Knowledge Base

Description of the problem:
When PcVue starts in a multi-screen project, you may observe that PcVue limits its workspace to one active screen instead of spreading it across both screens.

Explanation:

This behavior is normal because on start-up and shut-down (when the file paramws.dat is stored) PcVue stores the system screen size (as provided to it by Windows). If a screen is off when PcVue is stopped, the horizontal resolution held in paramws.dat is limited to one screen so the next start-up takes place on a single screen.

Suggested solution:
There is a work-around consisting in storing in the root of PcVue’s LIB folder (where the User libraries are held: Valves, Motors, etc.), a copy of the file paramws.dat (or a copy that only contains the parameters that one wishes to retain for successive  start-ups).

When PcVue is next started, it will apply this copy and so will avoid the risk that the project will start with the wrong Windows screen resolution.

How does recovery of PcVue‘s graphic properties work?

On starting, PcVue reads the file paramws.dat in these places in the project folder:

• C sub-folder
• User LIB sub-folder

If the User LIB folder contains a paramws.dat file, it will be loaded rather than the one in the C folder of the project.

Note that this tip for using an alternative paramws.dat file can also be applied to all other backup files of the graphic parameters (options.dat, palcol.dat and prefcol.dat)

You can also create a local user library for the project, just by adding a LIB sub-folder manually to the project and storing the master copy of the paramws.dat file in its root. That copy will be applied on start-up and its settings will automatically override the local copy of paramws.dat in the C folder.