AF 7 - Graphic setting

Hello everyone,

first post here, sorry it is long one.
AF user since 2011, updated to each new version ever since.

I'm having a hard time setting ideal graphics in AF 7 (same for 2016, but it doesn't really matter now), and looking for advice.

With Direct3D scrolling is not really smooth (with strange artifacts that look like slight tearing), but I'm able to set hardware full-screen mode and play relatively comfortably, although there is no screen filter.

With DirectDraw, it's slightly smoother, there's the nice screen filter. But I can't use hardware full-screen (the emulation slows down to crawl, kind of half-speed) and the screen is not centered.

V-Sync always speeds up the emulation (almost double-speed) when enabled. This happens with both DirectDraw and Direct3D.

This is on a Win 8.1 PC, ASUS H77, i5-3570, R9 290, 8GB RAM

I'm using a a 24" inch 16:9 screen and aim at keeping the original ratio, with centered image. I would be happy to know if there are work-arounds or other ways to set up things properly (I don't mind editing config files and digging a bit).

Note that I also have a Win 7 partition on the same PC, where I'm using Amiga Forever 2014 with much success. Very smooth experience, nice graphic filter, centered image with original ratio, using the following settings:

Use hardware fullscreen modes
PAL Default video mode
Always use more accurate (slower) emulation
Graphic API: DirectDraw

The only problem here is going in and out of full-screen mode (e.g. to save a snapsot) repeatedly will eventually crash the graphic driver (often to a BSOD, had this across 3 Win 7 PCs, with AF 2013 and 2014).

[Saghalie]

This sounds more like the old ancient D3D9 drivers which cause this problem. Have you updated your drivers to D3D11?

D3D11 comes standard with Windows 10.

Are you using Native or RTG (Picasso) video?

Also what is the config for? Game? System? Demo?

Hi!

My drivers are not exactly updated, but are D3D11 capable (AMD Crimson 16.20). It's an end of 2016 driver on Win 8.1, it runs fine any recent game (have Steam on the same partition) with my R9 290. I also tried the latest driver in November 2017 with the same results, though.
I have AF7 on a Win 10 laptop too, this is a current AMD R5 driver - I just checked to find the same behaviour when on the same settings.

I mostly use AF to play games instead of using my Amiga. I use RP9 files I made myself along the years, usually matching the configuration I'd run them (or they were supposed to run) on - video is native, attached the configuration of a RP9 file (1993 game).

Found this on all my Win 7, 8, 10 PCs (have a few ), with both AF 2016 and 7 - I'm not too sure if something changed in the app which makes my RP9 behave like that (see the weird speed-up / slow-down), if I'm missing something really evident or the video performance somewhat changed. First time I'm unable to find the sweet-spot, but then again I don't really know if you can change something on the WinUAE side, I always stuck to the options available in AF until now.

[Saghalie]

Can you look in Tools -> Options -> Emulation and go down to the plugin selection and
see if you are using Direct3D or DirectDraw? If D3D is selected; select DirectDraw and
see if that improves it.

Not sure what else could cause the issue.

You can configure AF to launch WinUAE from the tabs and do some really in-depth
configurations that way as well... you can also do the same with WinFellow and Vice.

Sorry, that part wasn't really clear in my post.

3D3 is the one showing more artifacts while scrolling, similar to screen tearing... 'dynamic artifacts' I would describe as pixel warping. This is pretty subtle, but still not nice to look at.

DirectDraw is smoother (not as AF2014 on Win 7), not perfect but acceptable.

I'll check into launching WinUAE from the tabs, thanks a lot for the tip.

It would be nice to have the WinUAE config options available in AF7, I didn't delve too much in it, but I saw various options that could help here. Same for C64 Forever, I often find myself loading a game via VICE instead of C64F (due to the 'keep ratio' and scanlines options).

I tried to launch WinUAE from the tabs, but can't see how I can apply runtime settings in AF using it - am I missing anything?

However, looks like this version likes better the standard screen-clips, so I edited some RP9 to be PAL standard.

With Direct3D, no hardware fullscreen mode and Automatic buffering it's usable and the artifacts now look due to sync indeed.

To cut it short, it all seems to be down to two problems I have:
-- Hardware fullscreen makes it less fluid for me
-- V-Sync speeds up the emulation when enabled

I'm sticking to AF2014 on 7 and will probably contact support.

Thanks for the help.

[Edit: Just out curiosity: can you switch to DirectDraw with hardware fullscreen enabled and use it? Does V-Sync work fine for you?]

[Saghalie]

Originally Posted by Fabio

[Edit: Just out curiosity: can you switch to DirectDraw with hardware fullscreen enabled and use it? Does V-Sync work fine for you?]

Yep. I have no issues.

My OS is Windows 10 Enterprise. Not sure if that will make the difference. I am also using D3D11 which makes sound and video SO much better.

When I switch to DirectDraw and/or D3D9 - I get crappy sound, but my video is fine (no artifacts).

Thanks again. Good point about the OS, I checked on a Win 10 (Home) machine and there I can enable V-Sync with no speed-up.

But I found something I have no explanation for, maybe it makes sense to others :-)

If I have V-Sync and Direct3D enabled for both WinUAE and WinFellow, scrolling is sluggish, it stutters even, also affecting the sound when it drops out. Same as on Win 8.1 without V-Sync.
With Direct3D for WinUAE and DirectDraw for WinFellow, it's pretty smooth with and without V-Sync enabled. Absolutely better than on the Win 8.1 Pro PC, despite being a less powerful machine.

[Saghalie]

Originally Posted by Fabio

Thanks again. Good point about the OS, I checked on a Win 10 (Home) machine and there I can enable V-Sync with no speed-up.

But I found something I have no explanation for, maybe it makes sense to others :-)

If I have V-Sync and Direct3D enabled for both WinUAE and WinFellow, scrolling is sluggish, it stutters even, also affecting the sound when it drops out. Same as on Win 8.1 without V-Sync.
With Direct3D for WinUAE and DirectDraw for WinFellow, it's pretty smooth with and without V-Sync enabled. Absolutely better than on the Win 8.1 Pro PC, despite being a less powerful machine.

I think that you are getting in to the realm of Support.WinUAE and you could bring your concerns there. Since AF7 does use WinUAE as it's emulation engine you could possibly get more (experienced) help there

You are right. I just launched a couple games via WinUAE and I can see the same scrolling with most settings and also the V-Sync speed-up (except with VariableVS). Will have a look on that side soon!

In case it can be useful to someone else, my problem was the monitor rate (set to its default: 60Hz).

Missed it entirely in my first search, but the explanation was right here
https://fs-uae.net/perfectly-smooth-scrolling

All I had to do was create a profile for Amiga Forever in the Radeon Settings with Frame Rate Target Control set to 50Hz.

Took 10 seconds, runs great now!

P.S. Have no idea why AF2014 works fine on Win 7 as it's the same PC and monitor, but both versions run great, so it's a 'who cares?' matter I guess!