I have two activity_menu.xml one for tablets in layout-sw600dp and another in layout. The layout for tablets is never loaded (I even tested it on 4K xxxhdpi emulator). I would also add that all my layouts are portrait.
Is there anything that maybe needs to be changed in manifest, gradle or added to a file?
I didn't try layout-large, but I want to keep it "modern", not using deprecated methods.
The layout for tablets is never loaded (I even tested it on 4K xxxhdpi emulator).
I do not know what you consider 4K to be, as there seem to be multiple definitions.
However, xxxhdpi is 640dpi. 640dp is 2560 pixels at xxxhdpi density. Both 4K definitions cited on Wikipedia have the smallest width as 2160 pixels. Hence, this emulator would not use res/layout-sw640dp/, as it is not big enough.
To create an emulator that will use res/layout-sw640dp/ resources, you need to create one whose smallest width is 640dp or larger. So, for example, if you create an mdpi emulator, where 1dp = 1px, you would need to choose a resolution where both sides are 640px or larger.
Related
I am having trouble managing my application layouts in three different resolutions; 720x1280, 1080x1920 and 1440x2560.
In drawable-xhdpi folder is the corresponding images to 720x1280 resolution.
The folder drawable-xxhdpi is the corresponding images to 1080x1920 resolution and in drawable-xxxhdpi to 1440x2560.
I began to adjust the screens in layout folders. The layout-sw360dp was setting screens for 720x1280 and the layout-sw480dp the 1080x1920.
When testing in the emulator 720x1280 all settings worked perfectly.
But to test the emulator 1080x1920, oddly taking this information in layout-sw360dp folder and not the layout-sw480dp.
In the case of adjusting each folder layout-sw360dp and layout-sw480dp, I'm using margin with values in 'dp' and emulator higher values (layout-sw480dp) are being dropped are being used and the values of the layout-sw360dp.
How can I manage three screen sizes correctly?
Well designed Android applications cater for varying screen sizes, the screen size being a function of both resolution and density. Using several layout-sw###dp folders allows you to vary the layout according to the width of the display, e.g. showing fewer elements and controls on a small screen and perhaps more detail on a large one.
The 'sw' in the layout folder name is the 'shortest width' a display must have in device independent pixels (dip). One dip = 1 real pixel on a 160 density screen. So on a 320 density screen, 2 real pixels make up one dip.
Your nexus 5 has 480/160 = 3 real pixels per dip. So with a width resolution of 1080, that is 360dip wide.
Your nexus 4 has 320/160 = 2 real pixels per dip. So with a width resolution of 768, that is 384dip wide.
Neither device is more than 480 dip wide so both use the sw360dp folder.
Both devices are physically very similar in size. The Nexus 5 (5.4inch screen) has more pixels than the Nexus 4 (4.7inch screen) but the pixels are physically smaller. So it is correct that the same layout is used for both. The UI should look the same on both devices, assuming you correctly specify the size and layout of your various UI elements in dip.
As a further example, I have an old tablet (10inch screen) with a resolution of 800x1280 and a low density of 149, hence is 859dip wide. You can comfortably display far more info on a screen that size than on a Nexus 4/5, hence you might consider creating a layout-sw720dp for that.
So you appear to be doing exactly the right thing already by designing different layouts for different screen sizes. Just remember that resolution is not the same thing as screen size. Screen size is a combination of resolution and density.
As for your drawables, you are also already doing the right thing by using drawable-xhdpi, drawable-xxhdpi etc with appropriate resolution images in each one. So for example a small device with an extremely high density would likely use the 1440x2560 images and the sw360dp layout. My low res tablet would use the 720x1280 images, unless you'd put something in drawable-mdpi which is where it would look first.
So firstly you'd create appropriate resolution images in the drawable folders so that they would look as good as possible on different resolution screens. Then create appropriate swxxxdp for your layouts so they take up the appropriate space depending on the physical screen size, i.e. make good use of available screen space on large devices and don't clutter up small ones. It's likely you would want to go further and create -land and -port versions of each as well.
It is worth noting that even if you only have one layout folder and one drawable folder, your application will still work on all devices. Android simply looks for the best choice and if there is only one, it'll use that. Adding in the various folders simply allows you to make your app look as good as possible on a range of devices.
Everything I have discussed here and more is explained in detail at http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/screens_support.html.
I have 3 custom made android devices.
First one has a 5 inch screen with 1280x800 res
Second has a 5 inch screen with 800x480 res
Third has 7 inch screen with 800x480 res
I tried giving sizes with dp, px and inches but it seems they cant support those screens properly with the same value (even inches seems to be not exact inches but translation to px eventually).
How can i use same code to properly adjust view sizes relatively to the screen size?
Well, as first, the correct measure unit to use is: dp for controls and sp for fonts.
These are normally for margin, paddings, widths, heights, and other attributes.
Also xml drawables can take advantage of pixel independency
Define your dimensions in a res/value/dimens.xml file (this is a PROPOSED standard name, you can call it whatever you like best), in order to have them referrable from all your code, instead of being hardcoded and often repeated in many files.
Then you must know that you should provide your graphics AT LEAST in mdpi resolution (160 dpi), which will be scaled up or down to match other resolutions.
Notice that I said at least.
For every resolution you are supporting, you should add a folder in your res path containing the graphics at the corresponding density for that resolution.
this means that you will have, let's say 3 resolutions mdpi, hdpi and xhdpi (today's favourites, excluding tablets - these ones deserve some folders on their own):
The graphics is going into:
res/drawable-mdpi
res/drawable-hdpi
res/drawable-xhdpi
Just put your graphics (with the same names) with (respectively) a dpi density of 160, 240, 320 in those directories.
Now your graphics is resolution compliant.
Now, I don't realize what the problem really is.
I mean, is it the background not fitting well? then the solution is to use a tiling or an "abstract enough" stretchable picture.Or you could use 9 patches, as well
If the problem is how the fonts and other objects interact with each other, you should always reference to an mdpi device (even emulated, if you don't own a physical one). When things scale well on a mdpi device, they are supposed to scale well on every device.
For tablets in particular, you are supposed to provide specific folders for values (where you put your dimens.xml file, containing the dimensions).
These folders normally have names like values-sw600dp or values-sw720dp-land. The suffix land indicates landscape mode, the particle sw###dp indicates the minimum dimension (width or height), so, I guess that in you case you could prepare some folders called values-sw480dp and values-sw480dp-land and there you would put your dimens.xml file, with the special dimensions for that particular device.
I guess that providing only the non-land folder would be enough.
How does the density dependent layouts work?
For landscape orientation only:
Two tablets -
One with mdpi density and 7inch screen size.
Other with tvdpi density and 7inch screen size.
I placed the layout1.xml in folder layout-large-land.
*The result: *
Tablet 1 with mdpi density working fine but Tablet 2 with tvdpi density layout disordered like shorter bitmap length and shorter margins for child layouts.
On account of getting this problem, I did the following change:
The layout1.xml now is in two different folders viz..
layout-large-land. and layout-large-land-tvdpi.
Now, Do I need to adjust (bitmap length and shorter margins for child layouts) manually for layout1.xml in layout-large-land-tvdpi OR will android auto adjust and set the tvdpi pixels by just seeing that its in a folder layout-large-land-tvdpi?
Your layout is mostlikely using absolute pixels, while, for sake of compatibility among variety of devices you should use device independent pixels. Also to avoid ending with blurry images (like upscalled from mdpi to tvdpi) you shall consider having your assets made for certain densities. Anyway, this is quite elementary subject and well explained in android docs: Supporting Multiple Screens
I'm really feeling confused. From the docs at developer.android.com, it seems in order to keep my images scaled correctly (aspect ratio too) across all current Android devices I need all these layouts below. Is that really what everyone is doing? Am I missing something, or should I be going about this a different way?
Low density Small screens QVGA 240x320
------------------------------------------------
layout-small-ldpi
layout-small-land-ldpi
Low density Normal screens WVGA400 240x400 (x432)
------------------------------------------------
layout-ldpi
layout-land-ldpi
Medium density Normal screens HVGA 320x480
------------------------------------------------
layout-mdpi
layout-land-mdpi
Medium density Large screens HVGA 320x480
------------------------------------------------
layout-large-mdpi
layout-large-land-mdpi
High density Normal screens WVGA800 480x800 (x854)
------------------------------------------------
layout-hdpi
layout-land-hdpi
Xoom (medium density large but 1280x800 res)
------------------------------------------------
layout-xlarge
layout-xlarge-land
Your app will work on 100% of the devices with the classic layout.
You can just add some buttons or change the layout in landscape mode by adding some qualifiers but that's up to you!
For instance, on LDPI (small resolution) device, you may want to adjust some buttons or change a little bit to fit the small screen.
You may also want to put some buttons on the right in landscape mode and in the bottom of your layout in portrait!
You do not "have to" use them.
According to Android Dev Protip from Roman Nurik about screen size qualifiers:
If you have custom layouts for larger screen devices such as tablets,
now's the time to stop using the -large or -xlarge resource qualifier
and switch to using -swXXdp or -wXXdp qualifiers. The latter were
introduced in API level 13, which basically all tablets now have
support for according to the latest platform version charts1.
means that for basically all cases where -large would have any effect,
-swXXdp can be used instead to provide more granularity.
So which actual sw or w qualifiers should you use? Here's a quick
just-give-me-something starting point:
7" tablets: Instead of layout-large, use layout-sw600dp.
Example: Nexus 7 = 960×600 dp; the smaller of the two dimensions is
600.
10" tablets: Instead of layout-xlarge, use layout-sw720dp.
Example: Nexus 10 = 1280×800 dp; the smaller of the two dimensions is
800. Some 10" tablets are a bit more narrow so 720 is a commonly used switching point.
There's more to it than just that (you really want to choose switching
points based on your content's minimum requirements, not on device
form factor), but that's a #Protip for another day (::cough:: +Nick
Butcher ::cough::).
In the layout if you do not use AbsoluteLayout, you application is going to be resized to fit the screen.
But in some cases, for smaller screens you need declare a new layout with less components for example.
For images:
You has some options.
Simple ignore some resolutions and let the device choose the best image to it.
Declare on AndroidManifest for wich sizes you want to support.
Or has just one and let the resize screw your application.
Yes. You should define different layout for different screen resolution.
When you are supposed to work with tablet kind of application. That time really you feel that. There is a need of different layout. Because Tablets always comes in different size.
One more thing, When you are working on android, means you should always taste your app with real device. And also test with different size emulators.
I'm designing a game possibly for all kinds of Android devices, so I have multiple drawable folders for phones of different resolutions, and for tablets. Here is the list of my folders:
drawable-mdpi - for 480x320 devices
drawable-hdpi - for 800x480 and 854x480 devices
drawable-large-hdpi - for 1024x600 tablets
drawable-xlarge-mdpi - for 1200x800 tablets
My question is what name should have a folder with drawables for qHD resolution, which is 960x540 and 256 dpi? Thanks in advance.
I will deeply, strongly, emphatically encourage you not to use "-large" or "-xlarge" qualifiers with drawables. If you are doing this, you are almost certainly not doing what you think you are.
For example.
"drawable-large-hdpi" does not mean "1024x600 tablets." It means an hdpi screen that is classified as large. There are a huge number of screen sizes that fit in this category. In fact you will soon be seeing 1024x600 mdpi tablets.
And "drawable-xlarge-mdpi" does not mean "1200x800 tablets." First of all, tablets like the Xoom are actually 1280x800. And other possible resolutions here are 1280x720, 960x720, 1920x1200, and on and on and on.
If you are doing this kind of thing, let me suggest: just write some code instead. If you have a set of drawables that you want to pick to best match the space you have available in your UI, write some code that looks at the space it has available and picks a drawable. And when you do this, don't use Display.getDisplayMetrics(). Implement this based on the space actually given to your appropriate view in the view hierarchy.
Now all that said, qHD screens are generally hdpi normal size.
So, another example: "drawable-hdpi" doesn't have anything to do with a resolution at all. Possible resolutions you will see here: 800x480, 640x480, 960x540, and on and on.
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