Screen layout visualization problem

Discussion of Digital Performer use, optimization, tips and techniques on Windows.

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il picaro
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Screen layout visualization problem

Post by il picaro »

Hi everyone,

I used to use DP for Mac a long time ago, but since now I have a PC I recently upgraded to DP 9.13 running at 64bit.

My memory of working with DP 3.11 on an old G4 is that it used to be a very clear visual layout, where everything seemed to be a lot bigger somehow...track names, MIDI channels, everything seemed to be much easier to look at.

Now I have a hard time visualizing the track names, they're so tiny!!
Is there a way to enlarge the whole screen layout with some sort of percentage like in the quickscribe window?

I looked in the DP specs and they recommend a 1208x1024 or higher resolution and I have a widescreen with 1920x1080 resolution, so it's not a monitor issue.

Any idea?

Thanx a lot!
il picaro
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MIDI Life Crisis
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Re: Screen layout visualization problem

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

A lot has changed in DP since way back when... More stuff has to fit in the same space. There are + and - icons (or should be) that can increase the size of the tracks and also in other windows to increase the size of various aspects. On a Mac one uses the command + and - keys as shortcuts. On a PC it's probably the Alt key and the same keys.

Also, the manual is now included with the app as a PDF, so one can search for things like "magnify" and perhaps find the answers there.

Hope that's helpful.
2013 Mac Pro 32GB RAM

OSX 10.14.6; DP 10; Track 16; Finale 26, iPad Pro, et al

MIDI LIFE CRISIS
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il picaro
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Re: Screen layout visualization problem

Post by il picaro »

Thank you for your reply.
I did try all of the things you mentioned (and more) before even posting my question, as I thought magnifying would be pretty obvious and self-explanatory.

Unfortunately I couldn't find any way to magnify without totally distorting the layout, as when you increase the size of the desktop within the screen options in Windows.

So, I'm back at square one, and I can't believe there is no way to avoid people getting either blind or hunchbacked by bending over the screen for hours and hours!

Is anybody else having the same issue?
mesayre
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Re: Screen layout visualization problem

Post by mesayre »

Agreed it can be tough to see. People have been saying that for years so hopefully it'll be addressed soon.

That being said, have you tried the Magnifier app built into windows? Not sure which windows version you're on, but if it's 10 I know this is available. There are a few different ways to configure it - either zoom into the whole screen, zoom in just around the pointer, or docked to an edge of your screen so everything is fixed in place and part of the screen is magnified. This last option seems like it'd be the most useful to leave on, as it doesn't disrupt normal operation.

Hope that helps.
DP 10 - Win 10 - Ultralite AVB
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il picaro
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Re: Screen layout visualization problem

Post by il picaro »

Thank you Mesayre,
I did manage to get at least the tracks window bigger, and lowering the resolution of the screen helped a bit too, although it messed up all the other apps outside of DP !! ;)
I am running Windows 7, so I'm not sure I have the feature you're writing about, but I'll definitely look into it.
Thanx again,
il picaro
mesayre
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Re: Screen layout visualization problem

Post by mesayre »

This says Win7 has it too:

https://www.techsupportalert.com/conten ... er-see.htm

Easily accessible by hitting Windows key and the plus sign; though you'll need to click something outside DP first, since DP takes over the windows key whenever it's the active window.
DP 10 - Win 10 - Ultralite AVB
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il picaro
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Re: Screen layout visualization problem

Post by il picaro »

Hi Mesayre

Since you've been so kind in replying to my issues I'm going to ask you an opinion on the ultimate set-up for DP.
I'm in the process of doing a major upgrade and I might as well do it right from the get-go.
What in your opinion is THE motherboard to get if I'm planning on using DP with SSD drive and a i7 8core CPU, 32GB ram, and 2T drive for audio storage? So far I've found that I should not get an X99 board, or one that mounts Renesas and ASMedia USB chipsets. What do you think?
Thanx a lot.
Enrico
rickshapiro
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Re: Screen layout visualization problem

Post by rickshapiro »

I share your pain and eye strain. The fonts for columns and other fixed entries are way too small, specially on a high resolution screen. Lowering in the resolution tends to make the text look blurry. It really is a problem and one other things that prevent me form using DP as my main DAW. You find people who either denied the problem exists, will tell you the problem is with your eyes or tell you how to use OS features to accessibility for those that are visually impaired. My guess is the code to support text scaling in DP has been written in a manor that would require significant work.
mesayre
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Re: Screen layout visualization problem

Post by mesayre »

il picaro wrote:Hi Mesayre

What in your opinion is THE motherboard to get if I'm planning on using DP with SSD drive and a i7 8core CPU, 32GB ram, and 2T drive for audio storage? So far I've found that I should not get an X99 board, or one that mounts Renesas and ASMedia USB chipsets. What do you think?
Thanx a lot.
Enrico
Sorry, just seeing this. I don't feel qualified to answer that question. I am actually shopping around to build a PC myself, and am nervous about that very thing! Let me know if you find some more info!
DP 10 - Win 10 - Ultralite AVB
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