Emulation News 064: Updates for 6-3-11

Here are today's news. Have a good weekend!

MESS SVN r11789

"r11789
New not working system: Mitsubishi Multi 16"

Source

Classic99 v355

"- Fix image disks not to lose the first directory entry"

Source

Z26 v3.01

"- Fixed bug in collision detection allowing breakout to play.
- Thanks to Eckhard Stolberg for help with this version!"

Source

Test7 v20110601

"Test7 is a multi emulator frontend.
Instead of a list of game names, it displays a tiled view of thumbnails (one for each game).

It's based on the library "Slick" (http://slick.cokeandcode.com)
and use the Apache Batik SVG Toolkit (http://xmlgraphics.apache.org/batik/).

The font is in the AngelCode font file format (http://www.angelcode.com/products/bmfont/) :
Texture in 512x512x32 png file format and font descriptor in text file format.

The config file is in JSON format (http://www.json.org)

To start the front-end (requires Java version 6 at least):
java -jar test7.jar

At launch, Test7 unzips the necessary natives libraries in the current directory.
Linux:
You must include this directory in the environment
variable LD_LIBRARY_PATH.

Windows:
The current directory is normaly automatically added to
the PATH.

If it doesn't exist, Test7 creates a template config file test7.json

The config files is divided in three parts:
- display
- emulators
- games

Summary of the display configuration:
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Required:
- screenWidth and screenHeight : sizes in pixels of the screen.
- fullscreen : true/false.
- nbColumns and nbRows : number of thumbnails displayed on a page.

Optionnal: (value by default)
- rotate (0): rotate the display.
-1 = -90°; 1 = +90°; 0 = no rotation.
- percentRowSpacing and percentColumnSpacing (0%):
blank space between thumbnail's rows and columns
in percent of the screen size.
- keyDelay (500ms): time in ms for key repetition.
- pageScrollTime (300ms): time in ms of the
page-scrolling effect.
- cursorMoveTime (100ms): time in ms for the cursor
to move from one thumbnail to another.
- zoomTime (100ms): time in ms of the zoom
effect.
- svgMaskFilename (test7/mask.svg) : filename of the
svg file used as a mask on each thumbnail.
- svgDecorationFilename (test7/decoration.svg) :
filename of the svg file used as a translucent
decoration over each thumbnail.
- svgCursorFilename (test7/cursor.svg) :
filename of the svg file used as a cursor.
If the svg contains an animation then the cursor
will be animated.
- percentCursorScale (150%) : scale of
the cursor compare to a cell.
A cell is the available screen surface divided by
the number of columns and rows.
- fontFilename (test7/font21.fnt) : filename of the
AngelCode font file (the texture file with the
same name but a .png extension is loaded
too).
- backgroundFilename (test7/background.png) : filename of the image
pattern used to fill the background.
- stretchBackgroundImage (false) : true/false;
Strech the background image to fill the screen
without the need to repeat the image.
- multiThread (true): true/false; By default Test7
loads the thumbnails in a separate thread. So you
can start your navigation through the games while
the thumbnails are loaded. But it seems there's a
bug which sometimes freezes the application
(occures in fullscreen with
Vista).

Emulators:
""""""""""
- id : reference used in the game part.
- command : command used to start the emulator (with options if needed).
Exemple: "c:/temp/znes/zsnesw.exe -m" to start the
ZNES emulator in command line mode.
- romsDirectory : directory containing the roms of this emulator.
- picturesDirectory : directory containing the pictures used to create
the thumbnails.

Games:
""""""
- file : name of the file. Exemple : "superGame.zip"
The directory is the one associated with the
emulator (see above).
- name : displayed name of the game.
- picture (optional): By default Test7 uses the filename of the game with
one these suffixes : "bmp,jpg,jpeg,png,gif" to
construct the filename of the game.
Exemple: "superGame.zip" becomes "superGame.png"
This parameter permit to use a totally different
filename for the picture. The directory is the
one associated with the emulator (see above).
- emulatorOption (optional): add some options to the command line of the
emulator.
- emulatorId : Identifiant of the emulator used to launch this game.

Exemple of a configuration:
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
{
"screenWidth":1680,
"screenHeight":1050,
"fullScreen":true,
"nbColumns":6,
"nbRows":4,
"emulators": [
{"id":"znes", "command":"c:/temp/znes/zsnesw.exe -m",
"romsDirectory":"c:/temp/znes",
"picturesDirectory":"c:/temp/znes"
},

{"id":"mame", "command":"c:/temp/mame/mame.exe",
"romsDirectory":"c:/temp/mame/roms",
"picturesDirectory":"c:/temp/mame/snap"
}
],
"games": [
{"name":"Super Ghost'n Trolls ",
"file":"Super Ghost'n Trolls (Europe).zip",
"emulatorId":"znes"
},

{"name":"Super Subway",
"file":"Super Subway (Europe) (En,Fr,De).zip",
"emulatorId":"znes"
},

{"name":"Year of Kung-Fu",
"file":"yearkf.zip",
"emulatorId":"mame"
}
]
}

Usage:
""""""
Use arrow keys or joystick to move the cursor.
Use space or a joystick button to select a game. A full-size picture of the selected game is displayed.
Confirm your choice with space or a button again or use arrow key or joystick to cancel.
Type 'Q' to quit Test7."


Source

Dolphin SVN r7580

"r7577
Last major UI change before release.
- Moved display related options in the "Display" tab from the general config to the gfx config, renamed the tab to "Interface"
- Moved Wiimote related options in the "Wii" tab from the general config to the wiimote config
- Moved various other options to more appropriate places ("Set Console as NTSC-J", "Skip GC BIOS"
- Dropped "Window Size" adjustment
- Now displaying a warning if one tries to enable software rendering
- Other minor changes
r7578
Linux build fix. Also take care of a few compiler warnings that have developed.
r7579
fix wxw errors:
sliders being unresponsive during emulation. Fixes issue 4496.
wxw complaining about non-stock menuitem without text (sysmenu menuitem).
r7580
Change behavior of NTSC-J option:
Left unselected, dolphin defaults to nstc-u and sets ntsc-j if the iso is japanese (old behavior).
Selected, ntsc-j is forced."

Source

DaedalusX64 SVN r713

"r713
[=>] Merged from Dev branch:

Rev 292 - Corn
[!] fix compile warnings
[!] fix clear option dialogs when not using exit confirmation
[-] remove unneeded variable for frame limiter
Rev 293 - [+] Added a blend to fix the waterfall in MRC
[+] Added a blend to fix the Text and HUD in Duke Nukem 64 (Could be dangerous)
Rev 294 - Bdacanay
[!] Fix for PHAT hanging with frame limiter enabled
[-] removed check for gVblsSinceFlip since it can't be zero at the division
Rev 295 - Salvy
[!] Use PeekBuffer instead of ReadBuffer for dialogs
[!] Only read input data when CONT_READ_CONTROLLER is set
[!] Skip dummy data in PIF
[!} Simplified ProcessCommand in PIF
[~] Small clean up in UIScreen"

Source

Stella SVN r2245

"r2245
Re-enabled 'grabmouse' functionality with a few changes:
- it doesn't have a hotkey any more
- it is changed in the "Input Settings' UI, not in 'Video Settings'
- it only has meaning while in emulation mode
- it is enabled by default
r2244
Tweaked the mouse motion detection for invalid values, and bumped version #
for the next point release."

Source

WinUAE v2.3.2

"New features:
- AROS ROM replacement development snapshot included, replaces old
very basic ROM replacement feature, used by default if official
KS ROM is not found.
- New autofire option. Button released = autofire. Button pressed = normal
non-autofire firebutton.
- Stop the CPU and wait until blitter has finished if any blitter register
is accessed while blitter is busy and CPU mode is fastest possible.
Better workaround than immediate blitter for programs that have blitter
wait bugs with fast CPU.
- Serial port telnet server.

Updates:
- Disk emulation accuracy improved
(Codertrash / Mexx, El Egg Tronic Quarts / Quadlite)
- CIA timer undocumented startup delays emulated (Risky Woods sound
glitches)
- win32.floppy_path and win32.hardfile_path really works as expected.
- Display panel refresh rate accepts non-integer values.

Bug fixes:
- Implemented workaround that should fix Direct3D blank screen problem.
- Sample ripper crash.
- 68000 exception 3 emulation fixed again. (Broke compatibility with some
very old copy protections, for example Soldier of Light and Zoom!)
- Reset bug that broke Arcadia mode, A1000 mode and Action Replay ROMs.
- Automatic resolution switch interlace detection was unreliable.
- CD32 early boot menu is accessible again.
- Rare crash when switching from fullscreen RTG mode to native mode.
- Borderblank chipset feature didn't work in ECS Denise mode.
- Possible input configuration corruption due to uninitialized variable.
- Color change table overflow crash that can happen when emulated
program crashes really badly."

Source

SaveGame Manager GX SVN r101

"r101
* Fixed CodeDump problems (report please)
* Prepared sources for devkitPPC rev23
* Linux case sensitive compile error fixed (perhaps...)

* Themes Changes:
- Settings title Color added as "flyingbutton menu title text color"
- Settings button text color added as "flyingbutton menu mainbutton text color"
- Page indicator text color added as "flyingbutton menu title text color"
- Theme Downloader title Color added as "flyingbutton menu title text color"
- Theme Downloader button text color added as "flyingbutton menu mainbutton text
color"
- Theme Menu title Color added as "flyingbutton menu title text color"
- Theme Menubutton text color added as "flyingbutton menu mainbutton text color"
- Tooltip text color added as "tooltip text color"
- Settings option browser entry test color added as "optionbrowser entry text
color"
- Text Reader filename text color added as "text reader filename text color"
- Text Reader file text color added as "text reader file text color"
- Home Menu main buttons text color added as "homemenu main button text color"
- SelectBrowser adress text color added as "select browser adress text color"
- SelectBrowser entry text color added as "select browser entry text color"
- Keyboard text color added as "keyboard text color"
- Keyboard buttons text color added as "keyboard buttons text color"
- Keyboard special buttons text color added as "keyboard spec buttons text
color"
- CheckBox cross color added as "checkbox cross color"
- CheckBox extern border color added as "checkbox extern border color"
- CheckBox intern background color added as "checkbox intern background color"
- Disabled mask color added as "disabled mask color"

*Images reworked:
- button_close.png
- button_close_over.png
- button_valid.png
- button_valid_over.png
- button_wifi.png
- button_wifi_over.png"

Source

SSF Test Version (11/06/02)

"Updated test version. Several bugs have been corrected. After VDP2 RAM Write Timing Added option to specify the buffer size at the time. You can specify a number from 24 to 99."

Source

NesterJ 1.12 Plus v0.71

"- Improved mapper15
- Increase the rom automatically correct"

Source

CPCE v1.94 (2011/06/02)

"Two minor bugfixes: a rare buffer glitch
in the ZIP handler (PowerArchiver's 0B blocks) and noise in games that
set the AY chip's control register on every frame ("Head over Heels")."

Source