Go Back   Cockos Incorporated Forums > REAPER Forums > REAPER Feature Requests

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-03-2015, 02:40 PM   #1
thebigcheese
Human being with feelings
 
thebigcheese's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MD, USA
Posts: 131
Default Better compatibility with high DPI displays

After some discussion in the Q&A section, thought I would go ahead and post this here as an actual feature request. For starters, here is the original thread: http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=160966

What it boils down to is this: when using Reaper on a high-DPI display (pretty much anything above 1080p, like a 2k or 4k monitor), the UI really loses fidelity. There are some pictures to demonstrate what I'm talking about in the thread I linked to above. Basically, on higher resolution displays, Windows defaults to scaling all the UI elements (in my case, to 150%) so that they don't appear as tiny dots that are impossible to interact with (or even read). However, if an application (like Reaper) isn't designed specifically to support that scaling, the UI becomes sort of... fuzzy looking, for lack of a better phrase. Like taking a photo in Photoshop and zooming in on it. Not unusable, but not pleasant, either. On top of that, with scaling on, the graphics in Reaper take up a lot of screen real estate.

One way around that is to disable scaling. This can be done in the Windows control panel, which affects all of Windows (and is therefore not desirable) or per application. While doing that brings back the sharpness of the UI, the graphics all becomes too small to really be usable. On the plus side, because everything is smaller, I can fit more tracks on the screen.

I haven't been keeping up with all the updates coming in Reaper 5, but I do know that the latest version of Studio One specifically included better support for high-DPI screens. It would be nice to have Reaper do the same. Preferably, I would like it to set the UI somewhere between the two extremes above. Sharp and large enough to read, but small enough to take advantage of all the extra real estate a high resolution display brings.

It's a small gripe, especially since my main computer (that I actually use for recording) isn't a high-DPI display. But retina displays are becoming more and more common, so it will have to be addressed eventually.
thebigcheese is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-14-2015, 07:30 AM   #2
thebigcheese
Human being with feelings
 
thebigcheese's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MD, USA
Posts: 131
Default

No one? I mean, this doesn't even seem like a terribly involved update...
thebigcheese is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-15-2015, 05:23 PM   #3
kenz
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 339
Default

IMO high DPI displays are just marketing fluff. I may not have the best eyesight but I can barely see pixels on a "normal DPI" full HD monitor (actually I can't see them at all). I've never had or used a high DPI display, but can't you lower resolution on it to workaround this?

I believe a fully vectorized interface would take a high amount of time to complete (based on how Image Line did with FL Studio).
kenz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-16-2015, 05:07 PM   #4
thebigcheese
Human being with feelings
 
thebigcheese's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MD, USA
Posts: 131
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kenz View Post
IMO high DPI displays are just marketing fluff. I may not have the best eyesight but I can barely see pixels on a "normal DPI" full HD monitor (actually I can't see them at all). I've never had or used a high DPI display, but can't you lower resolution on it to workaround this?

I believe a fully vectorized interface would take a high amount of time to complete (based on how Image Line did with FL Studio).
I definitely notice a difference, especially in terms of reading text. But regardless of whether or not you notice the difference, it's pretty clear that screens or only going to be squeezing in more and more pixels, so it's either deal with the problem now or later. Studio One did it in their last update.
thebigcheese is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2015, 06:27 AM   #5
kenz
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 339
Default

The problem is that the plugins won't even be affected unless they're also "made for it" since they'll need to have their own vectorized interface as well.

But anyway I doubt high res displays can't be set to work at 1080p which is an easy workaround.
kenz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2015, 11:05 AM   #6
thebigcheese
Human being with feelings
 
thebigcheese's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MD, USA
Posts: 131
Default

Not really. Then it still has to scale it up, it's just done by the monitor instead of the software. And complete defeats the purpose of all the extra screen real estate offered by a high-dpi display.
thebigcheese is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2015, 05:55 AM   #7
Softsynth
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 8,696
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kenz View Post

But anyway I doubt high res displays can't be set to work at 1080p which is an easy workaround.
Scalers vary a lot in quality though so if you have to use this workaround experiment with using either Monitor scaling or GPU scaling. Sometimes the graphics card is better at it than the built in scaler and vice versa.

Downscaling is a poor workaround. All display panels work their best at their native resolution. This was a non existent issue in the CRT days as they didn't have a native resolution, though they tended to have optimal resolution. Nonetheless they had non of the scaling issues of flat panels.

Claims for better image quality from up-scaling such as viewing 1080p blu ray on a 4k screen is marketing nonsense. You might get better image quality but only because your panel is more advanced than your last one. Better scalers are about damage limitation, disguising the artefacts upscaling introduces.
Softsynth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2016, 10:16 AM   #8
kostas-tsiakiris
Human being with feelings
 
kostas-tsiakiris's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece
Posts: 1
Default any luck?

Hi guys,
I just bought a MBP 15" with retina display and my eyes really hurt when i try to work on REAPER. I tried every possible solution suggested in the forum but the problem remains.
I don't want another guy saying that hdpi isn't necessary and things like this. All I know is that my new laptop is perfect for my job and I would like my main DAW to be full compatible too.
Is there any possibility for a retina-ready REAPER to exist, or do I have to choose between REAPER and my eyes health? (and yes, working for 10 hours in the existing situation is really bad for my eyes)
kostas-tsiakiris is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2016, 10:53 AM   #9
noise_construct
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,566
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kenz View Post
IMO high DPI displays are just marketing fluff. I may not have the best eyesight but I can barely see pixels on a "normal DPI" full HD monitor (actually I can't see them at all). I've never had or used a high DPI display, but can't you lower resolution on it to workaround this?

I believe a fully vectorized interface would take a high amount of time to complete (based on how Image Line did with FL Studio).
Lol. We arent stopping at 4K either, even though it will be quite nice for many things.

Every computer program will need to adapt to wie range of portable and ultra high DPI displays in the next years, there is no way around it.


Cockos need to get their shit together as what comes to the GUI in general.
noise_construct is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2017, 06:54 AM   #10
mortimer.twist
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 14
Default

Most programs on Windows 10 are now configured to scale properly with high resolution screens, which are becoming increasingly common.

I run Reaper on my laptop, a 14" screen with 3k display. REAPER is literally one of the only apps I run that doesn't scale properly. I have two options: leave scaling on and have the elements huge and fuzzy, or disable scaling and have everything clean and crisp, but too small to see.

Reaper is excellent software but I do find this omission odd.
mortimer.twist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2017, 03:35 AM   #11
shooby
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 12
Default

I'm totally with you guys. I just purchased a laptop with 4k display and I was blown away by the sharpness of text and all. Then I opened Reaper and thought wtf!

Cockos guys. Why you do dis? Please fix!
shooby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2017, 01:20 PM   #12
TDI90
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 37
Default

Hi,

I just got a Surface Laptop and I was quite disappointed with how fuzzy Reaper looks. Disabling the high DPI setting makes it uncomfortably small to look at.

A fix would be great
TDI90 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2017, 01:34 PM   #13
Dstruct
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,480
Default

Have a look at https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=187123
Dstruct is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2018, 07:59 AM   #14
Ideosound
Human being with feelings
 
Ideosound's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: U.K
Posts: 542
Default

I am wanting to get a 4K screen soon just because they have been out for a while, not so expensive as they were and I'd like to have more screen estate. Plus I'm seeing way better resolution on everyone's else's machines and noticing how fuzzy standard resolution seems now. Majorly disappointed that we aren't seeing a transition to vector reaper themes yet as this still needs to be supported by Cockos?
Ideosound is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2018, 08:17 AM   #15
vanhaze
Human being with feelings
 
vanhaze's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 5,247
Default

I hear ya all.

IMHO, one of the major drawbacks of Reaper : Thinking you need to pay a visit to
Specsavers cause Reaper's GUI is just not sharp.

Logic Pro X, Bitwig, FL Studio OSX beta, Mulab, Studio One, Reason, all these DAW's just look wonderful (sharp) on my Dell monitor, hooked up through minidisplay port to macbook retina 2015.
I used dozens and dozens of different Themes ; some Themes seem to look abit sharper than others.
Default 5.0 retina and Default 5.0 hidpi do look as being the sharpest Themes here,(but not all GUI elements), but i just don't like the whole look of Default 5.0 Theme.

Reaper is the only DAW on my macbook that has fuzzy GUI.
__________________
Macbook Pro INTEL | Reaper, always latest version | OSX Ventura | Presonus Studio 24c
My Reaper Tips&Tricks YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/vanhaze2000/playlists
vanhaze is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2018, 08:34 AM   #16
AndyDenyer
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 10
Default

+1 to this thread.

I am currently using the custom HiDPI skin for Reaper, but I really shouldn't have to be relying on third party stuff in order for Reaper to look like the modern piece of software that it is.

Using a MacBook Pro Mid-2016.
AndyDenyer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2018, 11:23 AM   #17
Ideosound
Human being with feelings
 
Ideosound's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: U.K
Posts: 542
Default

I am thinking of getting a 4K screen and using SwitchResX (I'm on a mac) to configure different resolutions to different apps/programs. Should be able to load reaper and OSX will automatically switch to 1080 res, when you close reaper should switch back to the previous chosen desktop res. Then if I load a game or some graphics app I'd want that on full 4K res (unless not supported). I think you can set this up in Win 10 already with standard windows settings. Isn't possible without additional software in OSX. Windows wins this time!

Seems like the best solution for now. Then if (hopefully not if, but when) reaper supports vector themes then I can switch to running full res all the time. I've read 1080 res on 4k looks good, not exactly the same due to pixel shape or something. Good enough.
Ideosound is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 07:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.