I seems no matter what size PC screen is used, the forum only takes up the middle of the screen with HUGE margins on both sides. (using the background colour, or image if there is one)
example - https://www.smfhelper.com/index.php
This contrasts with the 2.0 forums where the forum width adjusts so it fits most of the screen,
example - https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/index.php?action=forum
Is this a feature / problem with 2.1 generally?
If so has it been noted on github?
Is there some other way to fix it?
I believe it is just a design choice of the new default theme, and can be changed by editing the theme.
Quote from: landyvlad on July 22, 2021, 10:53:04 PM
I seems no matter what size PC screen is used, the forum only takes up the middle of the screen with HUGE margins on both sides. (using the background colour, or image if there is one)
...
Is there some other way to fix it?
The maximum width is set to 1200px and the display width is 90% of that value.
You can edit the relevant CSS file for the default theme to remove the 1200px constraint by commenting it out - the forum will then display in 90% of the available width.
In ./Themes/default/css/index.cssFind:
max-width: 1200px;Replace With:
/*max-width: 1200px;*/
This has been like this for a while : there is even a mod to fix it: https://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=4223
This is funny, because on sites that allow the forum to fill the whole screen on desktop I always add my own custom override to keep it to a reasonable maximum width. :D
And yes, that was one of the reasons behind the change in 2.1.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vvhxHpRyvmA/YPvj68g58oI/AAAAAAAAFeo/F28Vp9umPvg6NLZ0WEEJPv0RhuY8buWjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/UlPocBP.gif) (https://imgur.com/t/monitor/UlPocBP)
That's me every day, though I still do actually prefer the bit wider layouts myself - I guess I'm just weird. :P
I mean, limiting like a 5000px screen to 1200, seems just odd. Just my personal preference.
Quote from: Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen on July 24, 2021, 06:08:04 AM
That's me every day, though I still do actually prefer the bit wider layouts myself - I guess I'm just weird. :P
I mean, limiting like a 5000px screen to 1200, seems just odd. Just my personal preference.
I think even 2.0 limits to 2300px looking at the CSS
Quote from: SychO on July 24, 2021, 06:28:45 AM
Quote from: Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen on July 24, 2021, 06:08:04 AM
That's me every day, though I still do actually prefer the bit wider layouts myself - I guess I'm just weird. :P
I mean, limiting like a 5000px screen to 1200, seems just odd. Just my personal preference.
I think even 2.0 limits to 2300px looking at the CSS
Well...
I think limiting max width is the way to go. I noticed BigGuy's site this morning he had installed the mod to change the width and was set to 70% which apparent looked ok on his screen. On my 15.4" laptop screen I had a very narrow forum running down the middle which to me is pointless. ;)
Yeah, some upper limit is good - I agree with that. I just happen to run with a 65" UHD screen myself, so I am a bit of an exception - I know.
Quote from: SychO on July 24, 2021, 05:57:47 AM
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vvhxHpRyvmA/YPvj68g58oI/AAAAAAAAFeo/F28Vp9umPvg6NLZ0WEEJPv0RhuY8buWjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/UlPocBP.gif) (https://imgur.com/t/monitor/UlPocBP)
Lol. Exactly. :D I have a 32" 2560x1440, and there is no way I want to chase sentences all the way across that. Even my previous monitor (1920x1200) was moo tucking fuch when a site was set to full width. :P
Back when I first made a mobile theme for SMF 11.x (sometime in the Cretaceous, IIRC) I even found that its max-width of 800 px was so convenient to read that I often used it on desktop anyway. More scrolling, but much quicker and easier scanning.
Quote from: SychO on July 24, 2021, 06:28:45 AMI think even 2.0 limits to 2300px looking at the CSS
Yes, but that was due to the old main_block.png being that wide. We had to decide on some width for that image, and at the time 2300 seemed big enough to handle just about anything (back then 1024 screens on desktop were still quite common). The max-width of the theme had to be set to not exceed the image width.
Quote from: lurkalot on July 24, 2021, 06:36:00 AM
I think limiting max width is the way to go. I noticed BigGuy's site this morning he had installed the mod to change the width and was set to 70% which apparent looked ok on his screen. On my 15.4" laptop screen I had a very narrow forum running down the middle which to me is pointless. ;)
Run Stylus in your browser. If any bonkers muppet sets their site to something you don't like, you just override the bonkers stuff with saner CSS of your own. It rocks. ;D
The meme is a point well made, but I think the new one is TOO narrow.
The set up as it was in 2.0 was much better (and the 2.1 being narrower a backward step IMHO). Certainly my admins (who can see the 2.1 site theme test site) are against it.
Would changing the CSS code from 1200px to 2300px bring it back in line with the viewing experience of 2.0.x ?
Ta
@rjen that mod looks good - seems to just move a few files though (looking at the parsing) so not sure how that works. Then again I don't need to know how it works, for it to work I suppose.
Quote from: landyvlad on July 25, 2021, 06:58:50 PMWould changing the CSS code from 1200px to 2300px bring it back in line with the viewing experience of 2.0.x ?
Yes. ;) That's really all you need to do.
Then anyone who wants it narrower can run their own CSS in their browser, to set max-width to whatever they like.
Sorry to necro a topic that's a few months old, but this is something I have strong feelings about. :)
I'm in the camp of the OP et al: the forum display witdth should be relative to the browser window width without any arbitrary limiter.
Now, I totally understand the reasoning behind the change in 2.1 as well as the meme GIF. ;D What I disagree is with the solution to the problem. Proper UI usage for those users is to simply not have the browser window maxed to fullscreen. If you're running some crazy-wide or large monitor and don't want a dynamically-sized forum site to be fullscreen, just resize your browser window to the size that makes you happy. That's what the GUI function is there for. ;)
Lol, I disagree.
As owner of the website, it's my responsibility to make sure that my site displays as I want it to be seen, regardless of the user's settings. :P
Besides, it's simple enough to change if you disagree.
Quote from: TurtleKicker on October 30, 2021, 12:50:41 PMProper UI usage for those users is to simply not have the browser window maxed to fullscreen. If you're running some crazy-wide or large monitor and don't want a dynamically-sized forum site to be fullscreen, just resize your browser window to the size that makes you happy. That's what the GUI function is there for. ;)
And I can say that when I am using a site I don't like my screen being a patchwork of clashing designs, so although I am perfectly capable of resizing any window when necessary I often prefer the full immersion in one cohesive design.
IOW, NO. :D