Just downloaded 4.3 - interface fonts are microscopic

[Michel Audette]

Dear members of the community,

I just downloaded OpenSim 4.3 for Windows and installed it on my laptop, to demonstrate it tomorrow in class... only to find the fonts in the interface to be microscopic. How do I adjust the default font size? I cannot find the parameter... because, you know... the fonts are small.

Thanks,

Michel

[Ayman Habib]

Hi Michel,

While you can download older releases (e.g. 4.2) from the downloads page, (Download Links -> Previous Releases), I thought it is better to provide solution to the issue here. In essence, on some Windows machines with high DPI, the scaling of the fonts doesn't work as expected leading to small fonts. This can be addressed by one of two methods:
1. Change the font by editing the file etc/opensim.conf under the installation directory and adding to the end of the line of default_options, before the closing quotes

Code: Select all

--fontsize 16

, you can make the font as large as you prefer with the understanding that the layout and icons will not scale.
2. Without editing any files, right mouse click on the opensim desktop icon, select Properties, switch to the "Compatibility" tab, change high DPI settings, select the checkbox to override high DPI scaling behavior, then select "System" from the dropdown, then select "Ok", "Apply" then restart.

Please let us know if that solves the problem for you.
-Ayman

[Michel Audette]

Thanks, Ayman. I'll give these a try. I have a workaround now, in that I am using my 17" ASUS Studio laptop to give my class, but it's good that we have a solution that I can apply to my new 13" Dell, which has exquisite resolution after all.

Edit: the second method seems to increase the font size on my 17" ASUS.

[Sebastian Neuberg]

Had the same issue.
Solution 1, modifying the opensim.conf works well for me except of two issues remaining:

The text "Simulate" and "Motion" in toolbar doesn't change the font size.
The other text in toolbar scale up but for example "Time" and "Speed" is partly hidden and shown as "Ti..." and "Sp..." because the toolbar doesn't resize in same ratio than the font. I've added a comparison file.

Would be very nice if changing the font type find it's way to Edit > Preferences

2021_09_24_font_size_comparison_opensim_4.3_win10_x64.jpg (35.26 KiB) Viewed 1649 times

[Catherine Scarbrough]

Tried both different methods to fix this issue, when I change the .conf file the program won't open anymore. When I tried to change it from the properties way then it opens but in a space I cannot access from my screen. Is there a different way to fix the font size problem?

[Sebastian Neuberg]

If OpenSim doesn't open after changing the opensim.conf you have and error within your .conf file.
Please find the full content of my opensim.conf below, which works on Windows 10:

Code: Select all

# ${HOME} will be replaced by user home directory according to platform
default_userdir="${HOME}/.${APPNAME}/4.3"
default_mac_userdir="${HOME}/Library/Application Support/${APPNAME}/dev"

# options used by the launcher by default, can be overridden by explicit
# command line switches
default_options="--branding opensim -J-Xms24m -J-Xmx1024m -J-Dsun.java2d.ddoffscreen=false -J-Dsun.java2d.gdiblit=false -J-Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true -J-Duser.language=en -J-Dopensim.buildnumber=4.3 --fontsize 14"
# for development purposes you may wish to append: -J-Dnetbeans.logger.console=true -J-ea

# default location of JDK/JRE, can be overridden by using --jdkhome <dir> switch
jdkhome="jdk"

# clusters' paths separated by path.separator (semicolon on Windows, colon on Unices)
#extra_clusters=

The modification " --fontsize 14" is added to the end of line 7. Note that this parameter, except of others in the conf file, has no equal sign.

[Joanna Laing]

Tried Option 2 with Windows 11 and XPS 15 and it worked spledidly. Thanks for the suggestion. didn't try option 1

[Bruce MacWilliams]

My screens have 3840x2160 native resolution. Fonts are indeed tiny without a fix. Note that changes to Windows accessibility settings - my first attempt - does not change anything. Using the second approach here, and trying multiple options within the DPI compatibility settings, you do indeed get larger text, but the screen resolution is non-native and therefore suboptimal, leading to blurring of the text. Using the first option, native screen resolution is retained and fonts are crisp. I had to use a font size of 20 to make OpenSim look like other programs.