Display Reinitializer for Raycast

A Raycast extension to force re-detection and reinitialization of connected displays on macOS using multiple methods.

Features

• 📺 List all connected displays (built-in and external)
• 🔄 Multiple reinitialization methods to choose from
• 🎯 Smart auto-selection of best method per display
• 📊 Shows display resolution, type, refresh rate capability, and recommended method
• ⚡ Fast native Swift implementation using CoreGraphics APIs

Reinitialization Methods

The extension offers 5 different methods to reinitialize displays, each with different characteristics:

1. Auto-Select (Default) ⭐

• Automatically chooses the best method for each display
• Tries methods in order of effectiveness
• Recommended for most users

Selection logic:

• External displays → DDC Power Cycle
• Multiple refresh rates available → Refresh Rate Toggle
• Otherwise → Resolution Cycle
• Last resort → Soft Reset

2. DDC Power Cycle (Most Effective)

• Hardware-level power off/on via DDC/CI protocol
• External displays only (doesn't work on built-in screens)
• Requires m1ddc tool: brew install m1ddc
• Disruption: Low (1-2 second black screen on target display)

3. Refresh Rate Toggle (Less Disruptive)

• Temporarily changes refresh rate then restores original
• Only available if display supports multiple refresh rates
• Disruption: Low (brief flicker)

4. Resolution Cycle (Most Compatible)

• Temporarily changes resolution then restores original
• Works on all displays (built-in and external)
• Disruption: Medium (visible screen flash, may briefly rearrange windows)

5. Soft Reset (Minimal)

• Triggers display reconfiguration without mode changes
• Least disruptive but may not fix all issues
• Disruption: Very Low (may have no visible effect)

Usage

Basic Usage (Auto-Select)

1. Open Raycast (default: Cmd + Space)
2. Type "Reinitialize Displays"
3. Select a display from the list
4. Press Enter to reinitialize using the recommended method

The extension will automatically choose the best method for that specific display.

Advanced Usage (Choose Method)

1. Select a display from the list
2. Press Cmd + K to open the action menu
3. Under "Choose Reinitialization Method", select your preferred method
4. Available methods are shown based on display compatibility

View Display Details

• Press Cmd + K → "View Display Details" to see:
  • All available reinitialization methods
  • Method descriptions and disruption levels
  • Display capabilities (resolution, refresh rates, etc.)

Display Information

For each display, the extension shows:

• Name: Human-readable display name (or "Main Display", "Built-in Display", etc.)
• Resolution: Current width x height
• Type: Built-in or External
• Main: Blue badge if this is the main display
• Recommended Method: Suggested reinitialization approach
• Display ID: System identifier

How It Works

The extension uses macOS CoreGraphics APIs to reinitialize displays:

1. DDC Method: Uses m1ddc to send hardware power commands
2. Refresh Rate Method: CGConfigureDisplayWithDisplayMode() to cycle refresh rates
3. Resolution Method: CGConfigureDisplayWithDisplayMode() to cycle resolutions
4. Soft Reset: CGCompleteDisplayConfiguration() to trigger reconfiguration

These methods can fix issues like:

• Display not waking from sleep
• Incorrect color profile
• Resolution problems
• Connection detection issues
• HDMI/DisplayPort signal dropout

Requirements

Required

• macOS (this extension only works on macOS)
• Raycast app installed
• Xcode Command Line Tools (for Swift compiler)

Optional

• m1ddc (for DDC power cycle on external displays)

  brew install m1ddc
  

  Without m1ddc, the extension will fall back to other methods automatically.

Development

Prerequisites

• macOS
• Node.js 20+
• Xcode Command Line Tools
• Raycast app

Setup

1. Clone this repository
2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Compile the Swift helper (done automatically with prebuild script):

   npm run compile-swift
   

4. Run in development mode:

   npm run dev
   

Build

npm run build

The build process automatically compiles the Swift binary before building the extension.

Technical Details

The extension consists of two parts:

1. Swift Helper Binary (scripts/DisplayHelper.swift)

Compiles to a native executable that provides:

Commands:

• list - Returns JSON array of all displays with metadata
• redetect-auto <displayID> - Auto-selects best method
• redetect-ddc <displayID> - DDC power cycle
• redetect-refresh <displayID> - Refresh rate toggle
• redetect-resolution <displayID> - Resolution cycle
• redetect-soft <displayID> - Soft reset

Display Metadata:

• Available reinitialization methods
• Recommended method
• Whether display has multiple refresh rates
• Standard display info (ID, name, resolution, etc.)

2. Raycast Extension (src/reinitialize-displays.tsx)

• TypeScript/React UI
• Calls Swift binary for all display operations
• Handles user interaction and feedback
• Provides method selection interface

Troubleshooting

"m1ddc not found" Error

• Install m1ddc: brew install m1ddc
• Or use other methods (refresh rate, resolution cycle)

"No alternate refresh rate available"

• Your display only supports one refresh rate
• Try resolution cycle or DDC method instead

"Failed to apply temporary mode"

• macOS denied the display mode change
• Try a different method or restart your Mac

Display Doesn't Actually Reinitialize

• Some methods are less effective than others
• Try DDC power cycle if you have an external display
• Resolution cycle is the most reliable fallback

Built-in Display Methods Limited

• Built-in displays don't support DDC
• Only refresh rate toggle, resolution cycle, and soft reset available
• This is a hardware limitation

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Enter - Reinitialize with auto-selected method
• Cmd + K - Open action menu
• 1-4 - Quick select specific method (when action menu is open)
• Cmd + R - Refresh display list

License

MIT

Credits

Built using:

• Raycast API
• macOS CoreGraphics framework
• IOKit framework
• m1ddc (optional dependency)

Development Note

While I (the human) did the driving and direction, this code was generated with AI assistance to solve a display reinitialization problem I couldn't allocate time to fix manually. The AI helped implement the Swift display management logic, multiple reinitialization methods, and the Raycast UI integration.