Computer Display Zoom / Magnifier options for PC/Mac

Started by amplayer, May 29, 2014, 11:27:06 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

amplayer

Quote from: Elantric on December 05, 2013, 10:04:31 AM
and with my old man eyesight - its a glorious thing with OSX to be able to "zoom in" on the display anywhere / anytime / anyapp!

My old MacBook Pro (early 2008) finally bit the dust.
I replaced it with a Dell XPS 15.  It's Win 8.1.
The only thing I don't get anymore is Apple Logic.  Honestly, I don't miss it.  I like Ableton Live and Propellerhead Reason better.

With my Dell running Windows 8.1, I can zoom in/out on any app at any time too.  Plus, I can do it from the screen or from the trackpad. Not only that, but text and graphics in most apps scale really well with zooming.
I have to say, I'm liking it quite a bit.

Thinking about getting a high-end interface for it, like the RME Fireface UCX.  Though that would set me back big $$.
First, I'm going to see how Live and Reason and my other plugs do with an existing Roland Quad-Capture.  I expect it to be good...
So far, with ASIO4ALL with just the built-in audio interface, I'm getting very acceptable latencies for playing keys.
The Quad-Capture has it's own driver, so I'll have to let you know what I get with that.

Elantric

#1
QuoteWith my Dell running Windows 8.1, I can zoom in/out on any app at any time too.

Hold the Windows key - and tap the "+" key = zoom in

Hold the Windows key - and tap the "-" key = zoom out



Metro


Desktop


http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/hands-windows-81-desktop-display-scaling


Compare above procedures with my Mac- Here is a poor quality video - but it does effectively demonstrate my iMac 27" machine with OSX,  with dynamic Screen Zooming anytime, anywhere, Any App 

OSX Display Zoom, using the Control Key + Scroll wheel on the Mouse.



Use OSX System Preferences / Accessibility Panel  / Zoom to set "Fullscreeen =" it as below:


Quotewith ASIO4ALL with just the built-in audio interface,
But ASIOI4ALL Truncates audio to 16 bits, which does not cut it for my needs [/s]

amplayer

#2
Quote from:  Elantric on May 30, 2014, 12:05:26 AM
How?

Last I tried you use the CTRL Key and either "+" key on numeric keypad or the mouse scroll wheel - 

But this only works in Browsers  - Windows will not zoom  the Desktop or any Command Menus, or even typical apps  ( Ableton Live, Reaper, Gumtown FloorBoard Editor)
But Id enjoy learning how you are achieving this ?

In Win 8.1, the pinch zooming only works in apps that support the event.  As of now, most 3rd party apps I have do not.
Most of the MS apps do support the zooming, including all the important ones for me -- the ones that display text, like Office, Browser, PDF Reader, etc.
However, the Metro tiles desktop only zooms out, which isn't helpful.  It is plenty big enough without zooming for me though.

BTW, I was using Google Chrome before.  Now, I'm completely using IE 11 on this Win 8.1 machine.  I have yet to run into any weird display issues or slow-downs like IE of old.  Nevertheless, Chrome is installed and waiting in case IE lets me down.

Quote from:  Elantric on May 30, 2014, 12:05:26 AM
But ASIOI4ALL Truncates audio to 16 bits, which does not cut it for my needs

I didn't realize ASIO4ALL truncated to 16 bits.  That's fine for built-in interface.
In the ASIO4ALL v2 panel, there is a checkbox for "Force WDM driver to 16 bit".  I have that unchecked.
In Live, I can select 24 for "Bit Depth".  Maybe it still would record to 16 bit resolution regardless of the checkbox?
Of course, using the built-in interface, 24 bit would be a waste anyway.
I won't be using ASIO4ALL once I hook up a real audio interface.

I expect this computer to work well with a real audio interface.  I hope I'm not disappointed.
I've built 2 machines and achieved great audio performance from them in Win 7.
This is my first attempt at trying it with Win 8, and also my first using a laptop.
This laptop has both USB 2 and USB 3 ports, so I expect to find something that works well.

Elantric

#3
Thanks!

Please keep us informed on your Win 8.1 experiences

amplayer

#4
By the way, my fave DAW app, Live, does NOT support scaling or the modern UI at all.
However, I find that I don't need scaling in Live.
https://www.ableton.com/en/articles/live-compatible-windows-8/

mbenigni

#5
Quote from:  amplayer on May 30, 2014, 04:54:12 PM
By the way, my fave DAW app, Live, does NOT support scaling or the modern UI at all.
However, I find that I don't need scaling in Live.
https://www.ableton.com/en/articles/live-compatible-windows-8/

Live is exactly the app for which I most wanted scaling in Windows 8.  There are so many little controls/views that a) are basically unusable on a small screen, and b) could be repurposed as cool performance tools if they could be dynamically scaled to take up a larger portion of the screen.

Elantric

#6
I use a 2012 Apple Mac Mini running Ableton Live, then I use an Apple Airport Express Wifi Access point, and use an iPad running Splashtop Remote Desktop
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/splashtop-2-remote-desktop/id382509315?mt=8
   

Vade

Control Panel/Ease of Access/Magnifier
Drachen; Fender FTP Strat w/internal GK-3, Godin xtSA w/FTP, Boss GP-10, VoiceLive 3, Scarlett 18i8, ZBox IQ01, On-Lap 1502i, D:fine 4088, 4E Dual Axis Exp Pedal, VoiceSolo FX-150, Yamaha DXR 10, Gem. M2 Flute, Special 20 Harmonicas. Fender Deluxe Reverb Mahogany Cane.

https://soundcloud.com/vadie

Elantric

#8
 Here is a poor quality video - but it does effectively demonstrate my iMac 27" machine with OSX,  with dynamic Screen Zooming anytime, anywhere, Any App

OSX Display Zoom, using the Control Key + Scroll wheel on the Mouse.





On Windows  - achieve the same  Zoom in/out


Hold the Windows key - and tap the "-" key = zoom out

Vade

#9
I think Mac wins this one as well but I thought I'd show the PC version just so those of us working with PC's know how to do it. You can pin the Magnifier to the taskbar so it's not inconvenient to start and it can follow your cursor allowing you to magnify your point and click zone.
Drachen; Fender FTP Strat w/internal GK-3, Godin xtSA w/FTP, Boss GP-10, VoiceLive 3, Scarlett 18i8, ZBox IQ01, On-Lap 1502i, D:fine 4088, 4E Dual Axis Exp Pedal, VoiceSolo FX-150, Yamaha DXR 10, Gem. M2 Flute, Special 20 Harmonicas. Fender Deluxe Reverb Mahogany Cane.

https://soundcloud.com/vadie

mbenigni

QuoteCompare above procedures with my Mac- Here is a poor quality video - but it does effectively demonstrate my iMac 27" machine with OSX,  with dynamic Screen Zooming anytime, anywhere, Any App   - which I have never been able to duplicate on any Windows Machine.

If Windows 8 had this out of the box, the Surface Pro would have fared much better - and I would still own mine.  Ridiculous fumble on Microsoft's part.

That is really elegant on Mac, but it just makes me wish I could buy a MacBook with a touchscreen, which to my knowledge does not exist.  My aim is to be able to zoom in adequately on controls in a DAW and control them via touch.  E.g. faders, clip play buttons in Ableton, etc.  Preferably without bringing both PC/Mac and iPad.

Elantric

QuoteThat is really elegant on Mac, but it just makes me wish I could buy a MacBook with a touchscreen, which to my knowledge does not exist.
Here's why
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=2951.msg80808#msg80808

After more hands on trying to use  Windows on a touchscreen  - I'm beginning to see that Steve Jobs was right  - 

The targets are just too inaccurate on Windows apps - Its nothing like using an iPad where touch is integrated so well - by contrast on Windows, You waste time in target errors with touch response - it was not the "magic controller"  I expected - typically your hand ends up blocking your target control element  in the GUI.

http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-touch-screen-mac-2010-10


Apple is in no rush to bring touchscreen computing to its laptops.
Steve Jobs said today touchscreen notebooks would be, "ergonomically terrible."

Apple has filed for a number of patents related to touchscreen iMacs, fueling speculation that the company would soon introduce a touchscreen desktop or laptop computer.

Jobs put a damper on the speculation today saying, "We've done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work."

To be sure, Jobs has a tendency to say one thing and do another. In this case, we think he's being (mostly) sincere.

Here's the full transcript of what he said:
"We've done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work. Touch surfaces don't want to be vertical.

It gives great demo but after a short period of time, you start to fatigue and after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off. it doesn't work, it's ergonomically terrible.

Touch surfaces want to be horizontal, hence pads.

For a notebook, that's why we're perfected our multitouch trackpads over the years, because that's the best way we've found to get multitouch into a notebook.

We've also, in essence, put a trackpad -- a multitouch track pad on the mouse with our magic mouse. And we've recently come out with a pure play trackpad as well for our desktop users.

So this is how were going to use multitouch on our Mac products because this (he points at someone touch laptop screen) doesn't work."



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-touch-screen-mac-2010-10#ixzz2zSGqdROv



mbenigni

QuoteThe targets are just too inaccurate on Windows apps - Its nothing like using an iPad where touch is integrated so well - by contrast on Windows, You waste time in target errors with touch response - it was not the "magic controller"  I expected - typically your hand ends up blocking your target control element  in the GUI.
I couldn't agree more, and this is exactly why I think the ability to easily zoom to very large magnifications (and back) was the only way x86 apps ever stood a chance on Windows tablets.

QuoteTouch surfaces don't want to be vertical.

Again I agree 100% - and it brings me back to what I really wanted in the first place.  A tablet or convertible running the full-fat software I owned and was accustomed to.  That's what I assumed MS would deliver when they simultaneously started pushing an OS with a touch interface (Modern UI) and a convertible tablet that could run legacy apps (Surface Pro.)  I've finally stopped assuming MS is going to make any sense, but the lesson cost me.   ::)

A MacBook with touchscreen would be just another compromise.  The real deal would be a tablet that could run OSX apps.  But all of this will be moot before it gets sorted - tablets and their apps are becoming sufficiently powerful more rapidly than laptops and theirs are becoming sufficiently convenient.  In the race to meet halfway, tablets are winning.

Elantric

#13
QuoteThe real deal would be a tablet that could run OSX apps.

I'm having great success running Splashtop Remote Desktop Server on either my Win7 or OSX machine, then I use an iPad running Splashtop Remote Desktop to view and use touch screen access to GUI controls

They have a version for Android Tablets
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.splashtop.remote&hl=en

and iPAds

http://www.macworld.com/article/2030876/review-splashtop-2-a-free-innovative-remote-desktop-mac-ios-app-with-issues.html

Elantric

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-computers/975864-windows-10-thread-post-your-expectations-here-8.html

You may also consider ZoomIt. This is something many of us use in presentations, especially when showing code in a large room.


https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897434.aspx?tduid=(906297b52b3935bda1a7bfffd1d37bce)(256380)(2459594)(TnL5HPStwNw-WB8X2TVKLxpHiyi_xLO6YQ)()

Zoomit Screen Magnifier utility for Windows
By Mark Russinovich
==

Introduction

ZoomIt is a screen zoom and annotation tool for technical presentations that include application demonstrations. ZoomIt runs unobtrusively in the tray and activates with customizable hotkeys to zoom in on an area of the screen, move around while zoomed, and draw on the zoomed image. I wrote ZoomIt to fit my specific needs and use it in all my presentations.
ZoomIt works on all versions of Windows and you can use pen input for ZoomIt drawing on tablet PCs.
Using ZoomIt

The first time you run ZoomIt it presents a configuration dialog that describes ZoomIt's behavior, let's you specify alternate hotkeys for zooming and for entering drawing mode without zooming, and customize the drawing pen color and size. I use the draw-without-zoom option to annotate the screen at its native resolution, for example. ZoomIt also includes a break timer feature that remains active even when you tab away from the timer window and allows you to return to the timer window by clicking on the ZoomIt tray icon.


Elantric

#15
Just an Update

I'm working with a 2016 Dell XPS 15 9550-1000SLV

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201758224169?rmvSB=true


Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz Quad-Core, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD
15.6" UHD touchscreen (3840x2160), 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
Thunderbolt, 2xUSB 3.0, HDMI, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, Windows 10



Discovered that the gap between Mac OSX and Windows 10 ( with the right machine) is getting very narrow - in 2017

The big hurdle Ive had with Windows is the lack of a "global Screen Zoom" that works in every app.

Just to be clear - For years there has been the "CTRL +" for Zoom In, "CTRL -" for Zoom Out - that works on Web Browsers

But Ive discovered that Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 computers with a recent NVidia Video GPU co-processor (GeForce GTX 960M) support the one thing Ive been seeking for years

In any Windows Application, I can press the "Windows key" and "+" and Screen Zoom In - centered on the current cursor Arrow position
In any Windows Application, I can press the "Windows key" and "-" and Screen Zoom Out - centered on the current cursor Arrow position

Yipee!!!

Just as I do with my iMac !


mooncaine

Coolness!

Does that Windows ver. have one of those "all the windows of this app" view, like the Mac's? I find it super helpful when I'm using the VG-99 editor. I can leave panels open and just put my mouse in the lower corner to see them all spread out on the screen.

Vade

Quote from: Elantric on March 03, 2017, 01:10:59 PM
In any Windows Application, I can press the "Windows key" and "+" and Screen Zoom In - centered on the current cursor Arrow position
In any Windows Application, I can press the "Windows key" and "-" and Screen Zoom Out - centered on the current cursor Arrow position

Finally! Thanks for sharing.

I find these bits of software helpful for my 15" touch screen I use with my pedal board.

TouchMousePointer

TouchZoomDesktop

http://www.lovesummertrue.com/about/products.html

and...

Move your mouse (and keyboard) from one computer to another. (software)

https://symless.com/synergy/
Drachen; Fender FTP Strat w/internal GK-3, Godin xtSA w/FTP, Boss GP-10, VoiceLive 3, Scarlett 18i8, ZBox IQ01, On-Lap 1502i, D:fine 4088, 4E Dual Axis Exp Pedal, VoiceSolo FX-150, Yamaha DXR 10, Gem. M2 Flute, Special 20 Harmonicas. Fender Deluxe Reverb Mahogany Cane.

https://soundcloud.com/vadie

Elantric

QuoteDoes that Windows ver. have one of those "all the windows of this app" view, like the Mac's?


Just right click the mouse on the desktop