video outputs should be configured at the native resolution of the destination video projector.
Use the Arrangement tab of the Displays System Settings panel to configure the relative positions of each of your display outputs on the desktop.
NOTE: When you add or remove a video output device from your computer, or change resolution or the arrangement of your display area (via the Arrangement tab), you will need to go back to TitleDriver's Settings >Display windows and use the "Update Display Window locations" button, which is equivalent to cycling the "Lock to screen..." function for each display window. This assures that your Display windows are matched in size and placement to their desired video output areas on your computer's extended desktop.
The Operator's window will appear on monitor number zero (the main display). The system assigns each video output a number. The Identify Monitors button is provided to momentarily display the number of each video output. The operating system creates a virtual desktop which spans all of your connected monitors/display devices. In other words, if you move the mouse around you will see it move across all of the video outputs.
Configuring TitleDriver Display Windows:
The Settings > Display windows tab allows you to set where the Display Windows appear on the desktop. This is where a Display Window is assigned to a video output.
In the Display Windows tab, use the checkbox "Lock Display Window to screen number" to automatically match the Display Window's size to the resolution and location of the video output. If you un-select that checkbox, a set of individual parameters will appear allowing you to place and size the Display Window however you choose.
Saving configuration settings:
As soon as you have completed your Display Windows configuration, it's a good practice to quit and re-launch TitleDriver. When using a MacBook (where output devices may be disconnected while the computer is asleep) there is a combination of events that may result in the corruption of TitleDriver's settings (Preferences) file. So TitleDriver makes a backup of your settings at launch, which exists as a fall-back to replace a corrupted Preferences file in this situation. In your User Library/Preferences folder: you should see "TitleDriver Preferences" and "TitleDriver Preferences backup." In case of emergency, you would trash the current file and rename the backup, removing the word "backup" and its preceding space.
Determining the optimum text size:
Decide the maximum number of letters per line that will be acceptable for your system (i.e.: that still renders readable text for all locations). It is difficult to state an exact number of letters per line, because most typefaces today have a different width for each letter.
As a general rule, text should be as large as possible. We have found that two lines of text, with each line having about 45 characters (and no more than 60), is optimal for audience comprehension. Since the width of single character can vary, there is no fixed ideal number of characters per line. Create a test title with your maximum desired number of letters on one line, then set TitleDriver's text size so that the text is large enough to completely fill the width of the Display window without wrapping text automatically to the next line.
Using Display Windows as redundant outputs of Column A:
You are able to configure Display Windows B, C and D to "echo" or mirror the output of text column A, and each Display Window can have differing size and text position parameters. You may also place a Display Window on the built-in display of your MacBook to act as a confidence monitor showing you what you are sending out Display Window A. See TitleDriver Settings > Display Windows, and use the "Echo text column A in this Display Window" checkbox.
Configuring your computer for performance:
It is important that your computer does not have many other programs running during a performance. Turn off any automatic functions such as disk indexing, internet connections, or power saving functions that will dim a display or put the computer to sleep after a certain period of time.
If your supertitle computer is used for any other task, it is recommended that you setup a user account which is specifically configured for performance, with screen saver and energy saver (auto sleep) disabled, keyboard shortcuts disabled, etc. You may still require network access for TitleDriver Online connectivity.
Use the System Settings > Keyboard & Mouse >Keyboard Shortcuts panel to disable keyboard commands that would disrupt performance. On some Mac models such as the Mac Book, the F7 key will cause displays to mirror and un-mirror. To disable this potentially disruptive function all of the F-key functions must be disabled. On those models, un-check the option in the Keyboard Settings panel "Use F1-F12 keys to control software features" (Your version of MacOS may have a different wording of this preference).
The setup menu: For use assisting with projection setup
The setup functions require that you have some title data loaded and configured as you wish for performance to display the text area correctly.
The Setup menu contains two functions: Setup box and Focus grid.
The Setup box draws a line around the default text area, with a mark on the centerline.
The focus grid places some fine lines in the text area to aid focusing.
These functions are also available on the Settings window Display windows tab.
Next: Hotkeys