Help? Switching EQ to different monitor sized monitors

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Pikollo, Jun 30, 2019.

  1. Pikollo Augur

    Hey guys. Long story short. I just upgraded my whole rig and I am now running a 34" ultra wide and 2 25" wide screens for both work and EQ. My dilemma is when I set my UI up for the 34" it will not transfer over to the 25". Basically while I am working my work will be on the 34" and I'll have EQ running on a 25". When I am not working EQ will be on the 34". So I need a way to be able to fit my UI on both monitors.

    My thoughts so far was

    a) have 2 eq directories and launch whichever one I need for the monitor I am using, which requires logging out if I want to switch monitors.

    b) Possibly renaming an ini file to charname2 so when I switch between the 2 monitors I can just copy that UI?

    Any suggestions?
  2. Pikollo Augur

    And yes I just realized the title says monitor sized monitors. I just woke up. o_O
    Nolrog, Duder and Brohg like this.
  3. Tlail Elder

    If you use copy layout, you can choose layouts for your char with different resolutions.
    Try to load the one that fits the screen you are playing on every time you switch.

    Tlail
    Whulfgar likes this.
  4. Pikollo Augur

    Problem is I play in windowed so all my UI's say windowed.
  5. Pikollo Augur

    Still need some help on this. I tried copying the layout and renaming the file to characternamebigmonitor and things like that but when I go to copy it in-game it doesn't recognize it. So I made 2 new chars and copied the layout on the big monitor, logged out, moved EQ to the smaller monitor, logged second char in, arranged the ui, logged out. I then logged my main into the small monitor then moved it to the big monitor to copy the big monitor layout and my chats are all out of whack.

    There has to be a way to do this so I don't have to rearrange ui pieces every time I wanna change monitors.
  6. Pikollo Augur

    I just tried switching to full screen to try and save a layout that way but the problem is once you go into windowed the pieces move down slightly due to the window bar. The UI pieces seem to stay when switching between monitors. Its the chat boxes that appear to get out of whack.
  7. Corwyhn Lionheart Guild Leader, Lions of the Heart

    A clumsy but workable way to deal with this would be separate EQ installs for the different screens. If you EQ in two directories you can set up separate windowed UIs. Pin the EQ exe or launcher exe to the start menu and name one EQ 34 and EQ25. This effectively gives you two windowed UIs which is what you are looking for.

    The downside to this is if you make changes or additions to a UI on one EQ install you will have to make them on the other install again.
  8. I_Love_My_Bandwidth Mercslayer

    You are looking for a way to dynamically resize game windows on the fly, no?

    Not going to happen without 3rd party software. There are several software solutions to this question. The EQ game engine is not one of them.
  9. Pikollo Augur

    This is the solution I was thinking. I guess I could just make a new install and change the path at the install? Or can I just copy the entire EQ folder into a new path? I seem to remember EQ working (back in the day) if you just copied it over. Although this method is a hassle at least it will provide a fix. Just sucks to have to log out and in if I want to switch monitors.

    I figured EQ itself would not work but I was hoping there was an option I missed.

    Thank you guys for the replys.
  10. I_Love_My_Bandwidth Mercslayer


    If you do not need to dynamically resize or reposition EQ windows on the fly, you can do that. It would be a "static", windowed EQ session that you never move from that display. It's not elegant, but it works.

    A better solution is WinEQ. It's free. It's been around for years.
  11. Pikollo Augur

    WinEQ seems like a good solution but when did they start charging for it? Wondering if I can get away with the lite version.
  12. I_Love_My_Bandwidth Mercslayer


    They aren't charging for WinEQ in its original form. The only thing WinEQ did at its inception was force EQ client into Windowed, borderless mode. It does more if you pay for it.
  13. Corwyhn Lionheart Guild Leader, Lions of the Heart

    You can just copy the eq folder to a second location.
  14. Pikollo Augur

    WinEQ seems like it would work but I guess I need the pro to resize the window. I tried moving the standard version around but it stays the same size. So I guess I need to try the pro or do as Corwyhn suggests and copy the whole directory into a new one. Thanks everyone for the replies.
  15. Xianzu_Monk_Tunare Augur

    If you kept the file name templet the same, "UI_character_server.xml", then it should show up. So you should be able to see it in game if you used "UI_characterbig_server.xml" and "UI_charactersmall_server.xml" for the files names. Then just load them back and forth.

    That said as other's have indicated, if you want to move around windows or a new one gets added then you will need to set up the windows how you like it, but then you will need to make a copy and then change 'character' to 'characterbig' or 'charactersmall' so that the changes remain for the next time you copy the layout.
  16. Pikollo Augur

    I don't see any xml's associated with my character name. I have UI_character_Rathe.ini. I tried this file which showed up in the copy. Basically copied my ui_character_Rathe.ini and renamed it ui_chracternameBIG_Rathe.ini. I then moved my EQ window to the smaller monitor which makes the chat windows go crazy. I then moved it back to the big monitor (UI pieces are correct but the chat windows are all out of whack). I load the characterBIG ini and again the UI pieces are fine but the chat windows are all over the screen.
  17. Xianzu_Monk_Tunare Augur

    My bad ini is what I meant. Was thinking UI and gave the extension of the actual UI pieces.

    What you need to do is the following:
    1. Set up your window on the big monitor as you like it.
    2. Camp to the character screen.
    3. Copy your UI_character_server.ini file.
    4. Change the name of the copy to UI_characterBIG_server.ini.
    5. Load your character back into EQ.
    6. Move the window to the small monitor and rearrange the windows as you like it.
    7. Camp to the character screen, again.
    8. Copy your UI_character_server.ini file, again.
    9. Change the name of the new copy to UI_characterSMALL_server.ini.

    From that point forward you would move the window and size it appropriately and then copy in the appropriate layout.