Windows 8.1 DPI Scaling workaround...

Engines, Libraries and Tools
#1

For those who updated to Windows 8.1, you probably noticed the new DPI scaling functionnality. It does exactly what Apple did when they introduced retina display. If your application isn’t supporting hi-res DPI scaling, then the OS scale up natively your application to match the DPI requested by the user.

The problem has been explained here for games : http://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/1oor43/windows_81_warning_for_gamers_issues_with/

Normally it shouldn’t be a problem, but for some reason, it might break your game in some ways like it did for my game. I’m using Slick2D and Netbeans. When I launched or debuged from netbeans I encountered the following problems :

  • Fullscreen’s no longer functionnal, or very low FPS;
  • Windowed made the image blurry and FPS drop.
  • Netbeans interface was scaled down and blurry

Here’s the workaround :

  • Go into your netbeans directory (mine is C:\Program Files\NetBeans 7.3.1)
  • Go into the bin directory
  • Right click on netbeans.exe and select properties
  • Under compatibility tab, just check the option “Disable display scaling on high DPI settings”. Do not select Windows 8 or 7 compatibility setting or netbeans will no longer run.
  • Repeat this process for netbeans64.exe
  • Restart netbeans

Now, when you launch your game from netbeans, it should be like before.

It should be a temporary fix until netbean’s dev team fix the problem. I’ve not found a workaround for the jar execution of my game yet because I’m not distributing my game, and I didn’t have time to investigate. If you have a clue, let us know!

Enjoy.

#2

I don’t think it’s just 8.1, I’ve been having these blurred problems with chrome since I first got windows 8 (fixed it using the same workaround as you).

#3

here is my workaround: use Windows 7.

#4

Windows 8 isn’t that bad if you try it. I use it as my main OS and its actually faster than 7, and its easier to find files/start up programs etc…

#5

Yeah, W8 is faster and uses less RAM. This is why I like this os better than W7 or XP.

I found that you can deactivate the DPI scaling completely for all applications in the Screen resolution dialog. Go to “Make text and other item larger or smaller” and check “Let me choose one scaling level…” and select 100% if you want no scaling at all.

I just wonder what my game will look like for people who will play it on W8.1 without disabling this feature … I hope to find a solution so they won’t notice anything. Maybe the game libraries will need to care of this new feature…

#6

Another way is to show a warning message for users that are using windows 8.1 to manually disable dpi scaling.

Can you show a screenshot of the problem?

#7

The warning isn’t a good idea because the user may want to use this feature, it could bother him to have to deactivate it everytime he wants to play. In fact, this new feature is desirable for those who have a HD notebook screen and a normal secondary screen. I read that it is possible to tell to the OS that your application take care of the DPI scaling itself. I just wonder if Java can handle this thing at the moment.

Here’s a screenshot of the problem, I compressed the JPEG to max quality. Just compare netbeans with notepad++ behind. Notepad++ is blurry while Netbeans is pixel accurate (Netbeans here has DPI scaling disabled).

DPI scaling problem : http://www.java-gaming.org/user-generated-content/members/91710/capture.jpg

#8

Common myth.

[quote]Microsoft seemed to hit full stride with Windows 7, developing a fast and efficient operating system. Thankfully it seems Windows 8 continues to build on that pattern as we found it to be on par with and occasionally faster than 7.
[/quote]

[quote]Most of the other tests saw little to no difference between the two operating systems.
[/quote]

[quote]From a performance standpoint Windows 8 appears to offer a solid foundation from the get-go. Although there are only a few select areas where it is faster than Windows 7
[/quote]
No enough for me to suffer through metro and having no start button, for no reason :smiley:

#9

[quote]No enough for me to suffer through metro and having no start button, for no reason :smiley:
[/quote]
Honestly, what do you hate about metro so much? The charms tool bar is super nice, it allows me to select what I’m searching for, so I can choose files or programs and sort out the stuff I don’t want to see, it lets me quickly sleep my computer, search for text in supported programs and easily interact with the devices attached to my computer, all with a minimal amount of clicks or keyboard strokes. Sure, it may not be created with the keyboard and mouse in mind, but it works just as fine. As for metro, yeah it looks weird, but I use it as a quick launch screen to pin all my programs too. Then all I have to do is hit the windows key and open the program I want instead of sorting through a programs list like in windows 7.

#10

Its made for touch, because Microsoft is too lazy and incompetent to develop two working polished OSs for 2 types of devices, like ios and osx.
If you want everything you will end up with nothing. As evident by the huge windows8/metro hate.
Especially removing the start button which has been burned into our brains for 15 years. Smart move

#11

Ok, I’ll agree with you on some of that.

Yes, the two OSs definitely don’t interface very well together. That’s something that I notice everyday, but I’ve learned to live with it. There’s nothing really wrong, it just doesn’t look great.

As for the start button, honestly, if people can’t learn how to operate without it, then that’s honestly sad. The start screen in windows 8 is essentially the same, and the search function in the charms bar is, at least I think, more powerful than the previous search boxes.

Its all personal preference though. So I won’t say you’re wrong for thinking windows 8 is bad. But the start button isn’t that big of a deal, its just hidden now.

#12

@Cero : This thread isn’t about W7 being better than W8 or Linux being better than MSDOS or whatever. Everyone has his arguments in favor of one or the other and most of the time it is based on preferences or specific needs. I hoped you to notice that it doesn’t help to fix the problem stated above.

#13

He asked… I’m sorry u_u

#14

I’d never looked at Win8 prior to a couple of weeks ago when I was setting up a machine for someone. I stared at the new interface like “a deer caught in headlines” for a couple of minutes, then went on the web and five minutes later it looked just like Win7. Let’s not be crybabies about nothing. I can’t stand that new-ish ubuntu “thing”…big deal. This kinda junk is targeting Joe Average, we’re supposed to be a little more computer literate then them.