Software Support > GroovyMAME
GroovyMAME 0.227 - Switchres v0.017t
Calamity:
Windows 7's -actually any modern OS- video stack adds an absurd overhead to video mode switching. It's something you're not supposed to do so often in normal applications. With regards to games switching resolutions, there are some things that can be done to avoid issues:
- Disable the -changeres option in mame.ini. This will leave the game all the time at its default resolution, the one that's reported by MAME xml. You'll have a single mode change on load, then no in-game mode switching. The problem with this is, very often the resolution reported is the first one assigned by the hardware initialization, which doesn't match the main video mode used by the game.
- Force a given resolution by means of the -resolution option. This by itself will disable mode switching (same as -nochangeres) but you can specify the main video mode that's actually used during the game play.
- Use super resolutions. By using super resolutions, most mode changes will be unneeded. Only vertical resolution changes will trigger an actual video mode change. This is ideal for some systems (Sega, etc.) which change horizontal frequency very often while leaving vertical unchanged. For systems that also change vertical resolution, the previous method is preferred.
Besides this, follow these recommendations when possible:
- Try to keep your mode list as short as possible, this will make mode changes work faster. Super resolutions will be of help here.
- Only enable the outputs you actually use. Each extra output that's enabled exponentially increases the time required by certain graphic API calls (e.g. EnumDisplaySettings).
- When possible, use your frontend as your system shell (instead of explorer.exe). Having the default shell at the background means that upon a mode change, Windows will send messages to all the little things that live on your desktop, asking them to redraw themselves etc., which takes a lot of time.
keropi:
thanks for the suggestions Calamity... but I must say that using MA as shell in win7/x64 didn't work that good for me - I had MA gfx corruption issues... no idea why.
Do you use a specific program to change shells or just edit the registry variable? Maybe I was missing some values or something?
ozfalcon:
--- Quote from: tom5151 on October 10, 2016, 11:52:40 am ---
--- Quote from: haynor666 on October 09, 2016, 05:08:07 pm ---It always worked like this but under XP this switching is fast even using version 178. Under windows 7 x64 it's very slow especially when You are using two outputs. Starting with 5xxx cards there is new method noticably faster but still for a slight moment You will see desktop.
I did solve this problem by using frontend that uses black background for mame execution - MAMEWAH. Of course You can still set black desktop and remove all icons plus hide taskbar.
--- End quote ---
Ok, thanks for the information.
But I don't plan to change my frontend, too much work already done on it.
So it means that all games that switch between different resolutions should stop working now on my build.
Do you know other games which switch resolutions ?
--- End quote ---
"wcbowl" switches after initial startup.
Be good to put together a list of Games that do this.
Shienryu
wcbowl
....?
ozfalcon:
--- Quote from: haynor666 on October 10, 2016, 01:59:51 pm ---Besides computers in MAME (probably almost all should/can switch resolutions) all games in drivers based on psx hardware like zn or namcos12, stv, thief, snk6502 (only during boot) segas32 (during boot but some like Sonic or Slipstream also during game) segac2 (only during boot) qix (only during boot), midyunit (only during boot), almost all games in taitogn.cpp, jaguar, hardriv, during boot also: Escape Kids, Violent Storm, Wild West COW, Crystal Castles.
Please note, those informations might be inaccurate and/or outdated.
--- End quote ---
Good to know.
haynor666:
There is article about resolution switching but so far game list wasn't published: http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?id=43
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