[Dxbx status] API detection

[patrickvl]

Thanks for the stat - I'm trying to life up to it !

As for progress : The SVN has been untouched for almost two weeks now, because I didn't have much time and shadow_tj was on holiday.

In the time I did have, I've been silently working on improving the code-generation and function-detection code. I've added a registry for detected functions, and started on the actual patching itself.
I hope to finish this up and submit it to the SVN within a week, but I can't promise much (it's been too bloody hot to work on my laptop the last few days ).

[shadow_tj]

for who still is interested in logg files.

here is a new log dump... see the deferences

[shadow_tj]

oeps did something wrong with attachment

Attached Files

DxbxKrnlDebug_7_8_2008.txt (93.1 KB, 20 views)

[patrickvl]

For those interested, I've attached the same log from Cxbx, so you can compare the output of Dxbx to it. As you can see we've got a long way to go still, but thus far there have been no show-stoppers.

So it's just a matter of determination - I'm convinced that we'll eventually surpass the level of game-compatibility of Cxbx!

Attached Files

CxbxKrnlDebug.zip (193.9 KB, 42 views)

[Chrono Archangel]

Good job guys

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[Frog186]

To Shadow_tj and Patrickvl
Hi shadow and patrick it's frog I just wanted to ask you both I have been fooling around with other console systems new and old I was wondering if I can help I am no professional or expert but I have changing things in the emulators that others have done already I know I am not special but I have been seeing your guys work on the xbox emulator I hope it gets better and thanks for everything if you ever need help let me know for sure and I will see if I can help by the way I have an xbox and an xbox 360 and a gameboy advance I used to have a playstation one, gamecube, and etc but I sold those from a yard sell well I will talk with you guys later on see ya later!

[patrickvl]

Originally Posted by Frog186

I was wondering if I can help

Hi Frog, thanks for offering your help!

Currently we're very much in need of people that can help us translated the Cxbx C-sources over to Delphi.
Shadow_tj is doing all of that on his own right now, so an extra pair of hands is very welcome (if you're up to it).

Apart from that, we try to keep a TODO list in the root of Dxbx SVN, maybe you can find something in there for you?

Note that a few tasks are underway already :
- Pcucho is busy translating the XIso sources to English (because most of it is in Spanish right now)
- Guayin is currently busy structuring the docs, which he'll be putting on the Wiki once it's finished
- Robert is working on FS-patching (a technique to update all FS-accessing opcodes to use a win32-native FS layout), this helps enormously in debugging, removes a rather ugly patch on LTDs and enables Dxbx to run on Vista 64
- Shadow_tj is translating most DirectX, Direct3D related sources.
- I'm working on compacting the function-patterns into one unified Trie, to speed up detection and reduce executable size.


Just let us know what you likek to do, and we'll add you to the team.

[Frog186]

To Patrickvl
Hi Patrick it 's Frog once again I just wanted to say I never used delphi or translated any text all I can do for now is mess with the source code of people who have already made an emulator and then put it into the emulator and see what happens sorry I can't be of much help but if anything comes up I will let you know for sure so what kind of help do you have in mind like what types of work or job then I will help all of you guys out? well I have to go now thanks for the offer and everything else as well I hope you have a great day talk with you later on!

[Nisse]

Thanks for elaborating on your progress. How do you plan to detect and intercept LTCG (link-time code generation) enabled libraries? LTCG is - as the name implies - optimizations applied at link-time, changing both code and calling conventions.

Here are some games I've found that are linked with D3D8LTCG, XGRAPHCL and/or XACTENLT (names exposed in XBE library version list):

5233 Midtown Madness 3
5558 Amped 2
5659 Grand Theft Auto III
5659 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
5849 GTA San Andreas
5849 Burnout 3
5849 RalliSport Challenge 2
5849 Halo 2
5849 Unreal Championship 2
5849 Half-Life 2

---

Last edited by Nisse; August 13th, 2008 at 00:32. Reason: Added games.

[patrickvl]

Originally Posted by Nisse

How do you plan to detect and intercept LTCG (link-time code generation) enabled libraries?

Hi Nisse, you raise a very valid question here, to which I don't have an answer (yet).
The only thing we can do now, is hope that the optimization that the linker applied, didn't interfere with the functions that we need to patch. (Or at least, that it doesn't need a change to the pattern we use for detecting the function... as these are quite rigid now)

As a side-note, I hope that a few functions that are patched purely to 'fix' them regarding opcodes that use the FS-register, won't need a patch anymore once Robert's FS-opcode patching is in place.

Originally Posted by Nisse

Here are some games I've found that are linked with D3D8LTCG, XGRAPHCL and/or XACTENLT (names exposed in XBE library version list)

Would you mind sending us the XBE dumps of these games? I ask, because we're trying to collect a database of all libs in use all games - see XDKTracker for this. Thanks in advance!

[Nisse]

Originally Posted by patrickvl

Hi Nisse, you raise a very valid question here, to which I don't have an answer (yet).
The only thing we can do now, is hope that the optimization that the linker applied, didn't interfere with the functions that we need to patch.

Unfortunately, the functions we want to target do get altered. I learned this the hard way when I began adding 5233 support in Cxbx by exploring the Midtown Madness 3 XBE.

By using the current approach one would have to create game-specific HLE databases with another layer of shell functions for setting up parameters and return values.

Originally Posted by patrickvl

Would you mind sending us the XBE dumps of these games? I ask, because we're trying to collect a database of all libs in use all games - see XDKTracker for this. Thanks in advance!

Sure, PM sent.

[shadow_tj]

Nisse by this way, i wanne thank you for the dumps.

we are now inserting them into the xdktracker list.

[shadow_tj]

new Dxbx log dump of turok is made.

check it for yourself

Attached Files

DxbxKrnlDebug_29_8_2008.txt (105.7 KB, 20 views)

[gamersat678]

Detected 1250 APIs
Nc

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