THE ULTIMATE SEGA DREAMCAST (Modding Journal)

[RazorX]

19 minutes ago, RIP-Felix said:

• Hover over text on the "load" button still refers to the 0.6a version. You may want to revise it.
• In app Readme fixed, scrolls fine now!
• I'm not getting the unhandled exception anymore.
• If possible you should consider placing the other files/directories inside a folder (called something like assets). Then, after extracting, the theme manager executable is the first thing people see. They'd have to open the assets folder to find the stuff that confused me to begin with. Cleaner = better IMO.

I'm liking this theme manager. Defiantly helps make things look more personalized.

My wishlist items would be the following, but I realize these are way beyond the scope of what you've created:

• Custom text color
• Import TTF fonts
• Re-position of text and images
• Inject tool for Custom artwork on the disc image.
• A preview mode to see what it'd look like.

because gdmenu uses a font.png i don't see how it's possible to do custom font in the way you and i would like sadly also as i said previously, gdmenu doesn't use the color of the font from the font.png it's part of the code elsewhere but with some manipulation of the font you can change the color slightly but not in any useful way.
also custom artwork for disc images is outside of what this app is for, it can be done but it's not a simple process and has to be done on a per game basis but there are tutorials out there.
as for a preview mode there is one, when selecting a theme it shows you what it looks like in the preview window.

when hovering over load it's referring to gdmenu v0.6 not my app but i see how that can easily be mixed up, i haven't released this version since i made it for you to test so i will definitely see about tidying up the folder.

[RIP-Felix]

Yeah, but a boy can dream.

I meant something like a preview button that would overlay the game text, info text and disc art in the position/color they would be on console. You could do this with a few pngs for the different fonts. Make a black theme, screen cap with the different fonts, magic wand out the black (perhaps feather the edge), then overlay the resulting PNG in the preview. This would allow us to see how the text will contrast against the selected theme background. It would also preview the fonts better. That should be doable.

[RazorX]

UPDATED

[Release] GDMENU Theme Manager v0.8



v0.8 Notes:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Tweaked layout so app could be maximised correctly as per request.

Download:
GDMENU Theme Manager v0.8

[RIP-Felix]

The preview is more of what I was expecting to see on console, so that's awesome. I like the GDemu SD card maker launch button, keeps users from having to rummage through folders to find an exe. Smart move.

I hate to "uno mas" you, but I just noticed something else that you may want to look into. The window is a bit too small, but I can't resize or maximize it. I can minimize it to the taskbar, but that's it. I know elements can scale weird and cause formatting issues, and perhaps that's the reason behind disabling the maximize button in the first place, but it would be nice to at least maximize the window.

[RazorX]

On 3/14/2020 at 8:23 PM, RIP-Felix said:

The preview is more of what I was expecting to see on console, so that's awesome. I like the GDemu SD card maker launch button, keeps users from having to rummage through folders to find an exe. Smart move.

I hate to "uno mas" you, but I just noticed something else that you may want to look into. The window is a bit too small, but I can't resize or maximize it. I can minimize it to the taskbar, but that's it. I know elements can scale weird and cause formatting issues, and perhaps that's the reason behind disabling the maximize button in the first place, but it would be nice to at least maximize the window.

try the updated link above for me please and tell me if it works like i hope it will 

[RIP-Felix]

Yup, works fine. I would like to be able to slide the bar between the theme select pane on the right and thus make the preview window even bigger, but I'm really being picky at this point.

[RazorX]

21 hours ago, RIP-Felix said:

Yup, works fine. I would like to be able to slide the bar between the theme select pane on the right and thus make the preview window even bigger, but I'm really being picky at this point.

i'm gonna call it good at this point  not many people are even using this and i've yet to have anyone other than my friend make a theme so i'm just gonna leave it alone for a while but i'm glad i could give you some of the features you were looking for.

updated 0.8 again so you may want to redownload, i have now increased the font size on the list when maximised so it can be read better.
here is a screenshot from my 4k monitor:
4K Screenshot, Maximised
also if you like pso i made my own section id calculator if you wanna check that out

[ClassicGMR]

@RIP-Felix - I just took the easy way out and bought a GDEMU-installed system with the fan, fuse, 12v rail and battery mods already done. This is fabulous! I was thinking about just getting a Pound HDMI Link Cable for modern TV connection. Any experience with those? Just curious.

 

@RazorX - I just downloaded your theme manager and will be trying that later. Thanks in advance.

[RazorX]

1 minute ago, ClassicGMR said:

@RIP-Felix - I just took the easy way out and bought a GDEMU-installed system with the fan, fuse, 12v rail and battery mods already done. This is fabulous! I was thinking about just getting a Pound HDMI Link Cable for modern TV connection. Any experience with those? Just curious.

 

@RazorX - I just downloaded your theme manager and will be trying that later. Thanks in advance.

np
i'd stay clear of the pound cables there terrible, i have tried out a kaico dreamcast hdmi cable and that was pretty good

[tthurman]

This one?

[RazorX]

6 hours ago, tthurman said:

This one?

yes

[RIP-Felix]

On 3/18/2020 at 10:20 AM, ClassicGMR said:

@RIP-Felix - I just took the easy way out and bought a GDEMU-installed system with the fan, fuse, 12v rail and battery mods already done. This is fabulous! I was thinking about just getting a Pound HDMI Link Cable for modern TV connection. Any experience with those? Just curious.

Congratz!

• The pound cable is for people who just want to play games and have no discerning eye for image quality. It's cheap and dead simple. It's not much better than composite. but the $30 price gets you a convenient, barely passable image onto a modern display. When I set out on this journey a few years back I bought one and embarrassingly thought it was fine. Then as I read more and decided to upgrade, I saw how flawed a device it is. It's a relatively noisy device that produces a darker image than better options. However, I can't in good conscience advise you to stay away from it. While it's fashionable to hate on Pound and Hyperkin for their low quality cash grab products designed to prey upon the retro gaming community (and that's definitely what this is, don't fool yourself), It's easy to use and readily available. And that appeals to ALOT of people. EDIT***I would try the one @RazorX reccomended instead if you want to give it a try. These are the cheapest and easiest solutions.
• I would recommend a RetroTINK 2xPRO if you're starting out instead. Use the composite cable that came with your console and if you still want an upgrade you may be happy with a high quality s-video cable. This will preserve full game compatibility. Sticking with 240p/480i through the Composite/s-video output ensures full compatibility with the DC game library without fussing with settings, but you won't get the best possible image quality (DTV 480p) that many games are capable of outputting.
• The VGA port can be utilized with VGA boxes like the TORO, HDretrovision Component Cables once they are released sometime this year (hopefully), and even cheap cables on amazon (worst VGA option). However to make use of those you'll need an upscaler like the OSSC (unless your TV has component input and handles DTV 480p particularly well, unlikely), which requires fiddling with settings to make the most of. The added cost may not be worth the expense for the small bump in image clarity you get. Especially when emulation on a capable device can achieve better than is possible on console.
• Akura on the other hand can output 480p over HDMI directly to your TV without another scaler, but lacks versatility and some compatibility. I've "heard" build quality might be an issue, I don't have one and don't like to knock something I've not had personal experience with, so IDK. This will not produce as good an image as the Toro and an upscaler combo, but @ $75 it's a great step up, without breaking the bank.
• The best on console solution is the Digital-digital hardware HDMI mod (DCHDMI), but it often has long waits to order and may be difficult to install. I'm a novice with good equipment and was able to install it, but I invested a few hundred into the soldering equipment and use it for other projects to get my moneys worth. If this is the only time your'e ever going to use a soldering iron, it would be cheaper to pay someone to do it for you.

 

[RIP-Felix]

On 3/18/2020 at 10:23 AM, RazorX said:

np
i'd stay clear of the pound cables there terrible, i have tried out a kaico dreamcast hdmi cable and that was pretty good

I've not looked at this one yet, but it sounds intriguing.  Keep in mind that all VGA analog to digital converters won’t correct the aspect ratio and sampling issues caused by the Dreamcasts off spec brand of DTV480p (720x480), which was meant for TVs. Most devices interpret it as a 640×480 VESA signal like you'd find in computer monitors and after scaling it appears smoother than it should. Here's an interesting vid.

 

[RazorX]

2 minutes ago, RIP-Felix said:

I've not looked at this one yet, but it sounds intriguing.  Keep in mind that all VGA analog to digital converters won’t correct the aspect ratio and sampling issues caused by the Dreamcasts off spec brand of DTV480p (VGA 720x480), which was meant for computer monitors. Modern TVs interpret it wrong, and after scaling it appears smoother than it should. Here's an interesting vid.

 

anythings better than composite

[RIP-Felix]

Yeah, I mean for $35 your not out much if it doesn't meet expectation. First looks idicate it's worth the extra $5 to avoid the pound cable. If I was strapped for cash and just wanted a solution so I could play me some DC, this would be the place to start. Thanks for the suggestion!

[RazorX]

1 minute ago, RIP-Felix said:

Yeah, I mean for $35 your not out much if it doesn't meet expectation. First looks idicate it's worth the extra $5 to avoid the pound cable. If I was strapped for cash and just wanted a solution so I could play me some DC, this would be the place to start. Thanks for the suggestion!

np, always glad to help

[ClassicGMR]

14 hours ago, RIP-Felix said:

I've not looked at this one yet, but it sounds intriguing.  Keep in mind that all VGA analog to digital converters won’t correct the aspect ratio and sampling issues caused by the Dreamcasts off spec brand of DTV480p (720x480), which was meant for TVs. Most devices interpret it as a 640×480 VESA signal like you'd find in computer monitors and after scaling it appears smoother than it should. Here's an interesting vid.

 

I bought this one. It's in my hands. I'll try it this week when I get a second.

[ClassicGMR]

On 3/18/2020 at 1:23 PM, RazorX said:

np
i'd stay clear of the pound cables there terrible, i have tried out a kaico dreamcast hdmi cable and that was pretty good

So I bought the Kaico adapter and I do love it! It looks excellent on the Sanyo 720p LCD television in my gaming setup. Thanks for the recommendation!

I also took a leap and bought a Tendak HDMI upscaler. I bought this particular model since it had a 480 mode that I didn't see on some of the other converters.  I'm happy I took the chance. This also looks great on my LCD! Now I have this Frankenstein build behind my desk with everything older going into an RCA switchbox into the HDMI converter then out to the HDMI switcher then to the tv. I expected interference from all those bridges but it looks awesome to me!

[RazorX]

8 minutes ago, ClassicGMR said:

So I bought the Kaico adapter and I do love it! It looks excellent on the Sanyo 720p LCD television in my gaming setup. Thanks for the recommendation!

I also took a leap and bought a Tendak HDMI upscaler. I bought this particular model since it had a 480 mode that I didn't see on some of the other converters.  I'm happy I took the chance. This also looks great on my LCD! Now I have this Frankenstein build behind my desk with everything older going into an RCA switchbox into the HDMI converter then out to the HDMI switcher then to the tv. I expected interference from all those bridges but it looks awesome to me!

glad you like it
i have my dreamcast connected to a kaico hdmi adapter then i have a MClassic coming from the kaico hdmi adapter to my 4k monitor and it looks amazing, seeing the dreamcast upscaled to 1440p and the image smoothed just makes it so nice

[RIP-Felix]

On 4/1/2020 at 4:17 PM, ClassicGMR said:

So I bought the Kaico adapter and I do love it! It looks excellent on the Sanyo 720p LCD television in my gaming setup. Thanks for the recommendation!

I also took a leap and bought a Tendak HDMI upscaler. I bought this particular model since it had a 480 mode that I didn't see on some of the other converters.  I'm happy I took the chance. This also looks great on my LCD! Now I have this Frankenstein build behind my desk with everything older going into an RCA switchbox into the HDMI converter then out to the HDMI switcher then to the tv. I expected interference from all those bridges but it looks awesome to me!

Glad you found a solution that works for you. I'm intrigued by the Kaico adapter, but that HDMI upscaler hurts my soul! I don't mean to crap on your purchase. To each their own and all that. It's just that modern TV's add enough lag to the video as it is and devices like that can add up to 1-5 frames on top of it. If your lucky there's only about 2  frames of lag. That's reasonable and playable. After 3 it slides quickly, depending on the game. I doubt it's 1 or 2, usually only really good upscalers like the XRGB-mini Framemeister have a single frame buffer or two. For a cheap product like this, it's probably more like 3-5.

I'm curious to hear your honest impression after testing a familiar game with precise controls (something you'd notice lag on if there were enough to bother you)?

On 4/1/2020 at 4:28 PM, RazorX said:

glad you like it
i have my dreamcast connected to a kaico hdmi adapter then i have a MClassic coming from the kaico hdmi adapter to my 4k monitor and it looks amazing, seeing the dreamcast upscaled to 1440p and the image smoothed just makes it so nice

Are you sure it's outputting 1440p? I couldn't get mine to go above 1080p when I fed it 480p from the DCHDMI at least, possably because it's not HDMI compliant whereas the Pound and Kaico cables are? I haven't tried hooking in the pound cable to see. However, that Kaico might be worh $30 if I can get up to 1440p out of it. I doubt I'll like it over 1080p from the DCHDMI, but I'd like to see it anyway.

The mClassic is actually not the worst option I've seen, I just can't for the life of me find a reason to reccomend it. It applies antialaising, sharpening, and contrast adjustments I'd rather be able to turn off and still take advantage of the upscale. It doesn't add any lag, so that's a big plus. But at $100 an Extron DSC 301 is a more versatile choice. I'm not sure if the Extron adds lag, I suspect it would add 1 frame, but considering the analog inputs and many output options it's a better value for not much tradeoff. And once you get 480p out of an adapter like the Kaico, your TV's upscale to native resolution will be fast and might do fine job anyway. Another $100 is hard to justify for the marginal additional benefit you get.

Rant Warning:

Old games were balanced with legless CRTs in mind. Even 2 frames of additional lag sours my opinion of older games, which isn't fair because, when I play on a low latency setup, the games are as fun (fair) as I remember. I am sensitive to lag however, but not everyone is. If you need a litmus test, try defeating a Darnut in the legend of Zelda (NES). Link's 4-way turning requires you to quickly sidestep and simultaneously attack the darknut when it changes direction. Any lag makes that more difficult than it already is. Heck, just try beating TLOZ at all with 3-5 frames of lag. The second quest is basically impossible. Even on Nintendo's own NES Classic edition the lag makes this more difficult (unfair really) than was intended.

I have a problem with companies selling cheap products that ruin the gaming experience, souring our opinion of old games when it's not the game, it's the shitty cash grab product! That's not worth being paid to endure, let alone paying money for...IMBHO! And I hate that it takes advantage of gamers who'd rather spend money on games than the adapter to play them. To me, playing OG consoles on lag-less solution is a must. Obviously, I value accuracy over picture quality, otherwise I'd just emulate. And now that run-ahead latency reduction removes lag as an excuse, we only have accuracy and the nostalgia of playing on OG hardware left. Why else would I pay so much for an everdrive? I already sacrificed picture quality and expense for Accuracy and nostalgia, so I'm not going to sacrifice latency if I can help it. If I were that cheap, I'd just emulate. That's why I got the OSSC. I probably saved money not buying all the adapters that would have lead me there anyway.

 

[RazorX]

11 minutes ago, RIP-Felix said:

Glad you found a solution that works for you. I'm intrigued by the Kaico adapter, but that HDMI upscaler hurts my soul! I don't mean to crap on your purchase. To each their own and all that. It's just that modern TV's add enough lag to the video as it is and devices like that can add up to 1-5 frames on top of it. If your lucky there's only about 2  frames of lag. That's reasonable and playable. After 3 it slides quickly, depending on the game. I doubt it's 1 or 2, usually only really good upscalers like the XRGB-mini Framemeister have a single frame buffer or two. For a cheap product like this, it's probably more like 3-5.

I'm curious to hear your honest impression after testing a familiar game with precise controls (something you'd notice lag on if there were enough to bother you)?

Are you sure it's outputting 1440p? I couldn't get mine to go above 1080p when I fed it 480p from the DCHDMI at least, possably because it's not HDMI compliant whereas the Pound and Kaico cables are? I haven't tried the pound cable, it's not worth it anyway. However, that Kaico might be worh $30 if I can get up to 1440p out of it. I doubt I'll like it over 1080p from the DCHDMI, but I'd like to see it anyway.

The mClassic is actually not the worst option I've seen, I just can't for the life of me find a reason to reccomend it. It applies antialaising, sharpening, and contrast adjustments I'd rather be able to turn off and still take advantage of the upscale. It doesn't add any lag, so that's a big plus. But at $100 an Extron DSC 301 is a more versatile choice. I'm not sure if the Extron adds lag, I suspect it would add 1 frame, but considering the analog inputs and many output options it's a better value for not much tradeoff.

Rant Warning:

Old games were balanced with legless CRTs in mind. Even 2 frames of additional lag sours my opinion of older games, which isn't fair because, when I play on a low latency setup, the games are as fun (fair) as I remember. I am sensitive to lag however, but not everyone is. If you need a litmus test, try defeating a Darnut in the legend of Zelda (NES). Link's 4-way turning requires you to quickly sidestep and simultaneously attack the darknut when it changes direction. Any lag makes that more difficult than it already is. Heck, just try beating TLOZ at all with 3-5 frames of lag. The second quest is basically impossible. Even on Nintendo's own NES Classic edition the lag makes this more difficult (unfair really) than was intended.

I have a problem with companies selling cheap products that ruin the gaming experience, souring our opinion of old games when it's not the game, it's the shitty cash grab product! That's not worth being paid to endure, let alone paying money for...IMBHO! And I hate that it takes advantage of gamers who'd rather spend money on games than the adapter to play them. To me, playing OG consoles on lag-less solution is a must. Obviously, I value accuracy over picture quality, otherwise I'd just emulate. And now that run-ahead latency reduction removes lag as an excuse, we only have accuracy and the nostalgia of playing on OG hardware left. Why else would I pay so much for an everdrive? I already sacrificed picture quality and expense for Accuracy and nostalgia, so I'm not going to sacrifice latency if I can help it. If I were that cheap, I'd just emulate. That's why I got the OSSC. I probably saved money not buying all the adapters that would have lead me there anyway.

 

yes mine outputs 1440p, you have to of course use it on a 4k tv or monitor (i'm using a 4k monitor) and there is a very small number of tv's that don't like it and will mean you output 1080p and don't get the true effect of the mclassic

[RIP-Felix]

3 minutes ago, RazorX said:

yes mine outputs 1440p, you have to of course use it on a 4k tv or monitor (i'm using a 4k monitor) and there is a very small number of tv's that don't like it and will mean you output 1080p and don't get the true effect of the mclassic

My TV (LGOLED B9) is set to 1440p 120Hz for My HTPC as I type this, so it should work, if it could.

[RazorX]

3 minutes ago, RIP-Felix said:

My TV (LGOLED B9) is set to 1440p 120Hz for My HTPC as I type this, so it should work, if it could.

if you can try it on a 4k monitor or a different tv, mine works perfectly for me but i did lend it to my brother once and on his 4k tv it also only outputted 1080p.
i think his tv is an LG but can't be sure.

also what do you mean set to?

[RIP-Felix]

I just tried again. It refuses to output above 1080p for 480p content, even with the pound cable. I thought maybe because the DCHDMI isn't a commercial HDMI compliant device, but if the pound doesn't then it might be the TV. Maybe the Kaico is unique, or this TV won't accept 1440p from the mClassic.

The HTPC is set to output PC 2560x1440p @ 120Hz and the TV accepts it fine (Displays 1440p when info button is pressed). 9 Series LG OLED added 1440p120 resolution to the officially supported list, I guess before it wasn't. This set takes about any resolution I've thrown at it, including 960p which Is a main reason I bought it. Anyway, it just means I know it can accept a 1440p signal if the mClassic would output it.

[RazorX]

1 minute ago, RIP-Felix said:

I just tried again. It refuses to output above 1080p for 480p content, even with the pound cable. I thought maybe because the DCHDMI isn't a commercial HDMI compliant device, but if the pound doesn't then it might be the TV. Maybe the Kaico is unique, or this TV won't accept 1440p from the mClassic.

The HTPC is set to output PC 2560x1440p @ 120Hz and the TV accepts it fine (Displays 1440p when info button is pressed). 9 Series LG OLED added 1440p120 resolution to the officially supported list, I guess before it wasn't. This set takes about any resolution I've thrown at it, including 960p which Is a main reason I bought it. Anyway, it just means I know it can accept a 1440p signal if the mClassic would output it.

the perfect setup is DCHDMI at 480p with the MClassic plugged into it and then a 4k hdmi cable coming from the MClassic to your tv, If your tv is still only showing 1080p then sadly your tv doesn't like the MClassic.
do you have any other 4k screen you can test it on.