SCALER xBRZ (SDL1)

[kolano]

Thought folks would like to know that Hyllian was able to provide a shader version xBR compatible with DOSbox's shaders...
https://mega.co.nz/#!MJABWYJD!His25cu38 ... JJof6RWeh4

[oasis789]

Thought folks would like to know that Hyllian was able to provide a shader version xBR compatible with DOSbox's shaders...
https://mega.co.nz/#!MJABWYJD!His25cu38 ... JJof6RWeh4

Great, thanks! How do I use this?

[kolano]

Thought folks would like to know that Hyllian was able to provide a shader version xBR compatible with DOSbox's shaders...
https://mega.co.nz/#!MJABWYJD!His25cu38 ... JJof6RWeh4

Great, thanks! How do I use this?

1. Get a DOSBox build with shader support, like Ykwongs.
2. Drop the shader files from the zip into the shaders folder.
3. Add/revise the appropriate dosbox config entry.

Code: Select all

pixelshader=5xBR-v3.8c.fx forced

[kekko]

Thought folks would like to know that Hyllian was able to provide a shader version xBR compatible with DOSbox's shaders...
https://mega.co.nz/#!MJABWYJD!His25cu38 ... JJof6RWeh4

hmm, this actually looks like xBR scaler, not xBRZ
xBRZ is an evolution of xBR
also see this post with comparison images: viewtopic.php?t=34125#p287379

[kolano]

Thought folks would like to know that Hyllian was able to provide a shader version xBR compatible with DOSbox's shaders...
https://mega.co.nz/#!MJABWYJD!His25cu38 ... JJof6RWeh4

hmm, this actually looks like xBR scaler, not xBRZ
xBRZ is an evolution of xBR
also see this post with comparison images: viewtopic.php?t=34125#p287379

Yes, "a shader version xBR". I believe the version of xBR in the shader is also newer than what XBRZ was based on. It's A, B, and C modes handle corners differently, and I think may similarly account for some of the things xBRZ does. The primary advantage is that it's shader rather than CPU based, so it doesn't dramatically impact DOSBox's emulated CPU performance the way xBRZ can at higher resolutions.

I'd still like to get the multi-pass mdapt+xbr shader I have from Higan working in DOSBox. mdapt can cleanly remove dithering/transparency effects (i.e. blending them into smooth colors), which I think could dramatically improve a lot of DOS games.

[kolano]

HQx is still far superior than xBZR cause it can detect and than filter similar colors. So it would be good if that technique was added to xBZR too. Compare the large clay bottle below.

Yes, I think xBR generally tries to preserve the original colors just modifying the pixel's scaled shapes. Under Higan it's fairly easy to combine things, since it supports multiple shader passes, which allows for things like a HQx pass followed by a xBR pass and can produce some nice results. I think my favorite combos would be:
mdapt+xBR: mdapt get's rid of dithering and fake transparency grids and then xBR scales up the resulting image
xBR+Dilation: xBR scales up the image, and then a dilation filter sharpens things allowing for details smaller than the scale (i.e. x5 zoom /w details <5px big for things like points, and fine lines)

It would be nice if similar functionality could be supported in DOSBox, though I would guess most things could likely be manually combined into single pass shaders. I guess in this particular case (i.e. HQx + xBR) scalers and shaders can be combined.

[2mg]

So, I can find only old 5xBR from now outdated Gulikoza's page in a collection of shaders.

And I can't find xBRZ in it's .fx form anywhere.

I'd really like to use latest xBR and xBRZ and hybrids in DOSBox, so, could someone provide some links for those shaders?

[kolano]

So, I can find only old 5xBR from now outdated Gulikoza's page in a collection of shaders.

And I can't find xBRZ in it's .fx form anywhere.

I'd really like to use latest xBR and xBRZ and hybrids in DOSBox, so, could someone provide some links for those shaders?

If you refer back to the start of this thread, xBRZ is CPU based and hasn't been made available as a shader. I'm not clear if the modifications made to xBR by xBRZ would be easily shader driven or not, but the source is available.

You can find various xBR implementations in a few GIT repos...
From libretro: https://github.com/libretro/common-shaders/tree/master/xbr
From BSNES (i.e. old, prior to Higan rename): https://gitorious.org/bsnes/xml-shaders/source/de81fa4fd2063ca9d4de84f05b6ad0676bccecec:shaders/OpenGL
...though I think you'll need to pare through the Higan forum post on xBR to find some of the more recent revisions...
http://board.byuu.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2248&start=0

[2mg]

Wow, thanks!

I've been looking for xBR (and xBRZ, but that's not that important) for both new Higan (.shader Quark model) and DOXBox .fx compatible.

As I said, Gulikoza's web has shaders that include one 5xBR, but I don't know how old that is, since the page hasn't been updated for a long time.

It would be nice for these shaders to have a unified repository though, and not a battle about type conventions...

PS: I see these are .cg, but DOSBox uses .fx right? Or both?

[kolano]

Yes, I'm not sure if there are shaders compatible with DOSBox in the repos I posted. Hyllian provided me a fairly up to date version compatible with DOSBox in the Higan thread though, which he posted at...
https://mega.co.nz/#!MJABWYJD!His25cu38q78urRDJqy0jylnTxHq1FMAzJJof6RWeh4
...I presume there's some Amiga emu that uses .fx shaders too, explaining the "for Amiga" bit on the filename.

[2mg]

Yes, I'm not sure if there are shaders compatible with DOSBox in the repos I posted. Hyllian provided me a fairly up to date version compatible with DOSBox in the Higan thread though, which he posted at...
https://mega.co.nz/#!MJABWYJD!His25cu38q78urRDJqy0jylnTxHq1FMAzJJof6RWeh4
...I presume there's some Amiga emu that uses .fx shaders too, explaining the "for Amiga" bit on the filename.

Since the rise of libretro, RetroArch, OpenEmu, Higan etc., will DOSBox try to follow the new standardization of shader models - xml/non-xml, shader folders, .shader, and especially .cg?

Should I make a suggestion/feature request? Perhaps try to contact yhkwong and ask there?

[Dominus]

Dosbox does NOT use ANY scaler. There is Guliloza's patch and Inofficial Dosbox builts that use that patch. Since this patch is Windows only, the chances that it gets into Dosbox are slim or probably non-existant.
You could try getting Gulikoza or someone else to adapt the patch for other shaders support...

[FeedingDragon]

Shader use "in general," though, is not platform specific. Any chance of cross platform use of them in the future?

[Dominus]

The same applies, someone would need to do it and so far no one has stepped forward. I would like this myself;)

[2mg]

Dosbox does NOT use ANY scaler. There is Guliloza's patch and Inofficial Dosbox builts that use that patch. Since this patch is Windows only, the chances that it gets into Dosbox are slim or probably non-existant.
You could try getting Gulikoza or someone else to adapt the patch for other shaders support...

Well, I believe yhkwong's DAUM is the most popular... And Gulikoza's web isn't updated for some time. Is he active on VOGONS?

Shader use "in general," though, is not platform specific. Any chance of cross platform use of them in the future?

That's what the libretro/RetroArch is trying to achieve, see above mentioned links.

So far PS emulators have PEOPS shaders/filters, Kega Fusion has .rpi (which some other emus use for some reason), and .cg (and it's variants) is trying to become the cross-platform cross-emulator standard as I understand it. Higan is trying some with .shader folders. MAME and DOSBox (DAUM build) use .fx variants...

The same applies, someone would need to do it and so far no one has stepped forward. I would like this myself;)

You could try to check out libretro shaders linked above from github, and also HqMAME (and VOGONS) have uncompiled xBRZ. IMHO I suck at coding, but I'd recommend that you try to contact yhkwong about switching to libretro shader models, AFAIK they even have some converters for shader types.

[Dominus]

Yhkwong is just using Gulikoza's patch, he's not adding original stuff to it. Not to mention he's kind of MIA for mobths now.

[2mg]

Yhkwong is just using Gulikoza's patch, he's not adding original stuff to it. Not to mention he's kind of MIA for mobths now.

Well, contacting both of these great figures would be a smart move in regards to shader/filter changes.

[Dominus]

You could try getting Gulikoza or someone else to adapt the patch for other shaders support...

[2mg]

You could try getting Gulikoza or someone else to adapt the patch for other shaders support...

Now I might sound lazy, but I'm an end user with little to no knowledge about shaders and even less community involvement, so if anyone else is willing to give it a shot, I'd be more than happy, I might even go out and buy a floppy drive

[truth_deleted]

Probably best to stay on-topic to this thread so others can easily read the above posts for related information. I guess it's also a courtesy to the developer(s) who worked on the patch.