Text size of Steam and in-game UI using high resolutions

virginityrocks · 07-22-2009, 06:58 PM

I have corrected 20/20 vision, and I am using a 52" 1080p LCD screen as my monitor at 1920x1080, and I am finding it extremely hard to read anything steam-related. The text becomes so god damn small at high resolutions, and as far as I know there is no option to increase it. It's especially difficult when trying to find a server when the text size is 6pt and I can't tell if the map says 2fort or Well, and if it says 32/32 or 22/32 players.

Let's see an option to increase text size?

virginityrocks · 07-24-2009, 12:55 PM

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Vithigar · 07-24-2009, 01:31 PM

My vision is slightly worse than 20/20, even corrected. I use a 23" screen at 1680x1050, and have no problems reading Steam at all.

From what you're saying I assume you're using an HDTV as your monitor. Are you sure that it's 1080p native? It's possible it just supports 1080 inputs, but its native resolution is 1366x768, which would make small text at higher resolutions blurred.

B.A.D.**A$$** · 07-25-2009, 02:23 PM

I have a 24" 1080p native.
There needs to be an option to change text size on steam.

MeestaNob! · 07-27-2009, 02:43 AM

Absolutely SHOULD be an option to scale text larger no matter the resolution, but especially at ultra high res.

eram · 07-27-2009, 07:27 AM

Go to your Steam install folder ,locate and open the steamscheme.res file in notepad/wordpad

C:\Program Files\Steam\skins\(skin name)\Resource

Once in the steamscheme.res do a find for "fonts"

In the fonts section you can go along each line and raise the values to increase the font size.
Remember to save the edited file and restart steam.

Your new font sizes should be applied and looking larger.

jmccaskey · 07-27-2009, 07:42 PM

Sounds like the OP may actually be complaining about the TF2 in-game UI rather than the Steam overlay UI.

However, both have somewhat small fonts at high resolution. It's not easy to just support scaling the fonts as it affects all kinds of control layout (ie, width/height/overlfow/etc) as well.

Your best bet currently is to decrease your resolution a little bit if you find things hard to read. You can also edit your scheme file as suggested above, but this will cause some layout issues.

Blackops · 07-27-2009, 08:22 PM

I had this sort of problem years ago. I changed video drivers and for some reason it helped a lot. Its just an option, but I'd make it a last resort sort of thing.

I'd try what eram said first.

JazzyMusicK · 07-28-2009, 11:40 PM

Cleartype for windows helps!

07-29-2009, 04:23 AM

hmm, its still quite readable on a laptop screen 17" 1920*1200, so it should be definatly readable at 52", maybe go sit a bit closer?

Varsity · 07-29-2009, 05:21 AM

The resolution of the screen is irrelevant: it's the DPI (dots per inch) that affects the real-world size of elements. Unfortunately very few custom UI systems take account of it, Valve's included.

Most screens are 72 DPI, but mine is 96. I suspect the OPs is higher, or else he's sitting further from the screen.

Vista looks like it'll be able to scale Steam windows up when a high DPI is selected, but XP can't. I'm going to fiddle around with its settings a bit now.

Varsity · 07-29-2009, 11:08 AM

Damn - it doesn't work. Seems VGUI is too exotic for Windows to tamper with.

Vithigar · 07-30-2009, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Varsity

The resolution of the screen is irrelevant: it's the DPI (dots per inch) that affects the real-world size of elements. Unfortunately very few custom UI systems take account of it, Valve's included.

Most screens are 72 DPI, but mine is 96. I suspect the OPs is higher, or else he's sitting further from the screen.

Vista looks like it'll be able to scale Steam windows up when a high DPI is selected, but XP can't. I'm going to fiddle around with its settings a bit now.

Not quite. DPI and resolution are closely related, as DPI is pixels divided by size. The original poster's 52" screen (typically 25.5" x 45.3") at 1080p has a DPI of about 42. (1080 lines / 25.5"). If all you were saying is correct then he should have no issues whatsoever in reading the text.

I maintain that if the text is blurred he is viewing it at 1080i. Interlacing typically wrecks havoc on small text readability.

edit: As an aside, my laptop has a screen DPI of about 125, and I have no issues reading Steam's text there.

virginityrocks · 07-30-2009, 06:20 PM

My TV specs: http://www.samsung.com/us/support/sp...A540&menu=spec
As you can see, I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't speed over one thousand dollars on something I wasn't fully aware the specs of.

Screen Size
52.0" (1)

Aspect Ratio
Widescreen

Resolution
1920 x 1080

Dynamic Contrast Ratio
35,000:1

Viewing Angle
178 / 178

Response Time
5 ms

DNIe?
Yes

LCD 120Hz
No

Native Resolution
1080p

Vithigar · 07-30-2009, 06:28 PM

Never said you were an idiot, nor did you previously mention anywhere the price of your TV. There is no need to be so defensive.

Are there any smoothing or filtering options on the TV itself that you can try turning off?

07-22-2009, 06:58 PM	#1
virginityrocks Join Date: Jun 2006 Reputation: 70 Posts: 500	Text size of Steam and in-game UI using high resolutions I have corrected 20/20 vision, and I am using a 52" 1080p LCD screen as my monitor at 1920x1080, and I am finding it extremely hard to read anything steam-related. The text becomes so god damn small at high resolutions, and as far as I know there is no option to increase it. It's especially difficult when trying to find a server when the text size is 6pt and I can't tell if the map says 2fort or Well, and if it says 32/32 or 22/32 players. Let's see an option to increase text size?

07-27-2009, 07:27 AM	#6
eram Volunteer Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Reputation: 11801 Posts: 42,921	Go to your Steam install folder ,locate and open the steamscheme.res file in notepad/wordpad C:\Program Files\Steam\skins\(skin name)\Resource Once in the steamscheme.res do a find for "fonts" In the fonts section you can go along each line and raise the values to increase the font size. Remember to save the edited file and restart steam. Your new font sizes should be applied and looking larger. Last edited by eram: 07-27-2009 at 07:29 AM.

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07-24-2009, 12:55 PM	#2
virginityrocks Join Date: Jun 2006 Reputation: 70 Posts: 500	bumpbumpbumpbumpbumpbump

07-24-2009, 01:31 PM	#3
Vithigar Join Date: Nov 2007 Reputation: 26 Posts: 447	My vision is slightly worse than 20/20, even corrected. I use a 23" screen at 1680x1050, and have no problems reading Steam at all. From what you're saying I assume you're using an HDTV as your monitor. Are you sure that it's 1080p native? It's possible it just supports 1080 inputs, but its native resolution is 1366x768, which would make small text at higher resolutions blurred.

07-25-2009, 02:23 PM	#4
B.A.D.A$$ Join Date: Sep 2003 Reputation: 0 Posts: 70	I have a 24" 1080p native. There needs to be an option to change text size on steam.

07-27-2009, 02:43 AM	#5
MeestaNob! Join Date: Sep 2007 Reputation: 2 Posts: 472	Absolutely SHOULD be an option to scale text larger no matter the resolution, but especially at ultra high res.

07-27-2009, 07:42 PM	#7
jmccaskey Valve Join Date: Nov 2006 Reputation: 2027 Posts: 2,452	Sounds like the OP may actually be complaining about the TF2 in-game UI rather than the Steam overlay UI. However, both have somewhat small fonts at high resolution. It's not easy to just support scaling the fonts as it affects all kinds of control layout (ie, width/height/overlfow/etc) as well. Your best bet currently is to decrease your resolution a little bit if you find things hard to read. You can also edit your scheme file as suggested above, but this will cause some layout issues.

07-27-2009, 08:22 PM	#8
Blackops Join Date: Feb 2008 Reputation: 1356 Posts: 4,491	I had this sort of problem years ago. I changed video drivers and for some reason it helped a lot. Its just an option, but I'd make it a last resort sort of thing. I'd try what eram said first.

07-28-2009, 11:40 PM	#9
JazzyMusicK Join Date: Mar 2009 Reputation: 109 Posts: 723	Cleartype for windows helps!

07-29-2009, 04:23 AM	#10
stino Guest Posts: n/a	hmm, its still quite readable on a laptop screen 17" 1920*1200, so it should be definatly readable at 52", maybe go sit a bit closer?

07-29-2009, 05:21 AM	#11
Varsity Join Date: Jun 2004 Reputation: 489 Posts: 17,360	The resolution of the screen is irrelevant: it's the DPI (dots per inch) that affects the real-world size of elements. Unfortunately very few custom UI systems take account of it, Valve's included. Most screens are 72 DPI, but mine is 96. I suspect the OPs is higher, or else he's sitting further from the screen. Vista looks like it'll be able to scale Steam windows up when a high DPI is selected, but XP can't. I'm going to fiddle around with its settings a bit now.

07-29-2009, 11:08 AM	#12
Varsity Join Date: Jun 2004 Reputation: 489 Posts: 17,360	Damn - it doesn't work. Seems VGUI is too exotic for Windows to tamper with.

07-30-2009, 06:20 PM	#14
virginityrocks Join Date: Jun 2006 Reputation: 70 Posts: 500	My TV specs: http://www.samsung.com/us/support/sp...A540&menu=spec As you can see, I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't speed over one thousand dollars on something I wasn't fully aware the specs of. Screen Size 52.0" (1) Aspect Ratio Widescreen Resolution 1920 x 1080 Dynamic Contrast Ratio 35,000:1 Viewing Angle 178 / 178 Response Time 5 ms DNIe? Yes LCD 120Hz No Native Resolution 1080p

07-30-2009, 06:28 PM	#15
Vithigar Join Date: Nov 2007 Reputation: 26 Posts: 447	Never said you were an idiot, nor did you previously mention anywhere the price of your TV. There is no need to be so defensive. Are there any smoothing or filtering options on the TV itself that you can try turning off?