Glad to hear it. 
My policy is that I won’t release a graphic until I can get a game to run, but I only require one game.
Please keep me in the loop if you learn anything.
2 Likes
Those that have following this thread for a while will know not to take statements like…
…too seriously.
The acorn data recorder!
The data recorder was very similar in design to the Electron… I took the liberty of making them even more alike.
The main reason I decided to tackle it now was the tinted cassette window.
My plan for the Amiga 4000 involves a case with a tinted window and I wanted to see what I could do.
I think it turned out pretty good. Here is a shot of the whole thing.
It is on a separate layer so the X position can be adjusted if needed.
It still needs a touch of work but I should be ready to build some presets very soon.
8 Likes
Here’s a shot of the Electron, with the just finished data recorder, in night mode, 21:9 aspect, and some X position on the data recorder layer. (Decal Layer.)
6 Likes
My issue with the autoboot dropping characters is actually a bug in the keyboard emulation. The keypress duration timing is flaky.
I hacked together a lua script that slows things down.
local frame_num = 0
local function process_frame()
frame_num = frame_num + 1
if frame_num == 1 then
emu.keypost("*dos\n")
elseif frame_num == 50 then
emu.keypost("*dir\n")
end
if frame_num == 150 then
emu.keypost("*cat\n\n\n")
elseif frame_num == 200 then
emu.keypost("*runF1")
end
if frame_num == 300 then
emu.keypost("4RUN\n")
elseif frame_num == 350 then
end
end
emu.register_frame_done(process_frame)
I saved this as f14_lua.txt and changed my command line to.
E:\RetroArch\retroarch.exe -L "E:\RetroArch\cores\mame_libretro.dll" "atom -rompath "E:\Temp\atom" -flop1 "E:\Temp\atom\f14.zip" -autoboot_delay "2" -autoboot_script "E:\Temp\atom\f14_lua.txt"`
It pauses for 100 frames between the two numbers of the command.
Even with no need to slow things down the script is easy to edit to use in place of other autoboot commands.
There is supposed to be a way to play tapes if I can figure it out, (And avoid having to press F2.)
4 Likes
you’re not just a graphical wizard but also a technical wizard 
I’ll be sure to try it out in my trial and error session 
2 Likes
Thanks. To be clear, I am just hacking lua scripts I found that themselves are only “just working”. (As stated by the author.)
This one will start the tape player in the alice32.
local frame_num = 0
local run_frame = 0
local function process_frame()
frame_num = frame_num + 1
if frame_num == 30 then
emu.keypost('\n')
elseif frame_num == 150 then
emu.keypost('CLOAD\n')
elseif frame_num == 300 then
manager.machine.cassettes[":cassette"]:play()
elseif frame_num > 500 then
if run_frame == 0 then
if manager.machine.cassettes[":cassette"].motor_state == false then
run_frame = frame_num + 60
end
elseif frame_num == run_frame then
emu.keypost('RUN\n')
end
end
if manager.machine.cassettes[":cassette"].is_stopped == false and manager.machine.cassettes[":cassette"].motor_state == true then
manager.machine.video.throttled = false
manager.machine.video.frameskip = 12
else
manager.machine.video.throttled = true
manager.machine.video.frameskip = 0
end
end
emu.register_frame_done(process_frame)
This loads a command line as a rom in a “galaxian.cmd” with these contents.
alice32 -rompath "E:\RetroArch\system\mame\roms" -cass "E:\Temp\alice32\roms\galaxion.zip" -autoboot_delay "2" -autoboot_script "E:\Temp\alice32\galaxian.lua" -ui_active`
I am naming my scripts *.lua now to keep things straight.
1 Like
I did some more work on the Electron Alternate with the Data Recorder. The new recorder layer looks like this.
By default it exactly covers up the keyboard keys, making it look intentional.
I looked funky before.
It will still look a bit funky as the X Position is adjusted…
…but you can cover up one set of keys at a time…
…until the whole recorder is visible.
Just in case an end user wants to do some extreme screen position/size changes.
7 Likes
The Electron is in the repo!
10 Likes
Here’s a new WIP.
The BBC Micro.
There are a couple things bugging me but it’s pretty close.
The Monitor is a Microvitec Cub 1451AP-DS, a consumer version of the Cub 653 PVM which was also commonly used. (It didn’t have a bezel so I decided against it, but it was cool looking.)
8 Likes
Too bad, so much that I tried but I couldn’t run Acorn System in retroarch and I searched on youtube to see if there was a tutorial to see how it’s done but I didn’t get anything
I was able to play on RetroArch NEC TurboGrafx-CD and NEC PC Engine-CD with the mega Bezel Duimon Advance, I already downloaded the 46 official Turbografx-CD games, now I still need to get the 118 PC-Engine CD games
2 Likes
I did an OCD pass on both the Micro Model-B and the Cub monitor.
I added the on/off symbols to the monitor and tweaked the LED rocker switch. (It is hard because finding a decent shot is impossible.)
I also tweaked the colors of the Micro to be more in line with the monitor and the other Acorn graphics.
While I was up to my elbows I fine tuned the black level of some layers and offset some masked layers to allow a graceful Gaussian blur.
I briefly tried texture but, although it looked OK, I haven’t textured the other Acorn and I want them to be consistent.
__
I think I am ready to start building some presets.
12 Likes
looking good! For me, for all my platforms, I tend to use the night version. So glad you always add both versions. 
2 Likes
That is a pretty good resource , but limited. It can be added to with some careful reading of the MAME hash.xml for each system.
e.g. “atom_flop.xml” lines 8 - 12…
Loading Instructions:
*DOS - enters the DOS. The LOAD and SAVE commands apply now to disk, not cassette. Use the BREAK key to return to the cassette basic.
*DIR - load the directory information into a buffer (but does not show it). This is a sort of mount command.
*CAT - prints the directory information from the buffer on the screen. If the disk was spinning, an implicit *DIR is executed.
“dragon_flop.xml” lines 10 - 15…
Loading Instructions:
Some disks are bootable and can be booted using:
BOOT
Others require loading a specific file and executing it:
LOAD"GAME.BIN" then EXEC
Use DIR to list disk directory.
Also… if you open these lua scripts in a text editor you can learn even more.
https://github.com/Bob-Z/RandoMame/tree/main/autoboot_script
2 Likes
BBC Micro is in the repo!
I am going to take a break from the tedious work of keyboard type systems.
I think I’ll do something fun before I do the BBC Master.
5 Likes
Hey Duimon! All these keyboard systems look great man, really like that every time i come here there’s something new to see and learn about. Some of these systems i never knew even existed, jus noticed today while doing some dreamcast launchbox stuff that RA can load dreamcast VMU games now with the VeMUlater core. Just did a test myself and thought you would like to know, in case you want to add it to the list. Might be a challenge since a actual VMU is so tiny.
3 Likes
If there is a core, then my mission requires it.
I’ll do some tests of my own, but consider it on the list. Thanks for the heads up!
7 Likes
I’ve been told that my idea of fun is rather unique.
Here is what I’ve been working on.
The Sega Saturn Model 2!
I could have used some of my Model 1 source but didn’t. (I didn’t want it influencing my design path.)
This was pretty difficult. (Although I didn’t expect it to be. 
) Part of the battle was that I wanted to allow color changes. (Hence the yellow color.)
In the end, to free up more layers, I did away with the window.
Here it is live using what will be my default settings.
And here are a couple of customized shots.
I won’t be releasing anything other than the default, but for those that want to color it… keep in mind that nothing needs to be 100% bright, or 100% saturated.
In all of my graphics not a single white is above 90% brightness.
In additive color, like what we see on our monitors, a 50% gray rectangle looks white on a black background.
The logo is a separate layer so by not using it in some presets I should be able to create a complete set.
8 Likes
I made a small change to the beveled edge below the cartridge slot. I’m still not totally happy with it but it was getting washed out. (I have spent way too much time on it and I honestly don’t know how to improve it more. 
)
Here is a 21:9 mode shot.
I think it looks pretty cool!
There was all sorts of banding when I originally tried it live during development. Adding some texture solved the issue.
5 Likes