De-Mystifying ArcadeVGA Mode

[bboysnj]

Hi guys -- Tom, you rule. 'Nuff said.

K - wanted to clarify a few things re: ArcadeVGA to "Yes" in display settings.

I currently have Mame command options set for no stretching, etc. etc. and AVGA to "Yes". I noticed amongst my config files an "avga" text file that has a list of available modes -- am I assuming correctly that it is from this list of resolutions that Mame calls to when using AVGA display set to "Yes"? I'm running on the assumption that it is so, especially considering the fact that Mortal Kombat rolled for the longest time for me until I deleted its resolution option from said text file. Now it doesn't roll, but it displays a bit "squashed" on my horizontal monitor.

So my first point is to seek confirmation that selecting "Yes" causes Mame to draw from the Avga text file of available resolutions under GameEx config.

Next -- is there a way to override for certain games? I'd hate to have to set to "No" and then individually tweak all via a Mame Res tool.

Finally - there was a time that I had it set to "No" and was indeed running using resolutions configured by Gavin Benson's Res tool. I gave up using those resolutions because what resolution displayed in Mame outside of GameEx was entirely different from what displayed IN GameEx. This ever happen to anybody else?

Thanks all - and THANKS TOM!!

James

[Tom Speirs]

Hi guys -- Tom, you rule. 'Nuff said.

K - wanted to clarify a few things re: ArcadeVGA to "Yes" in display settings.

I currently have Mame command options set for no stretching, etc. etc. and AVGA to "Yes". I noticed amongst my config files an "avga" text file that has a list of available modes -- am I assuming correctly that it is from this list of resolutions that Mame calls to when using AVGA display set to "Yes"? I'm running on the assumption that it is so, especially considering the fact that Mortal Kombat rolled for the longest time for me until I deleted its resolution option from said text file. Now it doesn't roll, but it displays a bit "squashed" on my horizontal monitor.

So my first point is to seek confirmation that selecting "Yes" causes Mame to draw from the Avga text file of available resolutions under GameEx config.

Next -- is there a way to override for certain games? I'd hate to have to set to "No" and then individually tweak all via a Mame Res tool.

Finally - there was a time that I had it set to "No" and was indeed running using resolutions configured by Gavin Benson's Res tool. I gave up using those resolutions because what resolution displayed in Mame outside of GameEx was entirely different from what displayed IN GameEx. This ever happen to anybody else?

Thanks all - and THANKS TOM!!

James

Yes, it does use that text file. If you remove a resolution GameEx will use the next nearest one. But no you cannot override for certain games, its either all or nothing I'm afraid.

Using AVGA in MAME will give you completely different resolutions depending on the game played.

[bboysnj]

Yes, it does use that text file. If you remove a resolution GameEx will use the next nearest one. But no you cannot override for certain games, its either all or nothing I'm afraid.

Using AVGA in MAME will give you completely different resolutions depending on the game played.

All understood - thank you sir!!!

[bboysnj]

All understood - thank you sir!!!

Hi Tom -- just a follow up. Something bizarre when I was re-experimenting with "No" mode. I used Gav's tool to set up individual ini res files for all games. Calling on them directly from Mame - the resolutions looked perfect. I made sure config set AVGA to "No" in order to not use the AVGA config resolutions (sorry, I'm a freak and some resolutions with AVGA to "Yes" weren't working out for me, despite deleting some and experimenting with the config file) --- yet, despite having selected "No" -- the resolutions that worked so wonderfully calling right from Mame changed when i called these games via the front-end.

Do I need to do something more than set AVGA settings to "No" to draw resolutions from the ini files created by MameRes tool? Again - the games look the way I want them to look calling directly from Mame - but something "changes" when calling Mame from GameEx. Can't wrap my head around that - wondering if you or someone with similar experiences can help me.

Thanks a million!

James

[Jontox]

Hi Tom,

I would be really interested in this one.

Reading the full topic make me think of a possible improvement in GameEX:

Why not includes in this Avga text file all the resolutions settings for each game.

This screen resolutions text file could be updated with Gavin Benson's Resolutions with any major update.

Or at least as bboysnj has stated just work with Gavin Benson's Resolutions ini file generated in mame directory when AcardaeVGA is turn off in GameEx

Just my 2 cents

Great APP Tom !!!

Jontox

[bboysnj]

Or at least as bboysnj has stated just work with Gavin Benson's Resolutions ini file generated in mame directory when AcardaeVGA is turn off in GameEx

Just my 2 cents

Great APP Tom !!!

Jontox

Exactly Jontox -- just looking for a way to get mame to call to my ini files via GameEx -- resolutions somehow are a'changing when I do it from the front-end even with AVGA "No"....Tom, any suggestions would be awesome brother. Can't imagine Mame w/out GameEx bro!

[Jontox]

Hi All,

Here is an old topic (1 year old) that I found on the forum. I have quoted the most interesting reply that was posted by Toonces.

ArcadeVGA Resolution

The ArcadeVGA support in GameEx is taken from Tom's ArcadeVGA utility so it operates on pretty much the same principle. The only thing that GameEx appears to do is add the parameters to the commandline rather than using an ini. One way that GameEx could allow custom resolutions with ArcadeVGA active would be to allow ini files to override the ArcadeVGA settings. That way any game that has an ini would use the ini over the ArcadeVGA settings of GameEx.

Personally, I don't have a problem using the built in support but then I don't play MK and the few games that use the streach feature look ok to me smile.gif

Just my .25

Toonces

I'm quite new to this great hobby and I have myself a Betson Multisynch 27" + Arcadevga card (I will post soon pictures of the carcade cabinet with Gameex runnning on it )

I'm currently trying to figure out the best way to use Arcadevga and my monitor as bboysnj and I'm sure lots of other people.

Here are two interesting inqueries:

Arcadevga has built-in arcades resolutions that GameEx is calling when a game is launch in Mame (Arcadevga setting turn on in Gameex).

These built-in resolutions are a few in comparison to Mame emulated games list...

1- So, Gavin Benson's Resolutions ini tool (or any of these res utilities) are just putting one of these Arcadevga built-in resolution in ini file in Mame or are they writting additional resolution (than the once present in Arcadavga card) into these ini files ?

2- If these are adding in the ini files more resolutions that the one built-in in Arcadevga, are they supported by Arcadevga and displayed correctly when using ini files in Mame ?

I don't want to open a huge debate but when this one will be clarified it could be easily added to the FAQ once for all

Thanks in advance for any clarification on this by TOM or any other qualified GameEx user

Here is a nice article I found on Retroblast on the subject...

Retroblast Article

Jontox

[bboysnj]

1- So, Gavin Benson's Resolutions ini tool (or any of these res utilities) are just putting one of these Arcadevga built-in resolution in ini file in Mame or are they writting additional resolution (than the once present in Arcadavga card) into these ini files ?

2- If these are adding in the ini files more resolutions that the one built-in in Arcadevga, are they supported by Arcadevga and displayed correctly when using ini files in Mame ?

Jontox

Thanks for the article link Jontox! -- yeah, RetroKev rules.....

Right. Essentially they're doing the same thing, but with Gav's tool you're able to assign each game a res that works/fits your screen/etc. - where as calling from GameEx its a roll of the dice (although 90% perfect - its just that the 10% includes games I'm addicted to.)

Again, the only real issue for me is, for some reason when I turn AVGA mode off in Config -- the individual ini's I selected with Gav's tool (which played exactly the way I desired when calling to Mame OUTSIDE of GameEX) pop in at a different res when calling to Mame FROM GameEx.

So if there's any explanation for how to get GameEx to call a game and have the res pop the same way it does when I call to it outside the front end -- well, that would rule.

THANKS TOM! THANKS JONTOX! THANKS EVERYBODY!!!

[bboysnj]

Thanks for the article link Jontox! -- yeah, RetroKev rules.....

Right. Essentially they're doing the same thing, but with Gav's tool you're able to assign each game a res that works/fits your screen/etc. - where as calling from GameEx its a roll of the dice (although 90% perfect - its just that the 10% includes games I'm addicted to.)

Again, the only real issue for me is, for some reason when I turn AVGA mode off in Config -- the individual ini's I selected with Gav's tool (which played exactly the way I desired when calling to Mame OUTSIDE of GameEX) pop in at a different res when calling to Mame FROM GameEx.

So if there's any explanation for how to get GameEx to call a game and have the res pop the same way it does when I call to it outside the front end -- well, that would rule.

THANKS TOM! THANKS JONTOX! THANKS EVERYBODY!!!

Hi -- noticed Tom's absence on the board this past week (vacation?) -- just wanted to **BUMP** in hopes he sees this and may have a solution.

Thanks for your patience everybody!

James