Quesions about Override's and Core Configs

RetroArch Windows devices
#1

Okay, all the kind users here have helped me with shader issues, and control issues and this is my last hang up. It took me like 6 hours last night of starting over multiple times to ever get things set like I want but I still can’t understand a few things, which was causing me a problem.

In the main directory we have these configs: (Forgive me if I got the names a little off, I am at work)

Retroarch Retroarch-core-config Retroarch-default

I know the idea is there is one main CFG which the settings carry across all cores but I don’t know what each file is specifically. I use overrides and often randomly when I quit retroarch and reload it would load some random (or the last core) I used and I couldn’t figure out why. Then when I made changes and saved it was saving it as that cores name instead of normally Retroarch-date.

I have it all working just trying to get an understand to avoid future problems.

My current process from a new/fresh install is I set a few video settings and options that I know will carry across all cores then I quite retroarch (to autosave). Then I turn on Core overrides and I load up a core and game and set those options, then I click save config. Then I rename that config properly and move to the proper override folder.

This all works out but sometimes things go wonky when I try to change settings in the original config again (ie restart retro with no core and change settings)

So just curious what those 3 files specifically are and if there is some better method for setting each thing up or if the way I’ve done it is okay. I had tried to juse use the core configs option but it never seemed to want to work right. Sorry if my post is confusing…that’s how my brain is with Retroarch…confused lol.

(Is retroarch.cfg some kind of “snapshot” of the last settings used or something?)

#2

retroarch.cfg is what gets loaded when you start RetroArch. Always. That part is confusing for many people. retroarch-core-options.cfg is where your core options are stored. If you hose a core with bad options, you can delete them from this file (or delete the entire file) to fix it. retroarch-default.cfg is basically just the path settings used by the Windows port. If you need to delete your cfg for whatever reason, you can copy/rename this one to get the internal paths back instead of everything defaulting to the top directory (i.e., one level about C:).

Core configs and overrides are mutually exclusive. If you turn on one, make sure the other is OFF. I don’t know which one takes precedence if they’re both on…

So, when you launch the program, it will always load retroarch.cfg unless you specify a different config from the command line with --config or -c. Once you load a core, it should start using the core config if that’s what you have enabled. If you’re using overrides, it still uses retroarch.cfg but with your core’s override options overriding the defaults from retroarch.cfg.

Does that make sense?

#3

[QUOTE=hunterk;33174]retroarch.cfg is what gets loaded when you start RetroArch. Always. That part is confusing for many people. retroarch-core-options.cfg is where your core options are stored. If you hose a core with bad options, you can delete them from this file (or delete the entire file) to fix it. retroarch-default.cfg is basically just the path settings used by the Windows port. If you need to delete your cfg for whatever reason, you can copy/rename this one to get the internal paths back instead of everything defaulting to the top directory (i.e., one level about C:).

Core configs and overrides are mutually exclusive. If you turn on one, make sure the other is OFF. I don’t know which one takes precedence if they’re both on…

So, when you launch the program, it will always load retroarch.cfg unless you specify a different config from the command line with --config or -c. Once you load a core, it should start using the core config if that’s what you have enabled. If you’re using overrides, it still uses retroarch.cfg but with your core’s override options overriding the defaults from retroarch.cfg.

Does that make sense?[/QUOTE]

Yes perfect sense to all, thank you kindly :slight_smile:

What confused me about retroarch.cfg is often the core listed in there was some random core I had used. I would assume by default it should be “No Core Loaded” but sometimes Retroarch.cfg would decide to put the last core used in it, say, Nestopia or something then the next time I started Retroarch it had that core loaded by default for some reason.

It doesn’t really cause an issue since I am running through Hyperspin, the overrides and proper core loads in. I was just trying to understand.

One last thing, I’ve deleted all the CFG before and noticed the UI completely changed for the menu…maybe the default 1.22 cfg’s have a wallpaper and font settings…but it almost appeared to revert to older version of Retroarch that I’ve seen in videos. Again not a problem just something I try to understand how it works for future reference.

Thanks for all your answers, you’re very helpful, much appreciated.

#4

That could be one of a couple of things. It may have reverted to another menu driver, which you can change via cfg or it might have been that your ‘assets’ directory was lost such that it couldn’t find the graphics the XMB menu needs to look fancy.

#5

Thanks for all the help :slight_smile:

#6

Hello, hope someone could help me, I’m really struggling with the override stuff.

1.Fresh install of RA, with only one core (gambatte) and 1 playlist (Game Boy only, not color). I didn’t modify any directory or anything else. Configuration per core is OFF, Override is ON. 2.I didn’t modify the retroarch.cfg file. The path ofr rgui stuff is: rgui_config_directory = “:\config” 3.I just created a folder: D:\Retroarch\RetroArch\config\Gambatte with a Gambatte.cfg file in it.

My goal is to use Gambatte for Game Boy color AND Game Boy games. I want to use specific shaders for those 2 kind of systems/games. I edited my Gambatte.cfg file and add this line: videoshader = “shaders\shaders_cg\handheld\gameboy\gb-shader.cgp” to use theGB shader. (Inspired by what I found there: http://blog.andressm.org/new-retroarch-features-2/)

When I launch a GB game, nothing happen. No shaders loaded. I’m pretty sure that I’m really close to find the answer, but I think I need your help!

#7

It should be video_shader = “” not videoshader = “”.

#8

Thanks for your answer. I appreciate your help. :slight_smile:

On this link, it’s written: videoshader

http://blog.andressm.org/new-retroarch-features-2/

Let’s see my screenshot: You can see the result during the game (no GB shader launched), the path in my config directory, and my .cfg file with the right name.

I need to mention again that I don’ setup anything in RA, it’s a clean install, without any directory setup in the user interface.

#9

Does video_shader = “.\shaders\shaders_cg\handheld\gameboy\gb-shader.cgp” work? It probably needs the “.”.

I have a similar setup with video_shader = “.\Shaders\gameboy\gb-pocket-shader.cgp” in my Gambatte.cfg that works.

Edit: Also, the gb-shader doesn’t work right in 1.3.0, so make sure you grab the latest RA nightly .exe. On 1.3.0 it loads, but only changes colors of stuff; the grid effect doesn’t work.

#10

Hello, Thanks - again- for your help.

the video_shader = “.\shaders\shaders_cg\handheld\gameboy\gb-shader.cgp” or video_shader = “\shaders\shaders_cg\handheld\gameboy\gb-shader.cgp” doesn’t work. But the GP shader is working if enabled just after I launch the game. I haven’t try the latest nightly build, lack of time. I will try tonight.

BTW, where can I find the different settings to write in the .cfg file? I don’t know exactyl where I’m supposed to find it…

#11

I usually use this page as a reference: https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/blob/master/retroarch.cfg

#12

Perfect. I will try this at home tonight. I will update to the latest nightly before. Hope it will works. I will update the result. I don’t know what to say but a BIG thank you for your help. I really appreciate that someone in the world is tryinig to help me. Cheers from France.

#13

You know what, I finallt found! I didn’t set the video_shader_enable = “true” . Everything is working at the moment. I will try other emulators to confirm! I’m so happy!

#14

Still, I don’t get how to set up 1 emulator for 2 differents configs. I understood how to create specific settings (named separately gameboy.cfg and gameboycolor.cfg for example), but not how to launch it. If I select a GB color game in RA, how RA will determine if it’s a GB or GB Color game, and choose the right CFG file to launch?

#15

It doesn’t have any way to differentiate between them, unfortunately. I had to create per game configs for all of my GBC games to tell them to use a different shader than GB games. It wasn’t that big a deal for me since I only have 13 GBC games.

#16

Mmmmh… I trust you but I can’t imagine there no way to do it. I have a full set of GB Color roms, I can’t imagine doing this for 500 roms… Any expert over there? Or Maybe should I create a different topic?

NB: @moderators or admin: feel free to delete my topic if it’s too redundant. :slight_smile:

#17

Mydriaze, Have you tried making a copy of the core, then renaming the copy to something like gambattecolour_libretro.dll. Then make sure the config for gambattecolour_libretro.dll only uses GB Colour roms ?

#18

I guess you could modify the core’s source code to change the name of the core to Gambatte Color or something like that. Then compile that modified source as secondary core dll to use just for color games. That would use it’s own Gambatte Color named config folder and override file.

This might work, but only with the per core configuration option. Core overrides use the internal name set in the core.

#19

Doesn’t work my dear. Thanks for the idea anyway.

[QUOTE=Awakened;33822]I guess you could modify the core’s source code to change the name of the core to Gambatte Color or something like that. Then compile that modified source as secondary core dll to use just for color games. That would use it’s own Gambatte Color named config folder and override file.

This might work, but only with the per core configuration option. Core overrides use the internal name set in the core.[/QUOTE]

I will use another cores TGB Dual for example, and I hope it will works. However, I don’t know how I will manage differents overlays and shaders for Sega Genesis/Mega CD/32X/Master system and Game gear… there’s no 5 different emulators for this… Problem is still the same. I sent a PMto radius, hope he will understand my request, if he had time of course. :slight_smile:

Thanks again for your help.