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Contents:
1) Basics information
2) System requirements
3) Plugin setup
4) Some tips
5) Known problems
6) License
7) Contacts
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1) Basics information
Blade_Arma_GPU_Plugin
video plugin for PSEmuPro-based emulators (ePSXe,
SSSPSX, PSXeven, PCSX, AdriPSX, etc.), a part of the rbpse project.
Introduction:
I liked the Sony PlayStation 1, its games, and everything connected with it. I
had some good memories left from my childhood. In general, I didn't like the
accuracy of GPU emulation, so I decided to do something about it. The target is
to make a plugin which emulates the PSX GPU with maximum precision, as well as
use all methods to improve image quality; I don't care how much resources will
be needed for emulation or that the plugin isn't fast enough.
Installation:
Unpack the gpuBladeSoft.tar.lzma/gpuBladeSoft.7z archive to the emulator
directory. (or where your distribution stores psx emulator plugins.)
Download and install the GTK+ runtime; it is needed for the configuration GUI.
Windows: http://sourceforge.net/projects/gtk-win/
Linux: Install from you distribution's repository (in an unlikely case that you
don't have it installed)
GTK+ installer may ask you to reboot.
Do that.
Select the plugin in the emulator.
If you want to do everything manually, you should know this:
The GPU plugin gpuBladeSoft.so/gpuBladeSoft.dll should reside in the
plugins directory (./plugins). The plugin configuration GUI
gpuBladeSoftGui/gpuBladeSoftGui.exe and settings file gpuBladeSoft.ini
should reside in the configurations directory (./configs). To captuire the
screenshots and videos directories (./captured/screenshots and
./captured/videos) should exist.
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2) System requirements
Software:
OS Linux, kernel 2.6 or newer / OS Windows 2000 or newer.
GTK+ 2.16 or newer for gui.
Hardware:
OpenGL-compatible video card.
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3) Plugin setup
SETTINGS TAB
MAIN TAB
Display settings:
Fullscreen
Runs the emulator in fullscreen mode.
"Standard mode"
you choose the needed resolution and refresh rate manually.
"Desktop settings" uses your current display settings, aspect ratio will be
set automatically.
"Native resolutions" uses real PSX resolutions, most of VGA cards don't
support them, use it only for ArcadeVGA cards or similar. If some emulated game
changes the display resolution, it will be changed (instead of usual
stretching).
Windowed
Runs the emulator in windowed mode.
(Fields on the right let you specify a preferred window size.
Possible values: 1x1 - 4096x4096.)
Wait for VSync
Forces the gpu to sync the buffer swaps with the vertical synchronization of
your monitor. This will be slower, but it can reduce a "tearing" effect. One of
the most important settings. Screen updates without vertical synchronization
make the picture tear so that it looks much worse than what it would look like
on a real console and a TV set. You should disable FPS limit when you enable
this.
For LCD users: LCD monitors are widely known for low refresh rates and high
input lag, so you just choose "1/1" VSync mode for them and try to set their
refresh rate to 50/60 Hz for PAL/NTSC games, respectively.
For CRT users: CRT monitors are, on the other hand, are almost unbearable at 50
or 60 Hz, so you should find a resolution that would let you set them to
100/120 Hz and then choose the "1/2" VSync mode in the plugin.
Framerate:
FPS limitation
Limits the emulator speed.
"Disabled" games run as fast as your hardware lets them.
"Auto-detection"
sets standard values: 59.94 fps for NTSC games, 50 fps for
PAL.
"Manual" allows you to set the framerate to a custom value.
FPS value

A number of FPS for the Manual FPS limitation mode.

(Possible values: 0.10 - 9999.99.)
Processing:
Internal resolution
Allows you to improve the image quality in 3D games, requires a powerful system.
(Possible values: 1 - 6.)
Use 32-bit renderer
This makes picture quality approach that of hardware accelerated plugins by
eliminating color banding and smoothly painting the polygons.
"Disabled"
disabled.
"Primitives with dithering"
enabled only for primitives with dithering.
"Gouraud shaded primitives" enabled for all Gouraud-shaded primitives.
"All primitives" enabled for all primitives.
Texture bilinear filtering
Improved color gradient of the textures.
Disable 'dfe' emulation
Disable interlace emulation. All of the odd or even lines of the frame
(so-called fields) are rendered in turns. This noticeably decreases the picture
quality as that line alternation is clearly seen, and at the same time this
gives rendering quite a speed boost because the fillrate needed is cut in half.
This option disables this drawing and output mode and vastly increases picture
quality, but reduces perfomance due to increased fillrate.
Postprocessing:
Deinterlacing method
Useful only when "Disable 'dfe' emulation" mode is disabled.
"Line doubling"
draws each line twice, causes a slight screen shaking, the
best mode for dynamic games and the closest to a real TV picture.
"Field combination"
mixes odd and even fields, causes the "comb" effect, the
best mode for static games.
Filtering
The entire frame buffer is filtered. You may choose a filter to your liking,
but remember that they might be very CPU-intensive. 2D games usually look
better with SuperSAIx2/SuperEagle, while HQ2x/HQ3x are more suitable for 3D
games.
Shader effect
Use glsl shaders written for gpuPeteOGL2. Put each shader in its own folder
inside the ./shaders directory alongside the emulator executable.
Shader level
(Possible values: 1(Minimum), 2(More), 3(Medium), 4(Maximum).)
Bilinear filtering
Reduces picture blockyness. Bilinear filtering is hardware-accelerated, speed
reduction is almost unnoticeable.
Brightness
Brightness level control.
(Possible values: 0 - 100.)
Gamma
Gamma level control.

(Possible values: 0 - 100.)

Aspect ratio correction
Use aspect ratio correction, choose the one which matches your display.
(None, 1/1, 5/4, 4/3, 3/2, 8/5, 5/3, 16/9, 17/9.)
VISIBLE AREA TAB
Visible area settings. Better don't touch anything and accept everything "as
is", because a real console on a real TV in most games gives either black bars
or a shifted picture.
Prefences:
Prefences
"Perfect"
the best picture possible. Whole window, no borders. You won't be
able to tune the emulator output in a game's settings, imperfect aspect ratio
is possible.
"Standard" like an average modern TV. With the right proportions.
"Custom" user-defined output mode, allows to define a custom output.
"Full VRAM"
for more precise results you should set the window size to
1024x512 and the Aspect ratio correction for the windowed mode to "None".
Overscan
Allows you to view the larger picture, including the areas, which may be not
visible on a standard TV.
(Possible values: -10 - 10.)
Position
Sometimes the border on the one side is larger than on the other. Use this
parameter to center the picture and, after that, to zoom it, using Zooming.
(Possible values: -100 - 100.)
Zooming
Zooming in/out the picture.
My display's aspect is 16/10, so in the fullscreen mode there are black stripes
on the sides, also there are often black stripes on the top and on the bottom,
so it's possible to enable larger part of the screen without changing the
aspect or loosing the part of the picture.
(Possible values: -100 - 100.)
Mirroring
FIXME
Screen rotation
Rotates the screen on a specified angle (in degrees).
ADVANCED TAB
Improved coordinate accuracy
Requires internal resolution to be greater than 1x1.
MISC TAB
Hot keys:
Configuration dialog
Set the button to call the plugin configuration dialog.
('Ctrl+Alt+G' by default.)

Show status
Set the button to show/hide the in-game plugin status display.
('Insert' by default.)
Show info
Set the button to show/hide the information, displayed by the emulator and
plugins.
FPS limitation
Toggle FPS limitation mode.
('Delete' by default.)
Fast forward
Define a button for a temporary (while it is pressed) fps limit cancellation.
('End' by default.)
Toggle fullscreen
Set the button to switch between fullscreen and windowed modes.
('Alt+Enter' by default.)
Show/hide cursor
Set the button to show/hide the cursor.
('Ctrl+H' by default.)
Toggle bilinear filtering
Set the button to enable/disable the bilinear filtering.
Change visible area mode
Set the button for switching visible area modes.
("Perfect", "Standard", "Custom".)
Decrease/increase shader level
Set the button for decreasing/increasing shader level.
Decrease/increase brightness
Set the button for decreasing/increasing brightness.
Decrease/increase gamma
Set the button for decreasing/increasing gamma.
Rotate screen
Set the button for rotating the screen.
Move screen left/right/up/down
Set the button for moving the screen.
('Alt+D/A/S/W' by default.)
Decrease/increase zoom
Set the button for decreasing/increasing screen size.
('Alt+Q/E' by default.)
Decrease/increase overscan
FIXME
Toggle wireframe mode
FIXME
Screenshot
Set the button for saving a screenshot. Screenshots are saved in the
./captured/screenshots directory.

('F8' by default.)
Video recording start/stop
Set the button for video recording start/stop. Videos are saved in the
./captured/videos directory.
('Alt+F8' by default.)
Other:
Show status
Enable plugin status display on startup.
Show info
Show the information, displayed by the emulator and plugins on startup.
Screen rumble
Enable visual dualshock effect.
Hide cursor
Hide cursor on startup.
Disable screensaver and DPMS (Energy Star)
Disable screensaver and energy saving functions, while running the emulator.
Dump full VRAM
Save the entire VRAM when recording video or making screenshots.
Enable logging
Enable debug output logging (gpuBladeSoft.log).
Enable debugger
FIXME
Save dialog parameters
Enable saving of the dialog window position and size on exit. (If disabled
dialog will show up in the center of the screen with the default size.)
Save the settings on exit
Save all the settings on exit, like brightness, screen orientation, window
size/coordinates, showing additional on-screen info, etc.
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4) Some tips
The default plugin settings are optimal and give a picture as close as possible
to a real PSX. If you don't understand what the setting does, better not
touch/change it.
16-bit modes are much faster and require less resources than 32-bit ones. If
you experience low framerate, try to switch your desktop into the 16-bit mode.
You can activate FPS limitation if your game is running too fast. You can use
"Auto-detection FPS limit", if you are not sure, what limit would be best to
use. Or you just type in a FPS rate that suits you. 50 and 59.95 frames per
second for PAL and NTSC games, respectively.
If you don't have enough money to buy a modern PC - buy a used PlayStation,
those things are cheap. :P

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5) Known problems
When set to "Power saver" profile some systems experience a noticeable drop in
fps due to CPU frequency restricted to low values even under heavy load. It
makes sense to try to switch to "Balanced" or even "High Performance" modes, or
to turn the power saving off at all.
The GPU plugin needs a closer interaction with the emulator core than this. The
current API is insufficient for a full-fledged emulation.
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6) License
This program is freeware and cannot be sold. Also this program cannot be
distributed without written permission. This program cannot be used for any
commercial purposes. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble
the enclosed software. Authors are not responsible for any damages that this
program may cause, and are also not responsible for anything this plugin will
be used for.
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7) Contacts
http://forum.emu-russia.net
irc://irc.newnet.net:6667/emu-russia
mailto:edgbla@yandex.ru
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