How do I make the UI smaller?

Jasper1 wrote on 4/22/2022, 7:58 AM

Hello everyone!
I have been using magix movie edit pro / video deluxe for a very long time now and bought a newer version around a year ago, but never used it because the icons and timeline is too big. everything is too big.

Today, I installed video pro x to see if it doesnt have this issue. however, it still has the issue. Please see the photo to see what I mean. (new video pro x on the left, old video deluxe 2016 on the right) I can see around 6 tracks on the old version but only 4 on the new one. I know that I can make the timeline smaller but that makes the video and audio waveform go away. Also as you can see in the top right, the buttons are much smaller and better in my opinion compared to the newer version.

I love video deluxe 2016 but I want to upgrade from it. It is very hard for me to upgrade, because all the buttons are much bigger compared to older versions. I REALLY don't like that. Is there a way to fix it?

I have searched through menus on the software and tried windows display settings, but nothing seems to work.

Thanks.

Comments

CubeAce wrote on 4/22/2022, 10:06 AM

@Jasper1

As far as I'm aware the program is as it has always been with the exception of some icons being changed to help them to be more easily seen on 4K screens. That may not be entirely true as I only started in 2018 but looking at your two examples they seem the same layout. Just adjusted differently.

This is what I get as my settings for VPX on a 1080 x 1980 screen. I'm showing adjustment options in yellow.

Ray.

johnebaker wrote on 4/22/2022, 10:07 AM

@Jasper1

Look in the Windows settings, System, Display for the Scaling option - it should be set to 100%, on laptops, it is often set to 120% or greater.

HTH

John EB
Forum Moderator

Jasper1 wrote on 4/22/2022, 10:45 AM

@CubeAce Thanks a lot for the help and the screenshot! I have just tried these things and it sadly does not work. When it is in full screen using a second monitor 1920x1080 on a laptop, it looks much bigger. I think that this is probably the issue. That I am using a laptop. It probably thinks I have a tiny display so it makes the software icons bigger. Thanks again for helping. I have tried adjusting the user interface a bit so it becomes more usable. it is not perfect but much better than before.

@johnebaker Thank you for the reply! I have set my laptop on 100% and also the second monitor at 100%, but I don't think it fixes the issue. The icons are still the same size. But thanks for taking the time to reply. I think that it is probably the issue that I am using a second display on a laptop and not a proper pc. I wish magix would implement a feature where I can adjust the icon sizes or the size of the software. But they will probaly not add that to it.

johnebaker wrote on 4/22/2022, 10:57 AM

@Jasper1

Are the laptop and external monitor the same resolution?

John EB

AAProds wrote on 4/22/2022, 11:07 AM

@Jasper1 Agree, clearly, the general interface design size for 2016 is smaller than current and, on your screen, far more useable.

As Ray says, Magix is probably scaling everything up as time goes on so when you peer at a smallish 4k screen, you can still actually see the various components. As for getting Magix to introduce user-scaling of the interface, flying pigs comes to mind. 😉

Jasper1 wrote on 4/22/2022, 12:06 PM

@johnebaker Yes. Sorry for the late response. Both screens are both 1920X1080.

@AAProds Ah so they make it bigger for 4k displays if I understand it correctly? Does this mean that if I buy a 4k monitor, the interface will be smaller? Thanks for the response!

Jasper1 wrote on 4/22/2022, 12:21 PM

Update: I have installed a trial version of video pro x11 (the older version. not version 13) and it seems to have a normal user interface and nothing is large. I see that I can still buy video pro x11 on some third party websites so maybe I will do that because of this, and I prefer the older size and position tool more too. Thanks again everyone for the fast replies and helping me!

CubeAce wrote on 4/22/2022, 12:40 PM

@Jasper1

Hi.

It may be a stupid question on my part but if you are using two screens did you check the settings for both screens that can be independent of each other. Are you using the screens as one screen or two?

Also what programs are you using for scaling? is it just the windows settings or do you also have either the additional Intel Graphics Command Center or nvidia control panel or its AMD equivalent?

Ray.

Jasper1 wrote on 4/22/2022, 12:55 PM

@CubeAce It is not a stupid question because I almost looked over it. First I had 1 screen on 125 but the other on 100. Now they are both on 100. I am using the screens in the extended mode. Which means I have 2 screens. There is a NVIDIA Control Panel on my laptop installed (I just discovered it was on here.) , however I cant make it any higher than 1920X1080. If I make it lower than 1920X1080, the icons will become even bigger in magix which makes it worse.
Also, when I change the: 'Make everything bigger' setting in microsoft settings under the display tab, it does not matter if I change it from 150 to 100% or from 100 to 125. It changes almost everything: Windows bar in bottom, windows apps and cursor size, but it does not change video pro x or video deluxe 2022. Also not chrome.

CubeAce wrote on 4/22/2022, 2:20 PM

@Jasper1

Hi.

however I cant make it any higher than 1920X1080.

That is correct if both screens are that resolution. Each is set separately.

I have never used a laptop for video editing but this is my relevant nvidia setting and Windows settings that I check. I too am only using 1089 x 1920 displays at 60 Hz.

The change to the icons etc is listed in the programs update history so you may be better off with an earlier version.

Ray.

Jasper1 wrote on 4/22/2022, 2:30 PM

@CubeAce Thank you for pointing out that it is in the program update history! That is probably it. thanks again and have a nice day.

johnebaker wrote on 4/22/2022, 4:02 PM

@Jasper1

. . . . Both screens are both 1920X1080 . . . .

My PC has 2 x 23" monitors, my laptop a 17" screen and my wife's Yoga with a 14" screen, of the same resolution 1920 x 1080 and the program interface scales correctly on all machines, the program does not run well on the Yoga though 😞

Check are in the Accessibility features that the Text size has not been increased - it should be at 100%.

John EB

AAProds wrote on 4/22/2022, 8:47 PM

@Jasper1

I don't read making the icons "razor sharp" as meaning "we've made them bigger so you can still see them". But in my view that is what they have done. A big part of them looking so sharp is the fact that they are bigger, as you have observed.

Ah so they make it bigger for 4k displays if I understand it correctly? Does this mean that if I buy a 4k monitor, the interface will be smaller? Thanks for the response!

Yes, but beware of the dots per inch. 4k resolution (3840x2160) on a 27inch physical screen is going to have the program icons and labels/menus very small. In other words, the dots per inch is high. I have a 27" monitor with 2560x1440 resolution and I don't want to go any "smaller", or higher resolution (my screen equates to 108Pixels Per Inch, being 23.5" horizontal size at 2560 horizontal pixels). 4k on a 27" screen is just too small for me. If I was going for 4k, I'd be looking at a 32" screen at least.

Jasper1 wrote on 4/23/2022, 2:47 AM

@johnebaker thanks for checking out if it scales on all of your machines! I think it is the new updated version of video pro x with the hidpi interface that makes everything bigger. Magix indeed needs a decent cpu and gpu to run.

@AAProds Thanks for explaining! I think that that will also help. It should not be too small indeed, but then I can change the resolution a bit lower. (somewhere between 1080p and 4k) Then the interface will get bigger compared to 4k.

Thanks again everyone for the help! I am surprised at how fast I got responses!

AAProds wrote on 4/24/2022, 1:13 AM

@Jasper1

then I can change the resolution a bit lower. (somewhere between 1080p and 4k) Then the interface will get bigger compared to 4k.

Technically, that's true, but I have found, with various monitors, that the screen items are sharpest when the monitor is set to it's native/recommended resolution. If I reduce the resolution to make the screen items bigger, they become fuzzier.

johnebaker wrote on 4/24/2022, 3:06 AM

@Jasper1

. . . . I can change the resolution a bit lower. (somewhere between 1080p and 4k . . . . .

Does that mean the laptops native screen resolution is 4K and you have the Windows, Display setting set to 1920 x 1080?

John EB

Jasper1 wrote on 4/24/2022, 5:31 AM

@AAProds Thanks for pointing it out. However I have no big issues when the icons or objects are not the sharpest. Or I can buy the older version of Video Pro X with the 1080p monitor that I am using right now. Video Pro X 11 does not have a big user interface unlike version 13.
@johnebaker My laptops native screen resolution is 1920 X 1080, but if I buy an external 4k monitor, it will be 4k which means I can probably change it in between 4k and 1080p. for example 1440p.