Is Xp64 still THE OS (besides Linux) for this?

[Endprodukt]

Okay,

to be honest I have been out of the arcade world for a while. I used to be one of the guys testing GM in Win7 first and it seems like a lot has happened (I'm still on 1.49!). So... since changing a running system is always a risk, I got a few questions befor I update:

1. On my cocktail I've got a Win7/GM system and it takes forever to boot because of all the modes. Is this still the case? I might go back to XP64 then.

2. What are the major improvements for the Driver in the last year?

I just want to know if it's worth it.

Am I correct that with ATOM-15 I will be able to display the bootup on a 15khz monitor?

Thanks in advance, but reading through all the threads takes all the time I will need to actually get my machine updated. THANK YOU!!!

[haynor666]

Right now with groovymame and latest Calamity driver most of problems are solved. My PC with G3258, H81M-E and Radeon 4350 boots fast (and I have slow Samsung 80 Gb disk for tests). I have disabled any windows 7 fancy tricks (aero, animations etc.) and resolution switching also works normally. But I cannot force most of Taito Type X games to work at 640x480@30Hz and right now most of vector games works at incorrect speeds. Even old MAMEWAH works fine with additional files (dx7vb.dll and dx8vb.dll).

As for Atom-15 does not make sense because UEFI screen and windows 7 boot screen are at 1024x768 and you cannot change this.

[Endprodukt]

The booting was due to the way Win7 organizes all the modes... took forever. Is that gone now?

[Calamity]

Please check this: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,142973.msg1482566.html#msg1482566

1. On my cocktail I've got a Win7/GM system and it takes forever to boot because of all the modes. Is this still the case? I might go back to XP64 then.

This has been successfully bypassed by using super resolutions with GroovyMAME. You need a recent version of GM to support this as well as the newest versions of the software:

http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?id=46
http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?id=65

2. What are the major improvements for the Driver in the last year?

The driver is still the same, it's the supporting software what's been polished. Most driver issues being reported are actually arcade monitor detection issues that didn't exist in XP, that by now can only be addressed satisfactory by adding resistors to the RGB cable.

Am I correct that with ATOM-15 I will be able to display the bootup on a 15khz monitor?

Totally correct.

[haynor666]

Atom-15 makes sense only for people with standard BIOS and XP. Both EUFI and windows 7 are using 1024x768 so it's not possible to see BIOS screen or window 7 boot (screen with flag) on typical 15 kHz arcade monitor or TV, right ?

I've reinstalled windows 7 x64 couple days ago with latest driver. The only problem that I encounter during installation process was information about missing library. After test mode enabling I've successfully switched to 640x480@30 using my LCD (it supports low resolutions and interlaced modes probably upscalling everything to 1280x720)

[Calamity]

Right now with groovymame and latest Calamity driver most of problems are solved. My PC with G3258, H81M-E and Radeon 4350 boots fast (and I have slow Samsung 80 Gb disk for tests). I have disabled any windows 7 fancy tricks (aero, animations etc.) and resolution switching also works normally. But I cannot force most of Taito Type X games to work at 640x480@30Hz and right now most of vector games works at incorrect speeds. Even old MAMEWAH works fine with additional files (dx7vb.dll and dx8vb.dll).

The problem with vector games at incorrect speeds does not happen here. Taito Type X games not seeing interlaced modes is probably a monitor detection issue.

As for Atom-15 does not make sense because UEFI screen and windows 7 boot screen are at 1024x768 and you cannot change this.

I have both W7 & W8 booting at 15 kHz here. Windows boots with whatever it's available. If you remove 1024x768 from bios, it will pick something else. UEFI can't do that, however.

[haynor666]

I didn't know that, thanks for information.

[Calamity]

Atom-15 makes sense only for people with standard BIOS and XP. Both EUFI and windows 7 are using 1024x768 so it's not possible to see BIOS screen or window 7 boot (screen with flag) on typical 15 kHz arcade monitor or TV, right ?

You're assuming dual or tri-sync arcade monitors don't exist. ATOM-15 can adjust 1024x768 to be 25 kHz instead of 48 kHz which these monitors can handle. Even with a standard 15 kHz monitor it's useful as once you have your machine settled you don't enter the BIOS so often, and anyway it's reversible.

[haynor666]

I was thinking about boot process on standard arcade/TV. You have to enable monitor/TV after some time just to avoid incorrect frequency (unless you have j-pac or your monitor can handle this). For BIOS it's not a issue for me because I still have Intel HD on board.

But ok, since booting can be done with 640x480 I'll try with Radeon BIOS mod.

[bulbousbeard]

I really don't see how Taito Type X games can work properly interlaced. They weren't interlaced originally. They all ran at ~60hz. Wouldn't running them interlaced throw off their timing completely?

[haynor666]

On xp almost all taito type x games works correctly even with interlaced 640x480i. But on 7 games picking mostly 640x480p or 640x480i but slowing down 50%.

[Endprodukt]

Where do I setup super resolutions? Couldn't find it in VMM.ini were I expected it?

EDIT: Found, sorry!

[Endprodukt]

Ok, I've setup Super Resolutions, got 19 modes, it boots very very fast now... but none of those super modes are stored or can be seen in arcade ost.

My computer boots in 15khz so that's good.

Do I have to install the latest driver? Did you change it since the first win7 release back then? Maybe that's the problem allready.

Also, in VMM.ini I've set horizontal to 0, because it's a vertical setup.


Edit: When I try to install the CRT driver it says "you allready have the best driver installed" so I guess it's the same, right?

Edit 2: I tried but it cancels and says "dpinst: msvcr100.dll is missing". No it's not. It's in the syswow64 folder AND I put in the folder with dpinst.

[haynor666]

I had the same problem with this library but driver installs anyway.

MonitorHorizontal = 0 means rotating monitor so horizontal games will be rotated 90 degrees on your vertical monitor.

[Endprodukt]

I had the same problem with this library but driver installs anyway.

MonitorHorizontal = 0 means rotating monitor so horizontal games will be rotated 90 degrees on your vertical monitor.

I don't play horizontal games on a vertical monitor - for me it means that vertical games will actually run in their native resolution. That's what matters.

Anyways... I still have the same problem about mame. "Could not find a resolution", "unable to create direct3d device". I think the driver is fine... I have a 15khz picture. For super resolutions you have to change cleanstretch to 2 and add the resolution line. In my mame.ini it's on top. Does it matter WHERE I put it?

[haynor666]

In ini you changed resolution0 to 2560x0 ?

[Endprodukt]

It didn't say it has to be resolution0, just "resolution". Now changing it to that it says "Resolution value not available" and then it says the same as before... so I guess resolution 2560x0 is correct. Not resolution0.

[haynor666]

I've restarted VMMaker with 2560x240 added and after restart and setting:
cleanstretch 2
resolution0 2560x0

that works. I'm using typical 21 inch TV through SCART and UMSA and with Radeon 4350. ArcadeOSD shows 2560x240 ?

[Endprodukt]

As I said... It won't add the super resolutions to the system.

Here is what I do:

set vmm.ini:

Directory to my mame.exe.

ListFromXML = 0
GenerateXML = 0
MonitorHorizontal = 0
ModeTableMethod_Custom = 0 (although it IS as 0 by standard!)

Start vmm.exe as admin. 19 modes created, 12 redundant. In arcade ost I seem to have only native resolutions (startin at 640x480 etc). That's it.


EDIT:

I can see these modes in arcade osd with "hide locked video modes" deactivated. So they're in the system.

[haynor666]

And your ResList.txt file ?

Here is mine:

Code: [Select]

## MAME ##

 240 x 160 @ 59.728000 gba
 240 x 240 @ 60.000000 sega-konami
 240 x 248 @ 60.000000 cvs
 240 x 256 @ 57.000000 travusa
 248 x 240 @ 60.000000 aeroboto
 248 x 256 @ 57.000000 ripcord
 256 x 240 @ 60.098000 MAIN NES
 256 x 248 @ 57.445000 natodef(forced)
 256 x 256 @ 55.000000 irem
 264 x 240 @ 59.542000 8080bw psychic5(H) argus(H)
 272 x 240 @ 60.000000 warpwarp
 280 x 240 @ 60.000000 konami toaplan williams
 288 x 240 @ 60.000000 konami namco
 296 x 240 @ 60.000000 williams
 304 x 240 @ 60.000000 konami
 304 x 256 @ 58.000000 videopin
 320 x 240 @ 60.000000
 320 x 248 @ 60.000000 toaplan2(H)
 320 x 256 @ 55.000000 artmagic
 336 x 240 @ 60.000000 atari
 344 x 240 @ 60.000000 ssv
 344 x 288 @ 50.000000 littlerb
 352 x 240 @ 60.000000
 352 x 256 @ 58.000000 fantland
 368 x 240 @ 60.000000 mwarr wrally stlforce splash
 376 x 240 @ 60.000000 mystwarr
 384 x 240 @ 60.000000 silkroad yunsun cps1-2-3
 384 x 256 @ 55.000000 xexex irem
 392 x 240 @ 60.000000 mercs(H)
 400 x 240 @ 60.000000 snk
 400 x 256 @ 54.707000 midway
 416 x 256 @ 55.000000 midyunit
 448 x 240 @ 60.000000 pgm
 480 x 240 @ 60.000000 popobear lbeach
 480 x 480 @ 60.000000 mcr3
 512 x 240 @ 60.000000 system1
 512 x 256 @ 58.000000 sbuggera
 512 x 448 @ 60.000000 holeland popeye
 512 x 480 @ 60.000000 mcr mcr3 mcr68
 528 x 240 @ 60.000000 xxmissio(H)
 640 x 240 @ 60.000000 blstroid eyedance
 672 x 240 @ 60.000000 skullxbo
 704 x 480 @ 60.000000 laserdics
 768 x 240 @ 60.000000 galaxian(when hack disabled)
 768 x 512 @ 54.066000 tx1
 864 x 496 @ 60.000000 taito3screens
 992 x 496 @ 60.000000 model1 segas24 coolridr
1024 x 240 @ 60.000000 battlera(ddraw cutted)

## Desktop ##

 640 x 480 @ 60.000000 desktop vector
 768 x 576 @ 50.000000 desktop vector
2560 x 240 @ 60.000000 super


[Endprodukt]

What about it? I changed reslist-mod.txt to reslist.txt and as I said it seems like VMM added the super resolutions to the system. I can only see them with "hide unsupported modes" deactivated though.

Now I still can't start a game

Having only one super-resolution in your Reslist makes no sense to me.

[haynor666]

Have you tried untag "hide unsupported modes" in system properties ? I have it un taged.

EDIT. I don't see any effect. At least without restarting PC

[Calamity]

Endprodukt,

You have the typical monitor detection issue. Check these threads:

http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=835#p835
http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=894#p894

Basically unless the arcade monitor is detected the behaviour won't be what's expected. Interlaced modes and everything above 1600x1200 will be filtered out. A nice workaround is to edit the ReslList.txt file and replaced the 2560x values by 1600x values.

[Endprodukt]

Okay I'll try the workaround. Will I have to set mame.ini to resolution 1600x0 ?

[Endprodukt]

Works, awesome. Do you still recommend using resistors? Has anyone done it allready because I don't seem to understand how to wire them up...

[Calamity]

Yes, people have been doing it successfully, my recommendation is to use the resistors. Here's a link with the logic and schematic, search "If your PC does not sense your monitor" down:

http://www.geocities.ws/podernixie/htpc/cables-en.html

[Endprodukt]

Helpful as always Calamity. Am I supposed to add the resistors to the VGA Cabla or between Monitor/Jpac?

[Calamity]

Helpful as always Calamity. Am I supposed to add the resistors to the VGA Cabla or between Monitor/Jpac?

I'd say they have to go in the VGA cable, otherwise the JPAC could block the detection.

BTW It would be nice to have a ready made VGA passthrough dongle with the resistors in it.

[Endprodukt]

Yes, that would be nice indeed... I guess it will look "hacked".

Interesting...Frogger only runs at 97%... that's new to me... hum....

Edit: Well seems like many games run at exakt 97% and say "partially updated" when I hit F11, 1942 runs at a solid 100% and doesn't say that.

[Calamity]

Interesting...Frogger only runs at 97%... that's new to me... hum....

That shouldn't happen of course. Create a log (groovymame frogger -v >frogger.txt) and attach it here.

[Endprodukt]

There you go. Solid 97% without hickups. Plays nice anyways but well.. I know it's not 100%. I can't say if it has to do with the system though... it's a mini itx, not a highend pc. BUT it was running at 100% before I updated today

[haynor666]

SwitchRes: [frogger] (1) horizontal (256x224@60.61)->(1600x248@58.77)

That explains everythin. Instead 1600x240@60,606 groovymame choose 1600x248@58.77. Syncing overall speed drops a little.

How about force 1600x240 in source/galaxian.ini ?

[Endprodukt]

Why would it choose that resolution instead of the correct one? Never had that problem

[Calamity]

Don't force anything. Try using "monitor arcade_15" instead generic_15.

Also, make sure cleanstretch 2 is being used.

[Endprodukt]

Resolution is set to 1600x0, correct?

[Endprodukt]

Don't force anything. Try using "monitor arcade_15" instead generic_15.

Also, make sure cleanstretch 2 is being used.

That did it. You're the man. Thanks Calamity for your hard work!

[Calamity]

Why would it choose that resolution instead of the correct one? Never had that problem

This problem is related to the one here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,133076.msg1369416.html#msg1369416
... which I thought had been fixed already. Raising HfreqMin should serve as a workaround. I'll will try to fix it for the next patch, thanks for reporting it.

[krick]

I'd say they have to go in the VGA cable, otherwise the JPAC could block the detection.

BTW It would be nice to have a ready made VGA passthrough dongle with the resistors in it.

Unless I'm misunderstanding how this works, you should be able to solder the resistors onto the underside of a JPAC where the VGA connector pins go through the PCB.

Have you reached out to Andy at Ultimarc about this?  He might consider adding the resistors to the JPAC design for future revisions if this is going to be a problem going forward.  He might also have connections that could make a dongle (for people not using a JPAC), seeing as he's gotten a lot of stuff custom made over the years.

[Calamity]

Unless I'm misunderstanding how this works, you should be able to solder the resistors onto the underside of a JPAC where the VGA connector pins go through the PCB.

Yes, at least one user here has done that. But my fear is the risk of damaging the board. I haven't contacted Andy about this, but indeed it would be a great feature to add. I'd say the ArcadeVGA drivers already solve this problem by software. I did contact a guy in Spain that's building custom boards to see if he could do a dongle and he said he might look into it as the circuit is so simple.

[Generic Eric]

Helpful as always Calamity. Am I supposed to add the resistors to the VGA Cabla or between Monitor/Jpac?

I'd say they have to go in the VGA cable, otherwise the JPAC could block the detection.

BTW It would be nice to have a ready made VGA passthrough dongle with the resistors in it.

Does anyone know a Crafty Mech who can work on this?