MAME scanlines and lay files

[MacGyver]

I spent a long time tonight trying to get perfect scanlines, only to later realize that there is no perfect scanline file and setting, well there is one, there just so happens to be one per original game resolution, that would correlate to your LCDs native monitor resolution.

So I'm asking here, has anyone created ALL the specialty scanline artwork, .ini, and .lay files for ALL the various native game resolutions? 

I'm just sick of seeing 2 or 3 tiny scanlines running through what should be a singular pixel.  Am I missing something.  MAME 148u1 BTW.

[Howard_Casto]

Scanlines are obsolete at this point.  Btw, scan lines were never an accurate depiction of a arcade monitor.  Arc Monitors don't have scanlines, they have a large dot pitch. 

Anyway....

google:

 mame +hlsl   

This is where it's at.   

[eldiau]

HLSL and GLSL on linux do a great job on emulating a CRT but they need a recent Graphic card with the new pixel shader. Many of us use an old PC in the cab...

I use Scanlines75Dx4.png on my 1280x1024 LCD monitor and get quite a pleasing effect on every game, I'm sure the effect depend mainly on you LCD resolution but you have to tell mame not to switch res "switchres 0"


I can't find the original source for Scanlines75Dx4.png so I'm attaching it to this message

[MacGyver]

thanks eldiau,  I might go that route.

Turns out my issue was with not having Directx9 installed on Windows 8.  So hlsl was never really turning on.  Using "effect scanlines" was still working without DX9 so it was confusing me.  It works great now, thanks again.

[Howard_Casto]

Again, scanlines are inaccurate and make a horrible screen effect, even if you are limited to using the effect command. 

What eldiau said is all valid, but don't use that file, it's a scanline file, they are inaccurate. 

Try one of the aperture files that should be in your mame artwork directory.  They look like scanlines but if you zoom in on the png file you'll notice that there is a color band with a bunch of vertical rectangles.  What it is doing is splitting the color out to rgb prospers and simulating the odd dotpitch of an arcade monitor.  It's something you have to mess with as they are resolution dependent, but  if you use the proper file (there are tons out there, I think Mr. Do hosts some) and not a simple scanline you'll get a more accurate look. 

I hope some of that helps. 

[eldiau]

Howard you are right, scanlines are definitely inaccurate but I just like the horrible look 

I found the source where I got the Scanlines75Dx4.png, here it is:
http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=92158&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

Nice big collection with example screenshots!