Mega Bezel Reflection Shader! - Feedback and Updates

RetroArch Additions Shaders
#3709

Hi @HyperspaceMadness, the Mega Bezel Team, and all other contributors.

Just swinging by to say thank you! This package is a game changer. My favourite aspect is the scalability option, with added TV border. Shrinking the image down by even 25% improves image readability and reduces eye strain for me greatly, particularly with PSX games.

Internal resolution increases and PGXP fixes are very impressive in their own right (Thank you to those devs), but I still find that I prefer playing PSX games at their original internal resolution. Come to think of it, I wonder why I never thought to scale down the image by using the aspect ratio option in RA previously?

I would love to play through my 90’s PC games library (e.g. GOG) like this. I’ve used RA shaders ported to Reshade, and injected them into some old PC games successfully, however, at my normal sitting distance from the monitor, I just feel like I can’t parse the image well with the added scanlines, blending and blurring. If I could only scale the image down by 25%, and add a PC CRT monitor background, I think these games would present really nicely!

Let me know what you think.

Thanks!

5 Likes
#3710

Hi All!

I would like to announce the release of SOQUEROEU - Mega Bezel TV Backgrounds V2.0:

7 Likes
#3711

Hi All,

I have an issue with vertical games aspect ratio using the latest version of the shader (from GitHub).

  • With horizontal content, the screen correct aspect ratio is always maintained when resizing the Retroarch window.
  • With vertical content, the screen aspect ratio is stretched (not maintained) when resizing the Retroarch window.

Settings:

  • Video / Scaling / Aspect Ratio: Full

  • Video / Scaling / Integer Scale: OFF

  • Video / Output / Video Rotation: Normal

  • Core / Allow Rotation: OFF

  • Preset: MBZ_1_ADV (default shader parameters)

  • Core: FB Neo

  • Monitor resolution: Any (1080p, 1440p, 2160p tested)

  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070

Any ideas?

3 Likes
#3712

Thanks for the details. Can you post a screenshot?

2 Likes
#3713

After more testing, I think it was due to turning off Core / Allow Rotation after the core (and game) had been loaded. If the option is turned off beforehand, the screen correct aspect ratio is properly maintained when resizing the windows.

But now the screen is no longer rotated vertically. I have to enable Rotate CRT Tube manually in the shader parameters. I guess that’s how it’s supposed to work, the shader not being “aware” of the game intended orientation. Am I right?

2 Likes
#3714

Yeah, that’s right, it’s something I’m working on adding to retroarch to pass this info through to the shader system.

4 Likes
#3715

OK, thanks for your great work.

2 Likes
#3716

Hey guys, I’m absolute beginner in emulators, and found out about this shader, want to try it. I use RetroArch with mgba DLC from Steam, placed “Mega_Bezel_Community” folder in …steamapps\common\RetroArch\shaders, open shaders in RetroArch, but all these folders (1080p/1440p/4K) - empty, it does not see the files that are there. Could you tell me please what I’m doing wrong? Is there a video guide, or any alternative automatic installation methods?

3 Likes
#3717

I think this is because you need to change your video driver in retroarch to Vulkan or GLCore, then restart Retroarch and when you look for the shaders you’ll see them :slight_smile:

5 Likes
#3718

@HyperspaceMadness

how can I edit mask 7 in guest dr venom to darken every third pixel? Not sure where the appropriate file is.

4 Likes
#3719

When the newest version is available/updated with the (excellent) Mega Bezel pack, it should become available as mask 8. There is also a new MGX (looks very nice with a slotmask setup) and the return of RGBX as masks 9 an 10. Just to mention it. :slightly_smiling_face:

5 Likes
#3720

One thing I noticed in the most recent update when doing my CyberLab Composite - Pure @soqueroeu TV Special Edition STD preset, was that the Mask Size Parameter range no longer starts at 0, which is supposed to be the Auto setting. Is this deliberate?

That Auto setting really came in handy when applying the same preset to 4K and 1080p resolutions.

2 Likes
#3721

The parameter range thing was an accident, in the last alpha/Github it’s already fixed.

4 Likes
#3722

Mega_Bezel_Logo

Mega Bezel is updated to V 0.9.103 2022-02-15 Rev 1 (I’m putting this up today on the 16th but I did the versioning on the 15th)

Changes:

  • WARNING post_br is now 100% at 1, not 100, you will need to adjust any presets you have saved, just divide the number by 100
    • This is so it matches with guest’s usage
  • Updated to crt-guest-advanced-2022-02-15-release1
    • Now with @guest.r’s wonderful deconvergence magic, no more blur in the mask with deconvergence
    • Mask offset/stagger control added
  • Sonkun’s Presets Updated
  • @Cyber’s Presets have been removed from the experimental folder to avoid confusion and allow for independent easy update
  • Adjusted Tube Diffuse Color
    • HSM_TUBE_DIFFUSE_IMAGE_ON is renamed to HSM_TUBE_DIFFUSE_MODE
    • values are now:
      • 0 - Black
      • 1 - Image
      • 2 - Transparent
  • Added CRT blend modes, Add & Multiply
    • Multiply can be useful for when you have a old style lcd like the DMG where the lcd elements are not self-lit
    • When in Multiply mode the tube diffuse image is set to use the image and will be opaque
      • So when using multiply the crt image will be always be multiplied on top of the diffuse image

HERE ARE THE LINKS!

Shader Package Approx. 15 MB

Extra Examples Package

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

  • You MUST use Retroarch Version 1.9.8 or Later (It will fail to load on earlier versions)
    • If you have previous versions of the Mega Bezel installed:
      • Delete the old Mega Bezel stuff from shaders/shaders_slang/bezel
    • Inside the .zip is a bezel folder, copy the bezel folder into your Retroarch/shaders/shaders_slang folder
      • The final path to the Mega bezel should be Retroarch/shaders/shaders_slang/bezel/Mega_Bezel
    • Set video driver to Vulcan
      • It will run in GLCore but seems faster in Vulcan
      • Some users have run it successfully in D3D11 but with a very slow load time
      • Restart after changing the video driver
    • Open the Settings Menu and Set:
      • Video / Scaling / Aspect Ratio to Full
        • This will match your monitor aspect aspect ratio
      • Video / Scaling / Integer Scale to OFF
      • Video / Output / Video Rotation to Normal
      • User Interface / Show Advanced Settings to ON
      • Core / Allow Rotation to OFF – Important for FB Neo
      • Do this Before loading content
    • Load a preset in the shaders menu, Mega Bezel shader presets are found in:
      • shaders/shaders_slang/bezel/Mega_Bezel/Presets
    • When you save a preset make sure you have the Simple Presets feature set to ON
      • This will save a preset with a reference to the preset you loaded plus whatever parameter changes you made
      • This will keep your presets loading properly when the shader updates in the future

Obligatory Screenshots! :crazy_face:

One of @sonkun’s new presets with Guest deconvergence magic

image
image1920×1080 1.57 MB

Mega Man 2 with a smidge of deconvergence , tube diffuse and scanline blur and some Nice @Duimon graphics & preset!

image
image1920×1080 644 KB

Same with Metroid :grin:

image
image1920×1080 672 KB

CRT screen applied with Multiply for a quasi gameboy look

image
image1920×1080 819 KB

CRT screen applied with Multiply for a quasi gameboy look with @duimon’s fun inception bezel

image
image1920×1080 477 KB

One of @soqueroeu’s great console TVs SMS style

image
image1920×1080 591 KB

18 Likes
SOQUEROEU – Mega Bezel TV Backgrounds
CyberLab Death To Pixels Shader Preset Packs
#3723

Some screenshots of @soqueroeu’s graphics with visible tube diffuse and some scanlines on black.

NinjaGaiden 0
NinjaGaiden 03840×2160 629 KB

A midnight duel for @Diego

Ninja Gaiden 1
Ninja Gaiden 13840×2160 889 KB

REVENGE!!!

Ninja Gaiden 2
Ninja Gaiden 23840×2160 586 KB

Ninja Gaiden 3
Ninja Gaiden 33840×2160 1.01 MB

Metroid

Metroid
Metroid3840×2160 723 KB

Mega Man 2 - Quickman

Mega Man Quickman
Mega Man Quickman3840×2160 968 KB

I think one of the things which these show me is that we need some control for adding shadows to the tube diffuse image at the top and sides, it looks a bit unnatural for the diffuse lighting of the tube to not have any shadow on it from the surrounding bezel.

Through my gathering of research (sooo many pictures of crts…) It seems like static reflection would generally not be affected by the shadow, but the diffuse shading of the tube would be.

It also seems like with a diffuse shaded tube that having HDR to make the brights a lot brighter could be helpful.

10 Likes
#3724

@HyperspaceMadness any chance of getting this to work with the Xbox Series X at some point ??

2 Likes
#3725

Hey @HyperspaceMadness!

What shader are you using? GDV?

Is the Curvature 2D or 3D?

2 Likes
#3726

Hi, this is just opening your preset and adjusting the tube diffuse color and grade black level :slight_smile:

So it’s GDV and 2D curvature :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#3727

I don’t know if this is ever going to happen, because I think only the D3D driver runs on it (unless I’m mistaken, I don’t know much about it) and the Mega Bezel and D3D don’t seem to get along for some reason which causes the crazy long load times.

2 Likes
#3728

I agree. We already have the shadow of the bezel on the screen, maybe you can tack a second onto the diffuse with a little more width and control.

2 Likes