apple ii emulator

[rami shaked]

hi,

looking for the best way to emulate Apple II.

I tried configure Mame to do that but with no success.

Thanks

[bundangdon]

Try using AppleWin https://github.com/AppleWin/AppleWin/releases

It works great for me. Be sure to add the following to the default command-line parameters:
-f -d1

[Headrush69]

5 hours ago, rami shaked said:

hi,

looking for the best way to emulate Apple II.

I tried configure Mame to do that but with no success.

Thanks

I use MAME for Apple II and it works great.

What issue did you have?

Did you have the BIOS roms required in your MAME roms folder? Once you have the correct roms, it's as simple as:

Quote

mame64.exe apple2ee -flop1 name_of_your_disk_image

If you run MAME from the command line passing the -v option, it will show you what files you are missing.

There are also MAME software lists that included curated or checked disk images for Apple II and it as simple as just passing the name of the software.

To move forward we need to know what you have tried and which approach (or which software) you have.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Headrush69

[sundogak]

AppleWin is great, particularly if using multiple disks games or trying to do more complicated "computer" type things in an Apple. Swapping and loading disks (side A or side B, Disk 2, Player disks) in AppleWin is just much easier to do.  It is also speedier to launch, unless you map the MAME speed throttle.

MAME has advantage in that likely most people have it already and for single disk games it works fine. Also brings the support of normal MAME without a bunch of other setup needed (i.e,. shaders, overlays). It isn't you cannot use Mame for multi disks, but the interface to do so is a pain, particularly if going for a "use a controller for everything" model.

For MAME:  See my settings below. Add the gameio switch as noted below if want joystick compatibility directly in the emulator.  I also added phasor sound card (mostly for Ultima) but that is optional since Mockingbird is "built in" with no need for switches.  The -flop1 switch tells MAME and LB what drive to load the sofware.  This is the setting within LB for MAME and screen snap for associated platforms for MAME emulator. 

apple2ee -sl4 phasor -gameio joy -flop1

For AppleWin

This is my emulator settings in LB:

Ultimately for both you will run into issue that there is not a lot of standardization on controls and you will either have to allow for a keyboard or map some keyboard functions to your joystick.  For example, many games will ask "Keyboard (K) or Joystick (J)" so you will need to give that input.  If fine with using combo keyboard and joystick (i.e., sitting in front of screen) then can get either up and going quickly. MAME you can map controller commands to keyboard, but for AppleWin it is not as all encompassing without using something like Joy2Key.

Edited April 9, 2020 by sundogak

[Headrush69]

2 hours ago, sundogak said:

MAME you can map controller commands to keyboard, but for AppleWin it is not as all encompassing without using something like Joy2Key.

Bingo. Unless somewhere I've missed it, I don't see where MAME has per game cfg ability (within a driver), it's just per system.

I suppose you could create a script to copy and move custom cfgs into place, but not sure it's worth the effort.

I keep my Apple II collection very small on my arcade cabinet, if I want to play full computer types I use the computer. The Apple II is the computer I grew up with, but frankly other than a few games for nostalgia that still play well, the other 8 bit systems have better versions that play better and are more enjoyable. 

[JoeViking245]

4 minutes ago, Headrush69 said:

I don't see where MAME has per game cfg ability

I haven't tried with other console/computers, but I know with ZX Spectrum you can add in to command line

-cfg_directory "d:\MAME\cfg\spectrum_cfg\game_name"

(Or where ever you decide to store them.)  It's been a while since I tested it and have since deleted my 'tests'.  But I think "game_name" will become a folder.  And then in that game's folder, it has either 'spectrum.cfg' or 'default.cfg'.  But it will apply to that one game.

The problem this lead to is you'd have to write [enter in] a custom command line for each game you want to have a 'special' cfg for so that it points to that folder. 

There is a Bulk Custom Command Line plugin out there somewhere, and where the game_name goes, you just put in %1% (or something like that) and when launched, LB will insert the game_name.  

[Headrush69]

27 minutes ago, JoeViking245 said:

There is a Bulk Custom Command Line plugin out there somewhere, and where the game_name goes, you just put in %1% (or something like that) and when launched, LB will insert the game_name.  

I've used the %romfile% variable before for other purposes but I never got it evaluate it when it was part of a file path. Could be something I missed as well.

%romfile% is normally the full path to the rom though, so unless you turn on the use filename only option. Doing that would then affect your path to -flop1 as well. Might work with software list versions though.

Also %romfile% normally includes quotes. If you disable that as well you could run in to issues with possible file path errors. (spaces in names for example)

I'm sure there's a method to do it, but for me with so few system under Apple II, not work the effort. Too many games in BigBox already, I'm into the pruning stage. ?

[JoeViking245]

Ya, you're probably right about the Full Path, Quotes etc..  

I just looked at the code the plugin and what it does is... in the plugin [only], you [can] put   %1  where you want the game_name to be in the command line, and then when it sees you put that in there, it grabs the game's filename (only, no extension) from LB and replaces  %1  with that.  Then saves the 'new' ccl with the proper name.

I know there's a couple different variables you can put in to pass different things via LB (i.e. %romfile%), but forget what they are and do.

But yes!  Enough is enough. lol