# Auto-detect screen size

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [October 28, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687 "2013-10-28T16:16:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![youtoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/779978/32.png) [@youtoo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/youtoo)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687/1 "2013-10-28T16:16:36Z")

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is it possible to have the game auto-detect the screen size and give you the open to fit to screen instead of having to look in options?

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**Author:** ![EkarusRyndren](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ekarusryndren/32/80_2.png) [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687/2 "2013-10-28T16:21:28Z")

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Having updated nightly builds so many times I’ve pretty much learned the size for my screen:

76 Wide, 26 Tall = 1600 by 900 - A little bit of the window’s ‘bar’ at the top (whatever the term is for that) has to be off screen but it’s no big deal.

Though an auto button might be nice.

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**Author:** ![Hyena\_Grin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/hyena_grin/32/894_2.png) [@Hyena\_Grin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Hyena_Grin)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687/3 "2013-10-28T18:18:28Z")

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The width and height of the window are determined by the font type and size. Which some people change (I do, for example, because the default font is taller than it is wide, leading to squashed distances).

For me, I also have 1600 width, but if I set the screen width to 72 it’d be waaay too wide. Maybe there’d be some way around different fonts.

I dunno if an auto-detect is terribly realistic, but if it’s an easy thing to implement, an option obviously wouldn’t hurt.

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**Author:** ![EkarusRyndren](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ekarusryndren/32/80_2.png) [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687/4 "2013-10-28T18:19:39Z")

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[quote=“Hyena Grin, post:3, topic:3687”]The width and height of the window are determined by the font type and size. Which some people change (I do, for example, because the default font is taller than it is wide, leading to squashed distances).

For me, I also have 1600 width, but if I set the screen width to 72 it’d be waaay too wide. Maybe there’d be some way around different fonts.

I dunno if an auto-detect is terribly realistic, but if it’s an easy thing to implement, an option obviously wouldn’t hurt.[/quote]

Standard VS Narrow sidebar makes a (huge) difference, I use Narrow.

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687/5 "2013-10-28T18:26:46Z")

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I wouldn’t call it easy per-se, it’s probably possible, just a matter of doing it.

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**Author:** ![EkarusRyndren](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ekarusryndren/32/80_2.png) [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687/6 "2013-10-28T18:29:57Z")

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> [@Kevin Granade](#):
>
> I wouldn’t call it easy per-se, it’s probably possible, just a matter of doing it.

I don’t want to be that guy but I know DF auto-resizes on maximize and window-resize, is it possible to make a… sort of layered UI? The bottommost layer being a gameplay layer with everything you can possibly see on it, then the sidebar glued in on the right?

…I don’t really know what I’m talking about. XD

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**Author:** ![Klomvp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Klomvp](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Klomvp)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687/7 "2013-10-28T20:59:47Z")

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I would have suggested this myself a long time ago, but it only takes a minute to figure out your screen size for you favorite font on your monitor and then you never have to change or redetermine it again.

This should probably wait until more of the visuals-related updates/rewrites are wrapped up (last I heard Isometric support was in the works!)

As it is this is lower priority than even DF where you had utility apps running simultaneously.

> 76 Wide, [i][b]26[/b][/i] Tall

Augh. People that still don't use square fonts.

I’ve got a 10x10 font (not unlike that minimalistic tileset), and with the side-info bar and my Start-menu on the sides I can fit an EXACT square viewport on my monitor using 10x10 font with NO wasted monitor space. It’s fantastic.

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**Author:** ![EkarusRyndren](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ekarusryndren/32/80_2.png) [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 9:05pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687/8 "2013-10-28T21:05:08Z")

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[quote=“Klomvp, post:7, topic:3687”]I would have suggested this myself a long time ago, but it only takes a minute to figure out your screen size for you favorite font on your monitor and then you never have to change or redetermine it again.

This should probably wait until more of the visuals-related updates/rewrites are wrapped up (last I heard Isometric support was in the works!)

As it is this is lower priority than even DF where you had utility apps running simultaneously.

> 76 Wide, [i][b]26[/b][/i] Tall

Augh. People that still don't use square fonts.

I’ve got a 10x10 font (not unlike that minimalistic tileset), and with the side-info bar and my Start-menu on the sides I can fit an EXACT square viewport on my monitor using 10x10 font with NO wasted monitor space. It’s fantastic.[/quote]

My PoS laptop barely runs this thing anymore, I start using a tileset and it’ll be unplayable XDD

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/auto-detect-screen-size/3687/9 "2013-10-28T21:10:36Z")

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Klomp highlights another issue with this feature, it’s good enough™. The low-hanging fruit has been plucked, made into jam, and consumed with gusto. The remaining fruits are not only at the top of the tree, but they don’t look nearly as tasty as thos other ones, and you really don’t want to get out your canning equipment again…

Whew, there’s my gratuitously over-extended metaphor for the day.