Extra screens
A second monitor at the photo booth takes load off the booth: guests look up their pictures there, print and send them, top up credit or watch the slideshow — while the next guest is already at the booth. Unlike a tablet, the monitor needs neither a network nor a release.
Setting up#
- Connect the monitor. It appears in the list under admin area "System Settings" > "Screens"; Identify screens shows each monitor's number on it.
- Under Assignment, choose the monitor as Extra screen 1. If the photo booth itself is not on the main Windows screen, its monitor belongs under Photo booth — this takes effect at the next start.
- In the event, set what it shows under admin area "Extra screens" > "Content of the extra screens": gallery, payment terminal or slideshow.
The photo booth then opens the window by itself, borderless and in full screen, also after every restart. Switching events swaps the content without a restart. If the monitor is unplugged, its window closes; plugged in again, it opens again.
Which monitor is which belongs to the device. What it shows belongs to the event and travels with copies, presets and exports — the gallery at the wedding, the slideshow with the sponsor's pictures at the company party.
What the pages bring along#
| Content | Settings from | On an extra screen |
|---|---|---|
| Gallery | "Gallery" > "Gallery on an external device" | own on-screen keyboard for email address and credit code, no "Share" |
| Payment terminal | "Pay-Per-Use" > "Payment & payment terminal" | own keypad for the code, payment by QR code on the phone |
| Slideshow | "Slideshow & screensaver" | runs permanently, regardless of what happens at the booth |
On an extra screen the gallery does not need the switch for tablets. Privacy mode and the handover to the gallery work there just as on a tablet. The on-screen keyboard follows the layout, design and height of the keyboard at the photo booth (admin area "Design & branding").
Buzzers and keyboard#
The extra windows do not take the keyboard focus away from the photo booth: keyboard buzzers, hand scanners for credit codes and F11 keep working on the photo booth, even while guests are typing on the extra screen. Two seconds after a touch, the mouse pointer jumps back to the photo booth's monitor so that a mouse buzzer does not click into the gallery. Wireless buzzers are not affected anyway.
Touch monitor#
With a touch-enabled extra screen, Windows has to know which monitor the touches belong to. Usually this works by itself. With two screens, however, touches sometimes land on the main screen: a guest taps the gallery, and on the photo booth a button responds or the mouse pointer jumps over — in the worst case this starts a session while the gallery stays still.
A test shows whether anything needs doing: with the photo booth running, tap the extra screen once.
- The extra screen responds: all correct, nothing to do.
- The photo booth responds: the assignment is needed.
- Not needed at all with an extra screen without touch — for example for the slideshow — or at a photo booth whose only touch monitor already responds correctly.
Assign touchscreen starts the assignment (admin area "System Settings" > "Screens"). It is the wizard from the Windows Tablet PC settings:
- Windows asks once for administrator rights.
- The instructions appear on each monitor in turn. On the touchscreen currently showing them, a single tap is enough; on a monitor without touch, the Enter key moves on. With two touch monitors, each one is assigned this way.
- Afterwards, repeat the test from above.
While the wizard runs, the extra screens are hidden. The assignment applies permanently to this computer, also after a restart. If the touch monitor is later plugged into a different port or another one is added, the test is worth repeating.