Stella Version 2.0 Released

[+stephena]

Finally, I anticipated these problems, and adapted Stella so that if launched with a ROM from the commandline, it doesn't use the ROM launcher.  So someone could write a platform-specific frontend, and Stella would still work with it.

 

 

And that I *gratefully* appreciate. I use Game Launcher for all my emulators:

http://www.dribin.org/dave/game_launcher/

 

Still works beautifully with Stella. Happy camper here

 

-Trebor

950400[/snapback]

Absolutely. I realize that some people will already have a favourite frontend, so I wanted to make sure they can still use it. But I also needed to add one for those ports that need it, and I didn't want to code in 5 different GUI toolkits (Linux, OSX, Win32, PSP, WinCE), plus whatever other ones come along. Stella is first and foremost a cross-platform application, and that extends to everything in the codebase.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Correction: It's not the ball width, but the position. The ball is positioned a few pixel (5) too far to the left.

[+stephena]

OK, I just committed a few changes to CVS. Could everyone who reported a bug try this version out and let me know (except you Thomas, I'm still working on that one).

 

The file is for Windows, since most people who reported a bug seem to be using Windows. The link is as follows: http://www.cs.mun.ca/~stephena/stella_new.zip.

 

Download and unzip this file, and place it in your 'stella-2.0' directory. Please run it and let me know the results.

[vdub_bobby]

OK, I just committed a few changes to CVS.  Could everyone who reported a bug try this version out and let me know (except you Thomas, I'm still working on that one).

 

The file is for Windows, since most people who reported a bug seem to be using Windows.  The link is as follows: http://www.cs.mun.ca/~stephena/stella_new.zip.

 

Download and unzip this file, and place it in your 'stella-2.0' directory.  Please run it and let me know the results.

950439[/snapback]

Thanks for changing the rom sort-order, Stephen. Still runs slower than dirt on my box unless it is in the smallest window possible, though.

[+stephena]

OK, I just committed a few changes to CVS.  Could everyone who reported a bug try this version out and let me know (except you Thomas, I'm still working on that one).

 

The file is for Windows, since most people who reported a bug seem to be using Windows.  The link is as follows: http://www.cs.mun.ca/~stephena/stella_new.zip.

 

Download and unzip this file, and place it in your 'stella-2.0' directory.  Please run it and let me know the results.

950439[/snapback]

Thanks for changing the rom sort-order, Stephen. Still runs slower than dirt on my box unless it is in the smallest window possible, though.

950451[/snapback]

Did you try changing 'Dirty Rects' in the 'Video Settings' dialog? If not, please let me know if it makes a difference. Otherwise, I have to go back and analyze the differences between 1.4.2 and 2.0. If it was fine in an older version, then I obviously changed something I shouldn't have.

[Jacob Rose]

Fantastic! I can't wait to install the OS X version on my iBook and get cracking on my segmentation problem!

[+stephena]

OK, I just committed a few changes to CVS.  Could everyone who reported a bug try this version out and let me know (except you Thomas, I'm still working on that one).

 

The file is for Windows, since most people who reported a bug seem to be using Windows.  The link is as follows: http://www.cs.mun.ca/~stephena/stella_new.zip.

 

Download and unzip this file, and place it in your 'stella-2.0' directory.  Please run it and let me know the results.

950439[/snapback]

Thanks for changing the rom sort-order, Stephen. Still runs slower than dirt on my box unless it is in the smallest window possible, though.

950451[/snapback]

Another thing I thought of. If you're handy with using the commandline, could you try setting the SDL_VIDEODRIVER environment variable to 'windib' before starting Stella? And let me know if that makes any difference. If it does, I'll make it a commandline argument (set once and forget it).

[carpecarne]

I know there are bigger issues to address in Stella, but I was thinking that it would be really cool to have a feature that would turn the image 90 degrees so one could play Merlin's Walls without turning their monitors over.

 

Of course, this is probably just a silly demand since there are perhaps not a lot of people who play that game anyways.

[yuppicide]

I saw people talking about about HSC and the new Stella. What's to stop someone form just saving the gamestate and reloading later?!

 

I think a good idea that if someone saves a gamestate and reloads it later and then uses the Stella screenshot key (OR printscreen on Windows) then Stella will notice this and watermark the photo saying "loaded from save state" or something.

[AtariKee]

Re: "frying"

 

I SWEAR that I heard that term as far back as the 80s used for jossling the cart in the 2600 slot while it was on. Not that I'm questioning the origin of the quote, as I have no idea who Russ Perry Jr. is, but I thought I read that term in a magazine at one time.

 

I just wanted to mention that due to having read the "Did You Know" on the front page.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I saw people talking about about HSC and the new Stella. What's to stop someone form just saving the gamestate and reloading later?!

 

I think a good idea that if someone saves a gamestate and reloads it later and then uses the Stella screenshot key (OR printscreen on Windows) then Stella will notice this and watermark the photo saying "loaded from save state" or something.

Since screenshot aren't necessary for HSC, why?

 

And even if, removing a watermark is pretty easy. You'd need a checksum and a key signature to be 100% sure the image isn't doctored.

[vdub_bobby]

Did you try changing 'Dirty Rects' in the 'Video Settings' dialog? If not, please let me know if it makes a difference. Otherwise, I have to go back and analyze the differences between 1.4.2 and 2.0. If it was fine in an older version, then I obviously changed something I shouldn't have.

Ok, didn't realize that option had been added. Setting 'Dirty Rects' to 'Yes' caused it to run at fullspeed at every window size and fullscreen. Thanks.

Another thing I thought of.  If you're handy with using the commandline, could you try setting the SDL_VIDEODRIVER environment variable to 'windib' before starting Stella?  And let me know if that makes any difference.  If it does, I'll make it a commandline argument (set once and forget it).

I'm not handy enough to know how to do this; sorry.

 

EDIT: I hate to pick, but...if you take a snapshot of a rom that does not have a .pro entry, it saves it as 'Untitled.png' - it would be nice if they* would be saved as romname.png instead (i.e., gofish.png, gofish_1.png, etc.)

 

*By 'they' I mean roms without an accompanying .pro entry.

Edited October 18, 2005 by vdub_bobby

[+batari]

Re: "frying"

 

I SWEAR that I heard that term as far back as the 80s used for jossling the cart in the 2600 slot while it was on. Not that I'm questioning the origin of the quote, as I have no idea who Russ Perry Jr. is, but I thought I read that term in a magazine at one time.

 

I just wanted to mention that due to having read the "Did You Know" on the front page.

950501[/snapback]

 

You may be correct:

 

http://digitpress.com/eastereggs/eastereggarticle.htm

[+stephena]

Did you try changing 'Dirty Rects' in the 'Video Settings' dialog? If not, please let me know if it makes a difference. Otherwise, I have to go back and analyze the differences between 1.4.2 and 2.0. If it was fine in an older version, then I obviously changed something I shouldn't have.

Ok, didn't realize that option had been added. Setting 'Dirty Rects' to 'Yes' caused it to run at fullspeed at every window size and fullscreen. Thanks.

OK, so we can ignore the 'windib' setting completely.

EDIT: I hate to pick, but...if you take a snapshot of a rom that does not have a .pro entry, it saves it as 'Untitled.png' - it would be nice if they* would be saved as romname.png instead (i.e., gofish.png, gofish_1.png, etc.)

Of course this is correct. Likewise, ROMs with no entry should use their filename in the title of the Stella window as well. I'll be doing a minor bugfix release this weekend, and it will have these issues fixed.

 

But in the case where no properties file exists, the correct thing to do would be generate one and email it to me (obviously only for finished ROMs, not ones still in development). You can do that by changing the properties in 'Game Properties' GUI menu, reloading the ROM for the properties to take effect, then doing 'Ctrl s' to save to a properties file.

[vdub_bobby]

But in the case where no properties file exists, the correct thing to do would be generate one and email it to me (obviously only for finished ROMs, not ones still in development).  You can do that by changing the properties in 'Game Properties' GUI menu, reloading the ROM for the properties to take effect, then doing 'Ctrl s' to save to a properties file.

By the way, thanks for making it so much easier to create the .pro files.

[midget35]

I would like to add my thanks for this superb release too (zipped roms= superb!!).

 

I have a compatability question though:

 

Ski Hunt (HomeVision) (PAL).a26- and its variants seem to incorrectly display the the tops of the mountains. They are very slightly offset & jumbled at the peaks.

 

Is this a known problem? It's prevelent in all a2600 emus I have tried. Perhaps it could be a corrupt rom?

 

Any enlightenment greatly appreciated.

 

Again- this is a wonderful release, please continue the great work.

[+stephena]

I would like to add my thanks for this superb release too (zipped roms= superb!!).

 

I have a compatability question though:

 

Ski Hunt (HomeVision) (PAL).a26- and its variants seem to incorrectly display the the tops of the mountains. They are very slightly offset & jumbled at the peaks.

 

Is this a known problem? It's prevelent in all a2600 emus I have tried. Perhaps it could be a corrupt rom?

It happens with the ROM I have as well, both in Stella and z26. So I doubt it's a corrupt ROM, unless we both have the same one. Does anyone have access to a real cartridge and machine, to see if this isn't the way the game was actually programmed?

[midget35]

Sir- I should have made myself more clear:

 

I owned the original pal cartridge and can confirm this graphical error did not occur on real hardware.

 

I suspect we both have the same rom. Mine is from the Good2600 set (Cowering's rom organising & renaming utility).

 

Thx

[+stephena]

Sir- I should have made myself more clear:

 

I owned the original pal cartridge and can confirm this graphical error did not occur on real hardware.

 

I suspect we both have the same rom. Mine is from the Good2600 set (Cowering's rom organising & renaming utility).

 

Thx

953978[/snapback]

OK, this is a core issue, which will be fixed for version 2.1. The TIA emulation will be greatly improved for the next point release, and should take care of this problem. Also to Thomas who reported a problem in Splatform: the TIA restructing for 2.1 will hopefully fix your problem as well.

[+stephena]

I just released Stella version 2.0.1, which fixes many of the bugs mentioned in these forums. If you find a bug in 2.0, could you first download the 2.0.1 version and see if it's still there. If so, please report it under the 'Stella version 2.0.1 released' thread.

[Great Hierophant]

OK, this is a core issue, which will be fixed for version 2.1. The TIA emulation will be greatly improved for the next point release, and should take care of this problem. Also to Thomas who reported a problem in Splatform: the TIA restructing for 2.1 will hopefully fix your problem as well.

 

Will these fixes take care of the problem in Solaris (warp effect isn't quite right) and G.I. Joe (Cobra doesn't draw quite correctly)?

 

Also, I noticed in such games like Yar's Revenge and Joust, for instance, that certain graphics suffer from an awful lot of flicker. This flicker is not present in z26, but I can't say how prevalent it is on a TV screen at the moment.

[+stephena]

OK, this is a core issue, which will be fixed for version 2.1. The TIA emulation will be greatly improved for the next point release, and should take care of this problem. Also to Thomas who reported a problem in Splatform: the TIA restructing for 2.1 will hopefully fix your problem as well.

 

Will these fixes take care of the problem in Solaris (warp effect isn't quite right) and G.I. Joe (Cobra doesn't draw quite correctly)?

I don't know, since nobody reported them before. If you like, please send me a detailed report on what errors you see (ie, how is the effect not quite right, and how is the Cobra not quite correct). Feel free to email me directly at stephena@users.sourceforge.net. I suspect at least some of these issues will be taken care of in the TIA update, which we hope to have in the 2.1 release sometime around Christmas.

Also, I noticed in such games like Yar's Revenge and Joust, for instance, that certain graphics suffer from an awful lot of flicker.  This flicker is not present in z26, but I can't say how prevalent it is on a TV screen at the moment.

z26 has the ability to 'blend' previous and current frames, and somewhat lessen the flicker effect. Stella doesn't yet have that, so this may be the cause. It can also be caused by SDL itself not having the ability to sync to your monitors refresh rate. If you try OpenGL mode (and turn on refresh-sync, available in most drivers), the effect usually goes away.

[+stephena]

OK, this is a core issue, which will be fixed for version 2.1. The TIA emulation will be greatly improved for the next point release, and should take care of this problem. Also to Thomas who reported a problem in Splatform: the TIA restructing for 2.1 will hopefully fix your problem as well.

 

Will these fixes take care of the problem in Solaris (warp effect isn't quite right) and G.I. Joe (Cobra doesn't draw quite correctly)?

954473[/snapback]

OK, nevermind about reporting these to me. I can see for myself what the errors are. I'll forward these examples to our TIA guy and see if the TIA restructuring will fix them.