TestComplete has incorrect screen coordinates for objects on second monitor

Question

When our application runs on the default monitor, and locating an object using the ObjectBrowser, it shows the object and it properties, and "Highlight on screen" indeed highlights the object with a red border. But when when our application is moved to the 2nd monitor and doing the same, it cannot find the object.

Even not when refreshing the tree. The Help shows 4 reasons and all are not applicable. The object is visible and nothing is blocking it.

Further analysing: when on the default monitor, the screen coordinates for the window are:

ScreenLeft=2403, ScreenTop=510

and for the object:

ScreenLeft=2432, ScreenTop=518

when on the 2nd monitor, window:

ScreenLeft=604, ScreenTop=510

and for the object:

ScreenLeft=512, ScreenTop=416

I expect 633 and 518 for the screen coordinates of the object inside the window, when on the second screen.

So why is the screen position for an object inside a window incorrect?

rraghvani · Answer

Are you using the same display resolution and scale i.e. 100% on both monitors?
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hassan_ballan · Answer

Technical Checklist for Cross-Monitor Object Coordinates in TestComplete:
When TestComplete reports incorrect screen coordinates on a secondary monitor, it’s usually related to DPI scaling or monitor layout. To address this, consider:

DPI / Display Scaling: Ensure both monitors use the same scaling (e.g., 100%). Mixed DPI often causes coordinate misalignment.
Monitor Arrangement: Check Windows’ display setup. Unusual arrangements (secondary monitor left/above primary) can offset virtual desktop coordinates.
TestComplete Startup Timing: Start TestComplete after monitors are configured, so it captures correct virtual desktop coordinates.
Privilege Level: Ensure TestComplete runs with the same permissions as the application under test.
Relative Coordinates Option: For multi-monitor setups, using coordinates relative to the parent window can avoid absolute screen-coordinate errors.

Following this checklist usually resolves issues where objects are detected correctly on the primary monitor but misaligned or unrecognized on secondary monitors.
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vstepi · Answer

No both monitors have different resolution and different scale. This is a requirement and cannot be changed

vstepi · Answer

Where is the Relative Coordinates Option?

hassan_ballan · Answer

There isn’t a global “Relative Coordinates” option in TestComplete. The tool doesn’t have a single setting that switches everything from screen-relative to window-relative. In normal UI automation you don’t usually specify coordinates at all—TestComplete clicks in the center of the object after calculating its position. So the coordinates you listed are likely diagnostic values, not something you’re intended to use directly.
The actual issue is that your primary and secondary monitors use different DPI scaling levels. TestComplete is not fully per-monitor DPI-aware, so when the AUT moves to a monitor with different scaling, the screen coordinates it computes for objects can become incorrect. SmartBear explicitly documents this limitation here: Testing With Various DPI Settings
Regarding “relative coordinates”: the only area where TestComplete exposes this is in low-level procedures, where you can choose to record events using window-relative rather than screen-relative coordinates. These features are documented here: Window- and Screen-Relative Low-Level Procedures and Creating and Recording Low-Level Procedures
This is not a global option, and it only applies if you explicitly use low-level event recording — most automated tests never need it.
To improve stability in mixed-DPI environments:

Align monitors to the same top edge in Windows Display Settings to minimize virtual desktop coordinate offsets.
Prefer&nbsp;object-based actions like Button.Click(), which always use object-relative coordinates.
Avoid screen-coordinate clicks.
If using low-level procedures, record them in window-coordinate mode and execute them against the specific window.

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TestComplete has incorrect screen coordinates for objects on second monitor

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