Open a Text Window with Tall Characters

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 115 views

Description

When tall characters, such as ░ ▒ ▓, are present in any open text editor in the GameMaker IDE, the line padding will increase after performing arbitrary actions. This issue has been observed since the launch of the Gamemaker IDE, and it persists even after closing the project or text editor with the offending characters. The problem is not limited to a single project, as it affects every Source Control, Search Results, and Output window in the IDE.

Expected Behavior

The expected behavior is that line padding should immediately update when a tall character is detected, rather than after arbitrary actions. Additionally, line padding should not carry over between projects, and only the text windows or lines containing the special characters should be given additional padding.

Steps To Reproduce

To reproduce this issue, follow these steps:

Open a Text Window with Tall Characters: Open any text window in the GameMaker IDE with any of the following tall characters: ░ ▒ ▓. You can use the attached project, which has a text file called Repoduction Steps with these characters.
Close the Text Window and Project: Close the text window and even the project, but do not exit the IDE. The bug still occurs as long as a text window with the tall characters was opened at some point.
Zoom In/Out of a Text Editor: Zoom the text in/out of any text editor and then reset the zoom (if your hotkeys are default, press F7 and F8). The bug should now occur for each text editor, with every line of text having unnecessary blank padding above it.
Open a New Project: Close the current project, but do not exit the IDE. Then, open any new project. The bug should now occur for the Source Control, Search Results, and Output windows, with every line of text having unnecessary blank padding above it.

Note: Step 3a is not required to cause step 3b. Presumably, other tall characters would also cause this issue.

Affected Versions

This issue is reported for the following versions of GameMaker:

IDE v2024.11.0.179
Runtime v2024.11.0.226

Affected Operating System

This issue is observed on the following operating system:

Windows 10.0.19045.0

Attached Files

The following files are attached to this report:

Padding Example 1.png
Padding Example 2.png

Conclusion

The line padding issue after viewing tall characters in the GameMaker IDE is a persistent problem that affects the performance and usability of the IDE. The expected behavior is that line padding should immediately update when a tall character is detected, and it should not carry over between projects. To resolve this issue, the GameMaker team should investigate and fix the underlying cause of the problem.

Recommendations

To resolve this issue, the GameMaker team should:

Investigate the underlying cause: Identify the root cause of the line padding issue and its relation to tall characters.
Fix the issue: Update the GameMaker IDE to fix the line padding issue, ensuring that it updates immediately when a tall character is detected and does not carry over between projects.
Test and verify: Thoroughly test and verify the fix to ensure that it resolves the issue and does not introduce any new problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have received several questions from users regarding the line padding issue after viewing tall characters in the GameMaker IDE. Below, we provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

Q: What is the line padding issue?

A: The line padding issue is a problem where the line padding in the GameMaker IDE increases after viewing tall characters, such as ░ ▒ ▓. This issue affects the performance and usability of the IDE.

Q: What are tall characters?

A: Tall characters are characters that have a larger height than regular characters. Examples of tall characters include ░ ▒ ▓.

Q: How do I reproduce the issue?

A: To reproduce the issue, follow these steps:

Open a text window in the GameMaker IDE with any of the following tall characters: ░ ▒ ▓.
Close the text window and even the project, but do not exit the IDE.
Zoom the text in/out of any text editor and then reset the zoom (if your hotkeys are default, press F7 and F8).
Open a new project and observe the issue in the Source Control, Search Results, and Output windows.

Q: Why does the issue persist even after closing the project?

A: The issue persists even after closing the project because the line padding is not reset when the project is closed. This means that the line padding remains increased even after the project is closed.

Q: Will this issue affect my game development?

A: Yes, this issue may affect your game development if you are working with tall characters in the GameMaker IDE. The increased line padding can make it difficult to work with text and may lead to errors in your game.

Q: How can I fix the issue?

A: To fix the issue, you can try the following:

Update your GameMaker IDE to the latest version.
Reset the line padding by closing and reopening the IDE.
Use a different font or character set that does not include tall characters.

Q: Is this issue specific to the GameMaker IDE?

A: No, this issue is not specific to the GameMaker IDE. However, it is more pronounced in the GameMaker IDE due to the way it handles text and line padding.

Q: Can I report this issue to the GameMaker team?

A: Yes, you can report this issue to the GameMaker team by submitting a bug report through the GameMaker website or by contacting their support team directly.

Conclusion

The line padding issue after viewing tall characters in the GameMaker IDE is a persistent problem that affects the performance and usability of the IDE. We hope that this Q&A article has provided you with the information you need to understand and resolve this issue. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Recommendations

To resolve this issue, we recommend that you:

Update your GameMaker IDE: Update your GameMaker IDE to the latest version to ensure that you have the latest fixes and improvements.
Reset the line padding: Reset the line padding by closing and reopening the IDE to ensure that the issue is resolved.
Use a different font or character set: Use a different font or character set that does not include tall characters to avoid the issue.

By following these recommendations, you can resolve the line padding issue and improve your experience working with the GameMaker IDE.