How to apply a wallpaper to the main display?

[DuckyBertDuck]

I want to apply a wallpaper to only the main display. If the main display switches, I want the wallpaper to switch to the new main monitor. How is that possible?
This is a rather important feature to have in my unfortunate situation.

(Laptop with two gpus, two wallpaper will be run over two gpus at the same time > lag. Need to disable one wallpaper for it to run smoothly. I want my laptop to have the wallpaper if it isn't connected to the monitor and my monitor to have it if it is.)

[Biohazard]

Try changing the option "monitor identification" to "layout" in the general settings and then the program will identify your monitors based on their location. The primary display is always at location 0, 0 so it should work like you want it to.

[DuckyBertDuck]

Originally posted by Biohazard:

Try changing the option "monitor identification" to "layout" in the general settings and then the program will identify your monitors based on their location. The primary display is always at location 0, 0 so it should work like you want it to.

I did that and it does not seem to work.
1. I enabled my wallpaper on my main monitor (2 monitor setup)
2. I changed the monitor identification and restarted the program.
3. I plugged out my main monitor (1 monitor setup, main monitor swapped)
4. Wallpaper isn't updating nor showing. Opening the program shows no selected wallpapers.
5. I plug in the external monitor again and the wallpaper shows up again.

[Biohazard]

You have to assign the wallpaper after changing the monitor identification option, since the wallpapers are saved based on that setting. Could you do that and try again?

[DuckyBertDuck]

Originally posted by Biohazard:

You have to assign the wallpaper after changing the monitor identification option, since the wallpapers are saved based on that setting. Could you do that and try again?

Still not working:

1. I restarted my pc, assigned the wallpaper with my external monitor connected.

2. Restarted my pc again.

3. Unplugged my external monitor (main switched.).
Wallpaper seems to have disappeared and there are no wallpapers assigned to my new main.

4. Plugged my external back in. (main switched) Wallpaper appeared again on the external.

5. I now tried to apply the wallpaper without the external plugged in.
Connecting the external did not change the position of the wallpaper and setting the wallpaper on both monitors (first without external then with) just made the wallpaper play on both monitors at the same time.

[Biohazard]

Thanks. Okay, then I will need to check how your monitors are being sent to the program. It sounds like something is amiss since what you describe would be enough to make the wallpaper move together with the primary Windows display.

1. Please go to the general settings and set the option "log level" to "verbose" which will make the program write all monitor changes into a log.
2. Now only put the wallpaper on your primary display and remove the others, click OK.
3. Add/remove the second monitor a few times, so that the primary display is changed to the external monitor.

This should be enough to log the relevant information. Now please share this full log file with us (click save full log): https://help.wallpaperengine.io/debug/scantool.html

And just to be sure, please also attach this file, which contains the full log from the program: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\wallpaper_engine\log.txt

[DuckyBertDuck]

Originally posted by Biohazard:

Thanks. Okay, then I will need to check how your monitors are being sent to the program. It sounds like something is amiss since what you describe would be enough to make the wallpaper move together with the primary Windows display.

1. Please go to the general settings and set the option "log level" to "verbose" which will make the program write all monitor changes into a log.
2. Now only put the wallpaper on your primary display and remove the others, click OK.
3. Add/remove the second monitor a few times, so that the primary display is changed to the external monitor.

This should be enough to log the relevant information. Now please share this full log file with us (click save full log): https://help.wallpaperengine.io/debug/scantool.html

And just to be sure, please also attach this file, which contains the full log from the program: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\wallpaper_engine\log.txt

https://pastebin.com/dxvxDk0s
https://pastebin.com/uSpdbpgV

[Biohazard]

Thanks, I think I can see that something is off. Could you please try another monitor identification option too?

The "Shell API" one is allegedly the same that Microsoft uses for the wallpaper although I also found discrepancies there in special cases like this. But it's definitely worth trying. Like before, please try that option and then assign the wallpaper and see if it works when changing the monitor.

[DuckyBertDuck]

Originally posted by Biohazard:

Thanks, I think I can see that something is off. Could you please try another monitor identification option too?

The "Shell API" one is allegedly the same that Microsoft uses for the wallpaper although I also found discrepancies there in special cases like this. But it's definitely worth trying. Like before, please try that option and then assign the wallpaper and see if it works when changing the monitor.

Shell API makes it impossible to change the wallpaper for me. It says that it can't detect my monitor. A reboot somehow enables my old preset but it seems like it is impossible to change without changing the identification method back.

The unchangeable preset behaves the same way all the other modes do. It does not switch when the external monitor is plugged in nor does it change when I change the main display manually.

[Biohazard]

Please try the other two options, "GDI" and "Deprecated" as well. Unfortunately these are all Windows currently offers.

If both of these also do not work, does the "layout" option work if you position the external monitor to the left of the integrated monitor in the Windows display settings? Because I think this positioning is the reason why the "layout" option currently doesn't work as expected. The other options are simply all provided by Windows and not consistent between different computers.

[DuckyBertDuck]

Originally posted by Biohazard:

Please try the other two options, "GDI" and "Deprecated" as well. Unfortunately these are all Windows currently offers.

If both of these also do not work, does the "layout" option work if you position the external monitor to the left of the integrated monitor in the Windows display settings? Because I think this positioning is the reason why the "layout" option currently doesn't work as expected. The other options are simply all provided by Windows and not consistent between different computers.

Those two other options don't work. Seems like you are right with the positioning, though. Seems to work if I flip my the position. A bit uncomfortable to use though as I am unable to physically switch my monitors. Guess I'll have to adapt or find some other compromise.
Thanks.

[Biohazard]

Okay, thanks for testing all this.

Since the layout option works with the new monitor position, we will note this issue down and try to find a solution.

All of the other options just come from Windows and it's random how they will work while we have built the "layout" option ourselves for this very reason, so at least we should be able to do something about it.

The only problem now is that we cannot just go and change how the layout option works because this would break (swap) the wallpapers of other people that already use this option. So we will have to figure out a good way of updating this option but not break the settings of anyone else first.

[Zippy]

Was this ever solved? I'm having the same issue.

[DuckyBertDuck]

Nope. Not solved