Importing emulator filter/shades to "Console to pc" Port games?

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Okay, this may be a bit of a long stretch by how people can judge this, but I'm not in the right place to do so, I don't know what i'm doing. But i know what i want to do. Basically we all know if you use emulators, you know they come with graphic filters or shaders. They are used to visually alter the image of the game you play. Most of the reason they exist may be to emulate various genuine article of games as the original concept was, for example, a filter to try and replicate you playing nes game on CRT tv with the fuzz and scanlines and such. But some times they are used to upscale images of retro looking pixelated games to modern systems (Mostly with HD) to keep it looking presentable or in my case, "acceptable for a HD tv output."

Basically what i am asking here is if some of those possible image filters can be ported to some games that are basically a console port to pc game? For Example Final Fantasy VIII is a psx game ported to pc, so it must still function somewhat like one, but improved by pc environment, the fact i found shaders. "Pixel.HLSL Vert.HLSL" Not that i know about those type of files but maybe is possible to replace or add some that are better. That what I was thinking. Of course I doubt every game would need it, so that why i was curious about it.

 

[FAST6191]

I imagine you could force the output of a game into a window and then upscale that window in real time using one of the basic filters (most of the ones you use in emulators are not any kind of game aware, they are just maths that works well for pixel art). If you have ever used the windows accessibility tools magnifying tool then that is basically doing just that.

Offhand I am not sure what I would use to do that, and there would probably be a better ways to set about it all. Depending upon the game and video output API you might do better running it in a virtual machine too.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

I imagine you could force the output of a game into a window and then upscale that window in real time using one of the basic filters (most of the ones you use in emulators are not any kind of game aware, they are just maths that works well for pixel art). If you have ever used the windows accessibility tools magnifying tool then that is basically doing just that.

Offhand I am not sure what I would use to do that, and there would probably be a better ways to set about it all. Depending upon the game and video output API you might do better running it in a virtual machine too.

Well sure that would make sense, instead of playing a pc port of psx games just use EPSXE playstation emulator. It does exist, and is true.

But I suppose people would do that if pc port of games give no real reason to run them in the pc port it has, than being a virtual emulation box, to just use a emulator instead. (Using a nes emulator instead of virtual console as example) But I was just curious, of how much of the port was actually maintained during transition. If enough of the game's data was still original and not actually PC converted, then perhaps is just a emulator for that one game. Then perhaps is can be compared to existing emulators and just ported shaders.

Either that or is just unncessary, to be honest it would be simple to use emulator, but given that some pc ports actually do provide enough of a difference that is worth owning over a emulator, which solely depends on what is offered in the port. Then i suppose if is not worth it to someone, they would care less, which is common and i understand.

But you know i like to just think about things and maybe give ideas of new things people can work on if they every wanted challenge or make new stuff.

 

[FAST6191]

That varies from port to port. Emulation was a bit hazy during all that (you could get it done but legally speaking and practically speaking it would not have been the best choice) so I doubt many PC ports of console games were mostly emulation, not to mention being coded in normal high level languages you could do real ports where older 8-16 bit era games might have been assembly and thus a PC port would have represented a lot more effort.

Similarly the PC versions might well have better controls and other tweaks. During the timeframes you speak of the idea of a PC port was something to be considered, rather than essentially identical save for the slight resolution bump, redoing the UI components to say WASD rather than X, square, triangle and circle and maybe doing it sloppy so you need a PC 6 times more powerful than the console it came from to do well. To that end sticking it in virtualbox vs running an emulator is not as clear cut as you make it seem.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Durante did something like this for Dark Souls with DSFix, basically what happens there is his "fix" intercepts DirectX API calls and modifies them to change various quality settings. You could, for example, change the internal resolution to 1080p (or higher), unlock the FPS, add more AA settings etc etc.

GeDoSaTo, a tool also developed by Durante, also does something similar that allows you to change some of the same quality settings. http://blog.metaclassofnil.com/?page_id=582 <

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Okay, a bit off topic but, i noticed while using MPC or Media player classic home cinema, and you can add shaders to use in the video player. The shaders it uses is HLSL The very same files i mentioned that is used in the pc port of final fantasy VIII. Now my idea maybe is also possible to use the shaders in video playback to enhance some games.