General Emulation Discussion

Inviere · 03-09-2018 3:30pm

Chardee MacDennis wrote: »

What are you running Dolphin on?
I cant get F-Zero X to run smoothly.

PC. I had issues originally because Dolphin uses your user documents folder to build/store configs and shader cache etc...thus needs Admin level read/write access to the folder. As a result, F-Zero was laggy and unplayable for me (it wasn't generating a shader cache as it hadn't got ther permission to do so). There's a tiny and easy little registry edit you can make to enable Dolphin to use a folder of your choosing for shader cache generation, and once I made the change, it was buttery smooth and a pure joy to play (I made my own CONFIG folder within the Dolphin folder, and pointed Dolphin to use that via the registry). I use the Synchronous Ubershaders setting in the graphics settings too, which will compile the shader cache before play (one time only needed per different game)...works absolutely brilliantly.

If you need any help/tips on setting it up, by all means shout. Your specs will come into play as well, but I think Dolphin is fairly well optimised.

Chardee MacDennis · 03-09-2018 6:39pm

Inviere wrote: »

PC. I had issues originally because Dolphin uses your user documents folder to build/store configs and shader cache etc...thus needs Admin level read/write access to the folder. As a result, F-Zero was laggy and unplayable for me (it wasn't generating a shader cache as it hadn't got ther permission to do so). There's a tiny and easy little registry edit you can make to enable Dolphin to use a folder of your choosing for shader cache generation, and once I made the change, it was buttery smooth and a pure joy to play (I made my own CONFIG folder within the Dolphin folder, and pointed Dolphin to use that via the registry). I use the Synchronous Ubershaders setting in the graphics settings too, which will compile the shader cache before play (one time only needed per different game)...works absolutely brilliantly.

If you need any help/tips on setting it up, by all means shout. Your specs will come into play as well, but I think Dolphin is fairly well optimised.

I'm using a MBP but I have an i5 Windows laptop I could try it it on but it only has an Intel HD 4000. What's your spec like?

Inviere · 03-09-2018 7:08pm

Chardee MacDennis wrote: »

What's your spec like?

Decent enough.

i7 7700K
16GB DDR4 2666
GTX 1070

Chardee MacDennis · 03-09-2018 9:27pm

Inviere wrote: »

Decent enough.

i7 7700K
16GB DDR4 2666
GTX 1070

Ah ok, can't compete with that!!

Hellrazer · 05-09-2018 8:35pm

Inviere--finally got everything working.I acquired a romset of .197 and an older version of mameui .197 (cant find .201s anywhere)

So I managed to get it working on my main pc. I now have a fully functioning mame machine working (I didnt bother with chds)

I got in integrated into launchbox and that end is working fine aswell.

So I just wanted to say thanks for the help..Ive been pulling my hair out for weeks trying to get this working.

Now to get my NUC working and LB / Mame installed on that. Once that's up and running I can get going with the coffee table style build.

Thanks again for the help.

The Last Bandit · 05-09-2018 9:58pm

Just a word of caution on the coffee table build, they can look great but are usually uncomfortable to play particularly with LCD screens as the viewing angle is rubbish.

o1s1n · 05-09-2018 10:25pm

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Just a word of caution on the coffee table build, they can look great but are usually uncomfortable to play particularly with LCD screens as the viewing angle is rubbish.

The one I swapped with you many moons ago was actually pretty good for vertical shmups. Whatever way the viewing angle was on that LCD you could really see it well when it was vertical.

Not so good for hori

Hellrazer · 05-09-2018 11:40pm

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Just a word of caution on the coffee table build, they can look great but are usually uncomfortable to play particularly with LCD screens as the viewing angle is rubbish.

You see Mrs Hellrazer wouldn't be too impressed with a full sized build in the sitting room but a coffee table style build Ill get past her

;)

Inviere · 06-09-2018 3:18pm

Hellrazer wrote: »

Inviere--finally got everything working.I acquired a romset of .197 and an older version of mameui .197 (cant find .201s anywhere)

So I managed to get it working on my main pc. I now have a fully functioning mame machine working (I didnt bother with chds)

I got in integrated into launchbox and that end is working fine aswell.

So I just wanted to say thanks for the help..Ive been pulling my hair out for weeks trying to get this working.

Now to get my NUC working and LB / Mame installed on that. Once that's up and running I can get going with the coffee table style build.

Thanks again for the help.

Deadly, glad you got it sorted, & glad to be of any help with it! Coincidentally, Launchbox rolled out an update there yesterday or the day before, which allows you to import an entire Mame set with one button, & creates loads of different playlists for games like Shooters, Fighting Games, Driving Games, etc if you like that kind of thing.

CiDeRmAn · 06-09-2018 3:44pm

Where did my one end up?
Did Atavan get it?
Can't remember!

Viewing angles could be a challenge, mine was an unhinged laptop, and it worked pretty well afai-remember.
I only had the controller tucked into the drawer, but it worked well.

Fun little project too.

Doge · 06-09-2018 5:35pm

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Just a word of caution on the coffee table build, they can look great but are usually uncomfortable to play particularly with LCD screens as the viewing angle is rubbish.

I looked into second hand Modern 19" 5:4 IPS monitors which have a low response and great viewing angles the time when I was contemplating building a sit down cabinet a few weeks back.

Not exactly 4:3 but not exactly a mile away from it either so the black bars should be minimal and mame can be configured to run in 4:3 easily.

It came down to the following:

HP Elite Display E190i - someone gave away one for 15 euro on adverts a while back.

NEC MULTISYNC EA193MI

Viewsonic VA951S

Dell P1914S / P1917S - after reading that the 1914S has horrible vertical viewing angles it may not even be IPS after all despite being marketed as one. More info here:
https://hardforum.com/threads/do-you-think-this-is-an-ips-monitor-dell-p1914s.1817688/

If you could find a cheap second hand version of the first 3 you'd be laughing.

Inviere · 06-09-2018 5:37pm

I think any coffee table build is worth going the whole hog by mounting a CRT in it

Hellrazer · 06-09-2018 11:44pm

Inviere wrote: »

I think any coffee table build is worth going the whole hog by mounting a CRT in it

Then Id have to put castors on it

CiDeRmAn · 07-09-2018 8:39am

Hellrazer wrote: »

Then Id have to put castors on it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY

Inviere · 07-09-2018 3:48pm

Hellrazer wrote: »

Then Id have to put castors on it

Pfft, put the castors on your chairs

Joking aside, yeah, I guess you would. I still think it’d be worth it. LCDs bad viewing angles just kill these things dead in their tracks imo

rubadub · 07-09-2018 5:12pm

LCD viewing angles will vary. A laptop or PC monitor is expected to be viewed pretty much straight on, so can have a lower viewing angle, while a LCD tv could be in a room surrounded by people, so typically will have a wider angle.

Inviere · 07-09-2018 5:22pm

rubadub wrote: »

LCD viewing angles will vary. A laptop or PC monitor is expected to be viewed pretty much straight on, so can have a lower viewing angle, while a LCD tv could be in a room surrounded by people, so typically will have a wider angle.

The majority of them just show backlight bleed once you go beyond what they were intended for

Doge · 07-09-2018 6:42pm

I still stand by IPS monitors, excellent viewing angles and no backlight bleed in my cheap 24" Viewsonic that I picked up for about £90 on Amazon.

Inviere · 10-09-2018 6:36pm

Anybody here use Redream? It's a relatively recent Dreamcast emulator with a free and paid version (the paid version allows you to increase the internal resolution). Half thinking of dropping the €5 for a lifetime license...

CiDeRmAn · 12-09-2018 6:21am

Now this is a thing for something I didn't know was a thing!
A set of cables to allow someone to use a RPi3 with a NeoGeoX case!
Raspberry PI 3 Cables set for NEOGEO X Dock Station
http://s.aliexpress.com/26JnQb2M?fromSns=Copy to Clipboard

Steve X2 · 12-09-2018 11:55am

Inviere wrote: »

Anybody here use Redream? It's a relatively recent Dreamcast emulator with a free and paid version (the paid version allows you to increase the internal resolution). Half thinking of dropping the €5 for a lifetime license...

Yeah, started testing it out the other week with the free version. I think I'll pay as well to get the extra features and support the guy.
It runs great on weak and powerful systems which is pretty great.

Inviere · 12-09-2018 4:09pm

Steve X2 wrote: »

Yeah, started testing it out the other week with the free version. I think I'll pay as well to get the extra features and support the guy.
It runs great on weak and powerful systems which is pretty great.

I cobbled together the whopping $5 lat night for a lifetime license. Works great, haven't tested it intensively or anything, just configured Launchbox to use it, launch games, and exit games....played a few mins of Crazy Taxi and a few others, but yeah, couldn't be easier, and the increase of internal resolution makes the games like really nice on a modern display panel.

Hellrazer · 20-09-2018 10:38am

Redream looks like an interesting alternative to mame (which by the way has me driven insane again)

I spend more time looking for videos snaps,images etc than actually playing anything.

Maybe a dedicated redream machine??

The Last Bandit · 20-09-2018 12:15pm

Does Redream also emulate Naomi stuff ?

Inviere · 20-09-2018 3:11pm

Hellrazer wrote: »

Redream looks like an interesting alternative to mame (which by the way has me driven insane again)

I spend more time looking for videos snaps,images etc than actually playing anything.

Maybe a dedicated redream machine??

Launchbox should pull all the metadata you need like videos, snaps, images etc (videos need an emumovies sub I believe...well worth it though if you've a big collection of games added). No faffing about with Mame needed really

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Does Redream also emulate Naomi stuff ?

I believe it does, l haven't tried yet myself

Hellrazer · 20-09-2018 6:01pm

Inviere wrote: »

Launchbox should pull all the metadata you need like videos, snaps, images etc (videos need an emumovies sub I believe...well worth it though if you've a big collection of games added). No faffing about with Mame needed really

I'm using launchbox with mame64ui as the exe.
Working brilliant but I think I'm just pricking about too much with it ðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜Š

Not that it's driving me insane getting it working. More that I've kinda become a bit too obsessed with having it EXACTLY the way I want it.

Inviere · 20-09-2018 6:09pm

Hellrazer wrote: »

More that I've kinda become a bit too obsessed with having it EXACTLY the way I want it.

Welcome to the world of emu frontends

I'm about 3 weeks into my emu drive rebuild

Doing about 2 or 3 systems per evening. Have just finished PS3 & PSP

21-09-2018 3:05pm

How's the ps3 emulation?

Inviere · 21-09-2018 4:14pm

Cake of Tremendous Power wrote: »

How's the ps3 emulation?

Making significant strides these days. Still a ways to go, and very game dependent, but very technically impressive. I needed a Super Stardust HD fix, and was pleasantly surprised that it ran beautifully at 60fps. More demanding stuff like Uncharted etc aren’t yet playable, but again, improve with every release. I think the likes of Catherine and Persona 5 run very very well

Hellrazer · 22-09-2018 9:51am

Have to say Im really loving redream.
The 5.00 paid option to change resolution is well worth it.
Ive a 128gb drive built solely for redream with around 80 roms on it.Never realised how much I missed my dreamcast.

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