[0.13.6] alt+tab doesn't work while factorio is loading

[imajor]

If I start factorio from steam, but before the loading screen would come up I alt+tab to some other applications, then alt+tab doesn't work while factorio is loading. This happens when steam is updating something, so it takes a while for factorio to be launched, so I go to the browser to read something. I'm using windows 7, and an AMD video card. Once the main menu appears, alt+tab works correctly.

[BlackKnight]

*Edit - OK, slightly different ... but similar enough to combine with this thread?

I'm still testing whether Alt+Tab actually seems to fail for me like stated above

I have a bad habit of being impatient when games load so always Alt+Tab immediately after launching most games.. With Factorio this has had varied effects over time. Most recently with 0.13.6+ it take about maybe 15 sec to load a white screen which then after maybe 3 sec turns into factorio actually loading. Not sure how to solve that but it would be nice to have either a splash screen on launch and or something that displayed in the taskbar to show that it was loading - especially so if no window was visible, players would know it was still loading. Currently its only visible in the task manager so without knowing, some players may interpret the game having encountered a problem and silently crashed.

[imajor]

I'm pretty sure that for me it is the steam client which takes quite a lot of time until it actually launches factorio. There is a dialog box with a text something like "preparing to launch factorio". In most cases it takes less than a second, but sometimes it takes more (maybe the game is updating right at that moment). If I alt+tab during this time, then alt+tab won't work when factorio is loading, before the main menu would appear.

[Rseding91]

Factorio doesn't do fullscreen exclusive so there's nothing to alt-tab from. You just click outside the window and do what ever you want to do.

I don't understand what you're referring to.

[imajor]

I'm confused. How can I click outside the window, when factorio is taking the whole screen? I have full screen turned on in the options.

[Rseding91]

I'm confused. How can I click outside the window, when factorio is taking the whole screen? I have full screen turned on in the options.

Factorio doesn't do full screen exclusive. You just *click outside the window* and now you're not in the game.

[imajor]

I made some more testing. So you are right, factorio is not exclusive full screen, so when I press alt+tab during the loading screen (if factorio was started while some other app was active) then the usual task selection dialog appears on the center of the screen, and I can go through the applications. If I stay on any application for like 1-2 sec (while still holding alt+tab) that aplication comes into the front, so I don't see the factorio window any more. But as soon as I release alt+tab, factorio comes back again on the whole screen. So it is not the old problem when an app was fullscreen exclusive, and didn't properly release the screen when the OS requested, more like factorio is in an always on top state. Id doesn't let other apps take the focus.

[imajor]

I'm confused. How can I click outside the window, when factorio is taking the whole screen? I have full screen turned on in the options.

Factorio doesn't do full screen exclusive. You just *click outside the window* and now you're not in the game.

*outside the window* is what confuses me. So my desktop resolution is 1920x1200, and factorio runs in 192x1200. So there is no pixel which is outside of the factorio window. Where exactly I need to click?

[TruePikachu]

I'm confused. How can I click outside the window, when factorio is taking the whole screen? I have full screen turned on in the options.

Factorio doesn't do full screen exclusive. You just *click outside the window* and now you're not in the game.

*outside the window* is what confuses me. So my desktop resolution is 1920x1200, and factorio runs in 192x1200. So there is no pixel which is outside of the factorio window. Where exactly I need to click?

Here's another idea, if you're on Windows: hit the Windows key.

Technically, Factorio's fullscreen is a borderless maximized window, instead of doing something like taking over the framebuffer or something similar.

EDIT: When other programs are running, Alt+Tab works for me when loading the game (0.13.8)

[imajor]

Thanks. When I press the windows key, the start menu and the task bar appears as expected, but if I start any program, or switch to any other application, their window is not visible. The only exception is the task manager, but I think that has some special priority so that it is always on the top. I just checked what happens if I start VLC in full screen, and set it to be always on top. It is exactly the same, so I'm now pretty sure that the factorio window has the always on top flag while it is loading, if it is started after I switch to another app from steam before it launches.

Don't msiunderstand me, I don't think this is a serious issue, I'm perfectly fine if this gets marked as won't fix or cannot reproduce. I just thought I share this.

EDIT: When other programs are running, Alt+Tab works for me when loading the game (0.13.8)

Normally it works for me too. The issue happens if I press the play button in steam, and then while steam displays that "preparing to launch factorio" dialog, I switch to some other application before factorio would be launched at all. I think steam is syncinc some cloud data before it would start factorio, not sure.

[nuhll]

I also reported the alt tab problem, they wont fix it. I cant even really alt tab in nromal game.

Sad..