screen rez file

[jordo2798]

Corey a while back, you had posted a sample file for help with having several projects with different screen resolutions, so that the project detects the users resoluation and then runs the appropriate project.

http://www.indigorose.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB2&Number=12011&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1

The link is now dead. Could you please repost that file or provide more information on how to do this. Thanks.

[Derek]

Re: screen rez file

Hi

Have a look at this post but use at your own risk! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[jordo2798]

Re: screen rez file

Thanks Derek,
I did see that one. Why is it so risky to use that DLL? Also, once the App exits, does the users resolution go back to the original setting?
Thanks!

[Derek]

Re: screen rez file

Its risky simply because you are adjusting someone's sys settings. Not really a nice thing to do. There's always the option of including a dialog asking permssion to do this.
I dont know if they are restored ... I havent tried the DLL yet. Perhaps Brett/someone could confirm this. You could always try yurself, of course [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Adam]

Re: screen rez file

Imagine if a user is running a 10-year-old computer with a 12-inch monitor that only supports up to 800x600 max resolution and your CD-ROM sets this resolution to 1024x768. I am not sure what would happen but I would be fairly angry if a CD-ROM broke my monitor.

That is why you must use at your own risk

[kpsmith]

Re: screen rez file

I'm guessing you could change the resolution onload and change it back to the users setting on exit.

Of course if you app crashes it may leave the users system at the wrong resolution.

I've been meaning to check out the DLL too but feel changing a users resolution on the fly is a little intrusive.

Of course games do it all the time!!

[Brett]

Re: screen rez file

Generally speaking, bringing the resolution down is a lot safer than increasing it. Internally, the DLL does check first to make sure that the system "says" it supports the requested resolution when switching, so it does have some smarts to it.

Pragmatically, I doubt that you will damage a user's system by switching to 800x600, for example. However, setting it up to a huge resolution at a high frequency certainly has the potential to do some hardware damage.

That is why all the warnings to use it at your own risk. As with all components that you use and software that you create, the key to a good user experience is lots of internal testing.

In answer to "will it set the resolution back at the end" the answer is no, not automatically. However, you can easily make your AMS app do this for you using the On Shutdown event. Take a look at the AMS40 project that comes along with that DLL and you will see how to do it.

[Lorne]

Re: screen rez file

One other point that is worth considering before you start switching resolutions just because you can. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Most monitors store resolution-specific settings for things like the horizontal and vertical position and size. If the resolution you switch to isn't one that has been configured on the user's monitor, it could end up with black borders around it, or with the display skewed to one side or corner of the screen.

Of course, the user can fix it easily enough by adjusting their monitor settings (if they know how).

I personally wouldn't worry about this too much, but it is worth a thought cycle or two.

[Corey]

Re: screen rez file

I personally never switch the users screen resolution, never have, never will. Just my choice but it works out 100% reliable.

If you pooch someone's system, i.e. make them restart or cause a crash by messing with their resolution they probably will not be fond of you or your presentation. Many, many things can go wrong when switching resolutions which can cause systems to freeze, crash, or otherwise malfunction, most of which are beyond your control, i.e. bad graphic cards drivers, old cards, people using "integrated M/B video", etc.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[Scally]

Re: screen rez file

I tend to ship at least two versions of my App - one at 800x600 & one at 1024x768 - depending on the user's screen res, the appropriate version is called.
I generally build the 800x600 version, get the customer to 'OK' it & then build the 1024x768 & the code that switches resolutions before its finally shipped.
This works OK but I wondered if there was an easy way to create the 1024x768 version from the 800x600. At the moment I'm having to resize/move each component individually on each page.
I wondered if it might be possible to read into a list each of the components, their positions & sizes & then output XML with the positions adjusted by a factor of 1.28 - the ratio of the two screen sizes.
Is the reading in of data possible or should I go to the pub instead?
Scally