4k monitor UI scaling issue within 3ds Max 2020 using duel monitors

[Anonymous]

Since adding a 4K display I have had numerous problems, like many of you ....

I thought I had it all licked once I made the 4K my Primary Display.

Now this is going on, please see attached image.

I have re-installed Max 2020 and it persists .... ugh ..... comon Autodesk?!?!?!?!?!?

So has anyone else seen this????

Fixed it???

Your post subject line has been edited by @hagen.deloss: More display ... hmmm 4K

[Anonymous]

OK, this is not a solution but I am tired of this .... Maybe I can get some work done now.

I changed my primary screen back to my laptop and at least I get a normal Max interface.

But now I am back to crazy layout of sub menus and dialogs like "Select by Name" generating itself in

  negative space.

Why is this so hard for Autodesk to get worked out.  4K must be a standard by now .... right????

[hagen.deloss · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous 

Thanks for bringing your issue to the forums!

I found a few threads regarding this 4k monitor issue, perhaps one of these conversations can help us figure out what the solution is for your hardware set up 😄

This conversation determined that an environment variable within Windows settings was causing the issue. 

Here is another thread that outlines a few potential fixes.

Additionally, here is an article regarding the topic that outlines this potential solution.

To use 3ds Max on a 4K monitor using Windows OS, try the following:

1. In Windows (any version) go to Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Display.
2. In Customize your Display change the font size of "Change the size of text, apps and other items" to 150%.

I hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

I did remove the QT_DEVICE_PIXEL_RATIO = auto env. variable.

And things seem to be back in order .... For now.

But I started all of this without that variable and had added it having read about it in another thread

  and with it things were ok for a day.  Then the next things got screwy again.

Hopefully this will satisfy the 3D Gods ... thanks.

[hagen.deloss]

@Anonymous 

Honestly, I don't understand exactly what that variable does; lets keep our fingers crossed it doesn't reset anything when Max launches again.

I would suggest keeping those other links i posted on hand if you have any further trouble with the 4k monitor, and if we get in a bind @brentscannell may have some more information to add on the topic.

[brentscannell]

Hi @Anonymous 

In 99.9% of the cases I've seen, the black areas of the UI are caused by that Qt environment variable that @hagen.deloss mentioned. When removing it, it's best to close all applications that may be consuming it (3ds Max, among other potential applications) before doing so. I've personally experienced it re-creating itself after removing it before closing 3ds Max.

As for what it does, my devs tell me that it's a legacy flag that should have only been used for in-development software and probably should not be used in a public release. It could come from any number of sources, but we've seen it installed with some 3rd party plugins most of the time. 

We've currently identified a patch that will make 3ds Max immune to that variable in the future, it's in the test pipeline and ought to make into a future public release.

[BinaryConstruct]

This issue still occurs in the latest version. I got a prompt stating that the UI Preview would become official soon, so hopefully this will be fixed before that happens. I am using the DPI override.

[brentscannell]

Hi @BinaryConstruct 

I suspect you may have gotten confused in between forums, because that looks like Fusion 360. This is the 3ds Max forum.

I can say, however, that I run Fusion 360 on a 4k monitor at 150% (same parameters as you) and I don't run into that issue. I never enable DPI scaling override.

[BinaryConstruct]

You are right, I posted there. Sorry for the cross forum post.

[Anonymous]

I have made the 4K my primary screen rather than my laptop.

This seems to have resolved all the issues for the most part.

Although submenus still occasionally appear away from their dropdown parents.

The solution then appears to be closing the the app and restarting and or rebooting.