Windows UI Scaling breaking R80.20 UI

[Christoph]

I'm using the latest SmartConsole for R80.20 on Windows 10 and there are multiple areas where the UI breaks.

I run a dual monitor setup. 4k 3840x2160 on a 42" with recommended 150% scaling and  2736x1824 with on a 13" with the recommended 200% scaling.

Doing a few tests it looks like most, if not all problems are in the 150% scenario. The 200% feels ok.

Reading checkmates it sounds like there shouldn't be problems with R80.10 regarding to windows scaling but with R80.20 there are problems all over the place.

A few examples:

Compliance blade:

- Regulatory Compliance graphs are out of the screen with no scroll bars or only a hint of text is recognizable and overlaps with graphs.

Cluster object:

- Network Management

Not all networks are shown. No scroll bar. You can still reach and alter these networks blind with cursor and enter keys.

- General

Opening a dialog with a scaling of X on one monitor and moving the dialog to another screen with a different scaling keeps the initial scaling. Maybe a Windows feature.

[PhoneBoy]

Your best bet would be to open a TAC case on this as, even if they are caused by Windows somehow, this is undesirable behavior.

[Jonne_Hannon]

Hi Christoph,

Did you ever resolve the issues you were seeing?  I have a user that is also having issues with SmartConsole R80.20 and 4K monitors running the recommended resolution of 3840*2160 and 150% scaling.  Changing the resolution and/or scaling doesn't seem to help.

Thanks,

Jonne. 

[Jonne_Hannon]

Hi all,

I have been told by Check Point Support that SmartConsole was not developed to work with high DPI displays, including 4K displays and have been instructed to create a Request for Enhancement.  I have created the RFE, so I guess if enough of us do that, SmartConsole might get fixed.  In the meantime, I have found a workaround that might be helpful.  Changing the high DPI settings to "Override high DPI scaling behaviour. Scaling performed by: System" seems to fix the rendering issues, however the downside is the application can look blurry. 

This setting is located in the Compatibility tab of the SmartConsole R80.20 desktop shortcut.  I have tested this on a workstation with a 4K monitor and a laptop that can only do 1080p, but must have a high DPI display.  In both cases, the Gateway Network Management screen rendered normally after overriding  the default high DPI scaling behaviour.

Thanks,

Jonne.

[Christoph]

Hey Jonne,
this works, thank you very much. The application does look blurry, but it's better than having every app look blurry due to turning down the resolution or bringing DPI scale back down to 100% and having micro sized fonts/windows.

Again, thank you
Christoph

[Roger_Bachstein]

Grate information!

[Tomer_Noy · Accepted solution]

I wanted to share some info about SmartConsole and high resolution scaling.

Most of the SmartConsole UI was written using I/S that supports 4K and various scaling settings. Some of the pages and views are older, or were implemented using a different technology and do not natively scale. The mix between the two can sometimes cause issues.

Since high resolution screens are more common, Microsoft became aware of these challenges and they have actually improved the way they handle application scaling in Windows. Windows 7 had a certain implementation that did not look good on many apps. Windows 10 started with an improved mechanism that was not perfect, but has improved in later builds. In addition, they added some customization options per application that can help in some cases (https://windowsreport.com/windows-10-high-dpi-support/).

We recently did another test using a 4K screen with Windows 10 build 1803. SmartConsole looked good and usable without any custom settings.

If you are still having issues (with an updated build of Windows 10), I would be glad to get your feedback with specific screenshots and details about your resolution, scaling % and Windows build.

[Jonne_Hannon]

Hi Tomer,

Check out SR#6-0001709312.  I have provided plenty of screenshots there.  We have determined that setting the scaling to 100% fixes my issues, however text and shortcuts, etc are tiny and is not really an adequate solution with high DPI displays that recommend higher scaling of 150% & 200%.  What I would say to Check Point is that if SmartConsole still has older pages and views which are older, please re-develop them to support 4K and various scaling settings as a priority.  Please start with the gateway property pages, such as Network Management.  I would say that mix between the old and new is causing significant issues, especially if you are trying to view/edit the topology of a gateway.  Check Point Support really needs to acknowledge that this is an issue and fix it.

Thanks,

Jonne.

[Tomer_Sole]

Your case is unique, as these specific pages (as well as all pages) work in high quality for the general customer base that runs that version of Windows, screen resolution and high DPI. R&D will update findings here after they investigate your case. I understand that your case was opened for some time and I apologize for that.