#82 [requested] Shaders.

[Zibri]

You asked for help with shaders. Most functionality is already there but I wasn’t satisfied with many aspects of it.

I am working on a shader put together by stitching various shaders, simplifying them, removing useless code and cleaning up a bit.

As of now the (very) preliminary result is this:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FVf2r8vstOnJgYl6myMTQDvKS7uDlePz/view?usp=sharing

If you have any suggestions, they are welcome.

Obviously the 1084S monitor image can be removed having only the gorgeous screen and “dynamic” screen frame.

As of now I mostly focused on colors and dithering handling.

Check also this: https://youtu.be/jgZmVVVjBws

[Zibri]

One thing that would be tremendously useful for shader debugging, would be to have the possibility to show an arbitrary PNG instead of the emulator "source", so that one could test the shaders on a known image.

[Zibri]

or, even better, a series of PNGs (taken from a directory) so to test a palette with different images (screenshots or frame grabbed outputs) , because if a palette (or shader) is correct, then all images made before 1995 should display in the right way.. if they don't it means some colors are off compared to what the author was seeing.

[PiCiJi]

Great thanks, looks nice. There are some people who prefer shaders with a permanently displayed monitor.
I would put the shader in Denise's internal area or you could distribute it via the RetroArch shader repo? (this way it's usable for RetroArchs VICE core)
If you use the emu controlled shader parameters (autoEmu_), keep in mind that they do not exist in RetroArch. This means that these parameters are displayed to the user like other parameters.

If not already implemented, you could consider PAL line mixing.
here is a tool to check it.
play with colors
the second file on disk. the real one shows mixed color areas, instead of alternate colored lines.

or, even better, a series of PNGs (taken from a directory) so to test a palette with different images

I could provide a folder selection in the Shader UI, which lists the contained PNG in a box, and selecting one overrides the emu source.
put it on todo list.

[Zibri]

Yep.. internal and precompiled shader would be best.
When I will be finished with the shaders there will be 2 versions: one with the full monitor and one with the screen and border only (or perhaps a single one with a flag)

So in the UI it will be easy to have the full monitor or just it's screen.

But I have some more work ahead, I have to simplify the shader code, slimming it down and probably rewrite it in the end.

PAL line mixing is implemented and also an important feature concerning palettes that made me crazy.. that why I wanted to chat live with you...

[PiCiJi]

Yep.. internal and precompiled shader would be best.

Denise uses RA shader system.
It only supports shaders in SLANG (not precompiled) format, which are then converted to GLSL, MSL, HLSL depending on the graphics driver. The shader cache, however, can then contain precompiled shaders. That depends on the driver.

So in the UI it will be easy to have the full monitor or just it's screen.

You can use shader parameters to make this distinguishable to the user.
Just to be sure, are the shaders built in SLANG for RA shader system ?

[Zibri]

yep.. they are all running in denise.. all test photos...
these are some tests (images need to be better and borders too and I have yet to implement alpha blending.

[Zibri]

video+frame only.

[PiCiJi]

nice.
There is an account "zibri_" in www.forum64.de Maybe that is yours?
I have tried a contact attempt.

[PiCiJi]

There is now an image viewer for testing shaders. This can be switched on via a new icon in the shader UI.