Forum Settings
       
Reply To Thread

Text too smallFollow

#1 Mar 21 2011 at 1:42 PM Rating: Decent
Quick question, anyway I can get max resolution, but not have my chat box, hp/mp/tp box, and macro line so small I can't see it?
#2 Mar 21 2011 at 1:50 PM Rating: Excellent
****
5,684 posts
It took me a second to figure out you were asking a question. All I could see was your sig.


To answer your question... I don't think so? I know there are UI mods you can use, but they mostly just change the font or number of visible lines in chat. When the game comes back online, you can try to mess with the Overlay Graphics Resolution setting since I know that has an affect on menus and text.
#3 Mar 21 2011 at 1:55 PM Rating: Decent
**
539 posts
If you are having a hard time reading the text at max resolution, you don't need max resolution, since you clearly can't see well enough for the crispness of the image to matter. Whether this is an issue with your display, your eyes, or how far you sit away from your screen, your best solution is to lower the resolution you are running at.
#4 Mar 22 2011 at 10:18 AM Rating: Good
***
2,869 posts
Calessa wrote:
If you are having a hard time reading the text at max resolution, you don't need max resolution, since you clearly can't see well enough for the crispness of the image to matter. Whether this is an issue with your display, your eyes, or how far you sit away from your screen, your best solution is to lower the resolution you are running at.


This is not true at all, and is not a helpful reply to the OP.

I play on a notebook so I don't really have an issue, but my wife often plays on a PC that's hooked up to our living room HDTV (1080p). It's certainly noticeable in the textures and on screen character models when you lower/raise the resolution, but at higher resolution the text boxes and status icons are very small and hard to read. I've kind of compromised with an in-between setting, but I'd love to be able to bump it up to max resolution (which DOES make a difference) but still be able to read the text from more than a couple feet away.

If anyone has a good solution I'd love to hear it too.
#5 Mar 22 2011 at 10:30 AM Rating: Decent
Ken Burton's Reject
*****
12,834 posts
That's easy.

Hack the registry, set your Overlay Resolution lower, and your background resolution higher.

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Graphics
____________________________
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pawkeshup
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/pawkeshup
Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/pawkeshup
Blog: http://pawkeshup.blogspot.com
Olorinus the Ludicrous wrote:
The idea of old school is way more interesting than the reality
#6 Mar 22 2011 at 11:13 AM Rating: Decent
**
755 posts
Wonder Gem Pawkeshup wrote:
That's easy.

Hack the registry, set your Overlay Resolution lower, and your background resolution higher.

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Graphics

That's incorrect. "Overlay" Resolution has nothing to do with UI overlay. The UI is tied to the Background Overlay resolution, so there is no way to set them independently. Best you can do is find a happy medium between the two. For me I set it very high and just got used to the small text and UI. I don't notice it much anymore.

-edit fixed where I put background instead of overlay.

Edited, Mar 22nd 2011 3:00pm by Auntmac
#7 Mar 22 2011 at 11:53 AM Rating: Good
****
7,129 posts
UI is tied to the overlay resolution. Technically, sure, you can have the background scaled behind it - many do that anyway to oversample it in lieu of proper AA.

But that can mean not running at native resolution on an LCD, which isn't ideal. Most TVs also only support a handful of input resolutions too, meaning it might have to get jumped down to a low res.

Unfortunately, there's no real fix for this - in the recent thread regarding UI changes, I mentioned this, and had the same "if you can't see the text you can't see the difference" argument given - apparently, not many of us have actually tried playing the game at 1080p on a TV...
#8 Mar 22 2011 at 12:09 PM Rating: Decent
Ken Burton's Reject
*****
12,834 posts
Iron Chef Auntmac wrote:
Wonder Gem Pawkeshup wrote:
That's easy.

Hack the registry, set your Overlay Resolution lower, and your background resolution higher.

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Graphics

That's incorrect. "Overlay" Resolution has nothing to do with UI overlay. The UI is tied to the background resolution, so there is no way to set them independently. Best you can do is find a happy medium between the two. For me I set it very high and just got used to the small text and UI. I don't notice it much anymore.
That's incorrect.

I have my wife's set up with 800x600 overlay, and double oversampled background. Character models are highly detailed, razor sharp, and the text is large. All you need to do is maximize the screen if playing windowed.

You might want to review that article I posted. It explains everything right there.

Edit:

If you want, when the game's back on, I can record some footage in FRAPs to prove you wrong.

Edited, Mar 22nd 2011 2:10pm by Pawkeshup
____________________________
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pawkeshup
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/pawkeshup
Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/pawkeshup
Blog: http://pawkeshup.blogspot.com
Olorinus the Ludicrous wrote:
The idea of old school is way more interesting than the reality
#9 Mar 22 2011 at 12:40 PM Rating: Excellent
***
3,767 posts
Wonder Gem Pawkeshup wrote:
Iron Chef Auntmac wrote:
Wonder Gem Pawkeshup wrote:
That's easy.

Hack the registry, set your Overlay Resolution lower, and your background resolution higher.

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Graphics

That's incorrect. "Overlay" Resolution has nothing to do with UI overlay. The UI is tied to the background resolution, so there is no way to set them independently. Best you can do is find a happy medium between the two. For me I set it very high and just got used to the small text and UI. I don't notice it much anymore.
That's incorrect.

I have my wife's set up with 800x600 overlay, and double oversampled background. Character models are highly detailed, razor sharp, and the text is large. All you need to do is maximize the screen if playing windowed.
This is correct.

There is no natural way to adjust text size. Adjusting background resolution only sharpens textures, and overlay resolution only affects the actual size of the game window. Nothing you do will increase the font/menu size; though increasing the overlay gives the impression of smaller text/menus in comparison to the rest of the window, which is what confuses some people.

Playing in windowed mode then maximizing the window via Windows is the only way to increase font size, but it gives a 'blown up' look to fonts, which definitely isn't as pretty. I'm also not entirely sure if you can do this with the official windowed mode, but I know you can with Windower.

I would also suggest the OP use a UI mod to replace the in-game fonts, which are much easier to read and look a heck of a lot better. The most popular one is available on the Windower forums, which I'm not allowed to link to.
____________________________
Fynlar wrote:
Chew is being a lot more level-headed regarding the whole issue, which is strange because he's probably drunk.
#10 Mar 22 2011 at 1:21 PM Rating: Decent
**
755 posts
chewzer wrote:
There is no natural way to adjust text size. Adjusting background resolution only sharpens textures, and overlay resolution only affects the actual size of the game window. Nothing you do will increase the font/menu size; though increasing the overlay gives the impression of smaller text/menus in comparison to the rest of the window, which is what confuses some people.

Playing in windowed mode then maximizing the window via Windows is the only way to increase font size, but it gives a 'blown up' look to fonts, which definitely isn't as pretty.

This is exactly what I was saying. One setting sets resolution of the game, and the other sets the game window size, not the UI size. You can do it the way you mentioned it's more of a "workaround" than an actual fix. Plus it makes the UI look like crap (more than it already does).
#11 Mar 22 2011 at 1:24 PM Rating: Decent
Scholar
Avatar
****
6,268 posts
Anza wrote:
Calessa wrote:
If you are having a hard time reading the text at max resolution, you don't need max resolution, since you clearly can't see well enough for the crispness of the image to matter. Whether this is an issue with your display, your eyes, or how far you sit away from your screen, your best solution is to lower the resolution you are running at.


This is not true at all, and is not a helpful reply to the OP.

Not sure about that, since everyone else arrived at the 'lower your resolution' point well after.

I agree with the statement that if you can't read the text you won't be seeing the detail you'll be missing by lowering your resolution. I don't understand the rabid denial of this fact in this and a prior thread.
____________________________
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Airships on fire off the shoulder of Bahamut. I watched Scapula Beams glitter in the dark near the Three Mage Gate...

Nilatai wrote:
Vlorsutes wrote:
There's always...not trolling him?

You're new here, aren't you?
#12 Mar 22 2011 at 3:06 PM Rating: Excellent
****
7,129 posts
Quote:
This is exactly what I was saying. One setting sets resolution of the game, and the other sets the game window size, not the UI size. You can do it the way you mentioned it's more of a "workaround" than an actual fix. Plus it makes the UI look like crap (more than it already does).


Except that you said it was tied to the background resolution. Perhaps a typo on your part?

The UI is tied to the foreground resolution. Most aspects of it don't scale at all (obviously some do - the chat log fills the space, it doesn't remain a tiny rectangle), which is why it becomes smaller.

The background resolution is the 3D graphics, rendered to texture, effects added, and then scaled to fit behind the foreground, which includes the UI.


Quote:
I agree with the statement that if you can't read the text you won't be seeing the detail you'll be missing by lowering your resolution. I don't understand the rabid denial of this fact in this and a prior thread.


Agreeing with it doesn't make it factual. There's a clear difference between SDTV and HDTV, but either can have fonts that are too small to read comfortably from 10 feet away (some could be from much closer). It's a known design consideration/goal. You can notice higher density displays, which do happen to look noticeably better.

The problem with FFXI's UI is that most elements are simply x number of pixels by y number of pixels. Even the text itself could look visibly better if it could scale independently of that. Any bitmap font will have similar problems.

Edited, Mar 22nd 2011 5:07pm by Isiolia
#13 Mar 22 2011 at 3:16 PM Rating: Good
**
657 posts
Isiolia, do you mind sharing your settings in the registry(including mip mapping, bump mapping, etc)?
#14 Mar 22 2011 at 3:44 PM Rating: Excellent
****
7,129 posts
Quote:
Isiolia, do you mind sharing your settings in the registry(including mip mapping, bump mapping, etc)?


Nothing particularly special - I don't actually run the game on my TV most of the time if that's what you were looking for.

When I set up the game, I run 2x background resolution. My main computer usually has the foreground at 1152x864 in a window (smallish, but I got used to it back when I was only running a 17" LCD).

MIP mapping I think I leave at 1, and try to force anisotropic filtering via my video driver. Rest of the graphics bells and whistles I have set to on I believe. Not at my home computer right now to double check.
#15 Mar 22 2011 at 3:53 PM Rating: Decent
Ken Burton's Reject
*****
12,834 posts
chewzer wrote:
Playing in windowed mode then maximizing the window via Windows is the only way to increase font size, but it gives a 'blown up' look to fonts, which definitely isn't as pretty. I'm also not entirely sure if you can do this with the official windowed mode, but I know you can with Windower.
It works the same windowed or full-screen. I don't use Windower.

Trust me, I played with this for about 6 hours trying to sort out a way for my wife to play. I purchased a USB-powered converter for the video signal down to my analog-only TV. I tested it with and without the device, on the monitor and on the TV only.

Does it make the font "look like crap"? It puts it at a lower resolution, and therefore "blows up" the graphic. The graphics themselves are the reason they "look like crap". The image files are really crappy. Honestly, the mods Brandson made for the UI are much higher in quality for the actual graphics. The image resolution is more suited to a computer screen, and therefore are less jagged-looking than the official ones.

____________________________
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pawkeshup
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/pawkeshup
Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/pawkeshup
Blog: http://pawkeshup.blogspot.com
Olorinus the Ludicrous wrote:
The idea of old school is way more interesting than the reality
#16 Mar 22 2011 at 3:56 PM Rating: Decent
**
755 posts
Isiolia wrote:
Quote:
This is exactly what I was saying. One setting sets resolution of the game, and the other sets the game window size, not the UI size. You can do it the way you mentioned it's more of a "workaround" than an actual fix. Plus it makes the UI look like crap (more than it already does).


Except that you said it was tied to the background resolution. Perhaps a typo on your part?


Oops, that's exactly what it was. I meant to type Overlay resolution but put Background resolution instead. I didn't even notice till you just brought it up.
#17 Mar 22 2011 at 4:09 PM Rating: Decent
Scholar
Avatar
****
6,268 posts
Isiolia wrote:
Quote:
I agree with the statement that if you can't read the text you won't be seeing the detail you'll be missing by lowering your resolution. I don't understand the rabid denial of this fact in this and a prior thread.


Agreeing with it doesn't make it factual. There's a clear difference between SDTV and HDTV, but either can have fonts that are too small to read comfortably from 10 feet away (some could be from much closer). It's a known design consideration/goal. You can notice higher density displays, which do happen to look noticeably better.

My phone does subpixel rendering and I can have a full SSH terminal on a 3" screen, large enough to play Nethack or Dwarf Fortress on a remote box.

That doesn't mean we should hold software written for SD display on a PS2 from 2003 to such a standard. The font sucks but that doesn't mean any better font at 1920x1200 is going to be readable from ten feet away.
____________________________
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Airships on fire off the shoulder of Bahamut. I watched Scapula Beams glitter in the dark near the Three Mage Gate...

Nilatai wrote:
Vlorsutes wrote:
There's always...not trolling him?

You're new here, aren't you?
#18 Mar 22 2011 at 4:47 PM Rating: Excellent
****
7,129 posts
Perhaps not, but it doesn't automatically mean that other effects of higher resolution are rendered moot just because the resulting fonts are too small.

SE could even add a basic 2X size option or something to offset things. It wouldn't be ideal, but it'd probably be sufficient for the time being.
#19 Mar 22 2011 at 5:06 PM Rating: Excellent
***
2,869 posts
Raelix wrote:
I agree with the statement that if you can't read the text you won't be seeing the detail you'll be missing by lowering your resolution. I don't understand the rabid denial of this fact in this and a prior thread.


It's pretty obvious that you haven't actually seen the issue several people here have then.

I don't claim to have superhuman sight, but it's noticeable on my monitor that the in-game textures and models look great at a very high resolution while at the same time the fonts are uncomfortably small. When I change the resolution to be a bit lower, I get more readable fonts but I can easily tell there is a difference in the in game graphics. My solution has been to find a satisfactory midpoint with readable fonts, but I definitely sacrifice optimal in-game graphics to get there. It does the job, but it would be nice to be able to crank up the resolution without having to deal with tiny text.
#20 Mar 22 2011 at 6:05 PM Rating: Good
Thief's Knife
*****
15,054 posts
SE could fix this with some minor changes to the client. They need to add a "Resolution" setting and then change "Overlay" to work like "Background". The UI and 3D graphics would then be scaled to the "Resolution" setting.

While they were at it they could change it to use fractions of the base resolution in the Config rather than this square resolution silliness. (1/4 1/2 3/4 etc.) and add help text that explains what each setting actually does. It would be less confusing to new players.

Edited, Mar 22nd 2011 9:07pm by Lobivopis
____________________________
Final Fantasy XI 12-14-11 Update wrote:
Adjust the resolution of menus.
The main screen resolution for "FINAL FANTASY XI" is dependent on the "Overlay Graphics Resolution" setting.
If the Overlay Graphics Resolution is set higher than the Menu Resolution, menus will be automatically resized.


I thought of it first:

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=130073657654872218#20
Reply To Thread

Colors Smileys Quote OriginalQuote Checked Help

 

Recent Visitors: 123 All times are in CST
Anonymous Guests (123)