VICE C64

[Cas]

Hi All


I have been playing about with the VICE C64 emulator, now am I correct in think that it only


loads .sna files ? I ask because I have some .D64 and T64 files and I cannot get VICE to load


anything.

 

[Prometheus]

Personal experience dictates that it should be just fine with at least .tap and .d64 images, although there is an unnaturally long delay for .d64 disk images to start loading. It takes a *really* long time, so be patient with those - obviously, you can make a save-state of any game once it's closer to being completely loaded, in order to cut out the loading time in the future.

 

[Cas]

Personal experience dictates that it should be just fine with at least .tap and .d64 images, although there is an unnaturally long delay for .d64 disk images to start loading. It takes a *really* long time, so be patient with those - obviously, you can make a save-state of any game once it's closer to being completely loaded, in order to cut out the loading time in the future.

Hi


I was not even getting that far, but I am now I was doing it wrong, thanks for the pointer

 

[Cas]

Hi


Just one other thing, when I look at the game files all files have two entries something like this.


.\\\manicminer.d64


manicminer.d64


The one that loads is the second one.

 

[LuciferRising]

Personal experience dictates that it should be just fine with at least .tap and .d64 images, although there is an unnaturally long delay for .d64 disk images to start loading. It takes a *really* long time, so be patient with those - obviously, you can make a save-state of any game once it's closer to being completely loaded, in order to cut out the loading time in the future.

Is the 1541 drive emulated in real time like actually being on a c64?

 

[Prometheus]

Hi


Just one other thing, when I look at the game files all files have two entries something like this.


.\\\manicminer.d64


manicminer.d64


The one that loads is the second one.

That's because you're using a Macintosh. Mac OS X loves to drop junk copies of every single file you put on SD Cards and everything else, exactly like that. There's not a lot you can do about that, except for open up Thunar (the file-manager on the Pandora), press CTRL and H to show hidden files, and delete them all manually.


This is why I try to avoid using my own Macintosh to add files to my SD Cards.

Personal experience dictates that it should be just fine with at least .tap and .d64 images, although there is an unnaturally long delay for .d64 disk images to start loading. It takes a *really* long time, so be patient with those - obviously, you can make a save-state of any game once it's closer to being completely loaded, in order to cut out the loading time in the future.

Is the 1541 drive emulated in real time like actually being on a c64?

As far as I know (though I can't say for 100% certain, since the disk drive was not the dominant format here), yes. However, the extraordinary delay I described is not accurate, as far as I know - that one's a bit of a mystery!


The Datasette drive is also emulated in real-time. There is a "Warp Mode" toggle available to speed up both tape and disk loading, but I would strongly recommend making a save state close to when loading is complete, and simply loading from that in the future - it's much more convenient.

 

[Cas]

Hi


Just one other thing, when I look at the game files all files have two entries something like this.


.\\\manicminer.d64


manicminer.d64


The one that loads is the second one.

That's because you're using a Macintosh. Mac OS X loves to drop junk copies of every single file you put on SD Cards and everything else, exactly like that. There's not a lot you can do about that, except for open up Thunar (the file-manager on the Pandora), press CTRL and H to show hidden files, and delete them all manually.


This is why I try to avoid using my own Macintosh to add files to my SD Cards.

Personal experience dictates that it should be just fine with at least .tap and .d64 images, although there is an unnaturally long delay for .d64 disk images to start loading. It takes a *really* long time, so be patient with those - obviously, you can make a save-state of any game once it's closer to being completely loaded, in order to cut out the loading time in the future.

Is the 1541 drive emulated in real time like actually being on a c64?

As far as I know (though I can't say for 100% certain, since the disk drive was not the dominant format here), yes. However, the extraordinary delay I described is not accurate, as far as I know - that one's a bit of a mystery!


The Datasette drive is also emulated in real-time. There is a "Warp Mode" toggle available to speed up both tape and disk loading, but I would strongly recommend making a save state close to when loading is complete, and simply loading from that in the future - it's much more convenient.

Hi


Thanks for the CTRL H pointer, removing them now

 

[TomVS]

Can anybody give some more info about the d64 delay. How long is it exactly ?


C64 and amiga emulation were the main reason to buy a pandora... (still waiting for it)


It seems that both emulator are not that well optimised for our pandora !?


Is anyone still working on these emulators?


Creating savestates for every game is a workaround but seems rather inconvenient.

 

[Cas]

Can anybody give some more info about the d64 delay. How long is it exactly ?


C64 and amiga emulation were the main reason to buy a pandora... (still waiting for it)


It seems that both emulator are not that well optimised for our pandora !?


Is anyone still working on these emulators?


Creating savestates for every game is a workaround but seems rather inconvenient.

Hi


Amiga is OK, it takes a bit of getting used to, no slow load though.


C64 loads are slow I think because you are loading Tape or Disc images, and there is no fast load option as in Fuse for the Spectrum which has a fast load option.


The Vice C64 loads are not that I feel, people have gotten used to all the modern stuff, click and instant load.

 

[Prometheus]

Can anybody give some more info about the d64 delay. How long is it exactly ?

I'd say it's at least a minute or two, maybe a little less. It's very odd.

It seems that both emulator are not that well optimised for our pandora !?

Creating savestates for every game is a workaround but seems rather inconvenient.

You have to remember, the games for the C64 originally came on cassette tapes or disks. This is emulated in real-time, and they do NOT load instantly, just like the real thing - this workaround is the best bet for convenience when emulating them on *any* system - this is not something exclusive to the Pandora.

 

[ZXDunny]

You have to remember, the games for the C64 originally came on cassette tapes or disks. This is emulated in real-time, and they do NOT load instantly, just like the real thing - this workaround is the best bet for convenience when emulating them on *any* system - this is not something exclusive to the Pandora.

There is absolutely no reason to emulate tape and disk access in real time these days - hell, at the very least you could remove all timing constraints while the tape/disk motor is running to speed up emulation, and that's before you get to shortcutting loaders (or skipping them entirely) for fast and flashloading.


D.

 

[Prometheus]

^ Agreed. There is the "Warp Mode" toggle, as well, but it's still not ideal.


(That's why I advocate the save-state shortcut - it just makes sense, especially for use on a handheld.)

 

[Thraka]

I'm going to start doing the savestate, but the load *should* be working great with warp, but it doesn't. And if you turn on the status bar you can see that when you load and turn warp on the speed of the emu goes down to like 86%. In normal vice the warp is like 2000%. So my guess is the pandora port of the emu itself is broken in that respect.


I think on one of my tests i turned warp off and it went to almost 100% speed when loading so loading was faster without warp!

 

[ZXDunny]

I'm going to start doing the savestate, but the load *should* be working great with warp, but it doesn't. And if you turn on the status bar you can see that when you load and turn warp on the speed of the emu goes down to like 86%. In normal vice the warp is like 2000%. So my guess is the pandora port of the emu itself is broken in that respect.


I think on one of my tests i turned warp off and it went to almost 100% speed when loading so loading was faster without warp!

It depends on how the emulator times itself, and how warp speed is implemented. The simplest method would be to increase the number of emulated machine cycles per frame. If the emulated CPU performs say, 1500 Ts per frame and you crank that up to 3000 then you'll double the speed of the emulator. If your PC can handle emulating that amount of cycles per frame, of course.


Which is where the Pandora probably falls flat on its arse - the CPU is pretty weak in a Panda compared to most desktops and so it can only handle about 2500 cycles per frame in this instance. That means that the frame rate drops and you get a slightly faster than normal speed load with a very choppy video experience.


Not a lot you can do about that I'm afraid.


Of course, if Vice isn't doing that then feel free to ignore what I just said


D.

 

[EvilDragon]

Vice is an accurate emulator, so getting speedy loads is quite easy:


Insert an Action Replay Cartridge and enable Fast Load.


Loads games in a few seconds

 

[Cas]

Vice is an accurate emulator, so getting speedy loads is quite easy:


Insert an Action Replay Cartridge and enable Fast Load.


Loads games in a few seconds

Hi


Hello ED, where do I find that ?

 

[EvilDragon]

Use google

 

[Cas]

Use google

Hi


OK, now where is the best place on the file tree to place it ?

 

[TomVS]

Vice is an accurate emulator, so getting speedy loads is quite easy:


Insert an Action Replay Cartridge and enable Fast Load.


Loads games in a few seconds

Great news... I am still using frodo on my old gp32. It seems that vice on the pandora is very complete if it supports cartridge images just like vice on the pc...


It makes waiting for the pandora to arrive even harder

 

[Cas]

Hi


OK it works, but it keeps asking to install fast load for every game, I have V6 cart.


Load Cart.


Pick game rom.


Then you get the cart menu and have to choose Fast Load.


Does this every time you load a rom.


Thought that once Cart was installed and Fast load Installed it would just carry on working


for every game without having to pick it every time.