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Retro HQ Lynx Cart Menu 1.4


GadgetUK

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I've updated the menu again.

 

binary to copy into route of your SD (unzip first)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xfhvky80hq741hc/menu1.4.zip?dl=0

 

LSD files go into the _PREVIEW folder, there's an example in that zip. If you have a ROM file (.LNX, .LYX) that matches, it will show the text description and after a second show the screenshot of the game.

I think i've fixed the issue with the last rom played - seemed to be the fact the PIC was going into power save too quickly perhaps, just after it started to update that file.

 

It also supports .LYX files now. I started looking at .O and .LNX files that have the BS93 header - need to spend more time on that later. Fixed the odd bug that might have caused something to fail to load etc.

 

The .LSD format now supports a name or description of up to 20 characters. If you have an .LSD file for the game you have selected, the text will appear at the bottom of the screen. This will make it easier to work out which ROM is which, but see below for the .LSD creation. It's going to take ages I think, unless people want to help?

 

The source is here (It needs tidying and optimizing, it's just a quick WIP).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/33mnnfea52mstbl/menu1.4src.zip?dl=0

 

And the utility to create .LSD files is here (again a WIP, it needs the code from the sprite packer adding into it really), and it would be nice to convert from a 24 bit RGB image to something the Lynx can work with. For now you need to create a 4bit (16 colour) bitmap of 160 x 102 for it work. All the screenshots I've taken are in a couple of folders in the zip, I just need to work through each one, converting to 4bit first, then add a description, run it through the tool and then name the .LSD file. Going to take ages unless someone wants to help sort those .LSD files?

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ksnht8ehhiezsff/LSD%20Creator.zip?dl=0

Edited by GadgetUK
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I think what would be cool is if we could share them - that way we won't all have to spend ages creating them etc. As an example, here's some of the ones I just created:-

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b0vkeqga99amf6c/test.zip?dl=0

 

You don't navigate the .LDS file, you just copy them into your _PREVIEW folder on your SD card. Then if the first part of the file name of your ROM matches the first part of the filename of the .LSD file, it should just show it when you hover over the ROM in the menu.

 

The tricky part is renaming all your ROM / .LSD files to match up. If you've got similarly named files it can get confused. For example I've got about 15 different versions of Alien, and they appear with ~1 ~2 ~3 etc in the name. I had to basically take them off the card, then copy them back with short 8 character names before they would match up properly with my .LSD files. The 8.3 naming thing is a pain even though I've added a 20 character name in the .LSD. That just appears at the bottom of the screen once you get the LSD files working, so you can easily tell what file your over.

 

Worth renaming the ROMs and the .LSD files so they are less than 9 characters. eg. batman, rather than Batman Returns (1990) etc. Otherwise it tends to not join them up properly. The only other way we could make this easier is by merging the ROM with the .LSD.

 

I've just noticed in testing that it runs a bit slow, and the palette goes screwy when navigating from a preview (just for a second). I will see if I can fix that now and push an update out in a minute.

Edited by GadgetUK
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good job gadget,next month i get my card,gona send my game gear and lynx to mcwill for the screens and recapping and lynx psu check.

after that i get them back,maybe my card arives then and i can begin testing,but have to wait till everything is finished.

but great job on the menu.

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I meant to post this in this thread:-

 

I've removed that text option from the bottom of the screen, it's too slow. I tried using a seperate file which only contained the text and it slows navigation down. The only way I can think we could show some additional text easily is to have a preloaded file with a line of text for each ROM etc, and I think that will be messy. I believe its better as it is in this version below:-

 

Binary: https://www.dropbox.com/s/eha7cciore97bms/menu1.5.zip?dl=0

Source: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gsvy3gcafv4pycj/SD%20Menu%201.5src.zip?dl=0

Utility to create .LSD files: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ksnht8ehhiezsff/LSD%20Creator.zip?dl=0

 

I think if we concentrate on .o and the LNX files using BS93 headers next then that should be it - all should work I think.

 

EDIT: Also just done a quick mod (not in the version above) to select the lightest colour and darkest colour for the 'Programming...' message and its background. That way it now always looks very clear. Previously it was sometimes hard to read depending on the game selected.

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It also supports .LYX files now. I started looking at .O and .LNX files that have the BS93 header - need to spend more time on that later. Fixed the odd bug that might have caused something to fail to load etc.

 

If you find a lnx file with a BS93 header, someone just renamed a .o file and hoped the emulator detects it correctly ...

 

thats as stupid as renaming rom dumps (aka .lyx) in .lnx or stripping the header of lnx files because "we want only whats on the rom" (no-intro roms)

Edited by sage
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I've tried the Lynx SD Tool - it's working with Windows XP, but with Windows 10 64 bit it's not working - It's opening the black window, but then nothing more happens

Now I'am going to convert some of the files from the ZIP :-)

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Version 1.6

 

I've gone with the existing object loader code (thanks to David Huseby and Karri Kaksonen), so the homebrew is written and booted as a standard cartridge, but patched from the menu. Binary and source attached.

 

I've changed the structure a bit, as I needed an extra file, so I now have a menu.bin and a folder called menu as well with a couple of files in. All of that needs to be copied to the root of the memory card.

 

Changes --

 

1) Booting of object files (homebrew)

2) Holding down A during boot auto-boots the last selected ROM

3) Folders and files with the hidden or system attribute set are hidden in the menu

4) The "menu" folder is also hidden

 

It would probably make sense to move the preview folder under menu as well, although I've not done that yet.

 

See how people get on with this version. :)

 

GameMenuBin.zip

GameMenuSrc.zip

Edited by SainT
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This is awesome, thanks Saint. I can now see and load my .o and .lnx files. (how about .com?) there's some great little homebrew games and demos out there. Be great if we can get a definitive list of them. I also think it's time to kindly ask Albert to pin these sd card topics.

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This is awesome, thanks Saint. I can now see and load my .o and .lnx files. (how about .com?) there's some great little homebrew games and demos out there. Be great if we can get a definitive list of them. I also think it's time to kindly ask Albert to pin these sd card topics.

 

I couldn't see any actual .com files to test -- the only .com I could find was actually just a .o file renamed. :)

 

Adding support for the .com should be very easy though, as it will just be rearranging the object loader for the different header.

 

Yep, I think getting a support topic pinned for the LynxSD is probably a good idea. I'm going to keep shipping them... :D

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Version 1.6

 

I've gone with the existing object loader code (thanks to David Huseby and Karri Kaksonen), so the homebrew is written and booted as a standard cartridge, but patched from the menu. Binary and source attached.

 

I've changed the structure a bit, as I needed an extra file, so I now have a menu.bin and a folder called menu as well with a couple of files in. All of that needs to be copied to the root of the SD card.

 

Changes --

 

1) Booting of object files (homebrew)

2) Holding down A during boot auto-boots the last selected ROM

3) Folders and files with the hidden or system attribute set are hidden in the menu

4) The "menu" folder is also hidden

 

It would probably make sense to move the preview folder under menu as well, although I've not done that yet.

 

See how people get on with this version. :)

 

attachicon.gifGameMenuBin.zip

attachicon.gifGameMenuSrc.zip

Well done =D I would say that's sorted it! All ROMs I've tested now work! So I think that's all now! I've just updated my source to allow .com files, but they are just .o files where someone called them a .com instead - and I've only got 1 example of that which can easily just be renamed. Trully awesome job!!!

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This is awesome, thanks Saint. I can now see and load my .o and .lnx files. (how about .com?) there's some great little homebrew games and demos out there. Be great if we can get a definitive list of them. I also think it's time to kindly ask Albert to pin these sd card topics.

Just rename the .com to .o - it's far easier, but a later version will allow .com files (its essentially a badly named .o file).

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Preview files for A to H here. I am sure there will be a few missing, let me know if there's a ROM you have in that range which still needs an image:-

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/57qil18hv352agi/_preview%20a-h.zip?dl=0

 

In order to get these to display, copy them into the _preview folder. You will either need to rename your ROMs to match, or rename the .LSD files to match your ROMs.

 

I will try and get another chunk done tomorrow. I will update the menu again when I get time - to move the _preview folder into the menu folder as SainT suggested.

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Preview files for A to H here. I am sure there will be a few missing, let me know if there's a ROM you have in that range which still needs an image:-

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/57qil18hv352agi/_preview%20a-h.zip?dl=0

 

In order to get these to display, copy them into the _preview folder. You will either need to rename your ROMs to match, or rename the .LSD files to match your ROMs.

 

I will try and get another chunk done tomorrow. I will update the menu again when I get time - to move the _preview folder into the menu folder as SainT suggested.

Awesome work yet again gadget, can't wait to get this little lot in place :)

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If it doesnt say Version 1.6, then its worth updating. Yours will be the original version I believe!

 

Okay cool, so unzip both of the above files, and just slap everything onto the Lynx MiniSD card?

 

Do I need to delete to original menu program?

 

Thusly:

post-38373-0-33569100-1464981246_thumb.jpg

Edited by travistouchdown
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You don't have to explicitly delete, no, as copying over the new files will replace the old.

 

Oh, and one more thing -- Guitari mentioned that his card was reading / writing slowly and reformatting fixed this for him. I had the same issue. I found reformatting to FAT instead of FAT32 solved it for me.

 

Be careful when formatting that you format to FAT or FAT32 though, and the LynxSD does not accept any other file systems! :)

Edited by SainT
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