Full-screen window sizing in screen (pixel) units with VS6 C++ GUI editor, MFC?

Question

I am trying to create a full-screen control panel window with many controls: buttons, sliders, list boxes, etc.

I can create a dialog window and add controls to it, but everything is scaled in dialog units. I just want to create a window in the GUI editor that is scaled in pixels, not derived units like dialog units.

I can sort of lay out all the controls in the GUI editor and then resize the window programmatically to full-screen using SetWindowPos, but the dialog window in the GUI editor will not look the same as the final product. I want it to be WYSIWIG in the GUI editor.

This is the front end for a small dedicated instrument control computer running XP. The SDK is written in MFC. I have to add and change controls frequently. The screen is small, 7" @ 800 x 600, so of course I am developing the program on a different computer. I don't want the program window to change when I change monitors -- I want it fixed at 800 x 600, and I want the controls to be fixed in size and layout as well.

There must be a way -- this is more basic than the default functionality.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Dialog Units are based on properties of the font used by the dialog. A horizontal dialog unit is equal to 1/4th the average width of the current font.

A vertical dialog unit is equal to 1/8th the average character height of the current font.

I'd recommend using method 2 (MapDialogRect() for a 4 x 8 dialog) to figure out how many DLUs 800x600 corresponds to on your output display then make a reference form equal to that size. You can later use that reference form while you're designing.

p.s.-I'm glad Visual Studio no longer emphasizes dialog units since they were always a pain to deal with.

Answer 2

Thanks. I was able to make a reference form by just resizing the form manually in the GUI editor over and over again until it exactly filled the screen... No kidding that dialog units are a pain. From your response, I guess in the current Visual Studio there is a better way to do this? (This is my first experience with Windows programming).