#MANUALLY CHANGE DISPLAY RESOLUTION MAC HOW TO#
#MANUALLY CHANGE DISPLAY RESOLUTION MAC CODE#

For example, a house icon could show shingles or shutters in the larger sizes, while a large book icon might actually contain readable text. When scaling up existing icons, the enlarged versions should look like close-ups of the existing icons, with the appropriate level of detail.

#MANUALLY CHANGE DISPLAY RESOLUTION MAC HOW TO#

A complete set consists of the new icons, it’s easiest to design the large icons first and then decide how to scale them down. Each icon in the set is a hint to the system as to the best representation to use. However, it is not a requirement to have a complete set the system will choose the best representation for sizes and resolutions that you don’t supply. Ideally, you would supply a complete set of icons. The images must be square and have the dimensions that match the name of the file. (Don’t add a scale for standard resolution.) Additionally, the filename must use the icon_ prefix. The naming convention is the size of the icon in points, and is for the high-resolution version. You should create a set of icons that consist of pairs of icons (standard and high resolution) for each icon size-16x16, 32x32, 128x128, 256x256, 512x512. Create a Set of Icons That Includes High-Resolution Versions Ideally, package the image pairs into one file (see Package Multiple Versions of Image Resources into One File). The two component images should be in the same folder in the app’s sources.

The inclusion of the modifier for the high-resolution image lets the system know that the image is the high-resolution variant of the standard image. When you create a high-resolution version of an image, follow this naming convention for the image pair:Įxample: and portions specify the name and extension for the file. You might need to experiment to ensure the perceptual effect is equivalent across resolutions. If the 2-pixels-wide line looks too heavy, consider adjusting the graphic to show a 1-pixel-wide line, regardless of whether it appears on a standard- or a high-resolution display. For example, on a high-resolution display, using an NSBezierPath object to draw a line with a width of 1.0 point would result in a line that is 2 pixels wide. Shadows or outlines might look too heavy, or some graphics might require more detail added to them.

In some cases, scaling custom content does not result in the same perceptual effect that the content has at standard resolution. You can check for correct scaling using the tiffutil command (see Run the TIFF Utility Command in Terminal). For example, if you supply a standard-resolution image sized at 50x50 pixels, the high-resolution version must be sized at 100x100 pixels. Each version needs to be scaled so that it displays in the same point size. Your app’s icons, custom controls, custom cursors, custom artwork, and any images you want to display need to have high-resolution versions in addition to their standard-resolution versions. Provide High-Resolution Versions of All App Graphics Resources Use the Most Recent APIs That Support High ResolutionĪfter you complete this work, look at Advanced Optimization Techniques to see if your app requires further adjustments for special scenarios, such as using pixel-based technologies (OpenGL, Quartz bitmaps) or custom Core Animation layers. Load Images Using High-Resolution-Savvy Image-Loading Methods The tasks listed in the following sections outline the work that most apps need to perform:

#MANUALLY CHANGE DISPLAY RESOLUTION MAC CODE#

You’ll also need to make sure your code uses the correct image-loading methods and other APIs that support high resolution. If your app uses a lot of graphics resources, creating these assets could require a significant amount of designer time. At a minimum, you will need to provide high-resolution versions of custom artwork, including the app icon. If your app is like many apps, however, you probably need to perform some work to ensure your users will have a great visual experience. If your app is a Cocoa app and uses only the standard controls, doesn’t require custom graphics resources, and doesn’t use pixel-based APIs, your work is over. And depending on how you’ve designed and coded your app, you might not have that much optimization to perform.

Next Previous Optimizing for High ResolutionĪfter you optimize your app for high resolution, users will enjoy its detailed drawings and sharp text.

Manually change display resolution mac