Custom configs for CRT using the built-in composite out

handlolo

@Sakitoshi It seems very strange to me, because that monitor was precisely for commodore Amigas 500/600/1200 that used 240p and other similar resolutions. Any suggestions to modify in the config files?

Sakitoshi

@handlolo Like I said, I'm not familiar with those monitors so I can be wrong, but that's where I think the problem might be. you should try using another display (an lcd it's ok too) to see if the configs are working as intended first.
you can try deleting the configs\all\runcommand-onstart.sh and configs\all\runcommand-onend.sh to force everything to run at 480i. that is no ideal but at least you should be able to receive signal that way.

handlolo

@Sakitoshi I tried again, this time with a "30" tv philips crt of 100hz and nothing, still with the same problem when loading a game of Snes and others, the screen remains black.

Sakitoshi

@handlolo the only thing that I can think off is that you have some custom configurations that are interfering with the way my configurations work, if that's the case, if you have a spare micro sd card, you can try to copy my configs to a fresh install of retropie, test if is works with that fresh install (if it doesn't then I really don't know what is at fault) and then compare both builds to find the issue.
I can't assist you with that since only you would know what values were changes.

if everything fails, sometimes a fresh install is the only "solution".

handlolo

@Sakitoshi No, I came from recalbox, I tried all this with a new installation of retropie 4.4. By the way I managed to see the games, the problem is in the archive retroarch.cfg that are in the configs folders, one option o more failed.

handlolo

I found the problem.. i change "aspect_ratio_index=23" for "aspect_ratio_index=22 (custom viewport)" and now the black screen problem it fixed. Can you explain me more about this command? Thanks for your help and for this great work.

mitu

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

I found the problem.. i change "aspect_ratio_index=23" for "aspect_ratio_index=22 (custom viewport)" and now the black screen problem it fixed. Can you explain me more about this command? Thanks for your help and for this great work.

That's because of a change in RetroArch code, where the aspect_ratio_index value that meant 'custom resolution' was bumped from 22 to 23, so the old configuration files would not work anymore - https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/19598/custom-viewport-problem-retroarch-1-7-5/5.

Sakitoshi

@handlolo oh, well that is explained at the beginning of the readme, but since you are new you didn't knew better (and I completely forgot that was a thing).

since retroarch 1.7.4 the aspect_ratio_index setting changed, this configurations follow this new aspect_ratio_index setting for default. if you want to use them with retroarch 1.7.3 or older you need to run the "fix_aspect_ratio_index" script located at runcommand > user menu, that script will automatically change the aspect_ratio_index setting of every config file depending on the version of your currently installed retroarch.

vanilla retropie 4.4 has retroarch pre 1.7.4, if you do update retroarch from the retropie setup you'll end up with retroarch post 1.7.4 and the problem will come back (but a little different). just follow those instructions and you'll be fine.

handlolo

@Sakitoshi Ok now i will do another clean install, following this instructions, by the way how can I pass the theme for Crt that you have uploaded, if the themes folder is not shared and through Putty does not let me write in it?

Sakitoshi

@handlolo to install themes manually you have to create a folder named themes in configs\all\emulationstation

they will appear immediately in the theme selection of es.

Sakitoshi

emulationstation update:

added autostart.sh with custom launch line to adjust emulationstation and don't lose the borders due to overscan.

I thought that this couldn't be fixed, disabling overscan benefits emulation greatly, but hurts emulationstation because it bleeds out of the screen borders.
I was very wrong and with this (hopefully) nobody will complain again about es looking bad.

little reminder that if you are installing this to a non-fresh install of retropie, check your autostart.sh if you have a custom command there before overwriting it.

jcook84

@Sakitoshi
Thanks again for your continued work on this. Hands down my preferred way to play Retropie!

handlolo

Hello again everyone!.
You know some way to fix the microstuttering that occurs when you play in a 50 hz pal monitor?
the emulators on a TV that holds 60 hz ntsc are smooth as butter. But I have that problem in an old monitor that can not support ntsc 60 hz.

Sakitoshi

@handlolo no known fix. this configs are made specially for ntsc (thus 60hz).
I guess I could fix it by adding pal configs, but I don't have access to a pal/multinorm tv.

handlolo

@Sakitoshi you can try made the configurations forcing the video to Pal in the config.txt of the Raspberry.
Any ideas of what I could try in the configuration files?

sx

Getting some seriously gorgeous results with this. Solid 10/10 work you've done.

polish.potato

I'm having a bit of an issue with some games with the Atari 2600 that use the top and bottoms of the screen like warlords. There is a bit of the top cut off not displaying which game you have selected and the score. There is a black bar at the bottom of the screen like as if it had been moved up. If there is any way to fix this let me know because I would really like to play this game with my family instead of lugging around a whole Atari console with me.

Thanks.

Sakitoshi

@polish-potato it seems to be a quirk of the emulator or the game.
you can work around it by creating a game specific override using the normal means or creating a cfg file yourself after the name of the rom (Warlords (1981) (Atari).cfg in my case) inside the configs/atari2600/config_crt/Stella/ folder (create the config_crt and Stella folders if don't exist) with the following text:

custom_viewport_y = "46"

if is too low or still too high you can change that number until you are satisfied, the default value is "30".
folder and file names are case sensitive, so pay attention to that.

polish.potato

I did the extension configs/atari2600/config_crt/Stella/ folder and it would not edit after rebooting several times trying to figure it out. I even went into retroarch_crt.cfg to set it to 46. No luck after saving and rebooting. I am using notepad++. What am I doing wrong?
All the games vary from what is cut off.

EDIT: is there supposed to be a space in front of " folder" or is there not supposed to be " folder"? If that fixes it I'll try it.

The only problem with the systems I am having is with the Atari and if I could adjust all the games I would. All the games are made differently from my understanding.

Sakitoshi

@polish-potato is configs/atari2600/config_crt/Stella/
not configs/atari2600/config_crt/Stella/folder
the name of the file you need to create is exactly the same as the name of the rom. in the example below my warlords rom is named Warlords (1981) (Atari).a26, so the name of the config has to be Warlords (1981) (Atari).cfg

lastly, retroarch_crt.cfg is not the active configuration, is only the preset that is applied when you use the runcommand > user menu scripts. the active config is always retroarch.cfg.