[Testers Wanted] PCSX2-CE for OS X (v1.0!)
(05-27-2014, 06:24 PM)ClarkKent Wrote: I wonder why the SDL graphics plugin was removed in all later versions than r5179? I think I'll ask this in the PCSX2 forum but maybe someone here knows something about that, too?

The SDL (software rendering only) backend was added mostly for porting GSdx to linux in software mode, because before SDL was added, GSdx only used DirectX (for both software and hardware rendering). The SDL backend worked with both linux and windows.

The SDL backend was removed by Gregory when he started working on the OpenGL backend, because the SDL code got in the way. The OpenGL backend works in both hardware and software mode on linux and windows, so it makes SDL almost redundant.

Almost, because the OpenGL backend has some requirements from the drivers which not all systems out there meet, while the SDL backend has "easier" requirements.

(05-27-2014, 06:24 PM)ClarkKent Wrote: And I wonder why not using the Linux version as a basis for the MacOS X version? Isn't Linux closer to MacOS X than Windows?

While OS X is indeed closer to linux than to windows, there are no active developers who work on an OS X port of PCSX2. The last ported version was IIRC 0.97, it had quite a few issues, but never updated since.

The wine based solution just works (at least to a higher degree than the old native OS X port of version 0.97), because it emulates* windows good enough, and PCSX2 runs well on windows.

Incidentally or not, the wine based solution runs GSdx with the DirectX backend better than the OpenGL backend, in both hardware and software modes. Also, it runs GSdx in DirectX hardware mode better than it runs (the older) GSdx with the SDL backend, and it also runs GSdx wiith DirectX software mode not worse than it runs with SDL backend.

So you shouldn't lose anything by not having the SDL backend, because DirectX software will be the same as SDL, and DirectX hardware will be better - both inside wine and natively on windows.

* or doesn't, if you believe the wine acronym.
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Thanx for the detailed explanations!

I can only speak for myself but with the older GSdx/SDL-plugin I can reach full speed with constant 60fps. If I use DX9/HW or DX9/SW framerate is not very constant and drops under 30 fps on some occasions. But as I own an iMac i7/3.5 GHz/GTX780M 4GB I think my hardware can not be the reason. So I can not confirm that DX9/HW or /SW is as good as the SDL plugin. I can only confirm that some games only work with DX9 but not with SDL.

But all in all it would be interesting to know the settings of the users of PCSX2-CE for best performance. Especially which version is recommended of each plugin and the emulator itself!
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(05-28-2014, 03:51 PM)ClarkKent Wrote: I can only speak for myself but with the older GSdx/SDL-plugin I can reach full speed with constant 60fps. If I use DX9/HW or DX9/SW framerate is not very constant and drops under 30 fps on some occasions.

I had the same issue as well, and then I didn't anymore. Try to read the whole thread and find where I mentioned it (I have no time to do it myself, but I'm pretty sure it should be there).
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(05-28-2014, 04:00 PM)avih Wrote: I had the same issue as well, and then I didn't anymore. Try to read the whole thread and find where I mentioned it (I have no time to do it myself, but I'm pretty sure it should be there).

I just read the full thread but I did not find a hint. Is it a settings related or wineskin related problem with the jumpy framrate with dx9?
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(05-28-2014, 05:32 PM)ClarkKent Wrote: I just read the full thread but I did not find a hint. Is it a settings related or wineskin related problem with the jumpy framrate with dx9?

IIRC, it was a combination of newer wine/wineskin and the fact that newer PCSX2 was compiled with VS2013 (and therefore needs the vc runtime 2013).

I didn't check the PCSX2-CE download, but if it contains older (pre 1.2) version of PCSX2, then try to use a more recent version (and put it at the wineskin folder). You'll need to copy the vc runtime files from a windows machine into the pcsx2 folder inside wineskin for that to work.

I'm _pretty_ sure I had commented on this (copying the vc runtimes) somewhere in this thread.
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OK, you meant this one - but I did that before (I never used pcsx2 1.0.0 at all). I installed the two dll files from the vc runtime 2013 (msvcp120.dll and msvcr120.dll from oct. 5th 2013) into the wineskin wrapper, along with the new 1.2.1 version (5875) from the official pcsx2 website. And I updated to wineskin engine 1.7.13. But I only get full fps with the SDL plugin from revision 5179.

Can you send a screenshot of your settings (components and settings)? Any special settings of wineskin besides the native graphics driver?

Edit: I found it out myself. You just must not use the latest official built 5875 but the very latest svn (1.3.0xx). With the new version and the new plugins you can get full speed in dx9/hw.
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(05-28-2014, 07:23 PM)ClarkKent Wrote: Edit: I found it out myself. You just must not use the latest official built 5875 but the very latest svn (1.3.0xx). With the new version and the new plugins you can get full speed in dx9/hw.

Glad to hear, and thanks for the investigation and for sharing the info Smile

Just to confirm, you're able to use DirectX and it's at least as fast as the SDL version?

But you don't see that hardware rendering is even faster than SDL?
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I do not play many different games - I'm a big fan of Gradius V and R-Type Final - both run at full speed with dx9/HW. A other nice game I own is the "Sega Classic Collection" where I like to play Outrun and Space Harrier. Outrun starts with about 30 fps but as soon as I open the plugin switch to dx9/SW, click ok, open the plugin again and switch back to dx9/HW I get about 50 fps. No idea why this happens. Space Harrier does not show game graphics - only background. But my favorite Gradius V looks THAT good with the dx9/HW plugin and 2 x size that I think I'm playing a new game! Smile

I think in most cases dx9/HW is as fast as SDL but I can not verify this as my game collection is not very big (but I have to admit that I'm just a little bit lazy to transfer the discs). I just kept the SDL plugin to be able to switch back if I encounter a game that is not fast enough in future. But I think the best thing seems to be updating the emulator to the latest version available - it seems to fasten things up...
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I noticed that in R-Type Final there is no picture (black screen only) if selecting another internal resolution than native. Same in Shadow Of The Collossus.
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Since it does work in windows, I'm guessing that something gets lost along the way (or increases resource usage enough to break it) inside wine when it translates DX to OpenGL internally.

Generally speaking though, the software renderer (doesn't matter if SDL/OpenGL/DX) has higher compatibility than the hardware renderers (OGL/DX in hw mode), and hardware renderers in native resolution have higher compatibility than in a resolution which the game wasn't designed for.
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