New Release Version (2024-10-27-r1):
Notable changes:
rolling scanlines are back with a tad different implementation. Some scanline settings and mask combos might produce strange side-effects, but should work in general. Implemented in standard, NTSC and HD versions.Mask Zoom parameter range increase.Download link:
https://mega.nz/file/AsZHBAQb#hYz9VBk1G-b511vDF_slRcLBG2cnhwArr8HRvZjp4u4
Hi, could you please remember us what is the benefit / usage of the rolling scanlines ? Thanks
It’s one of the less standard effects with crt shaders, but stil present. But i suggest to try it out first hand.
Ok thanks I will try when I comeback home Regards
Nice. This update gives me a reason to go tinker with my 4k Shadow Mask presets again.
Edit: @guest.r I think these are good Shadow Mask settings for 4k:
For this image I used the crt mask settings mask 6, size 4, zoom -6 and (transform to) Shadow Mask 1.00.
I think these are the 4k Shadow Mask settings I’ve been needing all this time. I think I’m gonna use them for my next update.
Yeah, 4 * 3 - 6 = 6, so an even number for mask width, which is a condition for a decent shadow mask.
Just mention it, CRT Mask Zoom Sharpen works very well with this mask settings, maybe you want to tweak this aspect also.
Also a decent setting is with mask 12, size 2, mask zoom -8. But you already got a great combo.
Nice. Always good to have new options, I don’t think I tried that combination yet.
I’ve actually just started using a bit of that since my last pack, it seems to work the best with Shadow Mask presets. I notice that setting brings some pixel details out in backgrounds especially in darker areas.
Your shader is so customizable it’s almost insane the possibilities you can pull off. I’ll play around in the lab a bit more then start to get my new pack ready. I’m not tweaking much so this shouldn’t take too long, gonna be a small update just like yours lol.
Higher values for internal resolution combined with horizontal blur sigma at 0.10 can give good results. I did some tests on PSP games and it looks quite good.
I was actually playing with that very setting last night. I raised internal resolution to about 0.30 on my presets messing around, it helps smooth things out a bit more. Even .10 makes a nice subtle difference.
@ProfessorBraun, some nice glowing in there. 
Otherwise, the Internal Resolution parameter is really nice when the core’s internal resolution is increased. Personally i don’t use other filtering tweaks to hard, since it’s usually right on spot.
For some enhanced looks with the PPSSPP core it’s quite easy to setup anti-aliased scanlines using Internal Resolution parameter and altering some Interlacing params.
My favorites are 3x res + xbrz texture filtering. 
Hey thanks, yeah magic glow is very nice ! 
I use it on several presets.
Unfortunately when I increase the resolution in PPSSPP it immediately crashes and if I disable cropping it works for a while, than it crashes. But since I like the original resolution it’s not a problem. 
I also use AF 16x on PPSSPP.
Hey @guest.r is it possible at all to somehow make it where so that chroma scaling 2-phase can be turned up to 4 while having the taps as low as 6 without it breaking its effect to blend dithering?
Ever since I started sharpening up my presets I can’t help but wonder if such a feature could ever be possible. From what I see you get the absolute best image with 2-phase games with that combination. For example in my presets I have the taps setting lowered to 6 with 2phase chroma scaling at 1.60. The reason I chose that number is cause once I start going higher the first thing I noticed is that vertical line blended dithering begins to start breaking so to avoid that I leave it at that safe number.
Here’s taps at 6, chroma scaling ar 1.60:
Here’s now taps at 6,chroma scaling at 4:
The image looks so much cleaner and colors pop more with a higher chroma scaling, only downside is that it breaks that red blended checkerboard dithering in the back.
Is there anyway at all to have it keep that blended dithering with taps at 6 and chroma scaling maxed out?
It’s a some sort of contradiction to still have grid or line patterns with different chroma values blended with a very narrow chroma spread.
This basically only works if chroma values are very close (same colored) i.e. black-white-gray, darker and lighter checkerboards of the same hue…
Doesn’t work in cases where dithering alters different color types (like red-black).
The best option in this situation for crispest colors is to throw in a de-dithering pre-shader. Another alternative is to grade the colors to be a bit more vivid.
I kind of knew the answer would basically come down to “no” lol, I had to try though. I even thought of another bizarre idea where the “mixed phase” mode could be rearranged to where it basically goes into 3phase mode but with the chroma scaling 3phase effect deactivated and 2phase mode activated only, giving the ultimate look where you get the popful colors that only 3phase gives but then you have the checkerboard and vertical dithering effect from 2phase and this mode would only activate when 2phase content is being displayed and it strictly switches over to 3phase mode with 2phase mode completely deactivated when 3phase content is being displayed, sounds crazy right lol.
I kind of dabbed in this idea previously but it was just with trying to crank saturation up in grade, wasn’t really giving fruitful results. I haven’t tried retweaking tints and other settings though, I guess I could try exploring that method.
New Release Version (2024-12-05-r1):
Notable changes:
Download link:
https://mega.nz/file/MlQWWaQZ#G1kWkuJnPJJ68_jUXoa7nzXuQEMK9dgHpmeJDPN7hTQ
Oh man you just had to put this out soon as I stepped out for the day lol, I can’t wait to see what this update is. Glad I was also able to get you back in the lab for a bit too. Will post my findings later.
Edit:
Ok @guest.r came home and gave it a quick spin before I head out again. First thing I tested was the 2phase chroma scaling to see if anything changed there. Wanted to test vertical line dithering blending and see if blending breaks by raising that chroma scaling up and the best game and area to test is Sonic 3 right where he runs up that tree log using the air.
To show you all what I mean first here’s ntsc taps setting set to 6 with 2phase chroma scaling maxed out:
Vertical line dithering is a broken mess as guest.r explained in the above post.
Here’s my standard setting at 6 taps, chroma scaling 1.60:
For me that those settings are just about right before dithering starts breaking up.
Here’s the settings I was hoping I could use, taps 6 chroma scaling 2.00:
That combination breaks the blending as well so I just left that area alone. I think I was able to squeeze a little extra juice out by bringing taps up to 1.70 and still keep blending. I’ll test more later.
Second new feature which is the “edge color” setting, guest.r my man, you have understood the assignment! Soon as I cranked that baby up I noticed the difference INSTANTLY.
Here’s an example, Castlevania Bloodlines for Mega Drive. During the intro where Elizabeth is walking her face has a bunch of pixel edges that begin to “break” the more you shatpen ntsc up. Here’s my standard preset:
Here’s after apply the new edge color setting:
All around her face the edges now looks more smoother and not “crunchy” looking as before and it actually brings out the colors a bit more basically fullfulling a part of my request from earlier, it’s like that setting “fills in” the areas that seemed to have gotten either dulled out or the where the edges have dissapeared, it’s amazing just look at her eyes gleaming now. I admit that has always been a issue for me in the past where that would happen from trying to sharpen ntsc up, now that problem is completely gone. I didn’t get a chance to try it on any 3phase games but I’m expecting it to give the same results. I’m not sure if everyone here hasn’t noticed but that setting alone is a game changer for every single user’s ntsc presets here and I can’t thank you enough for including that setting. A new preset pack is in the making soon as I get the chance.
@guest.r Hi, sorry for this silly question, but is there a way to set colour gamma? I mean if it’s possible to change gamma only to the colour saturation? I know there’s mask gamma, but for colour gamma only?, is it possible or is it the same? just wondering… 
There are two viable options:
Standard saturation adjustment works the same way as “color gamma”, to mention it.
Hi
Don’t know if this the right topic/thread but will be PAL support? if it done then “ntsc adaptive” should renamed to “analog tv adaptive” or something that will work like a real multi system TV depending on the content (I think it needs to pass some information from the core about whatever it PAL or NTSC since there are PAL 60)
So I noticed my first “hiccup” with the new “edge colors” setting. Had Trouble Shooter for the Mega Drive playing in attract mode then it showed this particular stage and I noticed something with the dithering, one layer of the dark blue sky looks slightly de-dithered.
Here’s a raw image first:
For reference, the area between the two red lines is the area I’m talking about.
This image is with the edges color setting on 10.00, the value I’m currently using on my presets:
If you look at that same blue area that layer of the sky the blended dithering looks slightly broken.
Here’s with the setting brought down to 5.00:
That area is starting to look more blended there.
And finally here’s with the edges color setting turned off:
That area is now completely blended again.
What throws me off about this whole thing is that every other dithered area in that image looks to be fully blended with the value at 10, both vertical line and checkerboard dithering except that one layer of the blue sky. Also out of all the other Mega Drive games I’ve been playing things seem to be good with various other games as well.
@guest.r is there a reason why that one layer of the sky is looking that way compared to everything else that looks fully blended? It’s almost barely noticeable but it’s something that caught me off guard. Maybe that’s what you meant by “use with care” lol. I need that setting maxed out no matter what, I’ve been trying to get a clean vivid composite image for a long time and this edge colors setting finally took me there.
