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This is a bizarre conclusion to the issue raised here some time ago. I could easily hide the inserts e.t.c for the tracks and Mixer and just use the Inspector but there is no way I want to lose all that functionality when all that was asked for was more UI consistency LOL!

Frits did a wonderful job achieving that (beyond that I would say) but I suspect he should have just asked (as AFAICT he always has) if anyone wants the larger text or even larger button option as that appears to be the only way to get larger text back or more legible text unless anti aliasing is revised in some way or the suggestion I put forward is taken up.

I know I was one of the people who said the large button look was not optimal and that led to him removing it but I assumed because Frits said nothing about it that the larger text option was still there. It appears larger text would have to mean larger buttons. I am happy to settle for more legible text instead if that is an easier problem to solve by optionally disabling anti aliasing for text used in Tracks and Mixer buttons.

In hindsight I should have said he should leave those buttons at the original larger size and made either larger or smaller buttons and text on buttons the default. Seeing as the smaller text option was removed that would certainly be one my suggestions now. :-k

@druid wrote:

As for Reaper offering anti-aliasing options for lines (if I understood correctly); that WOULD be application-specific, and nothing to do with fonts, as far as I know.

No idea for sure. My usage of Reaper is only at demo level but maybe yes, I guess it is very likely application specific but I am not sure. In any case Reaper appears to split up certain elements for anti aliasing treatment or the reduction of it (text, envelopes e.t.c). The results are very good however it does it. :-k

Here is some info on anti aliasing…(with more to the left of the screen in the link on fonts)…

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd183433(VS.85).aspx

Had a problem getting this link to work but paste into your browser to see the full article.

It looks like in theory it might help Frits with Podium (from a developers perspective). Its a guess of course as I am no expert in this area but this info from the link looks like it might help???

“You can adjust the appearance of text by changing the contrast value used in the ClearType algorithm. The default is 1,400, but it can be any value from 1,000 to 2,200. Depending on the display device and the user’s sensitivity to colors, a higher or lower contrast value may improve readability. To change the contrast, call SystemParametersInfo with SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHINGCONTRAST. The following code sets the contrast value to 1,600.”

Maybe something like that can be adjusted in Podiums code or exposed to a user to change in a more simplified way. ❓ ❓ ❓

Screenshots as promised… 😉

This is with ClearType on. Reaper IMO has much clearer text compared to Podium here. I really do not know why Podium looks much less clear compared to Reaper :-k

Podium is on the left and Reaper is on the right. Look at the “Fabfilter Timeless” text for the inserts.

But if I switch off ClearType…can you spot the difference between the two applications “Fabfilter Timeless” text now? I can hardly tell them apart…below…

Podium is far sharper than the first image now that Cleartype is off and matches (maybe even goes further than) Reapers text for clarity in the second image. Quite a difference and quite easy to see IMO with those screen shots.

So Podium it appears benefits clearly from having anti aliasing disabled for certain areas (inserts on tracks and mixer strips) but anti aliasing is very helpful elsewhere in Podium that is why I think adding some kind of option to disable anti aliasing for the Insert, Source and Input buttons (just for the tracks and mixer strips) will solve this problem.

I hope that helps.

@Zynewave wrote:

I’m surprised that you think the aliased font looks clearer than the anti-aliased font. I have the opposite perception. Maybe it looks different on Windows 7.

Could be different on Windows 7…but I also much prefer anti aliased fonts just not for very small text.

That is why I suggested an option to disable anti aliasing for the Mixer and Tracks Inserts, Source and Input buttons (only). Not for the entire Podium interface. That could easily be achieved for the most part by simply not using ClearType at all. But that solution will cost me ClearType usage elsewhere in Podium for bigger text where it is very useful.

Disabling anti aliasing for other areas in Podium is not of any interest to me. The rest of Podium benefits hugely from anti aliasing as do 99% of other areas of Windows and other apps.

Please post a screenshot, or compare with my earlier screenshot on page2.

Ok will do.

I’ve seen screenshots of Reaper skins that use anti-aliased fonts, so maybe it depends on whether the default fonts used in Reaper does not support anti-aliasing. Or is there an option for this in the Reaper preferences?

I just fired up the Reaper demo for a quick comparison but I’ll check and see.

@Zynewave wrote:

Puzzling. The font used in the inspector (with small size option) is the same as used in the mixer. Maybe you just need to wipe your monitor with a damp piece of cloth? 😛

Damp cloth? Only if you send me one of those new Zynwave monitor wipes with free shipping. ➡ 😛

Please post/email a screenshot showing the problem. Note that the fonts used in Podium will be anti-aliased if you have the ClearType option enabled in Windows.

That was it. ClearType. =D> I had Samplitude and Reapers Mixers up and tested with Clear type on and off and it made no difference to the mixer inserts in those hosts. None. The text remained quite sharp.

Podium…it was easily clear the difference it made. The absence of font smoothing in Podium matched the other two hosts for clarity. The other two apps text (for inserts) made the text appear clearer and sharper as there is no font smoothing. Font smoothing really does not appear to work well with very small text but when switched off one can easily make out even a very small font size in Podiums mixer. (Inserts in this case).

The “small font” option was made permanent when the new smaller buttons were implemented in 2.23. The normal font is too big for the smaller buttons. I had a look at screenshots of mixers in other hosts, and from what I can see it is quite common to use a small font in mixer effect slots.

Indeed the fonts used in Samplitude and Reapers mixer inserts is AFAICT exactly the same size as Podium

So is there a solution or halfway house here? Well I don’t think enlarging the text will help as there is probably no need, I don’t think you need to sharpen the text either but…Samplitude and Reaper appear to disable font smoothing for their Mixer inserts perhaps to avoid the problem I had with smaller text not really benefiting from it and losing some degree of definition.

So can you please add an option to disable font smoothing / aliasing for the track and mixer inserts as well as source and input text in the mixer and tracks? That would solve the problem completely, having tested Podium with ClearType on (Tracks and Mixer inserts + Source, Input text) and comparing with it off.

Can you please add this option? 🙂

@thcilnnahoj wrote:

Yeah, I mentioned this too, I believe, though with a different solution. It doesn’t only affect the mixer buttons but almost all icons. 🙁
Try the track select buttons in the rack for an example how it’s done right!

Thanks for pointing that out. So it seems this problem is not isolated to the Mixer and Editor Profile bar. :-k It kind of goes against the other recent graphical enhancements in Podium. Hopefully Frits can have another look at this problem.

@kingtubby wrote:

Edit: Further thoughts. Using “add parameters” encourages the user to click on the text in the expectation that the option to add parameters will be available there, rather than where it is currently. Would it be possible to move the right-click add parameters menu to the “…parameters” text?

@ Kingtubby

I was just thinking the exact same thing… 🙂 I was just trying to repro LP’s inspector bug (especially as UA made it sound so easy to do :P) and I instinctively clicked on the “No parameters are added to the rack editor” text expecting the Parameter list to show up.

So yeah…that is an even better idea. i would be much happier with parameter choices being made available after clicking on the text instead of a right click menu in this case.

@ LP and UA…

Yup…now I can repro that bug. It seems to only appear when the inspector is dragged as far left as possible (as you both said) but also only when the scroll bar appears. I also noticed that it seems to go away even when the inspector is dragged fully left if the divider between the Rack and Track panel is pulled down far enough so that the scroll bar is not visible.
Strange. :-k