Pros & Cons HxC SD-Interface

[norecess]

And the sources are not released. I let Jeff to decide whatever he wants with that... 
(I just helped him in having a better CPC product..)

[Gryzor]

@TFM: oops, sorry man, I forgot it runs on ROM... I don't have my board at hand

[norecess]

Gryzor : did you try the disc-based version ?

[Gryzor]

Yes,  feedback coming your way later in the afternoon

[TFM]

I'll try and test it today... do you have, perhaps, a latest, unreleased version you'd like to send me?

Cheers
T

Hehe, not at the moment, but if ever you get if first ;-)

Well, you can give Giana a try or let's make it easy. Try to display the directory of any disc. If the DIRectory can be viewed, then the disc-part should work properly.

@TFM: oops, sorry man, I forgot it runs on ROM... I don't have my board at hand

Well, patience is a virtue. I have to learn it every day new :-)))

And the sources are not released. I let Jeff to decide whatever he wants with that... 
(I just helped him in having a better CPC product..)

It would be absolutely great to have the sources. Because... Then you can switch to another disc in your own programs/apps./demos/games and you DON'T have to bother the user with that "TURN DISC PLEASE" - What a easy this would be ;-))) I'm really looking forward to a release of the code. At least the part how to select an disc-image.

[norecess]

Ahah! Good luck in integrating such "turn disc".
First, the manager links with Fatlib, which is written in C, so it means all your programs would have to be written in C too.
Second, let's admit you are ready to support the extra 16Kb-20Kb for FAT32 management, and that your app is written in C, how would you switch to the second HFE ? I mean, where would be its location / what would be the filename ?
So.. forget it. Sources would not help you here, sorry :-(

[norecess]

More seriously, the manager has to be seen as a tool to help editing slots from HFEs located on SDCard, nothing more.


Don't expect introducing specific HxC features in your own programs, it's not the aim.

[TFM]

More seriously, the manager has to be seen as a tool to help editing slots from HFEs located on SDCard, nothing more.


Don't expect introducing specific HxC features in your own programs, it's not the aim.

Ok, no need to explode. Neither I have the HxC (now) not do I have the source-code.

But like I know (and correct me shouting if I'm wrong) there is a CPC software which can be used to select different disc images. Right?

So that's all I need, a possiblility to switch disc-images by software!
Did you get it 

[nurgle]

Ok, last night I dug out my RRB (lying in a box buried under month of paperwork) and did some test with FutureOS .7 (ROM).


With the old firmware I still had on my HxC SD seeking would not work under FOS. A directory listing would show when the CAT command under AmsDos was issued before starting FOS but nothing more.


So I updated my HxC SD with the latest firmware and... suddenly everything works. I was able to read FutureView III and start the movie player. If there is more I can test I now have the setup in place (and even cleaned my desk )


I also realized that the Midline Process demo works now. This trackloading demo did not work with the old firmware, so the FDD emulation has definitely improved. I did not try any heavily copy protected titles yet, but even if they don't work the HxC is a really nice piece of hardware. I especially like the CPC hfe image selector which I also tried for the first time last night. Much easier than navigating the filesystem on the LCD, although I could use more than 7 slots. Looking forward to the ROM version of the manager application. Beta request is on its way. 

[norecess]

there is a CPC software which can be used to select different disc images. Right?

Yes, there is one, and it's called HxC Floppy Emulator Manager. The V2 is about to be released soon!

although I could use more than 7 slots

Next version is featuring 16 slots management (including the AUTOBOOT.HFE file).
"16 slots will be enough for everybody" (c) bill gates/1981

the HxC is a really nice piece of hardware

Yes, it is. I had some initial concerns regarding disc images navigation using the hardware's buttons, but since we can select images through a software it perfectly fits my needs!

[TFM]

@Nurgle: Thank you very very very much for testing!!! Glad that everything is running well (at least with the new firmware).

@No recess: Now we come together. So the HxC Floppy Emulator Manager can change disc-images (you call them slots). And that's all that is needed to "turn a disc" around. And this software should be released.

[norecess]

[/size]

So the HxC Floppy Emulator Manager can change disc-images (you call them slots)

No, you don't understand.
HxC has 16 slots, in which the user can assign disc-image in them using the manager. Once you leave the manager, you can then use the left and right buttons to navigate through the slots.

Buy the hardware first, then you will understand.

[nurgle]

Buy the hardware first, then you will understand.

Clever marketing, respect! 

[norecess]

The new version is available on Jeff's website :
http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/index.html#download

Featuring :
- 16 slots instead of 8
- fast to load (file is 15Kb now)
- ROM/disc version
- more HFE files displayed on screen
- show current folder
- the interface is now faster to display/clear/etc
- ability to display ALL slots at the same time
- and more..

Screenshot :
https://sourceforge.net/project/screenshots.php?group_id=310120

[nurgle]

Is this the same as the beta version?

[norecess]

Yeah. 

[TFM]

No, you don't understand.
HxC has 16 slots, in which the user can assign disc-image in them using the manager. Once you leave the manager, you can then use the left and right buttons to navigate through the slots.

Buy the hardware first, then you will understand.

Wondeful, so this software can assign a disc-image to a slot. Now imagine I work with only one slot, so I can use the software to assigen any disc-image to this slot (that's what you sayd). So this is like "change disc". Ok?

[norecess]

I don't get the point - why would you do this ?

[TFM]

I don't get the point - why would you do this ?

Ok... you have demo/game/prog (whatever) that is split on several discs (disc-images). Now you usually will get a message like "Inserter disquette numero 3 SVP". So you get this messages and you have to change the disc(-image).

If you would be able to do this by software (change the disc-image for the current slot) you wouldn't bother the user any longer with messages. Everything would work automatically.
Got it?

[norecess]

Yeah, got it   


Your solution would implies to :


1) first create a multiple-sided demo/game/demo. Not that easy hehe 
2) so let's say you created the kickass demo, the user HAS to get the HxC Floppy Emulator working with the CPC (or you probably want to detect it I guess, so you still have to keep compatibility with previous regular disc-based systems)
3) how do you know in which FAT32 folder in the next side-disc image ? it would be evil to tell it's current folder of the current one (and actually, I'm not sure if you get that info of "current dir").


And finally, this is personal opinion, but...
4) I still enjoy watching turn-disc parts.


Well, anyway, I think technically you could do what you have in mind but I have many concerns in its realisation. First look at the sources, you will understand (don't forget it has to use a C library "Fatlib").




Oh, people probably did not notice it, but Jeff also release source-code of the manager ; check on his site for more info!

[Gryzor]

There's also an update for the windows manager, from what I saw?

the new CPC manager is really, really nice... the best feature, of course, is the extra 8 slots. I just wish it was a bit less spartan in its appearance

Looking forward to the next version!

[norecess]

Thanks for the feedback!


Removing the original background and switching to command line interface allowed to save space for new features.


I prefer having a cut-featured UI and having more features, than a beautiful UI with limited features.


What do you think about that?

[Gryzor]

Of course I agree with that - we discussed it already
 
  On the other hand, I prefer a useful tool WITH a nice interface How   much space would it take to draw a couple of lines? I understand the   lack of a loading image, what with loading the program into the VRAM and   all, but a kind of screen organization with simple lines would go a   long way...
 
 

Thanks for the feedback!


Removing the original background and switching to command line interface allowed to save space for new features.


I prefer having a cut-featured UI and having more features, than a beautiful UI with limited features.


What do you think about that?

[norecess]

There is currently something like 800 bytes free.


There are other interesting features planned ; so I guess the UI won't evolve much than the today's one.

[Gryzor]

I've been meaning to ask you -why is it so big? Of course I don't know the underlying workings of it, but that's why I'm asking... what is there that takes so much space to work?

Btw, in any case, I prefer a *fast* UI over a pretty one.