New CRT shader from Guest + CRT Guest Advanced updates

[Cyber]

@gizmo98

But if you draw a frame twice you have 60fps but content obly changes after every second frame.

You’re straying off the topic a bit now but where are you getting that the content only changes after every second frame? It’s not drawing the same frame twice just drawing the successive frames on the same scanlines instead of alternating between the odd and even scanlines.

@gizmo98

because a analogue electron beam does not always hit the same position 100% twice?

Why would being analog technology preclude the electron beam from hitting the same position 100% of the time?

A speaker is analog technology, wouldn’t it produce the same spl every time if driven with the same voltage and frequency electrical signal?

Analog does not equate to imprecise.

[PrimalXY]

Thanks for the explanation . My intention was just to double the number of scanlines so as not to distort the original image. I use Guest Advanced combined with ScaleFx and it works frankly well but the separate lines bother me a little in sight.

[Cyber]

@PrimalXY

My intention was just to double the number of scanlines so as not to distort the original image.

Doubling the scanlines using the Mega Bezel Reflection Shader Opposite Direction Multiplier shouldn’t cause any image distortion. The most that might happen in that case is that it might reduce the appearance of the scanlines gaps due to them being much thinner and more dense.

[guest.r]

@PrimalXY

Thanks for the explanation . My intention was just to double the number of scanlines so as not to distort the original image. I use Guest Advanced combined with ScaleFx and it works frankly well but the separate lines bother me a little in sight.

Under Interlacing options you can set the Internal Resolution Y: 0.5…y-dowsample parameter to 0.5 to double the scanlines.

[gizmo98]

@Cyber

You’re straying off the topic a bit now but where are you getting that the content only changes after every second frame? It’s not drawing the same frame twice just drawing the successive frames on the same scanlines instead of alternating between the odd and even scanlines.

Thanks. Unterstood now .

@Cyber

Why would being analog technology preclude the electron beam from hitting the same position 100% of the time?

Because if you see a eye diagram, an analogue signal is never 100% the same, but the deviation is so small, you will not see or hear it.

But enough offtopic.

[PrimalXY]

First of all, thank you for your interest in responding. The problem with setting the internal resolution to 0.5 is that it also changes the desired result with ScaleFX. It gives it a too smooth finish. I seek to mitigate the pixel effect a bit without going to those extremes.

Something similar to this but with doubling the number of scanlines:

The idea that Cyber ​​comments looks good. I would like to be able to include in my preset something equal or similar to adjustment Opposite Direction Multiplier. I don’t want to go into bezels, curvatures or anything like that. Just one mask, less spaced scanlines, and slight scaling. And to play

Maybe I’m looking for something complicated or impossible, I don’t know…

[Cyber]

@PrimalXY

I don’t want to go into bezels, curvatures or anything like that.

@PrimalXY

Maybe I’m looking for something complicated or impossible, I don’t know…

No, you’re looking for Mega Bezel’s Smooth Advance Screen Only base presets then.

That will do exactly what you want.

It’s sounding like you want the effect of playing the games on a higher resolution CRT, like a PC monitor.

[PrimalXY]

Same problem with Mega Bezel’s Smooth Advance Screen Only.

Opposite Direction Multiplier 100

Opposite Direction Multiplier 200

Modifying the values ​​of the fake scanlines has not worked for me either.

[Cyber]

@PrimalXY

Same problem with Mega Bezel’s Smooth Advance Screen Only .

Set Scanline Dir Multiplier to 100 and you will get the minimal amount of Scale FX smoothing being applied. It relies on this setting for it’s upsampling. You should see differences in the upscaling/smoothing effect as you increase between 100 and 300.

Also, in the new versions of Mega Bezel there are parameters to adjust the amount of smoothing and the thresholds of Scale FX.

Finally, you might want to apply some sort of Mask effect to make things still look CRT-Like even with the scanlines being so fine. I recommend a nice Slot Mask or Dot Mask setting.

[guest.r]

If you want something like this, you have to save the preset and edit it. Last scalefx pass y-scaling has to be set from current 3.0 to 1.0 or 2.0.

[PrimalXY]

Hello, I have been applying and testing your advice but without much success.

Both with Guest Advanced and with Mega Bezel, when folding the lines they create an effect similar to an overlap in some colors. I have tried several settings to remove it without success .

What has worked well for me has been modifying the y-scaling value in Scalefx to 1.0 .

I have been doing many tests with various Crt and Scanlines presets without any success. However, I found one that gave me a little hope. It’s called OSSC and it’s in the Scanlines folder. It works really well, a sharp image without deformations, with finer scanlines and close together than the original ones.

I don’t know how he does it but for me it’s wonderful

However, of course, there is a problem; It only works perfectly with some cores or systems such as Snes. With others like Neo Geo and Megadrive I can’t project the image to full screen. Despite modifying Retroarch’s scaling values, I always have stripes up and down or if I overscan the image is cropped. I have tried to zoom with Image-adjustment but it distorts everything.

I’m going crazy with this topic

[Cyber]

@PrimalXY

Both with Guest Advanced and with Mega Bezel, when folding the lines they create an effect similar to an overlap in some colors. I have tried several settings to remove it without success .

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so why not share a screenshot of what you’re experiencing and maybe one of the more experienced users here might be able to understand what is going on and what might be needed to get things where you desire?

[PrimalXY]

Sorry Cyber, They are generated as some marks according to the plain colors.

Scalefx (1.0 in y-scaling) + Guest Advanced (internal resolution 0.5)

Scalefx (1.0 in y-scaling) + OSSC

With Guest Advanced (also with Smooth Advance Screen Only) some lines are more marked than others, for example in the sky of the capture. With OSSC I have the desired finish but also those black stripes at the top and bottom that I can’t remove.

Thank you

[Cyber]

@PrimalXY

Opposite Direction Multiplier 200

Okay let’s start from here. Opposite Direction Multiplier = 200 seems to have successfully doubled the number of scanlines while maintaining perfect alignment with the graphics. This seems like part of what you want to achieve here. You can’t really use in between values here without ugly misalignment.

ScaleFX is a separate entity so if you got good scanline doubling with Opposite Direction Multiplier = 200 then you should keep that setting and combine it with adjusting the Scale FX threshold.

Don’t forget to set the Scanline Dir Multiplier to 100 as this also limits ScaleFX smoothing.

You might also want to tweak the Scanline type to a darker one and adjust some of the beam settings for a greater scanline effect.

Also try one of the Max Int. Scale Screen Only Presets in the Mega Bezel Preset Variations Folder.

[PrimalXY]

I appreciate the time you are taking I’ve tried various combinations with Mega Bezel including the last one you posted and these are the results:

Screen Only/Max Int Scale

Screen Only/Max Int Scale with zoom

It also keeps generating those errors in the scanlines when I zoom in to try to square the image with my screen. I have tried more combinations with other Screen Only with similar results. In addition, the parameters of Smoothing Scalefx do not appear to me.

[Cyber]

@PrimalXY

I have tried more combinations with other Screen Only with similar results. In addition, the parameters of Smoothing Scalefx do not appear to me.

The exact preset I used in the above example was _0__SMOOTH__2__Default.slangp.

Make sure your RetroArch settings are adjusted correctly according to the Mega Bezel setup instructions.

I’m using a 4K screen, I don’t know if that might have something to do with it. If you’re getting scanline anomalies you can try increasing the Integer Scale Offset and see if things improve.

@PrimalXY

and these are the results:

Screen Only/Max Int Scale

When I long press on my cell phone then tap Open in new tab, then zoom in, the scanlines in both of your screenshots look evenly distributed.

If they’re looking strange on your 1440p screen, you might just need to do what I suggested above and increase Integer Scale Offset.

[guest.r]

New Release Version (2023-05-25-r2):

Notable changes:

• new ‘no scanline mode’ implementation…works better, is faster
• scanline deconvergence functionality removed (was succeeded by proper deconvergence)
• ntsc res. scaling parameter step increased
• a mask zoom bug fixed
• some optimizations resulting in notable overall speedup
• edit: some more fixes

Download link:

https://mega.nz/file/dw5FFKbC#Zncyd7zmD0xRr3PeGvE-fT2ZDlRPCfPPl20uBNDHOnE

[Hunter_ARG]

The shader looks good on my CRT PC monitor despite not supporting 1200p. The only thing I don’t like very much is that it looks a bit blurry. What settings do you recommend to fix this? I am using 896p and 960p

[guest.r]

You can increase horizontal sharpness and select scanline type -1.0 or integer scaling. Maybe masks aren’t needed since you are using a CRT monitor. Dunno, since i can’t test it since a while.

But if masks look OK then pick your fauvorite one and maybe try the new no-scanline mode to compensate for you low vertical resolution.

[guest.r]

New Release Version (2023-05-27-r1):

Notable changes:

• zoomed mask shift / stagger support (for shadowmasks, even total mask sizes)
• zoomed mask 10 fixes
• some mask function refactorings
• scanline parameter range adjustments

Download link:

https://mega.nz/file/YoIQAbLC#ig_8Og1FFZ9KzxUAYEmjBA4Io1U8G9AmWGVuNleqErU