Strange palette problem with Pistorm32 and WHDLoad

tomcat666 · 03 April 2023, 19:48

Hi everyone

Sometimes I get this strange problem in pistorm32 and whdload games. The palette seems to be fixed to this strange green/blue version. Everything in the games display this problems - even copper lists, palette changes, etc. seems like R channel is ignored completely.
Is there some way AGA chipset can be set into this mode somehow ? After the game exits with WHDLoad the palette is OK. It is a bit random, but some games exhibit this problems more times than others (Escape from Colditz, Cadaver, Pinball Dreams) ... the whole game is in this palette:

jotd · 03 April 2023, 20:04

I don't believe some AGA setting would cancel all reds. It's more because some palette is configured like that for the 16 first colors at least.

One thing that could explain it would be AGA LOCT (bplcon3) set to "low" so palette changes only affect lower nibble.

But whdload sets bplcon3 to 0 so it should not happen. Can you try with JST instead?

tomcat666 · 03 April 2023, 20:36

Working perfectly fine with JST yeah.

Also working fine with whdload if I run

tude chipset=ocs

Before running whdload. Very strange.

jotd · 03 April 2023, 21:12

probably a LOCT issue. I bet that if you change your wb palette completely the colors will be different.

Wepl · 05 April 2023, 22:47

you may open an issue in the bugtracker https://whdload.de/mantis/ for this problem
to see if it is a LOCT issue as JOTD assumes you could use hrtmon an write to bplcon3

jotd · 05 April 2023, 22:50

Wepl means "write to bplcon3" (AKA DFF106) to set 0 (word) while the game is running. The hardest part for a non-developper would be to set up HRTmon properly.

To test, I would install HRTmon, then start the game slave with "D" option added. With this setup whdload calls hrtmon at startup. You can set the bplcon3 register to zero and return to game with

Code:

e $106 $00
x

in hrtmon. After that, LOCT bit is sure to be cleared. If this fixes the palette, then I was right

note: JST clears bplcon3 that would explain why it works with JST.

Wepl · 05 April 2023, 23:07

thanks jotd

tomcat666 · 02 May 2023, 19:53

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, JOTD reminded me over the PM about this issue.
Latest pistorm32 FW timing fixes also seem to have fixed this issue. It doesn't pop up anymore.
But I went back to the problematic firmware and I could "fix" the palette with the HRTMON steps as described, so "something" indeed set that register to something else than 0 at some point in time when whdload was starting up.

Wepl · 04 May 2023, 22:20

Thanks for testing. As this is now working with recent pistorm32 FW I'm not going to change anything in WHDLoad ATM.

tomcat666 · 15 May 2023, 07:43

Users are still reporting this behaviour even with the newest firmware. It doesn't happen for me anymore, but a lot of other users are reporting it currently. It seems that another run of the same game usually "fixes" it. Must be timing related somehow. Never happens when the same game is run with latest JST.

Wepl · 17 May 2023, 23:31

please (let them) open an issue on https://whdload.de/mantis/

03 April 2023, 19:48	#1
tomcat666 Retro Freak Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Slovenia Age: 51 Posts: 1,648	Strange palette problem with Pistorm32 and WHDLoad Hi everyone Sometimes I get this strange problem in pistorm32 and whdload games. The palette seems to be fixed to this strange green/blue version. Everything in the games display this problems - even copper lists, palette changes, etc. seems like R channel is ignored completely. Is there some way AGA chipset can be set into this mode somehow ? After the game exits with WHDLoad the palette is OK. It is a bit random, but some games exhibit this problems more times than others (Escape from Colditz, Cadaver, Pinball Dreams) ... the whole game is in this palette:

05 April 2023, 22:50	#6
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,201	Wepl means "write to bplcon3" (AKA DFF106) to set 0 (word) while the game is running. The hardest part for a non-developper would be to set up HRTmon properly. To test, I would install HRTmon, then start the game slave with "D" option added. With this setup whdload calls hrtmon at startup. You can set the bplcon3 register to zero and return to game with Code: e $106 $00 x in hrtmon. After that, LOCT bit is sure to be cleared. If this fixes the palette, then I was right note: JST clears bplcon3 that would explain why it works with JST. Last edited by jotd; 05 April 2023 at 23:19.

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03 April 2023, 20:04	#2
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,201	I don't believe some AGA setting would cancel all reds. It's more because some palette is configured like that for the 16 first colors at least. One thing that could explain it would be AGA LOCT (bplcon3) set to "low" so palette changes only affect lower nibble. But whdload sets bplcon3 to 0 so it should not happen. Can you try with JST instead?

03 April 2023, 20:36	#3
tomcat666 Retro Freak Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Slovenia Age: 51 Posts: 1,648	Working perfectly fine with JST yeah. Also working fine with whdload if I run tude chipset=ocs Before running whdload. Very strange.

03 April 2023, 21:12	#4
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,201	probably a LOCT issue. I bet that if you change your wb palette completely the colors will be different.

05 April 2023, 22:47	#5
Wepl Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Germany Posts: 866	you may open an issue in the bugtracker https://whdload.de/mantis/ for this problem to see if it is a LOCT issue as JOTD assumes you could use hrtmon an write to bplcon3

05 April 2023, 23:07	#7
Wepl Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Germany Posts: 866	thanks jotd

02 May 2023, 19:53	#8
tomcat666 Retro Freak Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Slovenia Age: 51 Posts: 1,648	Sorry I didn't reply sooner, JOTD reminded me over the PM about this issue. Latest pistorm32 FW timing fixes also seem to have fixed this issue. It doesn't pop up anymore. But I went back to the problematic firmware and I could "fix" the palette with the HRTMON steps as described, so "something" indeed set that register to something else than 0 at some point in time when whdload was starting up.

04 May 2023, 22:20	#9
Wepl Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Germany Posts: 866	Thanks for testing. As this is now working with recent pistorm32 FW I'm not going to change anything in WHDLoad ATM.

15 May 2023, 07:43	#10
tomcat666 Retro Freak Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Slovenia Age: 51 Posts: 1,648	Users are still reporting this behaviour even with the newest firmware. It doesn't happen for me anymore, but a lot of other users are reporting it currently. It seems that another run of the same game usually "fixes" it. Must be timing related somehow. Never happens when the same game is run with latest JST.

17 May 2023, 23:31	#11
Wepl Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Germany Posts: 866	please (let them) open an issue on https://whdload.de/mantis/

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