Classic CRT Collection - Overlay Pack (Work in Progress)

[TreyM]

Hello, everyone!

This is my first post here and I wanted to show some stuff I've been working on and would love some feedback.

I'm working to create a moderately large pack of CRT overlays, but I'd like some help from the community with supplying some good images to work from. Each of the current overlays has an optional screen-glare variation. They're designed for 960x720 4:3 @ 1080p and the CRT-Pi Curved shader.

All of the pictures below were taken directly on my Pi 3 B+ using raspi2png and look exactly as it does on the Pi. (Scanlines can show weird moire patterns when downscaled, so please click the images for full size.)

I'm still working to perfect these, and once I get a good groove going, it will be trivial to expand the library of overlays. I would greatly appreciate any feedback.

WIP Files:
GitHub - CLASSIC CRT COLLECTION

To use these overlays, you will need to place the CRT folder in your overlay folder on your Pi:
/opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch/overlay

You will then be able to access them from the Quick Menu.

Retroarch Video Settings:

1080p Settings	Value
Aspect Ratio	Custom
Custom Aspect Ratio X Pos	480
Custom Aspect Ratio Y Pos	180
Custom Aspect Ratio Width	960
Custom Aspect Ratio Height	720
Integer Scale	Off

Most of these overlays need a curved CRT shader to avoid cropping too much in the image corners. On my RetroPie setup, I use the CRT-Pi Curved shader with most settings at default, and this change:

Shader Variable	Value
Screen Curvature Vertical	0.25

[TreyM]

Just finished the Commodore 1702. I quite like this one, but it has different X/Y positions for the screen due to the size of this monitor:

It's not on GitHub just yet, as I'm working toward having a nice automated system for installing these.

[asmithau]

Hey TreyM, these look great.

I love the Commodore 1702, reminds me of the good old days!
I'm off to try out the two you've released...

Keep up the great work

Adam

[TreyM]

I'm probably going to re-make the first two. This is mostly because I'd rather not have multiple variations on vertical position of the screen if I can help it.

I also figured out that I can use raspi2png to grab actual screenshots from the Pi itself over SSH, so I'll start adding some real examples to the OP soon.

[hhromic]

Nice work @TreyM ! As an idea, also make one for old computer monitors and would make a perfect match for the -hopefully- soon to come lr-scummvm core. cc @darknior
Not only that, also other lr-based ports!

[TreyM]

@hhromic Absolutely. Definitely in the plans. :)

[TreyM]

Here's another update before I go to bed:

A Sony PVM-1453MD RGB Monitor (pic taken directly from the Pi, label added in photoshop)

I'll probably release both of these tomorrow.

[wmarcio]

@TreyM
Thxs for automated process, it will help me with my lazzy brain.

Good work.

[TreyM]

Small update, be sure to delete the old files unless you just like the original versions. There is a dedicated folder for my overlays. For now, installation is still manual, but you only need to place the CRT folder in the overlays folder. The new versions have changed the vertical position of the screen, so you'll need to adjust that to 180 (vs the old 118.)

The "Pro CRT" overlay has been remade I'm not sure if the "Standard CRT" is gonna come back. It was kind of meh.

[wmarcio]

Hi, good work.
It is possible to make a CRT screen from Philips Cineos Widescreen?

Here some info about here: https://www.google.com.br/amp/s/www.philips.com.br/c-p/32PW8422_78.amp/cineos-32-polegada-hdtv

[TreyM]

@wmarcio how should that work? Should I keep the current scaling that I'm using now (960x720) and just let the wide screen have pillar box bars?

[wmarcio]

@TreyM

Hi, thanks for answering me.
whatever is easiest for you, and what you like best.

[Rion]

Nice work @TreyM !

It would also be a good idea to post these ln the official libretro forums in the Overlays category here

Ps. Would it be possible to make a request for overlays without the backgrounds?

[TreyM]

@Rion I mean I can make them without the backgrounds, but it will probably look odd, since they are real photos that are lit in a certain way.

@wmarcio I can't find an image high enough resolution for that particular model to work with. Would this work instead?

[Rion]

@TreyM I have one more request if you don't mind.

Over at the libretro forums Jubinko created a Overlay effect to mimic the glass on a crt screen.

You can see the results here

He also created the glass effect as a template in 1080p

Would you think about incorporate these in you Overlays?

[TreyM]

@Rion I'm already doing my own solution to mimic glass, but I'll take a look at his.

[TreyM]

@wmarcio How's this?

[TreyM]

@Rion I have now changed over to the glass method in the link you provided.

[NecroPoster]

Oh wow, these are very well made. Really like the glass effect you used. Always wanted something akin to the Realistic Arcade Bezels but for the home television.

sidenote: are you the guy who made the film enb for fallout?

[TreyM]

@NecroPoster I am indeed. Did the avatar or the name give it away?

Edit: On a side note, I was just playing super Mario Kart with the 1084S overlay when suddenly my brain was like... WAIT A MINUTE!

Apparently, we had one of these when I was a kid and I played SNES to death on it, and using the overlay jogged my memory from 8 years old. It was such a lovely experience to suddenly remember that.