Omigod, 1024x1280 Windowed Mode with a Rotated 19 Inch Monitor Rocks!

If you have a monitor that can rotate from landscape to portrait mode, try it!

from GalCiv2 Forums
I have a dell 1905 19 inch monitor that I have been running the game in 1280x1024 landscape mode. I finally tried it in windowed mode at 1024x1280 ( I didn't realize at first that the w flag had to have a space betwen it and the shortcut pointer) and I liked that. Even though the resolution was the same, now whenever i switched to another program, or clicked on another program, on the extended desktop, the game stayed up. So I now could keep up the galectopedia or website on my second monitor on my windows extended desktop. So far very cool.

But wait there's more galactic goodness...... My monitor can rotate into portrait mode 90 degrees. I couldn't find an option to swich the rotation in the options menu, so I went to the pref.ini file in my documents/my games/galciv2 and edited the display width to 1024 and the display height to 1280 and.......omigod it works!!!

It is great, the only thing that is distorted is the opening menu screen (planets are streched) and maybe the full screen GNN screens (but they don't look bad).. The bottom menu is now far down on the screen and the drop down lists are now doubled (well at least 50 % longer in size!) everything else is not distorted as the desktop has now realigned itself and I just see far more information on the screen. The research tree is now doubled in visibility and I don't have to toggle off the bottom main menu to see everthing. The planet lists / ship lists are now seen without scrolling.. Wow...

The main screen now is more square instead of a wide rectangle and I can seen more when zooming out.

Try it if your monitor can rotate into portrait mode.

Thanks Frogboy for making this possible

I am very happy.
Edit: See screenshots below
7,650 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
By the way, I am using the latest dell drivers for my ATI video card and Dell 1905FP monitor. (not 1705)

When I tried to update and use the newer ATI catalyst drivers it hosed my desktop and I had to revert back to the Mar 06 dell AIT drivers for the Dell 1905FP monitor I have.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Put up a few screen grap if you can.

BTW, Why use the shortcut to get windowed mode ? It's right there in the options within GalCiv.
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
heheheh...I'm using a 24" widescreen @ 1920 x 1200 all settings MAXED. It's way sweet.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Maybe I first was confused because my desktop resolution was the same as the game resolution. But I thought I tried it both ways. But when I copied the shortcut and changed the target by adding a w, it at first told me the name wasn't valid, but when I added a space before the w, it would let me apply it. It also goes straight to the game without loading the gadget.

"C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\GalCiv2.exe" w is the correct path, unless you had overwritten the demo folders. You must have a space before the w, maybe that was intuitive to programmers, but addding that switch without a space was forgotten by me.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Can I upload images without directing to a URL? Can someone host some screenshots if I email them the screenshots?
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
2048x1536

BAM!
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'll have to try this on my 20" Dell. 1200x1600.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Here's a couple screencaps, just a junky ship and an influence station, to show how small the interface elements look at really high res.

AA is off, I'm not much one for eye candy.

http://home.cogeco.ca/~illuminati/2048x1536a.jpg

http://home.cogeco.ca/~illuminati/2048x1536b.jpg

btw wtf is it with the forums here? In one area you can use html, in another you can't, you can turn it on or off in some, you can edit some posts but not others, even in the same thread, you can't quote the op directly...it's so annoyingly random!
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i have a 24" wide too, and yes it's way sweet. i haven't tried it in portrait mode yet for galciv. hmmm....
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
OK , Duhh, found a free image hosting service. Screenshots below, the XPS logo is my 2nd monitor setup, the game is on the left side in portrait mode.