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[Hungry Horace]

Hi,

Just wondered if anyone was interested in me sharing a program I developed, and have recently tweeked, for managing HD setups for multiple games, and UAE configs to accompany them?

It was created initially with future HD development (which never arrived) of PSPUAE in mind, but I later used it with E-UAE when trying to create a bunch of "one click" set-ups for E-UAE on PS3-Linux. I became frustrated when i regularly needed to manually change many UAE Configs, because I had moved my HD folder to other drives etc. I have now adapted it slightly as I've found it usefuly for setting up fs-uae setups on my USB stick, which is used across a couple of similarly set-up macs.  With fs-uae still changing, I find this useful because I only have to alter a few template configurations, and the new additions to fs-uae are soon "filtered down" into my daily-used setups. This will make more sense as I explain how the program works.

The Idea:

The setup/package is itself a small "boot HD" with a specific startup-sequence, and Boot program. This is permanently mapped to DH0: (the first HD drive)

It has two modes... the "batch mode", which is largely used for creating UAE configs, and the "Single Game" mode which is to define a script from which the game boots.

[Hungry Horace]

Tutorial

In this tutorial i have used a Mac running OSX as the host machine, E-UAE for my "master" UAE setup, in order to create config files to be used with fs-uae.... however, any host machine or UAE variant can be used with this program, and it is largely controlled from within the Amiga Emulation environment.


Setting Up the "Master" UAE Config

Initially, you create a single HD configuration for UAE (e.g. _BootMenu.uae)  which sets the BootHD as DH0: you then map DH1: to a position on your HD or USB stick (or other), which allows you access to your UAE Configs, some Template Configs, and a bunch of HD Games (usually WHDload installed games in my case, although they can be anything)


An example of my E-UAE config with two HD's mapped, DH0: as my BootHD and DH1: to my USB stick called "GAMING" in the "AMIGA/" folder


The contents of the BootHD folder which is mounted as DH0:


The main GAMES/ sub-folder in DH1:


Setting Up the Startup Manager

When the master config is booted with UAE, you will be presented with the keyboard-controlled menu system.


The program's Main Menu

Inside the folder mapped as DH0: is an Amiga (or UTF-8) text file called "GameBootLoader.prefs"   - this mostly defines (from the Amiga's view) the location of the other folders, which I tend to have accessible from DH1:

- The master Games folder, where all of your sub-folders of games are kept.
- The configs folder, where it will save newly created UAE configs
- The Templates configs folder, where you store "pre-defined" templates for dfferent types of games **
- The extension to be used by the uae config.... eg. .uaerc for e-UAE, .conf for fs-uae etc.

** this might be templates such as, "cd32 pad mapping" "2 player mouse game" "standard joystick/mouse" "joystick-as-mouse map"  etc  ... you have to create these yourself!


Selecting the Folder-Options from the Main Menu


The current program options from within the program

For example., my .prefs file reads as follows;

Code: [Select]

GAMESFOLDER=USB:Disks/Games/
UAECONFIGS=USB:fs-uae/Configs/
CONFIGTEMPLATES=USB:fs-uae/Template Configs/
CONFIGEXTENSION=conf
.... in this example USB: / DH1: is set to the AMIGA/ folder on my USB stick, and i am working with fs-uae config files.


The .prefs text file containing the options (viewed from the host machine)


Setting up Template UAE Configs

Within my templates, you use a single substitution phrase " <<game>>  " in certain places.... this allows the program to 'insert' the name of a game into the config, and automatically set up the 2nd HD for that game to be booted from.

Here is another example from one of my templates where the HD's have been defined;

Code: [Select]

hard_drive_0 = /Volumes/GAMING/AMIGA/Disks/BootHD
hard_drive_1 = /Volumes/GAMING/AMIGA/Disks/Games/<<game>>
hard_drive_0_label = BootHD
hard_drive_1_label = Game
(I also use this to define the application "title" with:

Code: [Select]

title = <<game>>
sub_title = Autoboot Config

With Templates created, and the folders defined, this initial Batch Mode has all the info it needs.


An example Template UAE config (viewed from the host machine) for fs-uae

[Hungry Horace]

Creating UAE Config (Batch Mode only)


Selecting the UAE Config manager from the main menu.

Once run, it seeks through the Games folder, and using the folder name as the game name, checks to see if a UAE config folder exists for it.


E.g, if it finds the folder  "USB:Disks/Games/RainbowIslands/" , it will check for the existence of the files "USB:fs-uae/Configs/RainbowIslands.conf" .... if this does *not* exist, then the program will ask if you wish to create it, and then which template you wish to use for it. It performs the "<<game>>" substitution, and saves the .conf file.

This is then repeated until either you quit, or the end of the Games/ folder is reached!!


The existence of a previous config is found, and confirmation to continue requested.


Listing the available UAE config(s) to selec from.


Selecting a Template Config for the game to use, and UAE Config creation.



Creating individual BootScripts (Batch Mode and Single Game Mode)

The single-game mode is how the program performs when DH0: is still defined as out BootHD, but DH1: is defined as a drive labelled "GAME:" which points to an individual game folder.

e.g. DH1:  / Game:  may point to Disks/Games/RainbowIslands/

When Booted in this way, the program looks to DH1: for a file called 'BootScript'.

If a 'BootScript' is detected in DH1: , it uses that to load the game contained on DH0:. It it is not, it runs the special Boot program in 'single game' mode, and this mode only allows for the editing / creation of BootScripts and not UAE Configs.

A Bootscript is a single-line script telling the game how to run, either via WHDload with some standard settings, or using KGIconLoad on a .info file (more on this later).

When a BootScript is not found, and the program runs, you are presented with a list of the files contained in DH1: / Game:  from which to define your BootScript.

You can also "force" the program to load and ignore loading of an existing BootScript (should you wish to delete it and create a new script) by holding the left-mouse button on initial startup.

The BootScript Editor is also available in Batch Mode, working in similar fashion to the UAE Config creator.


Selecting a the BootScript Editor in the main menu of Batch Mode.



When you ahve loaded the BootScript Editor, you are presented with a list of available files.


Viewing a Game's folder from the BootScript Editor, and creating a BootScript from a .info file.

You are offered the chance to select one of the files in the Game's directory, and this file is used as the 'parameter' in the BootScript which is created.

In most cases, if you select a file, it will create a script which reads:

Code: [Select]

EXECUTE FILENAME
However, if you select a .slave file for WHDLoad, it will use a set of pre-defined options and create a script such as:

Code: [Select]

WHDload PRELOAD QUITKEY=93 SLAVE=filename.slave
and lastly, (and i think, i most usefully) , if you select a .info file it will use KGIconLoad, to run the .info files pre-set tooltypes. This means, that if you are sharing your GAMES: folders with a setup which uses WorkBench, you will be able to share your ToolTypes set on any icon between the "single game" setup, and your WorkBench setup. This is particularly useful is used in conjuntion with WHDload, where tooltypes are often used to allow extra game-options, such as ButtonWaits, or Trainers.

Once a script has been created, the system will reset, and the BootScript will be run.


If a BootScript already exists, you are offer the chance to keep the existing file.


If a BootScript already exists, you are offer the chance to keep the existing file.


Creating a BootScript from a WHDLoad .slave file, with pre-set options


The BootScript created in the Game's folder (from the Host machine)


The BootScript file viewed in a text editor (shown from the Host machine)

[Hungry Horace]

If there is any interest in this program being shared and/or me uploading any pictures to accompany the above explanation, just let me know

Despite sounding quite complex, it is quite simple to use once set-up, and can save a lot of time.

Edit:

BootLoader Files are Uploaded >> Here << (still beta).

Some example Files for testing are Uploaded >> Here << .

[FOL]

It was created initially with future HD development (which never arrived) of PSPUAE in mind.

It maybe still arrive, .

[MadAngus]

I don't need it right now but when I get round to building my HTPC with fs-uae I would like to have this available, so could you add those pictures and upload it to Ultimate Amiga Emulation Downloads. Would be appreciated thanks.

[Hungry Horace]

i've updated the above posts, including a couple of links to files. I wont uplaod it to downloads section until i'm happy with the version being "release worthy" (i already know of a couple of bugs)

[Hungry Horace]

Still adding 'tweeks' to this program

i've now added a function in 'batch mode' whereby you can ZIP the contents of the GAMES directories....

This makes them ideal for use with fs-uae, and the boot-loading program, as each game can then be mounted as an individual HD.

It's a shame the ZIPing needs to be done by the amiga, but using JIT and E-UAE to achieve these means they can be left to process 'on mass' whilst doign something else