Re: widget size independant to screen resolution

It might also be good to have some functionality in the window manager
to scale an individual window's PPI (how about DPI, so we aren't
limited to thinking of pixels?)
There are many times where I will want to watch a window, but don't
need it to be full size, like a download window or when I'm doing an
emerge or something. It'd be nice to scale the window down a bit, so I
can keep an eye on it without taking up too much of my precious screen
real estate.

This would also be useful for such things as scaling down all but the
currently focused window, or OSX exposè type stuff (but with a few
more functions to be a bit more useful).
It could also be used for completely pointless eye-candy, of
course...which always attracts people to things :P

-- Paul Bonser


> I have a number of interesting points to make:
> * It may be beneficial to have a control panel (or part of one)
> dedicated to allowing the user to specify the correct PPI setting for
> his/her monitor and resolution, such as the way the GIMP handles it (by
> allowing manual specification and a calibration dialog).  Unlike the
> GIMP, this would have to be a desktop-wide setting, rather than an
> individual application setting.
> * It could automatically adjust the PPI setting when changing
> resolutions.
> * I would recommend that this setting be independent of the scaling
> factor discussed in this thread, as some programs may need accurate
> ruler measurements (print preview functionality comes to mind).
> * Also, I don't think it would be wise to ask the user to specify this
> setting (or the scale factor, for that matter) upon the initial run of
> the windowing system (the way the GIMP does). An option like that would
> probably best be handled later (assuming sensible defaults are used).
> * It must be made clear that applications are to use the scaling factor
> pixels unless an accurate ruler is absolutely necessary, and that an
> application is not to use pure pixels at all.  In fact, pure pixels do
> not even have to be made available to applications (or even widgets).
> Isn't abstraction fun? :)
> * An application that needs the PPI setting could inform the user if
> he/she has not already set it, and give the user the option to enter the
> control panel to do so.
> 
> 


-- 
"C++ also supports the notion of *friends*: cooperative classes that
are permitted to see each other's private parts." - Grady Booch