Software simulation of monitor burn-in?

[Martoon]

Anyone know of a build of (or patch for) MAME that simulates monitor burn-in?  For me, part of the authentic experience of playing an old coin-op in a convenience store/restaurant/bar etc. is a slightly blurry monitor with a little burn-in.  It would be nice to have a faint burn-in image for each game that could be blended over the screen.  Has anyone done this?

If not, I may take a crack at it myself.  Basically, I'd need to add a sampling mode that the user could turn on.  They could then run the game in attract mode for a couple minutes, and I'd grab samples of the screenbuffer at regular intervals, and merge these samples into an averaged image.  I could use this averaged image to procedurally generate the burn-in image.  The settings for each game would specify whether to use the burn-in image (similar to the way overlays are specified), and the degree to which it should be blended.

[Buddabing]

Anyone know of a build of (or patch for) MAME that simulates monitor burn-in?

[2600]

Actually, couldn't use the artwork function itself.

Budda correct me where I am wrong, but you could use the title snap shots then in the art file specify the alpha and/or brightness.  Would this not have the same effect?

I would think for the effect, you wouldn't need a series of snapshots just the one should do.

[Martoon]

Actually, couldn't use the artwork function itself.

Budda correct me where I am wrong, but you could use the title snap shots then in the art file specify the alpha and/or brightness.  Would this not have the same effect?

I would think for the effect, you wouldn't need a series of snapshots just the one should do.

You need to take a series of snapshots while the game is running in attract mode (where most burn-in tends to happen), then average these together to get a single image.  This single image represents a sort of time-blurred average of what's typically on the screen while attract mode is running.  You would then run this single, averaged image through a function to create the single burn-in image, and this burn-in image is what's blended onto the screen while the game is played.

What I still need to figure out is the function to create the burn-in image from the averaged capture, and the way this should be blended with the output from the game's screenbuffer.  For the most part, I think the burn-in image should be something like a negative of the capture (since the brighter screen pixels from the game result in darker burn-in areas), and the blending of this with the game's output might be partially multiplied, and partially additive.  I'll have to do a little research and look at some burned-in screens to come up with a decent functional model.  Anyone have any links to some good photos of burned-in monitors (preferably with something being displayed on them)? 

[Buddabing]

Actually, couldn't use the artwork function itself.

Budda correct me where I am wrong, but you could use the title snap shots then in the art file specify the alpha and/or brightness.

[Martoon]

I don't think burnin is noticible enough to make a difference once the game is turned on. I really don't think this project will make enough of a difference in the gaming experience to justify the time cost. While I still think it can be done, my efforts are best spent elsewhere.

I certainly wasn't suggesting that you do this.  I was initially wondering if anyone else has already done it, and if not, I'm considering doing it myself.

Admittedly, the value of this is limited, but I think it could add that "subtle something".  The burn-in is visible when the game is running (I was just looking at a Bubble Bobble in a truck stop yesterday), but mostly when the game is displaying something different than what's typically onscreen in attract mode.

I saw an Asteroids remake one time that simulated burn-in, and it added a nice nostalgic touch.

Probably something I won't get around to doing anytime soon, but it's just one of those things that sticks in the back of my brain, and if it festers there long enough, I'll do something.

[BobbyG66]

I guess if you're into that "used" look.
Why not "antique it" like people do to new furniture.
Sand the corners, whack it with a chain and then burn the console with cigarettes...

...just doen't make sense to me.
Oh well. We are all different and that's ok.

[Chris]

The Asteroids artwork features burn-in effects.

[2600]

It's been a while since I've seen a good screen burn, but still think a title shot may be good enough.  I could be entirely off so let me know.

Here's a quick sample of what I was talking about before with Pacman.  Obviousily could be tweaked, but was first shot very quickly.  Maybe add a mask to take out the color a bit.

Here's the artfile:
backdrop:
   file      = pac01387.png
   layer      = backdrop
   priority   = -2
   visible      = 1
   position   = 0.0,0.0,1.0,1.0
   brightness   = 0.4

The burnin png(didn't have the real title shot with me) and ingame png with burnin.

[2600]

It's been a while since I've seen a good screen burn, but still think a title shot may be good enough.  I could be entirely off so let me know.

Here's a quick sample of what I was talking about before with Pacman.  Obviousily could be tweaked, but was first shot very quickly.  Maybe add a mask to take out the color a bit.

Here's the artfile:
backdrop:
   file      = pac01387.png
   layer      = backdrop
   priority   = -2
   visible      = 1
   position   = 0.0,0.0,1.0,1.0
   brightness   = 0.4

The burnin png(didn't have the real title shot with me) and ingame png with burnin.  Is it close?

[Chris]

There wouldn't be any color on burn-in.

[2600]

Yeah, your probably right.  Like I said it's been a while, It was just a thought.

Is it just me or is the burnin of asteroids an actual picture of a monitor with burnin?

[Chris]

Yeah, your probably right.

[Martoon]

Actually, I think Pacman (or Puckman, in this case ) would be something more like what I have below.  I did this in Photoshop.  I boosted the brightness slightly on the gameplay image so the background isn't completely black (to make the darker burn-in areas visible).  I took the negative of the burn-in image, and added it as a multiply layer with an opacity of about 30%.  The result is subtle (as it should be), but it's there, and I think would be more effective in actual, moving gameplay.

Note that the burn-in is colored.  It's just that it's a negative, and it's used to multiply the display colors.  I believe this is the way burn-in would work on a real color monitor, since I think the red, green, and blue phosphor elements would suffer the effects of burn-in independently.  For example, pixels that are constantly bright red in attract mode would have the red elements weakened, but the green and blue elements would be uneffected.  During gameplay, if something white is shown there (white = full red + full green + full blue), it would show as white (red + green + blue), but with somewhat lessened red, so it would be white with a slight cyan (green + blue) tint.