Particle System UI size

I would prefer a more compact option, but if it's an accessibility issue maybe have an option to control the font instead?

 

I actually found the mini font made the particle system seem more intimidating when I first started using Unity for some reason.

 

Mini size is perfectly readable on my system.
I'd hate if there were some change to use more space for nothing.
Some sort of option or general unity-editor-ui-scale thing would be cool.

 

My sight is pretty poor and the unity font size is stretching it already, please don't make it even worse!

 

They're considering making the font size bigger, not smaller.

 

Even though compact font works perfectly fine for me, preferably make it switchable in user preferences because everyone's monitor and resolution differ.

 

Why not give the ability to the UI to give fonts a grow-animation as the cursor passes over them so that the text becomes like super Mario eating a mushroom.

 

I would prefer node based particle system without messing with all this tabs and properties at once...
P.S. Normal font looks better for me

 

I'd guess because: UX issues (Not intuitive, costs too much space), performance issues of rendering the UI, technical issues (unity having a simple and lightweight GUI api), ...

There's a reason why you don't see that anywhere except maybe in game menues (where your goal is completely different: ie displaying very few options in a nice way).

Keep in mind that Unity is a development platform to make games, not a game itself

There's a little icon at the top of the particle system ('+') that allows you to turn off modules you don't use.

 

It's logical to have a consistent UI experience across Unity. If things will not fit, then you need to redesign rather than shrink text. Rollouts/Foldouts solve design problems.

That being said I don't actually care too much about the issue

 

When I saw this on Twitter, I got excited that this could finally be the integrated particle system in the UI Canvas system, only to click and be severely disappointed.

Regardless, please make the sizing consistent with the rest of the editor UI.

 

@karl_jones
https://github.com/Unity-Technologies/ScriptableRenderPipeline just had commits today which use the shuriken gui style, so you likely want to stop the momentum internally at this point for less future pain. I left a comment over there but it's just a heads up.

 

Normal please.

 

Normal font, consistency is good and it would also allow highlighting prefab changes with bold like everywhere else. I've always wondered why the particle system UI looks different. Get rid of the mini style please.

 

Hehe, that's great. I'd still prefer having the normal font in there, my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

 

Personally I'd want it smaller ... I'd want all of the text in the editor smaller though.

Particle systems tend to be giant lists of difficult to see-all-at-once options that larger text just makes worse. Bad eye sight is a fair reason to go the other way, but it won't make it any easier to use, at least for those of us who can still see. It's more an argument for accessability options in the editor.

 

Yeah although that's what OS accessibility options are for. These options work fine if the app is consistent with everything else.

Bad eye sight isn't optional - it will hit some 99% of people in varying degrees past the age of 40. We'll find it's really an obnoxious argument of younger (for now immortal) people. It'll happen suddenly and everyone not expecting it will be in for a rueful surprise https://www.visionweb.com/content/consumers/dev_consumerarticles.jsp?RID=1

In before someone without experience says "Oh! glasses fix that!" they don't really. They help, but as you age further you will find that the usable range of the monitor diminishes, and that means having to adjust the monitor's physical distance or leaning in because the window in which you can focus on small things gets smaller.

Unity's text size for the general editor is about the minimum size it should get.

I don't think they need to be bigger because the OS magnifier can handle the rest for anyone with worse sight, and they don't need to be smaller because good design takes care of that, plus it's a pretty consistent size with other apps and the general browsing experience of the web.

TLDR: keep the entire unity text size consistent, then people with individual needs don't have a moving target to focus on and can better utilise OS accessibility.

 

If possible I think this would be the best option by far. If not possible I'm also in favor of the smaller text staying as is.


I think removing options from the particle system to make settings in a bigger font fit on the screen would by far be the worst choice. Please don't do that.

 

But having different font sizes within the same app causes problems. Mecanim would not function at all inside a narrow column, and has it's own window as do many of the more complex Unity features. Particle systems does too, but it's really unloved and not designed well.

Basically anyone advocating smaller fonts mixed with lager fonts within the same area really doesn't have a design background.

 

If you meant me, I even have a degree in design, I'm just really into the "form follows function" thing. Since I can read the text fine already, compactness is the next goal on the list that I want from the particle system UI. If someone can't read it with small text, accessibility options would be good for them and don't get in my way of having it compact.

I never used mecanim or other stuff in popout windows, so I can't comment on that.

 

It has so many options to go through that cramming it all in using mini font just makes sense especially for 1080p size screens.. maybe higher resolutions it starts to less of a issue and default font is fine again. Probably why not many noticed it compared to other inspector views.. So yeah I'll through a vote in for keeping the mini font.. or better yet add an option for it preferences to have the mini font applied to all inspector font sizes with actual font size control for it... yknow until I upgrade to 4k and then want default font size back (maybe).

 

It is very inconvenient to use the mini font.
I want to use a regular font, but is there any way to patch it?

 

Perhaps this is too much to ask, but maybe hide most of the options with an option to expand if necessary? Condense it to fewer items, idk

 

@Chris9465 You can hide unused Modules if you click the + sign in the top right corner.

 

Is there a way to change particle panel font size to normal? It's very small. Hard to read and bad for eyes health.

 

So when are you going to respect the vote results

 

I guess the only solution here is to create a second inspector and scale it. Is there a quick way to scale inspectors in Unity? asking because users asked me if there was any traction in making it a little easier to read for those who do struggle.

 

Thanks, that is a pretty good idea!

 

It would be nice if there indeed was a solution to the terribly small font. I didn't quite get the GUI.matrix one, may anyone please elaborate?

 

Any updates about this one? I'm not that old, but I find it hard and annoying and I have a feeling like my eyes will come of their sockets when trying to fix my particle system...