1. Setting Up Textures:​

• A) There are two different texture pack formats for modern texture packs:
  • a folder of raw PNG files that are usually separated into subfolders.
  • an HTC file which is essentially a cached version of PNG files that are combined into one file - This is the file type that is going to be used by Mupen64Plus on the Switch.

• B) Sources for Textures:
  • Sources for texture packs (with some projects being raw PNGs, and others having precompiled HTC files): EmulationKing, Textures.Emulation64, Emutalk, and Emulation64.

• C) Converting PNG Textures to HTC Files
  • If you decide to use a texture pack that has no precompiled HTC file you will need to convert it so that it is usable on Mupen64Plus. Here is shownthe process of converting PNG texture packs into HTC files.

• NEW METHOD (Directly from Mupen64Plus!):
  • Place png files in /retroarch/cores/system/Mupen64plus/hires_texture
  • An HTC files will be generated on startup but there will be no indication so it will appear stuck on a black screen and the menu cannot open until done.
  • For HTS (File storage) both "Enhanced" HD options need to be on additionally (mupen64plus-EnableEnhancedHighResStorage = "True" and mupen64plus-EnableEnhancedTextureStorage = "True")
    
  • All settings for HTS / HTC must match with the settings it was created otherwise it will not load

• OLD METHOD (Using a PC):
• • Download Project64.
  • Download the GlideN64 plugin.
  • Put the plugin in the GFX folder of Project64.
  • Within the menu of the program manually select GlideN64 to be used.
  • Direct the plugin to the 'hires_texture', 'cache', and 'texture_dump' folders.
  • Make sure that 'Save enhanced texture cache to hard disk' is checked!
    
  • Run the ROM.
  • Allow the textures to load, you should see yellow text loading each one.
  • Once the rom is running, close the program and wait a moment, as some of the larger texture packs take a few seconds to compile to the HTC file.
  • In the folder you set for 'cache', you will see an HTC file named after your ROM - note that this does NOT have to match the filename of the rom!.

2. Transferring the Texture Pack to Retroarch on the Switch:​

• A) Transferring the HTC file to Mupen64Plus:
  • Access your Switch's microSD card by either a card reader or an FTP program.
  • Take the HTC file you created in the 'cache' folder and transfer it to the folder 'cache' in Retroarch>cores>system>Mupen64Plus>cache (and if that folder does not exist, create it).

3. Enabling the Hi-Res Textures in Mupen64Plus:​

• A) Enable the Setting to Allow Texture Replacement in Mupen64Plus:
  • Start Retroarch by either using the NSP provided by Retroarch, The NSP forwarding method, or by using selecting it from the Homebrew Launcher while holding the R trigger (in SXOS) - this allows the program to use all available memory.
  • Load your N64 ROM
  • While the ROM is loaded, select the Quick Menu and go the Options tab for the core
  • Enable Use High-Res textures and Use High-Res Full Alpha Channel - note that I personally had to toggle these a few times after quitting Retroarch but they eventually worked.
  • Quit Retroarch and restart the program and rom

4. F.A.Q:

• A) Larger Texture Pack Incompatibility
  • OBSOLETE INFORMATION (12/5/19)- Mupen64Plus NO LONGER HAS THIS LIMITATION Some texture packs larger than 1 gigabyte, such as the Majora's Mask N64HD Project, seem to approach the 1.5 gigabyte texture cache memory limit for Mupen64Plus. As such they seem to freeze (for me, at least). For this particular pack I have personally downsized some of the larger environmental texture folders by 33% and left other elements such as the UI, characters, effects, and other smaller folders untouched. This reduced the size to around 750 megabytes which works on the Switch, albeit with a long initial load time. Here is my reduced size version.

• B) Does My Texture Pack File Name Have to Match my ROM File Name?
  • NO!, if Project 64 loads the textures and you use the identical ROM on your switch that you used to cache those textures into the HTC file, it will work regardless.

• C) Do Dolphin Textures Work on Mupen64Plus?
  • NO!, only HTC files can be used. I don't believe that you can convert a PNG texture pack made for Dolphin's Virtual Console games to HTC without considerable effort.

Edit: I'm a new member so I can't post any hyperlinks. I have a version of this on the usual Reddit forums with the appropriate pictures and links for many of the steps, as well as my link for my reduced texture pack for Majora's Mask.

 

[Bryan1986]

1. Setting Up Textures:​

• A) There are two different texture pack formats for modern texture packs:
  • a folder of raw PNG files that are usually separated into subfolders.
  • an HTC file which is essentially a cached version of PNG files that are combined into one file - This is the file type that is going to be used by Mupen64Plus on the Switch.

• B) Sources for Textures:
  • Sources for texture packs (with some projects being raw PNGs, and others having precompiled HTC files): EmulationKing, Textures.Emulation64, Emutalk, and Emulation64.

• C) Converting PNG Textures to HTC Files
  • If you decide to use a texture pack that has no precompiled HTC file you will need to convert it so that it is usable on Mupen64Plus. Here is great tutorial that shows how to convert PNG texture packs into HTC files. Essentially, this requires a computer running Project64 with the GlideN64 graphic plugin which reads the textures and caches them into the HTC file which allows it to run the ROM with the textures faster. This is the file we will be using on Mupen64Plus. The process is basically:
    
    • Download Project64.
    • Download the GlideN64 plugin.
    • Put the plugin in the GFX folder of Project64.
    • Within the menu of the program manually select GlideN64 to be used.
    • Direct the plugin to the 'hires_texture', 'cache', and 'texture_dump' folders.
    • Make sure that 'Save enhanced texture cache to hard disk' is checked!
      
    • Run the ROM.
    • Allow the textures to load, you should see yellow text loading each one.
    • Once the rom is running, close the program and wait a moment, as some of the larger texture packs take a few seconds to compile to the HTC file.
    • In the folder you set for 'cache', you will see an HTC file named after your ROM - note that this does NOT have to match the filename of the rom!.

2. Transferring the Texture Pack to Retroarch on the Switch:​

• A) Transferring the HTC file to Mupen64Plus:
  • Access your Switch's microSD card by either a card reader or an FTP program.
  • Take the HTC file you created in the 'cache' folder and transfer it to the folder 'cache' in Retroarch>cores>system>Mupen64Plus>cache (and if that folder does not exist, create it).

3. Enabling the Hi-Res Textures in Mupen64Plus:​

• A) Enable the Setting to Allow Texture Replacement in Mupen64Plus:
  • Start Retroarch by either using the NSP provided by Retroarch, The NSP forwarding method, or by using selecting it from the Homebrew Launcher while holding the R trigger (in SXOS) - this allows the program to use all available memory.
  • Load your N64 ROM
  • While the ROM is loaded, select the Quick Menu and go the Options tab for the core
  • Enable Use High-Res textures and Use High-Res Full Alpha Channel - note that I personally had to toggle these a few times after quitting Retroarch but they eventually worked.
  • Quit Retroarch and restart the program and rom

4. F.A.Q:

• A) Larger Texture Pack Incompatibility
  • Some texture packs larger than 1 gigabyte, such as the Majora's Mask N64HD Project, seem to approach the 1.5 gigabyte texture cache memory limit for Mupen64Plus. As such they seem to freeze (for me, at least). For this particular pack I have personally downsized some of the larger environmental texture folders by 33% and left other elements such as the UI, characters, effects, and other smaller folders untouched. This reduced the size to around 750 megabytes which works on the Switch, albeit with a long initial load time. Here is my reduced size version.

• B) Does My Texture Pack File Name Have to Match my ROM File Name?
  • NO!, if Project 64 loads the textures and you use the identical ROM on your switch that you used to cache those textures into the HTC file, it will work regardless.

• C) Do Dolphin Textures Work on Mupen64Plus?
  • NO!, only HTC files can be used. I don't believe that you can convert a PNG texture pack made for Dolphin's Virtual Console games to HTC without considerable effort.

Edit: I'm a new member so I can't post any hyperlinks. I have a version of this on the usual Reddit forums with the appropriate pictures and links for many of the steps, as well as my link for my reduced texture pack for Majora's Mask.

Hi anytime I launch a Rom with mupen64 my switch crashes any advice please all other emulators are running fine

 

[Elm0z4ch]

Project64 does not create the .htc file for me, I have tried everything, running as administrator, changing the directorys etc...?

 

[Trademaster]

Does this work with mupen64-next?

 

[mattyxarope]

Does this work with mupen64-next?

Yes

 

[South Cape]

Just as an added little point for clarity for Mupen64plus-next (in case anyone is confused like I was), the folder Next uses is still /retroarch/cores/system/Mupen64plus/cache or /retroarch/cores/system/Mupen64plus/hires_texture just like the OP says. Mupen64plus-next doesn't look in cores/system for a folder called "Muper64plus-next", so don't spend two hours wondering why it's not working like I did.

 

[Basketto]

Has anyone been able to convert files above say 3gigs? Ive been trying to get a proper cache for the MM64 HD textures(full) weather I’ve used project64(patched), retroarch, or mupenfz switchroot everything fails... project64 just gives me a shitload of errors. The numbers reach around 2100mb before a minus symbol is added and the numbers reverse. So basically the next number in that sequence would be -2099, -2098. Upon finishing errors such as “failed to allocate memory” or “exception caught” line 485occur. As a final alternative the app just shuts down.
Retroarch and MupenFZ switchroot also fail, however MupenFZ wont shut down, it will just reach say 1800mb before the loading box disappears and Mupen reacts as if nothing occured.
Has had more success with large files? Any insights or would be amazing and much appreciated . Im tearing my hair out over this crap lol.

 

[Spider_Man]

Its been many years since I've ran PJ64 or N64 emulators for texture related things, but WOW how they have managed to make it very complicated over the years.

Back when I used to do texture editing all you needed to do was install the emulator, tick Dump Texture/Load Texture options and set the Dump?Load directories and hit D Hot Key to Dump Textures and R to Reload Textures.

I simply need to dump a games textures to create a custom cart label.

So I download the latest PJ64 and spent hours to try find how to dump textures and nothing at all, I see the Hot Keys are there to do it, but no matter what Graphic Plugin I select, none of them will dump any textures.