Official release thread for WindowCast core

Libretro Cores
#305

I figured it out with an ahk script. woohoo. i need a beer. ok this is what you do if you want to run retroarch and load a partials.txt file pointing to your emulator window when any game launches in launchbox. this is per system platform like ps1, ps2 etc and not for each individual game. First, load launchbox. go to tools, manages emulators and double click the emulator you want to manage. click on running script. In here you’ll enter commands for an ahk script that will run retroarch and load the partials.txt file as content for your selected emulator. It will look like this:

Run, “path to retroarch exe” -L “path to windowcast core” “path to partials.txt”

for me it looks like this as an example:

Run, “F:\Game Programs\Emulators\RetroArch\retroarch.exe” -L “F:\Game Programs\Emulators\RetroArch\cores\wgc_libretro.dll” “F:\Game Programs\Emulators\RetroArch\system\windowcast\partials-duckstation.txt”

If you save a shader preset per game in this instance it will save a shader preset for that emulator based of your partials.txt The only thing I couldn’t figure out is an ahk script to select what window will be focused on. good thing though is all you have to do for now is click “Ctrl-Alt-T” to switch between retroarch and the emulator window. Also duckstation and pcsx2 have game windows of the names of the game but you can get around this so it will work with any game. For example if your using the current version of standalone duckstation just make sure this is in your partials for that emulator. Qt661QWindowIcon pcsx2 is the same because they are both based on the same Qt gui.

2 Likes
#306

I figured it out. Make sure for your emulator start up load delay is set for 3 seconds in launchbox Then this complete script will launch retroarch with it’s shaders for your emulator that is running a game and bring the retroarch window to the front so you won’t have to hit Ctrl-Alt-T. Just hit play from launchbox and you’re good to go. Just replace the paths to your own paths.

Run, "F:\Game Programs\Emulators\RetroArch\retroarch.exe" -L "F:\Game Programs\Emulators\RetroArch\cores\wgc_libretro.dll" "F:\Game Programs\Emulators\RetroArch\system\windowcast\partials-duckstation.txt" 

Sleep, 3000 

WinActivate, RetroArch
2 Likes
#307

oh yeah WinActivate is a thing too xD

i did it this way

Sleep 2400

Send, ^!t

Sleep 1000

2 Likes
#308

Great! Now all we need is for someone like @p3st or @RetroCrisis to make a video guide, explaining all of this so a 5 year old can understand it, including the details of setting up the partial.txt file.

I think besides continued improvements that’s something that’s sorely needed for this awesome core’s potential to be fully realized!

It adds exactly 1 frame of lag over running the app natively.

The newer version aims to eliminate that.

You’re using outdated and alpha cores in your examples. The SwanStation core has advanced over the old DuckStation core, not to mention the other excellent alternatives for PS1 emulation. Instead of the old alpha PCSX2 Core, we now have the LRPS2 core which is more up to date and works much better. Then someone mentioned a working recent build of the PCSX2 Core that currently lacks core options.

So I’m afraid it seems as if you’re basing at least some of your experience and opinions on outdated information and that’s probably why other users might have experienced differently.

Everyone is free to use these things as they wish though so don’t feel like I’m pressuring you as this is merely a discussion.

In RetroArch you can set per game core options, per game configuration overrides, per game controller remaps as well as per game shader presets.

3 Likes
#309

i would like to make a guide that goes more in depth , i just think to wait for the windows 2.0 version not that something changes . :sweat_smile:

1 Like
#310

I know about the updated LRPS2 core and I’ve tried it. The standalone is still better as I’ve tested it. As for SwanStation they may say that it has advanced over the old DuckStation core which is true for RetroArch but again, the standalone is still better I’ve tested it. I understand this is a libretro area and I should be promoting libretro but I don’t take sides. I just use what is best. Having said that there are 2 sides to a coin. Stenzek the dev of DuckStation who is also involved with PCSX2 had a falling out with the people at RetroArch. I can see both sides. Personally, I support RetroArch because they bring emulation under one umbrella sorta and it has many nice features for end users. Integration with launchbox being one, shaders another, and controller configuration is next level. Bliss-Box which I use has even made adapters and cables so you can take all your old controllers and it’s pretty much plug and play with RetroArch. I’ve had interactions with Stenzek. He can come off as a jerk and I think it’s silly that he won’t support RetroArch cores. Be that as it may his standalone emu’s are sill the best currently. RetroArch is trying to counteract this by just letting it go which is why you see a new core being worked on for ps2 called Play. Once certain cores on RetroArch end up being just as good or better than certain standalone’s I’ll switch back.

#311

you can use whatever suits you best nobody …I don´t want to promote anything^^

sure standalone for pcsx2 is still more advanced

also i am not the greatest fan of having a bunch of emulators installed in differnt places/folders with differnt configs,

and don´t have the need for playing many games after the 5th console gen.

i have some favorites i know i gonna replay , not much intrest in those systems or still have the console working . i just like the comfort of just having “one app to emulate them all”

even if it was a long way to figure out things like how to config mame itself like standalone , get all of my controllers to work even the lightgun for each system

at the end its the app i run most of the time (together with launchbox) for years now

nowadays i setup and experiment to get more and more systems working for fun (and therefore putting most of Duimon´s overlays /preset in use :sweat_smile:)

1 Like
#312

This has no relevance to our discussion and I find it disappointing that there can be any suggestion that anyone is promoting anything over anything else or involved in any politics.

No need to get defensive either because no one accused you of promoting anything.

I was just trying to assist. I also sought clarity on some of the generalizations you made and was under the impression that you simply were not aware that at least some of what you said might have been based on outdated information.

My thinking was that some of the issues or challenges you were having could have easily been solved by using different or updated cores and that they were sort of self inflicted due to your preferences and possible lack of knowledge of viable albeit not necessarily verbatim or uncompromising alternatives.

3 Likes
#313

no problem. I don’t like politics. It rubs off on me and comes out. politics are a part of life. people are people. Sometimes I lack a filter for all the garbage out there.

2 Likes
#314

Has anyone managed to get this working with Deus Ex? I can’t get it to work.

#315

I’m trying to use Windowcast with xemu (XBOX Emulator) in full screen, unfortunately I can get it to work without problems, but then I can’t use the control when the RetroArch screen is in full screen :frowning:

Does anyone have a solution?

#316

does this still work? i could onkyget it to work with 1.16.0 and Vulkun. anyone still using this?

#317

yeah this still works

@Dreetto did you try ctrl+alt+t if you are in retroarch with the game running in windowcast?

2 Likes
#318

So I can get this to work, however the game window I am linking this to automatically exits that game once this core runs, so all I am left with is a static screenshot.

For example:

  1. Launch Game A in Steam
  2. Launch Retroarch in Steam
  3. Load core with partials-example.txt

After #3 is run, #1 shuts down.

What am I doing wrong, or should I do to prevent this?

Edit: NEVERMIND. DIsREgard. i got this fixed by going into Nvidia Control Panel…

“Some users with Nvidia GPUs may experience issues with the capture image in RetroArch ‘freezing’ in fullscreen mode when certain applications are used. To help resolve this, open the Nvidia Control Panel. In the “Manage 3D Settings” tab, change the option “Vulkan/OpenGL present method” to “Prefer layered on DXGI Swapchain”. If this option does not appear, you need to update your GPU drivers.”

1 Like
#319

retroarch nightlies updated to 1.18.0 and this was in the patch notes:

  • VIDEO/VULKAN: Remove the use of oldSwapchain

I haven’t tested if this affects windowcast but I am putting this here for reference

3 Likes
#320

I did a test since that retroarch update and thought I’d test out xemu and windowcast is still working well. I even added a nice xbox graphic overlay around the bezel.

1 Like
#321

Does anyone know, definitively, if that upcoming swapchain change affected windowcast in any way?

#322

the change is already in the nighly or ? it runs still fine , but i can only speak for AMD gpu´s so far i know this impacted nvidia cards

#323

I have an Nvidia card and it’s still fine

#324

I was mainly wondering if it led to any improvements.