Tecnobytes V9990 New Batch

[darkhalf]

After doing this, the base applications would execute, but there were no applications shortcuts in the menus. I've added some manually

I've noted there are separate symg9k.ini (root folder) and symbg9xt.ini (symbos folder) used instead. What is the difference between the two of these (what are they used for?)

2. Can I copy the non-9k INI over these as a starting point, or will that break things?

3. Is it possible to get wall paper working with the GX9000 version?

4. After I installed the Moonsound OPL4 board, it only initially showed up with 'Moonsound OPL4 (1024kb)' per picture in the standard Symbos 3.1 version, but I noticed after using GX9000 Symbos version, it also shows MP3MSX compatible. Is this correct? When I tried to play an MP3 there is no sound output

[HAL6128]

The OPL4 doesn't play a MP3 file.

But it would be interesting question if it is capable of, because it has its own processor?

[Prodatron]

Hey this looks great! I am glad, that it arrived and you got a working solution for the video signal!

Interesting that your CPC464 is detected as a 6128. Did you replace the firmware rom?

I've noted there are separate symg9k.ini (root folder) and symbg9xt.ini (symbos folder) used instead. What is the difference between the two of these (what are they used for?)

2. Can I copy the non-9k INI over these as a starting point, or will that break things?

The INI in the root is for SymbOS itself. Basically everything you see in the Control Panel.
The *XT.INI is for the extended desktop, which you get, when you activate "load SymbOS extensions" on systems with RAM expansions. The extended desktop replaces the basic desktop with more features, desktop widgest, nearly unlimited icons and nested startmenu entries including subfolders.
It is possible to copy a non-9k ini over a 9k ini, but first turn off the wallpaper (the wall paper loading routine is mimimal and doesn't check if it's a correct one), and after this you should set the correct screen resolution, as the g9k has different screen modes compared to the internal CPC graphic (better make a backup of the INI first).

3. Is it possible to get wall paper working with the GX9000 version?

Yes, you can use any 512x212 SGX file with 4 or 16 colours, like the one you displayed with SymSee.
I will post a link to a larger collection later.

4. After I installed the Moonsound OPL4 board, it only initially showed up with 'Moonsound OPL4 (1024kb)' per picture in the standard Symbos 3.1 version, but I noticed after using GX9000 Symbos version, it also shows MP3MSX compatible. Is this correct? When I tried to play an MP3 there is no sound output

Ops, that's wrong. You need an MP3MSX compatible device, but the OPL4 is something completely different (MoonSound has been released in 1994, while the MP3 extension was introduced in 1995). Strange, that it is detected with the g9k version. I have to check this.

@HAL6128: The OPL4 is in fact
- an OPL3 (which is again an Adlib/OPL2 FM synthesis device with the double amount of channels and new possibilities for combining signals)
- a PCM sound device with wavetable ram/rom and 24 PCM channels similiar to the good old Gravis Ultrasound.
It has no "intelligent" processor.

[Prodatron]

Also is it difficult to convert the GFX9000 Symbos files into bootable ROM files, like what you have for standard CPC symbos?

My idea was, that everyone with a GFX9000 will have a mass storage as well, and so there is no need for a special G9K rom boot version. The new normal and g9k versions of SymbOS CPC do have both a compact two file loader which could be placed in the root without messing it up too much.

The main issue is that I can only have the monitor connected to either CPC output or GFX output at a time. To run symbos manualy (from M4 board) means blindly typing |SYM into the correct folder (or switching outputs whist live from CPC to GFX) ome manually

Both your CPC and the G9K use the same input of your monitor?
I am using a scart switch (both my CPC and G9K end in a scart connector), which is very useful.
I saw, that there are VGA switches, too.

[Prodatron]

Yes, you can use any 512x212 SGX file with 4 or 16 colours, like the one you displayed with SymSee.
I will post a link to a larger collection later.

Here is a nice collection of 512x212x16 SGX pictures created by EdoZ:

http://symbos.de/download/pictures-edo-16.zip

(gif/bmp versions included)

You cannot view this attachment.

[HAL6128]

Hey cool. Thanks. Are those pictures for the B3 mode of the V9990? Does that SGX format has a header and colour information/ table in it? Or is it a compressed data?

[darkhalf]

Interesting that your CPC464 is detected as a 6128. Did you replace the firmware rom?

Yes I've replaced the 464 ROM with an EPROM (but can also do it with the M4)

Strange, that it is detected with the g9k version

Agreed. Didn't see it when I started with the OPL4

Yes, you can use any 512x212 SGX file with 4 or 16 colours, like the one you displayed with SymSee.

Thanks heaps for posting these. Will give it a shot

Both your CPC and the G9K use the same input of your monitor?

At the moment I only have one CTM which is on the 464 plus. The other two CTMs are waiting flyback parts to arrive  

So the GB8900 takes VGA input / RGB+sync (CPC) inputs. They would both be internally connected together. All good, I should have the monitors back working hopefully soon. Cheers for the comprehensive input. Agreed it looks great

[Prodatron]

Hey cool. Thanks. Are those pictures for the B3 mode of the V9990? Does that SGX format has a header and colour information/ table in it? Or is it a compressed data?

Yes, they are all for V9990 B3 mode with 4bpp.

The SGX format is described here:
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Format:SGX_(SymbOS_graphic_files)

SymbOS is using a fixed standard palette in 16 colour mode (see article), otherwise you would have chaos on the screen when running multiple apps with different palettes. But as you can see the palette has been quite optimized for displaying all kind of graphics/pictures and is fully CPC o.G. compatible.

In SymbOS 4.0 SGX files (beside many other file types) can be optionally compressed (ZX0). This is described in the article as well. The collection by EdoZ would be crunched from 9,991,936 bytes down to 4,814,537 bytes (48%) which is similiar to ZIP.

[darkhalf]

Been hunting around for some software to view/convert SGX 

Best one so far is DaDither
https://www.msx.org/forum/msx-talk/development/dadither-another-one-img2msx-tool?page=0

Other viewers are
https://www.msx.org/downloads/related/graphics/msxview
https://www.teambomba.net/viewmsx.html

There is also a plugin for GIMP on the MSX forum but mileage may vary since the above viewers use 256x212x16 colour screen format, but SGX is 512x212x 4 or 16 colours 

[Prodatron]

Thanks a lot @darkhalf, I didn't know most of these tools before.

Today I found this as well, how you can convert pictures to the SymbOS SGX format:

https://marmsx.msxall.com/msxvw/msxvw5/tutorial/symbos_en.php

I will release some Python tools soon for gfx conversion as well, but of course it's always nice to have such completed tools.

[darkhalf]

@Prodatron that is good you found this one. I haven't had much time to try them out, but so far found out as they made a G9B format which was different to SGX format that symbos uses (all file sizes are 54KB for SGX 16 colour)