new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!)

Zering

Hey guys, so I finally got this working, which is very exciting!
It all runs pretty smoothly for the most part, but CD-i games hang on launch. I get a screen that says 'Loading machine', and it hangs on 96%.
I have .chd files and I've placed my BIOS in the BIOS, roms, and cdimono1 directory.
If anybody could tell me what I'm doing wrong, I'd be very grateful!

Folly

@Zering said in new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!):

Hey guys, so I finally got this working, which is very exciting!
It all runs pretty smoothly for the most part, but CD-i games hang on launch. I get a screen that says 'Loading machine', and it hangs on 96%.
I have .chd files and I've placed my BIOS in the BIOS, roms, and cdimono1 directory.
If anybody could tell me what I'm doing wrong, I'd be very grateful!

@Zering

For CD-I you can look from here :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/27387/cd-i-does-not-want-to-load-after-updating-retropie/22
And from here :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/27983/ir-cd-i/10

Zering

@Folly so the bios is essentially outdated?

I don't think cdi is the only emulator affected, I've ran into the same glitch with the M5 and the GP32.

Folly

@Zering

Yes, indeed. You need to update.

It could be that others also need BIOS changes.
But I don't know, I never tried these systems.

You should read your logs in /dev/shm/ after trying a system.
Perhaps you can figure out if they miss bios roms.

Zering

@Folly How would I go about establishing which BIOS roms are missing?

Could you provide me with a couple of examples?

Folly

@Zering

First thing I would try is to update the cdimono.zip.
If that works, you know it was the BIOS that gave the trouble.

Then the chances are that these other systems also need BIOS updates.

I recommend to try above first.

Perhaps later on I can help you to provide some more information about the logs.

Folly

@Zering said in new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!):

@Folly How would I go about establishing which BIOS roms are missing?

Could you provide me with a couple of examples?

Here is an example of CD-I .
If you have a missing rom, that lr-mess want's for a certain system, it will say in /dev/shm/runcommand.log :

[libretro INFO] MANUFACTURER: Philips
cdi200.rom NOT FOUND (tried in cdimono1)
zx405037p__cdi_servo_2.1__b43t__llek9215.mc68hc705c8a_withtestrom.7201 NOT FOUND (tried in cdimono1)
zx405042p__cdi_slave_2.0__b43t__zzmk9213.mc68hc705c8a_withtestrom.7206 NOT FOUND (tried in cdimono1)
Fatal error: Required files are missing, the machine cannot be run.

So if it says => NOT FOUND (tried in cdimono1) => than the required rom is missing.

Zering

@Folly That makes sense. And the runcommand.log is generated after the game fails to load right?

Folly

@Zering

Indeed.

Just read that file with a texteditor.

Folly

@Zering

This is the output when it works :

[libretro INFO] MANUFACTURER: Philips
zx405037p__cdi_servo_2.1__b43t__llek9215.mc68hc705c8a_withtestrom.7201 ROM NEEDS REDUMP
zx405042p__cdi_slave_2.0__b43t__zzmk9213.mc68hc705c8a_withtestrom.7206 ROM NEEDS REDUMP
WARNING: the machine might not run correctly.

DTEAM

Quick question. Is anyone able to run GP32 at normal speed or almost. If so, what is the configuration used?

Zering

@Folly I have updated the BIOS and now I can start lr-mess-cdi, however as expected the controls do not work and it does not respond to my mouse.
I have tried following the instructions you left here : https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/27983/ir-cd-i/32

I copied your config files into my configs folder as you indicated, but it has changed nothing on my end and while I can start the emulator I can not effectively do anything with it.

Incidentally, while my roms directory is named cdimono1, my configs folder is named cdi. Could that be part of the issue?

roslof

I wasn't going to mess with the CD-i... Never liked the system that much... but all the chatter today piqued my curiosity... So I researched the system and then just had to play the now legendarily bad Zelda game.

Installation was a breeze with @valerino 's script (as always)... so yeah. Now I have to use this thing.

I'm using @c64-dev & @chicuelo's Epic Noir Dark Mode Theme which doesn't come with a CD-i poster, so I threw one together... then a controller... then the copy... then set the left indicator :) ...and I had to make a launching.png image... And position the system in the es-systems.cfg file just right... It's work... But very happy with this now.

The games run surprisingly well. Thanks for the discussion. My collection just got a little bit more interesting.

zelda - the wand of gamelon (1993)(philips)(us)-2020.10.03-18.18.jpg

roslof

@roslof said in new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!):

The games run surprisingly well.

I take it back. :) Some games perform well. Others are questionable.

I'm specifically interested in Zelda: Wand of Gamelon or Link: Faces of Evil. Everything is fine UNTIL I choose a location from the map. Then the game slowly fades in from black at a ridiculously slow FPS then freezes completely.

I'm using an OC Pi 4B w/ MESS 0.222. Are others seeing this slowdown/freeze issue with these two games? If so, is there a known solution to resolve the problem?

Zering

@roslof how did you manage to get the controls working?

roslof

@Zering said in new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!):

@roslof how did you manage to get the controls working?

The game uses libretro settings. If your mouse is configured to work with libretro, it should work here. If you are having mouse issues, it's usually an incorrect Mouse Index Number (search here)

Usually, you just need to set the RetroArch Input/Port 1 Binds/Mouse Index to the correct number. If you don't know what this number is after reading the link provided above, you can use trial and error, starting from 0 and trying to move the mouse -- then increasing to 1... etc. until the mouse shows movement.

zerojay

@roslof said in new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!):

I'm using an OC Pi 4B w/ MESS 0.222. Are others seeing this slowdown/freeze issue with these two games? If so, is there a known solution to resolve the problem?

Yes. No.

Folly

@Zering said in new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!):

Incidentally, while my roms directory is named cdimono1, my configs folder is named cdi. Could that be part of the issue?

That's strange.

You can check your /dev/shm/runcommand.log on line 13, there you can find which config directory you should use :

....  -cfg_directory /opt/retropie/configs/cdimono1 ....

You can always make your own configs :
Delete or rename my "default.cfg ". (here the "User Interface" is turned off)
Then you will be able to use "tab key" to config your joystick/joystick buttons in lr-mess.

Zering

I can use tab key, but nothing I do seems to affect the mouse, which drifts endlessly. Lr-mess-cdi does respond to some of my controller inputs.
However I've just realized I've got two different config folders, one cdi and one cdimono1, and I don't know what's in what, so I think I'll run the script again, uninstall and re-install and then run through the steps again. I'll let you know how I get on!

Folly

@Zering said in new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!):

I can use tab key, but nothing I do seems to affect the mouse, which drifts endlessly. Lr-mess-cdi does respond to some of my controller inputs.

Remember lr-mess is a pain in the ass. It uses multiple configs.
custom-core-options, retroarch, cdimono1 and default.

First make sure your joystick works with retroarch in other libretro cores.

In custom-core-options.cfg you have to enable the mouse :

mame_mouse_enable = "enabled"

In retroarch.cfg (in the cdimono1 config directory) you have to enable mouse buttons as joystick buttons :
~~(you have to know your button numbers !, read you global retroarch.cfg to find out)~~ (I think I made a mistake here, I think button numbers correspond to lr-mess button numbers)

input_player1_a_mbtn = "1"
input_player1_b_mbtn = "2"

Now you can manually add your joystick-buttons with "tab key" in lr-mess.

Hope this works for you.