Matlab with HiDPI... is still an issue on Linux(?)

Hi,

I wonder if there is a solution for the small interface issue that Matlab has on HiDPI screen under Linux. It is becoming a real messy working intensively, especially with AppDesigner that suffers also because you cannot change the font size in the editor.

Thanks for the help.

Fabio

Answer 1

[Jacopo Antonello]

MathWorks suggested the following procedure, which works well for me (R2017b). Quoting from their email:

Tuning a high-DPI Linux system requires two steps

• Setting the MATLAB scale factor
• Calibrating the system's DPI

The MATLAB scale factor affects MATLAB desktop and the size/position of windows. The system DPI determines the scale and font size of axes and labels. To set the MATLAB scale factor, please use the following MATLAB commands:

>> s = settings;s.matlab.desktop.DisplayScaleFactor
>> s.matlab.desktop.DisplayScaleFactor.PersonalValue = 1.5

To calibrate the system DPI to match the scale facto, please use the following terminal commands :

% xdpyinfo | grep resolution
  resolution:    96x96 dots per inch
% xrandr --dpi 144

The DPI value chosen should be the resolution found with xdpyinfo multiplied by the MATLAB scale factor that was set. In the example, 96 × 1.5 = 144.

MATLAB must be restarted after Step 2.

[Lucas Steinmann]

This worked flawlessly in R2017b. Im using Gnome 3 with Wayland.

[Alessandro Rossetti]

Thanks. It works !

[l4d3]

Thanks! I used PersonalValue = 2. Fits in with the rest of KDE at x2 scale.

[Mark]

Do you actually need the xrandr command? It seemed to work for me on Gnome and Wayland without it?

[Xing He]

Works well for Matlab 2017b on Ubuntu 16.04! I only used the first commands for matlab. No calibration for system. Thanks!

[Rian Hughes]

Works Like a charm! I used a personal factor of 2.5, but it's all personal preference. Thanks! :)

[Ben Zhang]

This worked well for MATLAB, but Simulink still has the same issue. Any idea on how to resolve that?

[ChuanYuArriver]

Hi,

I think I have tried:

>> s = settings;s.matlab.desktop.DisplayScaleFactor

>> s.matlab.desktop.DisplayScaleFactor.PersonalValue = 2.0

It works well to solve the issue for Matlab scaling. But I still have the issue for Simulink, can someone help to look into this?

[Jeson Wong]

Thank you! Your method works like a charm.

[I am using Ubuntu 20.04 and matlab 2022a]

[Xiao Liu]

Ubuntu 20.04 and matlab 2022b. my 4k monitor is scaled by 200% in the system settings. my resolution is 162x161 dots per inch.

s.matlab.desktop.DisplayScaleFactor.PersonalValue = 2

the GUI and editer looks OK, but the datatips and function hints are still not scaled. you can see from the screenshots, they are very tiny.

[Nick Evstigneev]

I found the issue with this:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/317240-matlab-with-hidpi-is-still-an-issue-on-linux#comment_2464418

One needs to adjust the custum font size for the editor back to, say 12, and then in an open editor window just zoom in by pressing Ctrl + as much as you like.

Before:

Now:

Answer 2

[Abhinuv Pitale]

This worked really well for me on Ubuntu 16.04

>> s = settings;s.matlab.desktop.DisplayScaleFactor
>> s.matlab.desktop.DisplayScaleFactor.PersonalValue = 1.5

Additionally, I changed font properties in Preferences -> Font to higher font values.

Answer 3

[Brian Chen]

Has this issue been resolved in R2017a?

[Walter Roberson]

Unfortunately, the release notes for R2017a contain no information about High DPI, so there are probably no changes yet. I have not been given a time-frame for this.

[Yang]

They do not plan to solve is I guess

[Walter Roberson]

You could start a support case on the topic and ask, and get told the answer under Non-Disclosure. The volunteers who answer questions here cannot reveal anything they might happen to have learned under Non-Disclosure.

[marvin rüppel]

THis is terrible. Matlab is extremely inconvenient to use with the extremely small symbols.

[Walter Roberson]

I recommend you raise the matter as a support case. Any of the volunteers who might happen to know something about the situation would not be permitted to comment about it.

Answer 4

[Walter Roberson]

No, unfortunately as of R2016b the issue is not resolved.

[Fabio Garofalo]

I accept your answer... both not the fact that matlab developers are underestimating (and they did for LONG time) this issue. I think that it is almost impossible to work for long time with this problem. However, thanks!