morelenmir Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 It is a really strange case this one! Interestingly, if the machine is switched on WITH either a double or single density floppy still in the drive - therefore a physical atr file - it does detect the correct density. If one just switches the drive to off in the disk drives dialog, 'ok' it and then immediately insert a disk of the opposing format - double>single, single>double - it still does not detect the change. However if you eject and 'switch off' the disk, perform a 'reconfigure' and then switch it back on and insert the opposing format it will first detect no drive present and THEN correctly determine the format... The key is to first 'switch off' the drive, 'reconfigure' in smart dos with the accompanying handshake-buzz-of-death, THEN switch it back on with the new density floppy - of any density - and reconfgiure and it will find the correct density... What a collosal headache!!! I don't think I am going to use SmartDOS a great deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 New question - is there any way to get Altirra to 'Print' to a text file rather than the printer window? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 A quick check shows Atari800 win plus does this, quite usefully - so if not this is another, quite hearty feature suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkhog Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 I have feature request: How about adding configurable list of links to files/tools/whatever in menu, so we can e.g. make shortcuts directly in Altirra to game/software manuals, external utils, etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phaeron Posted April 16, 2013 Author Share Posted April 16, 2013 Print to text file: not currently... could see how that's useful, though. External links: Afraid I'll have to decline... not really interested in having Altirra be a launcher MultiJoy8 fix: http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.30-test15.zip http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.30-test15-src.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkhog Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Phaeron, how about we could print from Atari on actual printer (the one that stands next to our PC)? It'd print out as graphics, using whatever ATASCII set it is in memory, just like original Atari did. Only thing we would need to configure is printer used for that. Altirra would break pages automatically depending on paper size being set. Printouts would look like from Atari printer, only on modern paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 (edited) WOW! That would be cool too - I'd like both! I can only imagine the amount of work necessary to emulate a printer however. It would probably be more than what is required for full happy/indus/US doubler emulation - which sadly Avery has been releuctant to do in the past and I apreciate his reasoning. I guess at least he would need to buy a 1025/7/9 and examine the electronics. Edited April 16, 2013 by morelenmir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkhog Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Actually printer wouldn't need to be emulated. All it is needed is to transform print commands sent by Atari into PostScript ones, then set it to real printer connected to your PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 The Epson printer emulation is one of the things I rather admired about Atari800MacX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 (edited) Presumably the various printer codes are well known then? Would the 1029 offer more trouble I wonder with its 'programmable' aspect? In a sort-of-related note, is there any possibility or emulating the 'XEP-80' device? What I have read about it on the old Page 6 archive make it sound intriguing and I would very much like to give it a test-drive if it is not too hard to emulate. Edited April 16, 2013 by morelenmir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 I am continuing to think along the printer line. If the afore mentioned print-to-file facility proves too tricky to implement would it be possible to 'toggle' the printer pane as an alternative? That way an off/on toggle would be very quick and act to clear the printer display, especially if done through the keyboard shortcuts. In fact it might be easier still just to make the action of selecting 'view printer output' clear it of current contents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caterpiggle Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Hello morelenmir, Atari800Win Plus 4.1 does have that feature emulating XEP-80. Really cool and does work black screen with 80 white characters ! And also white graphics, no color available on XEP-80 device itself. So check there that emulator. I am sure Phaeron would be able to add-on a new feature into Altirra. Atari800Win Plus 4.1 is no longer updating any more, only Altirra and another emulators does updating... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 (edited) The fellow from page 6 was reallyenthuasitic about the XEP-80 and it is definitely something I want to try out. I don't often defect back to A8WP from Altirra - but I think I might just sneak off to give this a go! It makes me really sad that A8WP is no longer updated, but if it were I would probably have never come to find Altirra! Just to hark back to the print as text file idea - it suddenly struck me that we don't actually need it, or at least not for how I want to use it! Using the 'Host Device'; inside Assembler Editor you can issue the command 'ASM,#H6:printer.txt' for example and it will output what would normally go to the printer display pane as a text file, reformatted by Altirra as a PC .TXT! Perfect. As an update I am having a bit of trouble finding the XEP-80 functionality in a8wp4.1. Could you give me a pointer where the setting for it is? Edited April 17, 2013 by morelenmir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roydea6 Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 (edited) I think you might be looking for the Atari800 emulator on SorceForge.net Project homepage: http://atari800.sourceforge.net/ At least I know this one has hooks in configuration settings to do XEP-80. Edited April 17, 2013 by rdea6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kr0tki Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Yup, XEP80 is in Atari800 SDL version, not in WinPLus. Since this feature is seriously underdocumented and user-unfriendly, here's a quick manual to make it work. 1. In the atari800.cfg file, find the XEP80_CHARSET and set it to path to the XEP80 character set ROM image. 2. Run Atari800 with the -xep80 option. Optionally use -xep80port to select which joystick port should the XEP80 use. 3. Switch Display Settings->Videomode settings->Vertical view area to Full overscan. 4. Switch display between standard<->XEP80 with Alt+Shift+X. 5. Load some XEP80-supporting software and enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I loved my old FX80 printer (with graf track ? chips), noisy old thing but it had that science fiction film office noise, the only work it got from were were to print out the Doc disks. In the day there were loads of game instructions all typed in on Atari Writer, most if not the bulk came from my friends late wife Sue. She loved to do it, so if you were in the UK and had docs it was 99% certain they came from her That emulation would be nice for the feel good factor but that's about all in my book but I'm sure you guys would make good use of it or already do with Atari800. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 For me it's mainly a way to test graphics printer drivers without burning ink and paper. If a couple of other emulators do it already, I suppose I can use those when I need to test drivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Who knows what treasures Phaeron has in store for us.. or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 (edited) It would be a really nice feature - somehow to make Altirra more connected to the physical world than purely a virtual construct. I'll give those instructions a go then Kr0tki! Can anyone give me a pointer to xep-80 roms? The usual places are turning up a blank, or at least I have blindly fumbled over them! Edited April 17, 2013 by morelenmir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serj Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I spread everything that I was able to gather on the device "xep80". I hope that Avery will do something interesting. http://dfiles.ru/files/hb4v0k156 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caterpiggle Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I used to have XEP-80 rom somewhere on my HDD ... I forget where ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 MANY thanks guys!!! I will download and then see if I can get it crank up and running!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 And EVENTUALLY I have! And the XEP-80 is amazingly good, just as promised!!! WELL worth the effort. I really, really hope Avery adds this to his to-do list, maybe even if we cross our fingers alongside the ACE80 and the Austin-Franklin 80 - but that is probably asking a bit much all in one go. Frankly 'atari800' is... challenging lets say. I am far, far from a PC novice or even an A8 emulator novice - but getting that running... *BLEEP*-me...! Between the cryptically named ROM slots, the odd configuration file handling, the dislike of file names between quotes, the dislike of Environment variables in the system Path, the tiny default screen size... *BLEEP*-me-twice-on-Sunday!!! I REALLY did almost give up, which would have been a shame as I would have missed out badly. It all just shows however, that Altirra for the windows platform is simply the pre-eminent A8 emulator. And the short post-editing time window really is starting to irritate... I might even have to resort to something drastic and buy a subscription!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I thought Ace80 was done in software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 (edited) Really? I have a right-slot cartridge for it, but never tried it out as I thought it would need hardware support. Interesting. Sadly on trying it in Altirra I get a 'no compatible mappers found' dialog. I guess the ROM file is not for slotting in, but booting from. I have included a RAR archive of all the ACE80 content I have. ACE80.rar Edited April 17, 2013 by morelenmir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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