Can proximity connect to computer, but WITHOUT mirroring?

[rverjins]

I'd like to use proximity to connect a DX80-monitor to my computer... but without mirroring my computer's screen.  Can this be done?

I currently have a macbook pro laptop, a DX80 (which supports proximity) and a 2nd monitor.   Today I connect the DX80 and 2nd monitor to my computer using cables.    Fortunately, my current mac has two video ports, so I can connect both monitors.

Im getting a new mac, which happens to have 1 less video port.  What I'd like to do is connect my DX80 to my computer over Proximity... and have it act as though it was connected via a cable.   

If it were connected using a cable, then the mac would give me the choice of either mirroring my laptop, or having a new display (not mirrored) attached to the computer.

It appears that proximity only MIRRORs a display on your computer... and does not have a way to allow the monitor to act as an additional display.

Are there any work-arounds to have the monitor act as an additional display, when connected by proximity???    Thanks in advance!

[Henrik Bakken]

Hi rverjins.

This would require Proximity to "simulate" an extra screen, integrating with the Mac so you could have different content on all three screens (even though one is wireless/virtual). 

We have had some requests for this earlier, but with a different problem in mind; namely to be in a meeting room, share a presentation to the big screen, while keeping "Presenter view" or speaker notes on my laptop screen.

We currently do not support this in Cisco Proximity, nor do we have short-term plans to add it.

Best regards,
Henrik

[rverjins · Accepted solution]

Thanks Henrick.   You got the request correct...  I just have a different reason for doing it.

I will continue to search the internet for software that would "simulate" an additional monitor on the mac.

Theoretically, would proximity allow me to choose to display any monitor that the mac believes is present? 

[Henrik Bakken]

Yes - I believe that would be a workaround. 

It depends a bit on how that third party app "presents" it's monitor to the OS (and then on to Proximity) that we are able to detect it (and share it), though.

If you find a working solution, please post it here :)

[rverjins]

I searched for about 15-20 mins and found several open source project to emulate a monitor in OSX... unfortunately, none of them work on the current 10.12.

I'll keep looking an updated this if I find a solution.

Btw, I used to solve the problem of having too few monitor ports by using an HIS Multi-view II external video card...  With this solution, I had up to 5 monitors on my mac.  Anyhow, it too stopped working with OSX 10.12.   :(

Thanks again Henrik!

[dkornaro]

Henrik, Appreciate your response to the original post.  I too would like to utilize proximity so that I can share PPT files in presenter view on my laptop but in full screen on the proximity enabled conference room display.  I understand that having proximity supported as a 2nd monitor is not possible, but might I suggest that your team add it to the dev roadmap?  At present, I embed my presentation talking points in PPT slide notes.  If I use proximity (which mirrors), I have no access to my talking points nor can I address by copying talking points to a Word doc and referencing from there (again because my entire screen is mirrored to the Proximity powered large screen).  Result: for every presentation I do in person in a Cisco conference room, I need to print out all my slide notes on paper.