Koko-aio shader discussions and updates

[estefan3112]

@kokoko3k - regarding wrap mode, please let me ask once again for clarification:

In your current Github repository, you have the wrap mode disabled in line 129 of config.inc. As I have to uncomment this, I am clearly deviating from upstream in terms of wrap mode. And the static option in config.globals.inc is then for convenience, as for this artwork type, there will never be the use case for a mirrored repeat. That’s why I would remain with these two deviations, agreed from your side? Many thanks!

[Duimon]

@estefan3112

there will never be the use case for a mirrored repeat.

How about a user running the preset on a 21:9 aspect display?

[Drybonz]

There’s always somebody out there that wants that “other option”.

[jt.cs]

@kokoko3k

@jt.cs: XY problem maybe?
If you want an arbitrary fixed size content display, then no, it is not possible.
If you want to scale at 4x the content, then yes, support for integer scaling with a cap to the maximum scaling has been added some day ago on github repo:

@kokoko3k Actually, I noticed that the 1084s presents are basically doing something very similar to what I want, just not to the height/resolution I’m looking for, so by playing with Background image enabled (set to on)/Zoom Image I can resize it to the desired 960p resolution with the bezel generated around it - with a different background image of course. Will have to experiment more, but it does look achievable after all. I’m chalking this up to me not explained what I was looking for clearly in my original post

[kokoko3k]

Maybe I did not express myself good, let me clarify better.

Usefulness or different use cases aside, what I was talking about was the possibility to statically set the wrap mode by using a facility already in place in retroarch that i didn’t considered in the first place when i added the support for changing the wrap mode in koko-aio.

That feature lives in the .slangp so it is part of the preset and does not require changes to the shader code; hence, if we exckude the handyness of changing the wrap mode at runtime, you can retain the same functionalities as before without deviating from upstream which, for clarification, is and remains 100% your choice (it does not change much for me).

That said, if you take a look to the main koko-aio.slangp preset, the parent referenced by descendants presets, you can see what I’m talking about:

• bg_under_wrap_mode = “mirrored_repeat”
• bg_over_wrap_mode = “mirrored_repeat”

…those directives live in preset files and like any other directive can be overridden by a descendant preset.

So if you include something like: bg_under_wrap_mode = “clamp_to_edge” (or clamp_to_border), in your own presets, you should achieve what you’re after.

Sorry for the long post, I hope to have at least hit the spot.

[estefan3112]

Well, sure, I was only talking about my artwork, realistic cabinet artwork, where mirrored repeat looks strange. There a black border looks just right for me .

[kokoko3k]

Quick preview of the new “Nightify” feature, experimental and prone to changes:

For now available when using image “over” content only, it darkens the image and the bezel in a realistic way, while leaving reflections at normal brightness.

This is controlled by the “Nightify image” parameter in background image parameters group.

A new parameter has also been added to the bezel parameters group named “Diffusion strength”, that lights the bezel reflective area in an uniform way.

This is the final result when modifying 1084s presets and combining Nightify = 0.8 + Diffusion strength = 0.5 + Ambient ight power = 7.0 and Ambient light falkoff = 0.3

[jt.cs]

@kokoko3k

This is the final result when modifying 1084s presets and combining Nightify = 0.8 + Diffusion strength = 0.5 + Ambient ight power = 7.0 and Ambient light falkoff = 0.3

That looks incredible, fantastic job!

[estefan3112]

Hi again, just to let you know that
bg_under_wrap_mode = “clamp_to_edge” and
bg_over_wrap_mode = “clamp_to_edge”
does not work in my individual presets (your Github version as of today).
While I can modify koko-aio.slangp in that regard (and it works, without the config.inc modifications), the same change in the individual game presets/core preset leads to no result. Any ideas? Cheers!

[kokoko3k]

@estefan3112

While I can modify koko-aio.slangp in that regard (and it works, without the config.inc modifications), the same change in the individual game presets/core preset leads to no result

Nope, not now, it should work regardless of the code in the shader.

I’ll take a look as soon as possible, but it seems a like bug in retroarch or some weird thing in syntax handling going on, can’t say.

Could you post a ‘non working’ preset?

Let me summon preset master: @HyperspaceMadness

Any ideas?

[estefan3112]

Of course, here is a preset example, where “clamp to border” has no effect. I also did a test by directly referencing to koko.aio.slangp, but that also did not help.

preset starts (you apparently also need the artwork from my repository):

#reference “…/…/shaders/shaders_slang/bezel/koko-aio/monitor-slotmask-bloom-bezel.slangp”
LUMINANCE = “0.000000”
BEZEL_R = “-0.220000”
BEZEL_G = “-0.220000”
BEZEL_B = “-0.220000”
BEZEL_INNER_ZOOM = “-0.110000”
BEZEL_FRAME_ZOOM = “0.090000”
DO_BG_IMAGE = “1.000000”
BG_IMAGE_OFFX = “0.000500”
BG_IMAGE_OFFY = “0.009500”
BG_IMAGE_ZOOM = “0.999500”
BG_IMAGE_ROTATION = “1.000000”
DO_AMBILIGHT = “0.000000”
bg_under = “…/…/shaders/shaders_slang/bezel/koko-aio/textures/arcade_textures/1942.png”
bg_under_wrap_mode = “clamp_to_border”

[HyperspaceMadness]

@estefan3112

While I can modify koko-aio.slangp in that regard (and it works, without the config.inc modifications), the same change in the individual game presets/core preset leads to no result. Any ideas? Cheers!

It looks like you are adding this in your simple presets (simple presets being the ones where there are #reference lines)

This is why it does not work. Only shader parameter values and texture path values are supported to be overridden in simple presets.

[estefan3112]

Many thanks, understood! Then it’s the best solution to have this modification provided in the koko-aio main preset, which is a full preset. Good compromise!

[kokoko3k]

Wops!
Sorry, i toke for granted that wrap modes could be overridden.

I cannot test right now, but maybe “NOT” specifying wrap mode in the main koko-aio.slangp could allow a simple preset to choose the desidered one?

In that case I could simply remove that directive.

[estefan3112]

Well, according to @HyperspaceMadness, you need a full preset to change the wrap mode. In that sense, your root preset is best suited!

Possible alternative: I do a full preset for every Arcade core and reference to that one. But that deprives me of a every tuning of the presets you are doing, so these small changes in your root preset seem the right thing to do.

[Duimon]

Isn’t there be a way to expose a parameter to toggle the wrap mode. If this is something people would be wanting to do often?

[kokoko3k]

@Duimon

I added it in the past in koko-aio, but then turned it to statically switchable only, by uncommenting a line, to cut some complexity from the shader, because I was sure that it could be easilly modified in the .slangp with wrap_mode parameter.

It turned out I was wrong, so the next thing i wanna try is to not specify any default wrap mode in the main preset and see if retroarch would pick the one from a descendant preset; that way no overriding “should” take place, but I’m not sure it would work.

Then I will think again to the possibility of re-add the lost functionality.

[HyperspaceMadness]

@kokoko3k

so the next thing i wanna try is to not specify any default wrap mode in the main preset and see if retroarch would pick the one from a descendant preset

Unfortunately this is not going to work. In the load process of the simple presets (which I wrote), it only sees #reference lines, parameter values and texture paths, everything else is ignored.

[estefan3112]

The new Nightify option is ridiculously impressive if you combine it with Ambient LEDs - see 1942 and 1943 below (as always, the screenshot cannot give the effect full credit).

Question: Is there a technical reason why both Nightify and LED colorization only apply to bg_over, but not bg_under? I can handle it this, but some bg_under artwork would also benefit.

Funny enough, I also did the first two artwork on the fabulous artwork compilation by Mr. Retrolust, who are all nightyfied - here the Ambient LEDs also play out nicely:

[kokoko3k]

Oh! it really looks good.

The fun fact is that it started by pure case when @Starman99x asked to paint ambient light over the image, then it has been a sequence of “Wow, it makes sense, but since I’ve done this, why not that?”. (read: it was completely not planned lol).

I didn’t even checked the code well (on holiday right now), and speaking of that, did it work for ‘under’ images too or you adapted the artwork to be image over?

edit

Oh I see you asked that: no.

No reason that i can think for not implement it for bg under if not the rush before easter holiday; will add to under images too.