Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops

Virtual display layout

The virtual display configuration UI lets you define a virtual display layout per session monitor on the VDA, inside a live session. This feature allows you to split each session monitor independently into multiple virtual monitors. You can split into a total of 8 virtual monitors on the remote desktop. Also, you can update the session primary monitor and DPI settings for the displays.

The virtual display configuration is stored per user per client device. The configuration applies to all subsequent connections from a given client for a particular user. It’s persisted across session resize, session disconnect or reconnect, and session logoff or logon. The configured virtual display layout reset occurs on a session resize and change in the number of session monitors.

System requirements

  • Windows: Single-session or multi-session OS VDA
  • Graphics status indicator policy must be enabled
  • Only desktop sessions can be configured.

Configuration

To configure the virtual display layout, right-click the graphics status indicator icon and select the Configure virtual displays option. The virtual display configuration UI is launched.

Configure virtual display

The UI shows the current session display layout, with blue denoting the session’s primary monitor. You can see the Display settings tooltip when you hover on a display. The tooltip provides information about the current virtual display layout defined on a given session monitor.

Virtual display monitor

Select a display to transition to an interactive UI, which allows you to configure virtual displays for the selected session monitor. You can draw horizontal or vertical lines to separate the screen into virtual monitors. The screen is split according to specified percentages of the session monitor resolutions. Right-click on a virtual display to mark it as the primary monitor and use the DPI drop-down list to set a preferred scaling factor for the virtual display. After defining a virtual display layout, click OK to temporarily save the layout or Cancel to discard any changes. You can use Reset to undo the configuration and restore the original layout for the session monitor.

Monitor display configuration

To preview the current configured virtual display layout, click the Preview button. A window appears to highlight the expected position and resolution of the virtual displays in the session.

Display preview

Click OK to immediately apply and save the virtual display layout. Click Cancel to close the UI and discard all changes.

Final display layout

Other considerations

  • Virtual display DPI defined through the UI depends on OS scaling support for the given display resolution.
  • Do not use this feature simultaneously with the existing virtual display feature in Citrix Workspace app.
  • Preview functionality isn’t supported on Server 2016.
Virtual display layout