Window Size

[marlboro]

I think I have a pretty easy one that would be very nice to have. You see, I have an Ultra Wide monitor and UCCNC just doesn't look good or need to be super wide and full screen. I have a bunch of better uses for that screen space.

So...

I would like to be able to set the initial window size and position on the command line or as part of the config. For me, it would be desirable to be able to center the window instead of having to hard set a position, but supporting both options would be great.

Something like...

; window size width x height
WindowSize=1920x1080
; window position as: x, y or one of the following: center, top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right
WindowPosition=center

or perhaps something more inline with the WinAPI...

; window rectangle in the form: x, y, width, height
WindowRect=0,0,1920,1080
; one of the following: center, top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right
WindowPosition=center

Thanks!

[ger21]

You could write the size and location to the profile, and read it when starting.
In VB.net I've used these:

.Width
.Height
.Top
.Left

[A_Camera]

Instead of fixing the values and positions it should be Windows standard. I don't mind if it opens maximized first time (though it should not) but I should be able to resize it to any size I want and position the new, resized window wherever I find it suitable for me, and there should it start with that size every time I start up UCCNC. Users should not need to edit configuration files, even if they are just simple text files. The initial startup message popups should be made considerably smaller and should pop-up where the UCCNC will be placed, not in the center of my whole screen. EVERYTHING should be adjusted/updated in size, shape and colour to the typical screen types of 2017, not as it is today, made for the type of screens we used in 1987.

I think if CNC Drive wants knock out competition then CNC Drive should spend a serious effort on HMI design, based on today's technology and not on 30 year old 4:3 screens or small, 10" screens with low resolution. The design should be modern, made for people who have the future in front of them, not for people who are retired with the future behind them and who use screens they saved from their youth. HMI design is a science, not something that should be ignored and kept just because some people think that "this is the way we worked 50-years ago, this is the way we should work in 50 years time".

The other thing I find very irritating is the way new releases are installed. I am still waiting for the day when a new release installation will start by asking me if I want to IMPORT settings, configurations, screens and whatnot instead of giving me the only option to OVERWRITE the previous settings and everything else important and forcing the user to start over, or MANUALLY edit and go through every configuration file. The other option is not to overwrite (which isn't the same as import) because some manual actions are still needed to get up and go. Perhaps there is another way, but the way UCCNC handles installations is really stone age. Especially with the high number of new releases, IMPORTING settings and configurations should be very high on the priority list, but apparently it is ignored by CNC Drive.

It is very good that the screen is editable though not clearly documented how to so it requires some knowledge or help from other users, but most people are not interested in that and just wants to use UCCNC off the shelf, right out of the box to run their CNC with. Most people don't want to edit or not entirely happy with the idea of having to buy third party screens or edit/handle/import/export configurations manually.

Sorry Balázs, I know that this sounds harsh, but the HMI and the handling of configuration as well as the documentation is really not nice and seems to be ignored in favor of user requested features and that is going to hurt the product in the long run. Improved documentation (not documentation created by users, but by CNC Drive) and the above two points are more important than it seems to be realized by CNC Drive.

[ger21]

Instead of fixing the values and positions it should be Windows standard. I don't mind if it opens maximized first time (though it should not) but I should be able to resize it to any size I want and position the new, resized window wherever I find it suitable for me, and there should it start with that size every time I start up UCCNC.

There's a checkbox in the Appearance section to start maximized.

And remembering size and position is not a "Windows Standard", unless the developer adds code to do it.

I was not suggesting that the user do it, but rather a method that CNC Drive could use to do it. There are numerous places they could store the info, but it's up to them to code it.

[ger21]

The other thing I find very irritating is the way new releases are installed. I am still waiting for the day when a new release installation will start by asking me if I want to IMPORT settings, configurations, screens and whatnot instead of giving me the only option to OVERWRITE the previous settings and everything else important and forcing the user to start over, or MANUALLY edit and go through every configuration file. The other option is not to overwrite (which isn't the same as import) because some manual actions are still needed to get up and go. Perhaps there is another way, but the way UCCNC handles installations is really stone age. Especially with the high number of new releases, IMPORTING settings and configurations should be very high on the priority list, but apparently it is ignored by CNC Drive.

If you use a profile other than the Default profile, nothing gets overwritten.

[cncdrive]

I think if CNC Drive wants knock out competition then CNC Drive should spend a serious effort on HMI design, based on today's technology and not on 30 year old 4:3 screens or small, 10" screens with low resolution. The design should be modern, made for people who have the future in front of them, not for people who are retired with the future behind them and who use screens they saved from their youth. HMI design is a science, not something that should be ignored and kept just because some people think that "this is the way we worked 50-years ago, this is the way we should work in 50 years time".

Well, the screen could be resized 2 ways in theory, one way is to adjust/scale the Window content to the Window extents.
Another way would be to adjust the Window content to one extent without scaling.
Being it 50 years ago or today there is still no other solution, the physics is the limitation unfortunately.

10" screen or other size is not a problem, the Window content will scale to a 10" screen also.
And this is why it is good we have guys like Gerry here, who made a modern GUI for widescreen monitors.

The initial startup message popups should be made considerably smaller and should pop-up where the UCCNC will be placed, not in the center of my whole screen. EVERYTHING should be adjusted/updated in size, shape and colour to the typical screen types of 2017, not as it is today, made for the type of screens we used in 1987.

This is an interesting idea. It could be implemented for sure, I just never saw an application which adjusted the popup screen this way, so this idea is very new to me. Will think about it.

The other thing I find very irritating is the way new releases are installed. I am still waiting for the day when a new release installation will start by asking me if I want to IMPORT settings, configurations, screens and whatnot instead of giving me the only option to OVERWRITE the previous settings and everything else important and forcing the user to start over, or MANUALLY edit and go through every configuration file. The other option is not to overwrite (which isn't the same as import) because some manual actions are still needed to get up and go. Perhaps there is another way, but the way UCCNC handles installations is really stone age. Especially with the high number of new releases, IMPORTING settings and configurations should be very high on the priority list, but apparently it is ignored by CNC Drive.

The idea is good, but guess how many people would find it irritating if the installer start asking all these questions.
I'm sure that more people would find it frustrating that they have to click and answer lots of questions than who find it irritating that they have to manually copy some files.
However I have an idea that maybe we should make 2 options in the installer, to do a regular or custom installation,
and if the user selects regular then it could work as it is now and if custom is selected then comes the lots of questions for those who likes to import things.
I mean I see this possible way to comfort both type of users.

Sorry Balázs, I know that this sounds harsh, but the HMI and the handling of configuration as well as the documentation is really not nice and seems to be ignored in favor of user requested features and that is going to hurt the product in the long run. Improved documentation (not documentation created by users, but by CNC Drive) and the above two points are more important than it seems to be realized by CNC Drive.

No problem. We see this different, that's all.
We really take more efforts on making functions as perfect as possible and developing more functionality, we really see this a more priority now than to build screens, but this may change with time when we will finish the most important function developments we wanted to achive.

[A_Camera]

Instead of fixing the values and positions it should be Windows standard. I don't mind if it opens maximized first time (though it should not) but I should be able to resize it to any size I want and position the new, resized window wherever I find it suitable for me, and there should it start with that size every time I start up UCCNC.

There's a checkbox in the Appearance section to start maximized.

Yes, I know that. But the result is that you can get a smaller size window or a maximized one, and It ALWAYS starts up in the centre, even if you drag it to another position before closing. So, basically you have the option of a smaller or a maximized window, that's all. Neither the position nor the size is saved, just the checkbox status.

And remembering size and position is not a "Windows Standard", unless the developer adds code to do it.

Well, by "Windows standard" I meant that the position and the size can be saved and is done in all (or at least most) Windows software automatically, so while it is not a standard by definition, it is customary by all the software I am using and come across, except some freeware. It is sort of unwritten programming standard.

I was not suggesting that the user do it, but rather a method that CNC Drive could use to do it. There are numerous places they could store the info, but it's up to them to code it.

Well, it would be a good idea to store the last size and position. It doesn't matter where it is stored, but it should definitely be stored and restarted with those values. As it is, you can't just drag it to your preferred size and position only once, you have to do it every time you start up.

[A_Camera]

Balázs, I think you misunderstood my comments about the HMI, but it isn't that important.

However...

... guess how many people would find it irritating if the installer start asking all these questions.

The installer is already asking questions, when it detects that the installation is made into a folder which contains a UCCNC version it asks if it should overwrite that configuration and macros or not. This is where I mean it should ask if the configuration should be imported or overwritten, so the number of questions the installer would ask would actually not be more, perhaps a checkbox with two options:

Overwrite everything (like today) or Import configuration, screens and macros automatically.

[A_Camera]

Nobody is talking about "screen fluff" except you.

[marlboro]

Ok, so that was a lot of comments, but what are the chances of this making it into a build? I just want the same to be able to specify a 1080p window and the windows get centered by default. I'm happy with the scaling happening just like it does now. Thanks.