Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone

jamrom2

@folly I'll be working with it tonight, but I can see you've done an amazing job on it.

This is more than any other emulator does. You're really able to work with it as if you're actually adding in modules and cart to run basic.

I assume it was done this way originally because the original system had no DOS system, much like a C64 or Tandy, not like MS-DOS based PC's that you loaded DOS onto a HD. Back then.. no HD's. LOL.

This is good. I'm sure there are a TON of games that will run now, just have to figure out what they need to run. I've pulled down many and just committed to them not working. I'll be messing around with all these options to try and get them to work now.

jamrom2

@folly I also found with your script, that you can use it per game name as well. What I mean by this, is there are some compilation disks out there that are driven by a menu. Menu loads, select a game.

Your script actually allows you to use the same file as many times as you want and just rename it to the games that are on it. So if there is defender, Poker, Adventure.. whatever listed on the disk. The one file can be copied and just renamed Defender.bin, Poker.bin or whatever it's listed as. If it's a game in basic, drop the .bin as you know. Then select the correct loader.

What this means is you don't have to go out into the internet and spend HOURS looking for a specific title if it's part of a compilation disk. Your script will read it and load it as long as you name the file correctly as listed on the file directory of the disk. Not sure I've seen that before.

Folly

@jamrom2

I read you post several times it's a very nice feature.

It looks like you described it thoroughly, though I can't put my finger on it on how/what you did exactly.
Can you describe the example more precise, with some steps ?
Or did you do this with an autoboot loader ?
Then I understand.

I probably should add some help pages, for all the features, in the script.

Folly

@jamrom2

Forgot to tell.

lr-mess seems to have an issue with using shift typing the dot manually.

So the example of "Attack of the Creepers", given earlier, is done with mame.

Not really sure how this can be fixed with lr-mess.

jamrom2

@folly Yes, I noticed this. I hadn't said anything because I wasn't sure it was me or Mess. So now you confirmed it. It's not just the ".", it's a few keys in that area. I wonder if there is a region setting for the keyboard? Not sure it made a difference with the Ti99, but it is odd that some of the lower right keys are not working.

I remapped the "." to the "-" as I don't see the need for the "-" just yet.

jamrom2

@folly
Ok, I kinda figured my explanation would require further explanation.. lol.

I was working with a zipped game file Varloc (1985)(Tandy)[26-3291].dsk When it loaded, it gave me a menu to choose from a list of games on the disk. I took it a step further, broke out of the menu program and with DIR , it produced a list showing all kinds of other games on the disk other than Varloc. berserk.bin, digdug.bin, defender.bin... etc.

I renamed the Varloc (1985)(Tandy)[26-3291].zip to berserk.bin.zip and ran it with the new CoCo3 script for Flop1. It worked. It pulled the Berserk game from the disk and ran it. Then I renamed the zip file to digdug.bin.zip, that worked. I've never seen an emulator do this before, where it pulls a game title from a list of games on an .dsk image. Ususally it will only run the main title it was dumped from, which in this case, should have been the menu... or Varloc.

At any rate, it might just be me, but I thought it was worth mentioning. So if a .dsk file like this has 10 games stored on it, you could literally rename the .zip file to each game and now have all 10 from 1 .zip file.

jamrom2

@folly I've been trying all sorts of different disk files tonight. With success and some failures... it's definately a challenge to figure out which disk to choose per game, but many do work once you get it right.

I find many seem to work good with lr-run-mess (superxb 525qd). Some examples from TOSEC:
13 Extended Basic Games (198x)(-)(PD)
D-Station (1988)(John Phillips)[with source code]
Draw Poker (1981)(Texas Instruments)[PHD 5037][req. PHM 3026]
Night Mission (1985)(Millers Graphics)
Old Dark Caves 2 (1986)(Donn Granros)

You example for Attack of the Creepers worked for me as well using the same method. So that's good as well.

The bigger questions is... how do you know what version of Mess to choose to run the game. And, in the Editor/Assembler, how did you get the file name to run the game? I tried call dir(1), but it just gives me an error. I though "call" was a command for voice anyway.

Definitely challenging to get working. The .rpk files all run good. I haven't tried the zipped .bin files, but they worked for me before anyway.

Does this support .ctg files?

Folly

@jamrom2 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone:

Does this support .ctg files?

No, don't think so, it's ti99sim specific.

Folly

@jamrom2 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone:

@folly
Ok, I kinda figured my explanation would require further explanation.. lol.

I was working with a zipped game file Varloc (1985)(Tandy)[26-3291].dsk When it loaded, it gave me a menu to choose from a list of games on the disk. I took it a step further, broke out of the menu program and with DIR , it produced a list showing all kinds of other games on the disk other than Varloc. berserk.bin, digdug.bin, defender.bin... etc.

I renamed the Varloc (1985)(Tandy)[26-3291].zip to berserk.bin.zip and ran it with the new CoCo3 script for Flop1. It worked. It pulled the Berserk game from the disk and ran it. Then I renamed the zip file to digdug.bin.zip, that worked. I've never seen an emulator do this before, where it pulls a game title from a list of games on an .dsk image. Ususally it will only run the main title it was dumped from, which in this case, should have been the menu... or Varloc.

At any rate, it might just be me, but I thought it was worth mentioning. So if a .dsk file like this has 10 games stored on it, you could literally rename the .zip file to each game and now have all 10 from 1 .zip file.

Now I understand,
I will try it If I have the time ;-)

Folly

@jamrom2 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone:

@folly Yes, I noticed this. I hadn't said anything because I wasn't sure it was me or Mess. So now you confirmed it. It's not just the ".", it's a few keys in that area. I wonder if there is a region setting for the keyboard? Not sure it made a difference with the Ti99, but it is odd that some of the lower right keys are not working.

I remapped the "." to the "-" as I don't see the need for the "-" just yet.

Ok, this solution worked for me too.
To be able to use the shift too I had to set the keyboard on emulated instead of natural.
Perhaps I have to remove the "keyboard natural mode", what do you think ?

jamrom2

@folly I think that's a good call. I find I have to switch back and forth. But I don't see how to delete on emulated. Works on Natural. I'll just have to re-map the key to something else.

Works better in Emulated anyway.

Folly

@jamrom2

Tested keyboard emulated mode in both mame and lr-mess.

Indeed it works far better.

Improvements with both :

We are able to use the ti99 function keys, which do not work in natural mode.
we also reduce the amount of text in our loaders a our and our loader names

Improvements in lr-mess :

We are able to use capslock and shift and the dot key when reassigned

I will remove the -nat option in all lines.

Folly

@jamrom2

I found that there is still a huge development around the ti99.

A Richard Gilbertson is still working on a combination :

Rich eXtended Basic
Rich Editor Assembler

There is a 2021 version in rpk and they are working on a 2022 version.
I think it could replace all superxb and editassloaders.

It looks like this :

You should probably e-mail me so I can give you some more information.
(you can find my e-mail by clicking on my user information)

jamrom2

@folly I can see where this will definately streamline the loading process, but this is certainly a system you need to have some familarity with or be willing to make input. It's not like a C64, CPC or Atari.

I didn't own one, so it's a learning curve, but fun to use. It's serious old school input when there was not DOS. LOL.

You can hit me on jamrom2 (at) yahoo (dot) com.

I just wish there was a way to improve the performance. I understand why it's poor, many of the discreet circuits on MAME arcade emulator suffer the same. It has to do with how the data is processed in the circuits. Not easy to emulate with software.

Maybe some of this work and that make it available in the Retropie Libretro format will trigger someone to look at it again.

Folly

@jamrom2 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone:

I didn't own one, so it's a learning curve, but fun to use. It's serious old school input when there was not DOS. LOL.

Indeed, same with me.

I did a commit :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/blob/de4c502ef629317ff9eb6740739c42f46d21b3fc/00-workdir-00/backup/add-mamedev-systems-0238_test.sh

Removed the -nat option (keyboard natural mode) and added a few rxb2021 loaders too.
To have a better overview I decided to place the rxb2021.rpk file into :
/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/ti99_4a/ti99_cart_rpk
The rxb2021 loader will search in that directory for the cartridge file.

Folly

@jamrom2 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone:

As soon as I get in to the GUI, I can check my controller assignments and see why I'm missing "UP". All other buttons and directions work fine.

I tried lr-mess and I had issues also with the "UP".
When I enable "CAPS-LOCK" I am able to use the "UP" key.

Folly

@jamrom2

I just updated some dl lines because 1 didn't work anymore.

I also added the word mame as an option to the lr-mess basename loaders because the last lr-mess 0.239 binary didn't work without it.

Don't know if you had that problem, but I hope it has been fixed now.

https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/blob/effa2b2accdc616b077cee7e495e1e467f720b48/00-workdir-00/backup/add-mamedev-systems-0238_test.sh

XxCitoxX

@dteam Hi, can i ask about where to get apfm1000 games

mitu

@xxcitoxx Do not ask for ROMs/BIOS/copyrighted material in the forums - https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/2/forum-rules.

jamrom2

@folly I've been finishing up my CoCo2 list, and working on my CoCo3 now. I'm going to make a dedicated Tandy CoCo3 logo as well as I think it's warranted to seperate the two visually rather than just a Tandy logo.

I'll play around with this tonight as well.