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| Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 00:44 #26294 | |
maxand
1637 posts |
Having an Overview window certainly helps if one is playing a wide sim on a single screen, but the penalty paid for fitting it into a single screen is that everything is too small. It seems from earlier posts that many find they don't need to use it at all. Is this because it is too small to be comfortable? Or maybe because it's too easily hidden behind the View window unless one makes it Stay On Top, whereupon it hides too much of the View Window? One solution might be to double the size of the layout displayed in the Overview window, making trains easier to see (maybe even show their headcodes), and instead of just having one window, divide it vertically into two (or more) panels, each with a miniature view of the layout. The top panel might show the left half, and the bottom the right. There should be overlap between them, i.e., the same location should appear in the RH end of the top panel and the LH end of the bottom panel. Clicking a location should hide the Overview window and return focus to the main View window, as happens now. An alternative possibility is to offer multiple Overview windows, in the same way as Show > new view, each with a choice of reduction in size, but this would probably be a lot fussier to implement. Those who aren't in a position to set up multiple monitors and have to make do with a single screen might welcome this suggestion. There isn't a nice simple hotkey that toggles the Overview on/off, but that's another issue. Log in to reply |
| Re: Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 02:41 #26301 | |
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AndyG
1835 posts |
" said:I don't have a problem with the view set-up on a laptop single screen; it's just a matter of organising you working to suit. The key is to monitor the information giv en in the messages window, and action accordingly. I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either. Last edited: 28/12/2011 at 02:44 by AndyG Log in to reply |
| Re: Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 03:00 #26304 | |
BarryM
2158 posts |
" said:Having an Overview window certainly helps if one is playing a wide sim on a single screen, but the penalty paid for fitting it into a single screen is that everything is too small. It is an overview map. One click on any location brings up the layout location. Quicker than the mouse plus you do not need hotkeys. Barry Barry, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Log in to reply |
| Re: Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 03:47 #26309 | |
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maxand
1637 posts |
To AndyG: Thanks for the feedback. You haven't told us whether you use the Overview window at all, or whether you find it interferes with your window layout. To BarryM: You obviously find the Overview window helpful. Would you like to see it somewhat larger and easier to read, with more detail? Log in to reply |
| Re: Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 03:52 #26311 | |
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BarryM
2158 posts |
" said:To AndyG:No. All the info I need is on the layout. Barry, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Log in to reply |
| Re: Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 07:48 #26313 | |
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Stephen Fulcher
2027 posts 
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Maxand does have a point here. I do not use the overview because I find it to be too small to be of much use. In most IECC's that feature overviews, they are provided on several large screens behind the main "signalling" screens so that the Signalman can see them from where he sits - but they are very large in size. I know that this is certainly the case at Marylebone IECC. There is however the other point that, for instance, the Saltley overview is already too large to fit on my laptop screen in its entirety, therefore having it larger would involve so much scrolling to use it that it would be as easy to simply scroll the sim. An enlargement with the track laid out on the screen slightly differently would work, but then there is the risk of it taking up a lot of space that is better used for the main window so that we can signal trains. If someone has more than one monitor to use then it would be a good idea, and I would imagine would get a lot more use, however I am not sure that Geoff and co. will be developing sims for that eventuality because there are so few people who have that luxury, and the average downloader of a SimSig sim will not have it. The best suggestion I can offer here is that it might be worth programming in some form of "zoom" functionality to the overview, so that an individual user can select how he wishes to use it based upon the hardware he has available. I do not know what the difficulties would be in doing this, or if it would be very high on the Developers list of modifications. BarryM has taught me something here too, I did not know that clicking on the overview brought up that area of the panel onto the main view. Log in to reply |
| Re: Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 09:03 #26317 | |
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BarryM
2158 posts |
" said:Stephen, nothing is needed from Geoff and co. for using 2 monitors in XP or later versions of Windows. The set up is built into the Display Properties software. One monitor is used as a primary monitor (what you have now on your desktop) and the 2nd monitor is used to "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor". When loading, Simsig starts up on the primary monitor. You then move this layout to the 2nd monitor and extend it. All the other drop down screens can be moved back onto the primary monitor. Quote: BarryM has taught me something here too, I did not know that clicking on the overview brought up that area of the panel onto the main view.Extremely handy for moving about on the larger (multi_player) layouts. Barry Barry, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Log in to reply |
| Re: Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 11:57 #26328 | |
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maxand
1637 posts |
Stephen Fulcher wrote: Quote: The best suggestion I can offer here is that it might be worth programming in some form of "zoom" functionality to the overview A very good suggestion. Scrolling with the mouse button could be the way to go. E.g., scrolling forward on the Overview window zooms in and enlarges the whole window, not just the layout inside it. As a corollary, how about being able to zoom out an ordinary View (panel) window? Just as in other applications (Foxit PDF Reader comes to mind) the result of scrolling depends on other keys. E.g in SimSig, scrolling moves the view Left/Right (as it does now); Shift+scrolling moves the view Up/Down (as it does in Euston); Ctrl+scrolling could zoom in or out. Just think of the possibilities. We might be able to reduce the View Window to half its height and fit another View Window underneath, thus getting all a wide sim into one screen on, say, a laptop, without having to resort to an extra monitor. Last edited: 28/12/2011 at 12:00 by maxand Log in to reply |
| Re: Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 12:22 #26331 | |
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Stephen Fulcher
2027 posts
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" said:" said:My original post was not all that well structured but you have missed the point here.Stephen, nothing is needed from Geoff and co. for using 2 monitors in XP or later versions of Windows. The set up is built into the Display Properties software. One monitor is used as a primary monitor (what you have now on your desktop) and the 2nd monitor is used to "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor". When loading, Simsig starts up on the primary monitor. You then move this layout to the 2nd monitor and extend it. All the other drop down screens can be moved back onto the primary monitor. What I meant was that for anyone with a large amount of monitor space then an ability to zoom the overview would be potentially useful - we do not have that ability at the moment, and it would require the developers to make it happen. Log in to reply |
| Re: Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 19:13 #26352 | |
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BarryM
2158 posts |
" said:" said:Already available. Windows has a magnifier." said:My original post was not all that well structured but you have missed the point here.Stephen, nothing is needed from Geoff and co. for using 2 monitors in XP or later versions of Windows. The set up is built into the Display Properties software. One monitor is used as a primary monitor (what you have now on your desktop) and the 2nd monitor is used to "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor". When loading, Simsig starts up on the primary monitor. You then move this layout to the 2nd monitor and extend it. All the other drop down screens can be moved back onto the primary monitor. Barry, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Log in to reply |
| Re: Double the size of the Overview window 28/12/2011 at 19:25 #26357 | |
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Noisynoel
989 posts |
" said:Errr... " said: Sooo, it is, in effect, zooming in? Noisynoel Log in to reply |