Split screen

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John Ruggero
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Finale Version: Finale 25.5
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Post by John Ruggero » Wed Mar 29, 2023 3:53 pm

Best split screen app for Mac? I often have 4 or more windows open on two monitors.
2020 M1 Mac mini (OS 12.6) Finale 25.5, Dorico, Affinity Publisher, SmartScore 64 Pro, JW Plug-ins, TG Tools, Keyboard Maestro
www.cantilenapress.com

"The better the composer, the better the notation."


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John Ruggero
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Finale Version: Finale 25.5
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Post by John Ruggero » Thu Mar 30, 2023 3:23 am

Interesting. So no one uses a split screen app on a Mac? I see Magnet and Rectangle recommended. Just wondering if anyone had experience using either with Finale.

And Moom is another one.
2020 M1 Mac mini (OS 12.6) Finale 25.5, Dorico, Affinity Publisher, SmartScore 64 Pro, JW Plug-ins, TG Tools, Keyboard Maestro
www.cantilenapress.com

"The better the composer, the better the notation."

bakkumd
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Post by bakkumd » Thu Mar 30, 2023 2:18 pm

I have had great luck with BetterSnapTool... It's in the Mac App store ($3). It is the lighter cousin of their main product - BetterTouchTool. It is also available via the Setapp subscription program.

https://folivora.ai/bettersnaptool is their website.

If you use a Streamdeck or a trackpad, you might prefer BetterTouchTool as it can do everything the BetterSnapTool can do, and much more. This app is purchased directly from their website - not the app store.

All of these window automation apps do similar things - they all have a few unique features to set them apart for various needs.

BetterSnapTool allows the user to have app specific window layouts, sizes and positions, keyboard shortcuts, etc. I've been using it a long time and have lots of presets. It speeds up my multi-monitor window management significantly, runs from the menu bar and has a very low processor load.

Here is a review of a number of these utility apps - https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-mac- ... ent-tools/. No. 4 on this list - Amethyst - is free and appears to have multi-window tiling and other preset options. I've not tried it.

If you are looking for a single solution to open and position multiple windows on one or multiple monitors when you open an app, or with a keyboard shortcut, Keyboard Maestro (Mac only) would be the one to explore. KM will also drive a Streamdeck directly via it's fairly recent plugin option.
Finale 25, 26, 27, Patterson Plug-ins, JW Plug-ins, TG Tools, Perfect Layout Gold, Keyboard Maestro, Adobe CS6 - CC, MacOS Mojave through Monterey. NotePerformer 3, Dorico 4, Sibelius Ultimate.

BuonTempi
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Post by BuonTempi » Thu Mar 30, 2023 3:40 pm

There's always .... MacOS:
Screenshot.png
Just loiter over the green dot.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204948

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John Ruggero
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Post by John Ruggero » Thu Mar 30, 2023 4:14 pm

Thanks so much, bakkumd. Loving the SteerMouse. If I describe what I need more precisely, could you tell me if BetterSnapTool would be appropriate?

I might have a Finale window open on the main monitor (landscape) with one system completely across at high zoom. Above and below it might be two PDF sources similarly displayed. On the secondary monitor, there might be three or more sources displayed similarly. I want the app to quickly space them equally, and ideally, remember all the sources and positions the next time I bring up the Finale file.

I didn't know that KM could do that, but find the program more complex than I want to spend time learning at the moment, so an independent program would be best.

Thanks, Ben. As described above, I need vertical rather than horizontal sharing.
2020 M1 Mac mini (OS 12.6) Finale 25.5, Dorico, Affinity Publisher, SmartScore 64 Pro, JW Plug-ins, TG Tools, Keyboard Maestro
www.cantilenapress.com

"The better the composer, the better the notation."

bakkumd
Posts: 76
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 12:25 am
Finale Version: 25, 26, 27
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Post by bakkumd » Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:09 pm

I believe the app you should try first is Moom.

It has three specific features related to your description above.
1. Positioning multiple windows at the same time in the same app.
2. Positioning multiple windows from multiple apps at the same time - and reapplying that setup multiple times.
3. Position windows across multiple displays using multiple apps at the same time (with one shortcut).

The support pages indicate you can arrange your windows and save the layout to a shortcut. I tried it - it works as indicated. Moom will not open any windows, so you would need to open them first - run the shortcut and they will snap into place. I just did a 4 window - 2 monitor setup using Finale, Acrobat, and Safari - worked great. I would recommend running the app from the Menu bar once you get the hang of it - then it's always available.

I didn't find any way to zoom the window's content via Moom - you would need to do that yourself.

Here is a link to additional info on Moom and a some others. Scroll down to find Moom. https://tidbits.com/2020/03/10/automate ... -and-apps/

Moom is available both in the App store and direct from the developer - manytricks.com. ($10) There is a trial period for Moom from the developer's web site.
Finale 25, 26, 27, Patterson Plug-ins, JW Plug-ins, TG Tools, Perfect Layout Gold, Keyboard Maestro, Adobe CS6 - CC, MacOS Mojave through Monterey. NotePerformer 3, Dorico 4, Sibelius Ultimate.

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John Ruggero
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Post by John Ruggero » Fri Mar 31, 2023 1:46 am

Thank you for doing all that, bakkumd. That was going above and beyond and I really appreciate it. I had actually decided that Moom looked the best of the ones I saw reviewed, so your recommendation was very helpful. I'll try it!
2020 M1 Mac mini (OS 12.6) Finale 25.5, Dorico, Affinity Publisher, SmartScore 64 Pro, JW Plug-ins, TG Tools, Keyboard Maestro
www.cantilenapress.com

"The better the composer, the better the notation."

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