Another MAME question -- about pictures going off the screen

[goofy]

Sorry to keep asking MAME questions here, but this board actually seems more knowledgeable and much more friendly than the MAME site . . . so here goes. And, again, thanks for all the help.

I have noticed some/many games run off the screen. I have noticed this in many versions of MAME running several different frontends. This seems to be happening less with newer versions of MAME, but still there.

For instance, I was playing Puzzle Bobble 2 (any version has the same result) and a portion of the right edge got cut off. To illustrate, if you hit F11 and get the FPS shown, you can't see the second 60 in the speed, it just says 60/ (and you can just see the beginning of the next 6, the rest is cut off).

Any idea how to fix this. I'm on MAME32 v0.86. I've noticed that in the default game options, under Advanced, if I have "Stretch using hardware" checked, then I get the right side cut off as described above. If I uncheck this option, then I get about the same amount of screen cut off, but on the left side. The game displays perfect under Mame32 v0.37.

Is this a bug or is there a setting to fix this/these kind(s) of issues?

Thanks again.

[Nephus]

I've got .85 and it works perfectly, so I doubt that it's MAME32 causing the problem.

there could be several reasons for this, but the simplest is re-adjusting your monitor (assuming you're using a PC monitor) for that resolution.  Chances are the screen just isn't calibrated properly.

[Sylentwulf]

Forcing all games to run at my set resolution worked for me.

[paigeoliver]

A monitor has to be properly adjusted for each and every resolution. Your monitor simply isn't adjusted for some resolutions, which is why you are having these problems.

If you simply adjust your monitor whenever you encounter this you will eventually find that the problem goes away. Or run everything at 640x480 like I do.

[goofy]

Thanks for the suggestion of the set resolution. I think that's the route I'll go since I don't want to have to have people continuously resetting the monitor.

Just out of curiousity, why 640 x 480 and not something like 1024 x 768? I guess 640 x 480 would be all that's really needed.

Also, are there any negatives or drawbacks to using a fixed resolution?

[etumor]

Why use 640x480 and not something higher?  Generally speaking because low-res raster games will look better at the lowest resolution possible (and yes, resolutions below 640x480 are possible).  But there are many instances where you wouldn't want to run 640x480:

1. Vector games look better at higher resolutions.

2. Many "effects" don't work well at 640x480, and work better as the resolution gets higher.  Example: -effect sharp generally does nothing at 640x480, but kicks in at 800x600.  Many of the scanline effects have varying degrees of effectiveness depending on what res you use.

3. If you are using artwork (like bezels), it is sometimes possible to get the artwork to look better (sharper) by increasing the resolution.

4. There are a few high res vertical games -- if you display these on a horizontal monitor, you'll probably want the res to be higher than 640x480.

There are other reasons, but this is what I can think of off the top of my head.

Your monitor only has a handful of resolutions it is capable of anyway.  If I were you, I'd put up with adjusting them individually as you run each game for the first time.  Keep in mind that your monitor remembers the setting, so once you've setup one resolution, you'll never have to adjust that resolution again.  For example, once you've adjusted the screen for "Metal Slug," it will be adjusted for every Neo-Geo game you ever run (since they all use the same resolution).  If you adjust it for Pac-Man, it will be set correctly for Ms. Pac-Man and a hundred other games.  You won't have to do more than a dozen games before you're done.

-Jeff "etumor"

[goofy]

OK, I should have asked this before, but how do you tune/adjust the monitor to each resolution from inside the game? I have an "Auto Tune" function in my monitors menu, but that didn't work. I also have H & V position options but NOT H & V size options. So, all I can do is shift which portion of the picture is off the screen.

I'm still debating the fixed resolution or the adjust everything once option. But, either way, I'd like to know how to do this (for the sake of knowledge).

Thanks.

By the way, just as you suggested, the fixed resolution did fix the screen cutoff.

[monsterbaldy]

Using Mame32 change the zoom from 2 to 1? Or is it not cutting that much?

[goofy]

No it's definitely not cutting off half of the picture. Maybe an inch on the right.