kat5200 (new 5200 emulator) Version 0.2.3 released

[eegt97]

Go into the Input menu in the GUI, change "Default Control Group" to Mouse. Then load up Centipede. Maybe your changing the "Control Group" ring thinking it is changing the controls to use? That only changes what can be currently edited. The "Default" one will change current one to use (if none assigned for the rom in cart list).

 

You can also assign Mouse to Centipede in the Cart List menu. That way it always uses it.

 

Othewise, let me know what kind of system you got.

 

-Brian

[Paranoid]

So, I just got myself a Logitech dual-action d-pad... and that made a heckuva improvement in the gameplay in both Adventure 2 and Countermeasure. As noted, it is still a LITTLE sensitive compared to playing on an original, but it is absolutely playable and very impressive for emulation.

 

Having logged some more time with the real hardware, I did notice that the sounds on Countermeasure seem a little off... in particular the "victory jingle" when you successfully decode the launch sequence. They seem like they might actually be running a little *slow*, possibly? I'm on a 3.4ghz HT P4, so I don't think it is a processor speed issue.

[eegt97]

Yea, I definitely find the Logitechs work well. I'm not sure what version your using, but in 0.3.0 you can try using the sensitivity setting in the GUI to change the sensitivity.

 

For the sounds, make sure your at 44kHz as the sample rate. Otherwise, it's probably still just a little off.

 

-Brian

[Paranoid]

I'll check both of those things out. Right now I've actually got the Logitech hooked up to my Mac checking out MacMame. It was kind of a dual purpose purchase.

[Paranoid]

Ok... so I'm revisiting the emulation, with my AtariMax multicart on the way. I figured I should get my ROM collection in better order.

 

A few things I noticed. When you go into the Cartridge menu where you can select paths and scan directories, there were a TON of titles in there that I never added, and to the best of my recollection, never had the ROM images of. Is this a default list that is built into KAT? Or do I have a much more complete ROM collection for the 5200 than I thought I did, hiding in some folder on my drive?

 

Along those lines, I wanted to clean house so only true ROMs that I actually had on my system were showing. This was difficult to achieve, because you cannot highlight multiple items on the menu. To delete multiple carts, you need to select the image you want to remove, move the mouse to the delete button, hit delete, move the mouse to the OK requester, click OK, then move the mouse back to the next rom you want to delete, select it, then repeat the process. There should be a way to select all, or to hold control and select multiple images, and remove them all from the library at one time.

 

Once I was done removing all of the files, and had an "empty" library, I pointed it to the new directory where I had all my extracted ROM images, and did a scan, and it didn't add them. I had to add them individually, one by one, by clicking the add cart button and finding the ROM in the path. Is this normal behavior? Is there something I'm not understanding about what SCAN does?

 

Another question, not really KAT specific...

 

How come there are SO many Atari 5200 titles that are in both 16k and 32k rom images? What is the difference?

[eegt97]

A few things I noticed. When you go into the Cartridge menu where you can select paths and scan directories, there were a TON of titles in there that I never added, and to the best of my recollection, never had the ROM images of. Is this a default list that is built into KAT? Or do I have a much more complete ROM collection for the 5200 than I thought I did, hiding in some folder on my drive?

 

This is the default list built into kat5200 (well, included in the cart5200.xml file). If you actually have the rom, the filename will show in the filename box in the Cart menu after you scan. If it's empty, then scanning didn't find the rom.

 

Along those lines, I wanted to clean house so only true ROMs that I actually had on my system were showing. This was difficult to achieve, because you cannot highlight multiple items on the menu. To delete multiple carts, you need to select the image you want to remove, move the mouse to the delete button, hit delete, move the mouse to the OK requester, click OK, then move the mouse back to the next rom you want to delete, select it, then repeat the process. There should be a way to select all, or to hold control and select multiple images, and remove them all from the library at one time.

 

I guess I never thought of it being used to add or delete titles en masse. I thought of it as a total list. Maybe what is needed is a view that lists only the titles you have once scanning is done.

 

Once I was done removing all of the files, and had an "empty" library, I pointed it to the new directory where I had all my extracted ROM images, and did a scan, and it didn't add them. I had to add them individually, one by one, by clicking the add cart button and finding the ROM in the path. Is this normal behavior? Is there something I'm not understanding about what SCAN does?

 

So Scan checks each file in your rom directory and compares the checksum with the titles in the cart list. If the title list is empty, it won't "find" it. I guess I should have it automatically add roms it doesn't know about to the list. Also, I might need a way to re-store the default list.

 

It sounds like I need to re-think the way this works and try to come up with something more intutive...Sorry you had to go through so much pain...

 

-Brian

[Paranoid]

No big deal. I just thought I'd pass on my experiences. You've already got what I think is the best 5200 emulator available.

 

I think that the problem was partially that I was unclear on exactly how it worked and was using it wrong... but also that there isn't a way to look at a file list JUST by available ROM images. Maybe what it needs is some sort of filter function so you can view "All possible titles", "View Only Titles that are available" and you can CTRL-click to add or remove from titles that are available.

 

I suppose it may just be me. I always find myself wishing that emulators allowed a little more direct manipulation of file-level ROM images. You load up a ROM and it doesn't work... it would be nice to be able to rename or flag or delete the physical *file* from within the emulator... rather than dropping to a Window, trying to find the filename, and doing whatever to it there. Does that make sense?

[eegt97]

I think having the filter seems like a good idea to me.

 

The original purpose of the list was to have a way to "attach" certain control schemes to specific roms. But making it into more of a rom management type of menu makes sense to me. I will look more into that in the future.

 

Thanks again for your comments,

 

-Brian

[Paranoid]

Thanks again for your emulator!

 

I always worry that I'm going to come across like some demanding Luser that only has complaints about your program. That isn't it at all. I *love* this emulator, and it is great being able to make suggestions directly to you like this.