mame2003-plus: hundreds of new games, improved input, features, new bugs - now with runahead support

Riverstorm

@mikeylikesit33 - Maybe you can post your finished backdrop when you have it setup and completed.

UDb23

@Riverstorm said in mame2003-plus: hundreds of new games, improved input, features, new bugs - now with runahead support:

Do the spreadsheet calcs seem to be correct?

Yes they do work well, thanks !
Cross checked with my original excel sheet.
Will create an updated one that generates the full .art file ;-)

Currently creating a new overlay of the SI bezel from scratch to fit the backdrop best.
Cleaned up a high res original bezel scan, vectorising it now.

UDb23

@Riverstorm said in mame2003-plus: hundreds of new games, improved input, features, new bugs - now with runahead support:

Also looking forward to Omega Race and a few others you have planned

On step (backdrop) at a time...

robertvb83

@UDb23 maybe you can answer this...

Is that backdrop file independent from different screen resolutions or can we only use this for 1080p? I have a 5:4 pc monitor with 1280 x 1024. Do i have to modify something to match my screen?

UDb23

@robertvb83 the .ART mame artwork system places the backdrop proportionally to the game area. It should therefore scale it according to the monitor.
Has not been tested so far; try it and let us know.

mikeylikesit33

@Riverstorm I will. Playing with brightness on it currently.

A little too light, and it’s hard to see the game. A little too dark and why bother... there’s a big in-between that I am tweaking to find the sweet spot.

Also, my playfield is still just a tad off.

I’ll work on it more Monday

markwkidd

@UDb23 said in mame2003-plus: hundreds of new games, improved input, features, new bugs - now with runahead support:

SI backdrop available here.

@markwkidd How can I upload this to the lr-mame2003 plus git repo ?

I love that question! The simplest way to submit a PR to mame2003-plus is completely via the github site, which you can accomplish via this process:

go to http://github.com/libretro/mame2003-plus-libretro
in the upper right corner of the page, click the Fork button
add the artwork file to the metadata/artwork folder in your forked repository
go back to http://github.com/libretro/mame2003-plus-libretro
click the New pull request button towards the top-left of the github file browser interface

That should automatically make the correct PR to add your image. :)

If you wind up making regular contributions to the mame2003-plus repository, it might be worth it to learn how branches work and to set up git on your local PC. If it is just to submit a dozen or two artwork files all of that may not really be worth the trouble.

Riverstorm

@UDb23 - Definitely take your time. I didn't mean to imply I was in a hurry at all. By the way I love the SI Christmas Tree. I couldn't see it earlier, that's nice!

I was going to ask why you chose 720x960 for your calculations? On HD the y axis should be 1080 (to fill the screen vertically) and the x axis should be 810 (1080x0.75). Since you're resolution is also a 3:4 ratio I believe it should scale properly on different displays (even with different position numbers) but would it be more "true" to use 810x1080 vs. 720x960 for the position calculations?

Also interesting is once the backdrop is loaded in Plus I noticed my Core Provided numbers in RGUI changed to 1918x1080. One is it blows the whole 3:4 or 4:3, etc. ratios right out of the water. It looks fine but something to keep in mind as those number are true to the backdrop at that point and not the game ratio.

The other is remember when I mentioned half pixels earlier, I think this is where the 1918 vs. 1920 might come into play in the calculations. I decided it's not a show stopper by no means so didn't bother to round them up. Little things like those could be refined fairly easy in the spreadsheet but will change the number by only a few 10 thousandths.

@mikeylikesit33 - I agree. When I play some of the AdvMAME vector games I can't get it right due to exactly what you're saying. To bright and the vector lines of the ship or what not are lost and if you go to dim it almost looks washed out.

@markwkidd - Thanks for the instructions. Will they need to be named the same as the ROM to load properly? If artwork is user submitted, how will multiple backdrops for a single game from multiple users be handled?

UDb23

@Riverstorm said in mame2003-plus: hundreds of new games, improved input, features, new bugs - now with runahead support:

why you chose 720x960

I didn't choose it actually. It is what lr-mame2003 plus "core provided" sets SI as default (without any artwork) on 1080p monitor. I checked and mame2003 does the same.

It has correct aspect rato fo 3:4 and provides enough space for the bezel and backdrop to show without having a too small game area. That's why I kept it.

Concerning actual final screen resolution, as we have both RA overlay and Mame core generating artwork I wanted to be sure that the backdrop was fully and correctly displayed, I created a simple "test pattern" 1920x1080p backdrop. That shows correctly in SI so actual resolution should be 1920x1080 regardless of what RGUI displays. Anyway I can recheck.

UDb23

@markwkidd said in mame2003-plus: hundreds of new games, improved input, features, new bugs - now with runahead support:

the metadata/artwork folder

Thanks a lot. That in particular is what I needed to know.
I'm quite used to github so it should be no problem to make the pull request.

Riverstorm

@UDb23 - Yeah either resolution is 3:4. That's interesting though as that resolution you're using shouldn't fill the TV vertically. My core provided is actually 810x1080 (with nothing loaded like backdrops, shaders, etc.) which fills my screen vertically perfectly and the 810 just gives you a 3:4 ratio. 1080 is just the standard vertical resolution on a HD TV.

I'm not sure what to think is your TV HD as in 1920x1080? Is something being upscaled? You doing any boot/config.txt mods or game launch configs? Are rendering at the lower res and letting the TV upscale?

Beside a few exceptions all my 3:4 and 4:3 games are 1080 vertically.

Riverstorm

@UDb23 - If you're using a 720p vs a 1080p TV 720x960 would be the actual max game resolution (for 3:4 games) but since your pattern fits 1080p the only thing I can think is your rendering at 720p and upscaling. I did that for awhile to save processing power but there's a slight degregation visually and I went back to rendering full 1080p.

UDb23

@Riverstorm said in mame2003-plus: hundreds of new games, improved input, features, new bugs - now with runahead support:

If you're using a 720p vs a 1080p TV 720x960 would be the actual max game resolution

Actually I was surprised yesterday for that core resolution but thought it may be related to latest version of mame2003. As you correctly pointed this out I just did a recheck.
Today it's the usual 810x1080 !
TV is a sony 4K android TV, used at 1080p with HDMI signal from the Pi going thru a Home cinema amplifier.
Sometimes if you switch the Pi on before the TV has fully booted, the Pi may not get the 1080p and switches to 720. This probably happened yesterday and I did not notice.
Thanks for letting me know on this.
The backdrop still works and looks fine... but, as you said, RGUI says 1918x1080p.
Incidentally not filling the screen fully vertically allows to use the overlay (bezel) without covering the game graphics at the bottom so I don't dislike it ;-)

UDb23

@Riverstorm Are you finding any sound issues with SI?
I'm using the official samples. The background "rythmed" bass tones sometimes sound sligthly distorted. Any other sound (shot, explosion, mothership) is ok.
It doesn't occur all the time but quite often (at the end of the bass tone).

Edit: @markwkidd @grant2258 Could you kindly check this sound issue ?
With same samples and lr-mame2003 no distortion, with mame2003 plus it's distorted.

Riverstorm

@UDb23 - Ah, ok great, yeah I have a media player box that's similar to the Pi in if you turn it on before the TV it does all kinds of flaky things.

That's something isn't it with RA and backdrops. It stretches RGUI horizontally across the whole screen after loading the backdrop. It's basically using the backdrop resolution but the game looks perfect.

Four audio you mean the signature 4 tones played in a loop in the background? It's been good here but I will keep an ear out from here on out as I haven't been listening for it but I will now.

Good point on the overlay. Will you need to make adjustments now as to not cover the game play area?

Ok heading out to catch some shut eye and day 2 of festivities. =\

UDb23

@Riverstorm said in mame2003-plus: hundreds of new games, improved input, features, new bugs - now with runahead support:

4 tones played in a loop in the background?

Yes that tones. If you raise the volume and compare with mame2003 (non plus) you should clearly notice the distortion. May it be a slowdown due to the artwork system ?
Unless it's somenthing in my config; but I have just installed lr-mame2003 plus yesterday for the first time on this SD so there should be no specific setting, just defaults.
Good luck with the festivities "tours"... I'll start tomorrow :-))

UDb23

@Riverstorm said in mame2003-plus: hundreds of new games, improved input, features, new bugs - now with runahead support:

Will you need to make adjustments now as to not cover the game play area?

Yes. Working on it. Will make 2: one "full vertical" and one for this new "backdrop" layout.

mikeylikesit33

@UDb23 Regarding processing power...

I'm running a Pi 3B+ and can get 60fps+ easily in all games (with your bezels and adding backdrops) by removing the current SDL (image and Dev), manually installing SDL 2.08 image (don't use 2.09) and Dev from SDL.org, along with the latest mixer, net, etc. Dev utilities, and only installing emus by compiling (thus ensuring latest SDL is being used and linked to).

I can write up some instructions, if anyone needs them... I'm actually compiling the latest version of Mame right now to see if I can get good fps from it also. In an earlier test last week (using Rasbian update to 2.05), I was getting 55fps in Asteroids Deluxe with all the normal Mame artwork on (60+ with only bezels), but there were audio issues using SDL 2.05. Literally sounded like the static/hum you'd hear when putting electronics with no RF shield near a speaker. Hoping 2.08 clears that up.

That being said, Mame 2003-plus is a must for Pi. Vector enhancements in 2003+ are great, and the latest version of Mame requires D3D to match it.

Point being, recompiling emus with SDL 2.08 will make a difference for anyone with any Pi probably.

mikeylikesit33

@mikeylikesit33 Oh, quick follow-up... the only detrimental aspect of installing a new version of SDL seems to be some of the non-libtreto emus scripts in Retropie. For example, if I try to compile AdvanceMame, errors pop up with it looking for SDL 1.2. Not sure why the scripts aren't looking for the latest version vs hard-coded, but then again don't quote me on that. I didn't investigate. I generally don't use non-libreto emus and was just trying something.

UDb23

@mikeylikesit33 Really interesting.
If SDL 2.08 sound issues are resolved, surely some instructions from you are welcome.
With significant performance gains it may be worth checking with @BuZz if this new SDL can be included in Retropie as standard.