Android Question Autoscaleall (again, sorry :-( )

LucaMs · Dec 14, 2017

I'm using percentages, when create my GUIs, but I would like to use better the Designer.

Foreword: I know well the problem of the different relationships (ratio) between width and height of the various devices (when the hardware manufacturers will agree a standard, better if 16:9? ).

What I think is expected from the Autoscale functionality is that, roughly, when you create a variant including a button 100dip x 100dip, using the Autoscaleall the button is sufficiently proportioned on devices with different screens, such as tablets and smartphones.

In the example that I attach, I left all the default settings; I just added a button (default size, 100dip x 100dip).

Data and result:

TABLET 800 x 1280 - scale 1 (density)
SMARTPHONE 480 X 800 - scale 1.5

Variant: 320 x 480
Button1: 100 x 100
AutoScaleRate: 0.3 (not set, implied).

LOGS (Button1 size):
TABLET 150 X 150 (dips)
SMARTPHONE 155 X 155 (dips)

The difference is evidently minimal and consequently the proportion between the button and the screen size is totally different from what is desired.
[Moreover, the size in dips on the smartphone is even greater than on a tablet]

Since surely Autoscale does what it was created for, obviously what I suppose it should do is wrong.

LucaMs · Dec 14, 2017

I think (but I am not sure) I must set AutoScaleRate to 1, to obtain what I mean; but I don't understand why it is not set as default.

Erel · Dec 14, 2017

B4X:

LogColor("Button1 size: " & Button1.Width & " x " & Button1.Height, Colors.Blue)

This line doesn't print the size in dips. It print the actual number of pixels.
You should compare the normalized sizes:

B4X:

Dim scale As Float = GetDeviceLayoutValues.Scale
LogColor($"Button 1 size: $1.0{Button1.Width / scale} x $1.0{Button1.Height / scale}"$, Colors.Blue)

LucaMs · Dec 15, 2017

Erel said:
This line doesn't print the size in dips. It print the actual number of pixels.

Anyway, the height of the button (scaled) is almost equal on my smartphone (155px / 800px) and my tablet (150px / 1280px), resulting, therefore, disproportionate to the height of the screen, almost as if I wanted a fixed height (which I think I would get if I set the value to Ndip by code).

A designer script that seems to improve things is this:

B4X:

DefTextSize = 1.0

If ActivitySize <= 6 Then
    AutoScaleRate(.75)
    DefTextSize = 14
Else
    AutoScaleRate(1)
    DefTextSize = 16
End If

(probably adding a couple of "Else If" and related values, it would work even better).

Erel · Dec 15, 2017

The number of pixels do not have any meaning without the scale.
The correct values based on what you wrote are:
Tablet - button size is 1.3 inch (Sqrt(Power(150/160)*2))
Phone - button size is 0.9 inch (Sqrt(Power(155/1.5/160)*2))

AutoScaleAll worked perfectly and as it is designed. It slightly increases or decreases the views sizes based on the difference between the variant size and the device size.

As I tried to explain to you many times in the past AutoScaleAll doesn't stretch the layout. A tablet layout shouldn't be a proportionally stretched layout like a huge phone.
If you do want to stretch the layout then you shouldn't use AutoScaleAll.

We already had this exact discussion 10 times in the past. So it is better that I will stop now and not try to convince you that it is correct.

Star-Dust · Dec 15, 2017

You're just starting to understand LucaMS now ...
If it does not hit 20 times it does not convince ... you have only arrived at 11 explanations ... 9 others are missing to convince and understand

LucaMs · Dec 15, 2017

Erel said:
We already had this exact discussion 10 times in the past. So it is better that I will stop now and not try to convince you that it is correct.

This was the reason why I asked you the question in private, since it seems to you that I want to say that Autoscaleall does not work and therefore I want to diminish its value; but you told me to open this thread.

Erel said:
It slightly increases or decreases the views sizes based on the difference between the variant size and the device size.

Well, I do not understand the purpose, if the layout is not, for example, loaded in a panel but it must cover the whole screen. It is evident that I did not understand the purpose of variants. I will try to read this topic again in the pdf.

Thank you for your patience, for having preferred the question in public to then respond in this way!

Thanks also to @Star-Dust for his very useful comment.

Star-Dust · Dec 15, 2017

I was encouraging Erel to answer you 9 more times, it's quite useful since he stopped answering you

LucaMs · Dec 15, 2017

Star-Dust said:
I was encouraging Erel to answer you 9 more times, it's quite useful since he stopped answering you

No one will ever have to answer me again, it will no longer be necessary.

Peter Simpson · Dec 15, 2017

Erel said:
B4X:

LogColor("Button1 size: " & Button1.Width & " x " & Button1.Height, Colors.Blue)

This line doesn't print the size in dips. It print the actual number of pixels.
You should compare the normalized sizes:

B4X:

Dim scale As Float = GetDeviceLayoutValues.Scale LogColor($"Button 1 size: $1.0{Button1.Width / scale} x $1.0{Button1.Height / scale}"$, Colors.Blue)

An excellent and 100% perfect example.
So at a glance if a button is 100x100 at a scale of 1.5, the first line will return 150x150 and the second line will return 100x100 at a scale of 1.5. Wait a minute, that's the correct way around isn't it, hmm.

Yes it is, phew.

C'mon @LucaMs, just chillax matey. Have a glass of wine and watch a great movie on the box, I highly recommend 'The Usual Suspects' or 'T2', both classics...

Star-Dust · Dec 15, 2017

Peter Simpson said:
C'mon @LucaMs, just chillax matey. Have a glass of wine and watch a great movie on the box, I highly recommend 'The Usual Suspects' or 'T2', both classics...

"The usual suspects" are over at this moment in Italy. Maybe tomorrow

LucaMs · Dec 16, 2017

Erel said:
A tablet layout shouldn't be a proportionally stretched layout like a huge phone.

A phone with screen 3.8" and a phone with 5.8", with or without the same scale, should show the same layout, "proportionally stretched".

Peter Simpson · Dec 16, 2017

LucaMs said:
A phone with screen 3.8" and a phone with 5.8", with or without the same scale, should show the same layout, "proportionally stretched".

Firstly you're the expert here not me. If you are having such HUGE issues, why don't you just create multiple layouts?

That's a serious question, I'm not taking the pee..

https://developer.android.com/training/multiscreen/screensizes.html
https://developer.android.com/guide/practices/screens_support.html
https://developer.android.com/training/basics/supporting-devices/screens.html

LucaMs · Dec 16, 2017

Peter Simpson said:
If you are having such HUGE issues

I have no problems because I use percentages and I will continue to use them, because I do not see any other way to better adapt my layouts using Designer, Scripting and Autoscaleall.

Three of my apps are ready to be published.

Peter Simpson · Dec 16, 2017

I don't use percentages as much as I used to, especially since the introduction of anchors, but I still use percentages when I have to, the same as you I presume.

And watch 'The Usual Suspects'

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