Custom scaling for HUD messages etc.

[Graf Zahl]

Currently there is the choice between scaling to a virtual 320x200 screen or drawing it unscaled. The problem is that the first option is far too large for the text output of many WADs and the second one is almost unreadably tiny on a 1280x1024 screen.

There should be a scaling factor with which the virtual screen size can be specified precisely. I'd really like to scale this text to a virtual 640x400 screen to make it comfortably readable without making it too large.

[David Ferstat]

Seconded.

After playing ReX's Darkest Hour, at 1024x768 on my 20-inch monitor, I can quite cheerfully say that normal HUD-message text can be a right pain to read.

[justin024]

I use a generic script for all my maps that keeps the HUD message text from being too big or small (that's the idea anyway). I know this isn't exactly what you are asking for, and having that feature would eliminate the need for this, but it seems to work good enough for new custom wads.

Check it out here:
http://e.domaindlx.com/justin0000/zdoom ... ry.asp?t=3

[Graf Zahl]

But not for pickup messages, locked doors etc. And not for those WADs by all those people who just don't care about eyestrain (which is the vast majority!)

Anyway, Since I got really pissed off by a WAD where I was unable to read all the text due to its size and duration I decided to fix this myself. Most of it already works and as soon as I have tested the rest I'll post it here. Overall time to do this: 1.5 hours!

[Graf Zahl]

And here it is.

Seems to work all fine. (Please don't tell me about the scaling artifacts but IMO they are still preferable to unreadable text. 640x400 looks ok on 1280x1024.) It also fixes the following bug because it needs that working:

http://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?t=6014

I decided to use a list of fixed sizes to choose from instead of setting them freely though (It made it easier to put it in the menu.)

There is one open question left though: Should ACS's GetWidth/GetHeight functions reflect this setting or not? I left it out for now because I'm not sure.

[Belial]

After seeing ST's text+hud scaling I can say: fuck it. I'd rather have a small hud that looks good than ST's crappy overscaled graphics.

Never had trouble reading anything in ZDoom (1600x1200, 21')

[justin024]

I say forget getwidth/getheight/sethudsize if you have control over it up front

[Graf Zahl]

After seeing ST's text+hud scaling I can say: fuck it. I'd rather have a small hud that looks good than ST's crappy overscaled graphics.

Never had trouble reading anything in ZDoom (1600x1200, 21')

Yeah, just because you have such great eyes you say 'fuck it'? How enlightened!

Yes, I know that there are scaling issues but:

1. I have severe problems reading that tiny font in 1280x1024. In fact it makes several WADs which use lots of text extremely hard to play for me.
2. There are WADs which have been designed with a specific HUD size (best example: The Darkest Hour misison pack.) and look like shit with everything else.
3. Scaling it to 320x200 will break most WADs using HUD messages because they are designed for a larger screen.

So it is clear that:

-There has to be some option to do some scaling because for some people the text becomes close to unreadable
-The current option of scaling to 320x200 is useless
-Just offering pixel doubling is also insufficient (because the aforementioned DH mission pack requires a minimum HUD size of 1024x768)

Bottom line: If you don't like it, don't use it but if you have problems with the current implementation in some way you will appreciate it very much!
It's an OPTION after all!

[Belial]

OK, if it's an option, fine. But it will be a hassle to come up with a working solution.

[Graf Zahl]

What do you mean by 'working solution'? It works but if you scale a graphic from, say 800x600 to 1280x1024 without any filtering there will unavoidably be scaling artifacts.

[Belial]

By working solution I mean a working alternative to scaling.

[Graf Zahl]

There is only one: Larger fonts!