Running 4 projectors from Mac Studio M3, not showing up in Displays

HI,

I have a Mac Studio running Tahoe, with 4 projectors on 4K Hdmi connected to the MAC via Hdmi to usb-C.


I am using VDMX software to manage timing across the projections. This all worked fine with 2 projectors, but now with 4 I have issues.


Firstly, I noticed that when I plugged in the first two projectors, they wouldn't show up in Displays in Systems Settings until I set them to Extended Display.


Now with 4 projectors, I can see them in the Control Center, but as soon as I change the third projector to extended desktop, it takes over my desktop and I can no longer control it as it's in a different room.


VDMX will not project out to the projectors unless they show up in Displays...


Any suggestions?


I am suspecting that any display with the highest resolutions becomes the desktop?


Thanks






Mac Studio, macOS 26.0

Posted on Nov 5, 2025 6:24 AM

Reply
2 replies

Nov 6, 2025 6:07 PM in response to louiseraeart






I discovered that projectors will not show up as displays in system settings until you assign them as 'Extended Desktop'. You can assign them this by going to Command Centre and then Screen Mirroring.


The issue is that when you do this, the projections were taking over my desktop. I'm still not sure why, but once I was able to navigate to the projection screen, go to System settings and then Displays, click on your display and you will see that it has been assigned as extended desktop to one of the projectors! You can reassign it to be Primary, then you have control back to your primary monitor.


Note that for my project, using VDMX, I needed all the projectors to be visible as displays, and arranged in a specific order.

Running 4 projectors from Mac Studio M3, not showing up in Displays

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