[Q] Readability, font size on N2E and apps - Nook Touch General

Hi,
I'm an Android noob with aging eyes. I have trouble seeing some of the text on the rooted N2E and in apps.
In Kindle, especially, the biggest font size I can set is still a little small.
Any tips?
Thanks, John

You can change screen density... but there are some issues...
jrec said:
Hi,
I'm an Android noob with aging eyes. I have trouble seeing some of the text on the rooted N2E and in apps.
In Kindle, especially, the biggest font size I can set is still a little small.
Any tips?
Thanks, John
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use one of the various LCD density changers from the Android Market. This will allow you to set the relative pixel density of the display. Try this application:
https://market.android.com/details?id=lv.n3o.lcddensity&feature=search_result
This works fine with many third party applications, however, the stock Barnes and Noble applications were not necessarily written to follow the rules. They do not adapt well to the change and various pieces of the GUI for those applications will be cut off. You can experiment with it a bit to set the density to something that will yield much larger text and GUI elements for side loading applications.

Michael.Rose said:
You can use one of the various LCD density changers from the Android Market...
You can experiment with it a bit to set the density to something that will yield much larger text and GUI elements for side loading applications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, Michael, I'll give it a try!
Edit: the app LCDDensity for Root, which is free and in beta, does what I wanted it to do: it makes the Kindle app more readable for me, and the material on the Android home screen larger and easier to read. It also works in the Nook reader on the Nook "side" of the Android device (so I can switch back and forth between Kindle and Nook readers and have them both provide usable--for me--font sizes.
As Michael noted in his posting above, the stock Barnes and Noble apps are not necessarily written to work with this. Thus, the Barnes and Noble menus and such were not usable in my hasty look at them with LCDDensity set to 200%. That's ok by me--this gives me readable Kindle and Nook which is what I wanted.
There are other lcd density apps that I haven't tried, at least one of which is paid. Perhaps one of those would work better with the Nook Simple Touch.
Thanks again, Michael!
John

Thanks, Michael.
I changed LCD density to 200 and reaching Home Button Savior became a lot easier and reading on Repligo Reader is perfect now (if you click the option to "convert" pdf to text, zoom is limited to 150%).

LCDDensity for Root does solve the readability issue with Kindle/gReader/Email, but also screw up B&N native app including slide to unlock/Home menus etc while at it... hmmm, wonder if this would be improved somehow - like a special version just for Nook STR (heh, might be asking too much)?

jo2kxda said:
LCDDensity for Root does solve the readability issue with Kindle/gReader/Email, but also screw up B&N native app including slide to unlock/Home menus etc while at it... hmmm, wonder if this would be improved somehow - like a special version just for Nook STR (heh, might be asking too much)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've notice a few places where the contrast could be improved. Some apps are effectively unreadable because they put dark grey on slightly less dark grey.
I'd like to create a theme that increases the contrast of all drawable resources, an effect similar to setting your computer to display High Contrast (Windows) or Toggle Invert Colors (Mac).

voluntarytestsubject said:
I've notice a few places where the contrast could be improved. Some apps are effectively unreadable because they put dark grey on slightly less dark grey.
I'd like to create a theme that increases the contrast of all drawable resources, an effect similar to setting your computer to display High Contrast (Windows) or Toggle Invert Colors (Mac).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd pay for this - especially if it eliminates the "missing text" effect created by the white text resident in many menus and notification boxes.
I have my launcher home screen virtually black on white now, and it is great on the eyes.
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App

Related

Resolution tweak?

Has anybody messed with the lcd density in their build.prop folder? I saw this thread, http://androidforums.com/eris-all-things-root/164880-froyo-resolution-tweak.html, over at androidforums and was wondering if anybody else has tried this?
ill try it out right now sec
EDIT: yeah it does work, it increases the resolution size thereby making things smaller on your screen proportionally. our screens are rather tiny anyway though.
i tried it out at a ridiculous 130 which made things super small i may try out 140 for giggles. it does make things harder to use (and read) considering the size of screen objects is responsible for more than legibility like a desktop (a caveat of touch screens -- ease of use and interaction is based on ability to easily touch objects in the ui. make them too small and you lose a bit of your ease of use).
either way, its a neat little thing to mess with if you'd like to see what other res may look like on your eris' screen.
RE-edit: 140 is fine w/ launcher pro and icon drawing but it makes certain things super blurry or misaligned so you're not really getting the proper res up/down effect. google reader @ 140 renders horribly so the problem goes a bit beyond color banding like the original post over there says. going the other way to 165 also blurs stuff up. It's probably because our ui elements aren't necessarily vector or anything like that. mostly they are pngs which this density setting appears to resize on the fly causing some nasty image quality degradation. im sure someone else could chime in on this w/ a bit more knowledge. purely conjecture
Eh, dirty hack. I use more icons widget so I have tons of free space. It makes widgets weird too.
However I am really interested in that game he posted a screeny of.
Anyone?
Hungry Man said:
However I am really interested in that game he posted a screeny of.
Anyone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That game is Galcon... I'm addicted to it. Been playing the flash version on the web for a year or more now. It was only on iphone until about last month.
Thanks for the great tip. Perfect for internet browsing.
by the way, if you use this in sense the buttons at the bottom become unaligned and text under widgets and icons move. From what I've seen it works perfect in launcherpro.
homewmt said:
Thanks for the great tip. Perfect for internet browsing.
by the way, if you use this in sense the buttons at the bottom become unaligned and text under widgets and icons move. From what I've seen it works perfect in launcherpro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, it works great in launcher pro, expect if you use folders. When you try to open a folder it crashes. ADW doesn't have this issue with its folders.. but not a big deal otherwise.

[Q] Smaller font (Working?)

Okay, great device... but really annoying that most apps don't make use of the extra real estate on the screen. Most apps are just blown up versions of for example the Galaxy S2 apps. Meaning most apps are the same but 5.3/4.2 = 1.26 times bigger That's at least a pity The contacts app displays the same amount of contacts on a screen as the Galaxy S2 or S but... with a 1.26 x bigger font (compared to the S2) and 5.3/4=1.33 (lol) x bigger font compared to the Galaxy S
Fortunately there seems to be a setting in the accessibility settings that allows the user to decrease the font in some stock apps. Unfortunately this doesn't work. At least not on my device. Anyone got this working?
And yes, ICS would be a great improvement for such a big screen device.
Is that possible to set another density for the device (maybe you have to root it first)?
siamchen said:
Is that possible to set another density for the device (maybe you have to root it first)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd have to root it first, and then push the density down. Not ideal, as some apps then run in a box on the screen, but it does make for smaller fonts, and you can cram more widgets on the screen etc.
I run my HD2 at 160, but then again I have had my eyes lasered!
Root
Go to system/build.prop
Open in editor
change the value of lcd from 240 to 192
See the difference.
U can always go back
All apps wont be scaled to the new lcd value.
eg: TW in sgsII does not scale.
However i always used this value and did not use TW.
Looks very interesting but I'm afraid that I'm not s pro
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA App
density change doesn't address the question
Hey ho wait..... this wasn't the question. So does the fontsize changing option work for you guys?
appelflap said:
Hey ho wait..... this wasn't the question. So does the fontsize changing option work for you guys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think change the font size setting in gingerbread is for display text in text editor or web browser instead of the launcher and most other application as they have their own fixed font size. You cannot do anything to those applications as they has been programmed that way.
siamchen said:
I think change the font size setting in gingerbread is for display text in text editor or web browser instead of the launcher and most other application as they have their own fixed font size. You cannot do anything to those applications as they has been programmed that way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With stock apps I mean the Samsung apps. In the accessibility settings there's an option to change the font size "in the following applications: S planner, Email, Contacts and Messaging" (as stated in the accessibility settings)
Unfortunately this setting doesn't work on my jk4 rom. Maybe others have luck on other roms. Seems like a very usuable option for the note.
drgopoos said:
Root
Go to system/build.prop
Open in editor
change the value of lcd from 240 to 192
See the difference.
U can always go back
All apps wont be scaled to the new lcd value.
eg: TW in sgsII does not scale.
However i always used this value and did not use TW.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My lcd.density (or so) was set to 320 on stock!
I changed it to 280 and the system looks now nicer!
Actually, I measured the tab and my calculation would be around 270-280 dpi.
Has anybody other/better data?
By the way, 1st problem after changing lcd density is in S Memo! Background seem to have a fixed 'smaller size' which are then placed wrongly
Another impact: The email-widget does not fit on screen any more (using Launcher Pro) ... Hope in ICS they will fix some of those screen size problems!
fscherz said:
My lcd.density (or so) was set to 320 on stock!
I changed it to 280 and the system looks now nicer!
Actually, I measured the tab and my calculation would be around 270-280 dpi.
Has anybody other/better data?
By the way, 1st problem after changing lcd density is in S Memo! Background seem to have a fixed 'smaller size' which are then placed wrongly
Another impact: The email-widget does not fit on screen any more (using Launcher Pro) ... Hope in ICS they will fix some of those screen size problems!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't try it myself yet but I bet it will give a whole lot of trouble with almost every Samsung app on this xhdpi device. Like HTC, they exactly target the screen for which they write software. Unlike most android apps in the market, targeting screens with different specs isn't important. Scaling isn't a requirement for these stock apps. ICS will not solve the problem, because it is still up to the developer which screens will be targeted.
Anyway, back to the original question, I think it is safe to conclude that the font setting doesn't work for anyone. So it is a bug.
I have rooted my phone and tried to use Spare Parts to change the font size to Extremely Small. It works instantly and make the application much more usable. But, there is a problem: The font size will change back to Normal after few hours by itself. Anyone has the same problem?
siamchen said:
I have rooted my phone and tried to use Spare Parts to change the font size to Extremely Small. It works instantly and make the application much more usable. But, there is a problem: The font size will change back to Normal after few hours by itself. Anyone has the same problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that method also won't scale down graphics to match the smaller fonts. LCD Density Changer accomplishes that and works well.

LCD density settings?

What pixel density does everybody use to have the nook look the best. Right now I'm set at 250 using LCD density ap. Everything is obviously bigger and mostly easier to use. Also I'm aware certain gameloft games require a certain pixel density, Just curious what everyone else is set at default of what. My wallpaper seems to be cutting off maybe 100px on the bottom but overall I think it looks good. Also not having an easy time cropping Hires pics to the NC. Using multi live wallpaper to do the trick atm
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
I go back and forth, but usually wind up back at 240 for CyanogenMod. On stock B&N firmware, I stay with the default changing it will screw up some of the display elements otherwise.
Wallpaper Wizardrii is very good at taking care of tweaking wallpaper dimensions, cropping and such.
I use 160 and adw ex to make icons bigger. There's a few other settings to make things bigger without using dpi, since I believe that affects the availability of apps in the market.
I'm on CM9 1/14/2012 nightly @ 220 density using Button Savior for navigation...using Zeam for my launcher with 6 columns and 6-7 rows??? Everything seems big and legible for my tired eyes...
I am running CM7 7.1.0 stable and I change the build.prop to 220 and it is a perfect size for me. The only problem with that is every time I need to find and update apps in the market, I have to use es file explorer to change the build.prop back to 160. Not a huge deal but a pain none the less.

Font Size Too Small

Emails, most software programs, and most everything in general, great resolution, but font so small makes it hard to even see at times. I have a Note with 1280X800 resolution and font size is great, very readable but Tab 7.7 w/same resolution, but different size screen, more real estate and font appears to be 50% smaller. I have read it is Honeycomb w/no font adjustment opportunities and the Note is Gingerbread 2.3.6. Maybe ICS 4.2 once available, which combines all smartphones and tablets into a standard OS, will fix this.
Great to have the resolution, but when you can't adjust or read some of the print, then becomes difficult to support the cost, of the device. Browser is fine, that can be pinched to increase size, but the rest of the software, etc can't. The Samsung provided email client is really small, small enough I wonder if they even considered looking at the various software programs that came on the device. The actual emails are small, on inbox emails you can hit screen once for one size bump, but if you are replying, or forwarding etc, and you want to refer to what the email said, you can hardly see the print, and can't adjust at all.
I have rooted the 7.7 so have tried 2 software programs, LCD Resolution and LCD Density, doesn't work properly, which I was told before I tried by someone who really knows all this, don't bother, won't work.
So waited 4 months to get 7.7, and now difficult to read because font too small. Then I use the Note, which has a 5.3" screen, and I can read everything perfect. Why can't 7.7 read comparable to it's smaller brother, the Note 5.3? If the font size of the Note would be on the Tab 7.7 that would be perfect.
Any thoughts?
Good points hope to get someone elses input.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
HC has the ability to import fonts but I'm not sure if there is any other bigger font available.
I would like to know of a way to get a larger font as well.. the stock font is indeed to small..
Sent from another Galaxy...
Tab 7.7
Just you and I
apparently just you and I are concerned.
After looking into this a but more, there are no other ways to make the font "bigger".
You could try add the line "ro.sf.lcd_density=xxx"(where xxx is the size, stock on HC is 160) to the build.prop and set it that way. However dont say I didnt warn you, just make sure you have the ability to pull the build.prop file and remove that line.
There is the option to "Stretch to fill screen" However most things will look distored. And this will only work if the app has tablet support.
Aa a rule of thumb, take your computer, and bump up the resolution on your desktop monitor. What happends, font, icons, and everything gets smaller. Reason to believe the 7.7 is running at the true 1280x800 while the Galaxy Note is not.
2 other possibilities are ask samsung, or install some sort of "font changer" from the market and install a bigger font.
The Note is set at 320 DPI which is double the setting of 160 on the 7.7. So everything is scaled bigger. Android uses DPI settings to determine what size icons to use, what size range to use in fonts, etc. More DPI, bigger icons, larger font.
Want to see something interesting, lower the DPI on the Note (or device of your choice) down to 240, or even 160. Things get SMALLER, not bigger.
If you want to increase the 7.7's DPI, I recommend you do not go higher than 214 or you'll no longer be considered a "tablet". Higher than 214 the lockscreen will change to be more phone-like, and you may not be able to access tablet versions of apps.
Someone mentioned that his Tab is screwed when he changed the DPI. It's in one of the other threads. Proceed with caution.
well, I'm using ICS on the original tab and it has the option to make the font bigger. if only you could wait
nascar24usa said:
Emails, most software programs, and most everything in general, great resolution, but font so small makes it hard to even see at times. I have a Note with 1280X800 resolution and font size is great, very readable but Tab 7.7 w/same resolution, but different size screen, more real estate and font appears to be 50% smaller. I have read it is Honeycomb w/no font adjustment opportunities and the Note is Gingerbread 2.3.6. Maybe ICS 4.2 once available, which combines all smartphones and tablets into a standard OS, will fix this.
Great to have the resolution, but when you can't adjust or read some of the print, then becomes difficult to support the cost, of the device. Browser is fine, that can be pinched to increase size, but the rest of the software, etc can't. The Samsung provided email client is really small, small enough I wonder if they even considered looking at the various software programs that came on the device. The actual emails are small, on inbox emails you can hit screen once for one size bump, but if you are replying, or forwarding etc, and you want to refer to what the email said, you can hardly see the print, and can't adjust at all.
I have rooted the 7.7 so have tried 2 software programs, LCD Resolution and LCD Density, doesn't work properly, which I was told before I tried by someone who really knows all this, don't bother, won't work.
So waited 4 months to get 7.7, and now difficult to read because font too small. Then I use the Note, which has a 5.3" screen, and I can read everything perfect. Why can't 7.7 read comparable to it's smaller brother, the Note 5.3? If the font size of the Note would be on the Tab 7.7 that would be perfect.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The gmail client has an option to increase the font Size. The browser has pinch to zoom.
And the screen is of such high quality you should be holding it closer to your face.
DPI
This tab is set for DPI 160, actually Tw Launcher is. Changing DPI to higher will make your font and icons bigger but TW will not work and you won't be able to use your tab. Perhaps changing the launcher to any other available one would do it but I didn't try. There are several DPI changing apps on the Market. Personally I am going to wait for the ICS upgrade and then we'll see. On the other hand I had no issues with the original tab to change DPI (I use ADW launcher) but I wouldn't recommend it for this one.
Changing DPI
Thanks. I changed by going into build.prop and added the line, at the bottom, "ro.sf.lcd_density=180". I rebooted and everything worked fine, checked most applications. The difference between 160 to 180 was great, just the right size. I tried 200 but not good, in my mind, too large, and slightly distorted status bar at bottom, but 180 is so much better to see (read) than the pre installed 160.
I never use TouchWiz, so no worries with that. I use Go Launcher, and all good.
I followed your advice. 180 is a lot better with go launcher ex. Only issue is that standard email app now crashes. Gmail still works thanks
Sent from my GT-P6800 using xda premium
Sorry
I didn't provide proper info last time.
LCD Density to 180 using Build.prop Editor
I should have done a better job of communicating. Email, whether it is the regular one or even Moxier Mail, neither work, and as far as I can tell, the only software that doesn't work when bumping to 180. I tried clearing data, rebooting, etc., to no avail.
HELP!!
For now I am using k9 mail, which works fine.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Tried pumping up the DPI to 180 with Go EX Launcher. Wall paper screwed up (did not fill the screen and appear broken) so I had to revert.
Wallpaper
Once on, if in portrait and wallpaper short on bottom, turn device to landscape ans should fill in, then back to portrait, then all should be OK.
I'm sure that something can be done with a custom flipfont. Search for flipfont on xda. The fonts are installable apks. You can switch the fonts in the settings (screen - screen display - font)
But there's a limit to the size you can set (that is if you don't mind all kind of overlapping issues in apps and desktop Widgets)
Edit: Big Font (free app in the market) increases the system font. It does some wonderful things.
Thanks Appelflap. Tested the big font apps and it's working but some apps like facebook does not take the change and remain in tiny little font.

[How-To] Change your LCD Density Setting (Mods pls Move2 TMOBILE GENERAL GSIII)

I posted a similar guide for my Galaxy SII, so I figured I would share the love here. Hopefully this helps out a few folks who want to better utilize the amazing screen on the GSIII. Please feel free to comment and make suggestions and please "thank" if you appreciate the post!
General Info for Beginners:
The Galaxy SIII comes with a gorgeous 4.8 inch, 1280 x 720 (albeit pentile) screen. As great as the screen looks, I couldn't help but feel that there is a lot of "wasted space" at the existing resolution. The best example of this fact is the app drawers default 4 x 5 layout. In my opinion, things look much better when the the icons are a bit smaller and more tightly grouped. For those that feel the same way, there is a simple build.prop edit you can do to "trick" you phone to thinking it is set to a higher resolution
How-To Change the Density Setting:
To accomplish this, all you have to do is change the build.prop setting for "ro.sf.lcd_density". There are multiple programs out there that makes this much easier but I have found the best results with "ROM Toolbox". Feel free to buy the full version to support the dev but if all you are looking to do is change the density setting, the lite version will do just fine.
1. download and install "ROM Toolbox" from the Google Play Store
2. go to the "Performance" tab
3. click "build.prop tweaks"
4. change the "LCD Density" slider to whatever DPI you like
5. reboot
As mentioned, there are multiple programs out there but based on my personal experiences, DO NOT USE "LCD DENSITY MODDER" from the play store. This app is known to cause soft-bricks/bootloops. However, I have been told that LCD Density Modder CAN still help with the Play Store app issue, but you will have to buy the pro version for that feature. Thanks uber_mike! (more on that later)
What Setting to Choose:
This is matter of personal opinion so try out different setups and see what you like best. Remember, the lower you set the number, the smaller your icons/text will appear but will also give you more screen real estate. I suggest starting from about 280 or so and working your way down and find something you like.
You may also notice that text and icons appear less sharp when messing with these settings. Keep in mind that because you are not truly changing your screen resolution, the translation will not be perfect. Personally, given the natural sharpness of AMOLED screens, I think most people while not be bothered by this or even notice.
"Phone Mode" vs "Tablet Mode"
As some posters have reported, going to 240 dpi or below will result in Android thinking your device is a tablet. I have been running 240 for a few days now and I'm loving it. In my opinion, may apps look a lot better in Tablet mode but if there are certain phone only apps you MUST have, please keep this in mind.
Potential Issues and Workarounds:
You will inevitably run into some compatibility issues so here are few final thoughts
Which ROM to use?
TouchWiz-based Roms: All roms based on stock Samsung TW for the GSIII were written with only the native resolution in mind. This means that certain apps and aspects of the OS will not scale well with a higher resolution::
- TouchWiz UX Launcher: If you are dead-set on using the default TW launcher, this mod may not be for you. The proportions will look way off and because you cannot edit things like margin or grid layout, it is not fixable. Aftermarket launchers like Apex handle the conversion much better (more on that later)
- The Phone Dialer: The dialer looks like small box that fills up only a portion of the screen. To resolve, you can use an aftermarket dialer app like "exDialer" from the Play Store
- TW E-mail App: The TW e-mail app (not gmail) also doesn't scale well. You can flash the AOSP version of e-mail as a workaround
- Stock Camera App: You will notice some of the border coloring and margins doesn't scale very well but the functionality is still perfect
- Notification Bar: I have noticed the little lines in the pull-down become off-center after you adjust the dpi. Again, a minor annoyance which doesn't effect functionality
- Twitter:*You may have profile pictures show up in 2 different sizes (Thanks Msilvame!)
Some additional feedback from other posters(thanks mhtruth!) but note that I personally do not have all of these issues
*status bar quick toggles DON'T scroll (stuck with just the 1st 5)
*status bar "remove all (X)" missing (swiping still works)
* in call speaker boost doesn't work...(only stops you from hearing not the person on the other end)
* some apps go into tablet mode (ex. HBO GO)
AOSP ROMs: CM9 and AOKP handle the conversion a bit better. You won't run into the dialer or e-mail issue like with TW ROMs but there are still some bugs. I realize there are not any AOSP Roms for the GSIII yet but this is based on my experiences from my GSII
Update: looks like we have CM9 Nightly's now!
Update 2: and now we have AOKP! Thank you devs! FYI, I've been running AOKP since last night and it's working great, not a single bug
- Certain pictures of contacts may appear too zoomed in, i.e. messaging notification pictures or the favorites tab
- Other aspects of the OS may become hard to read when scaled down so much, i.e. lock screen add-on buttons, notification pull down buttons
The Play Store Doesn't Show All Apps? - This is the biggest pain in the a$$ when you mess with the lcd density settings. There is a bug in the play store that prevents you from seeing certain apps when you change the lcd settings away from default.
I have seen a few "hacked" versions of the vending.apk out there that makes the play store think you are always set to a stock dpi but for some reason, this only works for a little while. LCD Density Modder Pro has a feature where it can install a "fixed" Play Store app that can help with this issue also, but there is also a workaround.
Here are the steps to get the market working again:
1. Change LCD Density back to stock (320)
2. Reboot to take effect
3. Clear the data for the Google Play Store AND Google Services Framework
4. Open the Play Store app and you should see everything again
5. Change LCD density back to whatever you like.
6. Reboot
I know this is a bit cumbersome but it's the best solution for now. I haven't quite nailed down what triggers the market to "break" but hopefully you won't have to do this fix too often. In opinion, this small annoyance is worth it.
Also, one thing I noticed when using Rom Toolbox is that after you set your dpi to a lower setting using the "build.prop tweaks" menu, if you go back and try to set it to the stock 320, it will max out at 280 or so. Not sure why this is the case but to do this manually, go to "build.prop editor" instead and change the "ro.sf.lcd_density" to 320.
I have been told that setting your dpi to 240 will also help with Play Store issues, since 240 is a stock resolution on other devices (GSII comes to mind). Feel free to try this out, but the size of icons and fonts may be a bit too small for some tastes (thanks DutchDogg54 and chakra!)
Everything Looks Too "Stretched Out"? - Having an aftermarket launcher will help with this tremendously, as the TW launcher does not scale well at all. I personally use Apex Launcher and there are some settings you can change to make the proportions look better
1. Homescreen Settings: Change the Vertical and Horizontal margins to medium or large
2. Dock Settings: Same as above.
You may also want to mess with different homescreen grid configurations now that you have extra room. I have bumped up mine to 5 x 5 and it looks great.
Bumping up the font size can also help even things out. At 260 dpi, I put mine to "normal", but at stock I used "tiny" (thanks falconator!)
List of all the ICS compatible launchers that will work for this mod:
- Apex Launcher (my fave)
- Nova Launcher
- Go Launcher
- Stock ICS Launcher / Trebuchet Launcher
- Atom Launcher (new!)
And that's it. I hope this will help you out so that you won't have to go through all the trial and error I did. I promise you, after you do this, it will be impossible for you to go back to the stock resolution (everything looks HUGE)
Update: I have added some of my and mhtruth's screenshots for those who are interested. I also added a screenshot of HBO GO in tablet mode
My setup:
- 240 dpi (Tablet Mode)
- Team Sonic Free GS3 Rom (R3)
- Apex Launcher with kovdev ICS Theme
- Homescreen: 6 x 5 grid, Horizontal Margin: Medium, Vertical Margin: Large
- Dock: Horizontal Margin: Large, Vertical Margin: Medium
- EX Dialer and Contacts (for better scalability)
- Font Size: "Normal"
- "Enhanced Email" App (need it for exchange access)
Feel free to show off your own homescreen screenshots! I will update OP and add yours too!
Changing my dpi on the Galaxy Note was almost a necessity, not sure its required on the S3, but then again its personal preference. I might try it just to see how it looks.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Thanks! I remember doing this on my Atrix, but I forgot how. I can't stand the large icons and such.
I tried this a few hours ago on my Verizon SGS3 and it would boot, but the screen went black after the "Galaxy SIII" text and wouldn't come back on making the device unusable. I did use LCD density modder though. I'll probably edit build.prop directly but the thought of having a broken play store doesn't thrill me.
Edit: Directly editing build.prop worked! I have it set to 260 dpi and it looks great. I also was able to use LCD density modder to fix the play store!
uber_mike said:
I tried this a few hours ago on my Verizon SGS3 and it would boot, but the screen went black after the "Galaxy SIII" text and wouldn't come back on making the device unusable. I did use LCD density modder though. I'll probably edit build.prop directly but the thought of having a broken play store doesn't thrill me.
Edit: Directly editing build.prop worked! I have it set to 260 dpi and it looks great. I also was able to use LCD density modder to fix the play store!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input!
Did you use LCD Density Modder to edit build.prop AND fix the play store? Also, having never been able to use LCD Density Modder given the problems I had before, does the hacked Play Store come as the latest Jelly Bean version?
Nice writeup! I have practically the same setup but now I can just refer to this if I need to re-setup.
elterible said:
Thanks for the input!
Did you use LCD Density Modder to edit build.prop AND fix the play store? Also, having never been able to use LCD Density Modder given the problems I had before, does the hacked Play Store come as the latest Jelly Bean version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't get my Play Store to function properly at 260, but I LOVE the look. Maybe mod the LCD density manually and use the Modder app to fix the Store? Im going to try that.
240 is a stock density for many devices, just use 240 and the play store works as normal.
so thanks for reminding me about this. I used to do this for my Vibrant. I remember I needed to grab the spare parts app though and turn on compatibility mode or something? Currently I'm having an issue with the space between my dock and page indicators as you can see..
rom toolbox set & lcd density set to 280. Saved and rebooted a few times already
elterible said:
Thanks for the input!
Did you use LCD Density Modder to edit build.prop AND fix the play store? Also, having never been able to use LCD Density Modder given the problems I had before, does the hacked Play Store come as the latest Jelly Bean version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, just for the play store fix. I used root browser to edit build.prop. The play store appears to be the regular ICS version, but I haven't seen the JB one so I'm not sure.
uber_mike said:
Nope, just for the play store fix. I used root browser to edit build.prop. It appears to be the regular ICS version, but I haven't seen the JB one so I'm not sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I will update OP with your findings
eff0rtless said:
so thanks for reminding me about this. I used to do this for my Vibrant. I remember I needed to grab the spare parts app though and turn on compatibility mode or something? Currently I'm having an issue with the space between my dock and page indicators as you can see..
rom toolbox set & lcd density set to 280. Saved and rebooted a few times already
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, using the default TouchWiz UX Launcher is not ideal for this mod. TW does not scale well and you cannot adjust things like "margin" or grid layout to maximize the new "resolution". If you MUST use TW, then this mod may not be right for you but this is easily remedied by an aftermarket launcher, as detailed in my post. Your options are:
- Apex Launcher (my personal favorite)
- Nova Launcher
- Go Launcher
- Atom Launcher
- Default ICS Launcher
I will update OP with some screenshots
I know on some devices changing the screen density will make your phone show as not compatible with certain apps in Google Play, so be aware.
toddbw said:
I know on some devices changing the screen density will make your phone show as not compatible with certain apps in Google Play, so be aware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this is very annoying issue. I tried to address this as best as possible in the "Potential Issues and Workarounds" section.
elterible said:
Yeah, using the default TouchWiz UX Launcher is not ideal for this mod. TW does not scale well and you cannot adjust things like "margin" or grid layout to maximize the new "resolution". If you MUST use TW, then this mod may not be right for you but this is easily remedied by an aftermarket launcher, as detailed in my post. Your options are:
- Apex Launcher (my personal favorite)
- Nova Launcher
- Go Launcher
- Atom Launcher
- Default ICS Launcher
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oooh yeaaaah. ur right. I forgot that tw is locked in at that stock size. I'll give those a try and see what I can get
Thanks, 320 was too big for me.
Great guide, I used to do this on my og evo. It would be nice if there was a standard setting between hdpi and xhdpi to avoid conflicts on the play store (213 ftw!) though.
Also don't forget you can change text size under display settings, which has a somewhat similar effect to setting dpi lower. I find that setting it to tiny or small tightens things up a bit, although it's not truly system wide.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
falconator said:
Great guide, I used to do this on my og evo. It would be nice if there was a standard setting between hdpi and xhdpi to avoid conflicts on the play store (213 ftw!) though.
Also don't forget you can change text size under display settings, which has a somewhat similar effect to setting dpi lower. I find that setting it to tiny or small tightens things up a bit, although it's not truly system wide.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried 240 and it works great, no play store issues. Thanks a bunch OP for mentioning the dialer/contacts app. Looks/works great!
Sent from Sprint's 3rd Blazed ICS Galaxy
Thanks for the input everyone. Again, I will update OP with notes
any apex launcher users getting app drawer lag? It's pretty noticeable to me =\

Categories

Resources