Black Screen when using backend: OpenGL and post-processing effect: (off)

[IIr]

Hey all,

New here and to Dolphin 4.0, but used to play with Dolphin 3.5-367. I keep getting black screens when playing any game I have with Dolphin 4.0 and when using OpenGL and choosing post-processing: off under graphics enhancement settings (the default option.) Everything works fine when I apply a post processing effect to the game, but goes back to a black screen when I choose the default. This does not happen in the older version of Dolphin that I used often.

I played games like Metroid Prime and SSB:M on the old Dolphin 3.5-367 version to prevent any sound stuttering from occurring. Now using Dolphin 4.0 and I can't seem to play a game if I choose these same settings that worked before. As you can imagine, I'd rather do without any post-processing effect but can't seem to do that as I get a black screen every time I choose to forgo it. I have the latest drivers for my graphics card and as of now, I can't use the OpenGL backend with Dolphin 4.0 as this version and these settings are best to play with most of the games I own.

Any suggestions/ advice? I searched the forums but didn't come across anyone experiencing this issue. If it's something obvious I can't say I've figured it out yet. All of my Dolphin 4.0 settings are the same as when I used Dolphin 3.5-367 to play those two games .

Thanks in advance

[MayImilae]

Try the latest development version - https://dolphin-emu.org/download/

[IIr]

Yep, just tried 4.0-107, starts fine like 4.0 but I'm getting a black screen if I choose no post-processing option. I just did a 1 hr ish play through with bad_bloom active in LoZ:TP. Figured it was the least altering out of the list haha. Still would rather have it off though as the bloom is too much and the rest of the post-processing effects aren't that helpful.

Uhh not sure what else I can do at this point other than go back to the previous working version, but that's not supported and the wiimote disconnects on me. I think I'll try to look into making my own post-processing that works to makes no effect if I can even do that. It just sounds like a weird work around xD (is that even possible?.) Yep this is something I just came across after using 4.0 today and I think it's something simple that changed/ is missing going from 3.5-367 to 4.0.

Edit: Ahh was tinkering around with notepad as I posted this and I found my solution xD. I basically created a new post-processing file with unaltered values. I used the README example for this and saved the new custom effect as ".glsl". This was different from the regular text files found in the same folder User\Shaders as before but nevertheless it's all I needed.

Guess not sure if this post is needed anymore I figure. Maybe if someone had the same problem they'll know where to go/ how to do it

[MayImilae]

Ok, I have a test for you to perform. Get 4.0-107 again, and extract it to a new location. In the directory next to the EXE, make a new text document and name it (including the extension) "portable.txt". This isolates that specific dolphin build from the global user directory, so you know that everything is 100% vanilla. Now, set it to OpenGL, and with entirely default settings and no saves, run the game you have been trying to play. Play it for a little while and report back.

[degasus]

Fancy bug. I bet it's because of the efb2screen blit. Maybe you can try this build: http://dl.dolphin-emu.org/wips/degasus-dolphin-master-3.5-2429+-x64.7z It's a bit older, but I've changed the blitting code there.

[IIr]

Yep followed the steps and after 4.0-107 was isolated/ settings were at default all games I have opened fine. Here's a list of what I opened. I didn't have my wiimote on to play the wii games so I just wanted to see if I had black screens:

Metroid Prime (GC)
LoZ: WW (GC)
SSB: M (GC)
LoZ: TP (Wii)
LoZ: SS (Wii)

They all played fine no black screens. From vanilla then I switched Direct3D11 backend to OpenGL but left all the other settings like vanilla. At this point these are the games that started just fine:

LoZ: WW (GC)
SSB: M (GC)

I had to use a post-processing effect for the rest of the games since they gave me black screens. Audio can be heard but no video comes through. Something I've noticed is that the above two games are from PAL and the rest from NA. Most of the library I'm pulling ISOs from are a mix between Eur/Aus and NA titles I've gotten from ebay.

Hope that helps

[MayImilae]

Make sure you try the build Degasus provided. Do the portable.txt thing with it as well.

[IIr]

Got around towards isolating/ using defaults again for Degasus' build and again same results as with 4.0-107 :o. Results were the same as my previous post.

I took the liberty to download Dolphin 3.5 and use its vanilla settings. This version like 3.5-367 did not give black screens when using OpenGL and turning post-processing off.