Creating your own IPFs - Page 19

acd2001 · 30 January 2023, 18:13

keirf disk-utilities 2023-01-30 git 7e12a26
Added decoders for Platou (retail), Mind Force and Evelution Cryser

BarryB · 30 January 2023, 19:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by acd2001

keirf disk-utilities 2023-01-30 git 7e12a26
Added decoders for Platou (retail), Mind Force and Evelution Cryser

Cheers for this

acd2001 · 02 February 2023, 14:40

keirf disk-utilities 2023-02-02 git 13b3083
Added support for Barney Mouse and Wizard's Castle.
Renamed sextettiii to soft_touch and moved platou into soft_touch

BarryB · 02 February 2023, 22:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by acd2001

keirf disk-utilities 2023-02-02 git 13b3083
Added support for Barney Mouse and Wizard's Castle.
Renamed sextettiii to soft_touch and moved platou into soft_touch

Thanks again

acd2001 · 04 February 2023, 03:50

keirf disk-utilities 2023-02-04 git ecab39a
added decoder for Xorron 2001

BarryB · 04 February 2023, 16:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by acd2001

keirf disk-utilities 2023-02-04 git ecab39a
added decoder for Xorron 2001

Nice one!

Tested wth Abaddon's Xorron 2001 dump and creates a working IPF

acd2001 · 07 February 2023, 03:17

keirf disk-utilities 2023-02-07 git 5afab8d
Added decoders for Cobra, Sixiang and Deja Vu II

BarryB · 07 February 2023, 19:32

Thanks

!

Sixiang is a swine to play, seems it's one of those games where there's just enough time to complete a level without any mistsakes!!

Keir · 09 February 2023, 18:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retroplay

I uploaded Barry's ipfs to my user upload folder all renamed TOSEC style with a readme quoting what Keir wrote above.

@TCD
I upped three ipfs yesterday, these will be supported in disk-analyse once Abaddon pushes his update to disk-utilities git repo.

All tested and verified working 100%.

Thanks!

I see Chaos Strikes Back in the Unofficial IPFs folder, but not Dungeon Master. Would it be possible for BarryB to upload an IPF, and get it transferred to the file server along with the same README as CSB?

BarryB · 09 February 2023, 20:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keir

Thanks!

I see Chaos Strikes Back in the Unofficial IPFs folder, but not Dungeon Master. Would it be possible for BarryB to upload an IPF, and get it transferred to the file server along with the same README as CSB?

Have uploaded my IPF to The Zone + Readme!

Keir · 10 February 2023, 16:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keir

Finally, I am working on IPF to HFEv3 conversion in the Greaseweazle tools. This will also support conversion of the DM and CSB IPF images to HFEv3 images which FlashFloppy will support. However it will require a small extension to HFEv3 to support bit-granularity weak regions. So will require a new release of both Greaseweazle tools and FlashFloppy firmware. Watch this space in the coming weeks.

The required changes to Greaseweazle and FlashFloppy are now done, pending release. They just need testing with the final HFEv3 images on a real Amiga. BarryB has promised to do this, hooray!

Experimental Greaseweazle build: https://nightly.link/keirf/greasewea.../549153308.zip
Experimental FlashFloppy build: https://nightly.link/keirf/flashflop.../549341148.zip

Code:

gw convert DM.ipf DM.hfe::version=3

BarryB · 10 February 2023, 16:38

Will test this out tonight

BarryB · 10 February 2023, 21:14

For those testing this, I had an issue with my USB not flashing Keir's firmware in my Gotek, display stuck on FF Update Flash [USB], this was because the USB stick was using GPT, which Keir pointed out as a possible reason, and he was right!

So I used diskpart to select the USB disk, ran CLEAN to wipe the drive and then ran Convert MBR to make it an MBR partition then formatted it as FAT32, after that the bootloader and f/w flashed without any problem!!

Also, my bootloader was a really 'super old' v0.3.0a as Keir pointed out too and that's probably the main reason the GPT partition was not recognised, flashing the latest bootloader/firmware will support GPT!

Have now converted my KF dump to IPF in disk-utilities, converted the IPF to HFEv3 with Greaseweazle and now playing on my real A500 with Gotek, also copied over my save game disk and so far have been able to load/save without issue!

Keir · 10 February 2023, 21:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarryB

Have now converted my KF dump to IPF in disk-utilities, converted the IPF to HFEv3 with Greaseweazle and now playing on my real A500 with Gotek, also copied over my save game disk and so far have been able to load/save without issue!

Great news! Thanks!

The bigger announcement here is that I will support any IPF on FlashFloppy, converted to HFEv3 using Greaseweazle tools. If any such conversion does not work then I expect to be able to support you with fixes to Greaseweazle tools and/or FlashFloppy firmware.

Apart from being able to play *any* IPF on your actual Amiga, it will also allow you to play almost any dump of original disks:

Dump -> disk-utilities -> IPF -> greaseweazle -> HFEv3 -> flashfloppy

Hence allowing you to get as close as you can to the original Amiga experience with a Gotek. And I'm pleased to be able to support my own toolchain and firmware end-to-end in the above process.

BarryB · 10 February 2023, 22:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keir

Great news! Thanks!

The bigger announcement here is that I will support any IPF on FlashFloppy, converted to HFEv3 using Greaseweazle tools. If any such conversion does not work then I expect to be able to support you with fixes to Greaseweazle tools and/or FlashFloppy firmware.

Apart from being able to play *any* IPF on your actual Amiga, it will also allow you to play almost any dump of original disks:

Dump -> disk-utilities -> IPF -> greaseweazle -> HFEv3 -> flashfloppy

Hence allowing you to get as close as you can to the original Amiga experience with a Gotek. And I'm pleased to be able to support my own toolchain and firmware end-to-end in the above process.

Now that's great news

I've been playing DM now for about 3 hours on my A500 + Gotek/FF and have not had any issue saving or playing so far! Did get killed by purple worms but a saved game loaded no problem and have left the game unattended for about 45 mins and was still able to continue playing/saving when I came back!

So it's looking very promising it will play just like the original.

BarryB · 11 February 2023, 15:39

Anyone else started testing this on real hardware/updated FF + Gotek yet?

BarryB · 11 February 2023, 17:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by PascalDe73

.

Yes myself In HFEv3 file on real A500 and Gotek HXC. It seems to works correctly.

Thanks for testing, let us know how you get on

I've uploaded to The Zone my dumps of Dungeon Master & Chaos Strikes Back in HFEv3 format for others to test if the want too. Keir has checked the HFE files I made and they are OK for release!

Keir · 11 February 2023, 17:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by PascalDe73

.

Yes myself In HFEv3 file on real A500 and Gotek HXC. It seems to works correctly.

Interesting as I thought I had to extend/tweak the HFEv3 format slightly. But actually in the FlashFloppy firmware supporting bit-granularity weak regions fell out quite naturally. Perhaps this is how the format was intended to work all along.

I am happy to make further extensions if needed, but I reckon HFEv3 has everything we need, at least to represent what will work in an IPF image. Fingers crossed no bug fixes needed in my IPF to HFEv3 conversion either, but we will see.

BarryB · 11 February 2023, 17:49

It would be nice to have save games to test where known protection checks occur, wonder if anyone has any or knows where checks are definitely made so we can test? I'm led to believe the save/load system is where one such check occurs?

BarryB · 12 February 2023, 16:01

The HFEv3 files I made are for use with FlashFloppy F/W not HxC F/W and the IPF should be created with a KF dump using the lastest disk-utilities then converted with Greaseweazle to HFEv3 and not with HxC Software!

So the issue is using wrong F/W in your Gotek and using wrong conversion method for the HFEv3 file.

30 January 2023, 18:13	#361
acd2001 Zone Friend Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Italy Posts: 139	keirf disk-utilities 2023-01-30 git 7e12a26 Added decoders for Platou (retail), Mind Force and Evelution Cryser Last edited by acd2001; 02 February 2023 at 14:41.

02 February 2023, 14:40	#363
acd2001 Zone Friend Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Italy Posts: 139	keirf disk-utilities 2023-02-02 git 13b3083 Added support for Barney Mouse and Wizard's Castle. Renamed sextettiii to soft_touch and moved platou into soft_touch Last edited by acd2001; 04 February 2023 at 03:50.

04 February 2023, 03:50	#365
acd2001 Zone Friend Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Italy Posts: 139	keirf disk-utilities 2023-02-04 git ecab39a added decoder for Xorron 2001 Last edited by acd2001; 07 February 2023 at 03:17.

07 February 2023, 03:17	#367
acd2001 Zone Friend Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Italy Posts: 139	keirf disk-utilities 2023-02-07 git 5afab8d Added decoders for Cobra, Sixiang and Deja Vu II Last edited by acd2001; 18 February 2023 at 18:24.

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07 February 2023, 19:32	#368
BarryB Amigaholic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: UK Posts: 4,676	Thanks ! Sixiang is a swine to play, seems it's one of those games where there's just enough time to complete a level without any mistsakes!!

10 February 2023, 16:38	#372
BarryB Amigaholic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: UK Posts: 4,676	Will test this out tonight

10 February 2023, 21:14	#373
BarryB Amigaholic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: UK Posts: 4,676	For those testing this, I had an issue with my USB not flashing Keir's firmware in my Gotek, display stuck on FF Update Flash [USB], this was because the USB stick was using GPT, which Keir pointed out as a possible reason, and he was right! So I used diskpart to select the USB disk, ran CLEAN to wipe the drive and then ran Convert MBR to make it an MBR partition then formatted it as FAT32, after that the bootloader and f/w flashed without any problem!! Also, my bootloader was a really 'super old' v0.3.0a as Keir pointed out too and that's probably the main reason the GPT partition was not recognised, flashing the latest bootloader/firmware will support GPT! Have now converted my KF dump to IPF in disk-utilities, converted the IPF to HFEv3 with Greaseweazle and now playing on my real A500 with Gotek, also copied over my save game disk and so far have been able to load/save without issue!

11 February 2023, 15:39	#376
BarryB Amigaholic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: UK Posts: 4,676	Anyone else started testing this on real hardware/updated FF + Gotek yet?

11 February 2023, 17:49	#379
BarryB Amigaholic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: UK Posts: 4,676	It would be nice to have save games to test where known protection checks occur, wonder if anyone has any or knows where checks are definitely made so we can test? I'm led to believe the save/load system is where one such check occurs?

12 February 2023, 16:01	#380
BarryB Amigaholic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: UK Posts: 4,676	The HFEv3 files I made are for use with FlashFloppy F/W not HxC F/W and the IPF should be created with a KF dump using the lastest disk-utilities then converted with Greaseweazle to HFEv3 and not with HxC Software! So the issue is using wrong F/W in your Gotek and using wrong conversion method for the HFEv3 file.

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