Release DosBox EX - Ultimate


Hi Milinks,

I had some time to test your explanations. I must admit I was a bit skeptical at first, about renaming a config file into a bat file. Because for me, a bat file is supposed to be an MS-DOS script file, where you only put MS-DOS commands. My first test seemed to confirm that feeling, because when I renamed the conf file into a bat file, I saw many errors displayed before the game actually started (so I suspected that only the [autoexec] part of the conf file was actually working, since it's the only part that actually contains MS-DOS command-line instructions).

But after your latest experiments, I gave it another go. So I took the ultima5.conf file from my PC, put it on my Pandora, and renamed it into 01.bat. However, to be able to see what all those errors were, I removed the [autoexec] section entirely. That way, I would boot under MS-DOS, have a command prompt, and have the time to see how the settings would be interpreted. To my great surprise, many settings were indeed interpreted. Most of the settings under the form "setting=value" actually work.

What doesn't work are lines beginning with a "#" (because it's not a known MS-DOS syntax), and a few parameters (like Enable=0 in the [ipx] section; for example).

But the other settings seem to work if they are entered in the command line, like you explained in your previous post. For example, if I type frameskip=10000, the display is getting very choppy, as expected. Now the question is: do all those settings are reinterpreted dynamically, or do some of them must be passed to the emulator before it even boots, so they can be initialized properly? Because despite putting the Ultima5.conf file as the 01.bat file, I still don't get music in the game, while it works perfectly on my PC.

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to share your experiments, Milinks! Cheers!
 
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Hi Michoko, I'm still trying to get to the bottom of the config issue. Ive contacted Cmmdr Beef to seek his input in this. One thing which would solve things, and is a simple fix to the code would be multiple startup config whereas in the startup command you could add the line

dosbox -conf config1.conf -conf config2.conf

this would seek out either 1 or 2 config files and load them consecutively meaning that the standard default config would be config1, whereas the  custom condfig would be config2. the config2 being loaded after config1 would override previous commands allowing each game to uniquely and definately load their own config file. I might strip down the pnd later and see about adding the lines of code to make this happen. Also, you mentioned all the errors that occur whenyou load the config file. the lines starting with # or others are comment lines, these throw up an error as theyre not read properly. If you streamline the dosbox config deleting the comment lines to just show the commands, such as:

[sdl]
fullscreen=true
fulldouble=false
fullresolution=640x480
#windowresolution=original
#output=overlay
output=overlay
autolock=true
#sensitivity=80
waitonerror=true
priority="higher,normal"
mapperfile=mapper.txt
usescancodes=false

[dosbox]
language=
machine=svga_s3
memsize=32
captures=capture

[render]
frameskip=0
scaler=2xsai
aspect=false

[cpu]
core=dynamic
cycles=auto
cycleup=5000
cycledown=5000

[mixer]
nosound=false
rate=22050
blocksize=2048
prebuffer=10

[midi]
mpu401=intelligent
device=default
config=

[sblaster]
sbtype=sb16
sbbase=220
irq=7
dma=1
hdma=5
mixer=true
oplrate=22050
oplmode=auto

[gus]
gus=false
gusrate=22050
gusbase=240
irq1=5
irq2=5
dma1=3
dma2=3
ultradir=C:\\ULTRASND

[speaker]
pcspeaker=true
pcrate=22050
tandy=auto
tandyrate=22050
disney=false

[joystick]
joysticktype=2axis
timed=false
autofire=false
swap34=false
buttonwrap=true

[serial]
serial1=dummy
serial2=dummy
serial3=disabled
serial4=disabled

[dos]
xms=true
ems=true
umb=true
keyboardlayout=

[ipx]
ipx=false

[autoexec]

  you won't see any of those annoying errors, and it will just read the commands of the config. I'll submit any progress i have with disecting the pnd and amending the code as/when i get around to it
 
This is gonna sound a bit stupid :unsure: but could someone tell me how to map the left and right shoulder buttons to left and right mouse buttons pls, ive got a memory and intelligence blank :(
 
Hi Milinks, thanks for the complementary explanation, that's how I had understood things indeed. If you are able to play with the code, then maybe another option would be even handier: since every game is in a dedicated folder, why not detecting the presence of a "dosbox.conf" file inside the game folder? If it exists, it is passed to DosBox at launch, else the default dosbox config file is used instead. That way, the "dosbox.conf" file inside the game folder would override the default one. Does it make sense?
 
@Michoko - I'm stil playing around with the dosbox to see if the config issue can be improved, in the mean time i appreciate that you still have the issues regarding Ultima and the sound settings, is it possible if you could try the config -set command to see if it helps. Basically in your 01.bat you have either a dosbox config file, or just the [autoexec] part which will list the .exe to begin the game, if under the [autoexec] part write something simialr to the following:

config -set sblaster sbbase 220

config -set sblaster irq 7

etc for whichever sound settings you are trying to change. I know that using the config -set command does change most of the parameters you target within dosbox-ex, (apart from fullscreen etc),  i was just wondering if it worked for your particular sound settings, basically you can just copy the sound settings you wish to change, and add it after the config -set command for each parameter you wish to change.
 
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