How to set up the dual monitor feature in CBAS 20

In the last 2 months, I have covered new features in the latest CBAS versions that enhance the way you view your CBAS database. I talked about the new Dark Theme and how to select or deselect it, which was added in CBAS 19. In CBAS 20, there are new ways of formatting Text View\All Points in order to make the points easier to read, especially on a large flat-screen display. The next feature we’ll cover has to do with that large flat-screen display or adding a second monitor.

Some engineering groups in larger buildings like to have a large monitor showing their most important points at all times. Graphics View can give them what they want in one Graphic that is much like a dashboard. Activity View can show them all Alarms that have come in recently. Activity View can also display Access Control activity if included in CBAS at the site.

You can choose to have Activity View and\or Graphics View launch as a separate window, allowing you to drag one of those windows over to a second monitor. These Views actually launch as a GW (Graphic Workstation) open to that View. When you choose to use Dual Monitor Setup, CBAS will create special GWs in the Workstation Channel.

To set this up, first, you must have a second monitor attached to your computer and working. Right-click on the Windows Desktop and click Display Settings. You can also get there by clicking the Windows Start Button then Settings (looks like a cog) and choose System, then Display.

Once in Display, scroll down to “Multiple Displays” and change the setting to “Extend These Displays”. Click Yes to save the setting.

You can also scroll up to the top and rearrange the displays, by dragging one display to the opposite side of the other display. This will affect what direction you have to drag a window to move it to the other display.

Once you have the Displays set up the way you like, open CBAS and log in. Click the System menu item, then Configure Workstation. Click the Dual Monitor Setup button in the bottom right.

Click the checkbox to Launch Activity View or Graphics View, or both, as a Separate Window. Use the checkboxes in the Hide section to Hide the Menu, Alarm, and Status Bars. If you are choosing to launch Graphics, then don’t hide the Menu Bar because you will need that to select graphics to view. For testing purposes, let’s choose to Launch Graphics. After making changes to the Dual Monitor Setup screen, right-click and restart CBAS.

Once back in Real Mode, click Graphics View and another window will open. Click the tab on the Taskbar if it doesn’t pop up. You should see your home graphic or the last graphic that you viewed. 

Click and hold the top part of that window and drag it to the other monitor. The default direction would be to the right unless you moved the second display to the left of display 1 in Windows Display Settings.

Once the window is there on the second monitor, you might have to click the Maximize button which is the square in the top right of the CBAS window. This will need to be done if the second monitor is larger than the first because the window will not fill up the screen on the larger monitor.

For more information about the new features in CBAS 20, click here.