Touch Screen Calibration and Display Settings

Touch screens are a critical component of every Foto Master photo booth. They provide the guest-facing interface where users start sessions, preview photos, and interact with your booth experience. A properly calibrated touch screen ensures accurate tap responses, and correct display settings keep the on-screen image looking sharp and properly oriented. This guide covers calibration, configuration, and troubleshooting for all Foto Master booth types.

Touch Screen Types by Booth

Different Foto Master booth models use different touch screen technologies:

• Mirror Me booth -- Uses an infrared (IR) touch frame mounted around the edges of the mirror glass. The frame connects to the PC via USB and detects touch input across the glass surface.
• MXB (Mirror X Booth), MAB (Mirror Air Booth), TMB (Tower Mirror Booth), BMB (Beauty Mirror Booth), and RMB (Retro Mirror Booth) --Use a touch foil mounted behind the mirror glass to detect touch input directly through the glass surface. 

Touch Foil Calibration Procedure

Touch foils used in MXB, MAB, TMB, BMB, and RMB booths may occasionally require calibration to maintain accurate touch registration. If guests press one area of the mirror but the booth responds as though a different area was touched, the touch foil likely needs recalibration.

When to Calibrate

• After major physical adjustments to the mirror, display, or touch components.
• After a Windows update that may have changed display or touch driver settings
• When touch responses are consistently offset from where guests press
• After transporting the booth to a new event (vibration during transport can occasionally shift calibration)

Calibration Steps

1. Close FMX and any other full-screen applications
2. Open the booth's touch calibration utility from the "touch" folder on the PC
3. Launch the calibration application and select calibration
4. Crosshair targets will appear on the screen
5. Complete all calibration points (typically 4)
6. Save the calibration data when prompted
7. Test by tapping different areas of the screen to verify accurate registration
8. Reopen FMX and test the guest-facing buttons to confirm everything responds correctly

Tips for Accurate Calibration

• Use your fingertip, not a stylus or pen, during calibration -- this matches how guests will interact with the booth
• Tap the exact center of each crosshair target. Rushing through calibration leads to inaccurate results.
• If the first calibration attempt still feels off, reset the calibration and try again
• Make sure nothing is pressing against the touch foil or mirror surface during calibration (remove any magnetic accessories or items leaning against the glass)

Display Settings

Resolution

Set the display resolution to the native resolution of your touch screen for the sharpest image quality.

1. Right-click the Windows desktop and select Display settings
2. Scroll to Display resolution and select the resolution marked as (Recommended) -- this is the monitor's native resolution
3. Click Keep changes

Common native resolutions for booth displays:

• 1920x1080 (Full HD) -- Most common for booth touch monitors and Mirror Me displays
• 1080x1920 (Full HD, portrait) -- Same resolution in portrait orientation (TMB, portrait-oriented booths)
• 3840x2160 (4K) -- Higher-end booth displays

Orientation

Many Foto Master booths run their displays in portrait orientation rather than the standard landscape. You must set the Windows display orientation to match your physical monitor mount.

1. Open Display settings
2. Under Display orientation, select the correct option:
   • Landscape -- Standard horizontal orientation
   • Portrait -- Rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise
   • Landscape (flipped) -- Upside-down horizontal
   • Portrait (flipped) -- Rotated 90 degrees clockwise
3. Click Keep changes
4. Verify that the FMX interface appears correctly (not rotated or upside-down)

Scaling

Windows display scaling affects how large UI elements appear. For booth use:

• 100% scaling -- Recommended for most booth setups. FMX is designed to run at 100% scaling.
• If text and icons appear too small on a high-resolution display, try 125% or 150%, but test FMX thoroughly to make sure all interface elements still fit correctly.

External Display Configuration

Some booth setups use a secondary external display -- for example, an attraction screen facing outward to draw guests in, or a slideshow display showing recent photos.

Setting Up a Second Display

1. Connect the second display to your booth PC via HDMI or DisplayPort
2. Open Display settings
3. Windows will show both displays. Click Detect if the second display does not appear.
4. Choose how the displays work together:
   • Extend these displays -- Recommended. FMX runs on the primary touch display, and your attraction content runs on the secondary screen.
   • Duplicate these displays -- Shows the same content on both screens. Less common but useful for simple setups where you want guests on both sides to see the same view.
5. Set the primary display (the touch screen) by selecting it and checking Make this my main display

Using FMX with External Displays

FMX can output to a secondary display for attraction screens, live slideshow views, or queue displays. Configure the secondary display output in FMX under Settings > Display and assign what content should appear on each screen.

Troubleshooting: TV Display "No Signal"

If your booth display shows "No Signal" instead of the Windows desktop or FMX interface:

Check Physical Connections

1. Verify the HDMI or DisplayPort cable is firmly seated in both the display and the booth PC
2. Try a different cable -- HDMI cables can fail, especially after repeated booth assembly and teardown
3. Try a different port on the booth PC if one is available
4. Make sure the display is set to the correct input source (use the display's remote or on-screen menu to select HDMI 1, HDMI 2, DisplayPort, etc.)

Check Display and Graphics Settings

1. Press Windows key + P and select PC screen only first, then try Duplicate or Extend to force Windows to detect the display
2. Right-click the desktop, open Display settings, and click Detect to force Windows to scan for connected displays
3. Check that the display resolution is set to a resolution the display supports. If the resolution is set too high, the display may not be able to show the image.
4. Update your graphics driver (Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD, depending on your booth PC) -- outdated drivers can cause detection issues

HDMI-Specific Issues

• Long HDMI cables (over 15 feet) can cause signal loss. Use a shorter cable or an active HDMI cable/extender for longer runs.
• HDMI adapters and splitters can introduce compatibility issues. Use a direct connection whenever possible.
• Some displays require an HDMI handshake -- power on the display first, then the booth PC, so the PC detects the display during startup.

If Nothing Works

1. Connect the display to a different computer (laptop, another PC) to confirm the display itself is working
2. Try a completely different display on the booth PC to rule out a graphics card issue
3. If the display works with other devices but not the booth PC, the graphics card or its driver may need attention