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Fred Kaal's Module Creator


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I'm not sure what the problem is. I am NOT running Module Creator from my hard drive but rather from a flash drive designated as drive "g". I have changed the pathway in modulecreator.yab to:

 

@1="g/modulecreator"

 

It loads fine from there but I keep getting a persistant linker error when I try to process a file. Any suggestions?

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The only files I could get it to work with were the disk utilities from His website, everything else "Linker error"

I also noticed I always ended up with a 32kB file even with less than 16kB worth of files.

 

If You read the *.ler file in notepad it says v9t9 file header not found. According to the docs it should work with E/A #5 files only.

 

I suspect the v9t9 file header missing is the main problem, unless there is a util for that you would likely need programming skills.

Edited by Imperious
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I just created a successful 32k bin file of Parsec

 

extracted the contents of the modules compilation disk USGROP317B with ti99sim's "disk" command line util (shorten the filename then remove the dsk extension first),

then loaded the individual Parsec Fiad files into win99/4a's Diskmanager and removed the protection, followed by extracting the non protected files to a fiad, then removing

the .fiad extension. Module creator then created the bin file with Linker errors, but when I loaded it into Classic99 after editing the ini file, it worked.

Haven't tested all that much of the game, but 1st level seemed ok, make that 2nd level too.

 

That's a lot of stuffing around with 3 different emulators, but doesn't take very long once You get the hang of it. Buck rogers didn't work, but will try a different disk file later.

Might try the bin file in one of my Jon Guidry v3 boards at some point too.

 

added this to the classic ini file to get it working.

 

[usercart1]
name=PARSEC
rom0=3|0000|8000|I:\Emulators\computer\classic99\PARSEC1.bin

 

Edit where needed obviously.

Edited by Imperious
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If you get the error "v9t9 file header not found" you can use Ti99Dir to convert TIFILES to V9T9 files, but then I get another error "Too many banks <5> used by program, maximum allowed is <4>.". This is strange since it should be able to handle up to 16 banks.

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Files shorter than 32K still don't work. I guess I'll have to use the old approach by adding a GPL header to the dis-assembled file and then putting them together before saving as a program image file. I don't know if Fred monitors this site but maybe he will chime in. His input would be helpful.

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I just created a successful 32k bin file of Parsec

 

extracted the contents of the modules compilation disk USGROP317B with ti99sim's "disk" command line util (shorten the filename then remove the dsk extension first),

then loaded the individual Parsec Fiad files into win99/4a's Diskmanager and removed the protection, followed by extracting the non protected files to a fiad, then removing

the .fiad extension. Module creator then created the bin file with Linker errors, but when I loaded it into Classic99 after editing the ini file, it worked.

Haven't tested all that much of the game, but 1st level seemed ok, make that 2nd level too.

 

That's a lot of stuffing around with 3 different emulators, but doesn't take very long once You get the hang of it. Buck rogers didn't work, but will try a different disk file later.

Might try the bin file in one of my Jon Guidry v3 boards at some point too.

 

added this to the classic ini file to get it working.

 

[usercart1]

name=PARSEC

rom0=3|0000|8000|I:\Emulators\computer\classic99\PARSEC1.bin

 

Edit where needed obviously.

 

So there exists a non-grom version of Parsec?

Please point me towards it or upload it here.

.dsk version would be nice. :)

 

Thanks,

 

Gazoo

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There isn't a Parsec.dsk as far as I know, or have come across, but You will find it in the USGROP317B.dsk in the zip file I have uploaded.

 

Here is also the bin file I created as well.

 

It's a shame there is no Alpiner on disk anywhere. I did read that It as well as Tunnels of Doom is too Grom heavy, but there

is a dsk version of TOD around.

Any gifted person here like to try and convert Alpiner? Would be really great if that could be done.

Modules_on_Disk.zip

PARSEC.bin

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There isn't a Parsec.dsk as far as I know, or have come across, but You will find it in the USGROP317B.dsk in the zip file I have uploaded.

 

Here is also the bin file I created as well.

 

It's a shame there is no Alpiner on disk anywhere. I did read that It as well as Tunnels of Doom is too Grom heavy, but there

is a dsk version of TOD around.

Any gifted person here like to try and convert Alpiner? Would be really great if that could be done.

 

The 'ground' characters in Parsec in this version are improperly defined. The data is probably being read from Grom and is reading from whatever cartridge is in use. I wonder if anyone's tried to fix this?

 

Gazoo

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So there exists a non-grom version of Parsec?

Please point me towards it or upload it here.

.dsk version would be nice. :)

 

Thanks,

 

Gazoo

 

 

at the bottom of this page i collected a lot of Parsec Versions, there is a CNN modified Parsec too ... scroll the page at the Download Section ;)

Edited by ti99userclub
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So there exists a non-grom version of Parsec?

Please point me towards it or upload it here.

.dsk version would be nice. :)

 

Thanks,

 

Gazoo

I see from the GPL code for GROM 3, 4 and 5 so that would be at 6K per GROM or 18K of GPL and 8K or Assembly.

 

Turning 6K of GPL code into Assembly normally would take about 9K of Assembly space if you are really good at Assembly, and lucky.

 

So if very good and lucky you could fit all that Parsec GROM into 27K but with LOWER 8K support where does the ROM page go?

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I've been playing around with Fred Module creator. Had the same problem regarding linking error, my problem was that the files were located in a folder with a space, ie: Target files, I renamed the folder to Targetfiles and it worked fine!

 

Don't know if that is related to your error, but would like to share the tip to help you to troubleshoot.

 

Best

 

Tato

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I've been playing around with Fred Module creator. Had the same problem regarding linking error, my problem was that the files were located in a folder with a space, ie: Target files, I renamed the folder to Targetfiles and it worked fine!

 

Don't know if that is related to your error, but would like to share the tip to help you to troubleshoot.

 

Best

 

Tato

 

Good tip!

 

I've been messing with the ModuleCreator as well but, I flat out can't get more than one program to work.

 

My goal was to put these two apps on a EPROM: 1) DM2K and 2) DSK-2-PC

 

No dice. Compiles just fine, no errors, but the second app won't work.

 

I've tried many combinations of just Fred's utilities and the only way I can find to make any of them work is; singly (is that a word?) burned to EPROM. Soon as I add a second app, it won't work. And I mean it compiles fine, with no errors, just wont work on the TI (the 2nd app or 3rd never tried more).

 

My ULTIMATE goal would be this combo:

1) Editor / Assembler II

2) DM2K

3) DM1000

4) DSK-2-PC

 

Might be oversized, so I could drop #4 or #3. BUT, that would be totally awesome!

 

Cheers!

 

-Dano

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  • 2 years later...
Fred Kaal (@F.G. Kaal) has graciously updated Module Creator 2.0 to force loading of an even number of bytes. This insures that Module Creator 2.0 can successfully convert an E/A5 program with an odd number of bytes (such as can happen with some exports from Harry Wilhelm's (@senior_falcon's) XB Compiler) to operable ROM binaries, including those targeted to the FlashROM-99 cartridge. Thanks, Fred!


You can download the current Module Creator 2.0 from the “Modules” page of Fred's website.


...lee

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  • 2 weeks later...
If anyone wants to use Freds program to create FR99 compatible binaries. This is how I have done it.


  • Remember that the EA5 files must be in V9T9 format or you will get an error.
  • I do not include any check boxes. just all default to ensure I get a 32k binary file.
  • Browse to the first file for the EA5 program
  • Enter your project name
  • Enter your Module Name you want to see on the menu

See screenshot.


Once created and no errors you can just copy and drop it on the SD card for the FlashRom99

post-35187-0-19912700-1471707979_thumb.jpg

Edited by Shift838
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Good tip!

 

I've been messing with the ModuleCreator as well but, I flat out can't get more than one program to work.

 

My goal was to put these two apps on a EPROM: 1) DM2K and 2) DSK-2-PC

 

No dice. Compiles just fine, no errors, but the second app won't work.

 

I've tried many combinations of just Fred's utilities and the only way I can find to make any of them work is; singly (is that a word?) burned to EPROM. Soon as I add a second app, it won't work. And I mean it compiles fine, with no errors, just wont work on the TI (the 2nd app or 3rd never tried more).

 

My ULTIMATE goal would be this combo:

1) Editor / Assembler II

2) DM2K

3) DM1000

4) DSK-2-PC

 

Might be oversized, so I could drop #4 or #3. BUT, that would be totally awesome!

 

Cheers!

 

-Dano

Just curious why this shouldn't work.

 

Created a NON-inverted module with Dm2k, Dsk2Pc and DM1000 and tried it on my Emulator Ti99/4w. Don't see any problems here, all programs start as expected.

But when creating an inverted module with the same programs only the first program seems to work. There is something wrong here.

 

But adding Editor / Assembler II is something that can not be done with the "Module Creator" because Ed/Ass II is allready a module.

 

Fred ;-)

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And the problem lays in the fact that Dsk2Pc and Dm1000 are to small, something get confused when adding empty pages in reversed order. When selecting one of these programs in the module menu the first thing that happens is that many >0000 words are copied to the >2000 area instead of the original code. The >2000 area ends up at the >A000 area.

 

Creating a NON-inverted module all is fine.

 

Well ... this is some other fine mess I brought myself into.

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Fixed it.

 

Added linker L99 v 1.6.3 in the ModuleCreator 2.0 download.

 

If an inverted module is created (an) empty page(s) (or bank(s)) must be added in front of the program that is less then 4 pages (or banks) and not at the end of the program to create an 32Kb binary.

 

 

ModuleCreator can create a module file out of 1, 2, 3 or 4 Editor/Assembler option 5 programs.

The maximum size the module creator can handle is 32Kb - 4x the size of the modfunc.a99 code and this depends on the number of programs and the length of the titles in the menu.

This is roughly 4x >1E80 bytes = >7A00 or 31232 bytes. If some more PROM space is needed the flag "TI994 EQU 1" can be commented out.

 

 

Fred ;-)

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  • 3 years later...
On 8/20/2016 at 8:46 AM, Shift838 said:

Browse to the first file for the EA5 program

Where the EA5 file(s) is/are located seems to make a big difference. For some reason I couldn't get Module Creator 2.0  working unless I placed ALL of he EA5 files into a project folder inside the Modulecreator_20 folder. Also, the Modulecreator_20 folder had to be in my root directory. Using Windows10. Not sure why it wouldn't work until I did all of the above? Maybe that's covered elsewhere and I missed it.

 

Yes, thank you Fred!

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