---------------------------------------------------------------------- Atari800Win PLus An Atari 800/800XL/130XL/5200 emulator for Win32 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------- v2.6c 14.07.2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Atari800Win PLus is an 8 bit Atari computer emulator based on the Atari800 v1.0.3 and Atari800Win v2.5c sources. Added: 1) The "New Disk Image" function is now available from the level of the "Drive Selections" dialog box. This function allows creating new disk images. There should be noted that using such created diskettes is possible only after its formatting using system software for Atari. 2) Choosing the position "Read Only" or "Read/Write" at an appropriate drive in the window "Drive Selections" allows enabling or disabling write-protection for a disk image attached to the drive. This function works only with disk images in ATR format, however they cannot be set on the "Read Only" in the Windows file system. 3) The button "Search" in the "ROM Images" dialog box. After pressing it, the directory should be pointed the one which system ROM images (files .ROM) will be started from. CAUTION: Because of searching all of the subdirectories of the pointed directory, this process may take a lot of time, when the directory's tree is very huge. The best is to point the directory with the ROM images directly. 4) The conversion of the "raw" ROM images to CART format (the menu "Misc/Convert/ROM to CART"). The advantage of a "wrapping" CART format is that it contains a complete information about the type of the ROM image, so the emulator is able to recognize it automatically and install without the user's bothering. In case of using the "raw" ROM 16/32KB images the user will be forced to point its types at every attempt of using it - unless they are started from the shell level, then the emulator takes them for the standard ROMs. 5) New file types in the dialog box "File Associations" - this means starting from shell level: · ROM, BIN - "raw" images of the Atari cartridges, · CRT - CART files (wrapped in the ROM files), · A8S - the Atari saved-state files. The above file types can be comfortably started using the drag&drop function. In case of the attempts using the .a8s file it should be remembered that apart from its loading, there could be necessary to attach a disk with the used program on to an appropriate drive. Fixed: 1) The error which showed itself by crashing the emulated Atari during the attempt of starting the software which uses BASIC with not active "Disable BASIC" option from the shell level. 2) Minor problems with the activity of the "SIO patch" showing after changing it and restarting the emulator by a "Warm reset" or "Cold reset" option. It seems that the error resides in the emulator kernel and may be completely eliminated soon. 3) The error in a result of which the mouse pointer was hidden after crashing the emulating Atari (in the full-screen modes with the active "Hide mouse pointer..." option). 4) The used cartridge is now not deactivated after restarting the emulator using the "Warm reset" or "Cold reset" option. To "take out" the cartridge one has to use "ROM Images" dialog box or choose the "Misc/Restart emulation" menu option. It should be noticed that active cartridge, which of some reasons was not turned on, may cause problems with executing the software coming from diskettes or executable (binary) files! 5) A little error in the "File Associations" dialog window, from time to time showing itself by fault path stored in Registry. Moreover, the file types used by emulator are now named (which makes their identification from shell level easier) and reading of the registered extensions is realized on the basis of the real state of Windows Registry. 6) BASIC ROM is always deactivated in the Atari 5200 emulation mode independently from the option "Disable BASIC" settings. Thanks to this, most probably, there would be impossible to admire fantastic "bushes" on the start screen of this console started without the cartridge. 7) The small windows for choosing files or folders were improved (the windows invoked from the level of the "Pick Virtual Hard Disk Directories" dialog box for example): · the names of the files and folders are now preceded with appropriate icons, · the folders are grouped at the top of the directory list, · in the windows used in choosing the folders the files cannot be pointed any more, · a left mouse button "double-click" on the folder expands it, on the file chooses the pointed one and closing the window (so as choosing the "OK" button), · after invoking the window points the most recent used directory/file, · the user has an opportunity of changing of these windows' size. 8) The error which makes canceling the operation in the "Pick Virtual Hard Disk Directories" dialog box impossible. 9) The error causing the displaying of "bushes" instead of pleasing to eye graphics in games using BASIC. "Bertyx" and "Inspektor" should work without problems (thanks for your help, Piotr). 10) The names of the started from shell level files are now remembered by emulator in the "long form". The problem is that Windows system transmits the "short form" of the access path to the started file, at that time its API doesn't render the function used in changing these form in the "long" one (GetLongPathName() is available in Windows 98/2000 only). 11) It is possible now to invoke Atari800Win with any parameter describing the cartridge type (so as in Atari800 DOS version). 12) The cartridge with the "Bounty Bob" game (version with more than 32KB length) should have no problems with starting in this version of emulator. 13) The error showing itself in incorrect arrangement of the controls of the "Error Log" window displayed on the screen in 320x200 or 320x240 resolution. 14) The last used file path with saved-state file is remembered in Windows Registry. 15) New method of loading executable files is now a default one. 16) The change of the "Hold down option on reboot" option does not cause the restart of the emulator any more. 17) The problems with refreshing the emulator window with an active "Use GDI" option. While redrawing the window, one could notice movements in one pixel to the right; the option "Show scanlines" was also ignored. 18) The several of others little errors. It is possible that the same amount of new and equally important ones might have came out :). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- v2.6b 15.05.2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is an unofficial release of Atari800Win based on Atari800 0.9.9j sources. The changes in the Windows code are minor. The basic aim to create this version was making emulator kernel updated, using the latest Atari800 sources. Major changes in the Windows code: Added: 1) The Drag&drop support for Atari executable files and disk/cartridge images. Fixed: 1) Some serious bugs in user interface. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- v2.6 06.05.2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is an unofficial release of Atari800Win based on Atari800 0.9.9i sources with the latest Piotr Fusik's changes. Major changes in the Windows code: Added: 1) The ability to define own keysets for using them instead of a joystick (use the "Keyset A" and "Keyset B" buttons in the "Joystick Options" dialog box). 2) The "Graphics/Save Screenshot" menu option for saving screenshots (the normal and interlaced ones) to the .PCX files. 3) The "Palette Options" dialog box that allows using external palettes stored in the .ACT files. 4) The "File/Turn disk" menu option to help flipping disk images (for drive 1 only). 5) A few DirectDraw settings (the button "Advanced settings" in the "Graphics Options" dialog box). 6) Many key shortcuts. Fixed: 1) Menus and some dialog boxes have been completely reconstructed. 2) The monitor was slightly corrected (the user has an opportunity of using the CIM opcodes now). 3) Names of the last used sound and state files are remembered in a current session. 4) Function keys meaning: F7 - toggle between the "Run as fast as possible" and the standard speed mode, F8 - launch the monitor console. 5) Many minor bugs. The latest ANTIC and GTIA changes by Piotr Fusik in Atari800 kernel (not published yet): · collisions in hi-res fixed - now Chicken and Super Bunny work · horizontal scroll in modes 8 and 9 fixed · PM5 in GTIA 11 fixed · mode 2 / GTIA 11 fixed · PMG flickering more accurate · some optimizations in ANTIC - mostly for hi-res modes (drawn with words) and for blank lines (drawn with memset, if possible) · simplified Save/Load State in ANTIC and GTIA More about the changes: 1. Advanced graphics settings. The "Advanced Graphics Options" window is invoked by using the "Advanced settings..." button in the "Graphics Option" dialog box. The user may choose a display tribe using two flipped buffers by checking the "Use two flipped buffers for full screen modes without menu" option. The method has this advantage that is synchronized with a vertical refresh rate of the monitor and doesn't need so much of processor's power as the previous one, which may still be activated by checking the "Always blit directly from display memory to the primary buffer" and "Synchronize blits with the vertical-blank interval" options. The user has an opportunity of using the 'two flipped buffers' method for full screen modes without visible menus only. There should be noted that activating either of these display-sync supporting methods might be not enough to obtain a flawless graphics if the user doesn't follow a few steps which were earlier described in this document. Moreover, for some graphics cards it might be necessary to set up any additional parameters. For example, Matrox Millennium G400 cards need the "FlipOnVBlank" option checked in the "Matrox Tweak Utility" program to flip the buffers on vertical-blank interrupt. The "Wait until the blit can be set up (synchronous blits)" option has taken place of the "Synchronize with VSYNC" one known from previous versions of Atari800Win. 2. The definition of own keysets. The user's ability to define own keysets is very useful if there is no joystick. The emulator allows defining two keysets by using the "Keyset A" and "Keyset B" buttons in the "Joystick Options" dialog box. Note that: · the keys which are used for joystick emulation are excluded from other functions. For example, if there will be the 'A' key used in a keyset instead of joystick's 'east' direction and the 'L' key - instead of 'west', it won't be possible to type in the 'Ala' word unless that keyset is deactivated. · The emulator checks only if there are the same keys in the one keyset. It allows defining two keysets with the same keys but only working will be the one attached to the stick with a lower number. · It is not necessary to define "double-direction" keys, e.g. 'north -east', 'south-west' etc. A simultaneous pressing of two "single -direction" keys works in the same way. For example, if there is the 'cursor left' key defined for joystick's 'east' direction and the 'cursor up' key for the 'north' one, pressing these two in the same time gives the 'north-east' direction. Moreover, one may use two predefined keysets: numerical block keys ('Numpad') or cursor keys with the right 'control' key as fire ('Arrows + RCtrl as fire'). All the keysets can be used simultaneously that allows playing games with a four-joystick support (e.g. "M.U.L.E"). 3. An automatical disk turning. Atari800Win 2.6 allows turning disks in the emulated drive 1. Note that the user has to set appropriate names of disk images to use that feature. The disk images changing is realized in a very simple way: the last sign (letter or number) of a current disk image name (without extension) is incremented by one (e.g. the 'b' letter is taken place of the 'a' one and the '1' number is incremented to '2'). Provided that there is a file in a current directory with the name equal to the generated one, it will be automatically attached to drive 1. Otherwise, the modification of the last name's sign is continued as long as a maximal value is reached ('z', '9'). In that case the searching is started from beginning ('a', '1'). For example, if there are used two disk images: Serious 6a.atr Serious 6b.atr and the one currently attached to drive 1 is the Serious 6a.atr disk, the user may select the "File/Turn disk" (Alt-N) menu option to change the disk to the Serious 6b.atr one. The next use of this option will attach the Serious 6a.atr disk again. 4. The screenshot saving. The "Graphics/Save Screenshot" menu option allows saving an emulated Atari screen state (included an 'interlaced' one) to the .PCX file. The user may use the F10 key to invoke this feature (with the 'Shift' key for interlaced screens). The names for saving files are generated automatically as long as the user doesn't type any own in. 5. The ability to activate a crashed Atari with the CONT command of the monitor. This feature allows using the CIM commands which are useful to debug and test the Atari software. 6. Key shortcuts and function keys. That's a complete list of shortcuts are used by the emulator: Alt-1 - attach a disk image to drive 1 Alt-2 - attach a disk image to drive 2 Alt-3 - attach a disk image to drive 3 Alt-4 - attach a disk image to drive 4 Alt-5 - attach a disk image to drive 5 Alt-6 - attach a disk image to drive 6 Alt-7 - attach a disk image to drive 7 Alt-8 - attach a disk image to drive 8 Alt-A - toggle between the artifacting modes Alt-C - attach a cartridge image Alt-D - invoke the "Drive Selections" dialog box Alt-E - enable/disable a stereo sound support Alt-G - invoke the "Graphics Options" dialog box Alt-H - invoke the "Pick Virtual Hard Disk Dirs" dialog box Alt-J - invoke the "Joystick Options" dialog box Alt-K - invoke the "Keyboard Templates" dialog box Alt-L - execute an Atari binary file Alt-M - toggle between the all emulated Atari systems Alt-N - try to attach the next disk image to drive 1 Alt-O - read a saved-state file Alt-P - invoke the "Palette Options" dialog box Alt-R - invoke the "ROM image selections" dialog box Alt-S - invoke the "Sound Options" dialog box Alt-T - invoke the "Atari Settings" dialog box Alt-U - turn on/off the sound playback Alt-V - toggle between an emulated video-systems (PAL/NTSC) Alt-Z - save a state file Alt-Enter - toggle between the last used windowed and full-screen mode The list of the function keys: F2 - OPTION key F3 - SELECT key F4 - START key F5 - RESET key (warm reset) Shift-F5 - turn an emulated Atari off and on (cold reset) F7 - toggle between full/standard speed F8 - invoke the monitor console F9 - toggle between running/paused F10 - save a current screenshot to .PCX file Shift-F10 - save a current interlaced screenshot to .PCX file F11 - toggle SIO (fast disk) patch (only if the "Allow ROM patches" option in the "Atari Settings" dialog box is checked) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- v2.5e 01.04.2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is an unofficial release of Atari800Win based on Atari800 0.9.9g sources. Major changes in the Windows code: Added: 1) The "Enable stereo" option in the "Sound Options" dialog box. You may try this feature if you have got any software using that (mostly new demos). The stereo sound support was introduced with version 0.9.9g of Atari800. 2) The "Use digitized effects" option in the "Sound Options" dialog box. This one enables the volume only sound. 3) A simple DOS-window based monitor console. Select the "Misc/Monitor" menu or press the F7 key to get in. 4) A few key accelerators: Alt+V - invoke the "Pick Virtual Hard Disk Directories" dialog box, Alt+O - load a saved-state file, Alt+Z - save a normal state file. Fixed: 1) The Atari console sound support is back. You have to check the "Use digitized effects" option in the "Sound Options" dialog box to hear the "clicks". 2) Behavior of the "Sound Options" dialog box. "What you see is what you get" now. 3) The DirectX errors handling. No more unexpected exits I hope. 4) The "Error Log" dialog box is resizable now. 4) Some Visual C++ project settings. 5) The several minor bugs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- v2.5d 29.02.2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is an unofficial release of Atari800Win based on Atari800 0.9.9f sources. The main goal with this release is simply up-to-date the emulator, but there are also some other changes in the Windows code: Added: 1) The "Use new binary load method" option in the "Hardware Settings" dialog box. That method was introduced with version 0.9.9d of Atari800. 2) The "File Associations" dialog box for help with the shell integration. 3) Some new icons (main and doc). The older ones are still available. 4) An alternative synchronization method with the monitor refresh rate (experimental). Fixed: 1) Some problems with the main window sizing in the windowed modes. The size of the status bar is getting more appropriate now. 2) Some problems with Windows NT Registry. There was a small problem with writing empty strings. 3) Behavior of the "Cartridge Management" dialog box. The case sensitive path comparison was changed to insensitive, the option "Use BASIC" was disabled for 320XE machines and other minor fixes. 4) Behavior of the "Hardware Options" dialog box. No more surprises I hope (and I don't believe it). 5) Some strange problems with the navigation using the keyboard in the "Graphics Options" dialog box. The cleaning of the Windows code was started and header files were created. More about a new sync method: I'm the owner of PC 300/374 MHz with two Matrox graphics cards (Mystique 1064SG PCI and Millennium G400 AGP). I couldn't get a smooth graphics neither with first nor the second one (I tried to run the emulator with the "Wait on VSYNC" and "PAL" options turned on and a full screen opened in 50Hz via the graphics card's driver). That's why I have made this modification. I have changed the style of the checkbox "Wait on VSYNC" in the "Graphics Options" dialog box: it is 3-state now. The second state forces the emulator to sync with the monitor. It works only in the modes using DirectDraw (exclusive and normal). Unfortunately, there are still some troubles with it: · you have to set the monitor refresh rate to 50Hz (PAL) or 60Hz (NTSC) for display modes utilized with the emulator. Not all gfx cards and/or monitors will allow doing this, · you have to set to 1 the "Refresh" option in the "Hardware Settings" dialog box, · scrolls will appear smoother, but sound may not work correctly, · if you haven't got a fast PC, don't bother. This won't help you. You may also try the "Run Atari as fast as possible" option with any monitor refreshment frequency. Have Fun, Harry (szymankowskit@prokom.pl) Some people ran test versions of Atari800Win to find bugs. Special Thanks go to: · Piotr Fusik (Fox/Taquart) for his serious development of the emulator, help testing the Win32 port and a lot of good ideas (www.6502.org/users/fox), · Xlent for helping me to test the emulator and his brilliant WEB pages (http://poczta.pnet.pl/~xlent2/), · Daniel Kozminski for his honest Atari WEB pages (http://www.atari-area.prv.pl/), · Rafal Dziamski (Vasco/Tristesse) for testing the emulator and his excellent CD with miscellaneous software for Atari (peacock.au.poznan.pl/~vasco), · IRCer for his development of the Polish version of Atari800Win PLus (http://atari.4ever.cc/), · Krzysztof Balicki for helping me to test the emulator, · my wife Agnieszka for her patience. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Atari800 code by David Firth (david@signus.demon.co.uk) Original Win32 version by Richard Lawrence (rich@kesmai.com) Atari800Win PLus: Tomasz Szymankowski (szymankowskit@prokom.pl) ----------------------------------------------------------------------