Preface
Hey, everyone, I am Sergey Lipskiy. If you are fan of game console emulation and N64 emulation in particular, you know about GLideN64 – new graphics plugin, which uses powerful features of modern graphics cards to bring you new level of quality and authenticity of hardware-based emulation. The project’s rapid development became possible after successful campaign here, on Indeigogo. Public release of GLideN64 for Personal Computers released recently. Android port is under development and will be finished this May.
New feature
GLideN64 has many advanced features. However, people always wants more. I have extensive feedback from GLideN64 users. Users proposed many new ideas how to improve the plugin. Unfortunately, plugin development took more time than planned and funds collected for development already ended. I promised to finish Android port, but that is all I can do. However, if you are interesting to support further plugin development, I would be happy to continue my work for some time. I analyzed users ideas and selected the one, which can be implemented within one month and bring new breath to old N64 titles. I am talking about collection of post-processing effects, known as DolphinFX. DolphinFX is an independent freeware library of shaders, which contains large number of post processing filters, like Cel Shading, Bloom, Scanlines and many more. It supported by OpenGL backend of Dolphin emulator. Having support of this library in GLideN64 would be super great.
Prerequisites
DolphinFX written on GLSL language and works only in OpenGL context. GLideN64 also uses OpenGL. Check.
DolphinFX needs an image for post processing. GLideN64 frame buffer emulation subsystem always ready to provide that image. GLideN64 already has its own post-processor. It currently supports only Bloom effect, but it can be extended. Check.
DolphinFX is extendable library of effects. Each effects has its own set of options. It is hard to support with static User Interface. Proper user interface for DolphinFX must dynamically generate all tabs with controls for all currently available effects. Dolphin emulator already implemented it. However, Dolphin uses wxWidgets library, while GLideN64 User Interface powered by QT Widgets. Thus, this work must be done almost from scratch.
Plan for Project Completion
While DolphinFX is already written and Dolphin emulator has all necessary code to support it, porting of that code to GLideN64 will not be easy. I can separate that task on three large parts:
· Port load shader functionality: read shader file, parse its configuration section
· Port setup shader functionality: activate selected effects, provide values for their options.
· Implement dynamic generation of User Interface for available effects.
I plan to finish Android port works this May. That campaign will finish in June. If campaign start will be successful, I will start to work on it right in June, so first results will be accessible somewhere in June and the release will be this July.
Risks & Challenges
One month is bare minimum for this task. However, it is interesting task and I am ready to risk if you will support me. If campaign will reach the goal, I will do my best to add DolphinFX support to GLideN64 as soon as possible. Note: this project is NOT Fixed Funding. If collected sum will be less than the goal, but not less than 50%, it will allow me to continue my work on the project for few weeks. There are plenty of tasks to do. May be collected sum will be enough to take another ambitious task to implement. Resident Evil 2 is waiting for support :) If the campaign will be super successful and exceed the goal, all extra funds also will go on further project development. After the campaign end, I will continue to work on the project as on my favorite hobby. However, serious code modifications from my side hardly will be possible.
