After running R-Type in GroovyMAME all the other screen modes are all messed up!

[SPARTAN-122]

HI All, I have an i7 3GHz/12GB Win7-64 dedicated MAME system using a Wie-Ya M3129 chassis with an LG 29" tube 15/24/32Khz (aka "Makvision" Tri-mode) driven by a AVGA 5000.

I have been using GroovyMAME with great success with this system and can run pretty well any horizontal 2D game (e.g. mk.zip, wboy.zip, sfa3j.zip, sfiii3.zip etc.) with smooth video, synced audio and very low input lag with my Q4RAF Sanwa fightsticks & xbox controllers I have attached.  Of course I get the same experience if I run any vertical game with the screen rotated 90 degrees (e.g galaga.zip, viprp1.zip, cave shooters etc.). 

I have been researching in these forums for years and following the excellent advice from the community members and haven't needed to ask questions because the content in the forums is so helpful for solving problems.  However, I ran into a nasty problem yesterday and I'm hoping that re-installing the AVGA drivers will fix it (as a last resort) but wanted to check here first before I do that...

The problem is I get messed up video in every resolution the AVGA driver supports EXCEPT for the 400x256 res (running somewhere between 53-55Hz but not sure the _exact_ frequency).  I ran into the problem ONLY AFTER running R-Type/rtype.zip using the -triplebuffer option. In command line I typed "rtype -triplebuffer" as opposed to using an .ini as I was just testing the option to see if it slowed down the game to the proper speed (it did) and was planning on making one after testing ok.  This did not happen ever in the past when running other games like Mortal Kombat (which shows smooth scrolling/audio during the fight ladder btw) and uses the exact same video mode as R-Type.  Also I should mention R-Type ran well too and continues to but now I've lost all the other resolutions.

I would post a log or .ini but this issue is not isolated to the GroovyMAME config.  Something in the system or driver got altered that affects the display in Windows. The problem happens with any program using the CRT now (it's the primary monitor) like a more modern program like Street Fighter 4 in 640x480. When I reboot the system the custom 15Khz windows boot screen appears messed up too.  After I boot to windows desktop the video is ok only because the CRT is set to 400x256 with QuickRES NT (the AVGA utility with the Notification Icon in the right corner that looks like a Galaga Bee that allows you to quickly change supported resolutions).

If you guys have any suggestions that I could try other than a video driver re-install it would be greatly appreciated.  Lol, until then I am stuck to only being able to play Mortal Kombat and R-Type. ...and I don't think I will be playing R-Type on GroovyMAME again until I use it with an ATI Radeon card that CRT EMU supports and install Atom f/w on it.

Thanks in advance!
Joseph-122

[buttersoft]

You could probably try the crt_emudriver tools with the AcadeVGA driver right now. See what ArcadeOSD and VMM list as your resolutions.

[Calamity]

The only reason I can think of is GM having modified AVGA's default modelines by treating it as a normal Radeon. I have no experience about how GM interacts with a modern AVGA.

As always, without a log this is a waste of time.

[SPARTAN-122]

You could probably try the crt_emudriver tools with the AcadeVGA driver right now. See what ArcadeOSD and VMM list as your resolutions.

HI buttersoft that's a great suggestion.  I am having trouble downloading VMMaker + Arcade OSD 1.4b from the site

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

Clicking on "Download VMMaker + Arcade OSD 1.4b" I get a 404 Error.  When I right click the link & "Save As" I get:

http://aburamushi.net/calamity/vmmaker_arcade_osd_1.4b.exe "Failed - No file"

Once I can get the file I will post the resolutions listed by both apps.  Thanks buttersoft

[Calamity]

Clicking on "Download VMMaker + Arcade OSD 1.4b" I get a 404 Error.  When I right click the link & "Save As" I get:

That version is obsolete. Only the new version may have a chance to work with your card: http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?id=295

Please don't install the Emudriver without posting a log from your current GM installation first.

[SPARTAN-122]

The only reason I can think of is GM having modified AVGA's default modelines by treating it as a normal Radeon. I have no experience about how GM interacts with a modern AVGA.

As always, without a log this is a waste of time.

Hi Calamity, I will post the logs tonight after work.  Sorry about that.  You can't help me if I don't send you the data you request that is clearly visible in your signature .  I thought I could fix the issue by uninstalling the AVGA drivers and using the catalyst driver remover after (to make sure nothing was left) then reinstalling, but the issue still persists.  I checked/cycled through all the AVGA fixed resolutions using QuickRes in the taskbar and the only ones that work fine are 400x256 & 300x200.  All other modes (e.g. 640x480i, 320x240, 384x240)  I get a "scrambled" screen like I did after I ran rtype.  I'm just freaked out right now that the CRT has been damaged in some way.  The only thing giving me hope that it isn't damaged is that I wasn't doing anything stupid when it first happened and that there are those two working modes still functioning properly.  I hope you are on to something with this and that the default modelines can be put back the way they were.  Thanks for taking the time to look at this Calamity I really appreciate this.  I hope what is learned here helps other AVGA users with groovymame.

Regards, Joseph-122

[Calamity]

Reinstalling the driver as you say SHOULD restore everything to the initial state, so it's quite odd this is not happening. I didn't know you had already done that.

VMMaker can be used to remove all custom modes installed in the system, even if accidentally done (e.g. by GM). GM's log will show how the card is being identified by the system and possibly provide some light on this.

I don't think a monitor can get broken in such a way that some modes work and some don't. Maybe a picture of the scrambled modes might help too.

[SPARTAN-122]

That version is obsolete. Only the new version may have a chance to work with your card: http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?id=295

Please don't install the Emudriver without posting a log from your current GM installation first.
[/quote]

Thanks Calamity I have downloaded "crt_tools_2.0_beta_10.exe" and will only use your Emudriver with a fully supported card.  I only plan on using these tools to see what ArcadeOSD and VMM list as my resolutions as buttersoft suggested.

[SPARTAN-122]

Here is my mame.ini. I should mention this was the monitor setting being used when the problem happened:

 changed
FROM:
# CORE SWITCHRES OPTIONS
#
modeline_generation       1
monitor                   generic_15

TO:
# CORE SWITCHRES OPTIONS
#
modeline_generation       1
monitor                   M3129

I'm mentioning this is because for some reason the AVGA install CD cannot install all three CGA 15Khz/EGA 25Kz/VGA 31Khz modes on this particular system, it can only install the CGA/15Khz ones .  I tried to debug it with Andy from ultimarc but it was inconclusive.  Anyways maybe labeling the monitor an M3129 might have been the problem when I should have originally labelled it arcade_15 or arcade_15ex until all three modes were actually working.  The mame.ini is currently set to arcade_15 btw.

[SPARTAN-122]

Here are logs for Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 & R-Type both working fine in 400x256 mode

[SPARTAN-122]

Here are logs for popular resolutions that don't work anymore:

garou.txt (320x240 mode for 320x224 Neo-Geo std res)
sfiii2.txt (384x240 mode for 384x224 Capcom Play System (I/II/III) std res)
kov.txt (448x240 mode for 448x224 IGS std res)
also
astrass.txt (since it can switch on the fly between 640x480 & 320x240 (Sega Titan-Video h/w based))

[SPARTAN-122]

Here is a screenshot of the VMM console.  I tried to export modes to file but the output file was empty.

[SPARTAN-122]

Here are the Arcade_OSD listed video modes

[SPARTAN-122]

These two modes work fine

[SPARTAN-122]

The 640x480i shown and remaining 26 AVGA 15Khz modes all come out scrambled on the M3129 CRT

[SPARTAN-122]

Hi Calamity, as per buttersoft's advice I've attached screenshots from the tools you developed.  I still owe you a screenshot of the scrambled screen but please let me know if you need anything else and I will get it to you right away.

Also can your VMM tool potentially fix these screen mode issues by writing the proper modes to the card or will it just screw it up more since the card is not running your drivers?   

[Calamity]

It could be a coincidence but the two modes that work happen to be the lowest hfreq ones. Find the H-Freq potentiomenter and try adjusting it a bit.

[SPARTAN-122]

It could be a coincidence but the two modes that work happen to be the lowest hfreq ones. Find the H-Freq potentiomenter and try adjusting it a bit.

Hi Calamity, that was the problem.  All the available resolutions are working fine now.  Luckily the m3129 has all the sizing pots located conveniently in the front along with the "H. Hold" one.  I switched manually from 400x256p to 640x480i and while the screen was scrambled I turned the H-Freq pot just a little to the right and Voila, the screen was clear and stable (as with all the others).  Thanks for your help with this.  I owe you one!