Simulator Screen Planner
Derive a screen's width or height from the other, at your chosen aspect ratio, and see whether it fits your opening once margins are subtracted.
Screen dimensions
120 × 67.5
| Available opening (after margins) | 132 × 90 |
|---|---|
| Screen dimensions | 120 × 67.5 |
| Fits | Yes |
| Unused area | 3780 |
Opening dimensions are not screen dimensions
The rectangle you have available on a wall, garage door, or dedicated frame is your opening. The screen you plan to hang inside it needs margin on every side for mounting hardware, masking, and a comfortable visual border, so the usable area is always smaller than the raw opening. This tool asks for your opening size and your own chosen margins separately, then works from the resulting available area rather than the full opening, which is the mistake that most often leads someone to buy a screen that turns out too large.
Deriving one dimension from the other
A screen's aspect ratio, most commonly 16:9 for simulator content or occasionally 4:3 for certain setups, fixes the relationship between width and height. Once you pick a ratio, you only need to decide one dimension and the other follows automatically. This tool lets you choose whichever direction makes more sense for your space: enter a target width to see the resulting height, or enter a target height to see the resulting width.
Reading a width-bound or height-bound result
When the derived dimension exceeds your available opening in that direction, the tool tells you plainly whether width or height is the binding constraint. A width-bound result means your opening is tall enough but not wide enough for the screen you specified; a height-bound result means the reverse. Knowing which constraint is binding tells you exactly which margin or which target dimension to adjust first, rather than guessing at a smaller screen size by trial and error.
The projected image can still differ from the enclosure
A screen product's physical frame or enclosure is often slightly larger than its active projectable image area, and the reverse is also possible depending on the product's border design. This tool works entirely in image-area terms; always cross-check the specific product's stated active image dimensions, not just its overall enclosure size, against the numbers this tool gives you. Once you have a screen size in mind, check the projector throw planner next to confirm a projector can actually be mounted at the right distance for that width.
Frequently asked questions
Is my wall opening the same size as the screen I should buy?
No. The screen needs margin on every side for mounting hardware, masking, and a comfortable visual border, so the usable area is always smaller than the raw opening — this is the most common reason a screen ends up too large.
What does a "width-bound" or "height-bound" result mean?
It tells you which dimension is the actual constraint. A width-bound result means your opening is tall enough but not wide enough for the screen you specified; a height-bound result means the reverse — so you know exactly which margin or target dimension to adjust first.
Should I compare this tool's numbers to a screen's enclosure size or its image size?
Its active image size. A screen product's physical frame is often slightly larger (or smaller) than its projectable image area — always cross-check the specific product's stated active image dimensions, not its overall enclosure size.