Taking an actual screenshot?

RetroResolution

Hi,

I tend to use the program raspi2png. This method works on everything I've tried to screenshot (all emulators, including non-RetroArch core, the libretro RGUI menu , Raspbian desktop, Kodi media center videos etc) .

You'll need to make a remote ssh connection to the Pi to make use of the program, but that's the only drawback.

To install the program, at the console / terminal type:

git clone https://github.com/AndrewFromMelbourne/raspi2png

n.b. if your system does not have the github tools installed, issue the following command: `sudo apt-get install -y git`

For ease of use, either add an alias, or copy the program into the /usr/local/bin directory:

sudo cp -a raspi2png/raspi2png /usr/local/bin

To take a screenshot, at the terminal (from a remotely connected machine), type:
raspi2png

You can use the parameter p to specify a filename, e.g.

raspi2png -p ridge_racer_psx.png

herb_fargus

@RetroResolution done quite a bit of testing with raspi2png vs native screenshots through retroarch and I have to say the built in screenshot from retroarch is vastly superior in filesize and quality. (See here: https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/issues/1242)

You can easily specify key in the overall retroarch.cfg I typically just make it F8 on the keyboard. You may also be able to make it a hotkey, or at least a button on your controller if you have an extra one you don't use.

RetroResolution

@herb_fargus I didn't realise that - thanks. I generally grab screenshots of the RetroArch menus for the guides I write, but it's good to know that better screengrabs in-game are possible.

As far as I know raspi2png directly accesses the GPU framebuffer; when I grab a shot of the Raspbian desktop, it's full resolution and lossless; I assume that in the emulators there's some issue with scaling?

At least raspi2png gives an option for non-RetroArch emus, such as Hatari, Atari800, Mupen64Plus etc.

herb_fargus

@RetroResolution it's possible, on the aforementioned link I included a zip file with all the original screenshots (that aren't tainted by github's compression on upload) and you can compare them closely and you'll see that not only are the raspi2png screenshots a larger filesize but they are also more blurry. Idk if that was just a setting on my end or if it can be improved somehow. I'd be interested to see if you could get better results with raspi2png

But yes it is beneficial for non retroarch emulators but I've also found that most non retroarch emulators also have a screenshot option which yields similar results as retroarch

RetroResolution

@herb_fargus I'll definitely be using the RetroArch in-built screenshot facility in the future - need to update the shots in my guide on using the enahnced resolution mode in pcsx_rearmed...

PingSpike

@herb_fargus said in Taking an actual screenshot?:

@
You can easily specify key in the overall retroarch.cfg I typically just make it F8 on the keyboard. You may also be able to make it a hotkey, or at least a button on your controller if you have an extra one you don't use.

So if I'm understanding correctly, this is not built in yet and I need to follow the various guides to create this feature?

herb_fargus

@PingSpike taking a screenshot is already built into retroarch you just have to define in the retroarch.cfg which button it uses to initialise it

PingSpike

Brilliant! Theoretically I can configure this to a shift-key on my ipac2 arcade controls, as that just mimics a key press, right?

briankross

@herb_fargus said in Taking an actual screenshot?:

@PingSpike taking a screenshot is already built into retroarch you just have to define in the retroarch.cfg which button it uses to initialise it

I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but I've been following along trying to setup the F8 key to take a screenshot (later this will be an arcade button), with no success.

I'm using lr-mame2003 (for mame) and lr-nestopia (for nes) on rPi-3, RetroPie 3.8.1.

Edited: /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg

# Take screenshot
input_screenshot = f8

# Directory to dump screenshots to.
screenshot_directory = /home/pi/RetroPie/MyScreenshots

Created directory: /home/pi/RetroPie/MyScreenshots

I noticed while playing a game using lr-mame2003, if I hit TAB I see the service menu, which has F12 as the screenshot key. After pressing F12, I'm not sure if there is a screen shot or where it might be stored.

If I go to the RGUI menu and take a screenshot through the quick menu, it kicks me out of the game. I'm not sure if there is a screen shot or where it might be stored.

Thoughts?

Floob

@briankross Try holding your hotkey enable button (usually Select) and then tapping F8.

briankross

@Floob said in Taking an actual screenshot?:

@briankross Try holding your hotkey enable button (usually Select) and then tapping F8.

When I do that, it kicks me out of the game (either mame or nes) and I don't see anything in:

/home/pi/.config/retroarch/screenshots

or

/home/pi/RetroPie/MyScreenshots

Floob

Thats odd. Can you put a copy of your opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg on pastebin.com?

briankross

@Floob said in Taking an actual screenshot?:

Thats odd. Can you put a copy of your opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg on pastebin.com?

Yes, thank you for checking it out.

/opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg

dankcushions


# Directory to dump screenshots to.
screenshot_directory = /home/pi/RetroPie/MyScreenshots

needs quotes. should be:


# Directory to dump screenshots to.
screenshot_directory = "/home/pi/RetroPie/MyScreenshots"

also, does the directory exists and do you have write-access?

also, i probably wouldn't use the function keys as mame already uses them for things, so every time you take a screenshot with f8 you'll be activating some mame option (i think possibly to do with frameskip).

briankross

@dankcushions

Thanks, I made the change! This makes sense for directories.

Great point about the F8 key for mame games. I'll have a look for which keys may be unused, do you have a suggestion that's good for lr-mame2003 and lr-nestopia?

Permissions for the directory is 755, created by root.

dankcushions

@briankross said in Taking an actual screenshot?:

@dankcushions

Thanks, I made the change! This makes sense for directories.

Great point about the F8 key for mame games. I'll have a look for which keys may be unused, do you have a suggestion that's good for lr-mame2003 and lr-nestopia?

i think 'p' is the default in retroarch, so that would be my preference :)

Permissions for the directory is 755, created by root.

755 is fine if it is owned by the pi user.. but i guess will be a problem if not.

briankross

@dankcushions

I just uncommented the retroarch.cfg screenshot line and it was already set to f8. It looks like input_pause_toggle is set to p, but is commented out.

I've tried print_screen and "print_screen", neither work.

dankcushions

@briankross said in Taking an actual screenshot?:

@dankcushions

I just uncommented the retroarch.cfg screenshot line and it was already set to f8. It looks like input_pause_toggle is set to p, but is commented out.

I've tried print_screen and "print_screen", neither work.

my mistake! f8 is the default key.. hmm, i dunno what i would use in that case... i take screenshots via the RGUI when i need to.

briankross

@dankcushions said in Taking an actual screenshot?:

@briankross said in Taking an actual screenshot?:

@dankcushions

I just uncommented the retroarch.cfg screenshot line and it was already set to f8. It looks like input_pause_toggle is set to p, but is commented out.

I've tried print_screen and "print_screen", neither work.

my mistake! f8 is the default key.. hmm, i dunno what i would use in that case... i take screenshots via the RGUI when i need to.

When I use the quick menu from RGUI, it kicks me out of the game.

dankcushions

@briankross that's very odd. anything in /tmp/runcommand.log when that happens?

all this stuff should 'just work'