GX4000

[rrichter]

So with no luck I've been trying to get GX4000 running.  Can't really find any forum posts or videos. I've tried Arnold, retro arch,win ape with no luck but I can't find any command lines for the system and what type of roms to use.  I've got cpr and bin romsets.   Any help or a link to a video would be a great help

Ty

[Lordmonkus]

Ok, I had a toy around with this system and I got it working with Mess. I use a stand alone version of Mess 177 which is before they merged it back into Mame  because it was the easiest way I found to have it work.

You don't need any bios files for it and you only need the command line parameter for it:
mess gx4000 -cart

Brad did a tutorial video for Mess to emulate the Atari 5200 which should cover everything you need, simply replace the command line with the one above.

 

 

[rrichter]

K ty. I've have setup the mess stand alone for 5200, so I'll give that a shot. 

[muppets4]

Excuse me for capturing an old topic, but I can't get it to work. I just tried MessUI 0.188 and I can get the GX4000 cartridge files to work. But I cannot when using LB. I will have to use a command line and mess gx4000 -cart does not work for me. Any thoughts?

[Lordmonkus]

Can you show the exact command line parameter you are using ?

A screenshot would be good.

[Steffou]

Hello there from France. English is not my native language so feel free to edit my text to be more readable.

I found a way to launch GX4000 games from launchbox using the Arnold AE emulator. I share the method I used to manage that.

I won't tell you where to find the roms of the GX 4000. But I'm sure you already have it ?

I personally use a TOSEC_2012 full set. I use the CPR Games, witch are all in zip files. (for example burnin' rubber.zip, and within the zip file is the Burnin' rubber.cpr file.)

1. First, I downloaded this non official version of Arnold CPC emulator called Arnold Aeliss Edition. Don't worry about the french language, just go to the download link at the bottom of the page (where it is written  Télécharger Arnold Aeliss Edition (553,7 Ko))

FYI this version of Arnold has improvements:

- better controller support

- better full screen display

- some sound fixes.

2. Unrar your archive whenever you want in a new folder. You will have some folders and an executable 'MyArnold.exe"

3. First thing to do is set up your controller. Launch MyArnold.exe.

Then go to Emulation Settings -> Controller Configuration -> Joystick -> Select Joystick Player 1. (see Arnold_AE_Controlers_configuration_01)

A pop-up will open and select your Controller then hit Ok. (See Arnold_AE_Controlers_configuration_02)

Go to Emulation Settings -> Controller Configuration -> Joystick -> Configure Joystick Player 1

A pop-up will open. Select with your mouse and click on the number you want to set up (for example 1 for button 1) Hit the button of your controller you want to assign.

I highly recommend to assign the  menu with start or select in order to be able to exit the emulator later.

Once your done setting up your controller, hit exit.

4. Close Arnold and launch Launchbox.

I use the classical method to import roms: Tools -> Import -> Rom files.

5. In the emulator settings, I create Arnold AE and point the emulator to the exe file. I leave everything unchecked (see Launchbox_Arnold_AE_Settings_1)

6. In associated platform, I entered Amstrad GX4000

in the Default Line Parameters, I put -Fullscreen -cpctype 4 -cart

I check Default emulator. (See Launchbox_Arnold_AE_Settings_2)

And that's it ! You should be able to launch and play this antique console.

Afterwords

To be completely honest, I had some issues going into fullscreen.

First thing, if you have the GOG launcher, close it before launching the emulator. the GOG launcher crashed the emulator when it goes fullscreen.

Secondly, I have the best performance only when I set up the emulator fullscreen at 800x600. Other settings made the image deformed on my 16/9 screen. You can set up the fullscreen resolution in Arnold by three ways:

- Settings -> Options -> Display and enter your resolution (don't forget the x)

- View -> Fullscreen -> select 800x600 -> Fullscreen

- (my preferred way) Edit the Arnold.ini file and at the section [DISPLAY] you can enter the height and width of your choice.

I write there I used the free version of launchbox. So I didn't experimented with bigbox or launchbox premium features.

The commandlines are explained in a textfile in the arnold AE folder. I just put it there in order to make a reminder if you want to change the commandline within launchbox.

Spoiler

There are various command-line options available:

-drivea <filename> <\A>    = specify disk image to insert into drive A (\A for autorun)
-driveb <filename>    = specify disk image to insert into drive B
-cart <filename>    = specify CPC+ cartridge to insert (will restart in CPC+ mode if not selected)
-frameskip <number>    = specify frame skip (0=none, 1=draw a frame, miss a frame, draw a frame etc
-crtctype <number>    = specify crtc type to use in the emulation (0=hd6845s/um6845, 1=um6845r, 2=mc6845, 3=CPC+ ASIC)
-tape <filename>    = specify .tzx/.cdt tape image to use
-cpctype <number>    = specify cpc type (0=cpc464, 1=cpc664,2=cpc6128,3=cpc464+,4=cpc6128+,5=kc compact
-snapshot <filename>    = specify snapshot (.sna) file to auto-start

-Fullscreen        = Fullscreen mode

I hope it will help you ?

[muppets4]

On 9/6/2018 at 12:29 AM, Lordmonkus said:

Can you show the exact command line parameter you are using ?

A screenshot would be good.

Today I had time to work on th GX4000 again. And I don't know what happened, but the roms start up. Thanks for your time.

 

@Steffou thanks for your time. I will stick with MESS this time, but if it troubles me I will follow your very clear guide!

Edited September 7, 2018 by muppets4

[mohanned85]

is it possible you can get it working with retroarch ha

[fromlostdays]

On 12/8/2019 at 4:03 PM, mohanned85 said:

is it possible you can get it working with retroarch ha

Old topic, but just in case anyone comes behind, Amstrad GX4000 works in retroarch using the cap32 core. You just have to set the core option "model" to "6128+". 

[cobrady69]

wrong, the menu comes out to launch only Burning Rubber ... how do you run the chosen game?

 

 

[DeadVoivod]

I tried this now, with Arnold. Only problem is, when it starts up and runs the ROM file, it works, although I get a black screen, music playing. I have then to manually  go to View, Monitor Simulation, and chose one of the monitors, color .f.ex. I didn't find any option that the emulator does that automatically.

If I load the ROM from the emulator itself, it works fine.

So far I did not have any chances in RA, cannot find the Cap32 core anymore also? Has that gone from RA? 

Edited September 18, 2020 by DeadVoivod

[darkfalzx]

Got GX4000 games running fine in Retroarch with cap32 core, but now the problem is to get them working seamlessly with other Amstrad CPC games. The model core setting is global per platform, so I have to set it any time I switch from GX to CPC software, but isn't there something like a command line to switch it on launch?

Oh, for people trying to get GX4000 running under cap32 - unzip your roms. The core has trouble with zipped roms for GX4000 in particular.

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by darkfalzx

[neil9000]

10 minutes ago, darkfalzx said:

The model core setting is global per platform, so I have to set it any time I switch from GX to CPC software,

Not true, you can change that and save a "content directory" override. That specific override will then only apply when a game is launched from that specific folder,  So as long as your roms are organised and each system has its own rom folder this is all you need to do.

[darkfalzx]

 

1 minute ago, neil9000 said:

Not true, you can change that and save a "content directory" override. That specific override will then only apply when a game is launched from that specific folder,  So as long as your roms are organised and each system has its own rom folder this is all you need to do.

You are absolutely right! How did I forget about that! Thanks for reminding me!

[neil9000]

See below in my Genesis GX config folder i have overrides for both standard Genesis GX as well as a Game Gear one. This is because i use a handheld shader with built in bezel for that system, so i set that shader and saved a "content Directory" override. Now whenever i launch a game that is in my Game Gear rom folder that override is automatically loaded.

[Gregorick]

Hi Sorry for dragging up an old topic but have come here for this solution (for Retroarch to differentiate my GX4000 from CPC files) but I am unsure how to do this with what you have shown. I have my CPC and GX4000 games in different folders but I have never edited the retroarch config files so unsure what to do and how to do it. Any help would be really greatly appreciated.

On 10/15/2020 at 3:00 PM, neil9000 said:

See below in my Genesis GX config folder i have overrides for both standard Genesis GX as well as a Game Gear one. This is because i use a handheld shader with built in bezel for that system, so i set that shader and saved a "content Directory" override. Now whenever i launch a game that is in my Game Gear rom folder that override is automatically loaded.

 

[Elhora]

i would be interested in that procedure too.

I looked everywhere, but i didn't find any tutorial on how to save 2 differents options for the same core depending on the plateform game you launch   Even id I use the "save folder override" option (dont know exactly what the name is in english) in the quick menu, nothing changes i don't even have a new configuration file as shown above.

For now i've setup a second instance of Retroarch just for the GX4000, which is stupid....

Edited April 19, 2021 by Elhora

[Gregorick]

Glad it's not just me. I have the same issue for a few other systems that use the same core and while I can obviously switch on a game to game basis, it would be really nice to just be able to have it saved per system.

[Lord_Gabo]

 

I found out how it makes games work for both CPC and GX4000 with retroarch's cap32 core.

Open the GX4000 game file from launchbox after associating it with the core. If nothing happens you have to enter the quick menu of retroarch and select options and then select the model 6128+, after going to manage core options and save the setting for the games containing the amstrad GX4000 folder. Close and restart from launchbox and it will work.

Attention if you have the CPC games in the same folder you will have to change the model to 6128 each time and restart everything.

If you have two separate folders remember that the cpc works with 6128 and to associate the folder from the appropriate options section.

[SiriusVI]

13 hours ago, Lord_Gabo said:

If you have two separate folders remember that the cpc works with 6128 and to associate the folder from the appropriate options section.

That doesn't work. Overrides don't save core options. If you want the same core with two different options for 2 different platforms, you need to create a separate retroarch configuration for that.