rbowser
By the way, I wonder why plugin GUIs stay on top when they're in front of the Track View?

I presume because it doesn't have the option to float. It's the "core" window.

AndertonI presume because it doesn't have the option to float. It's the "core" window.

Ah, of course.  With the layout you described earlier, Craig, dragging the view to both screens, and keeping Console docked, popping up and down with "D," you then have plugin GUIs that don't go to the back unless you dismiss them.  Right?
 
Randy

Craig, Shift+d makes the Multidock maximum. But what you describe about adjusting and leaving a sliver on top to see the timeline, I may give that a try.

rbowser
I can't find where to change this setting - Before X3, plugin GUIs always stayed on top while working.  But now they go to the back when I touch a control in the Console View.  Highly inconvenient - Work with plugin settings, move a control in the Console - >poof!< no plugin GUI, I have to click it open again. 
 
I'm sure I'm overlooking the setting, but am coming up blank.
 
Randy B.

Hi , I believe you need a third party to accomplish this . I`ve come over a program called Actual Title Buttons
that did the trick for me . http://www.actualtools.com/titlebuttons/ 
Here is a snippet of it in action in Sonar X3 console view on my second monitor
http://www.screencast.com/t/BKJdFk2xHt 
 
All the best
Jan

I don't recall X2 being any better in terms of disappearing plugin windows. I Feature-Requested and Bug-Reported this very issue.  No resolve, however, as I think it's a Windows issue rather than a program issue.  Cakewalk said it's because the undocked Multi-Dock on the 2nd monitor is considered a "floating window."  Therefore, it always drop back and come forward depending on active/inactive state.  This is why Sonar never re-maximizes this window if Sonar was minimized beforehand.
 
Also, it is indeed peculiar behavior that 64-bit plugin windows will fall behind the Console View while 32-bit plugin windows will not.  My work around is to simply dock the 64-bit plugins in the Multi-Dock.  I do this for all of them that I continuously tweak throughout the project.

Randy,
I am curious if you might have been using a program like Jan mentioned, called Actual Tools, when you were using version 8.5?  It is not very expensive and looks like it would keep your plugins open.
 

Mack
Randy,
I am curious if you might have been using a program like Jan mentioned, called Actual Tools, when you were using version 8.5?  It is not very expensive and looks like it would keep your plugins open.

Well, I know I didn't buy any utility to make plugins stay on top, but Actual Tools looks good, accomplishing what I've been taking for granted for so many years.  I just don't remember what I did to make it work - i don't remember having to do anything.  But it's been so long, maybe there was a free utility I had in place that somehow just isn't working now with X3.
 
I would check things out in Sonar 8.5 which I was still using up until one week ago, to see if I could find something there that I forgot about - But I can't do that.  Installing X3 killed my 8.5.  I get a Runtime Error when I try to open 8.5 that nobody's been able to figure out.  Uninstalling X3 didn't even fix it - Trying to use a restore point didn't work, that made my CPU zoom up to 100% for some reason.  So, I've been trying to be content with X3, learning it - I'm doing OK, but sure don't love it yet.  Hand is already sore from all the constant menu diving we have to do.  Really wish I had my 8.5 to fall back on.
 
That was a tangent - Point is, I can't take a look in 8.5 to get a clue why plugins stayed on top.

Randy

Randy,
I do like you and just came from 7PE.  However, it was only a few instances...like the synth GUI that would *snap* to the background if I hit something on the console...like adjust a fadar, etc.  NEVER happened in CV.  I believe I read years back, that that was the default and was no way around it.  Therefore, I'd have "edges" peeking over to the main CV monitor if I needed to access a lot... as suggested above.   
Hopefully Cake will come back and respond,...I'm too new to X3...but I suspect it will be the same, that the mixer view, when floating will always pop to the top, as the track view isn't floating.  
Maybe a 2nd monitor docking option down the line??? Then you just close the FX or other GUI you're done with, when you want to.  
My problem was always with Toontrack, as it covered too much of the track view... so therefore always moved it over to the CV on the 2nd monitor.  Drag a MIDI clip... accidentally hit the console....and *poof*... gone was Toontrack to the background.

.

rbowser
Well, I still have to ask - What do you when you want to go back and forth between working in a plugin and in the Console?
Randy

 
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the ability to set up multiple tabbed views in the multidock.  Like you Randy, I always have the console view showing on the second monitor, however, with it being placed in the undocked multidock.  The multidock can be set up with just about as many plugin gui tabs as desired (right click on top left corner of gui window (gets a dropdown menu-select-dock in multidock).  From there, I set unassigned keyboard shortcut bindings to the previous tab/next tab key binding shortcuts in preferences.  After that, it's pretty easy to tab thru each plugin gui using those shortcut keys.  Would this work for ya?
HeyDan  

heydan...I'm surprised no one has mentioned the ability to set up multiple tabbed views in the multidock. ...The multidock can be set up with just about as many plugin gui tabs as desired...

You're right - It is surprising that solution wasn't brought up before.  That could work fine, heyday, and it sounds less cluttered and fiddly than having GUIs peeking out a bit behind an adjusted CV.  I always use the multidock/tabbed view, with at least PRV and Tempo open, often with Staff also open, sometimes Events - So to have some more tabs for plugins I want to have fairly handy could help me out.
 
The only thing tabbed plugins wouldn't give me is the super slick convenience I had with the plugin on top of the Console and its controls and the CV's were right up against each other.  I could see both things easily, move just a tiny bit going back and forth settings control in each one - Wiz Mouse which I use gives control focus to whatever the cursor is over without having to click.  So it worked great.  It's no GIGantic deal, but I'll just have to get used to moving back and forth between screens.
 
BTW, the concept of expanding Sonar so that everything is stretched on to the second screen, ala Anderton's elegant set up can't work for me currently.  My screens aren't matched - the 2nd one is 1440x900 (square) and my 1st one is the newer one, 1280x10224.  When you drag a program over to the 2nd screen of a mis-matched set up, it's impossible to get the top and bottom of the program reconciled on both screens.  So, for now anyway, I can't do that.
 
Turned out to be an interesting thread.  This isn't a burning issue with me - It just startled me when I saw this disappearing GUI behavior I wasn't used to.  I know some people think I have to be mistaken, that this isn't the way it worked for me in 8.5, but I am absolutely positive.  I don't know how I managed to trick the GUIs into staying on top - Something I did too many years ago to remember I guess!
 
Randy