High Resolution/DPI Monitors

When using MPLAB® X IDE on high Dots per Inch (DPI) / Ultra High Definition (UHD) monitors, there may be issues.

Because MPLAB X IDE is based on the NetBeans platform, some issues may stem from the way NetBeans works on the high DPI monitors:

Also, system graphics drivers and even the Java Run-Time Environment (JRE) could be part of the issue.

See some solutions below.

Change Interface Settings

If the MPLAB X IDE desktop looks “fuzzy”, modify the interface behavior.

  • To change default options:
    1. Find the mplab_ide.conf file under <MPLAB X IDE install directory>\mplab_platform\etc.
    2. Open the file in an editor and find default_options=.
    3. Insert -J-Dsun.java2d.dpiaware=false into the string and save.
    4. Restart MPLAB X IDE.
  • To override scaling behavior:
    1. Right click on a shortcut, such as the desktop icon, or an executable file (mplab_ide.exe or mplab_ide64.exe) and select Properties. Find the IDE executables under <MPLAB X IDE install directory>\mplab_platform\bin.
    2. Click on the Compatibility tab of the Properties dialog.
    3. In the Settings section, select an option worded as Override High DPI scaling behavior.
    4. Restart MPLAB X IDE.

Change Font Size

  • To set the basic font size, use the following executable option: -fontsize=size, where size is in points. See also: FaqFontSize.
  • To clear font settings: erase, rename, or move the cache and/or user directories (see Help>About for locations). Then restart MPLAB X IDE.
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