Mega Bezel Reflection Shader! - Feedback and Updates

[ZxPlayarr]

So I used the integer scaling setting in the shader at both axis scaling with a 100% base and auto aspect, and it looked right in gameplay, but not in the FMV (cause the res used by the FMV doesn’t scale in an integer way):

So I used the non-integer scale settings at 100.57% scale and 92.80 offset and adjusted the explicit aspect ratio until the res used was 1825:1344 and then it looked “right” (look at the moon) (the settings seem to change their stepping behavior sometimes, and changing the aspect ratio didn’t put the aspect I selected through selection, only by left and right arrow key stepping) by:

I wanted it to set use a final resolution of 1825:1344 and then scale the content to fit that res, and this achieved that it seems.

[soqueroeu]

Hey @HyperspaceMadness,

Whenever I try to load an advanced preset shader along Window Cast Core, my system gets stuck like this:

Any idea?

System Specs:

• RTX 3070
• Ryzen 7
• 16GB RAM

[HyperspaceMadness]

Hi, looking at your log there are a bunch of very large pass buffers (4308x2430). What is your monitor res?

Make sure you set the resolution for the game in WindowCast to be the base game resolution, E.G. 640x480. Or run the windows game in a window that size.

Also if you are trying to use a SMOOTH-ADV preset try just the ADV preset which takes less memory.

[soqueroeu]

Well, In the current test I am using a 2560x1080 monitor. The game is the New TMNT/Steam. I left the game in windowed mode, 480x270 (the smallest) and I think that made it work…

But only the ADV. (didn’t work with Smooth)

[Duimon]

This probably has to do with ScaleFx, I couldn’t get it to load a Smooth preset at all, but I can load an ADV preset with the game at 1920x1080.

[HyperspaceMadness]

@AmateursPls has written a tool to help with WindowCast (the core that let’s you play windows games with while having retroarch apply shaders on top) , I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds cool

@AmateursPls

Hey all o/

I recently stumbled across this and fell in love. Most exciting thing in emulation (for my money) in ages. Thank you so much @IHQMD

I wrote a little wrapper utility to help leverage the most out of it and help integrate the Core into frontends. Supports a few nifty little things like automatically closing the emulator when RetroArch closes, and supports both standalone emulators and standalone windows games.

Can be downloaded here

I’m not a programmer by any means so expect bugs and weirdness, but has worked well in my testing so far \o/

[soqueroeu]

@HyperspaceMadness

@AmateursPls has written a tool to help with WindowCast (the core that let’s you play windows games with while having retroarch apply shaders on top) , I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds cool

Good!

I read the instructions, but they don’t seem easy to understand. Honestly, I don’t know how this can be used. I think there is a lack of more details for the layman!

[Duimon]

Tried it and it just crashes. I did manage to get it to load a game, but only when running it from the game root folder. In the latter case it still managed to hang Retroarch.

The idea is sound but it seems like it may require some environment setting provided by the front-end.

I haven’t tried it with Launchbox yet.

I think it needs a bit more work.

[Drybonz]

It would be great if something like that could be added directly in Windowcast.

[AmateursPls]

I’d be interested in learning/understanding more about why this issue is occurring for you.

I fully disclose that I’m not really a developer and don’t expect this to work out of the gate very well, but so far I haven’t had a single game or emulator not work, and not a single crash, having tested now with multiple games over 5 emulators, and about 10 games.

If you run it directly from cmd/PowerShell does the console give any indication of the error being received?

As for RetroArch I can’t think of anything special in my configuration. I have threaded video off by default, I could see that setting potentially being funky but would have to test it myself.

Any information you can give would help a lot in narrowing down any issues ^^

[Duimon]

@AmateursPls

but so far I haven’t had a single game or emulator not work, and not a single crash

Has every test you’ve done been using the Pegasus frontend?

If my command line isn’t launched within the folder of the emulator or game executable all I get are errors from either the emulator or game.

“The content file was not found.”

“Failed to open package file.”

Both of these errors imply that the emulator or game process is being launched outside it’s folder.

If I do launch the command line from within the EXE folder, the game or emulator launches but Retroarch hangs.

I am assuming the front end you are using is actually defining what path the “--emulator” process is started from, so a raw command line doesn’t work.

I am also assuming a similar environment is lacking for launching Retroarch, so it hangs.

[B-Nerd]

@HyperspaceMadness why is orionsangels overlays in the megabezel list when it is made for mame & it is only a overlay

[Duimon]

@HyperspaceMadness

@Orionsangel has been doing great overlays here for years! He has been using the Mega Bezel for some of his recent work My Realistic Arcade Bezels

Note >>> He has been using the Mega Bezel for some of his recent work

[AmateursPls]

Haven’t been at home for the last couple days so wasn’t able to get to this yet.

I’ve tested it both within Pegasus-frontend, and straight from PowerShell and Command Prompt. It should be loading any exe you point --emulator to it from the location the exe resides, but I’ll have a dig around and see what I can and can’t figure out.

I did have an issue with pathing when I first “compiled” the exe from the python script and had to quickly change a line of code, which may be the offender.

I’ll also set up LaunchBox and see if I can’t get some instructions included on how to run it in LaunchBox.

Detecting games launched from within Steam UI is on the radar as well, but I personally don’t use steam, I purchase things for it then immediately obtain a copy independent of the steam platform cos I feel that’s my right, so it wasn’t a priority in terms of getting something going I could slap into my frontend and have working.

[AmateursPls]

Give that a go

I did in fact find an issue relating to paths, hopefully that sorts it out.

[Wally]

@HyperspaceMadness any plans for a new Release in the near future? Thanx!

[HyperspaceMadness]

@Wally

@HyperspaceMadness any plans for a new Release

Yes! I have been working away at the next step in the Mega Bezel evolution with the room bouncelight and generated shadows .

@Wally

in the near future?

I’m not sure when the release will be, as I’m still in the experimental phase, but should be within the next number of months.

[p3st]

the next BIG step i would say

[flimmz]

Hi, I’m a bit new to retroarch, I’ve been trying to make some overlays and was wondering if its possible to display an image after the shader has been applied so that the reflection affects the overlay/bezel but not the artwork? (if that makes sense)

[p3st]

at the moment you can get this effect with some trickery and transparency on the overlay (thats the way some of mine overlays do this) but with the lighting / shadow update it will have options (normal / bumpmaps ) with way more impact on the overlays ; at least it is in the works