Works In Progress: obeybrew.com and PC-FX homebrew! :)

OldRover · 11/01/2011, 08:28 AM

Yep.

obeybrew.com is to be the definitive guide to all things PCE homebrew. Currently, I'm working on documenting all of HuC, including previously-undocumented features. It will also have lots of example source code, tutorials, and other such goodies. Arkhan will be contributing as well, not the least of which will be some documentation and whatnot on MML. The site uses mediawiki, but I am only allowing authorized people to make changes. Proper documentation is hard enough without having some joker go in and muck it all up to be "funny".

Also, PC-FX homebrew is on the horizon. The author of mednafen had been working on a toolchain for quite some time, but I guess gave it up due to overall lack of interest. Well, it was picked up by someone else (trap15) and has evolved into a completely working toolchain. It's now possible to develop new PC-FX games! The library for the PC-FX is still somewhat low-level, but I will be working on high-level functionality to bring it up to the coder-friendliness of HuC (or better, preferably). The toolchain is designed for a Unix environment, but on ObeyBrew, I document a way to get it working with cygwin for Windows users.

Here's one of trap15's examples (fxbmp.c), built entirely on my Windows system:

nodtveidt.net/finally.png

Not too impressive just yet of course, but it does show that yes, legitimate PC-FX homebrew has finally become a reality and can only grow from here.

OldRover · 11/01/2011, 08:35 AM

Oh... and if anyone has a serious PCE or PC-FX homebrew project, let me know and I'll put up a page on the wiki about it. Only interested in serious stuff though.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/01/2011, 08:42 AM

Sweet, PCFX Homebrew finally.

Aetherbyte has dibs on MML for the PC-FX, lol.

Considering the sound chip is almost the same, I bet they maybe used the same BIOS, so maybe itll be pretty easy lol. THAT WOULD RULE.

I plan on giving some MML tutorials, along with the Squirrel documentation. That Readme in Squirrel is pretty awesome.

Once Retrocade winds down, I may do a few "how to get shit done" tutorials. I've found I'm kind of good at explaining things without being overly technical.

PS: Your sig is annoying. I like it.

Bernie · 11/01/2011, 08:51 AM

Ahhh.. one more reason I should go ahead and buy a PC-FX. Awesome news!

P.S I like the sig as well Rover!

Arkhan Asylum · 11/01/2011, 09:22 AM

The thing about the PC-FX homebrew that could be awesome, is we could fill the library with a few games to make the "whuaaaaa its a white dating sim box" people shut up fo realz.

The system has moar juice than the PCE, so here's to hopin'.

OldRover · 11/01/2011, 09:35 AM

I gotz mad plans for the PC-FX.

All the games I wanna do on the PCE but can't do on the PCE can be done on the PC-FX, such as my epic RPG and my all-lady fighting game. The system needs shooters too... and it's got more than enough MEGA POWA for that.

What the library is mainly missing right now is CDROM access functions. That's been one of the big pains in the tail, apparently. Also, the RAINBOW chip isn't fully exploited yet. So apparently for now, stuff has to fit into one program. The library for the "7up" chips (these are normal HuC6270s, just like in the PC Engine, making the PC-FX similar to a SuperGrafx... if these are the only graphics chips you use), the HuC6230 (the "soundbox", which has a PSG device similar to the PC Engine, plus two stereo ADPCM channels), and the gamepad functions are all low-level right now. I'll be writing some high-level functions for them at some point, especially for the 7ups.

Senshi · 11/01/2011, 10:12 AM

Now i'll have a reason to buy a PC-FX

Arkhan Asylum · 11/01/2011, 10:39 AM

I'm curious how similar the soundbox is really. I dont do much with the PCFX except play all the games. When Mednafen dumped the PCFX project, I got sad. At least its going again finally.

Are the PCFXGA tools any help at all? I've got them all sitting here,

OldRover · 11/01/2011, 02:30 PM

The FXGA is a different beast and seems to place way too much priority on the 6273, which isn't present in the PC-FX.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/01/2011, 02:35 PM

Right, but it comes with a bunch of little tools and doodads, lol.

IIRC there were some graphics conversion utilities and crap. I have Same Game FX, which I thought was made with it, maybe.

OldRover · 11/01/2011, 02:44 PM

Tools might be useful, especially graphics converters.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/01/2011, 02:45 PM

I'm a tool.

I'll dig around when I get a chance today and see what all was in it. There was a bunch of crap.

I'd say I'll also mess with the FXGA crap but FallingJunk never pulled through on that one because Alex is an idiot.

OldRover · 11/01/2011, 09:33 PM

OK... apparently, Ryphecha had SCSI functions in the original PC-FX library, but liberis is missing them. Looks like liberis might be getting said addition shortly... that will really open this sucker up.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/01/2011, 11:58 PM

Who the hells liberis

OldRover · 11/02/2011, 12:03 AM

If you'd paid attention to the links I posted on obeybrew.com, you'd know.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/02/2011, 12:12 AM

Oh I haven't been home, I was downtown watching some building burn down, lol

OldRover · 11/02/2011, 12:30 AM

Ooh fun.

liberis is trap15's PC-FX library after Ryphecha stopped working on pcfxlib. I have both here now; pcfxlib's SCSI code will be easy as pie to adapt to liberis.

trap15 · 11/02/2011, 06:53 AM

The SCSI code has just been adapted, and I'm working on testing it out and whatever now.

I guess I should have posted about my library earlier; I thought no one would have cared!

Arkhan Asylum · 11/02/2011, 09:26 AM

Quote from: trap15 on 11/02/2011, 06:53 AMThe SCSI code has just been adapted, and I'm working on testing it out and whatever now.

I guess I should have posted about my library earlier; I thought no one would have cared!

You're crazy. I love the PC-FX. That's why im making PCFXTOO.com

As soon as semester ends, I will be finishing it up to where its at least useful by end of year.

trap15 · 11/02/2011, 03:37 PM

I wouldn't say crazy; I think passionate is a better word

liberis should be usable already for the most part, aside from the things Old Rover has already mentioned (7up interface being very low-level, currently no real SCSI code, etc.), and I was working on a game until I ran up against issues with GCC that drove me a bit mad

OldRover · 11/02/2011, 03:39 PM

Well, I'm already on the high-level 7up extension library, but I'm distracted today by some last-minute changes to MSR. dammit.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/03/2011, 09:56 AM

Ill get to PCFX after Retrocading.

Lemme know how the sound turns out, I'm sure you'll need some SquirrelFX.

OldRover · 11/03/2011, 11:20 AM

Yeah, hehe.

That sounds like a good idea (no pun intended). Right now, efforts seems to be mostly concentrated on getting SCSI working. trap15 also rewrote pcfx-cdlink so it's more portable... it should compiler in mingw now without any source changes.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/03/2011, 12:53 PM

Sweet. MinGW is better than shitgwin

Arm · 11/03/2011, 02:04 PM

If someone is willing to initiate a pc-fx homebrew project (a serious one) I can help with artwork/pixelart.

OldRover · 11/03/2011, 04:09 PM

I already have two serious projects in the planning stages. I don't tend to do non-serious projects unless they're quick and painless (like pcefxbomb).

Arm · 11/03/2011, 04:45 PM

Alright. I was wondering if a game similar to team innocent, but with better animation, coud be done. Anyway, if help is needed in the future, I think I can contribute.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/05/2011, 12:46 AM

I wont commit to any PCFX stuff until Retrocade is squared away. Don't want to put all my eggs in 40 baskets and watch them all rot, lol.

trap15 · 11/05/2011, 09:57 AM

This just in: CD reading works!

Currently VERY low level, but it works! And it only took me an all-nighter and another half of a day to work out about 5 typos that kept killing it

EDIT: And the CD reading only works in Mednafen (and probably other emulators)

I'm attempting to get it to work on a real PC-FX now.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/05/2011, 02:12 PM

lol typos.

FTL.

Arm · 11/05/2011, 04:11 PM

Psycho Arkhan wrote : "I wont commit to any PCFX stuff until Retrocade is squared away. Don't want to put all my eggs in 40 baskets and watch them all rot, lol."

I suppose there's no need to rush anyway if the coding tools are still work in progress.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/05/2011, 09:09 PM

yeah..

OldRover · 11/05/2011, 10:14 PM

trap15 and Ryphecha are ironing out the SCSI driver right now. Once that's done, it'll pretty much be functional.

trap15 · 11/06/2011, 01:29 AM

Ok... It's done. SCSI now works perfect in Mednafen and on a real PC-FX.

My head hurts...

OldRover · 11/06/2011, 01:30 AM

You forgot the proof!

thesteve · 11/06/2011, 10:22 AM

you now have the tools to make this a reality.

OldRover · 11/06/2011, 08:51 PM

trap15 just posted more stuff... DMA transfers are working:

OldRover · 11/07/2011, 12:12 AM

Image loading using DMA from the CD:

Not safe for work.

spenoza · 11/07/2011, 01:50 AM

I think this is wonderful, though it does worry me. The hobbyist niche for the FX is even smaller than the PCE. If this pulls work away from the PCE scene it means less fun for me. I don't need ANOTHER niche system in my house.

trap15 · 11/07/2011, 02:07 AM

Quote from: guest on 11/07/2011, 01:50 AMI think this is wonderful, though it does worry me. The hobbyist niche for the FX is even smaller than the PCE. If this pulls work away from the PCE scene it means less fun for me. I don't need ANOTHER niche system in my house.

On another note, all of the SCSI and DMA code has been pushed up, so everyone can get their fill of seeing 1 more partly nude image on their PC-FX :V

OldRover · 11/07/2011, 08:13 AM

Quote from: guest on 11/07/2011, 01:50 AMI think this is wonderful, though it does worry me. The hobbyist niche for the FX is even smaller than the PCE. If this pulls work away from the PCE scene it means less fun for me. I don't need ANOTHER niche system in my house.

No worries... this old dog won't ever give up the PCE.

I have a couple of projects planned for the FX, but only ones that can't be done so easily on the PCE (or at all).

Arkhan Asylum · 11/07/2011, 08:24 AM

Pfsht, who doesn't need a PC-FX. It's only the coolest thing since PCE.

Bernie · 11/07/2011, 08:34 AM

I know I will be buying one....again... Wish I hadnt sold mine now.. bleh....

Arkhan Asylum · 11/07/2011, 08:39 AM

Yeah you need to go get one. lol. what were you thinking!?

OldRover · 11/07/2011, 08:46 AM

I'm working on a high-level extension library for the 7up chips right now... it will put liberis's sprite functionality on-par with HuC's. Going well so far... this is relatively easy stuff. The only challenge really is the bit-twiddling of word 3 in the SATB. At present, liberis only has low-level sprite functionality, so you'd have to manage the SATB directly, which means a lot of know-how about how the SATB works. This extension library removes those details, but still leaves all the low-level functionality exposed so no existing code is broken.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/07/2011, 09:44 AM

try and go for below par, because yknow, huC.

OldRover · 11/07/2011, 10:23 AM

On par with its API, not its code generation.

Code Select

spr_x(x);
becomes

Code Select

eris_sup_spr_x(x);
and other such wonders. I also did this:

Code Select

eris_sup_spr_create(x, y, pattern, control);
which is kind of a crossroads between the high-level functionality and the low-level direct writes. You still have to set control manually and pre-set the chip and sprite number, but you can knock off the rest in one go.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/07/2011, 10:53 AM

why not leave them as spr_x? lol

OldRover · 11/07/2011, 11:32 AM

Because that would break liberis convention.

Arkhan Asylum · 11/07/2011, 11:39 AM

so?