GameBase Acorn Atom

[JonathonSaunders]

There is a new version of Atomulator for Windows released here:-
http://atomulator.acornatom.co.uk/

Hope we can do something with this new emulator as a windows atom gamebase is just crying out for it.

J.S.

[OX]

Had a look at that emulator, works fine with disk images but does'nt seem to like .tap images.

[Vicman]

Had a look at that emulator, works fine with disk images but does'nt seem to like .tap images.

well...i've already sent an email to the b-em Team in January, asking for "*.atm-file" support, but unfortunately i've got no reply

[OX]

Here's a script for Atomulator adapted from your other script so as to use existing KV pairs -

If Key_loadtype CONTAINS(*L*||*C*||*S*)
If Key_loadtype CONTAINS(C||CH||CHAIN)
If Key_typingspeed CONTAINS(*)
Run_Emulator_Send_Keys([2]%{T}{ENTER}[1]%gamefile%{ENTER}[1]chain+{2}%gamename_value%+{2}{ENTER}{ENTER}||%typingspeed_value%)
Else
Run_Emulator_Send_Keys([2]%{T}{ENTER}[1]%gamefile%{ENTER}[1]chain+{2}%gamename_value%+{2}{ENTER}{ENTER}||50)
End If
ElseIf Key_loadtype CONTAINS(S||SP||SPECIAL)
If Key_keystrokes CONTAINS(*)
If Key_typingspeed CONTAINS(*)
If GameType CONTAINS(dsk||ssd||dsd||fdi)
Run_Emulator_Send_Keys([2]%{D}{ENTER}[1]%gamefile%{ENTER}[1]@dos{ENTER}[1]%keystrokes_value%{ENTER}[4]run{ENTER}||%typingspeed_value%)
Else
Run_Emulator_Send_Keys([2]%{T}{ENTER}[1]%gamefile%{ENTER}[1]%keystrokes_value%{ENTER}||%typingspeed_value%)
End If
Else
If GameType CONTAINS(dsk||ssd||dsd||fdi)
Run_Emulator_Send_Keys([2]%{D}{ENTER}[1]%gamefile%{ENTER}[1]@dos{ENTER}[1]%keystrokes_value%{ENTER}[4]run{ENTER}||50)
Else
Run_Emulator_Send_Keys([2]%{T}{ENTER}[1]%gamefile%{ENTER}[1]%keystrokes_value%{ENTER}||50)
End If
End If
Else
Show_Message(When k=v pair LOADTYPE is set to SPECIAL,%crlfx2%another k=v pair KEYSTROKES must be entered%crlfx2%containing the keystrokes to be sent to the emulator.%crlfx2%The typing speed doesn't have to be specified.)
End If
Else
Show_Message(Invalid value for k=v pair LOADTYPE entered.%crlfx2%Possible values are: L|LO|LOAD, C|CH|CHAIN, S|SP|SPECIAL)
End If
Else
If Key_typingspeed CONTAINS(*)
If GameType CONTAINS(dsk||ssd||dsd||fdi)
Run_Emulator_Send_Keys([2]%{D}{ENTER}[1]%gamefile%{ENTER}[1]@dos{ENTER}[1]lo.+{2}%gamename_value%+{2}{ENTER}{ENTER}[4]run{ENTER}||%typingspeed_value%)
Else
Run_Emulator_Send_Keys([2]%{T}{ENTER}[1]%gamefile%{ENTER}[1]lo.+{2}%gamename_value%+{2}{ENTER}{ENTER}[4]run{ENTER}||%typingspeed_value%)
End If
Else
If GameType CONTAINS(dsk||ssd||dsd||fdi)
Run_Emulator_Send_Keys([2]%{D}{ENTER}[1]%gamefile%{ENTER}[1]@dos{ENTER}[1]lo.+{2}%gamename_value%+{2}{ENTER}{ENTER}[4]run{ENTER}||50)
Else
Run_Emulator_Send_Keys([2]%{T}{ENTER}[1]%gamefile%{ENTER}[1]lo.+{2}%gamename_value%+{2}{ENTER}{ENTER}[4]run{ENTER}||50)
End If
End If
End If

Set native file types for the script as - uef;csw;dsk;ssd;dsd;fdi

Unfortunately the associated atom.cfg file is useless for gamebase as it has no section header marker for disks and tapes and if you put your own in it just overwrites it.

The emulator is fine to use in the gamebase for adding disks and non .tap files but surely there is a way to convert the ALLGAMES.tap file to .uef?


Try the script out with the uef and dsk images in this archive - http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/wiki/ima ... _Miner.zip

and set a kv pair of gamename=loader for the game entry.

[KC]

Hi guys,

I read that you need some support for the .ATM files for Atomulator.

An .ATM file is a data file with a 22 bytes header in front.
The format is like this (in decimal):

Byte Description
--------------------
00-15 Filename
16-17 Load address (lb-hb)
18-19 Execute address (lb-hb)
20-21 Filelength (lb-hb)

The format is the same for Wouter Ras's emulator which is currently in use in Gamebase.

A .TAP file is a sequential file with .ATM files.

There is a tool to convert .ATM files to .WAV files.
Then there´s a tool to convert .WAV files to .CSW files.
And then you can convert .CSW files to .UEF files.
A lot of work!!

Atomulator does work with:

- .DSK files (disk image of a 100 kB AtomDOS floppy)
Same as Wouter Ras's emulator
- .ATM files (RAM/ROM support +diskrom enabled in MMC dir)
- .CSW files (digitised tape format)
- .UEF files (digitised tape format)

Make a guess who wrote Atom Jet Set Miner

Greetings
KC

[OX]

Hi KC, Thanks for Manic Willy

Can you tell us what the name of these conversion utilities are?
More importantly the current gamebase uses a single .tap file that sequentially holds 200+ games so we'd really need some kind of util to chop it up into seperate atm images before we even think about doing any conversions.

Alternatively if you know if you know the author can you not ask him to support .tap? I'm not a fan of dropping standards for new when the machine and software being emulated has'nt changed in 30 years, there's just no point as all the archived stuff already out there is already in the old format.

[KC]

Hi OX,

I'm using these conversion tools:

ATM2WAV by Charlie Robson for .ATM to .WAV conversion
CSWVIEWER r38 by Fraser Ross for .WAV to .CSW conversion
MAKEUEF v23 by Fraser Ross for .CSW to .UEF conversion

The conversion can be done but believe me .... it's a lot of work and the result is not 100% readable. If you want the files, PM me your e-mail address and I'll mail the tools to you but I don't think it's worth it.

Extracting all .ATM files from the .TAP file is a lot easier to do because a .TAP file is nothing else than a sequential file with all .ATM files copied after each other. Maybe I can write a Windows script file to do that but I must say that it's a while ago I did something with script files. I'll have a try.

Tom Walker is the author of Atomulator but he is not supporting Atomulator any more. Phill Harvey-Smith made some additions to Atomulator like SD-card support, extra RAM and ROM support and SID support. I'll ask him if he's willing to make an update for .TAP file support.

Jet Set Miner was my first BBC to Atom conversion. After JSM a few more titles followed like Hyperviper, Hard Hat Harry, Chuckie Egg, Galaforce and Jungle Journey. All titles can be found on the Retrosoftware site (written by Kees van Oss):

http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/wiki/ind ... roReleases

I'm still busy with my latest conversion, Elite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF2J-YJ_YiI

Greetings
Kees

[OX]

Wow, Elite on the Atom! I like your stuff KC.
It would be good if we can split the .tap file and use the seperate .atm's (named as their sequence header number, eg 018.atm = Space Invaders) as it would just be a simple matter of re-sourcing each gamefile within the gamebase.

[.mad.]

Too easy.

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-08b4ba15.html

The Tape was created using the ATM files in the first place, using the emulator tools.
So the games would work via DOSBox.
the multi-file games need to be on TAP or DSK to load the second parts.
example 052 sphinx

[KC]

Hi .MAD,

did you extract them one by one with the emulator or do you have a tool?

KC

[.mad.]

Hi .MAD,

did you extract them one by one with the emulator or do you have a tool?

KC

No special tools are required, just the emulator.
Exporting the files one by one.

you can Import / Export the files to Disk the same way.

[KC]

It would be good if we can split the .tap file and use the seperate .atm's (named as their sequence header number, eg 018.atm = Space Invaders) as it would just be a simple matter of re-sourcing each gamefile within the gamebase.

Just remove all .ATM extensions because Atomulator doesn't need the extension and the tape files are named without .ATM.

Greetings
Kees

[KC]

you can Import / Export the files to Disk the same way.

Disk files have to be loaded and then saved to a .TAP file before they can be exported as .ATM file.

The complete .DSK file can also be used in Atomulator but then you have to disable the RAM/ROM diskrom (SD-card DOS emulation) to get the AtomDOS rom (original DOS emulation) enabled.

Greetings
Kees

[KC]

Hi OX,

I noticed that you used the CHAIN command in your Atomulator script to load files but CHAIN isn't a standard Atom command. It works because Atomulator emulates a rom switching software system which means that several utility roms can be installed at #Axxx and are automatically switched if a command is not found.
The rom switching software only works if the SD-card emulation rom enabled. In Atom DOS mode, CHAIN won't work.

In fact the CHAIN command executes the LOAD and RUN commands.
The standard Atom load commands are LOAD, *LOAD and *RUN.

Greetings
Kees

[OX]

Can't get atomulator to use the atm with or without the file extension, KC do you have links to the conversion tools as I can't find ATM2WAV