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On a high DPI screen, lines in Xfig are very thin. Is it possible to scale the lines, or the entire Xfig UI?

Note that I don't want to scale the entire desktop. Other application UIs are legible on high DPI screens.

Perhaps a Wayland compositor can scale an individual window?

feklee
  • 523

2 Answers2

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Method that I used in the end:

  • Run Xfig in its own desktop under TigerVNC server.

  • Connect to the VNC server with a VNC client that allows scaling.

To simplify the process, I created a tool to run arbitrary applications scaled up, Vncdesk. A simple command such as vncdesk 2 starts the server and connects a viewer. Closing the application or the viewer shuts down the VNC server:

Screenshot showing original and scaled app

An alternative could be running each application window in its own VNC viewer, which is the goal of experimental x11vnc -appscale.

feklee
  • 523
1

I'm now using an Apple 32-inch "Pro Display XDR" monitor on a macOS system with Xquartz in full resolution (starting it with full-screen mode enabled using xrander -s 6016x3384), and Xfig is one of the few apps that so far still refuses all attempts to get even its menu fonts to resize relative to the screen resolution.

However a quick and dirty hack on macOS with Xquartz in full-screen full-res mode is to open Xfig in the top-left corner of the full-res screen, then switch back to macOS (by exiting full-screen mode), then back to Xquartz again but without changing the resolution with xrandr (i.e. just use the shortcut or menu to turn full-screen back on). Window decorations and window manager fonts will be scaled outrageously large of course, as now you can see just the top-left 1/4 of your Xquartz screen scaled to full-screen size, but you'll see Xfig clearly readable and usable in scaled mode.

This of course works for any application that is stuck in the dark ages of pixel-based layout and sizing.

Now if only macOS itself would run with the true full resolution of this display!