Strange resolutions in Mame (Galaxian, Frogger, Scramble)

[LeedsFan]

I'm using an ArcadeVGA card in my bartop and intend to use a 10" TV screen with VGA-RGB Scart input. I only just got the card yesterday and at the moment I have it hooked up to a 19" LCD just the get things up and running. Once all is OK I will transplant to the cabinet.

I'm also using the Avres tool to set up .ini files for each game so I can get the original resolutions. But I have noticed that some games like Galaxian, Frogger, Scramble etc. all have a strange resolution of 758* vertical lines. (*Can't remember the exact figure right now). This ends up looking awful on the screen as it stretches it out so much that the top and bottom are chopped off. I'm sure this wasn't the original resolution of those games so why does Mame say it is?

I'm using Mame v.132 and so I took a look at Mameui v.132 so I could read the technical specs in the notes for each game. It seems these particular games all used an original resolution of 224 x 256. Is there a problem with this resolution? I see it's not supported by the ArcadeVGA.

Can I just edit the .ini file for these games to 224 x 256 and allow Avres to select the best alternative?

[dgame]

Get CabMame

Info on Problem:
http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=219595

I use resolution 352x264 for these games

CabMame:
http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9555

Older CabMAME versions:
http://emuwiki.com/index.php?title=Category:Arcades_%28Various%29&from=Emulator+Archive%3A20090608+MAME+v0.132+Sources+%28-%29

[Zebidee]

Try 352x288 w/ Cabmame for those classic verticals, because games like Galaxian are 288 lines tall & 256 lines games like Frogger will still look sweet, probably perfect once you account for typical TV overscan.

[LeedsFan]

Thanks for the replies guys. Having read the posts you linked to I just decided to roll back a bit to v.124 where the original resolutions are still in Mame. I may well try Cabmame out later on but I still wanted to keep my original Hi-Scores and I think there are issues with Hi-score saving on Cabmame?  (could be wrong but trying v.124 anyway). Just seems the path of least resistance right now. I compiled v.124 source with Hi-Score.dat diff (no nag screens) for same version.

I wasn't sure if Cabmame had no nag screen in as default. I'm only interested in the vertical classics anyway for this bartop.

[Zebidee]

I'm only interested in the vertical classics anyway for this bartop.

In that case, you'll be wanting to run those "classic" era verticals in 240x288

[ahofle]

I'm only interested in the vertical classics anyway for this bartop.

In that case, you'll be wanting to run those "classic" era verticals in 240x288

And by that he means rotate the screen 90 degrees and run them at 288x240.

[LeedsFan]

I'm only interested in the vertical classics anyway for this bartop.

In that case, you'll be wanting to run those "classic" era verticals in 240x288

And by that he means rotate the screen 90 degrees and run them at 288x240.

Yeah that's exactly what I'm doing.    I know what you mean about the resolution x,y. I do it myself all the time. So used to quoting x,y even on a turned vertical screen and assuming x is still across the bottom. 

[dgame]

Thanks for the replies guys. Having read the posts you linked to I just decided to roll back a bit to v.124 where the original resolutions are still in Mame. I may well try Cabmame out later on but I still wanted to keep my original Hi-Scores and I think there are issues with Hi-score saving on Cabmame?  (could be wrong but trying v.124 anyway). Just seems the path of least resistance right now. I compiled v.124 source with Hi-Score.dat diff (no nag screens) for same version.

I wasn't sure if Cabmame had no nag screen in as default. I'm only interested in the vertical classics anyway for this bartop.

The default Cabmame saves high scores but still has the nag screens.

What I do is compile [Mame 127] using all the Cabame diffs except the high score one and use the Hi-Score.dat diff (no nag screens) instead.

This produces a Cabmame with high score save and no nag screens.

Cabmame has a sound hack that gets rid of the sound stuttering.

If anyone is interested here is what I do:

patch 0127_defaults.diff * 
patch 0127_emuspeed.diff *
patch 0127_cleanstretch.diff *
patch 0127_changeres.diff *
patch hi_127a.diff ** instead of 0127_hiscore.diff *
patch 0127_soundsync.diff *
patch 0127_redraw.diff *
patch 0127_resolution.diff *
patch 0127_frogger.diff *
compile

* from http://files.arianchen.de/cabmame/0127_hacks.zip
** from  http://www.rcrsoftware.com/documents/files/hiscore/hi_127a.txt (change extension from .txt to .diff)
    
Get hiscore diff (with no nag/white box removal) here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=64298.0
Get cabmame diffs here: http://files.arianchen.de/cabmame/0XXX_hacks.zip replace XXX in the URL with your three digit source version, some Mame versions are skipped.

To hear the sound hack at work play a game of Ms. Pacman. Put in a credit and start the game but dont do anything. Listen to the repeating pattern of the background sound for breaks and stuttering while all the lives get eaten. With standard Mame you will here the sound break occasionally and with Cabmame the sound will not break. Note if you have a slower system the sound will slow down to match actual game speed. Also if you have a fast system the sound will also speed up if your settings go past 100% speed. I use throttle to keep most everything at 100% so I am pleased with the sound hack. YMMV.

[LeedsFan]

dgame.... I think I will give that a try (but with v.124). 

However I noticed that Frogger.diff isn't in 124 so that must be something relatively new. What exactly does that diff do? Frogger is one of my fave classics so I'd be very interested.

I want to stick with v.124 really due to the resolution problem I had. Plus the fact that v.124 runs at 100% in my bartop whereas v.132 only ran at 98% on all classics. I think the new video driver from v.125 slowed Mame down a bit and on some older systems (like mine) you will notice the difference.

[dgame]

frogger.diff is the one that changes Galaxian, Frogger, etc. in later Mame version so the resolutions work like in .124

The Cabmame 0124_hacks.zip does not contain a frogger.diff because Mame 124 doesn't need it.

Mame .124 has sound stuttering that can be improved using the 0124_hacks.

[D_BIZZZZ]

Hi,

Sorry to wake up a v old topic, but I wonder if anyone knows where the cabmame 0125_frogger.diff is ?
It seems that the 0125 cabmame pack download does not include any frogger.diff ,,, this only appears in 0126 cabmame hacks onwards ..

mame 0124 was the last version before the frogger resolution changed

Any help is most appreciated ,,
Thanks
DB

[ahofle]

You may want to consider looking into GroovyMAME which I believe includes all (most?) of the CabMAME functionality and adds pretty much perfect resolution/refresh rates and improved input latency.

[twistedsymphony]

yes, forget about CabMAME GroovyMAME is the new hot jam.