MagicEngine

[Minwah]

Firstly, I have an ArcadeVGA card capable of low-res modes. My AVGA is older than the current one (http://www.ultimarc.com/avgainf.html), but basically more or less the same.

When I run PCE, I get the new setup screen, and all available video modes are listed fine. However if I choose a 'low res' mode (eg 321x240), and OK, PCE crashes (standard XP 'send log/don't send' etc screen). I have tried both DirectX and OpenGL renderers - same result. If I choose a 'normal' video mode (eg 640x480), it works fine, so clearly it is a problem with the video mode. Any settings I have made are lost (next time PCE is run they have reverted).

My OS is a pretty barebones XP Home setup. Nothing else running at the same time.

Any ideas? Thanks!

[Chris]

huh ? everything works just fine here...both my Matrox and AVGA...you may try Stretch option "ON/1" in "pce.ini"...i think before i had a similar problem with my AVGA...it's not ME, rather it's likely their unstable/hacked AVGA driver...still i get crash with no obvious reason every now and then...not just ME..

[Minwah]

OK thanks, good to know it works . I will fiddle around with pce.ini...maybe I just need to set zoom=0.

A bit OT, but relating to your comment, I must say that I have never found the AVGA driver to be unstable. Everything I run on this system (with the exception of Windows Explorer, and earlier version of Magic Engine) is in a low-res mode, and never ever had a problem before (built the system 5 years ago).

[Minwah]

OK I tried v1.1.2, and same problem I also played with some settings in pce.ini - again, no joy

I disabled the setup window on startup, and just started MagicEngine in 640x480. Then I went into the Video options...if I pick a 'normal' mode like 800x600 or 640x480, the mode changes fine. However, if I pick a low-res mode, nothing happens, it just stays in 640x480 or whatever.

If I run PCE with pce.ini set with a low-res mode, it just crashes before anything visible happens.

Chris: what version of the AVGA do you have? I don't think it will make much difference, but could you please post your pce.ini file?

[Chris]

o.k. this is my setting in INI...good luck !!

# ----
# setup settings
# ----
#

[setup]

;
; setup window
; --
; y -> show [default]
; n -> hide
;

show=n


# ----
# keyboard settings
# ----
#

[keyboard]

;
; keyboard configuration
; --
; 0 -> config 1 [default]
; 1 -> config 2
; 2 -> HotRod
; 3 -> HotRod SE
; 4 -> X-Arcade 1P
; 5 -> X-Arcade 2P
;

config=0


# ----
# gamepad settings
# ----
#

[gamepad]

;
; gamepad configuration
; --
; 0 -> config 1 [default]
;

config=0

;
; auto calibration control
; --
; 5 .. 95 [default = 50]
;
; the first option is for the left and up directions,
; the second is for right and down directions.
; if a direction doesn't respond lower the value,
; if a direction respond too well (without you touching it
; increase the value.
;

auto_calibration_1=50
auto_calibration_2=50


# ----
# cd-rom settings
# ----
#

[cdrom]

;
; CD-ROM driver
; --
; 0 -> auto-detect [default]
; 1 -> SPTI (WinNT)
; 2 -> ASPI
;

driver=0

;
; CD-ROM drive
; --
; 1 -> first CD-ROM drive [default]
; 2 -> second CD-ROM drive
; ...
;

drive=1

;
; CD-ROM drive letter
; --
; (Windows 2000/XP only)
;
; D:
; E:
; ...
;

drive_letter=P:

;
; CD-ROM disk speed
; --
; 1 (min) .. 99 (max) [default = 8]
;

speed=8

;
; CD-ROM cache
; --
; y -> enable [default]
; n -> disable
;

cache=y

;
; CD-ROM cache size
; --
; 0 .. 8192 KB [default = 512]
;

cache_size=512


# ----
# cdda settings
# ----
#

[cdda]

;
; number of cdda buffers
; --
; 4 .. 75 [default = 5]
;

buffers=5

;
; size of a cdda buffer (in sectors)
; --
; 1 .. 25 [default = 4]
;

buffer_size=4

;
; cdda buffer queue delay
; --
; 2 .. (buffers - 1) [default = 4]
;

delay=4


# ----
# video settings
# ----
#

[video]

;
; driver
; --
; 0 -> DirectX [default]
; 1 -> OpenGL
;

driver=0

;
; windowed mode
; --
;
; y -> windowed [default]
; n -> fullscreen
;

windowed=n

;
; screen resolution
; --
;

screen_width=256
screen_height=224
screen_depth=16

;
; triple buffering (DirectX only)
; --
;
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;

triple_buffer=y

;
; screen aspect ratio
; --
; 0 -> none
; 1 -> 4/3 (298 x 224) [default]
; 2 -> 3/2 (336 x 224)
;

screen_ratio=0,0

;
; desktop mode
; --
;
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;

desktop=n

;
; video sync
; --
; 0 -> disable [default]
; 1 -> enable
; 2 -> vsync + timer
; (special mode to use when the screen refresh rate is higher
; than 60 fps or when running the emulator in windowed
; mode)
;

vsync=1,1

;
; frame skip
; --
; 0 -> disabled [default]
; 1 -> skip 1 frame
; 2 -> skip 2 frames
; ..
;

frameskip=0

;
; fullscreen stretch
; --
;
; 1 -> enable
; 0 -> disable [default]
;

fullscreen=0,0

;
; zoom
; --
; 0 (x1).. 5 (x6)
;

zoom=0,0

;
; high res mode
; --
; 1 -> enable
; 0 -> disable [default]
;

high_res=0,0

;
; filtering mode
; --
;
; 0 -> disable [default]
; 1 -> bilinear filtering
;

filter=0,0

;
; scanlines:
; --
; 0 (no scanlines) .. 40 (black scanlines)
;

scanlines=0,0

;
; scanline patterns:
; --
;

scanlines_pattern_2=0,255
scanlines_pattern_3=0,0,255
scanlines_pattern_4=0,0,255,255
scanlines_pattern_5=0,0,0,255,255
scanlines_pattern_6=0,0,0,255,255,255

;
; gamma correction:
; --
; adjust gamma level (0 .. 40)
;

gamma=20,20

;
; contrast control:
; --
; adjust contrast (0 .. 40)
;

contrast=20,20

;
; saturation control:
; --
; adjust color saturation (0 .. 40)
;

saturation=20,20

;
; brightness control:
; --
; adjust brightness (0 .. 40)
;

brightness=20,20

;
; screen resolution filter
; --
; max width (640 .. 2560)
; max height (480 .. 1600)
;

res_max_width=640
res_max_height=480

;
; screen bit depth filter
; --
;
; y -> enable [default]
; n -> disable
;

res_16bit=y
res_32bit=n

;
; custom screen resolutions
; --
; custom screen resolutions to be used for the different
; PC-Engine video modes (256x224, 336x224, and 512x224)
; and for the GUI
;
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;
; custom_resolution=y
; res_256=256,224
; res_320=320,224
; ...
; res_gui=640,480
;
;

custom_resolution=y
res_256=256,240
res_320=320,240
res_336=336,240
res_352=352,240
res_512=512,240
res_gui=640,480

;
; screen resolution lock
; --
; enable/disable screen resolution locking
;
; y -> auto lock
; n -> no resolution lock [default]
;

res_lock=n


# ----
# audio settings
# ----
#

[audio]

;
; interpolation mode
; --
; 0 -> disable
; 1 -> oversampling (x4) [default]
; 2 -> linear
; 3 -> cubic
;

interpolation_mode=1

;
; interpolation level
; --
; 0 .. 9 [default = 2]
;

linear_interpolation_level=2
cubic_interpolation_level=2

;
; master audio volume
; --
; 0 .. 31
;

master_audio_volume=

;
; psg audio volume
; --
; 0 .. 31
;

psg_audio_volume=

;
; adpcm audio volume
; --
; 0 .. 31
;

adpcm_audio_volume=

;
; cd audio volume
; --
; 0 .. 31
;

cd_audio_volume=

;
; noise level
; --
; 0 (rough) .. 4 (soft)
;

noise_level=

;
; noise volume
; --
; 0 .. 9 [default = 4]
;

noise_volume=4

;
; noise filtering level
; --
; 0 .. 9
;

noise_filter=


# ----
# load menu settings
# ----

[load_menu]

;
; games list
; --
; uses ROMs file name instead of games title
;
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;

use_rom_file_name=n

;
; file name extension
; --
; hide file name extension
;
; y -> hide [default]
; n -> show
;

hide_file_name_extension=y

;
; small font
; --
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;

small_font=n

;
; font case
; --
; 0 -> no change
; 1 -> lower case
; 2 -> upper case [default]
;

font_case=2

;
; preview slideshow
; --
; slideshow speed in 1/2 second unit
;
; 0 (disable) .. 20 (10 seconds) [default = 5]
;

slideshow=5

;
; preview image max size
; --
; maximun size of the preview image [default = 512x256]
;

preview_width=512
preview_height=256


# ----
# misc. settings
# ----

[misc]

;
; gui language
; --
; 0 -> english [default]
; 1 -> french
; 2 -> japanese
;

language=0

;
; fps counter (on screen display, top-left corner)
; --
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;

fps_counter=n

;
; screen resolution (on screen display, top-left corner)
; --
; display the current screen resolution of the PCE
;
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;

screen_resolution=n

;
; psg volume meter (on screen display, bottom-right corner)
; --
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;

psg_vu_meter=n

;
; MagicEngine logo scrolling
; --
; y -> enable [default]
; n -> disable
;

background_scrolling=y

;
; 'ESC' key mode
; --
; 0 -> automatic mode: [default]
; --------------
; when the emulator is started from a shell or from a front-end
; program, pressing 'ESC' will exit the emulator, but when
; the emulator is started by double-clicking on its icon
; pressing 'ESC' will open the menu screen
;
; 1 -> GUI mode:
; --------
; pressing 'ESC' will always open the menu screen
;
; 2 -> exit mode:
; ---------
; pressing 'ESC' will always exit the emulator
;

esc_key_mode=0

;
; backup ram format
; --
; 0 -> old format (backup.ram)
; 1 -> new format (backup.dat, backup.idx) [default]
;

backup_ram=1

;
; state file compression
; --
; y -> enable [default]
; n -> disable
;

compress_state_file=y


# ----
# emulation settings
# ----

[emulation]

;
; frame delay
; --
; adjust video frame delay (15000-18000 탎)
;
; 16393 -> 61 Hz
; 16667 -> 60 Hz
; 16712 -> 59.84 Hz [default]
; 16949 -> 59 Hz
;

frame_delay=16712

;
; default system card for CD-ROM emulation
; --
; 0 -> automatic [default]
; 1 -> System Card v1.0
; 2 -> System Card v2.x
; 3 -> System Card v3.0
; 4 -> Game Express System Card
; 5 -> Magic System v1.0
; 6 -> Magic System v2.0
; 7 -> Magic System v3.0
;

default_system_card=0


# ----
# PCE emulation settings
# ----

[pce]

;
; extended horizontal resolutions (320/352)
; --
; y -> enable [default]
; n -> disable
;

extended_video_modes=y

;
; vertical overscan
; --
; top 0 .. 41 [default=17]
; bottom 232 .. 262 [default=255]
;
; standard overscan 224 lines (top=25, bottom=248)
; extended overscan 239 lines (top=17, bottom=255)
; maximun overscan 242 lines (top=14, bottom=255)
;

overscan_top=25
overscan_bottom=248

;
; supergrafx hardware
; --
; 0 -> auto [default]
; 1 -> enable
; 2 -> disable
;

supergrafx=0

;
; arcade card hardware
; --
; 0 -> auto [default]
; 1 -> enable
; 2 -> disable
;

arcade_card=0

;
; input port
; --
; 0 -> auto [default]
; 1 -> 2-button pad
; 2 -> 6-button pad
;

input_port=0


# ----
# path settings
# ----

[path]

;
; system card paths
; --
;

system_card_1="Syscardco.psy"
system_card_2="Syscarduc.psy"
system_card_3="Syscardsc.psy"
system_card_4="Syscardge.psy"

;
; config path
; --
; (pce.cfg,
; backup.dat, backup.idx,
; games.idx,
; time.dat)
;

config="c:\emulators\pc-engine\alt\pce\"

;
; patches path (*.PPF/*.IPS)
; --
;

patches="patch\"

;
; cheats path
; --
;

cheats="cheats\"

;
; preview screenshots path
; --
;

previews="preview\"

;
; screenshots path
; --
;

screenshots="screenshots\"

;
; saved games path
; --
;

saved_games="states\"

;
; roms path
; --
;

roms="c:\emulators\pc-engine\cartridge\@12,28"

[Minwah]

Thanks Chris, will have a look through tonight!

[Minwah]

OK I have it working! I think it was the screen ratio setting, I had set to 4:3.

However, the GUI refuses to work in anything less than 640x480...but this is no big deal for me as I run pce from a FE via commandline.

Thank for your help Chris, and thanks to the authors for your hard work, this is the final emulator I have been trying to run low-res!

[dmichel]

[Chris]

Yup...that was it "stretch/ratio setting"
before i had exctly same problem...glad it's working fine now...

[Paranoia Dragon]

Yipeee! I was having the same problem, though, with me, it would crash when I would load a rom or clicked on play. It works now though!
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