Author Topic: Vectrex SDL (Read 64005 times)

nzeemin · « **on:** September 17, 2010, 02:45:12 pm »

I prepared first quick-and-dirty version for port of vecx (http://www.johnhawthorn.com/2009/12/vectrex-emulator-sdl-port/) -- Vectrex console emulator.
The emulator written on SDL and uses SDL_gfxPrimitives drawing routines.

Some adoption made for Dingoo screen: rotated by 90 degree, D-pad rotated too.
For now, emulator comes with only one game, built in the console ROM -- Minestorm -- Asteroids-like.

Download: http://code.google.com/p/nzeemin-opensrc/downloads/detail?name=VectrexSdl_0_1.zip
Source: http://code.google.com/p/nzeemin-opensrc/source/browse/#svn/trunk/dingoo/VectrexSdl

Buttons: 1 = Y, 2 = X, 3 = B, 4 = A
Button A works as fire in Mindstorm.

TheCaffeinator · « **Reply #1 on:** September 17, 2010, 04:57:57 pm »

Nice work, nzeemin, and a good first step in a direction I think many Dingoo owners will enjoy. There have been many requests for Vectrex emulation. Thanks!

So...right now, it just goes right into Mine Storm? No way to select other games yet? I have a big selection of Vectrex ROMs waiting to be played on my Dingoo. Woo-hoo!

Also, for the future, keymapping would be great. I'm a big proponent of adding keymapping to emus, apps and games, since one of the first things I do when I play a new emu, app, or game is try to map heavily-used functions off of the A & B buttons and onto the X & Y buttons. The reason is that A & B are already heavily used by the OS itself, so I always try to prevent extra "wear" on these buttons.

A "nice-to-have" but totally unnecessary feature would be a selector for applying the color overlays the Vectrex system came with.

darfgarf · « **Reply #2 on:** September 17, 2010, 04:59:34 pm »

...wait, so this is being distributedm, with a rom of a commercial game embedded inside it? isn't that kindof illegal in most places?

TheCaffeinator · « **Reply #3 on:** September 17, 2010, 05:38:15 pm »

Hmm...curious scenario in that the Mine Storm was actually built into the Vectrex console system itself, so truly emulating the system means including the game.

Does that mean that someone who writes a Vectrex emulator should then write their own PD rom clone of Mine Storm or that Vectrex emulators should just not include the game at all?

It's not the same as a pack-in scenario in which a cartridge is included with a system -- like Super Mario & Duck Hunt coming with the NES.

Interesting situation.

nzeemin · « **Reply #4 on:** September 17, 2010, 05:41:29 pm »

Quote from: darfgarf on September 17, 2010, 04:59:34 pm

...wait, so this is being distributedm, with a rom of a commercial game embedded inside it? isn't that kindof illegal in most places?

Quote from the "Vectrex Emulator SDL port" page:
"A good thing about the vectrex is that the original games are freely available for non-commercial use."

But I didn't dig deep inside the copyright question...

TheCaffeinator · « **Reply #5 on:** September 17, 2010, 05:45:26 pm »

From http://www.arcadeathome.com/dl.phtml?vectrex/vectrexroms.zip :

"Vectrex ROMs were made public domain in the 90's. They are free to distribute as long as they are not sold."

darfgarf · « **Reply #6 on:** September 17, 2010, 05:45:56 pm »

weird, never get games loaded onto the hardware these days, it'd be like getting an xbox, with halo on some rom chip XD

guess it's all fine and dandy then in that case

nzeemin · « **Reply #7 on:** September 17, 2010, 06:44:30 pm »

What's better file extension for Vectrex roms? Will .vecx be good enough for the emulator?

Coccijoe · « **Reply #8 on:** September 17, 2010, 06:49:33 pm »

Thanks you, i tested it, it's good!
My vectrex roms are .bin but I don't know if it's the better file extension.

nzeemin · « **Reply #9 on:** September 17, 2010, 07:20:49 pm »

Quote from: TheCaffeinator on September 17, 2010, 04:57:57 pm

Nice work, nzeemin, and a good first step in a direction I think many Dingoo owners will enjoy. There have been many requests for Vectrex emulation. Thanks!

So...right now, it just goes right into Mine Storm? No way to select other games yet? I have a big selection of Vectrex ROMs waiting to be played on my Dingoo. Woo-hoo!

Thanks for this.

Please take a look at version 0.2 -- SIM version now. Just put it in GAME folder, put rom.dat in VECX subfolder. Also put any roms in VECX subfolder with .vecx extension. Enjoy!

Download: http://nzeemin-opensrc.googlecode.com/files/VectrexSdl_0_2_sim.zip

Coccijoe · « **Reply #10 on:** September 17, 2010, 07:56:40 pm »

thanks, roms work when we rename files extension, so it's great.
I don't know why but some roms don't run. Ideas?

nzeemin · « **Reply #11 on:** September 17, 2010, 08:00:23 pm »

Quote from: Coccijoe on September 17, 2010, 07:56:40 pm

thanks, roms work when we rename files extension, so it's great.
I don't know why but some roms don't run. Ideas?

Try them with some Vectrex emulator on PC.
Nobody perfect, perhaps vecx sdl emulator I used as a source contains some bugs or the roms was corrupted.

Coccijoe · « **Reply #12 on:** September 17, 2010, 08:04:34 pm »

thank you for your quick response, I'll try that, but do not worry it is only a few roms.
Sorry for my English, I'm from France ^ ^

nzeemin · « **Reply #13 on:** September 17, 2010, 08:07:20 pm »

Quote from: Coccijoe on September 17, 2010, 08:04:34 pm

Sorry for my English, I'm from France ^ ^

Don't worry, I'm Russian

Chris23235 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 17, 2010, 09:55:39 pm »

Thank you very much for your work, I always missed a Vectrex Emulator on the Dingoo, while try it now.

Coccijoe · « **Reply #15 on:** September 17, 2010, 10:48:14 pm »

I notice a problem, when I push long time on X during the games, emulator stop working and return to menu.

squidlaser · « **Reply #16 on:** September 17, 2010, 10:52:10 pm »

Vectrex on Dingoo! Thanks.

TheCaffeinator · « **Reply #17 on:** September 17, 2010, 10:58:49 pm »

Quote from: nzeemin on September 17, 2010, 06:44:30 pm

What's better file extension for Vectrex roms? Will .vecx be good enough for the emulator?

All the ones I got have a .vec extension.

I can probably just add the extra "x"... no big deal.

Having said that, there does seem to be a tendency toward 3-character extensions when possible... .smc, .mvs, .smd, .sms, .lnx, .col, .pce, .nes, .ngc, .gba, .a26, .a78, etc. I'm just sayin'.

TVSMASHER · « **Reply #18 on:** September 17, 2010, 11:20:47 pm »

WOWWWOWOWOWWWW

MUCHO THANKS for your work!

TheCaffeinator · « **Reply #19 on:** September 17, 2010, 11:49:33 pm »

Just tried the .SIM version. Very nice! Compatibility seems very good so far... even runs PD ROMs.

I'm not getting any sound. Is this me or the emu?

Will a config screen be coming down the road?