Emulator

Some games don't support higher internal resolutions in Dolphin due to precision issues. This is one of them.

If there are no issues at 1x Internal Resolution then there's not likely anything that can be done. (see: Sonic Heroes/Shadow the Hedgehog for other examples of games that can't be rendered at higher resolutions properly.)

scizzer12 wrote:

With wireframe mode, projection hacks, or variable editing, you can manipulate the buffer up there, but never enough to remove it.

Tada!

043CD020 00000000
043CD048 00000000
043CD04C 00000000
04914D14 00000000

That's an AR code I made a little while back. Removes a bunch of shadow-based effects, but still removes the blue box at any resolution, with or without Scaled EFB Copies:

JMC4789 wrote:

Some games don't support higher internal resolutions in Dolphin due to precision issues. This is one of them.

If there are no issues at 1x Internal Resolution then there's not likely anything that can be done. (see: Sonic Heroes/Shadow the Hedgehog for other examples of games that can't be rendered at higher resolutions properly.)

The box is actually still there at all resolutions, but it's just covered up at all times by an EFB copy of the area of the screen behind it (why they didn't just remove the box, we may never know.)

Also, the box is not present in the PS2 or Xbox versions, for whatever reason.

Should I close this issue then? Or is there anything else to say about it?

JMC4789 wrote:

Should I close this issue then? Or is there anything else to say about it?

I don't know if removing shadows is really a solution.
I mean, I wrote an AR code that stretches the EFB copy 1 extra pixel (and still keeps shadows) and I wouldn't call that a solution. It leaves a seam because the textures don't line up properly but as soon as I find the X,Y offset, that shouldn't be an issue.

If we accept there is no solution and never will be (like moving the EFB copy layer back behind everything, fixing the edge blending, increasing the calculation size of the ground shadows so large that nobody can see them, etc) then I guess we could close it, but I feel like that'd be giving up. This issue is also present in the sequel (the spongebob movie game) and a solution could set a precedent for similar solutions with rounding issues in other games.

JMC4789 wrote:

Should I close this issue then? Or is there anything else to say about it?

This doesn't seem to be an issue with emulation, but an inherent issue with the scaling of IR/EFB copies. As I said, the box is in fact there on console, but you can't see it.

Maybe put the codes on the wiki and then I'll close this issue :)

Please see my fix here: https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/4715 ; turn on "Vertex Rounding"!

Fixed by https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/9989 (with a game patch and vertex rounding both enabled by default); see https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2021/09/07/dolphin-progress-report-august-2021/#50-14810-50-14848-and-50-15105-gameini-heavy-iron-studios-games-quality-of-life-changes-by-the-community-and-developers