Windows touch screen support

[appyface]

I have a Surface Pro 3 running Win 10, it has a touch screen. I used to be able to drag one finger up and down the screen with VLC playing (or paused on) a video, and I could raise and lower the volume. On screen appeared a tall vertical volume meter (like a volume mixer) graphically showing the percent level rise and fall of the volume as it was changed.

I can still change the volume by dragging on the screen. But no longer have a volume meter on screen. I do still have the lower-right corner triangular volume indicator.

I don't know if this came from VLC or windows or something else. Is this onscreen volume meter a VLC function, and if so can you tell me how to set it to show up again?

Thanks for any help.

[Hitchhiker]

You have to turn on mouse gestures to use vlc with a touch screen.

1. Hit Ctrl + P to open preferences and click (or tap) "All radio button" at the bottom of the opening Interface menu.
2. In the Advanced menu which opens type "Control interfaces" (without quotes) in the search field top left.
3. Tap "Control interfaces" when it appears below and then checkmark "Mouse gestures control interface" in the right hand pane.
4. Save, exit and restart vlc.

[appyface]

Thanks, mouse gestures are already enabled exactly as you have detailed.

I can control with touch screen or track pad, just don't see the graphic volume meter on the screen.

[Hitchhiker]

Thanks, mouse gestures are already enabled exactly as you have detailed.

I can control with touch screen or track pad, just don't see the graphic volume meter on the screen.

Did you download it from the Windows Store? That version lacks some of the features in the official version which you can download from here: https://www.videolan.org/

[appyface]

Thanks. I always download from videolan.org. Have tried uninstall, removal of all related files that I can find, and reinstall but no joy.

[Hitchhiker]

Try resetting preferences. https://wiki.videolan.org/VSG:ResetPrefs

If you've configured your own settings make a copy of the "vlc-qt-interface.ini" and "vlcrc" files located in C:\Users\{Username}\AppData\Roaming\vlc. Resetting preferences returns all values to default in that respect, but should also restore the volume control graphic.

[appyface]

BTW my version is 3.0.16 64-bit on Win10 Pro 21H2.

I tried a few more things, and observe the following:

1. Video playing (any .mp4), I see words "volume xxx%" but no graphic bar in 'normal' and 'maximized' Win10 VLC windows.
2. Video playing (any .mp4), I see words "volume xxx%" and also get the graphic volume bar when VLC is in fullscreen mode.
3. Audio only playing (any .mp3), in 'normal' and 'maximized' VLC windows, the gesture on touch screen is non-op, the volume in lower right does not change. Gesture still works fine from track pad, but nothing shows on screen.
4. Audio only playing (any .mp3), I cannot get VLC to change to fullscreen mode.

[appyface]

We crossed, I was typing the above before I received your response to reset preferences. I will try the reset and then the four tests above, again.

[appyface]

Meanwhile, can you try the four tests and confirm/deny yours works the same way?

[appyface]

Tried both methods for windows as listed under wiki (reset within VLC, delete files and directory in AppData, which is what I had done prior as well. Four tests above work the same.

[Hitchhiker]

BTW my version is 3.0.16 64-bit on Win10 Pro 21H2.

I tried a few more things, and observe the following:

1. Video playing (any .mp4), I see words "volume xxx%" but no graphic bar in 'normal' and 'maximized' Win10 VLC windows.
2. Video playing (any .mp4), I see words "volume xxx%" and also get the graphic volume bar when VLC is in fullscreen mode.
3. Audio only playing (any .mp3), in 'normal' and 'maximized' VLC windows, the gesture on touch screen is non-op, the volume in lower right does not change. Gesture still works fine from track pad, but nothing shows on screen.
4. Audio only playing (any .mp3), I cannot get VLC to change to fullscreen mode.

• 1 & 2 are the same.
• Can't reproduce 3 since I don't have a touch screen device.
• To play mp3s full screen hit F11 followed by Ctrl + H. Toggle off the same way.
• If you don't want to see the vlc traffic cone in full screen mode, open prefs and then tap the "All" radio button at the bottom.
• In the left hand pane type Qt and then tap it when it appears below.
• In the right hand pane drag the scrollbar down to the bottom and then go to the 6th line up - easier than looking for it from the top - and remove the checkmark from "Display background cone or art". Then Save, exit and restart vlc.

Something else in case resetting prefs doesn't work.

1. Click Tools on the top toolbar followed by "Customize interface".
2. In the field where it says Play, Stop, Open etc., scroll down and see if the Sound Slider is present in there. If it is drag it up the Line 2.

[appyface]

The four tests were for the touchscreen volume change (and I tried the trackpad too), sorry if that wasn't clear.

I was able to get audio only into VLC fullscreen mode with your suggestion of F11, CTRL-H. Touchscreen is still non-op. Mousepad gesture works. Nothing showing on screen in either case.

So it seems your VLC is the same, you don't see the vertical graphic bar either except when playing a video in VLC fullscreen mode? (And unfortunately you're not able to confirm the touch screen doesn't work for volume control at all when playing audio only.)

Is there someone here with a windows 10 touchscreen device that can check if touchscreen works in all four cases for them, and do they have the vertical graphic bar in all four cases using touchscreen?

[Hitchhiker]

I don't have a vertical control UI in either mp3 or video mode. Only the horizontal one at the bottom. I was able to move it up and down before, but just checked and notice it's immovable now for some unknown reason.

Edit: but the horizontal bar only appears when I move the mouse.

[appyface]

You don't have a vertical graphic bar playing a video in fullscreen mode (gotten there by right clicking and choosing video->fullscreen)? I see it using touchscreen and using trackpad, but that's the only time it appears now.

EDIT: It's just a graphic, not a bar I'm swiping up and down on using the touchscreen. For clarification...

[appyface]

What is the recommended way to share a screenshot here? I don't seem to be able to insert one.

[Hitchhiker]

You don't have a vertical graphic bar playing a video in fullscreen mode (gotten there by right clicking and choosing video->fullscreen)? I see it using touchscreen and using trackpad, but that's the only time it appears now.

EDIT: It's just a graphic, not a bar I'm swiping up and down on using the touchscreen. For clarification...

Oh...you're talking about the context menu options (right click). Yes I have those.

As regards screenshots we recommend uploading them to this site: https://postimages.org/

[appyface]

OK, so you confirm the behavior is the same for you in audio and in video modes as discussed? (except you can't confirm touchscreen) How to fix?

[appyface]

Thank you for the link to postimages.org.

[Hitchhiker]

OK, so you confirm the behavior is the same for you in audio and in video modes as discussed? (except you can't confirm touchscreen) How to fix?

Correct.

I'm located in the Netherlands by the way so if you're on the other side of the Pond bear in mind the time zone difference between posting a question in the evening and not getting a response until the following day.

[appyface]

Does anyone know how to fix?