CRT EmuDriver- Driver ATI 15Khz nativo e tools x risoluzioni

[charlot]

con questo driver è possibile far andare a 15 khz la scheda radeon mobile 7000 igp del mio portatile con catalyst 6.14 ?

[Calamity]

Charlot, for Mobility Cards, you need to patch the driver first using this modtool:

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/modtool.php

Then you will be able to install it, otherwise it'll refuse to install.

Some news for people interested, I have new versions of VMMaker and ArcadeOSD ready for testing, can be found in this thread:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.p ... msg1165385

You can use these ones with your already installed CRT_Emudriver, so no need to download the whole package, just overwrite your existing files with these ones and run VMMaker.

In case you're not using Switchres and just using the normal method with inis and static modelines, remember to edit VMMaker and set:

GenerateInis = 1
ModeTableMethod = 0

This version also fixes the vertical aspect ratio issue. Default is 4:3, but you can set any ratio you want now.

There's also a new option DotClockMin that can be used with those cards that do not allow low dotclocks.

[X-Fil]

Hi Calamity,
can you indicate me what I have to modify in the VMMaker.ini in order to install this one?
Apart from mame and roms path,

; Mame options.

ListFromXML = 1 ; Processes Mame XML and get video mode list from it
GenerateXML = 1 ; Extracts XML from Mame (only needed once)
GenerateInis = 0 ; Creates an ini file for each Mame game, in the IniPath folder
SDLMame = 0 ; Use SDLMame specific options

Last time I had GenerateInis = 1 , better generate again inis or not?

; 2. MONITOR
; ----------
; (Default values for Hantarex MTC 9110 monitor)

; Minimum and maximum horizontal frequency, in kHz. Defines the range of horizontal frequencies the monitor is capable to sync.
; The higher the horizontal frequency, the higher the vertical resolution available for the same vertical refresh.
; The higher the horizontal frequency, the higher the vertical refresh available for the same vertical resolution.
; The higher the horizontal frequency, the lower the horizontal amplitude of active video (narrower picture).

HfreqMin = 15.625
HfreqMax = 16.200

; Minimum and maximum vertical frequency, in Hz, Defines the range of vertical frequencies the monitor is capable to sync.

VfreqMin = 49.500
VfreqMax = 65.000

I have an Hantarex Polo 15khz 25''...Have I to change something?


ModeTableMethod = 1 ; 0 = Static table: modelines are generated keeping their original vertical refresh. This
; method is intended to be used in combination with ini files for each game.
; 1 = Dynamic table: a table of dummy modes is created using xres and yres values while ignoring
; vfreq. This method is intended to be used in combination with Switchres or Groovymame. No ini
; files are required using this method (you should disable the GenerateInis option).


I have to use ModeTableMethod = 0 ? I think I'm using the inis file...

Thanks

[Calamity]

You should use this options:

GenerateInis = 1
... you need to generate inis as you're using a static table

ModeTableMethod = 0
... use this option to generate a static table

The reason they are set different by default in that ini is because I uploaded that setup to be used specifically for Switchres/GroovyMame.

You should leave the monitor section as it is by now, as I still have not multisync support in VMMaker. I'll add that as soon as I can, however in the future I'm just going to update VMMaker as a helper tool for Switchres/GroovyMame, so I'll focus on dynamic modetables.

[X-Fil]

Hi calamity,
I used the VMMaker 1.2 and generate new inis. All seems to be ok, now vertical games are more likely the original aspect ratio.
I have just a problem with vertical games that have vertical lines > 280 lines...they can't fit in my screen (in galaga for example, I can't see the points in the top of the screen and the ships left in the bottom) unless I change the monitor settings physically...but if I do this when I return to Hyperspin or other games I have to correct it again.
I tried to modify the resolution using your arcadeOSD but I'm not able to modify it to fit the screen...Is there something I can do?

[ighli]

Ciao! Anch'io ho notato lo stesso problema con giochi verticali 288 linee, tipo Pacman o Gaplus,
con mancanza di alcune linee sopra e sotto... Stavo appunto per chiedere aiuto...
Che sia un bug dei driver? Grazie!

[Kernel]

Non è un bug, non ci si può fare nulla. Purtroppo per vedere 288 linee (che poi vanno a 50Hz) bisogna stringere troppo l'immagine tramite i potenziometri di regolazione del monitor, la cosa va a scapito di quasi tutti gli altri giochi orizzontali che risultano schiacciati. Bisogna trovare una via di mezzo.

[X-Fil]

Non è un bug, non ci si può fare nulla. Purtroppo per vedere 288 linee (che poi vanno a 50Hz) bisogna stringere troppo l'immagine tramite i potenziometri di regolazione del monitor, la cosa va a scapito di quasi tutti gli altri giochi orizzontali che risultano schiacciati. Bisogna trovare una via di mezzo.

Capito, grazie...immaginavo qualcosa del genere
L'alternativa è forzare una risoluzione diversa su quei giochi o usare la funzione di hardware stretch...ma galaga a risoluzione nativa è veramente bello !!!
Si capisce tanto che galaga è uno dei miei giochi preferiti?!?!

[Calamity]

Yes, if we want to use our monitor resolution to the limit, then we can't have an universal geometry setup where all games look good. Personally I prefer to have the possibility of using real 288 lines modes, even if I have to tweak the v-amp potenciometer each time I play the game, because with my Hantarex the controls are accesible from the front door so it's a matter of two seconds to adjust it. Other people may want to have a more static setup in case their potenciometers are difficult to access or do not exist at all (TVs and service menus). The solution in this case is to generate every resolution above, i.e. 256 lines, as interlaced. To do this, modify this option:

ActiveLinesLimit = 256

There is an advantage when doing this: you'll be able to generate the original refresh rate (i.e. 60Hz instead of 50Hz) so the game speed will be the original, at the cost of loosing picture sharpness due to interlace+stretch (virtualize). So it's a matter of taste.

[dR.pRoDiGy]

There is an advantage when doing this: you'll be able to generate the original refresh rate (i.e. 60Hz instead of 50Hz) so the game speed will be the original, at the cost of loosing picture sharpness due to interlace+stretch (virtualize). So it's a matter of taste.

Uh, interesting!
I've always thought it's a bad thing to use interlaced resolutions when possible not to.. now I know a reason to do it.. thank you very much!

Per rispondere a Fil e Ighli.. confermo quanto già detto da Kernel, probabilmente conviene fare una via di mezzo alla misura verticale.. o almeno anch'io faccio così..
I pochi pixel che si perdono non danno poi molto fastidio..

[X-Fil]

Per rispondere a Fil e Ighli.. confermo quanto già detto da Kernel, probabilmente conviene fare una via di mezzo alla misura verticale.. o almeno anch'io faccio così..
I pochi pixel che si perdono non danno poi molto fastidio..

In effetti è quello che ho fatto...alla fine si perde la prima riga di testo, dove di solito ci sono scritte intuibili quali player1 o high score, e l'ultima, dove di solito riporta il numero di crediti.
Alla fine, come dici tu, non da molto fastidio.

There is an advantage when doing this: you'll be able to generate the original refresh rate (i.e. 60Hz instead of 50Hz) so the game speed will be the original, at the cost of loosing picture sharpness due to interlace+stretch (virtualize). So it's a matter of taste.

Questo però è interessante...forse sarebbe più corretto avere una velocità di gioco che rispecchia quella originale sacrificando un po di nitidezza
Vorrei provare, ma non so se ho voglia di rigenerare tutto e poi ripassarmi tutte le risoluzioni per vedere se ce n'è qualcuna da correggere!
Non c'è mai pace

[dR.pRoDiGy]

Beh in realtà la prova in sè è molto più facile di così.. basta che rinomini o sposti temporaneamente il file di configurazione del singolo gioco, e correggi il mame.ini per disattivare i cambi di risoluzione e attivare lo stretch.. in quel modo mame adatta il gioco alla risoluzione di Windows (che penso come più o meno per tutti sia 640x480), lavorando in interlacciato..

[Mr. Pumpkin]

domanda: ma in pratica che reale differenza c'è, fra questo sistema, e sof15 ? personalmente ho sempre usato soft15, e con un click (veramente uno di numero) e un riavvio, ho sempre fatto tutto e bene.

in cosa può essere migliore questo sistema ? non l'ho capito

[Kernel]

Questo sistema ti aggiunge una valanga di risoluzioni e crea in automatico degli ini per ogni gioco di mame con all'interno la risoluzione giusta.
A corredo c'è l'"arcade_osd" che ti permette di visualizzare, correggere e salvare le risoluzioni in tempo reale.

[Mr. Pumpkin]

mmm ma in termini pratici e di installazione/sbattimenti, è al pari di soft15 comunque ? ripeto con soft lo installai la prima volta, cliccai sul tasto 15khz riavviai ed era pronto per il cabinato. mai sistema fu più semplice e veloce.

[Calamity]

mmm ma in termini pratici e di installazione/sbattimenti, è al pari di soft15 comunque ? ripeto con soft lo installai la prima volta, cliccai sul tasto 15khz riavviai ed era pronto per il cabinato. mai sistema fu più semplice e veloce.

I started developing this software to overcome the limitations of both ArcadeVGA and Soft-15Khz methods. These limitations come from the fact that those methods just install a limited amount of pre-fixed modelines to cover all kind of games/monitors. Many people are just happy with ArcadeVGA or Soft-15Khz, as they may not be aware or really don't care of the limitations I'm talking about. So, for these people, I don't recommend using the somewhat more complicated software like VMMaker, or Switchres, at least until we eventually work on making these more user friendly. In fact, I recommend getting familiar first with Soft-15Khz, resolutions, Mame setup, etc. thus having a deep understanding of all the options involved before trying to use this, as just having one single option wrong in our Mame setup can ruin are let without effect what we are trying to achieve with VMMaker.

[Mr. Pumpkin]

Hi, i understand what you mean. I agree. good job then, and look forward to updates

[user9999]

I started developing this software to overcome the limitations of both ArcadeVGA and Soft-15Khz methods. These limitations come from the fact that those methods just install a limited amount of pre-fixed modelines to cover all kind of games/monitors. Many people are just happy with ArcadeVGA or Soft-15Khz, as they may not be aware or really don't care of the limitations I'm talking about. So, for these people, I don't recommend using the somewhat more complicated software like VMMaker, or Switchres, at least until we eventually work on making these more user friendly. In fact, I recommend getting familiar first with Soft-15Khz, resolutions, Mame setup, etc. thus having a deep understanding of all the options involved before trying to use this, as just having one single option wrong in our Mame setup can ruin are let without effect what we are trying to achieve with VMMaker.

Hi Calamity, great work you've done with your software!
Unfortunately I have an nvidia card in my pc Did you ever consider to develop a driver for nvidia cards?
Do you think it would be technically possible or not?

[Calamity]

Hi Calamity, great work you've done with your software!
Unfortunately I have an nvidia card in my pc Did you ever consider to develop a driver for nvidia cards?
Do you think it would be technically possible or not?

Well, actually it could be technically possible, although more difficult I suppose because nVidia drivers are limited to only 32 modes, so the initial conditions are much worse. Indeed, we are incredibly lucky that the Catalyst patch works, it's a damned hack, believe me. Both ATI and nVidia hardware are perfectly capable of doing all kind of low resolutions, the limitation is set by their drivers only. I don't think I'll ever try to patch nVidia drivers, patching drivers is a nightmare when it comes to testing them. Next one I'll try (and probably my last patching campaign) will be Catalyst 6.5 for XP64, to support older ATI cards.

[user9999]

Hi Calamity, great work you've done with your software!
Unfortunately I have an nvidia card in my pc Did you ever consider to develop a driver for nvidia cards?
Do you think it would be technically possible or not?

Well, actually it could be technically possible, although more difficult I suppose because nVidia drivers are limited to only 32 modes, so the initial conditions are much worse. Indeed, we are incredibly lucky that the Catalyst patch works, it's a damned hack, believe me. Both ATI and nVidia hardware are perfectly capable of doing all kind of low resolutions, the limitation is set by their drivers only. I don't think I'll ever try to patch nVidia drivers, patching drivers is a nightmare when it comes to testing them. Next one I'll try (and probably my last patching campaign) will be Catalyst 6.5 for XP64, to support older ATI cards.

Ok so I'm on my way to buy a 2nd hand ati card