Is there a way to see dead leaves better?

Doesn't Windows have a magnifier as part of the accessibility options? It may not be installed automatically, though, it might be necessary to install it from the Windows CD.

Not sure about the Windows accessibility features. If it allows for targeted magnification, it might work. Currently, I use a handheld model, but sometimes I wish the X-factor was higher.

This seemed like a nice little addition to the program, getting to see all these new plants in finer detail.

Thanks for the suggestion, Arnie.

Here is a screenshot of the magnifier at work. You'll see that the magnified portion appears at the top of the screen.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn102/arnie-/magnifier.jpg

I don't have PT on this machine or I'd have demonstrated what I mean. Assuming it is installed you can access it via the Start menu > All programs > Accessories > Accessibility > Magnifier in XP. The path in Vista is similar.

Hey, Arnie, I activated the Windows magnifier, but I couldn't get it to interact with Plant Tycoon, even in windowed mode. I could be wrong, but maybe it doesn't like Java applications?

It works for me. Set it for 'follow mouse cursor'. It's a little confusing as you've got to look at the manhifier, not the game screen, but it works.

I wish I could say it worked as well for me, Arnie, but I stand by my request. Yes, the image was much larger, but when I went to highlight the dead leaf and clip it, the magnified image was in the middle of the fingers holding the shears, and I couldn't see the highlighted leaf at all. I tried it with a larger magnifier window, too, but it didn't help. I appreciate your advice, and I can think of many other uses for the Windows magnifier, but I'll probably stick to my hand-held unit for now.

One other thing I'd love to see changed: in the nursery, when I sequentially click people in a cluster, the new thought bubbles almost always appear behind the other ones, so I can't see them at all. It makes more sense that the newest clicked thought would be on top, doesn't it? It makes no difference if I click the person farthest away first and work forward or in the reverse order - most frustrating.

Thanks for approving use of the Virtual Seed Tray - it's a real blessing! My only request for that utility (programmed by a fan and not LDW, I know) would be a print command for at least the stored seeds list. It's a bit cumbersome to close PT, open VST, check my inventory, close VST, open PT, and finally continue crossbreeding my newest crop. I haven't quite got the "rhythm" of manually updating my on-site and off-site inventories after every harvest, so this feature would be delightful.

Pava, there are mods to change the dead leaves color to an easier to see color. I don't have the link, but they are somewhere in the forums.

Clever alternative - thanks, Super.

You're welcome. I hope it helps. Also, something I forgot to mention before: it helps with some plants (at least a little) if you move a plant that's in the backrow (against the wall) to the middle or front row. The dead leaves are easier to see. In the backrow, they blend in with the background/wall, so it makes it harder to see them.

I've noticed the "camouflage factor" of the top row, too. I've also learned to wait for another growth spurt or two, to be sure what I'm seeing isn't just a shadowed leaf instead of a dying one. This is especially true for Grass.

Thanks again ~

I know on my macbook, I have a setting where if I hold control and use two fingers o the trackpad, it will zoom. (I have lotsa trackpad things. Like two fingers = scroll two fingers + click = right click)

Yeah, the grass is the hardest plant to see the dead leaves or to cut the dead leaves off of. The astera isn't easy either. The Lemonbush is easier when it's a bigger plant. The scandens and reptans are a pain to trim because you have to clip it several times before you get all of the dead leaves. Things like the tigerferns and those of that like are easier to see the dead leaves and to trim them.

Sometimes it also helps to look at the plants in Snapshot View (clicking the camera) and cycling through the backgrounds - better/different contrast. When you go back to the main screen to prune you'll know where to focus.