New font on WinUAE GUI is unreadable..not to mention ugly

14 May 2007, 08:02

I don't want to offend anyone, but this "new improved" GUI look in 1.4.2a version on my *XP with classic gray theme* is painfully bad and ugly. LCD monitor. Don't know how it looks on Vista or blue XP theme but...Is there any way to get good old standard MS Sans Serif font?

Toni Wilen · 14 May 2007, 08:26

Screenshot please?

In my opinion it looks nicer on XP's classic theme than the old one, perhaps you have some (broken) extra fonts installed? (like Vista's font but for some reason it does not work properly)

Marcuz · 14 May 2007, 09:39

i think it's very good looking instead. A very refreshing touch to the GUI.
try to check also your setting for Clear Looking (antialias) in Windows Control Panel

14 May 2007, 19:23

It all fine with my fonts. It's a matter of taste. To me this "improvement" is step backward, why changing standard font? No program installed on my computer since 2002 had font looking like this one in new WinUAE! So I guess this "...and now something completely different!" thing was not really needed. IMHO.

Btw "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts" is set to "standard". If I turn it off then it is sharp but ugly. If I change it to ClearType it is looking OK..BUT I don't want ClearType fonts!

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BippyM · 14 May 2007, 19:25

i think it looks fine

DamienD · 14 May 2007, 19:27

Me too IMHO

Oh well, you can't please everyone.

Marcuz · 14 May 2007, 19:31

ok i get it: to have the newer fonts on windows without styles installed, alike Win 98, it's kind of a contrast, and i understand the taste' matter.
but for newer windows versions, o windowsXP with styles on etc, it workd very well. after all it's the one of the fonts microsoft has wanted for the more recent generation of its OS, it's not a puke...

Konrad · 14 May 2007, 19:51

I think it looks okay. But...
@Tony: Why don't you just let WinUAE use the selected system font ?

Toni Wilen · 14 May 2007, 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konrad

I think it looks okay. But...
@Tony: Why don't you just let WinUAE use the selected system font ?

Because Windows does not work that way. GUI needs to be tested with all possible fonts..

I guess I can add yet another checkbox somewhere to disable "new" fonts but in my opinion old font is extremely ugly, at least with clear type enabled

Konrad · 14 May 2007, 21:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Because Windows does not work that way. GUI needs to be tested with all possible fonts..

Hm, that's the answer I expected, but I wasn't sure.
WinUAE has already alot options in the GUI, and I don't think that the OldFont-switch would be used a lot. What do you think of adding this option just to the .uae files, so if you want to use the old fonts you'll have to edit the config file ?

glue · 14 May 2007, 21:39

i think - in my opinion, old font are better for my LCD 19" - more readable than new cleartype.

14 May 2007, 21:58

Hm..I agree with Konrad BUT I still thinks that there can/must be another solution.. I'll repeat one thing - I have never seen an application that uses this "new" font, at least not on WinXP without styles. And if there is, I'm sure there is an option to disable it..
BTW Toni, you're right - old font looks bad with ClearType. But not everybody likes ClearType. And I'm sure I'm not alone on this subject.
Maybe WinUAE should check if ClearType is used - if it is, then enable new font. If ClearType is not used - standard font. JMHOOC.

Regards, WinUAE is still fantastic program, with or without standard MS Sans Serif font...

Ironclaw · 14 May 2007, 22:15

Hi all... havn't read all posts... I don't use the latest version of WinUAE, 1.3.1 is doing what I need... so I don't know how the latest look, but if it DOES look like in the picture InfoVS posted, it's not ok. That font is blurry, unfocused and can give a headache

. But I guess he maybe has wrong settings in windows or something...

A is my WinUAE, B is of course InfoVS's WinUAE.

Ultron · 14 May 2007, 23:03

Someone doesn't know what ClearType is...

Toni Wilen · 14 May 2007, 23:06

My tests didn't show that kind of blurriness so it must be some weird Windows feature again..

Marcuz · 14 May 2007, 23:13

what's to be clearified, imho, is that even the pic infoVS posted may not depict how ugly it is the font on his own LCD, differently from a CRT: ClearType doesn't give absolute good or bad font per se, and there are fonts that work well on a screen and worse on another.
not having a LCD monitor i'm not sure on how it would work on another user screen, not to mention that usually when one uses cleartype, he sets it for a good view of the main windows' typeface, which in this case is different from the one Winuae uses.
i would suggest to download one of the free alternative programs that can set the fonts aliasing more accurately than windows, (try a search on Softpedia)
but also, i understand why people want it so bad to have back the old font.
I still prefer this one though.

Ironclaw · 14 May 2007, 23:22

Almost any font is good, as long as it's crisp looking like mine (A)... Which maybe his could be, but he maybe has some weird settings somewhere causing his font to be blurry.

mrbob2 · 14 May 2007, 23:50

on xp its fine. Is he running his on windows 95 or something?

Mad-Matt · 15 May 2007, 00:01

the only way it can look like as blury as above pic is when not running lcd in its native mode and/or not running cleartype(in which case theres no exuse not to).

Shoonay · 15 May 2007, 00:09

Maybe try ClearType Tuning from M$ PowerToys?
It let's you choose "LCD Screen Striping" from [Red-Green-Blue] to [Blue-Green-Red] and "ClearType Contrast Settings".
Lovely utility!

14 May 2007, 08:02	#1
InfoVS Posts: n/a	New font on WinUAE GUI is unreadable..not to mention ugly I don't want to offend anyone, but this "new improved" GUI look in 1.4.2a version on my XP with classic gray theme is painfully bad and ugly. LCD monitor. Don't know how it looks on Vista or blue XP theme but...Is there any way to get good old standard MS Sans Serif font? Last edited by InfoVS; 14 May 2007 at 22:42.

14 May 2007, 21:58	#12
InfoVS Posts: n/a	Hm..I agree with Konrad BUT I still thinks that there can/must be another solution.. I'll repeat one thing - I have never seen an application that uses this "new" font, at least not on WinXP without styles. And if there is, I'm sure there is an option to disable it.. BTW Toni, you're right - old font looks bad with ClearType. But not everybody likes ClearType. And I'm sure I'm not alone on this subject. Maybe WinUAE should check if ClearType is used - if it is, then enable new font. If ClearType is not used - standard font. JMHOOC. Regards, WinUAE is still fantastic program, with or without standard MS Sans Serif font... Last edited by InfoVS; 14 May 2007 at 22:07.

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14 May 2007, 08:26	#2
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,502	Screenshot please? In my opinion it looks nicer on XP's classic theme than the old one, perhaps you have some (broken) extra fonts installed? (like Vista's font but for some reason it does not work properly)

14 May 2007, 09:39	#3
Marcuz Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: . Age: 48 Posts: 5,562	i think it's very good looking instead. A very refreshing touch to the GUI. try to check also your setting for Clear Looking (antialias) in Windows Control Panel

14 May 2007, 19:23	#4
InfoVS Posts: n/a	It all fine with my fonts. It's a matter of taste. To me this "improvement" is step backward, why changing standard font? No program installed on my computer since 2002 had font looking like this one in new WinUAE! So I guess this "...and now something completely different!" thing was not really needed. IMHO. Btw "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts" is set to "standard". If I turn it off then it is sharp but ugly. If I change it to ClearType it is looking OK..BUT I don't want ClearType fonts!

14 May 2007, 19:25	#5
BippyM Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 48 Posts: 9,355	i think it looks fine

14 May 2007, 19:27	#6
DamienD Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London / Sydney Age: 47 Posts: 20,420	Me too IMHO Oh well, you can't please everyone.

14 May 2007, 19:31	#7
Marcuz Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: . Age: 48 Posts: 5,562	ok i get it: to have the newer fonts on windows without styles installed, alike Win 98, it's kind of a contrast, and i understand the taste' matter. but for newer windows versions, o windowsXP with styles on etc, it workd very well. after all it's the one of the fonts microsoft has wanted for the more recent generation of its OS, it's not a puke...

14 May 2007, 19:51	#8
Konrad Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Age: 43 Posts: 742	I think it looks okay. But... @Tony: Why don't you just let WinUAE use the selected system font ?

14 May 2007, 21:39	#11
glue Banned Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: https://t.me/pump_upp Posts: 76	i think - in my opinion, old font are better for my LCD 19" - more readable than new cleartype.

14 May 2007, 22:15	#13
Ironclaw Banned Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: ... Age: 45 Posts: 3,313	Hi all... havn't read all posts... I don't use the latest version of WinUAE, 1.3.1 is doing what I need... so I don't know how the latest look, but if it DOES look like in the picture InfoVS posted, it's not ok. That font is blurry, unfocused and can give a headache . But I guess he maybe has wrong settings in windows or something... A is my WinUAE, B is of course InfoVS's WinUAE.

14 May 2007, 23:03	#14
Ultron Something Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Amigaland, Nostalgia Age: 48 Posts: 757	Someone doesn't know what ClearType is...

14 May 2007, 23:06	#15
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,502	My tests didn't show that kind of blurriness so it must be some weird Windows feature again..

14 May 2007, 23:13	#16
Marcuz Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: . Age: 48 Posts: 5,562	what's to be clearified, imho, is that even the pic infoVS posted may not depict how ugly it is the font on his own LCD, differently from a CRT: ClearType doesn't give absolute good or bad font per se, and there are fonts that work well on a screen and worse on another. not having a LCD monitor i'm not sure on how it would work on another user screen, not to mention that usually when one uses cleartype, he sets it for a good view of the main windows' typeface, which in this case is different from the one Winuae uses. i would suggest to download one of the free alternative programs that can set the fonts aliasing more accurately than windows, (try a search on Softpedia) but also, i understand why people want it so bad to have back the old font. I still prefer this one though.

14 May 2007, 23:22	#17
Ironclaw Banned Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: ... Age: 45 Posts: 3,313	Almost any font is good, as long as it's crisp looking like mine (A)... Which maybe his could be, but he maybe has some weird settings somewhere causing his font to be blurry.

14 May 2007, 23:50	#18
mrbob2 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: sheffield Posts: 332	on xp its fine. Is he running his on windows 95 or something?

15 May 2007, 00:01	#19
Mad-Matt Longplayer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Lincoln / UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,846	the only way it can look like as blury as above pic is when not running lcd in its native mode and/or not running cleartype(in which case theres no exuse not to).

15 May 2007, 00:09	#20
Shoonay Global Caturator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Porando Age: 43 Posts: 6,105	Maybe try ClearType Tuning from M$ PowerToys? It let's you choose "LCD Screen Striping" from [Red-Green-Blue] to [Blue-Green-Red] and "ClearType Contrast Settings". Lovely utility!

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