Slideshow Not Staying on "Top" Multi Monitors.

[ChongLi]

Hello,

I have an issue on my MacBook Pro M1. I have it hooked up with 2 external monitors. One is connected with a CalDigit TS4 to Display Port, the other HDMI from the laptop. I normally run a slideshow on one of my externals and do work on my other monitor. Since I switched to a Mac from PC Tower dual monitors a few months ago I have had issues with this running properly. The slideshow starts fine but when you click on the 2nd desktop to work the slideshow will go into the background and all the windows and OSX bar on the top of the window show up. The slideshow is still running. On quitting there is no real way to do it, it seems random. Normally I quit the slideshow with the Esc key but it does not work. Sometimes I can choose close window and it works but most menu options are greyed out. I have Force Quit PM more times than not to get back to using the program. I did just get the slideshow to quit by selecting the main PM wcontact sheet and switching to fullscreen and back out of full screen. without force quitting.

I have run a slideshow for many years on my PC but my mac is not liking it...

2021 MBP 14" M1
OSX Ventura
Photo Mechanic Version 6.0, build 6890 (ffcbb4c)

[ahoward]

We're actually not sure how you would have ever gotten it working the way that you describe on Windows. The slideshow was never really designed to be run in the background, and as soon as I click anywhere on the display not running the slideshow on Windows, the slideshow ends immediately. The same actually happens on the MacOS for me as well, so while I agree that there is some weirdness with what you are describing is happening (it sounds like you can still see the slideshow happening but its behind the other windows on that display?), if we get your slideshow is working as we expect it to, it is still not going to do what it sounds like you are hoping it will. Would putting the Preview window in full screen mode with all side panels hidden essentially achieve what you were doing on Windows?

[ChongLi]

All I do is uncheck the "Cancel slideshow on deactivate (when switching apps) checkbox. On my Windows PC the show stays in the foreground on monitor 1 when I am doing other tasks on monitor 2. Just to verify I just went back on my PC and tested it on both monitors, I just need to set the monitor I want the slideshow on as the Primary monitor first (in windows) and it will play on that monitor.

[ahoward]

Thanks! I don't use that setting so I didn't think to test with that one. I tried it with that setting and I see what you mean about the windows coming forward in front of the slideshow. The only workaround I can offer at the moment is to create a virtual desktop in MacOS's "Mission Control" view and then start the slideshow in there. That way there are no other windows to get in front of it. How the slideshow works in the scenarios you you described could potentially be improved upon in the future, but hopefully that is an acceptable workaround for now.

With regards to being unable to end the slideshow, I am unable to reproduce this. The Esc key always works for me, but it sounds like it never works for you. Is that correct?

[ChongLi]

Thanks! I don't use that setting so I didn't think to test with that one. I tried it with that setting and I see what you mean about the windows coming forward in front of the slideshow. The only workaround I can offer at the moment is to create a virtual desktop in MacOS's "Mission Control" view and then start the slideshow in there. That way there are no other windows to get in front of it. How the slideshow works in the scenarios you you described could potentially be improved upon in the future, but hopefully that is an acceptable workaround for now.

With regards to being unable to end the slideshow, I am unable to reproduce this. The Esc key always works for me, but it sounds like it never works for you. Is that correct?

I just tried a new desktop in Mission Control but it does the same thing. Even thought there are no open finder windows etc. The OSx menu bar still shows up when I do stuff on the 2nd monitor. Must be an odd Mac thing. I haven't had a Mac workstation since 2018 and I can't remember how the slideshow worked back then. The Esc key worked once in a while but most of the time it just freezes the slideshow. So what I do now if Esc doesnt work is... Click on my 2nd desktop drag the PM window to the slideshow monitor if it's not already there, go full screen then exit full screen. At that point the slideshow might end, if not I move the PM window so I can click the slideshow, then hit esc and it closes.