Hacking Understanding and changing Snes VC RPX settings

[AlanLC]

@AlanLC But can you give the offsets you changed in the N64 ROM/ELF? I would at least like to know what I need to change to fix games like Paper Mario (which has way too much black border, er borderness). Surely, there's a way to at least remove some of the black borders or fill up the screen more. Even if we can't remove them all the way, could you give the offsets?

We've been trying to find out where and how to change this forever.

So could remove the top in config.ini, the bottom does not work
[Render]
ClipTop = 32
ClipBottom

 

[fiveighteen]

Luckily we no longer have to use the SDK to convert to RPX to ELF, RPLStudio should make that easier.

Edit: Wait, I thought RPLstudio converted to Elf, guess it doesn't?

RPL-Studio is just a GUI for wiiurpxtools. Check the credits on BullyWiiPlaza's GitHub. But wiiurpxtools (and therefore RPL-Studio) do in fact decompress RPX to ELF. Thats kind of half of its entire pupose. The file extension is just not changed after decompression (or recompression, for that matter, when going back from ELF to RPX). Note the file sizes after running it, and the fact that you can only find and replace a ROM in the ELF after decompressing.

I'll be adding the option for making NES/SNES 8:7 Aspect Ratio in my Virtual Console Creator program.

EDIT: Though maybe not by default after seeing this: https://GitHub.com/OpenEmu/OpenEmu/issues/1638

 

[ShadowOne333]

So could remove the top in config.ini, the bottom does not work
[Render]
ClipTop = 32
ClipBottom

View attachment 66026

It's a step in the right direction.
Stupid Nintendo and their lazy programming, how much would have cost them to add an option to stretch the screen?
The Turbografx VC actually does have this option. I just wish Nintendo could include an option to turn on/off the gamma filter and to stretch the image of the output video in all VC titles.

 

[the_randomizer]

RPL-Studio is just a GUI for wiiurpxtools. Check the credits on BullyWiiPlaza's GitHub. But wiiurpxtools (and therefore RPL-Studio) do in fact decompress RPX to ELF. Thats kind of half of its entire pupose. The file extension is just not changed after decompression (or recompression, for that matter, when going back from ELF to RPX). Note the file sizes after running it, and the fact that you can only find and replace a ROM in the ELF after decompressing.

I'll be adding the option for making NES/SNES 8:7 Aspect Ratio in my Virtual Console Creator program.

EDIT: Though maybe not by default after seeing this: https://GitHub.com/OpenEmu/OpenEmu/issues/1638

Maybe I did something wrong, I didn't see the ELF file, IDK, I'll run it again and see what I did wrong as I likely experienced a PEBKAC error, what I wish was a way to alter the filtering in NES and SNES VC games; sadly, this is impossible due to the bad job they did with writing the GX2 rendering code for their emulators. At least NERD and M2 got that right with their DS and GBA emulators. *sigh* Either that or I hope for a port of Snes9x 1.54 for the Wii U, which very few seem interested in doing in the first place.

 

[fiveighteen]

Maybe I did something wrong, I didn't see the ELF file, IDK, I'll run it again and see what I did wrong as I likely experienced a PEBKAC error, what I wish was a way to alter the filtering in NES and SNES VC games; sadly, this is impossible due to the bad job they did with writing the GX2 rendering code for their emulators. At least NERD and M2 got that right with their DS and GBA emulators. *sigh* Either that or I hope for a port of Snes9x 1.54 for the Wii U, which very few seem interested in doing in the first place.

You likely did it correctly. It doesn't create a new file, it overwrites the RPX with the ELF and keeps the file name the same.

Ideally, you need to create a copy of the RPX and rename the extension to ELF. Then run wiiurpxtools/RPL-Studio on that ELF to actually decompress it to an ELF. You can then compare the filesize between the original (RPX) and decompressed (ELF) files to confirm that it's decompressed (larger).

A batch file would be easy. Or just keep waiting for my program lol.. I've finally continued development.

 

[the_randomizer]

You likely did it correctly. It doesn't create a new file, it overwrites the RPX with the ELF and keeps the file name the same.

Ideally, you need to create a copy of the RPX and rename the extension to ELF. Then run wiiurpxtools/RPL-Studio on that ELF to actually decompress it to an ELF. You can then compare the filesize between the original (RPX) and decompressed (ELF) files to confirm that it's decompressed (larger).

A batch file would be easy. Or just keep waiting for my program lol.. I've finally continued development.

Hopefully I no longer have to rely on the SDK commands, what will your program do exactly?

 

[fiveighteen]

Hopefully I no longer have to rely on the SDK commands, what will your program do exactly?

1. Choose existing base game
2. Point to ROM
3. Input minor details like Game ID and optionally select icon/background/cover files.
4. Get Loadiine-ready package. Poof, magic.

 

[AlanLC]

compare old RPX (1080P, 1440x1080) with new RPX (720P, 960x720) would be the way to find out how to change resolution and remove black bars?

 

[fiveighteen]

compare old RPX (1080P, 1440x1080) with new RPX (720P, 960x720) would be the way to find out how to change resolution and remove black bars?

I'm not exactly following here. Why are old RPX 1080p and new RPX only 720p? Do you have any examples of each?

 

[AlanLC]

I'm not exactly following here. Why are old RPX 1080p and new RPX only 720p? Do you have any examples of each?

to put two ROMS show a menu with options, and resolution version.

Donkey Kong 64------------Mario Kart 64

 

[fiveighteen]

to put two ROMS show a menu with options, and resolution version.

Donkey Kong 64------------Mario Kart 64
View attachment 66524 View attachment 66525

Hm.. how do you activate that menu?

I assume replacing the MK64 ROM into DK64 runs it at 1080p then? I'd be interested in seeing a side-by-side comparison of that.

 

[ShadowOne333]

That GX2_TV_RENDER thing looks fishy...

 

[the_randomizer]

That GX2_TV_RENDER thing looks fishy...

I thought we tried that before with Snes games?

 

[AlanLC]

Hm.. how do you activate that menu?

I assume replacing the MK64 ROM into DK64 runs it at 1080p then? I'd be interested in seeing a side-by-side comparison of that.

two ROMS in the same folder active the menu in VC N64
but I saw no difference when changing rom, 720 and 1080 equal

but what happens if you can increase or decrease the horizontal resolution and not change the vertical? Not stretch the image to 16: 9?

 

[ShadowOne333]

two ROMS in the same folder active the menu in VC N64
but I saw no difference when changing rom, 720 and 1080 equal

but what happens if you can increase or decrease the horizontal resolution and not change the vertical? Not stretch the image to 16: 9?

How would we do so to test it out?

 

[fiveighteen]

How would we do so to test it out?

Find the hex value like was done with SNES. AlanLC was saying to try to compare the two RPX's and see where the differences are, possibly illuminating what to change for resolution.

Or you could try to disassemble and reverse-engineer the RPX with IDA Pro.

 

[ShadowOne333]

to put two ROMS show a menu with options, and resolution version.

Donkey Kong 64------------Mario Kart 64
View attachment 66524 View attachment 66525

Bringing this back because I'm genuinely curious about the 1080p/720p thing between Mario Kart 64 and Donkey Kong 64.
Why is there a difference in resolution between the two when they both you up in the same 4:3 res?

 

[ShadowOne333]

Bumping this because I wanted to give the N64 16:9 and no Gamma filter another try.
I found some commands which seem to work when written inside the config.ini

Spoiler: Commands

ClipTop
ZClip
Render
CopyDepthBuffer
CopyColorBuffer
DoubleFillCheck
InitPerspectiveMode
ConstValue0
ConstValue1
ConstValue2
ClipRight
useViewportZScale
NeedTileSizeCheck
PolygonOffset
CopyAlphaForceOne
PreparseTMEMBlock
ClipBottom
ClipLeft
bCutClip
CopyMiddleBuffer
ClearVertexBuf
FlushMemEachTask
ForceFilterPoint
ForceRectFilterPoint
NeedPreParse
CalculateLOD
FirstFrameAt
TexEdgeAlpha
UseColorDither
TileSizeCheckSpecial
DepthCompareLess
CheckTlutValid

The ClipTop and ClipBottom options (ClipBottom = 16, ClipTop=16) seem to move the vertical position of the game in both TV and Gamepad.
Left and Right unfortunately do not seem to make a change, but perhaps trying out some variations or playing around with these seetings might bring out something good, same for the Filter commands.

 

[the_randomizer]

Bumping this because I wanted to give the N64 16:9 and no Gamma filter another try.
I found some commands which seem to work when written inside the config.ini

Spoiler: Commands

ClipTop
ZClip
Render
CopyDepthBuffer
CopyColorBuffer
DoubleFillCheck
InitPerspectiveMode
ConstValue0
ConstValue1
ConstValue2
ClipRight
useViewportZScale
NeedTileSizeCheck
PolygonOffset
CopyAlphaForceOne
PreparseTMEMBlock
ClipBottom
ClipLeft
bCutClip
CopyMiddleBuffer
ClearVertexBuf
FlushMemEachTask
ForceFilterPoint
ForceRectFilterPoint
NeedPreParse
CalculateLOD
FirstFrameAt
TexEdgeAlpha
UseColorDither
TileSizeCheckSpecial
DepthCompareLess
CheckTlutValid

The ClipTop and ClipBottom options (ClipBottom = 16, ClipTop=16) seem to move the vertical position of the game in both TV and Gamepad.
Left and Right unfortunately do not seem to make a change, but perhaps trying out some variations or playing around with these seetings might bring out something good, same for the Filter commands.

No worries on the bump, now the next thing I hope we find is changing that damned linear audio in Rare games lol.

 

[Pachee]

Bumping this because I wanted to give the N64 16:9 and no Gamma filter another try.
I found some commands which seem to work when written inside the config.ini

Spoiler: Commands

ClipTop
ZClip
Render
CopyDepthBuffer
CopyColorBuffer
DoubleFillCheck
InitPerspectiveMode
ConstValue0
ConstValue1
ConstValue2
ClipRight
useViewportZScale
NeedTileSizeCheck
PolygonOffset
CopyAlphaForceOne
PreparseTMEMBlock
ClipBottom
ClipLeft
bCutClip
CopyMiddleBuffer
ClearVertexBuf
FlushMemEachTask
ForceFilterPoint
ForceRectFilterPoint
NeedPreParse
CalculateLOD
FirstFrameAt
TexEdgeAlpha
UseColorDither
TileSizeCheckSpecial
DepthCompareLess
CheckTlutValid

The ClipTop and ClipBottom options (ClipBottom = 16, ClipTop=16) seem to move the vertical position of the game in both TV and Gamepad.
Left and Right unfortunately do not seem to make a change, but perhaps trying out some variations or playing around with these seetings might bring out something good, same for the Filter commands.

This is inside Yoshi JP on the Snap inis. Didn't test canvaswidth.
[Render]
bForce720P = 1
ClipLeft = 4
ClipTop = 4
ClipRight = 4
ClipBottom = 4
CanvasWidth = 600
ConstValue0 = 0x800fcbe3
ConstValue1 = 0x800fc0b5 ;scene switch
ConstValue2 = 0x8020c0d7 ;secen switch in pot
ConstValue3 = 0x8020c0e7 ; push in pot == 0x18