IOS - External (hdmi) output fills only half the screen except when coding view manually

Question

So, as the title says, I have an hdmi out on the iPad and an observer registered for screen connections, upon connection the user chooses the res and a view is outputted.

However, if I load a view from a nib, or even from a programatic view controller, the ipad shows a landscape view in portrait (yes, both situations are set to landscape).

I.e.

ExternalViewController *ex = [[ExternalViewController alloc] init];
[externalWindow setRootViewController:ex];

does this:

If I create the view itself programatically. like so:

UIView *test = [[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:[externalScreen applicationFrame]];
[test setBackgroundColor:[UIColor whiteColor]];
UILabel *msgLabel = [[UILabel alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(10, 40, 100, 30)];
msgLabel.text = @"External!";
[test addSubview:msgLabel];

It runs like some form of magical dream:

However I want the viewcontroller to load (and work!) so, StackOverflow, I ask you. has anyone come across this before?

EDIT: It does go without saying that common sensical answers do not get a bounty, I am after a fix, not a workaround. With my limited brain, all I can think to do is create a method that creates a view based on it's inputs and adds that as a subview of the external monitor, it is clear that this is a hack solution so a fix is appreciated! Thanks!

EDIT:

-(id)initWithFrame:(CGRect)_rect 
{
    rect = _rect;
    if (self = [super init]) 
    {
        externalView = [[UIImageView alloc] initWithImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"105.png"]];
        externalView.alpha = 0.0;
        [externalView setFrame:rect];
        [externalView setBackgroundColor:[UIColor yellowColor]];
        self.view = [[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:rect];
        self.view.backgroundColor = [UIColor whiteColor];

        return self;
    }
}

- (void)loadView
{
    self.view = [[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:rect];
    self.view.backgroundColor = [UIColor blackColor];
    [self.view addSubview:externalView];
}

As requested, this is how I am loading the viewcontroller, initialising with the size of the external screen. Thanks

Tripos

Is the "landscape view in portrait" truncated, or rotated? I mean, if you add a label as in your second example, does this appear in the top left of the screen, or the bottom left at a 90 degree angle? – Mandimandible

Sorry, should have explained. When you see the view in half of the screen it is landscape but rotated. So, if I add a label then it shows it rotated with the text going from bottom to top. – Tripos

Could you include code from the loadView method of your 'nibless' view controller, showing how you are creating the views, where it gets the dimensions from for the external display, etc? – Mandimandible

Observation: In the top example, it looks like your adding the External View Controller to the UIWindow, but the second one looks like it's being added to the UIScreen? – Fortuitous

Nope, in the case of the view controller, it is being set as the root view. In the case of the view, it is just added as a subview. – Tripos

use self.tableView instead of [UIScreen mainScreen] – Laverne

Answer 1

Just return NO in - (BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation in your UIViewController subclass.

// ugly, don't use this in real code

if ([UIScreen screens].count == 1) return; // just one screen, eww.

// getting the secondary screen
UIScreen *screen = [[UIScreen screens] objectAtIndex:1];

__block UIScreenMode *highestWidthMode = NULL;

[screen.availableModes enumerateObjectsUsingBlock:^(id obj, NSUInteger idx, BOOL *stop) {
  UIScreenMode *currentModeInLoop = obj;
  if (!highestWidthMode || currentModeInLoop.size.width > highestWidthMode.size.width)
    highestWidthMode = currentModeInLoop;
}];

// setting to the highest resolution available
screen.currentMode = highestWidthMode;

NSLog(@"screen.currentMode = %@", screen.currentMode);
screen.overscanCompensation = UIScreenOverscanCompensationScale;


// initializing screen
secondWindow = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:[screen bounds]];
[secondWindow setScreen:screen];

// other view is a UIViewController, just remember to return NO in - (BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation or the iOS will rotate the frame.

UIViewController *vc = [[OtherView alloc] initWithNibName:@"OtherView" bundle:nil];
secondWindow.rootViewController = vc;
[secondWindow makeKeyAndVisible];

Printing

Nope, tried that. I believe the view genuinely does believe it it outputting at landscape to the necessary screen. – Tripos