FAQ - Font Size - Why does the text overrun the dialog?

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

A common issue for some users is that the text overflows the dialogs.


This is caused when your systems font size is not set to the default 100% (96dpi). Currently the engine only supports the default 100% font size. We are working towards a solution but this will be done over a number of upgrades to the engine. The first part of this process was delivered in CO2 with the use of the independent data dialogs. The next step will be to cater for expanding the dialog and each affected control within it. This needs to be done for all the dialogs and hence is a very big job.

In the interim please set your font size to 100% by following these steps:

1. On your desktop, right click and select Personalise from the context menu.
   
   
   
2. Choose Display from the Personalise Dialog
   
   
   
3. Choose the default 100% setting from the Font Setting dialog
   

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

Came across this very useful link tonight:
http://www.rlvision.com/misc/windows_7_font_bug.asp

According to this article if you had your System DPI set to larger than 100% on install, then MS installs a larger version of the MS Sans Serif font that we use in the game. Apparently, when you set the DPI setting back to 100%, it fails to replace the MS Sans Serif font with its smaller version and hence this can play havoc with the dialogs - text overrunning the box etc. The good thing it details a work around. This does entail using REGEDIT to edit the registry entries.

 

[RangerX3X]

This does not work for me in either this game or any of the original games. I checked each setting and even verified that the registry parameters in your second post were the same. This problem started for me several months back. I even tried the suggestions on the former forum of unchecking Windows XP style DPI scaling and restarting the system which had no effect. I am currently using AMD Catalyst drivers 14.12 with the following settings: 1920X1080, GPU up-scaling enabled with maintain aspect ratio selected. Any help would be appreciated as I frankly cannot play these games with this issue (especially when it wasn’t an issue in the past).

 

[Metalogic]

I'm still getting this, even if I disable DPI scaling, is a fix for this in the works for release soon, as it makes it very difficult to interpret the in-game information properly?

 

[rekim]

I would really like to play CO2 on my laptop but cannot due to the menu scaling issue. Holding off on expansions until this is addressed. Hope this receives some attention soon as I'm eager to grab KOAD.

 

[RangerX3X]

Does anyone know if anyplace is supporting CO1, and in particular a fix for this issue? While I have long since moved on to other games, I still check on this from time to time. Six plus months with no reply is pretty weak. The issue exists in every game in the Airborne Assault series from the original Highway to the Reich all the way through the CO2 engine. I see no reason to fork over good money for the latest iteration of the platform (regardless of whatever new features are present or planned) if the only thing given to those experiencing a very long standing problem is a giant middle finger.

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

RangerX3X,

Please send me a DXDiag report

 

[RangerX3X]

The file is attached for your reference.

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

RangerX3X,

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. We are no longer supporting CO1. I acknowledge that some users do get the issue of text extending out of the dialog boxes. This is because the font size they are using is too large. Normally ensuring you set the dpi to 100% and turning off dpi scaling fixes the problem.

If your machine was installed with a dpi setting other than 100% then there is a known MS bug that fails to reinstall the smaller fonts when you change the dpi back to 100%. The above fix should address that issue.

Failing that there are two other options. First is for some reason you do not have MS Sans Serif font installed in your system 32 directory. Open the Fonts control panel and ensure you have Microsoft Sans Serif Regular font installed.


Second, you may have a dodgy graphics driver. The best way to test for this is to uninstall your existing driver - this is important. Then install a new one. Start with the manufacturers latest but sometimes you have to backtrack and get one of their older versions before it will work. I know this is a PITA but not all graphics drivers support scaling in the same way. They should conform with the MS standards but alas not all do.

I do realise that this is a hassle. From your perspective you would prefer for us to support text scaling. But this would require a HUGE effort on our part and we just cannot afford to do this at this time. You have to realise that when we started development they didn't have text scaling. So implementing it is major surgery or a complete replacement of the GUI. The number of people who experience this issue and cannot get it resolved with the simple change of dpi setting are extremely few and we just cannot justify the effort required at this stage. However, by moving to dialogs we have paved the way for introducing text scaling in the future. That was a necessary first step.

Please let me know if any of these suggestions helped.

 

[RangerX3X]

Well hell Dave you just solved the problem right there.

I do have Sans Serif installed, but not your San Serif. Yours is "Microsoft" while mine is "MS":

I downloaded and installed a "Microsoft" Sans Serif and now have this:

I didn't even have to restart my computer, I fired up Battles from the Bulge and the scaling issue is 100% resolved (as well as for Highway to the Reich and Conquest of the Aegean).

Thanks a million!!

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

Well that is interesting. MS Sans Serif is supposed to be identical to Microsoft Sans Serif. Well blow me down. Looks like we need to ensure Microsoft San Serif is installed even if you already have the MS Sans Serif font. Thanks for persevering with this.

 

[RangerX3X]

Note the "Designed for:" at the bottom right of both images. The two fonts are different in that respect.

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

Yeah I see that now. Thanks.

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

I have just checked through our code and determined that we use the following fonts:

• Arial (End Game screen/Graph Controls/Tool Tips)
• Courier New (End Game screen)
• Microsoft Sans Serif (Dialogs)
• MS Sans Serif (in the About window only)

Well this has been a learning experience for me. I will ensure now that the installer checks the exact fonts installed.

 

[rekim]

This sounds encouraging. Will share my results when I get the chance to try it out in a few days.

My thanks to those who did some digging.

 

[rekim]

Sad to report that the Microsoft Sans Serif font library is not the cause/fix for my dialog rendering woes. I finally got around to checking the font library on my Windows 7 laptop and noted that the Microsoft Sans Serif font is already installed : (

edit: correction...OS is Win 8.1

 

[RangerX3X]

I think per Dave's note above the game requires both the Microsoft Sans Serif and the MS Sans Serif font to be present.

 

[rekim]

Sorry for not being clear; my laptop has MS Sans Serif installed also. I was investigating my setup with your findings in mind Ranger, where the Microsoft Sans Serif fonts were missing.

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

rekim, thanks for the feedback. That's a bit of a bummer. I was hoping this solved the issue for you. Can you please supply a DxDiag report. Thanks.

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

rekim, I just did a thorough search through the resource file for every use of a FONT and noted that in addition to the above list of fonts we also use SMALL FONTS. Can you please check your Fonts Control Panel and confirm you have this.