Window Layout Controls not displaying need some guidance.

[kalecocat]

Hello all, I'm a long time user of BI and long time lurker, but now I need help.
I've been using BI 3.66 with just 2 cameras for several years now, and though I use very little of BI, I brag it up every chance I get because it's a terrific piece of software. And I'm learning as I go. Problem is, recently I added 2 more cams (and have a couple more to add shortly). The four cams display on the main screen in different sizes and not aligned. Looks bad when I try to show my setup to others. I'm able to display the controls toolbar across the bottom of the main window, but it's blank except for the little sample (I guess) box it contains. Nothing else in it. I've read help files and forum conversations until I'm getting eye strain, trying to find the way to get the toolbar to display as shown in the help file. Thats in: "Camera Windows", "Window Layout" but nothing there to indicate how to display or not display the different controls. I think it might have all been there originally and I may have turned it off somehow. I've checked "Show PTZ controls" in the little drop down menu and in the "Layout" drop down I've checked "1:2" and "2-up". I sure would appreciate somebody steering me in the right direction. By the way, I don't have a PTZ camera.

 

[fenderman]

Hello all, I'm a long time user of BI and long time lurker, but now I need help.
I've been using BI 3.66 with just 2 cameras for several years now, and though I use very little of BI, I brag it up every chance I get because it's a terrific piece of software. And I'm learning as I go. Problem is, recently I added 2 more cams (and have a couple more to add shortly). The four cams display on the main screen in different sizes and not aligned. Looks bad when I try to show my setup to others. I'm able to display the controls toolbar across the bottom of the main window, but it's blank except for the little sample (I guess) box it contains. Nothing else in it. I've read help files and forum conversations until I'm getting eye strain, trying to find the way to get the toolbar to display as shown in the help file. Thats in: "Camera Windows", "Window Layout" but nothing there to indicate how to display or not display the different controls. I think it might have all been there originally and I may have turned it off somehow. I've checked "Show PTZ controls" in the little drop down menu and in the "Layout" drop down I've checked "1:2" and "2-up". I sure would appreciate somebody steering me in the right direction. By the way, I don't have a PTZ camera.

first and foremost, spend the 30 dollars and upgrade to version 4.

 

[Mike]

Welcome. Can you post a screenshot? @fenderman is right, the software you are using has been EOL (End Of Life) for a long time and is lacking lots of updates, including stability and security, so you really should grab a V4 license.

Post up a screenshot though, that should help us help you.

 

[kalecocat]

I'm not sure how to do this, but I'll try to upload the file

 

[kalecocat]

Okay, here goes again.

 

[kalecocat]

Well, that didn't work out too good. I guess I'd better go re-read the posting instructions.

 

[Mike]

There i did it for you

 

[kalecocat]

Thank you, Mike. I have no idea what just happened, but I'm very grateful. I hope you can determine what my display problem is as easily as you made that file open up!
The reason I have not upgraded to BI 4 is not the money, it's the fact that I am a little bit familiar with BI 3 and can move around in it even tho' I have no experience with it and that my camera system is on a closed network with everything secured (I think!). The folks at Nellies Security have been most helpful and very responsive with things that I don't understand (a lot of that).
However, with that being said, I do plan on upgrading when I have more time. I'm not particularly interested (at this time) in becoming even half as knowledgable as the members here obviously are. I retired about 20 years ago and you know how retirement makes a guy get busier than ever! And also resistant to change, I've discovered.
Anyway, for my future use, how should I have done the screenshot file? I just did a ctrl/PrintScreen, then pasted it into wordpad and "saved as" a .doc file to my upload folder. Then in the post reply, I browsed to the upload folder and selected the file. I have no idea from there what to do (I'm sure open for instructions tho' .......).
Again, I thank you guys very much for your quick replys, I wasn't expecting that.

 

[fenderman]

Hello all, I'm a long time user of BI and long time lurker, but now I need help.
I've been using BI 3.66 with just 2 cameras for several years now, and though I use very little of BI, I brag it up every chance I get because it's a terrific piece of software. And I'm learning as I go. Problem is, recently I added 2 more cams (and have a couple more to add shortly). The four cams display on the main screen in different sizes and not aligned. Looks bad when I try to show my setup to others. I'm able to display the controls toolbar across the bottom of the main window, but it's blank except for the little sample (I guess) box it contains. Nothing else in it. I've read help files and forum conversations until I'm getting eye strain, trying to find the way to get the toolbar to display as shown in the help file. Thats in: "Camera Windows", "Window Layout" but nothing there to indicate how to display or not display the different controls. I think it might have all been there originally and I may have turned it off somehow. I've checked "Show PTZ controls" in the little drop down menu and in the "Layout" drop down I've checked "1:2" and "2-up". I sure would appreciate somebody steering me in the right direction. By the way, I don't have a PTZ camera.

It will always show blank space. This is because your cameras have different aspect ratios. In order to fill all the space blue iris would have to artificially stretch and distort the image like many NVR's do - which is undesirable. You can try moving the cameras to different positions to minimize the blank space.
You can force change the aspect ratio using the anamorphic options in the video tab in blue iris for that camera but this will distort the image.
If you use BI3 there is almost no learning curve for bi4

 

[kalecocat]

Thanks Fenderman, I appreciate the explanation. It looks best to just leave that stuff alone.
I think my problem with getting the controls to display was simply to let BI restart after I apparently checked (or unchecked) something, because the controls are now there and functional after a restart last night. I thank you and Mike for the guidance and advice.