WinUAE resolution switching

Konrad · 26 March 2006, 22:07

I just bought me an Arcade Cabinet which I will use to run arcade pcb's and a PC. The PC will have some emulators installed (such as MAME for arcade games). I also want to use WinUAE but I have a problem with the screen settings.

My problem is that the monitor of the Arcade Cabinet behaves as an Amiga Monitor. Lower resolutions as 320x256, 300x400 or similiar are shown flickerfree where higher resolutions like 640x400 and higher are just possible in interlaced mode, so those resolutions will flicker.

The problem is that I can just configure one resolution for WinUAE when it's run in fullscreen mode and every mode is scaled to this resolution. So if I configure WinUAE to run 640x480 in fullscreen mode the monitor shows the picture interlaced and every game will flicker.
If I configure WinUAE to run 320x240 or 400x300 the games won't flicker, but pictures with higher resolution (640x256, 640x512, menus of HiredGuns or logos of Agony) will get scaled down, which results in an ugly picture.

---

That's the way I understand how WinUAE works. Did I miss something ? If not, read on

.

---

So to solve this problem I'd like to be able to enable WinUAE to switch resolutions.

My suggestion:
As a default setting basic screen settings are enabled (the way it is now). By pressing a checkbox advanced screen settings get enabled where you can enable WinUAE to switch resolutions and assign Amiga-Resolutions to PC resolutions. Something like this:

Amiga: PC:
320x200 320x240
320x256 320x240
640x200 640x480
640x256 640x480
640x400 640x480
640x512 800x600

I understand that most WinUAE users won't need this feature but I read in multiple
arcade forums that users want to use WinUAE within their arcade cabinet, so I'm far
from alone with this idea. I'm sure that a lot of people would see a benefit in this
idea, not just arcade cabinet users

. What do you think ?

Toni Wilen · 26 March 2006, 23:21

Good idea but it won't work. Many games mix resolutions vertically..

Konrad · 26 March 2006, 23:30

Really ? I didn't know that. Which games ? Do you mean like the background in Lionheart ?

But sad to hear that it won't work

.

alexh · 27 March 2006, 10:39

I wonder how many games actually mix resolutions. Not many. It might be an interesting added option (default off) for Arcade users?

Doesnt mode / resolution switching on the PC take ages anyhow? Too long for it to be seamless ?

Toni Wilen · 27 March 2006, 11:10

Interlace switching is possible. Resolution switching is much more complex (screen dragging, different main game screen and scoreboard part resolution etc..)

Width fixed at 640 and automatic switching between 640x256 and 640x512 should be easy to implement and will fix the interlace problem. I don't really see any reason for 320/640 switching. (except for performance reasons)

LocalH · 27 March 2006, 22:05

Well, if one were to try to implement an autoswitcher, you could theoretically look at the screens that are currently displayed, use the largest one to determine which resolution to switch to, and then artificially double or quadruple pixels as needed to compensate for hires/lores or interlace differences.

But it still seems like too much work, really. I recommend instead that the original poster set up configuration files for each game they wish to play, and then within that config the best resolution for that particular game can be set. I believe there is a way to launch WinUAE, have it automatically load a configuration, and skip the GUI to directly boot the chosen Amiga configuration, although I haven't done such a setup myself.

Toni Wilen · 27 March 2006, 23:20

Hmm.. UAE display code already records resolution status for every horizontal line (it has to do it for proper display) so your idea may work..

Maybe wait 2-5 frames before switching if there are programs that switch resolutions quickly for some weird reason

I'll do some experiments. (but don't expect anything..)

Konrad · 27 March 2006, 23:45

Great to hear. I'll try to keep my expectations low

.

turrican3 · 05 January 2008, 22:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Hmm.. UAE display code already records resolution status for every horizontal line (it has to do it for proper display) so your idea may work..

Maybe wait 2-5 frames before switching if there are programs that switch resolutions quickly for some weird reason

I'll do some experiments. (but don't expect anything..)

Did you make experiment yet ?
Do you think you will try to do it later or no chance to see it happen ?
Same question for removing black borders did you make experiment, is there a chance to see it or not one day ?

ps: it' will be the last time i'll asking you

Toni Wilen · 05 January 2008, 23:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by turrican3

Did you make experiment yet ?
Do you think you will try to do it later or no chance to see it happen ?
Same question for removing black borders did you make experiment, is there a chance to see it or not one day ?

ps: it' will be the last time i'll asking you

Current emulation code does not really support on the fly switching without little pauses which makes it unusable.

turrican3 · 06 January 2008, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Current emulation code does not really support on the fly switching without little pauses which makes it unusable.

But, it's possible to see it in the future then.But i feel that it will be an hard work.
Thanks for your answer Toni.
ps: and for hq2x

26 March 2006, 22:07	#1
Konrad Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Age: 43 Posts: 743	WinUAE resolution switching I just bought me an Arcade Cabinet which I will use to run arcade pcb's and a PC. The PC will have some emulators installed (such as MAME for arcade games). I also want to use WinUAE but I have a problem with the screen settings. My problem is that the monitor of the Arcade Cabinet behaves as an Amiga Monitor. Lower resolutions as 320x256, 300x400 or similiar are shown flickerfree where higher resolutions like 640x400 and higher are just possible in interlaced mode, so those resolutions will flicker. The problem is that I can just configure one resolution for WinUAE when it's run in fullscreen mode and every mode is scaled to this resolution. So if I configure WinUAE to run 640x480 in fullscreen mode the monitor shows the picture interlaced and every game will flicker. If I configure WinUAE to run 320x240 or 400x300 the games won't flicker, but pictures with higher resolution (640x256, 640x512, menus of HiredGuns or logos of Agony) will get scaled down, which results in an ugly picture. --- That's the way I understand how WinUAE works. Did I miss something ? If not, read on . --- So to solve this problem I'd like to be able to enable WinUAE to switch resolutions. My suggestion: As a default setting basic screen settings are enabled (the way it is now). By pressing a checkbox advanced screen settings get enabled where you can enable WinUAE to switch resolutions and assign Amiga-Resolutions to PC resolutions. Something like this: Amiga: PC: 320x200 320x240 320x256 320x240 640x200 640x480 640x256 640x480 640x400 640x480 640x512 800x600 I understand that most WinUAE users won't need this feature but I read in multiple arcade forums that users want to use WinUAE within their arcade cabinet, so I'm far from alone with this idea. I'm sure that a lot of people would see a benefit in this idea, not just arcade cabinet users . What do you think ?

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26 March 2006, 23:21	#2
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,570	Good idea but it won't work. Many games mix resolutions vertically..

26 March 2006, 23:30	#3
Konrad Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Age: 43 Posts: 743	Really ? I didn't know that. Which games ? Do you mean like the background in Lionheart ? But sad to hear that it won't work .

27 March 2006, 10:39	#4
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,466	I wonder how many games actually mix resolutions. Not many. It might be an interesting added option (default off) for Arcade users? Doesnt mode / resolution switching on the PC take ages anyhow? Too long for it to be seamless ?

27 March 2006, 11:10	#5
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,570	Interlace switching is possible. Resolution switching is much more complex (screen dragging, different main game screen and scoreboard part resolution etc..) Width fixed at 640 and automatic switching between 640x256 and 640x512 should be easy to implement and will fix the interlace problem. I don't really see any reason for 320/640 switching. (except for performance reasons)

27 March 2006, 22:05	#6
LocalH Amiga user since 1990 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Kingsport, TN / USA Age: 44 Posts: 295	Well, if one were to try to implement an autoswitcher, you could theoretically look at the screens that are currently displayed, use the largest one to determine which resolution to switch to, and then artificially double or quadruple pixels as needed to compensate for hires/lores or interlace differences. But it still seems like too much work, really. I recommend instead that the original poster set up configuration files for each game they wish to play, and then within that config the best resolution for that particular game can be set. I believe there is a way to launch WinUAE, have it automatically load a configuration, and skip the GUI to directly boot the chosen Amiga configuration, although I haven't done such a setup myself.

27 March 2006, 23:20	#7
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,570	Hmm.. UAE display code already records resolution status for every horizontal line (it has to do it for proper display) so your idea may work.. Maybe wait 2-5 frames before switching if there are programs that switch resolutions quickly for some weird reason I'll do some experiments. (but don't expect anything..)

27 March 2006, 23:45	#8
Konrad Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Age: 43 Posts: 743	Great to hear. I'll try to keep my expectations low .

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