Forms ok in design mode, cropped in run mode, only on my monitor

[RobinS]

Hello to all, and happy new year!

I have this application that someone wrote that I'm
sort of checking out. The forms look fine in design
mode, but when I run the application, it crops off
the bottom of almost every form. I haven't figured
out yet if there's a pattern to it. I compared two
forms -- one that looks okay and one that gets cropped,
and aside from the size and the accept button and
the cancel button, their properties are identical.
I don't see anything in the code that is modifying
the size of the form, either.

The forms are all displayed as dialogs, if that matters.

Has anybody seen something like this before, or
do you have any ideas how I can figure out how to
fix it?

I talked to the original author of the application,
and it looks fine on his screen and on other people's
screens who have looked at the application.

I'd appreciate any advice you can offer me.
BTW, I'm using VB2005.

Thanks in advance,
Robin S.

 

[Stephany Young]

Maybe you should have asked Santa for a nice brand spanking new monitor

Seriously though ...

What happens if you plug another monitor into your computer? If it still
happens then it would be more likely to be a problem with your video card
than your monitor.

You might want to try tweaking whatever video card and/or monitor settings
you can find - like refresh rate etc.

Apart from that it's like 'how long is a piece of string?'.

 

[RobinS]

Darn, I was hoping that would help, but it didn't. My laptop's
resolution is 1400x1050. It does an extended desktop onto my
second (20.1") monitor that is 1680x1050. It displays the same
way on both monitors.

Here's a weird thing: it doesn't do it on applications that *I* develop.

Here's a weirder thing: I created a new form, set the size to the
same as his. Then I copied all of his controls onto my new form,
then copied all of the code-behind that he had written into my new
form, and made sure all of the [size] and [location] information for
the form and controls matched. Then I changed the other code to call
my form instead of his, and it looks fine.

I compared the Designer.vb files, and the size of all the controls
is different (even though I copied his and pasted them into mine).
And as for the form settings, the AutoScaleDimensions and ClientSize
are different. All of the sizes in the properties and controls for
both forms is the same; it's only different in the generated code.

After mucking around with it, I found if I move a control on the
screen, or change anything on the screen (even if I change it back)
and then save the form, it regenerates the Designer.vb file and
the AutoScaleDimensions goes from (6.0!, 13.0!) to (8.0!, 16.0!).
And the client size changes (634, 455) to (845, 560).

Note that none of the properties displayed for the form in
design mode have changed.

(insert Twilight Zone music here)

Is there some way to regenerate the designer.vb files other than
changing each form (there are a lot of them)? (Rebuilding the
solution doesn't do it, in case you're wondering).

Does this mean if I want to deploy an application on a computer
with a higher resolution than mine, I will have to handle the
sizing in the code?

Can I now justify buying a 30" monitor? Or should I just hook
my laptop up to my 42" plasma monitor/tv? Wow. Just think of the
real estate. Hmmmm.

Robin S.
---------------------------

 

[Lucian Wischik]

I have this application that someone wrote that I'm
sort of checking out. The forms look fine in design
mode, but when I run the application, it crops off
the bottom of almost every form.

I wonder if it has to do with
Display>Properties>Settings>Advanced>Fonts (120dpi/96dpi) ?

They're a common reason for dialogs to look wrong on different
systems.

 

[RobinS]

Well, I do have my fonts set to 120dpi because my monitor
is so resolute (so to speak). I reset them to 96dpi
and you're right, it did fix the forms. Of course,
now I can't read any of it, because the letters are 2mm
high, but gosh darn it, all the controls show up on the
screen. Thank you!

Robin S.
--------------------------------------

 

[Stephany Young]

Damn ... Lucian got in before I did ...

Yes, it will be ye olde 'Large Fonts'. Note that 560 pixels wide is
approximately 125% of 455 pixels wide and also that 120 dpi is 125% of 96
dpi.

Have a look at the AutoScaleMode property of the form and have a read up on
that property in the documentation.

Darn, I was hoping that would help, but it didn't. My laptop's
resolution is 1400x1050. It does an extended desktop onto my
second (20.1") monitor that is 1680x1050. It displays the same
way on both monitors.

Here's a weird thing: it doesn't do it on applications that *I* develop.

Here's a weirder thing: I created a new form, set the size to the
same as his. Then I copied all of his controls onto my new form,
then copied all of the code-behind that he had written into my new
form, and made sure all of the [size] and [location] information for
the form and controls matched. Then I changed the other code to call
my form instead of his, and it looks fine.

I compared the Designer.vb files, and the size of all the controls
is different (even though I copied his and pasted them into mine).
And as for the form settings, the AutoScaleDimensions and ClientSize
are different. All of the sizes in the properties and controls for
both forms is the same; it's only different in the generated code.

After mucking around with it, I found if I move a control on the
screen, or change anything on the screen (even if I change it back)
and then save the form, it regenerates the Designer.vb file and
the AutoScaleDimensions goes from (6.0!, 13.0!) to (8.0!, 16.0!).
And the client size changes (634, 455) to (845, 560).

Note that none of the properties displayed for the form in
design mode have changed.

(insert Twilight Zone music here)

Is there some way to regenerate the designer.vb files other than
changing each form (there are a lot of them)? (Rebuilding the
solution doesn't do it, in case you're wondering).

Does this mean if I want to deploy an application on a computer
with a higher resolution than mine, I will have to handle the
sizing in the code?

Can I now justify buying a 30" monitor? Or should I just hook
my laptop up to my 42" plasma monitor/tv? Wow. Just think of the
real estate. Hmmmm.

Robin S.
---------------------------

Maybe you should have asked Santa for a nice brand spanking new monitor


Seriously though ...

What happens if you plug another monitor into your computer? If it still
happens then it would be more likely to be a problem with your video card
than your monitor.

You might want to try tweaking whatever video card and/or monitor
settings you can find - like refresh rate etc.

Apart from that it's like 'how long is a piece of string?'.

 

[Bruce W. Darby]

Can I now justify buying a 30" monitor? Or should I just hook
my laptop up to my 42" plasma monitor/tv? Wow. Just think of the
real estate. Hmmmm.

Robin S.

Hook your laptop up to your TV and send me the 20" monitor????? DOH!!!

 

[RobinS]

Those damn fonts, they get you every time. I will
look up the AutoScaleMode. Thanks for the pointer!

Robin S.
-------------------------------

Damn ... Lucian got in before I did ...

Yes, it will be ye olde 'Large Fonts'. Note that 560 pixels wide is
approximately 125% of 455 pixels wide and also that 120 dpi is 125% of
96 dpi.

Have a look at the AutoScaleMode property of the form and have a read
up on that property in the documentation.

Darn, I was hoping that would help, but it didn't. My laptop's
resolution is 1400x1050. It does an extended desktop onto my
second (20.1") monitor that is 1680x1050. It displays the same
way on both monitors.

Here's a weird thing: it doesn't do it on applications that *I*
develop.

Here's a weirder thing: I created a new form, set the size to the
same as his. Then I copied all of his controls onto my new form,
then copied all of the code-behind that he had written into my new
form, and made sure all of the [size] and [location] information for
the form and controls matched. Then I changed the other code to call
my form instead of his, and it looks fine.

I compared the Designer.vb files, and the size of all the controls
is different (even though I copied his and pasted them into mine).
And as for the form settings, the AutoScaleDimensions and ClientSize
are different. All of the sizes in the properties and controls for
both forms is the same; it's only different in the generated code.

After mucking around with it, I found if I move a control on the
screen, or change anything on the screen (even if I change it back)
and then save the form, it regenerates the Designer.vb file and
the AutoScaleDimensions goes from (6.0!, 13.0!) to (8.0!, 16.0!).
And the client size changes (634, 455) to (845, 560).

Note that none of the properties displayed for the form in
design mode have changed.

(insert Twilight Zone music here)

Is there some way to regenerate the designer.vb files other than
changing each form (there are a lot of them)? (Rebuilding the
solution doesn't do it, in case you're wondering).

Does this mean if I want to deploy an application on a computer
with a higher resolution than mine, I will have to handle the
sizing in the code?

Can I now justify buying a 30" monitor? Or should I just hook
my laptop up to my 42" plasma monitor/tv? Wow. Just think of the
real estate. Hmmmm.

Robin S.
---------------------------

Maybe you should have asked Santa for a nice brand spanking new
monitor

Seriously though ...

What happens if you plug another monitor into your computer? If it
still happens then it would be more likely to be a problem with your
video card than your monitor.

You might want to try tweaking whatever video card and/or monitor
settings you can find - like refresh rate etc.

Apart from that it's like 'how long is a piece of string?'.


Hello to all, and happy new year!

I have this application that someone wrote that I'm
sort of checking out. The forms look fine in design
mode, but when I run the application, it crops off
the bottom of almost every form. I haven't figured
out yet if there's a pattern to it. I compared two
forms -- one that looks okay and one that gets cropped,
and aside from the size and the accept button and
the cancel button, their properties are identical.
I don't see anything in the code that is modifying
the size of the form, either.

The forms are all displayed as dialogs, if that matters.

Has anybody seen something like this before, or
do you have any ideas how I can figure out how to
fix it?

I talked to the original author of the application,
and it looks fine on his screen and on other people's
screens who have looked at the application.

I'd appreciate any advice you can offer me.
BTW, I'm using VB2005.

Thanks in advance,
Robin S.

 

[RobinS]

Hook your laptop up to your TV and send me the 20" monitor?????
DOH!!!

That sounds like a great idea! You have to pay the shipping, though,
which will be $250. Paypal or cashier's check?

LOL,
Robin S.

 

[Bruce W. Darby]

That sounds like a great idea! You have to pay the shipping, though,
which will be $250. Paypal or cashier's check?

LOL,
Robin S.

Only $250.00??? A steal at any price.... uh.... checks in the mail????
hehehehe

 

[RobinS]

Only $250.00??? A steal at any price.... uh.... checks in the mail????
hehehehe

If you live in the USA, you, too, can shop at Costco!

I'll ship it as soon as the check clears. LOL.

(Then I can buy a 24" one!)

Robin S.