Window size

[reecemj]

Steve is it possible to set a small window size each time p3d starts up? Sure I can drag it but I want automatic start. Thanks.

[Steve Waite]

Do you mean restrict or set the initial size of the simulator window overriding the way it might want to start?

[reecemj]

Over riding the way it wants to start. When starting p3d it opens as a small window not full screen automatic.

[Steve Waite]

Hi,

What I do is make it windowed (ALT+ENTER), move it to the screen I want the main view to start on, make it full screen (ALT+ENTER), close it.

Now when it opens it opens in fullscreen on that monitor.

Is that what you need?

[Steve Waite]

...you also close it in Windowed mode on the main monitor as well to set those values in the sim for opening in windowed mode.

It's the way the sim works - note: If you see no sim screen use ALT+ENTER to bring it back.

ALT+ENTER is Windows way of measuring the desktop and video game screen size and locations.

[Steve Waite]

In short we must ALT+ENTER twice and close the sim to instill settings in the sim - that part has nothing to do with IF.

IF doesn't make changes to the way the sim works other than to set the sim to start right into the cockpit not the menu pages when starting a flight. Closing the flight resets the sim to open in menus if that's what it did prior to starting with IF.


Let's have a look at Ideal Flight's extra screen handling functions...

In the Settings page - Other Settings window:

Set Prepar3D main window Captionless - this removes the caption area in windowed mode.
Set Prepar3D main window Borderless - this removes the borders when in Captionless mode.

Set Prepar3D undocked views Captionless - removes the caption area of undocked views and panels.
Set Prepar3D undocked views Borderless - this removes the borders when in Captionless mode.

[Steve Waite]

...so when we understand what Windows does when we start certain apps like P3D that utilise DirectX and most other games like that, depending on current screen aspects of the system we might need to press ALT+ENTER once or twice to attain the screen mode we want so that the game can obtain the sizes and locations from Windows system calls. With the IF window remove caption and border settings we would use the windows command ALT+ENTER so that the sim window finds its new sizes.

[Steve Waite]

Incidentally: Remember that once we get in the sim and arrange our windows we must pull down the menu and choose the IF: Menu Item - Save Aircraft Settings. This saves the views and panels in each view we choose in the sim. Say we choose F11 to view the outside and then manipulate the view just how we want - pull down the menu and Save Aircraft Settings. Next time we start that flight or build a new flight that will be the view we start with.

[Steve Waite]

I'm just preparing to release a big update: replaced the remaining retro fonts with cleartext, increased performance, and have some new bits...more soon.

[reecemj]

I have IF to start p3d with the default flight. Its opening with the small window I like. I have other apps to setup while p3d is loading. When I hit fly on IF p3d loads in a small window. Guess I drag and save it so much it just do it on its own now. Thanks for the information i will bookmark this one.