Release PCSX ReARMed, with a new GPU

[PokeParadox]

There is a smooth scale2x filter. I forget where it is in the menu but you can cycle through in game with the 8 key

 

[aidenn]

Scale2x is enhancing the image with magic and rainbows, not doubling pixels.

 

[ekianjo]

However, for some weird reason, it doesn't work when an MDEC video is playing, it remains at 320x240 then.

Do you mean it plays it in a small part of the screen only, and not stretched to fit the screen ?

 

[aidenn]

Yes.

 

[ekianjo]

Interesting, on which game do you have the problem ? I've never seen that issue myself before.

 

[Askarus]

Go to

Menu > Options > Display.

Set Scaler to scales 4x3 or integer scales 4:3

 

[aidenn]

Go to

Menu > Options > Display.

Set Scaler to scales 4x3 or integer scales 4:3

Why do I write these walls of text?

Anyway, in http://boards.openpandora.org/topic/6546-pcsx-rearmed-with-a-new-gpu/page-55#entry312828 I explained why 4:3 isn't good enough.

Interesting, on which game do you have the problem ? I've never seen that issue myself before.

On all of them. Remember that you have to set "Scaler" in [Display] to 1x1 in order to get the effect I'm talking about when using "Enhanced resolution". If you set it to 4:3 you actually override the built-in GPU plugin's pixel doubling, so yes - there is stretching everywhere, including MDECs, but it's also stretching to 4:3 (or a custom, absolute value), which is not what I want.

The fastest way to check it is I think with Final Fantasy Origins or Vagrant Story, because they switch resolution three times before they get in-game and have MDECs on the way. For example in FF Origins:

1. After running the ISO, the game starts in 320x240

2. After selecting FF1, an MDEC video starts in 320x240

3. After the video, FF1 itself starts in 256x240

"Hardware filter" set to none.

Using custom scaler and a resolution of 512x480:

1. Distorted image

2. Distorted image

3. Perfect scaling

Using 1x1 scaler and "Enhanced resolution":

1. Perfect scaling

2. No scaling at all (it's a bug, I think)

3. Perfect scaling

And, for comparison, using scaler set to 4:3 ("Enhanced resolution" is irrelevant here, because scaler overrides it):

1. Perfect scaling (since 320x240 is 4:3 to begin with)

2. Perfect scaling

3. Distorted image

 

[Askarus]

Why do I write these walls of text?

In order to confuse me.

(Pokemon is confused. It did hurt itself *slam head against wall*)

 

[aidenn]

I just learned that, unfortunately, even if "Enhanced resolution" did work for MDECs, it has an unfortunate "side-effect" (I put it in parentheses because I think it's actually its main feature ) of increasing 3D resolution as well. While it looks nice and works well most of the time, I see that it's extremely slow with some buffer effects (like battle transitions in Tales of Phantasia), and I don't need increased resolution for 3D geometry either.

So, again, a simple 2x2 2D "Scaler" would be the best for me.

 

[notaz]

Well nobody asked for it before you, so it was never implemented. I can add it for next version, but I don't know when I'm going to work on it as I'm busy with other things.

As for MDEC scaling, the "enhanced resolution" thing doesn't have effect on it as there is no rendering of any kind going on, it's just copied from decoder to framebuffer and GPU does nothing, so resolution stays 1x.

 

[aidenn]

Hi!

Thanks for answering! And I don't want to impose anything, the emulator is absolutely fantastic as is, so it's not really a priority thing. I didn't know I'd like something like that either before buying my Pandora, but .emu series of emulators support it, I checked it on a whim and I really like it.

Yeah, 4:3 with linear filtering is how it would look on a TV set and should be THE way to play, but apparently many developers didn't actually take it into account. Take a look at FF Origins and Tales of Phantasia for example, those sprites obviously weren't meant to be so wide. Even Chrono Trigger on the SNES is guilty of this (egg-shaped pendulum in the main menu instead of a circle ), so actually playing these sprite-based games with direct GPU output ratio and without filtering (glorious pixels) is very refreshing; it's like a proper hand-held port (note that GBA and NDS ports of many of those games also use 8:7 sprites). Add a bit of scanlines and it really looks wonderful on the Pandora's LCD IMO.

Anyway, if you could implement it, it'd be awesome.

PS. Speaking of scanlines, that would be nice too.

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

I asked for scanlines in PCSX-ReArmed long time ago too

 

[notaz]

There are many ways to do them though, how should they look? Any other emu that does them "right"?

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

FBA Capex, GnGeo, PanMame.  CRT mask on GBA.emu-Emu Ex Plus Alpha is pretty nice too

Also filters in RetroArch on Androids are pretty nice too .  Can we use those for Pandora?

 

[aidenn]

I didn't test GnGeo and FBA Capex yet, but in PanMame they're a little too dark, a bit more alpha would be awesome. They're great in GBA.emu - Emu Ex Plus Alpha though with a separate setting for transparency, coupled with integer scaling it just looks fantastic. Weirdly, it's not the case in NES.emu - Emu..., because for some unknown reason they try to simulate screen glare there (or whatever the hell it's supposed to look like) and it just looks bad. <- GBA scanlines also have this "glare" thing, but for some reason it got disabled when I was using it. I turned them off and on and it started looking the same as in NES.emu... And I wondered why they were different in the two emus, heh.

Truly "perfect" simulated scanlines actually need more than one pixel of height and aren't just dark lines, but we don't have the resolution for these on the Pandora, so I think GBA.emu - Emu... scanlines is the next best thing.

 

[Asmo]

I've just tried to play through Tomb Raider 2 (PAL) again, using PCSXReARMed r19, and I've hit a problem similar to one that was resolved in TR1 earlier.

All settings were defaults.

I should add, I was running SZ1.54 from SD card, which may or may not be important, maybe someone can confirm:

In the Opera House level, having just got the missing part for the lift, any attempt to access the inventory (either manually, by pressing select, or automatically by standing in front of the broken lift switch and pressing X) makes the game freeze.

Save state attached.

Just hit select and see what happens, if you want to try fixing the lift, it's straight ahead, and to the right down the corridor. Broken electrics on the wall.

Just position yourself directly against the broken stuff and press X, you should automatically produce the item and use it.

TR2_PAL_OperaHouse.zip

 

[notaz]

Are you sure your CD image is good (especially .cue, assuming you use cue/bin)? Does the music play correctly elsewhere in game?

 

[ekianjo]

One quick request for a potential next update:

In the Extra > Memory Card Manager, it would be nice to keep track between two playing sessions of the latest memory cards selected. Currently I'm using several and I need to manually go there everytime I am playing a certain game to load it saves from a different memory card. It's a minor problem, but would be nice to see this implemented.

 

[Asmo]

Are you sure your CD image is good (especially .cue, assuming you use cue/bin)? Does the music play correctly elsewhere in game?

Yes, all correct, audio fine (it is .cue/.bin). Have played beyond that point previously on PC emulator too, with the same image.
Rip is from my own original.


It's identical to a problem I had with TR1 previously in a much older release of Pcsx, at a certain point in the game any access to the inventory caused it to hang. It was a long time ago, probably on the older pcsx thread - the problem was fixed by the following release

 

[Rivaan]

This emulator is so good! I just got my Pandora yesterday and have only tried 3 games, Dino Crisis, Bloody Roar II and Chrono Cross, but they all work!

Quick question, though. While the other two games run perfectly, in Chrono Cross, some of the models in the FMVs, when against a bright background, appear to have artifacts around them. I'm not sure if this is due to the scaling or something. Is there a particular setting that would remove that? Many thanks for any help with this.