Backdrops in mame2003-plus

[Clyde]

@UDb23 said in Backdrops in mame2003-plus:

@Clyde Off 1 pixel is ok ;-)
Compliments to @Riverstorm that guessed your real game area on 1600x1200 monitor.

From the screenshots it seems you are using a scanlines shader. Are you ?

Yes, I use @ghogan42's zfast curved crt shader. I wanted to at least switched it to non-curved, but I forgot that completely. 😇 Then I hoped that it wouldn't have any or little impact to the backdrop/gameplay ratio. Does it?

I can make non-shaded (shadered?) pictures if that would be useful to you.

edit: By the way, how do I remove active shaders via XMB? I can load new presets, but I didn't find any option to remove them completely. (I could do it in the config files, but XMB would be much more convenient for testing.)

@Riverstorm Wow, what an elaborate explanation. I'll read it completely after work.

[UDb23]

@Clyde said in Backdrops in mame2003-plus:

it wouldn't have any or little impact to the backdrop/gameplay ratio. Does it?

Seems not. Good to know that shaders & mame .ART system work fine together.

[Riverstorm]

I prefer shaders in almost all cores but for some reason backdrops seem to make them less than desirable. I prefer crt-pi but I am not liking how it looks with backdrops. It almost seems to create a moire type effect or something.

[Clyde]

@Riverstorm I read your explanations and I think I understood them. :) One thing: Are your sure about SA having 224x256 pixels? Because mame2003-plus' XML file says for the game,

<video screen="raster" orientation="vertical" width="224" height="240" aspectx="3" aspecty="4" refresh="60.000000"/>

That's where I got the 5x from (1200:5=240).

[Riverstorm]

@Clyde said in Backdrops in mame2003-plus:

Are your sure about SA having 224x256 pixels?

Ooops, sorry, I think you have it correct! I'll update the post. The concepts being illustrated should still be the same though.

[Riverstorm]

@Clyde - Thanks for pointing that out. I corrected the post above with the correct numbers.

[Clyde]

@Riverstorm My pleasure. :)

[UDb23]

@grant2258 Opened an Issue on the distortion in SI. Includes link to sound recording.

[UDb23]

@Riverstorm @clide Found a workaround for the sound issue.

Requires (me) to create new dedicated RA overlay ;-)

[Riverstorm]

@UDb23 - That's great news! I suppose refreshing the whole screen, since RA Video displays it as 1918 x 1080, is taxing the Pi.

I thought I read somewhere you need to alter existing overlays. Can you explain why backdrops with overlays is a challenge? If you create an overlay that has a transparent section for the game. Shouldn't the backdrop just need to fit that transparent section only?

[UDb23]

@Riverstorm said in Backdrops in mame2003-plus:

Can you explain why backdrops with overlays is a challenge? If you create an overlay that has a transparent section for the game. Shouldn't the backdrop just need to fit that transparent section only?

No challenge actually. Yes transparent game area as usual with overlays.
Sometimes the "window" that shows backdrop(was the actual bezel in the original arcade game) is wider than the gaming area. This happens for SI where backdrop is bigger.
That "exceeding backdrop " area must be included in the RA overlay.

[Riverstorm]

Sorry I read it several times and I'm still not quite understanding. In my head I think of it like this. Game area is 810 x 1080 so make back drop of 810 x 1080 (with the new information you figured out with the issue). Then make overlay 1920 x 1080 with a 810 x 1080 window if that makes sense. Yeah I remember the real arcade plexi-glass bezels, we used to lift them on some games and reach inside to add credits! =\

[UDb23]

Issue with Omega Race (omegrace.zip).
Backdrop will not load ! I tried all I could think of but it doesn't show any image.

Tried MrDo's .ART backdrop, tried mine @1080p and finally a config for just the game area (0,0,1,1). No way :-(
Screen resolution is usual 1440x1080 (core provided) so there should be no res issue.
Anybody wanting to test ?
File's here.

Armor Attack (also vector and same res) works fine with those settings (game area only).

[Riverstorm]

I will test in a bit. I just started an update from source.

[UDb23]

@Riverstorm said in Backdrops in mame2003-plus:

Sorry I read it several times and I'm still not quite understanding. In my head I think of it like this. Game area is 810 x 1080 so make back drop of 810 x 1080 (with the new information you figured out with the issue). Then make overlay 1920 x 1080 with a 810 x 1080 window if that makes sense

Correct: that overlay will contain bezel graphics and (e.g. SI) some part of the "carton backdrop" (left & right of the game area). If someone uses just that overlay without the backdrop art for the game area it will look wrong as game are will have black background.

As said no issue, just some overlay must be adapted and should be used with specific overlay.
I will create the SI one soon so you'll se what I mean.

I'm vectoring a high res (but worn out) image of Taito SI bezel; I'm not happy with the quality of bezel/overlay images used so far ;-)

[Clyde]

@UDb23 Your zip file works fine on my Retropie. See for yourself:

[Clyde]

@UDb23 FYI, I'm running mame2003-plus 644b581.

[UDb23]

@Clyde

My lr mame 2003 plus: 8678668
Updated from source last weekend.
???

Glad to know it works. When did you update?

[Riverstorm]

@UDb23 @Clyde - Sorry I'm slow to respond. I am rebuilding my Pi. I had a G.Skill card that I think was giving some grief. I'm trying out a Samsung EVO that's ok but slow CDM Benchmarks come in around 50MB/s.

Anyway I am on commit 1d4e820 and it works good here too! Nice snap Clyde I'm digging the shader! ;)

[Riverstorm]

I also tested an older backdrop with an overlay (I think Mr. Do, I downloaded it a long time ago) and that worked also. It's not centered at all and need some adjustments but it does work too.