Mac UI issues

[Mithalwulf]

A friend and I are both having issues with running FG Unity on our Macbook Pros. The fonts and the buttons are very tiny, to the point where they are not legible without squinting. Changing the UI does nothing. (Mine is set at 120.) When I use two screens and move FG to the other monitor, the fonts and buttons are normal. My Macbook software is up to date, as is my FGU. Screenshot attached.

41009

[Mithalwulf]

I forgot to mention: the font-size UI issue wasn't there on October 23rd, as far as I can recall. And, it is readily apparent on the Launch Screen, and it is an issue in D&D 5E and in Call of Cthulhu 7E. (Running Mac OS Catalina, 10.15.7.)

[Moon Wizard]

Try setting the UI Scale slider higher. It currently goes to 400% for Mac. Or by typing /scaleui 200 in the tabletop.

Regards,
JPG

[Mithalwulf]

Wow. That's pretty crazy. That worked, though. I had to set it at 250 from the Launcher Settings, and then it looked decent. (I have a 13".) Thanks, Moon Wizard.

[Moon Wizard]

With v4.0.1, new installs will attempt to guess the right UI scale on Macs if the UI scale setting is missing; but the settings do not have a version number in them so the application has no way to know that the Retina-aware flag was added. It should be a one-time thing though.

Regards,
JPG

[LinWood2020]

Try setting the UI Scale slider higher. It currently goes to 400% for Mac. Or by typing /scaleui 200 in the tabletop.

Regards,
JPG

I've been changing scale with the /scaleui command. I've yet to see a Slider. Where is it??

[Imagix]

Launch Fantasy Grounds, click on the Settings button. (Before you Load/Create/Join campaign)

[LinWood2020]

Launch Fantasy Grounds, click on the Settings button. (Before you Load/Create/Join campaign)

Thanks!!!

[jimweaver]

Ah thank you - I had this issue too just tonight after launching FGU for the first time in several months on my iMac. The font sizes were fine when I last ran it, and tonight after an update - microscopic. I didn't know there was a slider in settings - I was just relying on scaleui. I too would like to avoid extensions to change something fundamental like font-size. It really seems like some of these settings like such a slider for font readability should be available from a menu once you have launched your campaign - not just prior to launch.

[LordEntrails]

Ah thank you - I had this issue too just tonight after launching FGU for the first time in several months on my iMac. The font sizes were fine when I last ran it, and tonight after an update - microscopic. I didn't know there was a slider in settings - I was just relying on scaleui. I too would like to avoid extensions to change something fundamental like font-size. It really seems like some of these settings like such a slider for font readability should be available from a menu once you have launched your campaign - not just prior to launch.
Scaleui is available in campaign via the chat command /scaleui.

Note just to make sure you understand (I don't know if you are familiar with this aspect or not), that changing the font size is not a simple thing. It could work easily in things like the chat window, stories, and notes. But places like character sheets, party inventory, NPCs etc often have text fields that are surrounded by graphics (boxes, fields, etc), and changing the size of the font means that the value no longer fits well inside the graphic.

[jimweaver]

Yep, I know scaleui from the chat window is available, but was not sure why the sudden dramatic font size change between now and my previous launch. Apparently some kind of change that was made had a mac-specific font-size / resolution impact. Yes, I have run into issues before with scaleui affecting things like character sheets negatively. Usually I can find a balance. This is a significant issue that FG should focus more on - basic readability without fundamental compatibility issues being introduced is pretty critical. For new users trying out FG, it's also not a good idea to have something as important as font readability hidden in a chat command - but that latter point is opinion. I haven't played around with their competitors enough to know how much of a turn-off this might be if you're shopping around different RPG tools.

[DCrumb]

FGU was made Retina aware.

[Ulric]

Yep, I know scaleui from the chat window is available, but was not sure why the sudden dramatic font size change between now and my previous launch. Apparently some kind of change that was made had a mac-specific font-size / resolution impact. Yes, I have run into issues before with scaleui affecting things like character sheets negatively. Usually I can find a balance. This is a significant issue that FG should focus more on - basic readability without fundamental compatibility issues being introduced is pretty critical. For new users trying out FG, it's also not a good idea to have something as important as font readability hidden in a chat command - but that latter point is opinion. I haven't played around with their competitors enough to know how much of a turn-off this might be if you're shopping around different RPG tools.
I’m a long time FGC Mac user and FGU Kickstarter backer. There were occasional UI sizing issues issues with FGC. When the FGU beta was released there was an issue with scaling and font fuzziness during the early part of the beta we had to use third party apps to get FGU to properly scale on Retina displays. The SW developers listened to Mac user feed back and add the ability to use Retina displays in FGU without third party apps. This has been a well received improvement. With the added bonus of being able to scale the UI to 400% instead of just 200% like windows PCs. Some new users are confused by the small UI scale but FGU is just matching your current display settings by default. The Devs have been asked by a few users to set the default scale larger but I think that’s low on the list of FGU enhancements.

[jimweaver]

I’m a long time FGC Mac user and FGU Kickstarter backer. There were occasional UI sizing issues issues with FGC. When the FGU beta was released there was an issue with scaling and font fuzziness during the early part of the beta we had to use third party apps to get FGU to properly scale on Retina displays. The SW developers listened to Mac user feed back and add the ability to use Retina displays in FGU without third party apps. This has been a well received improvement. With the added bonus of being able to scale the UI to 400% instead of just 200% like windows PCs. Some new users are confused by the small UI scale but FGU is just matching your current display settings by default. The Devs have been asked by a few users to set the default scale larger but I think that’s low on the list of FGU enhancements.

This makes sense. I think a larger default scale would be a good idea, but also somehow upfront a way to let new users know how to control that scale. If I were just trialing FGU for the first time, seeing that would possibly make me go to a competing tool to try it pretty quickly.

[LordEntrails]

I'm pretty sure if you do a completely new install on a Mac the installer attempts to set the scale to a larger size if it detects a Retina display etc. Not sure since I haven't done it myself, but remember a comment from Moon that I understood to be to that effect. But, for existing installs it doesn't make any changes.

[jimweaver]

I'm pretty sure if you do a completely new install on a Mac the installer attempts to set the scale to a larger size if it detects a Retina display etc. Not sure since I haven't done it myself, but remember a comment from Moon that I understood to be to that effect. But, for existing installs it doesn't make any changes.

I should find that out pretty soon - I plan on GMing from my iMac and connecting as a player from my Macbook Pro - so I'll have to do a new install on the Macbook. I'm still pretty new to FGU so one reason I want to connect separately as a player is just to test out how some things will appear to my remote players.

[LordEntrails]

Note that you can start a second instance of FG on the same computer as you host your campaign (Mac's requires some system setting be changed to allow this) and then connect to your campaign as a player using an IP of 'localhost'. For some, that is easier than using a second computer :)

[jimweaver]

Note that you can start a second instance of FG on the same computer as you host your campaign (Mac's requires some system setting be changed to allow this) and then connect to your campaign as a player using an IP of 'localhost'. For some, that is easier than using a second computer :)

I did not know that! I'll have to explore how to set that up! At some point I'll get a second monitor for the iMac as well.