Login Page - Create Account

Support Board


Date/Time: Thu, 31 Oct 2024 22:57:28 +0000



Post From: Changes to Font Size Handling within Sierra Chart

[2023-08-14 14:08:10]
Sierra_Chart Engineering - Posts: 16771
Starting with newer versions of Windows we think around Windows 8, Windows seems to randomly change the DPI value (dots per inch) for monitors in real time without user intervention. Or perhaps when a system is restarted. Or when monitors are connected and disconnected.

When you select a font through the font selector window in Sierra Chart, you also choose what is called the "Point Size". This point size, for example 10, is not actually returned as 10. What is returned is a "Character Height" in logical units and is a negative number. So if you choose 10 what the operating system may return is: -17. The actual return value depends upon the dots per inch (DPI) setting in the operating system for the monitor.

When you choose a font, the operating system returns this structure:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/wingdi/ns-wingdi-logfonta

Sierra Chart permanently stores these structures, for all of the different available font settings.

The problem is, when the DPI setting on the system randomly changes or you share a Chartbook a point size selection for example of 10 can look very different. It could start to look very small or perhaps a very large.

So there is no consistency or stability, with fonts even though you have selected a point size and that should generally look the same across displays and printers, so long as the physical actual size of the display or printer is about the same.

We are going to release a new version of Sierra Chart where this font height in logical units is translated back to the Point Size. That is what will be permanently stored.

That is how Sierra Chart internally will work with fonts and then on the fly, when a font is created, we will transform this point size back to the logical height. This calculation is based upon the particular window the font is displayed in and therefore the current DPI setting will be used.

This should bring stability back to fonts, which was lost after Windows 7.

This change is going to cause a problem where Chartbooks and global configurations which hold font information, saved in newer versions of Sierra Chart supporting this change and then used in an older versions, will have the fonts appear very small.

The solution is that a user receiving a Sierra Chart global configuration file or a Chartbook when using an older version that does not support these changes, will just need to update to the current version.
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, use the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2023-08-14 21:16:07