Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone

Ashpool

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

RA has some advantages but that's indeed not always the case ;-)

Well, yeah - a minor reason for my tryouts included the possibility to (as AFAIK libretro overlays are just overlays) use lr-mame with asteroids to get the (classic atari) backdrop from Mr.Do's mame artwork file and use lr-mame to cover it with a bezel (in the hope that a) it may allow me to use a bezel not included in the mame artwork file and b) maybe it (double finger crossed) will turn out to be faster in this chain, compared to (upstream) mame + artwork is applying backdrop and bezel - but I am still a few microns away from the time to spend on that experiment ;), but apart from that - you are right, as using an I-PAC2 Keyboard Encoder (set to keyboard), non libretro cores (at least for the arcade case) are easier to handle (IMHO), but are missing the vitals of libretro overlays and shaders :smirk: (and for those games upstream mame cannot handle, I am a big fanboy of both FBNeo and lr-m2k3+ (also because of the incorrect handling of vertical games being rotated within the core and reported/handed over as horizontal to the retroarch api and shaders))

Folly

@Ashpool

I understand what you want to accomplish.
Use a bezel overlay of astroids with RA/lr-mame, correct ?

There are 2 ways to accomplish that.

We can discuss that later is you want, let me know.

Btw.
Speed will not make a huge difference between using standalone mame + artwork and lr-mame + bezel overlay.

Ashpool

@Folly It was just one of the things on my maybe/checkout/couldbe list... but yes, for asteroids I thought, that as libretro/retroarch overlays can't act as backdrops, i use lr-mame to utilize a mame artwork file with a backdrop and let libretro(-mame) overlay it with a bezel.

...
Thinking about of using lr-mame to show asteroids_acc_backrop.png from the mr.do file as a real backdrop and then overlay it with the bezel from the artwork file that progetto-SNAPPS is hosting. ...->... as my running system has a 1600x1200 4:3 Display, it will obviously include for me the tasks of preparing/editing the lr-bezel and creating needed configs, but thats a no-brainer once I know that this chain of backdrop/overlay can be done (and then we/I may see whether the emulations speed is still ok (throttle enabled, so not going faster then original hardware, but also not dropping below it is what i hope for [edit: and at least on my pi4's asteroid with current mame and artwork is fine, whereas asteroid deluxe is a choppy nogo with artwork]).

Folly

@Ashpool

I looked at the file asteroids_acc_backdrop.png.
You can use it as an background overlay but you need to use some transparency in the config file just like I use for the handhelds (konamih, tigerh, etc) using lr-mess.

The config roms/arcade/asteroids.zip.cfg would look like this :

input_overlay =  /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch/overlay/asteroids.cfg
input_overlay_enable = true
input_overlay_opacity = 0.500000
input_overlay_scale = 1.000000

The config /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch/overlay/asteroids.cfg would look like this (placing the .png in the same directory):

overlays = 1
overlay0_overlay = asteroids_acc_backdrop.png
overlay0_full_screen = false
overlay0_descs = 0

That is one solution that should work.

Ashpool

@Folly Right, and for lr-mame that maybe should perform faster then using mame-artwork together/instead of lr-overlays. But the reason I wanted to try with backdrop -> quick comparison: mame artwork (Mr.Do's old mame artwork) backdrop vs. lr-overlay in lr-mame2003Plus (nowadays default vector settings) and using asteroid deluxe (as that backdrop is more obstrusive compared to my mentioned asteroid one and therefor better suited for the comparison) ... And IMHO by having a real backdrop (where the vectors are drawn on) it ain't competing/messing with the vector setup(s) as it is IMHO with an overlay (drawn over the vectors) ;)

So, here we go -> left is mame_artwork/backdrop, right is libretro-overlay with 0.5 opacity.

P.S.: The Backdrop/Overlay may slightly differ in their AspectRatio, as for that test I've taken the backdrop from the mame artwork, resized it to 4:3 vertical res of my display and added black borders for the horizontal res and then using your configs with it (And for the mame artwork, i omitted the bezel from the artfile, so that it is just the backdrop used by it).

Folly

@Ashpool

Nice to see that you have got it working. (nice backdrop btw.)
Indeed, using RA-overlays has it limitations.
What about the speed ?

I tried the artwork file astdelux.zip (renaming it asteroid.zip) on both mame (in roms/mame/artwork) and lr-mame (in BIOS/mame/artwork) on my pi4.
The file seems a bit different than yours but for the test that doesn't matter.
Speed on mame is 100%
Speed on lr-mame is 78% (and more if frameskipping is used)

Altough the speed is lower on lr-mame it is still playable and it looks better than using an RA-overlay.

DTEAM

@Folly

Hi Folly, for classich and Game&Watch games from Madrigal romset, I got an idea to autorun the games with the good emulator.

For all roms, by default it could be MAME or lr-Mess (doesn't matter). For madrigal, you could create a scritp with your list or the list on my tutorial thread to generate a execution path for each Madrigal roms in /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulators.cfg like classich_ExplorersofSpace = "lr-gw" . That way, the user doesn't have to know if it's a Madrigal rom or MAME rom.

What do you think about this approch.

Folly

@DTEAM

Could be a good approach.
Just tested a few and it works beautifully.

Looks like we still need the runcommand for "lr-gw" on "classich" though.

I think it could be as easy as making the emulators.cfg and add both gameandwatch games and classich games then you can just share it on google-drive and I add a command that will download that file and place it in /opt/retropie/configs/all.

Good idea ?

DTEAM

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

I think it could be as easy as making the emulators.cfg and add both gameandwatch games and classich games then you can just share it on google-drive and I add a command that will download that file and place it in /opt/retropie/configs/all.

No problem, I'll do that.

Ashpool

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

Speed on mame is 100%
Speed on lr-mame is 78% (and more if frameskipping is used)
Altough the speed is lower on lr-mame it is still playable and it looks better than using an RA-overlay.

Well... using "F11" in both lr-mame and mame is somewhat ambiguous over my tests/tryouts and I am not sure what detail(s) is(/are) making the difference(s)... in all of my experiments, neither core got a constant 100%... in worse cases it droped down to don't mention it&please deactivate the audio, over midterms around 45 -20/+15% and then in good scenarious around 96-98|100%. On fresh installs (mame and lr-mame (in this order)) mame seems to be a bit faster, but from there onward (after meddling with ini files and artwork) lr-mame performed slightly better). Regardless of that, once I've got some more experience/data and configurations done, I am now inclined to open up a showcase/WIP/some ideas anyone? thread for that scenario of my ventures into this sub-project of my reasons to try current mame/lr-mame (mame backdrop/libretro bezel) in the near future ;]

Folly

@Ashpool

Good idea to bundle your experience in a new thread.

DTEAM

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

I think it could be as easy as making the emulators.cfg and add both gameandwatch games and classich games then you can just share it on google-drive and I add a command that will download that file and place it in /opt/retropie/configs/all.
Good idea ?

It only works for games with no space in there names. I don't know whaat to do with games like : gameandwatch_Donkey Kong (Multi Screen)="lr-gw"
it only works for games with a single name like : gameandwatch_Egg="lr-gw"
Any idea @folly @mitu

See here on my drive
File name : emulators.cfg

To place in : /opt/retropie/configs/all/

Folly

@DTEAM

The example you gave also had a space which was removed.
Did you try this ? :
gameandwatch_DonkeyKong(Multi Screen) = "lr-gw"

mitu

@DTEAM said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

It only works for games with no space in there names. I don't know whaat to do with games like : gameandwatch_Donkey Kong (Multi Screen)="lr-gw"
it only works for games with a single name like : gameandwatch_Egg="lr-gw"
Any idea @folly @mitu

Easy - start the game and choose your emulator from the runcommand launch menu, then see how it's stored in the .cfg file. Or look-up the function that does the name substitution - it's here.

Folly

@DTEAM said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

Donkey Kong (Multi Screen)

The function clean_name gives :
DonkeyKongMultiScreen

So this should work :
gameandwatch_DonkeyKongMultiScreen = "lr-gw"

DTEAM

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

The function clean_name gives :
DonkeyKongMultiScreen
So this should work :
gameandwatch_DonkeyKongMultiScreen = "lr-gw"

Yes, it works now. Thanks
See here on my drive
File name : emulators.cfg

To place in : /opt/retropie/configs/all/

It's very usefull for classich and gameandwatch with MADrigal romset.

Folly

@DTEAM

If I have time tomorrow I will look at it.
Also busy with changing the "lr-gw" install.
Hopefully I can implement before Sunday because next 2 weeks I don't have any time.

duglor

@Folly (interjection, pardon me, Folly is there a thread or something you can point me to to the most minutae step by step installation of the latest/newest/ folly-updated lr-mess/mame-fmtowns emulator and how to make it work?--please resume chat without me now..lol..)....

Folly

@DTEAM

I can only download folders containing files with my function.
Theoretically it's possible to download only 1 file with the gdrivedl.py script however the fileurl is unknown.
Therefor the best solution is to just put the file in a separate folder without any other files.
~~Can you do that for me ?~~ Not needed anymore, I placed the file in my repository.

Folly

@duglor

There is no tutorial for installing fmtowns using my script.
You can find some older stuff, that might be useful, over here :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/27806/tutorial-fujitsu-fm-towns-marty-with-lr-mess
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/27806/tutorial-fujitsu-fm-towns-marty-with-lr-mess/45
We also discussed these systems in this thread, for example, over here :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/28345/old-computer-appreciation-thread/1268

Basically it's just like any other install.
However some software does need more ram so I have added installer lines for fmtowns and fmtmarty in my section Systems: with extra options.
My advice is install these ones.

After that it's just a matter of adding the correct bios files.
You can check the /dev/shm/runcommand.log for the missing bios files after a failed run.

You should open a new thread reserving your fist post for a summarize on how to install things using my script.
That would be a good addition to this thread.