Bar Menu not visible in Windows 10 Surface Pro 3 = custom scaling issue

Custom Scaling in Windows 10.1607 causes the Bar Menu to get "lost" on a Surface Pro 3.

The Surface Pro 3 defaults to a 200% Custom Scaling instead of the normal 100% Custom Scaling, presumably because of its very large screen resolution. This causes the Bar Menu to be displaying (apparently) way to the right off screen, and thus inaccessible. Reducing the Custom Scaling (>Start >Settings >System >Display >The top slider) to at least 150% will begin to show the left edge of the menu. It would then need to be dragged fully on screen. Reducing Custom Scaling to 100% will cause the Bar Menu to display properly. However, text becomes nearly microscopic and unusable to a typical user on the Surface Pro 3.

Suggested solution to FDOT: Remember where the Bar Menu was placed and place it where remembered on future sessions instead of always defaulting to the top right. Thus, the issue could be mitigated with a one time Custom Scaling reduction to 100%, move the bar menu, and then restore the default 200%, whereupon the menu would still be visible on future sessions because of the remembered location. As it is, the user is forced to compromise at 150% and drag the Bar Menu on screen at the opening of every ustat session.

Details: Apparently, Custom Scaling is not able to apply itself in a fully global fashion; and/or older applications are not submitting their display calls to Windows properly. For example, application opening splash screens are disproportionately small when Windows is scaled up. In addition, ustat menu and palette text are "squished". My guess is that the Bar Menu placement is being calculated off the raw screen resolution and not being managed correctly by Windows (or CadPilot) when displayed. Note that the adverse and corrected effects of displaying the Bar Menu are not fully manifested until you logoff and log back on. Note also that this issue, though not normally a problem on a typical desktop, would manifest itself on that desktop by increasing the Custom Scaling from the normal 100% to 200%+.

Mike Champion

Orlando

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  • I have dealt with these scaling issues as well. Unfortunately, Microstation does not work with Windows scaling. I had a 4k monitor and even on 200% scaling and using Large Microstation icons, my icons were still terribly small. You are going to have a pretty hard time as well because you have a relatively small screen (I was using a 28" 4k) and a high resolution, so the problem is compounded. Not much you can do about small icons until Connect comes out and hopefully that can follow Windows Scaling and is better suited for higher resolution displays.

    As for your bar menu issue, you should be able to fix that. Move the Bar Menu to where you want it, then right click the far left side of the bar, where it is darker than the rest of the bar, and hit Save Settings. That should lock the bar into that location for future sessions.

    Zachary Billings, P.E.

    Senior Roadway Engineer (Licensed in FL and MI)

    CONSOR Engineers, LLC

    System Info:

    Windows 11 | Intel Core i7-13700k | Nvidia RTX 4090 FE | 32 GB of RAM | 2 TB Western Digital Black SN850x NVME

    ORD Version 10.12.02.004 | FDOT Connect Version 10.12.01.00

    YouTube Page for ORD: https://tinyurl.com/BillingsCADD

  • Didn't know about Save Settings. Thanks for the tip!
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