Sega Model 2 emulator behaving oddly and deleting files on it's own

Hey all, trying to solve a weird issue I'm observing with Sega Model 2 emulator and Retrobat 5.3.0-Stable and I'm wondering if anyone else has seen it.

PC Details:
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro with Radeon Vega Graphics
16GB RAM
Windows 10 Pro

Roms placed in \retrobat\roms\model2 directory do not run or load and but provide an error message:
"FAILED 88760868. D3DFMT 22 DEPTH75
Unable to initialize video subsystem"

Then when I look into the \retrobat\emulators\m2emulator directory, I see that d3dd9.dll, ReShade.ini, and ReShadePreset.ini have all been deleted?!

However, if I take a rom, like daytona.zip, and put it in the \retrobat\emulators\m2emulator\roms directory, it loads up fine in the standalone emulator.

The Just Jamie video tutorial makes it look so easy, but I'm not having any success at all, and would really appreciate some help, please.

Hello

First, have you changed something from the original RetroBat installation (updating m2emulator for exemple, change settings) or on the retrobat system menu ?

@getupor - Thank you for responding. I don't believe I changed anything, and I went so far as to delete the contents of the m2emulator directory and allowed Retrobat to re-install the emulator when attempting to launch a model 2 game exactly like the Just Jamie tutorial posted on YouTube.

I haven't tried using a fresh Retrobat install from scratch, though. Should that matter?

ETA: I just did a fresh install of Retrobat and the first thing I did was copy my BIOS directory and daytona.zip to the new install. The result was the same - Starting the game asks me to install the M2Emulator, I select yes, and met with the same message.

Hello
Should be something going wrong with graphical settings, maybe with reshade also.
Can you try with the elements provided by RetroBat, deactivating decorations and shaders, and also removing reshade files ?

Thanks, @getupor.

A fresh install resolved the deletion problem, thankfully. However, this morning, I was able to start Behind Enemy Lines without a shader, but WITH the default_unglazed bezel to my surprise. In my excitement, I tried to start Daytona USA, and then got the message again. Now BEL won't start again, and I haven
t change any settings.

Hello. This problem happens to me in a similar way.

When I start a game, it shows the error "Unable to initialize video subsystem". I close the emulator with back+start an try to start again. After some attempts the game start normally. It takes 4 attempts failed for 1 succeeded.

There was 2 attempts where d3dd9.dll was deleted.

That is it! I didn't realize that if I kept trying to start the game it would eventually start. Anyone else seeing this?

I have exactly the same problem.

First of all: I haven't modified anything, the latest version of Retrobat is installed, I haven't made any entries "manually" in any configs and no, I haven't done anything else either

Retrobat runs wonderfully. Model 2 selected, a ROM chosen (in this case DOA2), started. Black screen. A window (command line) appears in the background with the message:

"FAILED 88760868. D3DFMT 22 DEPTH75
Unable to initialize video subsystem"

Hmm, annoying. So I went looking for it. And actually made a modification now: moved the d3dd9.dll, ReShade.ini, and ReShadePreset.ini as a test. Tried again: nothing.

But what is striking: when the error message appears (you can make it visible with ALT+Tab), the M2 emulator was also started. And when I then select my ROM there (with Retrobat in the background, with the error message), it runs perfectly.

Only "within" the Retrobat system does the M2Emulator not want to run. Or just: sometimes, very very rarely, it does start. Even with frames and shaders and and ...

It actually seems to be an incompatibility in the "integration" of the older emulator in Retrobat. And I'm sure it's quite difficult to recreate and eliminate, huh?

This is an issue with reshade which is used to generate bezels & shaders.

What happens when you disable decorations and shaders (set to NONE in RetroBat) ?

d3d9.dll is generated by RetroBat to enable decorations / shaders, it seems this file is causing issues on your computer, probably related with drivers incompatibility.

"What happens when you disable decorations and shaders (set to NONE in RetroBat) ?"

No change, it doesn't seem to help.

And you confirm there is no dll or reshade files in the emulator folder ?

You should also tell us your computer gpu specs.

On my side I can confirm it works without doing anything both with rog ally (amd chipset) and with nvidia rtx 3060

Oh yes, sorry - the Specs:

AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS with Radeon Graphics 3.20 GHz, 32 GB RAM, 64 Bit Windows 11, newest System-Updates (06.03.2024) newest AMD Radeon Driver installed.

Shader and Border Settings are on NONE.

EDIT:
https://ibb.co/C2zYXr9
These are my Settings

https://ibb.co/c3wxPVL
And here are the content of M2-Mainfolder - no Shader or dll-Files.

Now i try to start the M2-Rom from within Retrobat... and the error Message appear:
https://ibb.co/dGgn2Lk

Strange.
https://ibb.co/CHdWH07

But as a said before, with the Error-Message in the Background i try to load a ROM into the M2Emulator itself... and it worked flawless!
And more - when i switch the Seetings back (you can see the result in the screenshot above) to the "the Mega Bezel Project" Files as decoration, it also work this way. But it dont work in Retrobat itself, with or without Shader / Decorations. ON or OFF these two Settings made sadly no difference.

But the Workaround also seems bugged, cause it doesnt start the Game always, sometimes there is only the "could not load" Error Message.

The IMG-Tags seems not working, at least in my text here. Odd.

And you confirm there is no d3dd9.dll and any file named reshade in the emulator folder ? (There should not be).

Can you show your model2 emulator folder ?

Retrobat will only launch the emulator with the game argument...

My Game Folder (IMG Tags dont work for me ... )

https://ibb.co/c3wxPVL

Can you try in retrobat advanced settings to set automip to disabled?

No Luck.

Shaders: NONE
Decorations: NONE
Midmap: NONE

Error Message stays the same: "could not initialize..."

I even delete the Emulator and dl it again, to have a 100% clean installation. No Luck.
And the Workaround, to start the Game from Model 2 Emulator directly, dont work anymore...

Problem with amd drivers I would say.

Can you compare emulator.ini just after launch from retrobat (without exiting) and same file after having run a game directly from emulator ?
There must be a difference in there ...

Thanks for your Time and patience...

I launch the Emulator directly and it works like a charm. Then from Retrobat, no luck.
In both cases i copied the emulator.ini, before i close the application.

And, sigh, there are no difference. Not a single menuitem was changed.

Where did you copy emulator.ini ?
I don't see both versions in your post.

I need you to send here both files:

- Emulator.ini when launched from RetroBat (before closing the emulator)
- Emulator.ini when launched from the emulator (after closing the emulator)

Also can you precise which emulator executable you are running ? (multicpu or the other one ?)

Here we go:

Retrobat - after starting Model2 Emulator and Error Message
Emulator.ini -

Code:

;Configuration file for the SEGA Model 2 emulator
;All text to the right of ; is ignored (use as comments)
;Add your rom directories here (max 10)
;ROMS subdirectory in the same folder than the exe is always scanned when searching for roms
;(remove the ; form Dir1)

[RomDirs]
Dir1=Roms

[Renderer]
SoftwareVertexProcessing=0
Wireframe=0 ;Disables polygon filling (for debug purposes, don't change)
FakeGouraud=0 ;Tries to guess Per-vertex colour (gouraud) from the Model2 per-poly information (flat)
Bilinear=1 ;Enables bilinear filtering of textures
Trilinear=0 ;Enables mipmap usage and trilinear filtering (doesn't work with some games, DoA for example)
FilterTilemaps=0 ;Enables bilinear filtering on tilemaps (looks good, but can cause some stretch artifacts)
ForceManaged=0 ;Forces the DX driver to use Managed textures instead of Dynamic. Use it if the emulator
;crashes after loading or doesn't show anything
ForceSync=1
FullScreenWidth=3840
FullScreenHeight=2160
AutoMip=0 ;Enables Direct3D Automipmap generation
MeshTransparency=0 ;Enabled meshed polygons for translucency. Requires PS3.0
DrawCross=1 ;Show Crosshair in gun games
GammaR=1.0 ;Per Component Gamma correction (1.0 = no correction). Red
GammaG=1.0 ;Green
GammaB=1.0 ;Blue
WideScreenWindow=1 ;Set widescreen in windows mode: 0 - 4:3, 1 - 16:9, 2 - 16:10
FSAA=0 ;Enable full screen antialiasing in Direct3D
;These options are configured from menus so don't touch
FullMode=4
Sound=1
Frameskip=-1
AutoFull=1
Filter=2047

[Input]
XInput=1 ;Enable support for Xbox360 compatible devices
EnableFF=0 ;Enable Force Feedback Effects
HoldGears=0 ;Set to 1 to return to Neutral in driving games when the gear shift key is released
UseRawInput=1 ;Read mouse through Rawinput, allowing 2 mice
RawDevP1=0 ;Assign specific RawInput devices to players. If you have more than 2 mice
RawDevP2=1 ;set which one is assigned to each player (0-based)
;FORCE EFFECTS PARAMETERS
;FE_CENTERING Effect (Spring centering effect)
FE_CENTERING_Gain=0.5 ;Global gain
FE_CENTERING_Coefficient=10000 ;0-10000
FE_CENTERING_Saturation=10000 ;0-10000
FE_CENTERING_Deadband=1000 ;10%
;FE_CLUTCH Effect (Friction, wheel turn hardness)
FE_CLUTCH_Gain=0.5 ;Global gain
FE_CLUTCH_Coefficient=10000 ;0-10000
;FE_LEFT,FE_RIGHT (Constant force in a direction)
FE_LEFT_Gain=0.5 ;Global gain
FE_LEFT_Magnitude=10000 ;0-10000
FE_RIGHT_Gain=0.5 ;Global gain
FE_RIGHT_Magnitude=10000 ;0-10000
;FE_UNCENTERING (Sine force, wave the wheel, rumble)
FE_UNCENTERING_Gain=0.5 ;Global gain
FE_UNCENTERING_Magnitude=10000 ;0-10000
FE_UNCENTERING_Offset=-200
FE_UNCENTERING_Phase=0
FE_UNCENTERING_Period=56000

Starting Model2 Emulator standalone
Emulator.ini -

Code:


;Configuration file for the SEGA Model 2 emulator
;All text to the right of ; is ignored (use as comments)
;Add your rom directories here (max 10)
;ROMS subdirectory in the same folder than the exe is always scanned when searching for roms
;(remove the ; form Dir1)

[RomDirs]
Dir1=Roms

[Renderer]
SoftwareVertexProcessing=0
Wireframe=0         ;Disables polygon filling (for debug purposes, don't change)
FakeGouraud=0         ;Tries to guess Per-vertex colour (gouraud) from the Model2 per-poly information (flat)
Bilinear=1         ;Enables bilinear filtering of textures
Trilinear=0         ;Enables mipmap usage and trilinear filtering (doesn't work with some games, DoA for example)
FilterTilemaps=0         ;Enables bilinear filtering on tilemaps (looks good, but can cause some stretch artifacts)
ForceManaged=0         ;Forces the DX driver to use Managed textures instead of Dynamic. Use it if the emulator
;crashes after loading or doesn't show anything
ForceSync=1
FullScreenWidth=3840
FullScreenHeight=2160
AutoMip=0         ;Enables Direct3D Automipmap generation
MeshTransparency=0         ;Enabled meshed polygons for translucency. Requires PS3.0
DrawCross=1         ;Show Crosshair in gun games
GammaR=1.0         ;Per Component Gamma correction (1.0 = no correction). Red
GammaG=1.0         ;Green
GammaB=1.0         ;Blue
WideScreenWindow=1         ;Set widescreen in windows mode: 0 - 4:3, 1 - 16:9, 2 - 16:10
FSAA=0         ;Enable full screen antialiasing in Direct3D
;These options are configured from menus so don't touch
FullMode=4
Sound=1
Frameskip=-1
AutoFull=1
Filter=2047

[Input]
XInput=1         ;Enable support for Xbox360 compatible devices
EnableFF=0         ;Enable Force Feedback Effects
HoldGears=0         ;Set to 1 to return to Neutral in driving games when the gear shift key is released
UseRawInput=1         ;Read mouse through Rawinput, allowing 2 mice
RawDevP1=0         ;Assign specific RawInput devices to players. If you have more than 2 mice
RawDevP2=1         ;set which one is assigned to each player (0-based)
;FORCE EFFECTS PARAMETERS
;FE_CENTERING Effect (Spring centering effect)
FE_CENTERING_Gain=0.5         ;Global gain
FE_CENTERING_Coefficient=10000         ;0-10000
FE_CENTERING_Saturation=10000         ;0-10000
FE_CENTERING_Deadband=1000         ;10%
;FE_CLUTCH Effect (Friction, wheel turn hardness)
FE_CLUTCH_Gain=0.5         ;Global gain
FE_CLUTCH_Coefficient=10000         ;0-10000
;FE_LEFT,FE_RIGHT (Constant force in a direction)
FE_LEFT_Gain=0.5         ;Global gain
FE_LEFT_Magnitude=10000         ;0-10000
FE_RIGHT_Gain=0.5         ;Global gain
FE_RIGHT_Magnitude=10000         ;0-10000
;FE_UNCENTERING (Sine force, wave the wheel, rumble)
FE_UNCENTERING_Gain=0.5         ;Global gain
FE_UNCENTERING_Magnitude=10000         ;0-10000
FE_UNCENTERING_Offset=-200
FE_UNCENTERING_Phase=0
FE_UNCENTERING_Period=56000


Retrobat starts the Multicore Emulator. But i also try the Singlecore-Edition via manual selection, same behaviour

Ok, and when you run directly the emulator ==> what executable are you running ?

The Multicore...

but i try also the "EMULATOR.EXE" (single core Application), and no difference between the two: runs perfect as Standalone Executable.

Can you also show the last "running" line in the file emulatorlauncher.log located in retrobat\emulationstation ?


This will test you what command line retrobat sends to the emulator.

Sure.

Code:


2024-03-06 21:20:03.599 [INFO]      [Startup] "C:\RetroBat\emulationstation\emulatorLauncher.exe"  -gameinfo "C:\Users\Andreas\AppData\Local\Temp\emulationstation.tmp\game.xml"  -system model2 -emulator m2emulator -core multicpu -rom "C:\RetroBat\roms\model2\doa.zip"
2024-03-06 21:20:03.633 [INFO]      [Game] Dead or Alive (Model 2B, Revision B)
2024-03-06 21:20:03.762 [INFO]      [Generator] Using Model2Generator
2024-03-06 21:20:03.942 [INFO]      Configuring input file C:\RetroBat\emulators\m2emulator\CFG\doa.input
2024-03-06 21:20:03.943 [INFO]      Saving input file C:\RetroBat\emulators\m2emulator\CFG\doa.input
2024-03-06 21:20:03.952 [INFO]      [PadToKey] Loaded C:\RetroBat\emulationstation\.emulationstation\es_padtokey.cfg
2024-03-06 21:20:03.955 [INFO]      [Running] C:\RetroBat\emulators\m2emulator\emulator_multicpu.exe doa


So basically retrobat launches this command line:
C:\RetroBat\emulators\m2emulator\emulator_multicpu.exe doa

Can you try to create a .bat file with:

Code:

start C:\RetroBat\emulators\m2emulator\emulator_multicpu.exe doa

And run it ?

The *.bat file works without a Problem: start the Emulator and load the Game without errors.

This is exactly what retrobat does, nothing more.

Can you try the bat file while Retrobat is running in the background (not reduced to taskbar).
Maybe 2 applications cannot run in fullscreen at the same time with the graphics chipset...

There is an option in retrobat to hide EmulationStation when an emulator is launched, maybe try and activate this.

Maybe 2 applications cannot run in fullscreen at the same time with the graphics chipset...

This seems the Answer. I start Retrobat,, run a Emu and start the bat - the well known error Message ("could not load graphic subsystem") appears. When Retrobat is just "idle" in the Background, the Emulator as Standalone works.

There is an option in retrobat to hide EmulationStation when an emulator is launched, maybe try and activate this.

Im too dumb to find this Setting in Retobat, sorry Where is it located?

Seems a problem with integrated AMD graphic chipsets, cause xoran has a AMD Vega, i use a Radeon 680M.

I think it is in system settings > developer settings.

In addition can you check in your installed programs if there is a program called "opengl opencl compatibility package" or something similar ?

And here are the (hopefully) final results:

Installing the OpenGL, Open CL and Vulkan compatibility pack didn't bring any change. But I almost figured that, since my hardware is x64 environment and the graphics card is not a dedicated card, but very compatible with the "usual" graphics standards (that was important to me when I bought the platform).

But the solution:
Actually, AMD's integrated graphics solution (seems to) have a problem with two applications running at the same time. You have to set Retrobat to close as soon as the Model 2 emulator starts (and open again when it closes, of course).

This is done in the main menu, System Settings, "Advanced" Frontend Developer Options, in the "User Interface" section, activate the item Hide emulation station when starting a game.

I am writing this here so precisely because I am not sure what the menu settings are called in languages other than German.

Suggestion:
Add this point to the FAQ for owners of CPU-integrated graphics cards (at least from AMD)? It seems to be only a problem with the Model 2 emulator, but I haven't tried all systems.

Question:
Is it possible to make the point "Hide" only activatable for one system (like Model 2)? Or is it only possible system-wide? It's not a bad thing, just a suggestion.

In any case, huge thanks to tartifless for his endless patience and help. I have rarely experienced this and I have been a member of many special interest forums for many years.

Really cool stuff.
And thanks for your project Retrobat, I don't want to use anything else, that's why I'm so excited about the M2Emulator