Top and bottom of image gone after using AVRes and following directions.

[DirkDiggler_ESQ]

This is related to my original post in the "Main Forum", but now it appears to be going in a new direction.

I have a K7400, Windows XP, and the original version of the ArcadeVGA card.  I installed XP and the ArcadeVGA drivers.  I set my windows resolution to 640x480.  I made sure that my mame.ini file had these settings:

#
# VIDEO OPTIONS
#
video ddraw
numscreens 1
window 0
maximize 1
keepaspect 1
prescale 1
effect none
pause_brightness 0.65
waitvsync 0
syncrefresh 0

#
# DIRECTDRAW-SPECIFIC OPTIONS
#
hwstretch 0

#
# FULL SCREEN OPTIONS
#
triplebuffer 0
switchres 1

I ran avres and picked the following options: single screen, 60 hz only, proportional, horizontal, and stretch interlace.

Now when I run Puckman or 1942 via the command line Mame, the top and bottom of the white box that surrounds the initial disclaimer/game info screen is off the top and bottom of the screen.  Shrinking the height of the screen via the monitor controls doesn't bring it back.  How do I fix that?

[ahofle]

OK I think I made some progress on this.  I was able to get a great looking picture in 1942 that isn't stretched out on the sides using the following settings.  I think the keepaspect change to 0 is what did it.  Let me know if you have any luck with them.  I will play around with Pacman next, but this is a HUGE step for me.  If I can get all the vertical games looking this good I will be very happy.

### 1942.ini ###

### Options ###

triplebuffer            0
keepaspect              0
resolution0             640x288@0
d3dfilter               0


video                   ddraw
prescale                1
numscreens              1
autoframeskip           0
frameskip               0
waitvsync               0
effect                  none
window                  0
hwstretch               0
switchres               1
maximize                1
syncrefresh             0
throttle                1

[ahofle]

Actually, try 648x288, that makes the aspect ratio look even better.  This trick also makes Centipede and Millipede (and other 256 line games) look PERFECT!  I am a happy mofo right now.  I'm not sure there is any way to get the 288 line games (galaga, pacman) to not be cut off slightly on the top and bottom.  I'll keep playing with it, but it makes sense that the monitor can't display that many lines on the screen.

[DirkDiggler_ESQ]

I had sent an e-mail to Andy Warne that detailed this issue and the response I got was:

If the monitor will not adjust there is only one other option unfortunately,
which is to run these games at another resolution and enable hardware
stretch for these games. The vertical games are always a compromise on
horizontal monitors and you cannot always run them at native resolutions (or
rather an appropriate rotated resolution) on some monitors.
Really the monitor should be able to be adjusted, there is probably a fault
such as low HT voltage on the monitor.

I'll try your solution and can hopefully get by using it as opposed to trying to figure out if my monitor is indeed messed up.

[northerngames]

did you leave the artwork un-ticked when you installed avres becuase it say's in the direction's it mess's with the auto res function but not sure if it help's or not but I just read the whole thing last night.

[DirkDiggler_ESQ]

Yes, I kept "use artwork" unchecked.

I don't need to check "Use dashes" since I'm using the command line version, right?

[northerngames]

that part is for the dos and command I believe and not the windows32 version of mame.

I will go back and read it again

here it is

'Add dashes' will add a '-' before the various command switches and use
   the dos versions, ie -hwstretch  instead of hwstretch 1.   This is used
   by MAME and DMAME (see DMAME.txt for details of batch scripts that use this)

the above means hardware stretch in case you do not understand the hwstretch part

[DirkDiggler_ESQ]

I wasn't totally sure since the directions do say "This is used by MAME and DMAME" and not just by DMAME.