Hi Peeps. Got a brand new toy and wold like some help in setting it up. I would like to run 2 screens, really don't know why with a new 21" monetor, just seems a fun thing to do, I would like a tool screen and a render screen. Hay, even the new key board I am told can be tied into Stedio vi-a- buttons on it without the mouse clicky fun.  My new baby is top of the line, not a big box toy store thingee, and all that stuff built for doing 3d renderings no games and Studio will be the only working program on it, wellll... as of today any way. It has 16gig of ram and 1tbite hard drive  so i can have more stuff and a 1.2tbite vertual main  hd.  I have over 12 years of what ever on external drives now and I know a lot of it is pre history, but ya never know if you will ever need it so keep it, I say.  I do want to keep Daz3+ as I learn more of 4.56. I can transfer all data from the externals but I do have a genesses hick-up that I cannot seem to get rid of and do not want it on my monsterest new toy.  Any and all KIND, LOVING and GOOD stuff help would be blessed by heaven, the 3d rendering gods and myself.

yes you can run two monitors in Studio (and I use Studio 3 as well), one for the view screen and the other for palettes. Keep in mind wherever your mouse piointer is when you go to render is where your render will take place provided you are using the option to render to new screen, otherwise it happens in the viewport. Im running a 25" and 27" LCD and pivoting them with compact guitar stands so I can use them as portrait displays.

Once you get everything set where you want it save the layout. Studio should boot up with the last setup you used but it sometimes gets corrupted with the two monitors so you can reload the layout and pick up where you left off.

Also if Studio is on your "C:/" drive it's not a bad idea to run your runtime on a different internal drive and try to keep your data, content, and runtime on that drive. It will be a bit faster provided it's not an external USB or Firewire, etc. You'll want to do this on a SATA 3 or 6GB/s or whatever your internal controller is. This method also makes it much easier to back up your data. I have years of runtime, I don't like to throw anything out either.

thanks, can stedio be broaken up ie.  all tools in one screen and just the render and work window on the other screen.  I know I am use to haveing it all together but I realy want a better work area with only the work and render window.  and as to Studio3 on an external drive???

the file/edi/etc... menus and the camera/light selector will stay in the main veiwport no matter what you do but all the other floating palettes can be moved into another screen.

BUMMERS BIG TIME  bUT THANKS ANY WAY