New Demul Loader

[Nologic]

Naomi Demul Loader: [Linky]

Will not work with GameEX

Arcade Command Line for AFE is:
Loader_Demul.exe "2" "[ROMNAME]"

Dreamcast Command Line for AFE is:
Loader_Demul.exe "1" "[ROMDIR][ROMNAME].[ROMEXT]"

Okay first off instructions are going to be a bit of a disaster starting off but I will try to improve them over time.

Instruction 1: Extract
Extract the contents of "[Arcade] Demul (Naomi).rar" into your Demul folder

Instruction 2: Loader.ini
Please open "Loader.ini" in a text editor Notepad will do fine.

There are three values that should be of interest to you. One is under the "General" section and two others under the "MultiDisc" section.

"ExitKey" is a user defined keyboard key to exit the emulator. Demul already uses ESC to exit so this is redundant, but should you wish to use a different key for some reason this allows you to do so.

Digital Gamepad/Joystick users can exit with:
POV or Joystick1 held to the Upper Left + Buttons 4, 5, 6 all held at the same time.

"PrevKey" is a user defined keyboard key to select the preceding disc in a Multi-Disc game cue.

Digital Gamepad/Joystick users can select the preceding disc with:
POV or Joystick1 held to the Upper Left + Buttons 1, 5, 6 all held at the same time.

"NextKey" is a user defined keyboard key to select the next disc in a Multi-Disc game cue.

Digital Gamepad/Joystick users can select the next disc with:
POV or Joystick1 held to the Upper Left + Buttons 3, 5, 6 all held at the same time.

To make the proper changes to "ExitKey", "PrevKey", "NextKey" refer to the AutoIt 3.2 Help file, under Functions/Keyboard/Send.

Please save & close the "Loader.ini" when you are done making any changes.

Keep in mind that I currently have no bloody idea if the disc changing routine will work with Demul. It just makes the proper changes to the "gdrImage.ini", and when it does it plays the "Loader.wav" file to let you know something has happened.

Instruction 3: Loader_Arcade.ini
Please open "Loader_Arcade.ini" in a text editor.

You will first notice that there are commented System Titles.

Just below the titles are commented reference numbers to different BIOS currently available in Demul for that system. The numbers are a zero based index of the BIOS menu listing for a given system.

Below that are Sections using short rom names, with the commented long name for the game rom below.

Under each Section is a number of Keys, each with or without values assigned to them. These Keys are largely user defined with the exception of System which MUST be left AS IS.

BIOS - Please select the number reference for the BIOS you find works best with a given game.

System - Don't touch...simply just walk away.

Video - Select what works best for you, and is supported by the game.
0 = VGA
512 = Standard Display

SH_FX - Select whether or not to use Shader Effects.
0 = Disable
1 = Enable

SH_Mode - Select the strength of the shader usage.
1 = Minimum
2 = More
3 = Medium
4 = Maximum

SH_Path - The directory pathing to the shader to be used.

SH_Name - The name of the shader to be used.

The shader values can be gotten from opening the "gpuOglv3.ini" after having set things up through the Demul GUI.

Please save & close the "Loader_Arcade.ini" when you are done making any changes.

Instruction 4: Loader_Dreamcast.ini
Please open "Loader_Dreamcast.ini" in a text editor.

You will notice this file is very very much like the "Loader_Arcade.ini" file, with the noticeable difference when you look at Section "D" or "Alone in the Dark - The New Nightmare" where you notice some new Keys.

"Disc_#" Keys are used to provide a cue for games that have more than one disc to them. You should double check these values to make sure they are in the proper order, but they "Should" be.

Instruction 5: Loader_Dreamcast.ini
Please delete the "Loader_Dreamcast.ini" file.

Honestly it would be to error prone and to much of a hassle to edit mine to match your collection. Plus mine just has the defaults anyways so nothing is gained from using it.

Instruction 6: Rename Dreamcast Games
Okay this section is really important so please be sure to reread it, and to post questions to me to define something that appears unclear.

First off if you have two or more copies of the same disc please select one to use and move the other copies else where, than your roms folder.

Next I suggest finding a good file renaming application, ideally one that supports regex, rename preview, rename folders/files/sub folders. I highly recommend Mass rename multiple files, photos & mp3's with Flash Renamer! Batch rename since 1999! but it'll set you back $20.

All open and close square bracket "[]" !MUST! be removed from sub folder and file names.

All additional tags "should" be removed with the exception of tags for mult-disc enumeration.

Multi-Disc enumeration !MUST! be at the end of the sub folder and file name.

Multi-Disc enumeration !MUST! follow the naming convention below:
<Game Name><space>(Disc<space><#1><space>of<space><#2>). <Ext>

Example:
Shenmue (Disc 1 of 4).cdi
Shenmue (Disc 2 of 4).cdi
Shenmue (Disc 3 of 4).cdi
Shenmue (Disc 4 of 4).cdi

If you are using GDI's the folder containing the GDI files should also be named like wise.

Example:
.\Shenmue (Disc 1 of 4)\Shenmue (Disc 1 of 4).gdi
.\Shenmue (Disc 2 of 4)\Shenmue (Disc 2 of 4).gdi
.\Shenmue (Disc 3 of 4)\Shenmue (Disc 3 of 4).gdi
.\Shenmue (Disc 4 of 4)\Shenmue (Disc 4 of 4).gdi

Hopefully you know regex (regular expressions) and have found a good renaming application, in which case it should only take you a few minutes to prep the files.

Instruction 7: Loader_Create_INI.exe
Okay execute "Loader_Create_INI.exe" and browse to your roms folder and select it and then press OK.......once you get a message box notifying you of the completion, its time to move to the next step.

Instruction 8: Loader_Dreamcast.ini
Please open "Loader_Dreamcast.ini" in a text editor.

Okay now I do hope you deleted my "Loader_Dreamcast.ini" other wise you now have a mess...and need to delete mine now and create your own.

Now if you did the right thing and deleted mine...you should now be looking at the contents of your own, without any of my junk present. YAY!

Make any edits you see fit...minus touching the System key...thats still off limits.

Please be sure to check and make sure Multi-Disc games are in the proper order...they should be...but check anyways.

Instruction 9: Front End
At this point you're on your own...ideally I've given you enough information to where you can make some good use of this loader, but I will try to improve upon the documentation along with the loader its self in the coming days and weeks ahead.

__________________
"Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - The Brain

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Last edited by Nologic; 3 Weeks Ago at 00:26.. Reason: Updated Loader Package #2

[Nologic]

Isn't this just a *****...Demul v0.5.5 has just been released, which is a good thing in its own right.

However for me, it means I have to change up the loader a bit.

The current build "should" still work with v0.5.5 just not as well as it could.

I'll try to get a newer build out right away.

__________________
"Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - The Brain

[Nologic]

Okay updated package linked to at the top of the thread. It still doesn't take full advantage of v0.5.5 but its in better shape, and make a bit more future proof.

Anyways if you started using the first package please perform the following actions.

Extract the contents of "[Arcade] Demul (Naomi).rar" into your Demul folder, over writing everything.

Delete the following from the Demul root folder:
Loader.wav
Loader_Create_INI.exe

Rename the following in the Demul root folder:
Loader_Arcade.ini to Loader_Arcade.bak

Move the following from the Demul root folder to the Loader folder overwriting everything:
Loader.ini
Loader_Arcade.bak
Loader_Dreamcast.ini

Execute the following from the Loader folder:
Loader_Update_INI.exe

You'll see a ListView dialog at the end of the execution of "Loader_Update_INI.exe" select the contents of this ListView and click Copy...then paste that into a text editor. This is basically a list of Arcade games you didn't have available to tweak to your liking in the prior build.

There are a couple of new executables in the package.
Loader_Update_INI.exe
Loader_Create_INI_Arcade.exe
Loader_Create_INI_Dreamcast.exe

Loader_Update_INI.exe currently only works with Loader_Arcade.ini but in the future will work with Loader_Dreamcast.ini; its basic purpose is to pull settings from an old .bak version of a file into a newer .ini, its an attempt to save some leg work.

Loader_Create_INI_Arcade.exe pulls game listings and bios listings straight from windows and menus of Demul it's self, when creating a new Loader_Arcade.ini; this is for when a new version of Demul comes out that supports more games, you don't have to do as much hand editing or wait around for me to release something to work from.

Loader_Create_INI_Dreamcast.exe is more or less a renamed version of Loader_Create_INI.exe but with some minor changes...it will now also pull DC bios listings from Demul.

I'll try to get a version out that better supports the features of v0.5.5, and update documentation accordingly.

__________________
"Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - The Brain

[Nologic]

Okay another updated link is provided at the top of the thread.

This version now supports decrypted roms, and fixes a bug in the prior builds that would some times hide the display of Demul when it shouldn't have...leaving the impression that Demul couldn't play the game, when it could and was.

Also since adding support for decrypted roms, a small glitch was created that would cause the taskbar to be flashed briefly...because of this I now hide the taskbar; the taskbar will reappear after exiting the emulator, if you run into any problems with this please let me know.

Arcade Decrypted Command Line for AFE is:
Loader_Demul.exe "3" "[ROMDIR][ROMNAME].[ROMEXT]"

Roms should currently use the same short rom names as Demul currently uses.

Note: Current users when extracting should be sure not to over write their Loader_Arcade.ini & Loader_Dreamcast.ini

__________________
"Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - The Brain

[Nologic]

Okay my loader has been updated.

"Loader_Update_INI.exe" will now update both Arcade & Dreamcast INI's if a BAK file is present for each.

The loader it's self now handles audio settings per game, values are:
SND_Disable_SPU=0\1
SND_Disable_DSP=0\1
SND_Disable_CDDA=0\1
SND_Record=0\1
SND_Buffer=1+
SND_PlugIn=spuDemul.dll\spuOAL.dll
SND_Device=Generic Hardware\Generic Software

0 = False
1 = True

SND_buffer only applies to spuDemul
SND_Device only applies to spuOAL

__________________
"Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - The Brain