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Retro HQ Lynx Cart Menu 1.4


GadgetUK

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Yes, with full motion video previews, like a lot of front-ends for MAME and other emulators.......please ;);););)

 

Just kidding.....that box art idea.....I like, but bigger and flipping through them would be nice ;);)

 

The manuals could be included too LOL ;);) (I remember I printed a load of text-only files which were kind of manual/how to plays....with codes and stuff....:D

 

I think I messed something up with my SD card, I too created folders with the letters of the alphabet but now the card only gives the Insert Game message.....I'm on Mac too....

Edited by Level42
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Here's v1.9.

 

I've increased the delay on preview, but also added option to enable and disable the preview by pressing Option 1 button. It will save the setting to the SD card as well in the menu/prefs file.

 

In the zip is the menu, files that go in the /menu folder, and it also includes the _preview folder with the latest images (2 more added, Vindicators demo and Pounce .LSD files).

 

Menu v1.9

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z2q4dt3vypra8kx/Lynx%20SD%20Menu%20v1.9.zip?dl=0

 

Source for v1.9:-

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mpfec2wvqh0b7z4/SD%20Menu%20v1.9%20source.zip?dl=0

 

Hopefully that's not too laggy now. There's no easy answer because it has to look for the preview file (if preview is enabled) and that's the thing that makes it freeze for a split second. We could of course scan all the ROMs at the start and work out which previews exist in order to avoid seeking when navigating, and we could even automatically have it rename the preview files based on checksum of the ROM from some initial scan etc, but all of that would take lots of time and effort and I just dont think its worth it. I could make the delay configurable later to make it take even longer before it tries to display the preview, but hopefully being able to turn on and off with the option 1 button is the best solution anyway?

Edited by GadgetUK
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Cool will try it a bit later....

 

Not sure if this is in the menu system or elsewhere but I'd love to see a filling up "loading" or "programming" bar while the game is being programmed to the SRAM. Not a biggy, but such a bar seems to shorten the waiting time.....of course it doesn't.....but.....humans like being fooled ;)

Edited by Level42
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Cool will try it a bit later....

Not sure if this is in the menu system or elsewhere but I'd love to see a filling up "loading" or "programming" bar while the game is being programmed to the SRAM. Not a biggy, but such a bar seems to shorten the waiting time.....of course it doesn't.....but.....humans like being fooled ;)

Yes, agreed! It should be quite possible, as I added the ability to program any part of a file to the SRAM from the Lynx, so it should be fine to do it in blocks. There's no progress per block, but as long as the block size is small enough, that's fine. Will see if I can take a look at some point...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Instructions ?

 

What instructions do you need ?

 

:D

 

- remove micro SD card from SD cartridge and connect it to your computer

- find ROM files (f.i. On the Internet) and download them

- if they are packed (f.i, ZIP), unpack them, you need to have files with the .LNX extension

- copy files to micro SD card

- unmount SD card and remove it from your computer

- insert SD card into the SD cartridge

- insert SD cartridge into Lynx

- power on

- "INSERT GAME" message will appear for a moment

- menu will load and display

- select game by using the d-pad and A button

- "programming" message will appear

- enjoy game

 

 

If you want to update the menu to the latest version download it from this thread

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/253167-retro-hq-sd-cart-menu-14/

 

(regretfully the topic version stays at 1.4 but 1.9 is the latest version at the moment.

Copy the downloaded menu files to where the previous version was before on your SD card.

 

In this thread you will also find out how to download and copy screendumps of the games so that the menu program will display them before loading the game, but this is optional and usually requires manually renaming the filenames of the games.

 

You can also create folders on the SD card and put games in those. F.I. I made a folder with every letter of the Alfabet and stored the games starting with that letter inside the corresponding folder. This makes it quicker to select a certain game you wish to play.

 

I also made a folder Homebrew where I put in various demo's.

Edited by Level42
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Instructions ?

 

What instructions do you need ?

 

:D

 

- remove micro SD card from SD cartridge and connect it to your computer

- find ROM files (f.i. On the Internet) and download them

- if they are packed (f.i, ZIP), unpack them, you need to have files with the .LNX extension

- copy files to micro SD card

- unmount SD card and remove it from your computer

- insert SD card into the SD cartridge

- insert SD cartridge into Lynx

- power on

- "INSERT GAME" message will appear for a moment

- menu will load and display

- select game by using the d-pad and A button

- "programming" message will appear

- enjoy game

 

 

If you want to update the menu to the latest version download it from this thread

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/253167-retro-hq-sd-cart-menu-14/

 

(regretfully the topic version stays at 1.4 but 1.9 is the latest version at the moment.

Copy the downloaded menu files to where the previous version was before on your SD card.

 

In this thread you will also find out how to download and copy screendumps of the games so that the menu program will display them before loading the game, but this is optional and usually requires manually renaming the filenames of the games.

 

You can also create folders on the SD card and put games in those. F.I. I made a folder with every letter of the Alfabet and stored the games starting with that letter inside the corresponding folder. This makes it quicker to select a certain game you wish to play.

 

I also made a folder Homebrew where I put in various demo's.

 

 

But if you create Letter folders, do you have to copy the Preview pics into them as well for them to work?

 

Is there a date corresponding to each version of the Menu that's been released?

 

Is there a button - or combo - that'll exit the game and return you back to the Main Menu without having the restart the entire Lynx?

 

What other file types - if any - besides .LNX will launch?

 

It's the small things...

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Don't worry - it's not a major problem, I am sure we can fix it. It's just the menu trying to load preview file, so even if it doesn't exist it still seeks and tries to see if its there. I will put a fix in over the weekend if I get time.

 

 

Speaking of Preview Pics, Jason Schelhorn was inspired enough today to create this for the Marlboro game. You have his permission to use it. :)

 

http://atariage.com/forums/gallery/image/18435-marlboro-red-time/

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But if you create Letter folders, do you have to copy the Preview pics into them as well for them to work?

 

No, you keep the preview pics in the _PREVIEW folder and it will work.

 

Is there a date corresponding to each version of the Menu that's been released?

 

No idea. What does that matter ?

 

Is there a button - or combo - that'll exit the game and return you back to the Main Menu without having the restart the entire Lynx?

 

No. You have to power off, power on. Scanning for a button combo like that would require modding the firmware of the Lynx. (Or all the games).

 

What other file types - if any - besides .LNX will launch?

 

Well, give them a try....

 

Edited by Level42
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But if you create Letter folders, do you have to copy the Preview pics into them as well for them to work?

 

No, you keep the preview pics in the _PREVIEW folder and it will work.

 

Is there a date corresponding to each version of the Menu that's been released?

 

No idea. What does that matter ?

 

Is there a button - or combo - that'll exit the game and return you back to the Main Menu without having the restart the entire Lynx?

 

No. You have to power off, power on. Scanning for a button combo like that would require modding the firmware of the Lynx. (Or all the games).

 

What other file types - if any - besides .LNX will launch?

 

Well, give them a try....

 

 

 

 

I only asked about the dates for the Menu releases since the file is the same name. Regardless, whatever version was on the SD Adapter's card certainly wasn't version 1.9. :)

 

If I cribbed the info correctly, the Preview files have to be named essentially the same way as the .LNX files...

 

I'm loving the device. Although my pocketbook isn't going to be happy with me because I'm going to have to end up buying more of 'em for multiple Lynxes... :)

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Sorry, I will get some proper instructions written up! The menu has just been an evolving thing, but now it's pretty mature and not much is changing feature wise, so it's about time I wrote something down.

 

 

I can't even think of any other improvements that could be done with the Menu at this point. I noticed a little lag when doing a page down scroll but I chalked that up to the buttons probably not working optimally on this less-than-mint Lynx I bought the other day... :)

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No it's not the buttons, unless you feel that in the games too.

 

Well, I could think of sliding box-art of the games to select them, like the way OS-X scrolls through files/pictures in the cover flow view in finder.......but I don't think lynxes resolution is high enough to display a decent box art picture.....so maybe it could be done with the screenshots we have now.

 

However, although great looking and fancy, it would be a long process to reach Zarlor Mercenery if they would be alphabetized.....and in the end....a simple menu system like it is now is by far the quickest way to select a game.

 

Maybe there should be two versions of the menu, one with the possibility of displaying the screenshots and one without for those who don't want the lag in the menu's. I must say that since 1.9 I didn't notice the lag anymore but that maybe because I have a bare Lynx PCB at the moment and I use the loose rubber buttons to select games (for testing purposes).

 

One suggestion, would it be possible maybe to have an edge around the displayed screenshot.....or a text put over it like "press A to load". I ask this because sometimes I got confused thinking I had already selected the game and thought it was loaded already.....I know beginners thing, but new users get a little confused as I experienced here at home.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm working on organizing my ROM files and renaming them so the preview will show up.

 

Is there any way to get a preview of the .LSD files on a Mac ? OR could this be posted online somewhere ?
Some names I don't recognize (so I need to find the ROMs ;)).

 

Also there are three Alien related names:
Alien

alienmus

avp

 

Which is which ?

 

What is allein.lsd ?

Edited by Level42
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Loving menu 1.9 - nice work.

 

Okay, while going through the _PREVIEW directory, I noticed the following .lsd files:-

 

rtype.lsd

 

WHAT????!!!!!!! I know I have been away from the Lynx for a long time. BUT ...... rtype???!!! Did I miss something?

There's an R-Type title screen demo - just title screen with music.

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I'm working on organizing my ROM files and renaming them so the preview will show up.

 

Is there any way to get a preview of the .LSD files on a Mac ? OR could this be posted online somewhere ?

Some names I don't recognize (so I need to find the ROMs ;)).

 

Also there are three Alien related names:

Alien

alienmus

avp

 

Which is which ?

 

What is allein.lsd ?

Alien = alien

alienmus is a general music player screen - DerLuchs released a few different music test roms and thats a screen shot from the alien music test files he released.

avp is obviously the aliens vs predator rom

And finally, allein is some homebrew produced by DerLuchs - not to be confused with alien! I think "allein" means alone in German?

 

I've done some more preview updates recently but not released it yet - things like Pounce, Vindicators Demo, Jungle Jack (Pitfall beta), and Hot Dog, but most people probably won't have those in ROM form.

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No it's not the buttons, unless you feel that in the games too.

 

Well, I could think of sliding box-art of the games to select them, like the way OS-X scrolls through files/pictures in the cover flow view in finder.......but I don't think lynxes resolution is high enough to display a decent box art picture.....so maybe it could be done with the screenshots we have now.

 

However, although great looking and fancy, it would be a long process to reach Zarlor Mercenery if they would be alphabetized.....and in the end....a simple menu system like it is now is by far the quickest way to select a game.

 

Maybe there should be two versions of the menu, one with the possibility of displaying the screenshots and one without for those who don't want the lag in the menu's. I must say that since 1.9 I didn't notice the lag anymore but that maybe because I have a bare Lynx PCB at the moment and I use the loose rubber buttons to select games (for testing purposes).

 

One suggestion, would it be possible maybe to have an edge around the displayed screenshot.....or a text put over it like "press A to load". I ask this because sometimes I got confused thinking I had already selected the game and thought it was loaded already.....I know beginners thing, but new users get a little confused as I experienced here at home.

You can just press Opt 1 in the v1.9 to disable the previews and it remembers the setting - so you've got the 2 versions you talked about already ;)

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