Some questions and suggestions for WinUAE.

[Keatah]

I visit here on an irregular basis, but continue to use WinUAE more and more frequently these days.

A couple of UI questions/bugs:

1- When I load a configuration from the "Settings -> Configurations Menu" It seems that only one arbitrary profile in the list picks up both the HARDWARE and HOST settings. Other configurations seem to ignore the some (or all) of the host settings. In particular I was unable to get a consistent load for the Port 2 controller mappings in Host -> Game Ports -> Port 2. It appears to revert back to default. There may be other settings doing this, I didn't check each one.

The way I understand and expect it to work is whenever a configuration file is loaded, both Hardware and Host parameters are recalled, all of them, both sets.

However, if I click on a configuration file, like A500 Turbo.uae, from Windows Explorer, the emulator starts as normal and all the settings seem to be recalled just fine.

If bad comes to worse, I could always make entirely separate folders for each type of machine.

2- Would it be possible to have more separation between full-screen configuration and windowed configuration? It seems that I can get Full Screen options set exactly the way I want, but then it throws off Windowed mode. And the opposite is true if I set up windowed mode. It's rather tedious to explain everything, but it has to do with scaling and sizing.

3- When using any kind of automatic scaling, and using like the original Workbench disk from 1984/1985, I can pull down on the white bar at the top. Ok. And then about half-way through of dragging it down, I get the black bar at the bottom that seems to get thicker and hides the lower part of the workbench's desktop. Weird. Don't know if I'm making correct use of the scaling features or not.

4- A suggestion, perhaps neaten up some of the Host & Hardware load/save buttons. I'm not entirely clear on their relationships and precisely what they load and save. I was under the impression that you can link a host settings file to a configuration file, and also a hardware settings file to a configuration file as well.

I hope all that made sense. I do have some older documents and help files that may clarify some of the above regarding configuring. But like I say it's old. If there is newer material I'd like to see it.

And of course these are only suggestions and questions. I've been playing around with emulators since the old early days of DASarcade, Activition Action Packs, Microsoft Arcade, Digital Eclipse William's stuff, and when MAME supported 5 games. From then, up to now, and all the while making suggestions and tweaks to the UI and ratting out usability bugs and annoyances. I believe that flagship emulators should have premier experiences. WinUAE is no exception!

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by Keatah

1- When I load a configuration from the "Settings -> Configurations Menu" It seems that only one arbitrary profile in the list picks up both the HARDWARE and HOST settings. Other configurations seem to ignore the some (or all) of the host settings. In particular I was unable to get a consistent load for the Port 2 controller mappings in Host -> Game Ports -> Port 2. It appears to revert back to default. There may be other settings doing this, I didn't check each one.

The way I understand and expect it to work is whenever a configuration file is loaded, both Hardware and Host parameters are recalled, all of them, both sets.

Yes. Include config that does not work.

2- Would it be possible to have more separation between full-screen configuration and windowed configuration? It seems that I can get Full Screen options set exactly the way I want, but then it throws off Windowed mode. And the opposite is true if I set up windowed mode. It's rather tedious to explain everything, but it has to do with scaling and sizing.

I haven't done this because it would never end. Soon next request would be: do same with different resolutions and so on..

3- When using any kind of automatic scaling, and using like the original Workbench disk from 1984/1985, I can pull down on the white bar at the top. Ok. And then about half-way through of dragging it down, I get the black bar at the bottom that seems to get thicker and hides the lower part of the workbench's desktop. Weird. Don't know if I'm making correct use of the scaling features or not.

There is nothing to do. It still attempts to autoscale it to full screen even when display goes down and becomes smaller and smaller.. Finally it decides that this makes no sense and ignores some of the display parameters.

Same problem with some horizontal scrolling. They are indistinguishable from static display, at least without some AI.

4-[/B] A suggestion, perhaps neaten up some of the Host & Hardware load/save buttons. I'm not entirely clear on their relationships and precisely what they load and save. I was under the impression that you can link a host settings file to a configuration file, and also a hardware settings file to a configuration file as well.

Link just means "load also this file after parent file was loaded", replacing any config entries from new file using same host/config mode as parent.

I believe that flagship emulators should have premier experiences. WinUAE is no exception!

Ability to do everything wins, even if it makes user interface confusing for beginners/normal users, sorry

[Keatah]

Ok, This is a simple A500 config. This is how I reproduce the issue.

Click on Amiga 500.uae from Windows Explorer. WinUAE opens up and all the parameters load exactly how I set them up. I get the insert Workbench 1.3 disk. We're good so far.

I go and check the settings for Host -> Game Ports -> Port 2
They're fine. My custom mapping is there and selected.
I hit [Cancel] to return to the virtual machine.

Then I hit POWER at the bottom to get to the WinUAE properties screen. I do Settings -> Configurations -> and double-click on the file, Amiga 500. It loads. And the request for Workbench appears.

Problem is this second load from within WinUAE seems to drop the settings for Host -> Game Ports -> Port 2. It is reset to <none>. My custom mappings seem to be there, I just have to select it again.

If I save and reload, the Port 2 mappings go away again.

When I updated to 3.6.0 I made a fresh config file, there shouldn't be anything old. Started the emulator by clicking on WinUAE.exe and then adjusted settings and saved the file.

[Toni Wilen]

Confirmed. Does http://www.winuae.net/files/b/winuae.7z fix it?

[Keatah]

Yes Toni the port 2 settings load correctly now. Thanks!

[Keatah]

T

I may or may not have asked this question before.. Will there be any ability to map to a real LPT1 for connecting to parallel devices? Like digitizers, printers, custom joystick interfaces and even instrumentation for lab use. I know that most modern rigs would need a parallel port add-on via USB or PCI card of course..

I see there are serial COM port options that look like they can be mapped to a real COM port on the host hardware. I have to experiment around with it.

And by the way, I got the display options figured out and set up just right. Now it's so simple.

K

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by Keatah

I may or may not have asked this question before.. Will there be any ability to map to a real LPT1 for connecting to parallel devices? Like digitizers, printers, custom joystick interfaces and even instrumentation for lab use. I know that most modern rigs would need a parallel port add-on via USB or PCI card of course..

It is not really possible because Amiga parallel port is fully bi-directional, including most pins (paper out etc).

PC parallel port's data pins are always either all inputs or all outputs. Status pins data direction can't be changed.

None of parallel devices designed for Amigas would work when using PC parallel port.

(Is there even USB parallel ports that actually work with anything else than PC compatible printers? AFAIK non-printer devices need direct IO access and software needs to have USB adapter specific support. Only printers work "automatically".)

Serial ports/USB Serial ports work (but not all, at least in all bit rates because Amiga's serial port bit rate is not exactly same as standard PC, there is very small difference), there is not any API level difference between "real" serial ports and USB serial ports, physical difference is totally transparent. (Parallel port is totally different)

[ztronzo]

Not sure if this option is already available somehow.

I would like to suggest an option for WinUAE to disable/cancel invalid movements which a standard joystick would not be able to perform. This should apply for ports 0, 1 and both ports on parallel port adapter.

Movements to disallow:
Up+Down #$0101
Left+Right #$0303
Up+Down+Left #$0201
Up+Down+Right #$0102
Up+Left+Right #$0203
Down+Left+Right #$0302
Up+Down+Left+Right #$0202


These movements can be performed easily by keyboard keys emulating a joystick controller or by using custom made controllers.

There are a bunch of games that cause unpredictable side-effects or even crash when any of these movements are performed.

Examples:
Moonstone causes warp speed and allows player to move outside of playfield.
Harald Hårdtand (Colgate game) freezes the game.

I personally always use a joystick, but I can find more examples to test if interested.

[Toni Wilen]

Opposite directions should have been already prevented by default since 4.9.0 (Unless you configure it using Input panel)

[ztronzo]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Opposite directions should have been already prevented by default since 4.9.0 (Unless you configure it using Input panel)

Thanks Toni! Btw, excellent work with WinUAE and FileMaster! Was always running fm22 as my favorite portable file manager when I only had floppy drives.. DOpus was too heavy for floppy setups..