Ship Simulator
English forum => Ship Simulator 2008 => General discussions => Topic started by: Cdt Stubbing on February 20, 2009, 18:21:13
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I've noticed something strange while playing in various resolutions on my 30" panel. The compass on the information bar gets squashed sometimes, and it doesn't seem to be directly related to the in-game resolution or aspect ratio - maybe it's the pixel count ?...
Here's a list of resolutions sorted by aspect ratios and how the compass looks in each :
4:3 resolutions
1600x1200 - ok
(http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/4483/compass1600x1200vg2.png)
1920x1440 - squashed
(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/3998/compass1920x1440ss7.jpg)
2048x1536 - squashed
(http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3196/compass2048x1536jk4.jpg)
16:10 resolutions
1680x1050 - ok
(http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/6251/compass1680x1050ij9.jpg)
1920x1200 -ok
(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7684/compass1920x1200he1.jpg)
2560x1600 (my native res) - squashed
(http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5405/compass2560x1600ij0.jpg)
16:9 resolutions
1600x900 - ok
(http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/1408/compass1600x900jc8.jpg)
1920x1080 - ok
(http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/9125/compass1920x1080ni7.jpg)
15:4 (equivalent to classic TripleHead2Go i.e 3x 5:4)
2560x682 - ok
(http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7254/compass2560x683ob8.jpg)
So it seems the compass always gets squashed somewhere between 1920x1200 and 1920x1440, as the pixel count goes beyond 2.500.000 independently of the aspect ratio. Strange stuff.
Any chance to have this fixed in a future patch ? ;) Edit : no.
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When you say “squashed†do you mean that the chart is distorted by an incorrect aspect ratio, or simply smaller than you would like? If the latter, there is nothing to be fixed.
You can always show the chart full screen if necessary. Why did you post the images on Image Shack rather than simply placing them in the post where they could be viewed more easily?
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Hi Cdt Stubbing.
This isn't really a technical Support question, more of a "ooh, look!" sort of thing.
I'll move this to General Discussions for you. You'll probably get lots more feedback there.
Here are some links that you may find useful:
The Posting Guidelines. These will help you determine where to post about a specific subject -
http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php/topic,11578.0.html
The Help Page. To assist you with forum posting, and the more advanced features on the forum -
http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php?action=help
The Forum Rules. To help you make informed decisions regarding posting - http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php/topic,26.0.html
The Search function. A very useful tool to help you find the answer to that elusive question -
http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php?action=search
The Tutorials board. Check here for guides that cover common questions -
http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php/board,35.0.html
The FAQ's and Announcements board. Check here for answers to commonly asked questions. Also a useful source for the latest information regarding Ship Simulator development - http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php/board,1.0.html
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Hi Cdt Stubbing.
This isn't really a technical Support question, more of an "ooh, look!" sort of thing.
I'll move this to General Discussions for you. You'll probably get lots more feedback there.
Terry made a grammar mistake! ::)
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Actually the mistake is yours.. :)
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Dawg 1, Star 0.
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Terry made an grammar mistake! ::)
OMG Firestar made a grammar mistake. ROFL.. You know there is a use for "a".
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No, I didn't alter the post to make it look like he did a typo. I was saying he should have said an instead of a.
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No, I didn't alter the post to make it look like he did a typo. I was saying he should have said an instead of a.
Then that is what you should have said instead of redacting the quote.
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In retrospect, seems like Terry made an mistake.. :)
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We should really get back on topic shouldn't we?
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It’s probably a dead topic because the starter never said exactly what was wrong.
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I see what's wrong.
Look in the upper left in the info bar.
THAT compass.
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He means the compas at the information panel...fools..cmon!?? :sleepy:
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He means the compas at the information panel...fools..cmon!?? :sleepy:
A tad late :P
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As I said, he has supplied neither decent pictures nor a complete description of what he is complaining about.
Is he, for instance, using a display aspect ratio that is not the same as the aspect ratio of his panel?
I see no letterboxing to indicate that he is running in a “preserve aspect ratio†mode. Usually that requires HDMI for NVIDIA adapters unless the display itself offers that feature—most do not.
In any case—as Terry indicated—it is not an issue that VSTEP is likely to address. Since he has all of those display options, he can simply pick one that looks right to him.
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Alright! Case solved :lol:
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Glad to see its been answered. Now for the chatter phase:
Wot? Grandma mistake? Never! Actually, under English Grammar rules, the "a" is the precursor to the word "mistake", not the quoted text. So I was precisely correct.
American pigeon English may be different.
But my wife says not...
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Glad to see its been resolved. Now for the chatter phase:
Wot? Grandma mistake? Never! Actually, under English Grammar rules, the "a" is the precursor to the word "mistake", not the quoted text. So I was precisely correct.
American pigeon English may be different.
But my wife says not...
Thats American CONDOR not pigeon. ;D
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As I said, he has supplied neither decent pictures nor a complete description of what he is complaining about.
Is he, for instance, using a display aspect ratio that is not the same as the aspect ratio of his panel?
I see no letterboxing to indicate that he is running in a “preserve aspect ratio†mode. Usually that requires HDMI for NVIDIA adapters unless the display itself offers that feature—most do not.
In any case—as Terry indicated—it is not an issue that VSTEP is likely to address. Since he has all of those display options, he can simply pick one that looks right to him.
Wow, and I thought I had done a decent job putting my original post together... :-\
-a compass : first image fetched by googoole
(http://www.solarnavigator.net/images/compass_pocket.jpg)
So yeah, it's the gizmo in the information bar on the top left of the game screen I'm talking about.
-squashed : the compass does not look like a circle, but an ellipse in certain high resolutions.
(http://www.clausentech.com/lchs/dclausen/algebra2/lecture_notes/conics/vertical_ellipse.jpg)
-decent pictures : The pictures in my post are clickable thumbnails, you have to see them in actual size to see the compass. (Sorry if you're not familiar with imageshack, I use it a lot.)
-my native resolution is 2560x1600, which is a 16:10 aspect ratio. Please read my original post, you'll understand that the issue has nothing to do with it : the compass is squashed beyond a certain pixel count and looks ok in all aspect ratios below this point.
Concerning letterboxing, HDMI and whatnot, you're sailing in dangerous waters sir, as it seems you don't really know what you're talking about. No offense ;) but
1) fullscreen screenshots can't show the "letterboxing".
2) if this was a scaling problem, screenshots would look different from what I get on screen : e.g a 16:9 resolution would stretch vertically to fill my 16:10 display, deforming the whole game screen; the screenshot however would look correct.
3) my 30" panel works on a dual-link DVI port, and nvidia scaling requires any digital interface, not HDMI.
-I understand why you don't consider this a technical issue, but please, please try and understand the problem before you say it's solved or irrelevant.
Yes, it appears you need a 1920x1440 capable monitor or a TripleHead setup to be able to experience this glitch; feel free not to care. I was just reporting the issue, not whining. 8)
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Re: "decent pictures", I suspect that others had the same problem as I did. The images shown in your post are too small to make out many details. When I clicked on the images, I just got a page from Image Shack (attached), and still couldn't see the details. So I can't offer any opinion.
Perhaps you could amend your post and upload the actual images, as Marty requested?
Next time, you might want to check that your images perform as you intended?
Thanks.
I suspect that it is caused by the panel having a fixed height in pixels. I could be wrong, though.
PS It's still not a Technical Support issue. You may not like the way it shows on your screen, but that's a different matter, which is why I moved it to somewhere that you might be able to obtain enlightenment.
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Hi Terry,
The compass on the HUD has begun to depart noticeably from circular at a native resolution as low as 1920 X 1200. That is probably a consequence of the fact that it is not drawn by the same method as the rose on the chart—which remains circular. It was meant for a 4:3 aspect ratio.
This is not a new discovery, but is almost un-noticed at that resolution. Because that compass is seldom of much use—the numeric readouts on the HUD and the rose on the chart are better—it is of minor interest. It certainly does not demand a special patch.
The same departure from circular is present at the lower resolutions in 16:10—1680x1050 and 1440X900. It would appear to be dependent on aspect ratio at all resolutions—but only apparent to the careless observer at the higher resolutions.
One cannot detect it well in tiny pictures, but by taking a full-res shot in a graphics editor and measuring the pixel dimensions, one can.
Regards,
Marty
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Hi Marty.
I'm using dual 28" LCD monitors for Ship Simulator. Each is running at 1920*1200, giving twice that width, of course, in total. I hadn't noticed the effect, but to be honest I was probably concentrating on other things, as you suggest.
I just couldn't tell from the thumbnail images in the original post...
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Hi Terry,
Here is the chart rose placed over the HUD compass from the same screenshot at 1920x1200.
The departure is small, but measurable in pixels in the editor.
Regards,
Marty
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Thanks, Marty.
I doubt I'd ever notice it. Even after you've pointed it out, I don't see enough of a departure that I'd notice.
At higher resolutions I might, but my old eyes want bigger writing, so 1920*1200 is my limit.
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Hi Terry,
Even after going to the unnecessary trouble of opening his image shack pictures full screen, the worst case squoze does not make the HUD compass unusable for its only real purpose—to see the relative vectors.
Remember the guy who claimed that the Marseilles chart was buggy because he ran aground? After two pages of argument, he admitted that his display could not show the light blue. We do get them, from time to time.
Regards,
Marty
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Gentlemen, I really didn't intend to get on your nerves. Maybe I sounded bitter after seeing my topic turned into a grammar war :lol:
You're right, opening the full-size pictures takes more than a single click. I've now done what I should have since the beginning : isolated the compass from each screenshot. Was quicker than I thought, and everything sure becomes clearer. Please take a look a that first post again.
I have not counted pixels, but to me the compass still looks either "ok" or "squashed", not "more or less squashed". Anyway, Marty enlightened me on the causes of the problem, which is all I wanted. So it's nothing new, alright. Sorry for the misunderstandings & thanks for bearing with me !
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My Grandma doesn't fight wars....
I guess that the bottom line is "yep, they do". Which is what I said right at the start. But I still don't notice it in any of the resolutions I've tried. Oh well...
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Terry, perhaps you are gifted with an uncorrected astigmatism.
Cdt, Hijacking of posts is an unfortunate occurrence on this forum.
I often get grumpy whenever someone asks for a patch. A few hours spent reading past posts might explain why, but it’s simpler just to assume that I’m always that way.
Regards,
Marty
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I think it's that although I have some very large screens, I don't run them at terribly high resolutions. That way the problem isn't very noticeable.
Or my brain is determined to ignore things it know I'm not worried about. We have a good working relationship.
PS when you and I first started speaking to each other, I did indeed trawl through the forum reading past conversations. Amidst the death threats, condemnations of your soul and general abuse, I found that I understood your humour. Enjoyed it ever since.
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I found that I understood your humour. Enjoyed it ever since.
I suppose, as a friend, I should urge you to seek help—but, alas, I so desperately need to be understood by someone.
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I suppose, as a friend, I should urge you to seek help—but, alas, I so desperately need to be understood by someone.
Are you forgetting someone who needs it more? ::)