Custom configs for CRT using the built-in composite out

[dimetrius]

@Sakitoshi Dear, as far as I know, now batocera 5.24 is very different from recalbox. I am ready to try to adapt your configs for batocera, but I have poor knowledge of Linux, if you can help me, I will be very happy for your help. What needs to be done to make ES work in 480p, retroarch in 240i? where to watch this script? I am waiting for your help, thank you very much. just in case here is my email: dimetriusdx@gmail.com

[tix]

@Sakitoshi said in Custom configs for CRT using the built-in composite out:

@tix I pushed an update that will fix the issue. no need to install all again, just replace this file https://github.com/Sakitoshi/retropie-crt-tvout/blob/master/to_configs/all/retroarch/shaders/tvout/shaders/box-vert.glsl
you should probably take a look at the expand field of view presets too to be able to see the whole screen since r-type uses a resolution that goes out of a normal crt screen.

Thanks man ! you totaly fixed all my issues !!

[tix]

@Sakitoshi

[tix]

Hey @Sakitoshi, what about the vector games ?
with the current settings they display a black screen, with some vertical lines.. the game plays in the background !
the same goes for vectrex games..

[Sakitoshi]

@tix lets just say that I don't want to mess with that.
it was already challenging enough to find the perfect configuration for vertical arcade.

[tix]

@Sakitoshi said in Custom configs for CRT using the built-in composite out:

@tix lets just say that I don't want to mess with that.
it was already challenging enough to find the perfect configuration for vertical arcade.

Fair enough,
How can I exclude them from the general config ?

I guess advance Mame remains the best option for vector games !

[Sakitoshi]

@tix as vectrex doesn't have a dedicated config in my setup it defaults to the general config as if you didn't have my configs at all. you can edit vectrex config file at configs/vectrex/retroarch.cfg or use the built-in retropie config editor.

[tix]

@Sakitoshi said in Custom configs for CRT using the built-in composite out:

@tix as vectrex doesn't have a dedicated config in my setup it defaults to the general config as if you didn't have my configs at all. you can edit vectrex config file at configs/vectrex/retroarch.cfg or use the built-in retropie config editor.

Thanks !
regarding Mame ? how can I remove a vector game from the general config ?
I'm asking for a tip.. similar to the override configs you made for vertical games (to turn the 480i on)

[Sakitoshi]

@tix to make a particular game use the retropie defaults you can make a game override (inside retroarch. quick menu -> overrides -> save game overrides) and then modify it replacing the contents of the override file (should be located at configs/arcade/config_crt/MAME 2003 (0.78)/*name of the game.cfg*) with the default retroarch config (you may have a copy of it named retroarch.cfg.rp-dist).

arcade default:

# Settings made here will only override settings in the global retroarch.cfg if placed above the #include line

input_remapping_directory = "/opt/retropie/configs/arcade/"

#include "/opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg"

that will make that game behave as if you don't have my configs and of course you can edit that config file to your liking to make the game look as you wish.

[dimetrius]

@Sakitoshi Tell me how did you create the 240p switch during the emulator? I want to try to do in the batocera 2.4 system.

[mitu]

@dimetrius Switching resolutions is done using tvservice - see this file - which is run before the game is started. tvservice is part of the Raspbian distribution, I think Batocera might include it as part of the PACKAGE_RPI_USERLAND option.

[tix]

@Sakitoshi said in Custom configs for CRT using the built-in composite out:

@tix to make a particular game use the retropie defaults you can make a game override (inside retroarch. quick menu -> overrides -> save game overrides) and then modify it replacing the contents of the override file (should be located at configs/arcade/config_crt/MAME 2003 (0.78)/*name of the game.cfg*) with the default retroarch config (you may have a copy of it named retroarch.cfg.rp-dist).

arcade default:

# Settings made here will only override settings in the global retroarch.cfg if placed above the #include line

input_remapping_directory = "/opt/retropie/configs/arcade/"

#include "/opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg"

that will make that game behave as if you don't have my configs and of course you can edit that config file to your liking to make the game look as you wish.
Thanks man !

I guess vector games will benefit greatly by turning on 480i mode ?
Can you give an example of a override config, doing this ?

[Sakitoshi]

@tix 480i mode is a thing of my scripts, not part of retroarch, so editing that config file will not activate it.
for that you need to put a file named 480i.txt inside the folder of the system you want to force 480i, inside the file you have to write the name of the rom file (preferably with its extension) and that's it. this is explained in the readme at github btw.
if is an arcade game and you have the optional arcade tweaks the 480i file should be already there, so you only have to add the vector games to the list.

[frgn]

@Sakitoshi
Hi, I have a little problem. Perhaps I misunderstood something or missed something?
Of all the guides for setting up a RetroPie for CRT TVs, one general advice can be made - disabling the overscan. It really contributes to a better picture. However, after disabling the overscan, my screen shifts to the left, up and down, so I do not see many elements of the UI ​​in games. For example, I made this image.


Of course, in the retroarch settings, you can adjust the offset and scale, but in this case the pixel perfect is violated and the whole point of this idea disappears. Therefore, I had to adjust the offset and scale in my TV (thanks to the service mode). I did it, but on other TVs the picture is still cropped. Is there any way to fix this?
So I wonder, is this a common problem, or is it just me?

[Sakitoshi]

@frgn are those images just examples or the grayed out area represents exactly how much image you are missing?
because if those are direct captures from your raspi I can easily tell that the nes emulator is cutting overscan (and the genesis emu too, but the image is adjusted correctly, so it doesn't matter). it's natural to lose some of the borders, but that castlevania screenshot is obviously wrong.

fceumm, nestopia and genesis plus gx (picodrive has the option too, but it only disables vertical cropping, not horizontal) have settings to not crop overscan.

that image is from my pc, but you need to turn off both cropping settings.
my configs have that already set up, so you missed copying some files (or the settings changed so my pre-configuration broke, I haven't checked).

for reference, here is how many pixels are missing on my tv set:
NES:

SNES:

Genesis:

[frgn]

@Sakitoshi
thanks for the answer. I will check these settings soon and I hope this helps.
I painted these images in paint. Of course, they do not show an exact picture, but only an example, so that it is clear what I'm talking about.
I didn’t copy anyone’s settings, I tried to do everything myself from the very beginning (but at first I read a lot of manuals, including yours). I did this in order to figure out how scan and image rendering work on older gaming systems.

[frgn]

@Sakitoshi
I copied all your settings and now everything looks great! but I have a problem with psx games (driver and driver2). for some reason they are flattened. other games work well.

I also would like my menu to work in 240p so that there is no flicker.
can this be changed somehow?

UPD - Destruction Derby 2 has the same problem.
And they are all from one publisher. Very interesting...

UPD2 - if change the vertical resolution in the settings to 512 pixel or more, the screen aligns. I decided to change the render resolution for psx system (videomodes.cfg file):

lr-pcsx-rearmed_render = "690x512"

this solves the problem of a squashed screen, but now the image is not as perfect as with your settings.
I really hope that this can be somehow fixed - for example, add an exception somewhere in the script for games that have this property?

[Sakitoshi]

@frgn are you using integer scaling? or are those eur isos perhaps?
both driver games use a wide native resolution (512x240) so integer scaling is a bad idea.
and european games typically use a higher vertical resolution (256) that the default configs are not prepared to handle, my configs are for ntsc only after all. but that doesn't mean it cannot be fixed, in retroarch you can crank the custom height to 512, adjust the Y pos accordingly and save a game override.

[frgn]

@Sakitoshi
No, initially I did not change anything in the settings. it is these games that behave this way. and yes, all these games of the PAL european region. I noticed that they have a vertical resolution of 256 points (although this is usually 240). I found a PAL-NTSC patcher on the web that corrects the resolution and makes the PAL game work in NTSC mode. I hope this fixes my problem. but I was hoping that in your configs I can change a couple of lines so that it works for such games too?

What about progressive scan in the ES menu? What needs to be changed so that it is always in 240p, while don't breaking anything?

[Sakitoshi]

@frgn to always have 240p you'll need to edit a line of your /boot/config.txt from:

sdtv_mode=0

to:

sdtv_mode=16

and go to configs/all to delete runcommand-onstart.sh and runcommand-onend.sh

I also recommend uncommenting (deleting the # at the beginning) this two lines of /boot/config.txt so you can read retropie setup and runcommand:

#framebuffer_width=580
#framebuffer_height=360

by doing so you'll lose the 480i blacklist/whitelist support though.