I am experimenting with creating a pixel-art mobile game in Godot. I am having trouble with the viewport size regarding the pixel art assets. I’ve learned that I should set the scaling mode to integer, which adds black bars to the screen. My plan to get rid of the black bars is as follows:

  1. Find a way to resize the main viewport dynamically in runtime
  2. Calculate, based on the device’s size, what size the viewport should be
  3. Apply that calculation when appropriate

Before I even try to get a calculation like that going, I want to make sure I can change the viewport’s size in the code, which I couldn’t figure out myself. I have tried the following:

  • Changing the project settings in a _ready function: Does nothing
  • Changing the project settings in a _process function: Does nothing
  • Setting get_viewport().size in a _ready function: Does nothing
  • Setting get_viewport().size in a _process function: Changes the size of the viewport, but without expanding it
  • Setting get_window().size in a _ready function: Does nothing

What else can I try?

  • plofi
    2•2 days ago

    @roydbt You can change the window size if you need to by using get_window.size, but you should also use the Window.content_scale_size for further adjusments

    • @roydbtOP
      1•2 days ago

      And where should I put that? In a _reaay or a _process?

      • plofi
        2•20 hours ago

        @roydbt I assume you want to do scaling once at start so ready would be the best choice since process is called many times every second

        • @roydbtOP
          2•13 hours ago

          Thanks, setting get_window().content_scale_size = DisplayServer.window_get_size() / 3 works! Now I only have to figure out what 3 stands for

          • I Cast Fist
            1•2 hours ago

            By the way, you can set up and use a Global script that is accessible from any node (set it up from Project Settings -> Autoload tab), it can also contain a _ready() function that will run one time once the game is loaded

            On a project of mine, I use this function to change between different window modes, maybe one of these could make your think work? Possibly setting the window to fullscreen would work as you intend.

            func _on_windowtype_item_selected(index):
	match index:
		0: #Windowed mode
			get_tree().root.mode = Window.MODE_WINDOWED
			get_window().size = get_viewport().size #Possibly what you were looking for all this time
## alternatively, get_window().size = DisplayServer.window_get_size() #should make the game window the same size as the whole screen
			get_tree().root.borderless = false
		1: #Fullscreen mode
			get_tree().root.mode = Window.MODE_FULLSCREEN #easiest full screen
		2: #Windowed Borderless mode
			get_tree().root.mode = Window.MODE_WINDOWED
			get_tree().root.borderless = true
		3: #Fullscreen Borderless mode
			get_tree().root.mode = Window.MODE_MAXIMIZED
			get_tree().root.borderless = true
  • BougieBirdieEnglish
    7•2 days ago

    I haven’t developed for mobile, but I have played around with pixel art in games. Here’s a guide which probably outlines the why of it better than I can.

    It sounds like to git rid of the black bars, you want to open ProjectSettings/Display/Window/Stretch and set Mode to Viewport and Aspect to Expand.

    • @roydbtOP
      2•2 days ago

      I did set the aspect to expand, but when I set the scaling mode to integer instead of fractional it adds the black bars