[SDL] [OT] Minimum resolution

[Patrick McFarland]

On Tuesday 19 December 2006 08:01, Nicolas Goy - kuon - 時期精霊 wrote:
> So, is it politicaly correct to have a minimum of 1024x768?

No. You probably want to do what I've chosen to do...

Let assume you measure things in physical sizes (you don't normally, but when 
using scaling UI elements, you need to). Lets say this one widget is always 
the same size no matter the resolution... 1024x768 being the smallest that 
this widget still stays useful at that physical size.

At 2048x1536, this widget would use four times as many pixels (2x width, 2x 
height), but still be the same physical size. But for 800x600, it drops below 
the useful size limit... simply enlarge the physical size.

Now, of course, this leads to the problem that enlarging the physical size 
gives you less physical room in your layout... and this is completely true. 
At 800x600, your object should be 20% larger than normal, at 640x480, it 
should be 60% larger.

Additionally, those rules do not apply to text (as text, even on 640x480) can 
get very small and still be readable, and they do not apply to simple UI 
widgets (such as window controls, or scroll bars, or radio buttons or 
checkboxes, or mouse cursors, or anything like that) because they can get 
extremely small and still be totally useful

Remember, you want to target portable platforms when possible, leaving 800x480 
as the minimum resolution you want to support. (Upcoming mini-tablets are 
surprisingly powerful, and I wouldn't count them out yet).

> Best regards

-- 
Patrick McFarland || http://AdTerrasPerAspera.com
"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids,
we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and
listening to repetitive electronic music." -- Kristian Wilson, Nintendo,
Inc, 1989