DPI Scaling & Screen Orientation Tip

[DrRisk]

I wanted to share something that has helped me out and could potentially help others.

 

I'm still in the setup/configuration stage of my Vpin and as a result I'm finding I need to alter scripts, download files, etc. all while trying to view it on a 43in 4k playfield.  My playfield monitor is rotated in a portrait fashion but in Windows it is in Landscape.  This makes trying to type and view things a challenge without rotating my screen back and forth.  Not to mention the text is so small in most cases that trying to do anything is frustrating at best.

 

Any way after way too much time spent in these forums and google I found a couple of tools that helped me tremendously.

SetDPI and Display  I am not the author of either of these and take no credit (or blame if they don't work for you  ) just sharing them out.

 

I added these to my pinup popper startup and exit scripts.  When launching into Popper I use SetDPI to make sure I'm at 100% scaling mode on both monitors.  I then use Display to set my screen orientation back to 0 and confirm my backglass monitor is in the proper x/y coordinates.   When popper exits it then does the reverse and increases my scaling on my 4k screen to 200% and rotates it back to portrait.  I found this method was far easier than trying to have to edit table after table if I had tried to leave Windows in portrait mode.  

 

 

The beauty of this is since it is done prior to popper launching and after popper exiting it doesn't screw up any of the display settings within.

 

In addition to this I also wrote a short Powershell script to force kill Popper and VPX should I end up in some weird state and have one or more windows running in the background.  

 

This script also sets my scaling and rotation back.  

 

Finally this is all tied together with some AHK scripting so that I can launch popper or brute force kill it with a few keystrokes

CTRL Alt 1 Launches

CTRL Alt 2 Kills

CTRL Alt E opens the Popper Config

I'm by no means an expert in scripting so I'm sure there are better ways of doing some of this so if you have suggestions I'm open to feedback.  Also if you find this post and it helps you let me know.

 

Now time to put the keyboard away and play

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by DrRisk
added screenshots

[tschacht]

Thanks for this.   This gives me some ideas to try.   I'm in this never-ending 'config' state of my cab, and I despise having to resort to keyboard.       I will definitely map your 'killscript' to one of my cab's buttons.   If popper (either front end or even a PUP pack) doesn't shut down correctly, it is no bueno.    

[DrRisk]

Yeah that was a big issue I was facing as well.  I've since added the future pinball executable to the script as well since I've started playing a few games on there.  

[tschacht]

I added the backglass server to mine since sometimes that was hanging after running the script:

 

Quote

taskkill /IM B2SBackglassServerEXE.exe /f

 

[Sinizin]

This is what I've been searching for but it didn't work for me. Is it cuz I'm a desktop user? I just don't like having to always change my DPI to 100% and back to 300%. I'm playing on a 75" 4k TV so even putting it to 100% DPI makes the mouse so slow and sluggish. 

I love the idea of a script changing my DPI back and forth once I start and end the game. Maybe a different script for me? I have NO clue about scripts lol. I have my visual pinball in my e drive, would that make a difference?

 

Thanks for any help!

[outhere]

@DrRisk  SetDPI Will not Run on my Windows 10 setup

[SuperRob]

Just wanted to say thanks for this topic. I vastly prefer 200% scaling for my 4K screen, and being able to have the orientation rotated so it looks "normal" while in Windows and then set all the correct scaling and orientation in Popper automatically is a big plus for me. Thanks! 

[Sahel]

On 8/6/2022 at 6:57 AM, DrRisk said:

I wanted to share something that has helped me out and could potentially help others.

 

I'm still in the setup/configuration stage of my Vpin and as a result I'm finding I need to alter scripts, download files, etc. all while trying to view it on a 43in 4k playfield.  My playfield monitor is rotated in a portrait fashion but in Windows it is in Landscape.  This makes trying to type and view things a challenge without rotating my screen back and forth.  Not to mention the text is so small in most cases that trying to do anything is frustrating at best.

 

Any way after way too much time spent in these forums and google I found a couple of tools that helped me tremendously.

SetDPI and Display  I am not the author of either of these and take no credit (or blame if they don't work for you  ) just sharing them out.

 

I added these to my pinup popper startup and exit scripts.  When launching into Popper I use SetDPI to make sure I'm at 100% scaling mode on both monitors.  I then use Display to set my screen orientation back to 0 and confirm my backglass monitor is in the proper x/y coordinates.   When popper exits it then does the reverse and increases my scaling on my 4k screen to 200% and rotates it back to portrait.  I found this method was far easier than trying to have to edit table after table if I had tried to leave Windows in portrait mode.  

 

 

The beauty of this is since it is done prior to popper launching and after popper exiting it doesn't screw up any of the display settings within.

 

In addition to this I also wrote a short Powershell script to force kill Popper and VPX should I end up in some weird state and have one or more windows running in the background.  

 

This script also sets my scaling and rotation back.  

 

Finally this is all tied together with some AHK scripting so that I can launch popper or brute force kill it with a few keystrokes

CTRL Alt 1 Launches

CTRL Alt 2 Kills

CTRL Alt E opens the Popper Config

I'm by no means an expert in scripting so I'm sure there are better ways of doing some of this so if you have suggestions I'm open to feedback.  Also if you find this post and it helps you let me know.

 

Now time to put the keyboard away and play

 

 

 

This would help me as well. But besides making a bat file, I don't have the faintest idea on how to make startup or closing  script.

[CinnamonBun]

Emil did a video on this so have a look at Way of the Wrench on YT.