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Why does STO distort in widescreen?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
This has bugged me for awhile, but I've never said anything or saw anyone else say anything. Why does STO distort images off center? That it, the closer you get to the left or right edge of the screen, the more stretched the image becomes. Planets become oblong and people look like they're in a hall of mirrors.

Are widescreen resolutions actually just scaled 4:3 ones?

-Forjo
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I have never seen this. I'm using a widescreen format and the game looks fine to me. Double check your video settings to make sure you don't have it set to 4:3.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I'm afraid this isn't something I've ever experienced. It's fine on my widescreen monitor and my widescreen laptop. Both are set to their native screen resolutions, which also seems to give it a custom ratio.

    I'm sure there'll be an option like Commadore_Bob suggested to sort it out. Just have a play with the options, there should be something somewhere.

    Hope you manage to get it sorted :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    It distorts for me if I go to a widescreen that doesn't use my native aspect ratio. Most games do for some reason.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I experience something ike this, but not to the extent you are talking about. I notice that planets on missions are a perfect circle/sphere straight on, but sometimes they stretch as I turn the camera, but only when close to them. Its not something that sticks out like a sore thumb and is anoying, but it feels more like a "wide angle lense" effect.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I would suggest using your system's resolution. That should fix your problem. If you are using a 4:3 resolution on a 16:9 moniter, it will be distorted.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    No stretching as long as you select a game resolution that is the correct aspect ratio for your monitor. There are some minor issues with the interaction bar stretching on widescreen monitors, but this is fixed in Season 3.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I would suggest using your system's resolution. That should fix your problem. If you are using a 4:3 resolution on a 16:9 moniter, it will be distorted.

    This.

    One reason while I always play under Windowed (Maximized) setting. Also, it makes Alt+Tabing to much easier :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    If anything, the distortion is on 4:3 monitors. All the load screens are horizontally compressed, whereas in wide screen they all look fine.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    It distorts for me if I go to a widescreen that doesn't use my native aspect ratio. Most games do for some reason.

    You know the reason why, you have said it yourself.... A S P E C T R A T I O

    If you STILL dont understand google it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    There is another setting, under the Video tab when you go into Settings...there is an option to toggle on or off too. It's about 3/4 of the way down when you have the Advanced video options open (as opposed to the simple slider for Speed <----> Quality).

    Anyways, there is an option that is called Cinematic Focus and I believe it's the option that controls the fish-eye lens stretching you're seeing.

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>LOOK HERE
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    This is something i see in most every game, generally the wider the screen the worse it gets. It's one of the reasons i'm not fussed on surround gaming, there it gets REALLY bad.

    Here's a page with comparisons, the easiest to see it is the surround comparisons.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    ainu wrote:
    If anything, the distortion is on 4:3 monitors. All the load screens are horizontally compressed, whereas in wide screen they all look fine.

    I think it's not only the loading screens, but the game itself. When I used STO on my widescreen-notebook, everything looked ... wider, compared to my 5:4 screen I usually use. Especially my BOs' faces got stretched.

    Can anyone confirm this?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    set your resolution to your highest native setting, then under video set your aspect ratio to eaier 16:10 (LCD moniters) or 16:9 (TV) depending on your screen. I have mine set to 16:9 since im using a 32" TV with my rig atm.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    ThetaNine wrote:
    There is another setting, under the Video tab when you go into Settings...there is an option to toggle on or off too. It's about 3/4 of the way down when you have the Advanced video options open (as opposed to the simple slider for Speed <----> Quality).

    Anyways, there is an option that is called Cinematic Focus and I believe it's the option that controls the fish-eye lens stretching you're seeing.

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>LOOK HERE

    Thanks for this tip. I didn't know about the 'Cinematic Focus' = 'fish eye-lens' thing.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    jkstocbr wrote:
    Thanks for this tip. I didn't know about the 'Cinematic Focus' = 'fish eye-lens' thing.

    You're welcome.

    http://photo.net/equipment/canon/15-fisheye

    It makes things close to the edge distort.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I get the same thing as the OP. It's not the aspect ratio (that would distort everything, not the edges) more of a lens issue. I will have to try the cinematic camera thing sometime.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    You guys aren't looking closely enough.

    I'm running Windowed Maximized, 1920x1080, 16:9, as shown here:

    My UI

    The wrong aspect ratio causes circular objects at the center of the screen to distort. This is not what my problem is. Also, depth of field made no difference. It's not supposed to create a fishbowl effect -- it's supposed to accentuate forground objects by making background objects out of focus. It's never worked for me, regardless.

    Here are some examples of what I'm talking about taken from Earth orbit (which is absolutely beautiful now, by the way:)):

    Example 1
    Notice that the Sun is circular at the center of the screen...
    Example 2
    ...and egg shaped at the corner.
    Example 3
    The Moon is also a perfect circle at the center of the screen...
    Example 4
    ...but stretches to an egg at the corner.

    Try it yourself and post screenshots if you do not see distortion.

    -Forjo
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    To fix this problem just set your aspect ratio to auto and it will autosize to your set resolution no matter what size you make the screen (windowed or not). Just make sure your resolution is a proper 16:9 ratio.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    you could always buy a bigger monitor. I play on a 46" so I hardly notice anything at the edge of the screen
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Taflek wrote:
    To fix this problem just set your aspect ratio to auto and it will autosize to your set resolution no matter what size you make the screen (windowed or not). Just make sure your resolution is a proper 16:9 ratio.

    You didn't read my message.

    My resolution is 16:9. Auto and manually selecting 16:9 yield the same results. Objects have the correct aspect ratio at the center of the screen, and gradually distort the further off-center they are.

    There is no setting that explains why the center of the screen has a given aspect and the edges have another.

    -Forjo
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Looks fine for me on 16:9 aspect ratio
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Looks fine for me on 16:9 aspect ratio

    Then show me the screenshots.

    -Forjo
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Forjo wrote: »
    You didn't read my message.

    My resolution is 16:9. Auto and manually selecting 16:9 yield the same results. Objects have the correct aspect ratio at the center of the screen, and gradually distort the further off-center they are.

    There is no setting that explains why the center of the screen has a given aspect and the edges have another.

    -Forjo

    Now that is very odd, sounds like some sort of lensing effect, I suppose you can try updating your video and montior drivers (try opening up your video cards control pannel and resetting everything to default first) , and make sure your monitor data cable is properly connected at both ends. There is nothing in star trek online that will cause this effect to my knoledge.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Forjo wrote: »
    You guys aren't looking closely enough.

    I'm running Windowed Maximized, 1920x1080, 16:9, as shown here:

    My UI

    The wrong aspect ratio causes circular objects at the center of the screen to distort. This is not what my problem is. Also, depth of field made no difference. It's not supposed to create a fishbowl effect -- it's supposed to accentuate forground objects by making background objects out of focus. It's never worked for me, regardless.

    Here are some examples of what I'm talking about taken from Earth orbit (which is absolutely beautiful now, by the way:)):

    Example 1
    Notice that the Sun is circular at the center of the screen...
    Example 2
    ...and egg shaped at the corner.
    Example 3
    The Moon is also a perfect circle at the center of the screen...
    Example 4
    ...but stretches to an egg at the corner.

    Try it yourself and post screenshots if you do not see distortion.

    -Forjo

    Ah. That.

    I think it's that way on all monitors in space to make space feel bigger and a bit more "underwater".

    I can't say I have noticed it on my 32" but I saw that on every monitor I used before, wide or narrow.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    It has to do with the Field of View angle and the projection of a spherical slice of views of the universe onto a flat display panel. Wider viewing windows means you see more but get more edge distortions.

    It's a close mathematical cousin of why Greenland and Antarctica look freakishly huge on Mercator projection and similar maps.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Taflek wrote:
    Now that is very odd, sounds like some sort of lensing effect, I suppose you can try updating your video and montior drivers (try opening up your video cards control pannel and resetting everything to default first) , and make sure your monitor data cable is properly connected at both ends. There is nothing in star trek online that will cause this effect to my knoledge.

    I suggest you do as I suggest and try the test yourself -- then post screenshots. This is not a driver problem. And I can't believe you'd suggest reconnecting my monitor cable. :eek:
    It has to do with the Field of View angle and the projection of a spherical slice of views of the universe onto a flat display panel. Wider viewing windows means you see more but get more edge distortions.

    It's a close mathematical cousin of why Greenland and Antarctica look freakishly huge on Mercator projection and similar maps.

    This sounds plausible. However this does not happen in other 3D games I play. I also tried running in a window of approximately 4:3 ratio. Then I set the game to 4:3. Finally, I adjusted the window so that a star was as circular as possible in the center of the screen. Sure enough, when I panned the camera so that he star was at the edge of the window, it too distorted.

    Cryptic? Are you doing something unusual here?

    -Forjo
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I have never had this problem. I'm using a 50inch widescreen and have not had any distortion issues. I'll try to see if I can replicate this and get back to you if it happens to me.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    It has to do with the Field of View angle and the projection of a spherical slice of views of the universe onto a flat display panel. Wider viewing windows means you see more but get more edge distortions.

    It's a close mathematical cousin of why Greenland and Antarctica look freakishly huge on Mercator projection and similar maps.

    Yeah it's this, as i said before i see it on pretty much every single game i play these days and it's the primary reason i don't go in for surround gaming as it gets hilariously bad on the two side monitors.

    Basically the choice is higher fov with more distortion or lesser fov with the claustrophobic feeling.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Mav750k wrote: »
    I have never had this problem. I'm using a 50inch widescreen and have not had any distortion issues. I'll try to see if I can replicate this and get back to you if it happens to me.

    I can't speak for other games but with Warcraft, their widescreen solution is to actually crop your field of view rather than distorting it. Meaning widescreen users actually have less field of view. There, you're basically running the game in a higher rez than what's shown on screen with the top and bottom cropped out.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Yeah, it's because of the field of view. I remember SWG had an adjustable FOV setting, which might be nice to have in this game too. Otherwise just ignore it.
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