The videomode element serves to find out and to set the videomode for the full screen mode of the program. When read, this element will return a multiple-line text list of the videomodes. Each list line contains one videomode in the form: width*height/bits. The numeric parameters "width" and "height" represent the horizontal and vertical display resolution, expressed in pixels. The videomode size data can be converted in dimensions used by the Peter application by dividing by the numeric value 32. The "bits" parameter is the number of bits for one graphic pixel. The parameter value may be 8, 16, 24 or 32. Example: 640*480/8 is the minimum videomode supported by the Windows system (in Peter’s dimensions this corresponds to 20 squares horizontally and 15 squares vertically). Bit number 8 indicates that the videomode uses 256 colors (2^8=256). The videomode list is sorted according to the horizontal resolution, according to the vertical resolution and, finally, according to the bit number. One of the list lines is supplemented by the "<" character at its end. This character denotes the currently set videomode.

 

By entering one of the lines into the element the desired videomode is set and the full screen mode is activated. The videomode required is set by entering the text in the same form that is applicable for the individual lines of the videomode list: width*height/bits. Instead of the separating character "*" the "x" character (lower case x letter) may be used. Instead of the "/" character the "\" character may be used. Any numeric parameter can be omitted or replaced by 0; in this case the default value will be used. The videomode setting containing parameters "0*0/0" has the same meaning as using the full screen mode command. With default values of the videomode width and height the videomode will be accommodated to the changes of the program main sheet. The full screen mode can be switched off by the full screen mode command, which causes the normal Windows videomode to be returned. The required parameters of the full screen mode videomode are stored. They will be returned when the full screen mode is activated again by the full screen mode command. The videomode width and height can also be entered in Peter's scale (including its decimal representation). For instance, the "20x15" program will set the full screen mode having 640*480 pixels (equivalent to the "640x480" parameter). When the required videomode cannot be found, then the nearest videomode will be used. When searching for a videomode the specified videomode bit number has priority to the videomode dimensions.