Screen Modes

FloSync offers three screen modes that determine how content is shown across your connected screens. Understanding these modes is essential for setting up your multi-screen installation correctly.

Overview #

Content Type Behavior by Mode #

Different content types behave differently in each screen mode:

Note: Web pages cannot be spanned across screens. In Spanned mode, web pages show the same content on all screens (like Mirrored mode).

Independent Mode #

Screenshot: The FloSync interface showing two screen preview boxes, each with different content loaded. The mode dropdown shows "Independent" selected.

What It Does #

In Independent mode, each screen operates as its own separate player. You can:

• Load different content on different screens (videos, images, or web pages)
• Control audio independently for each screen (videos only)
• Have completely different content on each screen
• All screens share unified playback controls (play/pause affects all videos)

When to Use It #

• Digital menu boards where each screen shows different categories
• Retail setups with varied promotional content
• Dashboards with different web pages per screen
• Any scenario where screens should show different content

How It Works #

1. Select Independent from the mode dropdown
2. Each screen box in the control panel can have its own content
3. Drag videos or images onto specific screen boxes to load content
4. Right-click to load web pages or HTML files
5. Click the speaker icon on each screen to toggle its audio (videos only)
6. Use Play/Pause to control all video content together

Audio Behavior #

• Each screen has its own audio toggle (speaker icon) for videos
• Audio is disabled by default when loading videos
• Enable audio on screens where you want sound
• Multiple screens can play audio simultaneously

Mirrored Mode #

Screenshot: The FloSync interface showing two screen preview boxes, both showing the same content at the same frame. The mode dropdown shows "Mirrored" selected.

What It Does #

In Mirrored mode, all screens show exactly the same content, perfectly synchronized. When you:

• Load content, it loads on all screens
• Press play (videos), all screens play together
• Scrub the timeline (videos), all screens move to the same position

When to Use It #

• Retail environments where all screens should show the same promotion
• Waiting rooms or lobbies with multiple viewing angles
• Events where viewers might see different screens from different positions
• Backup/redundancy setups

How It Works #

1. Select Mirrored from the mode dropdown
2. Load content on any screen - it automatically loads on all screens
3. Use the playback controls - they affect all screens simultaneously (videos only)
4. All screens stay in sync automatically

Synchronization #

FloSync automatically monitors for drift and makes corrections as needed (videos only). The correction system is designed to maintain sync while avoiding unnecessary adjustments that could cause stuttering.

Audio Behavior #

• Audio plays from the primary screen only to prevent echo (videos only)
• Secondary screens are automatically muted
• The audio toggle affects all screens visually but only controls the primary screen's audio

Spanned Mode #

Screenshot: The FloSync interface showing two screen preview boxes arranged side by side, with a single video's left half in one box and right half in the other, demonstrating the spanning effect. The mode dropdown shows "Spanned" selected.

What It Does #

In Spanned mode, your content stretches across all connected screens as if they were one large screen. Each screen shows a portion of the total image.

When to Use It #

• Video walls (2x2, 3x3, or any configuration)
• Wide panoramic setups
• Large-format digital art installations
• Stadium or arena setups
• Any setup where you want one continuous image across multiple screens

How It Works #

1. Select Spanned from the mode dropdown
2. FloSync detects your screen arrangement (as configured in your operating system)
3. Load content - FloSync calculates which portion each screen should show
4. Each screen shows its segment of the content, creating one large continuous image

Content Type Behavior #

• Videos: Cropped per screen to show correct portion; plays in sync
• Images: Cropped per screen to show correct portion; respects fit mode
• Web Pages: Cannot be spanned - shows same page on all screens (like Mirrored)

Important: Web pages do not support spanning. If you need a web-based video wall, use videos or images instead.

Screen Arrangement #

Spanned mode uses your operating system's screen arrangement. To configure:

macOS:

1. Open System Settings > Displays
2. Click "Arrange..."
3. Drag screens to match their physical positions

Windows:

1. Right-click desktop > Display settings
2. Scroll to "Multiple displays"
3. Drag screens to match their physical positions

Screenshot: The macOS or Windows screen arrangement settings showing how monitors can be positioned relative to each other.

Best Practices for Spanned Mode #

1. Match physical arrangement - Ensure your OS display settings match how your screens are physically positioned
2. Use identical screens - For best results, use screens with the same resolution and size
3. Consider bezel compensation - Physical bezels between screens may cause visual gaps
4. Test with static images first - Load a test pattern to verify alignment before your final content

Multi-Computer Video Walls (Global Canvas Extension) #

For video walls spanning multiple computers, use the Global Canvas Extension feature. This allows you to define a virtual canvas larger than your local screens, so each computer shows the correct portion of a wall-sized video.

Example: 3x2 Video Wall #

Consider a 3×2 video wall (3 columns × 2 rows) using 3 computers, each controlling 2 vertically stacked 1920×1080 screens:

+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| Left PC Screen 1  | Middle PC Screen 1| Right PC Screen 1 |
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| Left PC Screen 2  | Middle PC Screen 2| Right PC Screen 2 |
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+

Global Canvas: 5760 × 2160 pixels

Each computer needs different extension settings:

Setting Up Global Canvas Extension #

1. Open the extension dialog - Click the grid icon in the toolbar
2. Enter extension values - Specify how many pixels extend beyond your local screens in each direction
3. Use quick presets - Click preset buttons to add/subtract common resolutions (1080p, 4K)
4. Preview the layout - Enable "Show Global Canvas" to see your local screens positioned within the larger canvas

Visual Preview #

When global canvas preview is enabled, you'll see:

• Dark extended areas - Represents space occupied by other computers
• Grid overlay - Shows screen cell boundaries when using uniform screen sizes
• Labeled regions - "Extended Left", "Extended Top", etc. mark the extension areas
• Your local screens - Highlighted within the global canvas

You can drag your local screens within the preview to visually adjust your position:

• Regular drag snaps to screen-sized grid cells
• Hold Shift while dragging for free (non-snapping) positioning

Go Live with Screen Modes #

Each screen mode works with the Go Live feature to create fullscreen presentations:

Independent Mode + Go Live #

• Each fullscreen window shows its assigned content
• Audio continues per the screen's audio setting (videos only)
• All video content stays synchronized

Mirrored Mode + Go Live #

• All fullscreen windows show the same content
• Only the primary screen window plays audio (videos only)
• Perfect synchronization across all screens (videos only)

Spanned Mode + Go Live #

• Each fullscreen window shows its portion of the content (videos and images)
• Content is properly cropped for each screen's position
• Creates a seamless video wall experience
• Web pages show the same content on all screens (not cropped)
• Only primary screen plays audio (videos only)

Switching Modes #

You can switch modes at any time using the mode dropdown in the top bar (when not in live mode):

1. Click the mode dropdown
2. Select your desired mode
3. The change takes effect immediately

Note: The mode dropdown is disabled during live mode. Exit live mode first to change screen modes.

What Happens When You Switch #

Choosing the Right Mode #

Ask yourself:

1. Should all screens show the same thing?

   • Yes, same content everywhere → Mirrored
   • Yes, but as one big picture → Spanned
   • No, different content per screen → Independent

2. Is this a video wall?

   • Yes → Spanned (probably)
   • No → Mirrored or Independent

3. Do viewers see multiple screens at once?

   • Yes, and they should match → Mirrored
   • Yes, and it's one big image → Spanned
   • No, they only see one screen at a time → Independent