Pi3 image

[progets]

Ok, so videos only take 20%. How much impact does the theme have?

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I've been playing around with my personal retropie build. I'm now using the "RAW" theme and it's pretty responsive. With videos turned on it uses 100% of the CPU. When I turn off the videos the same theme drops to only 20% CPU usage.

Retrofe video handling is extremely taxing on the Pi. The same videos play fine with little CPU change on other FEs on the Pi.

[Pieter Hulshoff]

Sound like gstreamer isn't using the hardware then; I'll see if I can figure out which package is needed for that.

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[progets]

I have all the RetroPie setup scripts running in RetroFE. This means you won't need to run ES when using RetroFE to make changes or updates. I also have Kodi launching from RetroFE.

I have everything on the Pi overclocked and it runs pretty well using the RAW theme. With videos enabled RetroFE is running around 60% CPU. I think that this can be tuned to make for a great Pi FE.

[Pieter Hulshoff]

I'd welcome a copy; would save me some work. 😀

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[progets]

I'd welcome a copy; would save me some work. 😀

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This can be done a few ways. It's just a matter of preference. Since my build is designed to run multiple FEs using a RetroPie base I like to put the scripts and artwork in the same place as the roms for any system (/home/pi/RetroPie/roms). This keeps it standardized and easy for me to know where everything is located. If you plan to only use RetroFE you might opt to place these things within the RetroFE structure.

That being said, this is how I'm doing it

Code: [Select]

cd <retrofe_directory>
nano retrofe_setup.sh

add this to the file and save it

Code: [Select]

mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/audiosettings.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Audio Settings.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/bluetooth.rp >> /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Bluetooth.sh
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/configedit.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Configuration Editor.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/wifi.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Configure Wifi.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/filemanager.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/File Manager.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/raspiconfig.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Raspberry Pie Setup.sh"
echo sudo reboot >> /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Reboot.sh
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/retroarch.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Retroarch Setup.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/retronetplay.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Retroarch Netplay.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/rpsetup.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/RetroPie Setup.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/runcommand.rp >> /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/RunCommand.sh
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/showip.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Show IP Address.sh"
echo sudo poweroff >> /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Shutdown.sh
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/splashscreen.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Splash Screen.sh"
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/boxart
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/cartart
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/marquee
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/video
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/wheel
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/audiosettings.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Audio Settings.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/bluetooth.png /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Bluetooth.png
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/configedit.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Configuration Editor.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/wifi.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Configure Wifi.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/filemanager.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/File Manager.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/raspiconfig.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Raspberry Pie Setup.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/retroarch.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Retroarch Setup.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/retronetplay.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Retroarch Netplay.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/rpsetup.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/RetroPie Setup.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/runcommand.png /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/RunCommand.png
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/showip.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Show IP Address.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/splashscreen.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Splash Screen.png"
chmod +x /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/*.sh
cat >> launchers/Setup.conf << EOF
executable = /bin/bash
arguments = "%ITEM_FILEPATH%"
EOF
mkdir collections/Setup
cat >> collections/Setup/settings.conf << EOF
# Uncomment and edit the following line to use a different ROM path.
list.path = /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup
list.includeMissingItems = false
list.extensions = sh
list.menuSort = yes

launcher = Setup

media.screenshot    = /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap
media.screentitle   = /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/title
media.artwork_back  = /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/boxart_back
media.artwork_front = /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/boxart
media.logo          = /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/wheel
media.medium_back   = /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/cartart_back
media.medium_front  = /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/cartart
media.video         = /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/video
media.story         = /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/story
EOF
sed -i -e '$a\Setup' collections/Main/menu.txt


Code: [Select]

chmod +x retrofe_setup.sh
bash retrofe_setup.sh

This should get it working and give you a little artwork that is included with RetroPie. Obviously you can add more artwork to pretty it up. I borrowed the logo (wheel) artwork for the "Setup" collection from the Attract-Mode Unified layout http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=1123.msg8202#msg8202

P.S. This is the script I shared on page three but modified for RetroFE instead of Attract-Mode. I test it and it works on a basic RetroPie build with RetroFE added.

[JonahUK]

@progets, @dougan78 or @Pieter Hulshoff

I am looking at putting RetroFE on my Pi 2 but only if my theme works well (lol).
Therefore, as you all have a system up and running, would any of you be willing to do a test of my theme for me?
It's a simple theme, not graphically intense.

Theme Thread: http://retrofe.nl/SMF/index.php?topic=157.msg1944#msg1944
Theme: https://mega.nz/#!MJZDnJxC!3txsLOtlBEcR4vGRxvV4iI4JcssIprglaS3ShTNkYgE
XML with Pieters additions (for latest retrofe exe): http://retrofe.nl/SMF/index.php?topic=157.msg1952#msg1952

If my theme works without issue, I will start looking at getting RetroFE onto my Pi 2.

[dougan78]

So I got gstreamer1.0 installed.  Got it installed. I am testing my theme RetroSpin - Static 16x9.  I added Atari 7800 just to test.  I need to play with it more but videos are not playing at all atm.

my path to them in my setup is here:  /home/pi/RetroFE/collections/Atari 7800/medium_artwork/video

The Atari 7800 Settings.conf has media.video path :  media.video           = %BASE_MEDIA_PATH%\%ITEM_COLLECTION_NAME%\medium_artwork\video^M

The main settings.conf has VideoEnable = yes

So not sure what gives on that.

Seems kind of pokey still since the last time I played with it.  Like everything is half speed.

Boxes and carts slide on and off slower.  Wheel is slower.  Maybe the videos are playing and they are just off the screen, maybe I will disable videos and see if it speeds up next.  Thanks 

[progets]

So I got gstreamer1.0 installed.  Got it installed. I am testing my theme RetroSpin - Static 16x9.  I added Atari 7800 just to test.  I need to play with it more but videos are not playing at all atm.

my path to them in my setup is here:  /home/pi/RetroFE/collections/Atari 7800/medium_artwork/video

The Atari 7800 Settings.conf has media.video path :  media.video           = %BASE_MEDIA_PATH%\%ITEM_COLLECTION_NAME%\medium_artwork\video^M

The main settings.conf has VideoEnable = yes

So not sure what gives on that.

Seems kind of pokey still since the last time I played with it.  Like everything is half speed.

Boxes and carts slide on and off slower.  Wheel is slower.  Maybe the videos are playing and they are just off the screen, maybe I will disable videos and see if it speeds up next.  Thanks

This might be my fault with bad advice. I haven't been able to test yet but I think that the full gstreamer1.0 package might be the issue. I think this should be a smaller subset of it or a plugin. This is a difference between a build I have working decently and a build that's pretty slow.

@Pieter - which specific gstreamer package(s) are you using?

[Pieter Hulshoff]

I'll get back with some answers soon. I've been busy with other priorities, but I'll get back on this as soon as life permits. 😀

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[dougan78]

No biggie just looking to give it a test again.  Will hold off until I hear more.  Thanks gents!

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[Pieter Hulshoff]

Ok, that's odd. I just did a small test, but RetroFE 0.8.9 (with the fixes to properly launch emulators) is a LOT slower with video than e.g. 0.8.6. Did you notice a strong drop in performance as well? This may just be a general drop in performance that's causing the video to run slower.

[progets]

Ok, that's odd. I just did a small test, but RetroFE 0.8.9 (with the fixes to properly launch emulators) is a LOT slower with video than e.g. 0.8.6. Did you notice a strong drop in performance as well? This may just be a general drop in performance that's causing the video to run slower.

I personally can't say. Other than your most recent release (or much older releases), the games wouldn't launch so I didn't use RetroFE for a period of time on the Pi. I do notice a difference of the latest RetroFE running with the old gstreamer install requirements vs a "sudo apt-get install gstreamer1.0". I only noticed this since I did a forklift move (picked up the new install folder and moved over to an older RetroFE build but current with RetroPie). There's a performance difference for certain. That's why I suspected the gstreamer packages as being part of the performance hit with the videos.

[Pieter Hulshoff]

I don't think that's it, but I'll figure it out somehow. I have the same package installation for both versions, and 0.8.6 is simply much faster than 0.8.9 with regards to video display. It's quite possible that's simply because the pi is busy calculating other things that were changed, because I didn't really make any changes in the video display, but as said: I'll figure it out. I did install gstreamer1.0-omx, but so far I don't see any difference. I'll check if I need to do any code changes to make use of it.

[Pieter Hulshoff]

I think I fixed it. Problem was that fonts were reloaded every time the objects were cleared (which happens rather regularly). They only need to be reloaded when unloadSDL is true and a game has been launched. Video performance is a lot better now (I was right: video performance was lacking since the pi was too busy doing other things: reloading fonts for printing text).

[dougan78]

I think I fixed it. Problem was that fonts were reloaded every time the objects were cleared (which happens rather regularly). They only need to be reloaded when unloadSDL is true and a game has been launched. Video performance is a lot better now (I was right: video performance was lacking since the pi was too busy doing other things: reloading fonts for printing text).

Nice work!  Bet that wasnt too easy.

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