Noob guide for setting up Sharp X68000 properly with multi-floppy builds using XM6 Type-G

[SiriusVI]

Solved it:  in: "X:\RetroArch\system\keropi" there is a config file which allows one to specify the rom directory:

StartDir=X:\LaunchBox\Games\Sharp X68000\TOSEC\Sharp X68000 - Games - [DIM]

The directory MUST be in quotes: StartDir="L:\LaunchBox\Games\Sharp X68000\TOSEC\Sharp X68000 - Games - [DIM]"

I don't know why this is, because even without the quotes the core sets the directory correctly, however it does not mount the rom files.

 

[MCF]

I was able to convert many X68000 games from DIM to HDF.
 

Downside is because HDF is a virtual hard disk image, every HDF file clocks in at 9.95MB, even if the game size is just 1-2MB.
 

Just have to convert DIM to XDF, dump it in the HDF and manually edit AUTOEXEC.BAT
 

If there's demand, I will do a tutorial video (when I can find some time away from my corporate day job that is)

[breech]

That would be awesome, yes thanks. If you're using windows, try 'compress contents to save disk space' for your HDF's folder. On modern machines the performance hit shouldn't be noticeable.

Edited April 23, 2020 by breech

[SiriusVI]

I have created m3u lists for the complete TOSEC set for the X68K. If you don't rename the files, all you have to do is have the m3u files in the same folder as the roms and import them into launchbox.

If I can host the files anywhere here, I'll do so. Is that possible?

[MCF]

On 4/23/2020 at 4:21 PM, breech said:

That would be awesome, yes thanks. If you're using windows, try 'compress contents to save disk space' for your HDF's folder. On modern machines the performance hit shouldn't be noticeable.

I've created a tutorial for this

 

[EvilHomer777]

Awesome!

[jonnieboyrevel]

If anyone is interested in a different way of dealing with the Sharp X68000, this is what I've done.

If you go here (I think I can add links here?) (link removed by moderator)

Some clever folk have created a hard disk image with all of the main Sharp X68000 games installed and tweaked to work from a hard drive - It's just under 200 games I think.

Instructions are given on how to set up the hard drive and get it running.

Now, when you boot up the emulator it takes you to the Sharp user interface.

You use the cursor keys to navigate to the 3 games folders, enter to open a folder and then enter again to open the actual games folder.

Once you're in a games folder, you press 'Q' twice. This auto-boots the game.

Obviously it's no good for Launchbox like this as you don't want to manually select the game from the OS every time. However, you get round this by using the method Cleverest (thank you for the tip by the way) uses for games with over 2 disks.

You go in and set yourself up to quick save. Select the game from the OS and as soon as it boots you save the state. These save states then become the rom files that you use in Launchbox.

What you end up with is games that are individually launch-able within Launchbox but they don't require any disk swapping, regardless of how many disks the original game used. They also load faster from HD than FD.

The only thing to remember with save states is that they save the entire emulator setup. This means that each game is about 13mb, still tiny in the grand scheme of things though.

The other thing to note is that all the emulator settings are saved in the save state as well. So if you want to use Munt for Midi for example (this sounds awesome), make sure that you set up the emulator with it before you start saving states, other wise they will all hold the settings for no or windows midi.

I can probably do a proper tutorial at some point if people want it but I wasn't sure if there is enough interest to make it worth while. 

 

Between Cleverest, MCF and this, there should be a way for everyone to enjoy the Sharp X68000! 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by neil9000

[neil9000]

27 minutes ago, jonnieboyrevel said:

If you go here (I think I can add links here?)

You can not provide links to copyrighted materials here, so i have removed it. Linking to Roms or Bios files is a big no no here (or any frontend/emulator website to be honest).

[jonnieboyrevel]

Ahh, apologies. I wouldn't have posted it if I thought it broke the rules. 

I'll leave the post there, without the link. It might still give people a different option to explore on their own. 

Again, apologies for the oversight. 

[depooter]

still no luck getting a gamepad to control these games.....anyone? I have mapped and remapped the core in retroarch but it's won't work in launchbox. thanks

 

[dsync89]

Just created a repo that generate AHKv2 script to launch the x68000 floppy disk, supporting specifying disk boot order and without relying on other frontend. Check it out if you're interested. You can either run those AHK file themselve, or import it to LB then create an emulator for AHK v2 and pass the ahk script there.

Edit: Newly updated repo that is more universal and support many other Neo Kobe collection set:  https://github.com/dsync89/neokobe-retro-japanese-computer-collection-set-ahk-gen-toolkit

Edited December 23, 2023 by dsync89

[xokia]

what are .xm6 files? Are these game saves?

I can get retroarch to run .bin fairly easy. It also seems to automatically load the second disk if there is one.

But I can not get .xm6 files to load

Edited March 18 by xokia

[xokia]

seems like .xm6 files are game save states and you need the xm6g emulator to play them. Issue I see is if you somehow accidently "save" a new state you can ruin the game save and it wont restart.

Or at least I havent figured out how to get back to a functional version. Retroarch will not play xm6 files as far as I can tell. Other then everything being in Japanese this is a pretty cool system I never knew about.

Someone created a HDD version which works pretty good and everything is organized nicely. But doesnt look friendly to integrating into launchbox.

Edited March 19 by xokia

[cleverest]

3 hours ago, xokia said:

seems like .xm6 files are game save states and you need the xm6g emulator to play them. Issue I see is if you somehow accidently "save" a new state you can ruin the game save and it wont restart.

Or at least I havent figured out how to get back to a functional version. Retroarch will not play xm6 files as far as I can tell. Other then everything being in Japanese this is a pretty cool system I never knew about.

Someone created a HDD version which works pretty good and everything is organized nicely. But doesnt look friendly to integrating into launchbox.

Yes... You can mess up the state of the game, and I haven't used this platform in a long time since writing this guide So I'm a bit foggy on, but I do recall that you can make it so that it doesn't auto-save when you close it.

recommendations is just get into the habit of not using save states... I believe you can manually save through the menu if you want to, but also remove any sort of hot keys or shortcuts for it.

[xokia]

7 hours ago, cleverest said:

Yes... You can mess up the state of the game, and I haven't used this platform in a long time since writing this guide So I'm a bit foggy on, but I do recall that you can make it so that it doesn't auto-save when you close it.

recommendations is just get into the habit of not using save states... I believe you can manually save through the menu if you want to, but also remove any sort of hot keys or shortcuts for it.

I just made the files read only problem solved. Seems like a cool emulator but its to much work to make work. 3-4 discs swapping discs just a pain. Someone made a HDD version where all the games are loaded on the internal drive that works with xm6g. I loaded it up and it works well. I just see no way to integrate with launchbox as the OS loads up a menu you go to the disc browse your directories then choose the batch script to start the game.

I think the multiple files is what makes this a PITA. If someone can create a single file for the games that load this would be a cool emulator it has some pretty good games and graphics for its time period.

[xokia]

So I found kinda a cool way to do this. There is the HDD drive version I mentioned previously where all the required files are loaded.

My gaming system is headless and my PC I use is separate. One thing I was messing up is I was loading the HDD version on my PC creating a xm6 game save and then loading it on the gaming system. That lead to some errors.

If you load the HDD version on the same system you want to run the game save on everything works. I mark all my xm6 files as read only. Then add the xm6 game save to launchbox. Add the game saves to it and it works.