Gp2xpectrum 1.7

[Metalbrain]

Here we go with another version of the ZX Spectrum emulator!

This one should have been called 1.6, but since the topic name of the pre-release version of 1.5 has caused some confusion, we've decided to skip it and jump to 1.7

As usual, here it is:
http://www.speccy.org/metalbrain/GP2Xpectrum1.7.zip

What's new:
the big stuff added by Seleuco:
- Full tzx support. New tape code for tap and tzx formats.
- Added Tape sound emulation.
- "fast loading" option to disable speed emulation, tape sound, and contended mode while the game is loaded.
- "flash loading" option to flashload tape blocks when possible.
- "edge loading" option to accelerate game loaders dynamically.
- "Tape Auto Play/Stop" option to play/stop the tape automatically. Best for multilevel games.
- A yellow play label is shown on the screen while the tape is playing; if the label is green, the emulator has detected a loader
and is applying the "edge loader" algorithm.
- Auto "full screen off-on" when the tape is playing.
- Added a Tape browser to view/select tape blocks, play/stop the tape manually and to change the tape without resetting the speccy.
- Added the possibility to select the file to load from a zip file.
- Resized the program selection screen to allow longer file names and view the file extensions.
my humble contribution (Metalbrain):
- Added reset for +2A mode.
- Fixed a bug when loading .z80 files saved in +2A/+3 mode (the ROM wasn't properly selected).
- To improve performance, the battery won't get polled on F100 models when battery icon is inactive, and it gets polled less frequently when active.
- Replaced the text "ROM LIST" with "PROGRAM LIST", and "+3 disc" with "+3 disk".
- Updated documentation.
and the finishing touch by headoverheels:
- Compiled with profiling option.

 

[Manjuu]

Great release.

Nice to see a collaboration. Thanks to all of you. :lol:

 

[sensible GP32]

fully awesome

 

[imhotep]

Thanks very much!

 

[b._.o._.b]

Nice set of improvements!
The Spanish developers are very active lately

 

[WhizzBang]

Thanks for this. I have been using Z80 snap shots for all my games since the TZX support was fairly patchy last time I tried it.

I have found the TZX support in this release is much better but still quite cumbersome to use. To use it, I select my TZX file and this takes me to the 128k Spectrum menu. I then have to press START, choose RESET, and 48k. This is the bit where there are problems - I next click on LOAD. Sometimes this loads the game by sending the command LOAD "" to the Spectrum, but sometimes it misses off the second quote and so just sends LOAD " which of course will not load the game. I then need to use the virtual keyboard to enter the second quote and press ENTER.

Are there any plans to streamline this, so that you can just select the TZX file and then it loads on the correct hardware by itself?

GP2xpectrum is my most used software on my GP2x and it emulates the Spectrum superbly, and has all the features I need (key mapping, save states, tape handling, pokes) but I do find the menu system and controls let it down. It would be much better if I could map all the available controls as I wished, including mapping buttons to be save or load state, mapping a button to open the virtual keyboard, or mapping a button to be 2 simultaneous key presses as used often in Knight Lore.

 

[Metalbrain]

This is the bit where there are problems - I next click on LOAD. Sometimes this loads the game by sending the command LOAD "" to the Spectrum, but sometimes it misses off the second quote and so just sends LOAD " which of course will not load the game. I then need to use the virtual keyboard to enter the second quote and press ENTER.

This is a known bug that hopefully will be fixed soon. But thanks for reporting anyway

Are there any plans to streamline this, so that you can just select the TZX file and then it loads on the correct hardware by itself?

The emulator can't know the correct hardware by itself.

but I do find the menu system and controls let it down. It would be much better if I could map all the available controls as I wished, including mapping buttons to be save or load state, mapping a button to open the virtual keyboard, or mapping a button to be 2 simultaneous key presses as used often in Knight Lore.

I don't think most emulators can be configured that way. I think load and save state are dangerous functions to be assigned to buttons. The virtual keyboard has its own button assignments, like using select to program, or Y to press a key and exit, so you would need to modify those too. As for 2 presses in the same button, it probably could be done, but programming the keys would become more cumbersome, and most games would have absolutely no use for that.

 

[psychotron]

what a great news about full tzx support, thank you

 

[NickLoTurco]

Yeah it really is great! Although! the loading sound is not accurate, is it just me or is there a way of making the loading sound EXACTLY the same as the original?