Compile for high DPI (Retina) displays (remove fuzziness, blurriness)

[unexpectedpanda]

I admit, this is a hack job, but it might help someone (or give the devs an easy leg up in terms of making this official).

I've had a MacBook Pro with Retina Display on loan for about a week, and have noticed that AutoIt GUIs don't handle high DPI displays well, defaulting to DWM scaling (fuzzy, blurry upscale). See here for more information:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/patricka/archive/2010/04/15/why-does-a-high-dpi-setting-make-my-application-look-fuzzy-and-have-clipped-text.aspx

To return things to sharpness, we need to modify the manifest file, but pretty much every res hacker I used, and even Microsoft's own mt.exe tool would destroy AutoIt binaries, whether compiled with UPX or not.

As such, I've modified AutoIt3Wrapper.au3 to fit the task.

Specifically, when the user adds #AutoIt3Wrapper_Res_HiDpi=1 to the to their AutoIt3Wrapper directives, this section gets written to the manifest:

<asmv3:windowsSettings xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">
<dpiAware>true</dpiAware>
</asmv3:windowsSettings>
</asmv3:application>

The header of the manifest has also been modified to read:

<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns:asmv3="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">

Compile and replace AutoIt3Wrapper.exe, and SciTE will now be capable of compiling DPI aware GUIs. Just running Go (F5) will show normal DWM scaling, you have to compile to see the results (click to see the full-sized image to appreciate how blurry things can get).

Designing them so scaled up text doesn't run off edges, or higher resolution images are served is your own look out

AutoIt3Wrapperhack.au3

Edited August 27, 2012 by unexpectedpanda

[rkk]

Hello, I really need this but it doesn't wants to work.

Whenever I compile my script I can see at the "Compilation Log" in SciTe this error at the end:

Error: Failed to get script data from end of target file.  Skipping resource update.rc:2

My script seems to compile correctly but the Blurryness is still there, so I assume it's not working because of that error.

I'm using #AutoIt3Wrapper_Res_HiDpi=1 in the AutoIt3Wrapper section. 

Just as sidenote, even if I don't have #AutoIt3Wrapper_Res_HiDpi=1 set in the script the error still appears.

Is there any way to fix it and make HiDpi to work?

Greetings and thanks.

[mLipok]

Look in my signature.

[Jos]

Wondering why nobody requested this as a modification for the official AutoIt3Wrapper.

Guess there isn't that much people that require this.

As to your error, pretty sure I have fixed that in the my version so guess the OP needs to maintain his "hack".

Jos

Edited February 22, 2015 by Jos

[mLipok]

Jos

I reported such a request earlier, perhaps not the right way.

Besides, I have not seen this thread before.

 

So the question is whether this feature (#AutoIt3Wrapper_Res_HiDpi=1) will be added to the official version AutoIt3Wrapper.

 

It will be very useful.

 

mLipok

[Jos]

#AutoIt3Wrapper_Res_HiDpi=                      ;(Y/N) Compile for high DPI. Default=N (Idea: unexpectedpanda)

Option added to latest Beta available.

Also update files autoit3wrapper.keywords.properties & au3.autoit3wrapper.api from the Beta directory.

Jos

[mLipok]

Thanks Jos.

I just check it.

expandcollapse popup

#AutoIt3Wrapper_Res_HiDpi=Y

#include <GuiConstantsEx.au3>
#include <AVIConstants.au3>
#include <TreeViewConstants.au3>

; GUI
GUICreate("Sample GUI", 400, 400)
GUISetIcon(@SystemDir & "\mspaint.exe", 0)

; MENU
GUICtrlCreateMenu("Menu&One")
GUICtrlCreateMenu("Menu&Two")
GUICtrlCreateMenu("MenuTh&ree")
GUICtrlCreateMenu("Menu&Four")

; CONTEXT MENU
Local $iContextMenu = GUICtrlCreateContextMenu()
GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("Context Menu", $iContextMenu)
GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("", $iContextMenu) ; Separator
GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("&Properties", $iContextMenu)

; PIC
GUICtrlCreatePic("logo4.gif", 0, 0, 169, 68)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Sample Pic", 75, 1, 53, 15)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, $GUI_BKCOLOR_TRANSPARENT)
GUICtrlSetColor(-1, 0xFFFFFF)

; AVI
GUICtrlCreateAvi("SampleAVI.avi", 0, 180, 10, 32, 32, $ACS_AUTOPLAY)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Sample avi", 175, 50)

; TAB
GUICtrlCreateTab(240, 0, 150, 70)
GUICtrlCreateTabItem("One")
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Sample Tab with tabItems", 250, 40)
GUICtrlCreateTabItem("Two")
GUICtrlCreateTabItem("Three")
GUICtrlCreateTabItem("")

; COMBO
GUICtrlCreateCombo("Sample Combo", 250, 80, 120, 100)

; PROGRESS
GUICtrlCreateProgress(60, 80, 150, 20)
GUICtrlSetData(-1, 60)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Progress:", 5, 82)

; EDIT
GUICtrlCreateEdit(@CRLF & "  Sample Edit Control", 10, 110, 150, 70)

; LIST
GUICtrlCreateList("", 5, 190, 100, 90)
GUICtrlSetData(-1, "A.Sample|B.List|C.Control|D.Here", "B.List")

; ICON
GUICtrlCreateIcon("explorer.exe", 0, 175, 120)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Icon", 180, 160, 50, 20)

; LIST VIEW
Local $iListView = GUICtrlCreateListView("Sample|ListView|", 110, 190, 110, 80)
GUICtrlCreateListViewItem("A|One", $iListView)
GUICtrlCreateListViewItem("B|Two", $iListView)
GUICtrlCreateListViewItem("C|Three", $iListView)

; GROUP WITH RADIO BUTTONS
GUICtrlCreateGroup("Sample Group", 230, 120)
GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio One", 250, 140, 80)
GUICtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_CHECKED)
GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio Two", 250, 165, 80)
GUICtrlCreateGroup("", -99, -99, 1, 1) ;close group

; UPDOWN
GUICtrlCreateLabel("UpDown", 350, 115)
GUICtrlCreateInput("42", 350, 130, 40, 20)
GUICtrlCreateUpdown(-1)

; LABEL
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Green" & @CRLF & "Label", 350, 165, 40, 40)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0x00FF00)

; SLIDER
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Slider:", 235, 215)
GUICtrlCreateSlider(270, 210, 120, 30)
GUICtrlSetData(-1, 30)

; INPUT
GUICtrlCreateInput("Sample Input Box", 235, 255, 130, 20)

; DATE
GUICtrlCreateDate("", 5, 280, 200, 20)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("(Date control expands into a calendar)", 10, 305, 200, 20)

; BUTTON
GUICtrlCreateButton("Sample Button", 10, 330, 100, 30)

; CHECKBOX
GUICtrlCreateCheckbox("Checkbox", 130, 335, 80, 20)
GUICtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_CHECKED)

; TREEVIEW ONE
Local $iTreeView_1 = GUICtrlCreateTreeView(210, 290, 80, 80)
Local $iTreeItem = GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("TreeView", $iTreeView_1)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Item1", $iTreeItem)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Item2", $iTreeItem)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Foo", -1)
GUICtrlSetState($iTreeItem, $GUI_EXPAND)

; TREEVIEW TWO
Local $iTreeView_2 = GUICtrlCreateTreeView(295, 290, 103, 80, $TVS_CHECKBOXES)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("TreeView", $iTreeView_2)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("With", $iTreeView_2)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("$TVS_CHECKBOXES", $iTreeView_2)
GUICtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_CHECKED)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Style", $iTreeView_2)

; GUI MESSAGE LOOP
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)
While 1
    Switch GUIGetMsg()
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            Exit

    EndSwitch
WEnd

and I see there is still the same problem.

 

Have I misunderstood the use of this feature ?

[Jos]

I have no idea other than I have done what the thread states and it adds this to the programs resources:

<asmv3:application>
        <asmv3:windowsSettings xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">
              <dpiAware>true</dpiAware>
        </asmv3:windowsSettings>
    </asmv3:application>

I have no  means of testing it it myself.

Jos

[mLipok]

Ok i try to find answer.

Edited February 22, 2015 by mLipok

[rkk]

Thanks a lot Jos for the update! I'm using Jos's update together with mlipok's "Writing DPI Awareness App - workaround" and it scales very well on HDPI. It's just working in a weird way and that's why mlipok's GUI is probably Blurred in Post #7.

Once compiled you have to go to "Compatibility Tab" and check the “Disable display scaling on high DPI settings” option. Then the GUI is showed in HDPI and is scaled properly, which seems to be contradictory.

I've noticed the same effect in JavaFX apps. Where the GUI is completely blurry but with the “Disable display scaling on high DPI settings” option selected the GUI scales appropriately and stays the same size (as the blurred one) but it's HDPI sharp.

I don't know if there is a way to enable that option from inside the Autoit app so the user doesn't needs to set up the compatibility option.

Hope there is some way to make it work.

Edited February 23, 2015 by rkk

[mLipok]

It's just working in a weird way and that's why mlipok's GUI is probably Blurred in Post #7.

 

It is normal for LCD monitors and LED.

It's like on a modern 24-inch monitor, set the resolution to 1024x768, or worse try set up 800x600 .

 

And what this has to do with the monitor? as is the deal?

After its native resolution is 1920x1080 FullHD. . And so the monitor is forced to perform scaling, and anti-aliasing = blur.

 

"....saved.... wait for next part......"

 

The same problem is when you set non standard DPI for example 150%.

Then Windows is forced to perform scaling, and anti-aliasing = blur.

 

So when you look at this:

 

and

 

 

Then try to ZOOM IN and focus on SciTe and Google Chrome.

 

Do you see also anti-aliasing = blur effect for this APP ??

 

 

"....saved.... end of post."

Edited February 23, 2015 by mlipok

[Jos]

Reading the article it seems that setting the programs manifest should be enough en doesn't require this "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings".

Give the current AutoIt3Wrapper a try in which I change this line adding the last bit, taken from the example in the article:

 

<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns:asmv3="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3" >

Maybe that is the reason it didn't work before?

Jos

[mLipok]

Give the current AutoIt3Wrapper a try in which I change this line adding the last bit, taken from the example in the article:

 

If I remember It do not works (but maybe I was doing something wrong yesterday when I trying to find answer).

Ok I check in a few minutes.

[rkk]

Reading the article it seems that setting the programs manifest should be enough en doesn't require this "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings".

Give the current AutoIt3Wrapper a try in which I change this line adding the last bit, taken from the example in the article:

Maybe that is the reason it didn't work before?

Jos

 

It's working now!!! Thanks a lot!

[mLipok]

rkk

What is your Windows OS Version 

[mLipok]

expandcollapse popup

#AutoIt3Wrapper_res_Compatibility=Windows7
#AutoIt3Wrapper_Res_HiDpi=y

#include <GuiConstantsEx.au3>
#include <AVIConstants.au3>
#include <TreeViewConstants.au3>

; GUI
GUICreate("Sample GUI", 400, 400)
GUISetIcon(@SystemDir & "\mspaint.exe", 0)

; MENU
GUICtrlCreateMenu("Menu&One")
GUICtrlCreateMenu("Menu&Two")
GUICtrlCreateMenu("MenuTh&ree")
GUICtrlCreateMenu("Menu&Four")

; CONTEXT MENU
Local $iContextMenu = GUICtrlCreateContextMenu()
GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("Context Menu", $iContextMenu)
GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("", $iContextMenu) ; Separator
GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("&Properties", $iContextMenu)

; PIC
GUICtrlCreatePic("logo4.gif", 0, 0, 169, 68)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Sample Pic", 75, 1, 53, 15)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, $GUI_BKCOLOR_TRANSPARENT)
GUICtrlSetColor(-1, 0xFFFFFF)

; AVI
GUICtrlCreateAvi("SampleAVI.avi", 0, 180, 10, 32, 32, $ACS_AUTOPLAY)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Sample avi", 175, 50)

; TAB
GUICtrlCreateTab(240, 0, 150, 70)
GUICtrlCreateTabItem("One")
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Sample Tab with tabItems", 250, 40)
GUICtrlCreateTabItem("Two")
GUICtrlCreateTabItem("Three")
GUICtrlCreateTabItem("")

; COMBO
GUICtrlCreateCombo("Sample Combo", 250, 80, 120, 100)

; PROGRESS
GUICtrlCreateProgress(60, 80, 150, 20)
GUICtrlSetData(-1, 60)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Progress:", 5, 82)

; EDIT
GUICtrlCreateEdit(@CRLF & "  Sample Edit Control", 10, 110, 150, 70)

; LIST
GUICtrlCreateList("", 5, 190, 100, 90)
GUICtrlSetData(-1, "A.Sample|B.List|C.Control|D.Here", "B.List")

; ICON
GUICtrlCreateIcon("explorer.exe", 0, 175, 120)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Icon", 180, 160, 50, 20)

; LIST VIEW
Local $iListView = GUICtrlCreateListView("Sample|ListView|", 110, 190, 110, 80)
GUICtrlCreateListViewItem("A|One", $iListView)
GUICtrlCreateListViewItem("B|Two", $iListView)
GUICtrlCreateListViewItem("C|Three", $iListView)

; GROUP WITH RADIO BUTTONS
GUICtrlCreateGroup("Sample Group", 230, 120)
GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio One", 250, 140, 80)
GUICtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_CHECKED)
GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio Two", 250, 165, 80)
GUICtrlCreateGroup("", -99, -99, 1, 1) ;close group

; UPDOWN
GUICtrlCreateLabel("UpDown", 350, 115)
GUICtrlCreateInput("42", 350, 130, 40, 20)
GUICtrlCreateUpdown(-1)

; LABEL
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Green" & @CRLF & "Label", 350, 165, 40, 40)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0x00FF00)

; SLIDER
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Slider:", 235, 215)
GUICtrlCreateSlider(270, 210, 120, 30)
GUICtrlSetData(-1, 30)

; INPUT
GUICtrlCreateInput("Sample Input Box", 235, 255, 130, 20)

; DATE
GUICtrlCreateDate("", 5, 280, 200, 20)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("(Date control expands into a calendar)", 10, 305, 200, 20)

; BUTTON
GUICtrlCreateButton("Sample Button", 10, 330, 100, 30)

; CHECKBOX
GUICtrlCreateCheckbox("Checkbox", 130, 335, 80, 20)
GUICtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_CHECKED)

; TREEVIEW ONE
Local $iTreeView_1 = GUICtrlCreateTreeView(210, 290, 80, 80)
Local $iTreeItem = GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("TreeView", $iTreeView_1)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Item1", $iTreeItem)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Item2", $iTreeItem)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Foo", -1)
GUICtrlSetState($iTreeItem, $GUI_EXPAND)

; TREEVIEW TWO
Local $iTreeView_2 = GUICtrlCreateTreeView(295, 290, 103, 80, $TVS_CHECKBOXES)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("TreeView", $iTreeView_2)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("With", $iTreeView_2)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("$TVS_CHECKBOXES", $iTreeView_2)
GUICtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_CHECKED)
GUICtrlCreateTreeViewItem("Style", $iTreeView_2)

; GUI MESSAGE LOOP
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)
While 1
    Switch GUIGetMsg()
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            Exit

    EndSwitch
WEnd
 

on my Win7 it still do not works

but on Win 8.1 

Works well even without using any special directive ( I mean #AutoIt3Wrapper_Res_HiDpi=y ) and with out any workaround.

 

So I even check using:

 

C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft SDKsWindowsv7.1ABin>mt.exe -inputresource:c:11SampleControls2.exe;#1 -out:c:11extracted.manifest

 

and the result is:

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>

<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns:asmv3="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">

 

<!-- Identify the application security requirements. -->

<trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2">

<security>

<requestedPrivileges>

<requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false"></requestedExecutionLevel>

</requestedPrivileges>

</security>

</trustInfo>

 

<!-- Identify the application dependencies. -->

<dependency>

<dependentAssembly>

<assemblyIdentity type="win32" name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls" version="6.0.0.0" language="*" processorArchitecture="*" publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"></assemblyIdentity>

</dependentAssembly>

</dependency>

 

<asmv3:application>

<asmv3:windowsSettings xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">

     <dpiAware>true</dpiAware>

</asmv3:windowsSettings>

</asmv3:application>

 

<compatibility xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:compatibility.v1">

<application>

<!--The ID below indicates application support for Windows Vista -->

<supportedOS Id="{e2011457-1546-43c5-a5fe-008deee3d3f0}"></supportedOS>

<!--The ID below indicates application support for Windows 7 -->

<supportedOS Id="{35138b9a-5d96-4fbd-8e2d-a2440225f93a}"></supportedOS>

</application>

</compatibility>

</assembly>

 

 

Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong ?

Edited February 23, 2015 by mlipok

[iamtheky]

that looks fine on my win7 with no directives.  Is there a hardware difference between those setups?

[mLipok]

What DPI setting you use ?

some more info:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dn469266(v=vs.85).aspx

[iamtheky]

 

What DPI setting you use ?

 

indeed, was not large enough to jack up the example, above 125% i see now...

[mLipok]

did you use newest beta

https://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/scite/download/beta_SciTE4AutoIt3/AutoIt3Wrapper.exe

Can you confirm that 

#AutoIt3Wrapper_Res_HiDpi=y

( Example from post #16 )

Works or not in your case ?

mLipok