Anyone got PicassoIV emulation working?

[Michael Doma]

Dear community,

can anyone tell me all the required settings for WinUAE and Picasso96 to make PicassoIV emulation work? I've downloaded and selected the PIV rom and copied all PIV support files into place but Picasso96 tells me on boot:

Could not create graphics board context for PicassoIV

However, uaegfx is working but unusable for me since emluation is freezing after switching to it. That's why I'd like to try the PicassoIV. I've also tried various versions of the P96 files and different settings in WinUAE, but no luck.

Thank you very much in advance!

Regards,

Michael

[Toni Wilen]

Yes, it works (obviously). Usually no one has no idea how to help when the problem is nothing more than "It does not work".

Did you reinstall Picasso96 + select Picasso IV? Only copying files with name containing "picassoiv4" (or similar) in file names won't be enough. (at least "CirrusGD5446.chip" is also required. And you need to add modes manually. uaegfx is a special case.)

(if you reported that hang via email some weeks ago: I forgot to reply but I also couldn't find any explanation for it..)

[Michael Doma]

Thanks for the hint but I deliberately didn't go into the lengthy details this time, in order to increase the number of people who will be answering this quite simple question. And yes: Of course I've read the P96 install script and re-did every action that is needed for a PIV install, e.g. I also executed "Picasso96:AttachSetings PicassoIV 0 DEVS:Picasso96Settings" after copying the default Settings file from the install archive as well as all the .chip files.

[derSammler]

If uaegfx is freezing, there is something quite wrong with your setup and you should try to fix that first. Because it might very well be the same cause for the PIV emulation not working.

Clean install of AmigaOS? What version?

[Toni Wilen]

If you want really useful replies, always include config and winuaelog.txt. (But if it is Amiga side problem: this is usually wrong thread, nothing to do with emulation in that case. Config&Log will tell that.)

"It is not working" questions will usually mean mostly useless replies from me

[Michael Doma]

Sorry to have wasted your time, it was my fault: I forgot to rename the Picasso96 monitor file to "PicassoIV". Now this problem went away. But there's another culprit, which needs to be addressed because I could reproduce it on a second host system:

The screen goes completely black after the PicassoIV monitor driver is started via startup-sequence. Emulation continues just fine, but you just can't see anything. After hours and hours of research, I found a solution by activating "Fake Native Modes" via the Picasso Variable Setter. After that, I was able to switch to a real PicassoIV mode and the "Fake Native Mode" was no longer needed to be activated.
How come, I am the first to report this? I have even obeyed to the PIV manual that says "PAL and NTSC are the only modes allowed in the Monitors folder, otherwise no video will be displayed after PicassoIV installation".


BTW: The rtg freezes are gone since I started using PIV rtg modes. Still I would like to help to fix this freeze problem since uaegfx is much faster. I've got an extensive system level debugging background and therefore I'd like to know if there are any PDB files available that I could use with windbg to find problematic spots in the winuae source?

@Toni: Please don't forget this little piece of report: https://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p...33&postcount=3

Regards,

Michael

[Toni Wilen]

You probably don't have DISPLAYCHAIN=Yes in icon properties? Without it RTG board is considered separate display. (not in "chain" with native display).

Press END+F9 to switch "monitor cables".

[Michael Doma]

I will try END+F9 asap but "Display Chain" was definitely active by default.

[Michael Doma]

Whoa! END+F9 worked! (Is that an easter egg? At least it seems this setting is not in the GUI...)

Addition:
When I boot into PAL, then press END+F9 and then choose a PicassoIV mode, WinUAE doesn't switch automatically to the PIV screen. I need to press END+F9 again. Display Chain is definitely active. So WinUAE is switching too early. That's a very large culprit for other users who want try the PicassoIV...

[Toni Wilen]

It works correctly for everyone else (including me). It always switches automatically. You must have something wrong with Picasso96 or Picasso96 configuration.

In case of PicassoIV switching info comes from PicassoIV driver because PIV has internal switcher. It is not decided by WinUAE.

[Michael Doma]

I will test that for you with another WB install from scratch.

[Michael Doma]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

It always switches automatically. You must have something wrong with Picasso96 or Picasso96 configuration.

Result of my reinstall: You were right (as always)! The problem was p4specials.library - after deleteing it from my previous installation libs folder, the premature switch has now gone - problem solved. That library seems to be for Paloma only and is not included in the P96 install package anyways.

So i've got some final questions on this topic:

· Will you include the PicassoIV ROM v7.5 hash in WinUAE which is downloadable as "P4Update_7_5.lha" on the following site? (According to IDApro the ROM part starts at file offset $A30 in "P4FlashUpdate" and goes till the very end of the file)
http://sophisticated-development.de/...V&section=P-IV

· Why can't I move the RAM slider of PicassoIV from 4 to 8 MB?

· When "resolution autoswitch" is set to "Always On" in UAE, the "Resolution" setting on the same page always resets to "Lores" at some point after switchting to rtg. When some app opens a screen on the chipset display and switches to it, this results in very chunky graphics. In that case I always need to do: Autoswitch="Disabled" -> Resolution="Hires(normal)" -> Autoswitch="Always On" to fix the graphics. Am I doing something wrong in the first place?

· Is the PIV the fastest graphics card in WinUAE besides uaegfx (which I cannot use ) or can I try another one (and where do I find drivers for it)?

[SkulleateR]

Originally Posted by Michael Doma

· Why can't I move the RAM slider of PicassoIV from 4 to 8 MB?

Maybe because the Picasso IV only was released with 4MB RAM ?

· When "resolution autoswitch" is set to "Always On" in UAE, the "Resolution" setting on the same page always resets to "Lores" at some point after switchting to rtg. When some app opens a screen on the chipset display and switches to it, this results in very chunky graphics. In that case I always need to do: Autoswitch="Disabled" -> Resolution="Hires(normal)" -> Autoswitch="Always On" to fix the graphics. Am I doing something wrong in the first place?

not happening here ....

· Is the PIV the fastest graphics card in WinUAE besides uaegfx (which I cannot use )

I got various PCs and none of that has problems using uaegfx ... maybe you should consider reinstalling windows and anything gfx card related

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by Michael Doma

· Will you include the PicassoIV ROM v7.5 hash in WinUAE which is downloadable as "P4Update_7_5.lha" on the following site? (According to IDApro the ROM part starts at file offset $A30 in "P4FlashUpdate" and goes till the very end of the file)
http://sophisticated-development.de/...V&section=P-IV

Can't do. Flash ROM is also used to store PicassoIV config settings (boot and immediately press SHIFT to enter menu)

· Why can't I move the RAM slider of PicassoIV from 4 to 8 MB?

Because only 4M model exists. Used chip is designed for 4M RAM, 8M RAM won't fit in address space and even if it could be faked, driver would ignore it anyway.

[Michael Doma]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Can't do. Flash ROM is also used to store PicassoIV config settings (boot and immediately press SHIFT to enter menu)

That's the same as with 7.4, isnt' it? And afai can see, theres only 1 boot option anyways ("capture interlaced") because everything else is greyed out and is not emulated. Why not just take 7.4 and overwrite the static part with the p4flashupdate part or take a real PIV, flash it and then dump it?

Could you - last but not least - help me with my last question above? Thanks!

[Michael Doma]

Originally Posted by SkulleateR

I got various PCs and none of that has problems using uaegfx

The problem is caused by the hardware (or drivers) and/or WinUAE, because it's a Win7 on USB and the problem doesn't appear when booting this very same OS on other hardware.

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by Michael Doma

That's the same as with 7.4, isnt' it? And afai can see, theres only 1 boot option anyways ("capture interlaced") because everything else is greyed out and is not emulated. Why not just take 7.4 and overwrite the static part with the p4flashupdate part or take a real PIV, flash it and then dump it?

Sorry, not going to happen. If flash is used as a config storage, there can be other places that change. You can even run the flasher in emulation and it will work and modify the file. (CSPPC and others support also flashing)

Could you - last but not least - help me with my last question above? Thanks!

Logs and config (I think I already asked in some other thread). No logs and config: nothing is going to happen.

(Paths panel -> Tick enable full locking before starting emulation, start emulation, cause the problem, wait at least 5 seconds, F12, Paths panel, click Save All. Attach or email the file)

[Michael Doma]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

No logs and config: nothing is going to happen.

I mean this:

· Is the PIV the fastest graphics card in WinUAE besides uaegfx or can I try another one (and where do I find drivers for that)?

[Toni Wilen]

Only existing "better" (speeds aren't that much different in emulation as long as used SVGA chip has a blitter) card than PIV is:

CyberVision/BlizzardVision PPC. 8MB VRAM. This is not emulated. (Permedia 2 SVGA chip)

"Best" card is PCI card + PCI bridgeboard (Mediator/G-REX/Prometheus). Voodoo 3 probably is the "best" emulated card so far (16M VRAM, but note that 3D part is software emulated = slow).

But note that setting up PCI bridge + required software and drivers is not that simple task.

[Michael Doma]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

"Best" card is PCI card + PCI bridgeboard (Mediator/G-REX/Prometheus). Voodoo 3 probably is the "best" emulated card so far (16M VRAM, but note that 3D part is software emulated = slow).

looks like i might fail finding the voodoo rom and the mediator software... any hints welcome!