* What We All Want *

[dw817]

Greets ZSNES Team:

* First off, congratulations on one of the BEST SNES emulators, period.
I have archived all other emulators (for all other platforms as well) and only use ZSNES on my smaller computer and ZSNESW for my main one to bring up proper SNES emulation.

Here are a few features I'd like to see and questions answered.

1. In 8-bit graphics for DOS, is there a way to force the background to be BLACK no matter what ? In certain games, the background color changes to one of the colors on the screen it seems.

1a. For ZSNESW for windows, the WATER effects run much too quickly, using no timer to see how fast the computer is.

2. Add a REWIND option for DOS ZSNES.

2a. For both ZSNES and ZSNESW, have a key to enter FRAME-per-FRAME mode with ability to turn on/off backgrounds and ability to go forward/backwards one-frame at a time so programmers and web builders designing shrines for SNES games can rip out images even if there is a single image they want that is seen less than a 20th of a second running at normal speed.

3. Improve the audio. I believe it was ESNES or NKLSNES that had an option to tremendously enhance the audio with echo and kakalia effect.
I have not heard audio like this anywhere else and it far surpassed the real SNES audio. The difference between MIDI & Mp3.

4. Option to SLEEP for ZSNESW when not active. Often I am using ZSNESW while working on other applications and find that it still runs in the background even though I've switched to another application. There does not seem to be an option to SLEEP it.

5. Hitting [ESC] to enter menu mode somehow takes a GREAT DEAL more system time while in this mode than running the emulation itself. When I have 10-15 apps running, it make a big difference. What gives ?

5a. If you are using DOS ZSNES and from windows hit ALT-TAB to return to the DOS window, most of the time the screen is messed up. Checking to see if you are returning from Windows to DOS could reset the screen easily every time to ensure it does not mess up or worse, enter a resolution your screen doesn't have thereby trashing out the display entirely.

6. Option for MAME 2x-scaling in both ZSNES and ZSNESW.

7. Option for REAL WINDOW mode, where you have a draggable window frame as is provided with most Windows Applications and the ability to resize the window by grabbing the bottom-right-hand corner and dragging.

8. DOS ZSNES can stretch the screen but not do this AND a graphic filter like 2xEagle. It would be nice if you could activate more than one choice here.

9. Auto-fire. Auto-fire in ZSNES is very good.
The keys I have configured are:
N8, N2, N4, N6, 9CH, Q, D, C, F, V, W, E, A, Z, R, --, --, S, X, T, --, --
If you could change the timing on one or more of your auto-fire keys from A-A-A to A--A--A or A---A---A then auto-fire should work correctly for ALL games. There are several games auto-fire does not work because the timing is too fast.

(purely optional)
10. Player mode. This is different (might be difficult or impossible for you to write by yourselves) but could definitely add to an already excellent emulator. (described below)

PLAYER MODE (an enhanced GUI for game players only)

||| == |||
(illustration)

Where "|" shows a box on it's side, the "==" is the box front view, and "|" on the end is also the box on it's side. Optional "side.gif" read from inside the *.zip but not necessary, just color configuration for paint-color and text tilted 90 degrees so to appear as it's title.

Graphically show SNES boxes on the left and right of the screen showing 90 degree tilted text and optional coloring to it. In the center of the screen is the game box either looking inside the *.zip for gamebox.jpg or screenshot.gif. If screenshot is used, it uses two files outside the *.zip accessible by ZSNES that is a "sleeve" for a gamebox.

BEHIND.GIF is a large-view of imagery that appears behind the screen-shot. INFRONT.GIF is a large-view of imagery that appears over the screen-shot. Look at most of the boxart for SNES and you will see what I am talking about here.

Animation. Using the left & right arrow keys show a scrolling conveyor-belt rotating to view right-side-up from the 90 degree boxview to a full front-box view.

When a game is selected the screen virtually opens the box cover, takes out the game inside (using a smaller view of the gamebox appearing on the virtual cartridge) and scrolls down to insert into the image of a deck-ready SNES.

Screen fades to black. Emulation begins.
If you really wanted to take this to a new level, you could make the conveyor-belt appear like a ring carousel for 3m slides and rotate the tilted boxes and their place-holders true 3-D.

Just an idea. Please give serious consideration to the suggestions above "Player Mode" however.

[Agozer]

1. Not at the moment. You might see it in the future, maybe.
3. Very hard to do. Will improve over time.
5. Why are you running so many apps in the first place? ZSNESW uses Low priority when in the GUI and Normal when in the game.

Edit: Removed so stuff because Nach already answered them.

[Nach]

2. Add a REWIND option for DOS ZSNES.

2a. For both ZSNES and ZSNESW, have a key to enter FRAME-per-FRAME mode with ability to turn on/off backgrounds and ability to go forward/backwards one-frame at a time so programmers and web builders designing shrines for SNES games can rip out images even if there is a single image they want that is seen less than a 20th of a second running at normal speed.

4. Option to SLEEP for ZSNESW when not active. Often I am using ZSNESW while working on other applications and find that it still runs in the background even though I've switched to another application. There does not seem to be an option to SLEEP it.

5. Hitting [ESC] to enter menu mode somehow takes a GREAT DEAL more system time while in this mode than running the emulation itself. When I have 10-15 apps running, it make a big difference. What gives ?

6. Option for MAME 2x-scaling in both ZSNES and ZSNESW.

Please use the latest version and not request features already implemented or surpassed.

[creaothceann]

1. In 8-bit graphics for DOS, is there a way to force the background to be BLACK no matter what ? In certain games, the background color changes to one of the colors on the screen it seems.

With some effort it would probably be possible to "force" color 0 to be black. This might interfere with the graphics though. Anyway, 8-bit modes are outdated and AFAIK only supported because taking them out would be too much hassle.

[Nach]

1. In 8-bit graphics for DOS, is there a way to force the background to be BLACK no matter what ? In certain games, the background color changes to one of the colors on the screen it seems.

With some effort it would probably be possible to "force" color 0 to be black. This might interfere with the graphics though. Anyway, 8-bit modes are outdated and AFAIK only supported because taking them out would be too much hassle.

Based on what you just said, we should remove it out of principal.

[Agozer]

1. In 8-bit graphics for DOS, is there a way to force the background to be BLACK no matter what ? In certain games, the background color changes to one of the colors on the screen it seems.

With some effort it would probably be possible to "force" color 0 to be black. This might interfere with the graphics though. Anyway, 8-bit modes are outdated and AFAIK only supported because taking them out would be too much hassle.

Based on what you just said, we should remove it out of principal.

What's stopping you? I wouldn't object.

[Sith]

Yeah,it's just wasting memory space.
16 is still being used but 8?...

[Agozer]

Yeah,it's just wasting memory space.
16 is still being used but 8?...

It's for those older DOS machines.

[Joe Camacho]

5a. If you are using DOS ZSNES and from windows hit ALT-TAB to return to the DOS window, most of the time the screen is messed up. Checking to see if you are returning from Windows to DOS could reset the screen easily every time to ensure it does not mess up or worse, enter a resolution your screen doesn't have thereby trashing out the display entirely.

AFAIK, you shouldn't Alt-tab from DOS to Windows applications and expect them to work right.

[dw817]

1. Not at the moment. You might see it in the future, maybe.
3. Very hard to do. Will improve over time.
5. Why are you running so many apps in the first place? ZSNESW uses Low priority when in the GUI and Normal when in the game.

Edit: Removed so stuff because Nach already answered them.

1. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact you only have 256 colors and ONE of those colors must be BLACK for background which MIGHT not be black all the time.

3. I have faith in your abilities.

5. Computer is busy most of the time.
I am running DVDx, TMPGENC, VirtualDub, WinAMP, Frontpage Express, and DragonBASIC. I hate to see my computer not getting some work done.

[dw817]

Hi Natch:

* The following features were not implemented in the latest version TMK v1.42 Jan 19, 2005.

1. No black background for DOS ZSNES
(reading answers below I see it is a hardware problem, request removed)

1a. Water still travels too fast.

2. No rewind for ZSNES

2a. No frame editor for either version

3. Audio is the same.

4. No sleep.

5. System lag seems the same.

5a. Not implemented. Choosing the same or new resolution from VIDEO does fix the screen so it could be automated from DOS.

6. Mame 2x scaling not available.

7. mouse-resizeable window mode not implemented

8. Still cannot run both stretch and 2xEagle
While you CAN select them, only the STRETCH is activated.
Other filters below are ignored.

9. No additional auto-fire configuration is available.

Please use the latest version and not request features already implemented or surpassed.

NONE of these above features are implemented.
If there are, please leave exact URL for download.

I am retrieving my download from:
http://ovh.dl.sourceforge.net/sourcefor ... nes142.zip

Thank you.

[Nach]

* The following features were not implemented in the latest version TMK v1.42 Jan 19, 2005.

That is not the latest version.

[Joe Camacho]

* The following features were not implemented in the latest version TMK v1.42 Jan 19, 2005.

That is not the latest version.

The plot thickens!

Try using the Latest WIP:
http://www.ipherswipsite.com/zsnes/

[Agozer]

1a. Tough luck, I don't have a problem with it. Don't use it if it bothers you so much.
2. AFAIK, it won't happen because of how DOS was coded.
7. How can there be? ZSNES DOS was meant for pure DOS, and DOS applications do not natively run in a windowed mode.
6. Most likely will never be there. It was once a dummy option.
9. What exactly do you need? You can configure autofire to A,B,X,Y,L, and R.
5a. DOS programs don't generally like ALT-TAbbing.
5. There is no system lag. Free more resources for your gaming needs.

[dw817]

That is not the latest version.

If v1.42 Jan 19 2005 is not the correct version,

then please post the URL to the latest version.

I am not finding it on Sourceforge ?

[Agozer]

http://www.ipherswipsite.com/zsnes

[kevman]

edit: What he said.

You really need to read the stickies and shit.

And you really shouldn't doubt what a lead developer says about the program they develop. Especially a simple question like that.

[Sith]

Btw it's "Nach" not "Natch".

[dw817]

Hi Agozer & Joe Camacho:

Correction, (sp)Nach, not Natch.

Thank you for the link.
Trying new version ..
Frame-per-frame added, thank you (updating my ZSNES now).
No other features found.

1a. Tough luck, I don't have a problem with it. Don't use it if it bothers you so much.

* I wish reviewers of my program were so lenient.

2. AFAIK, it won't happen because of how DOS was coded.

* Accepted, I suppose adding this is outside the programmers' influence.

7. How can there be? ZSNES DOS was meant for pure DOS, and DOS applications do not natively run in a windowed mode.

* You KNOW I am referring to the Windows version ZSNESW.
Where it has a normal Windows FRAME that can be stretched to any size, with optional title HEADER as most Window applications have.

6. Most likely will never be there. It was once a dummy option.

Would just be nice to see scaling without dithering blur.

9. What exactly do you need? You can configure autofire to A,B,X,Y,L, and
R.

Currently autofire in ZSNES is A-A-A where the button is down, then up, the down again.
It would be nice to have:
A--A--A or whatever delay you want between auto-fire strokes.
Some SNES games cannot rapidly recognize the current AUTOFIRE in ZSNES/ZSNESW

5a. DOS programs don't generally like ALT-TAbbing.

ZSNES authors can fix this by resetting the screen upon determining the DOS application has been entered from Windows.
In my own program, when you change resolution, I reset the window completely.

5. There is no system lag. Free more resources for your gaming needs.

Using HIGH PRIORITY found in OPTIONS remedies this.

An additional feature for ZSNESW would be to already have the 2nd menu selected so you do not have to use the mouse at all upon bringing it up.

Currently I am bringing up a very small PD SNES program so I can hit "L" to load a game without having to go through the menu. You cannot hit any key on the keyboard in ZSNESW to bring up the menu when you first bring it up. DOS ZSNES forces the menu open so mouse is purely optional at the beginning.

[Agozer]

I think the DOS port has an option to skip the Enter press at Startup (so that the menu isn't open).

* You KNOW I am referring to the Windows version ZSNESW.
Where it has a normal Windows FRAME that can be stretched to any size, with optional title HEADER as most Window applications have.

This is just because ZSNES uses a custom GUI. There will be a choice in the future. People were asked about whether they would want a Windows-style GUI or the current GUI, the answers were almost all for the current GUI. Nach and pagefault both have made a new GUI style and there even a thread about it somewhere.

[Nach]

ZSNES authors can fix this by resetting the screen upon determining the DOS application has been entered from Windows.
In my own program, when you change resolution, I reset the window completely.

I am intrigued. How do you get a DOS program to detect when you minimize and reenter it from Windows?

[dw817]

Hi Nach:

I am intrigued. How do you get a DOS program to detect when you minimize and reenter it from Windows?

* The application can be found to have been TRADED to another window task by using the timer, a single frame will be greater than 1/4 a second between frames upon returning which signifies the program WAS interrupted. I use this same technique for my program. Mind you, you must not allow your DOS applications to run in the background if you want this feature to activate correctly.

[dw817]

Hi Agozer:

I think the DOS port has an option to skip the Enter press at Startup (so that the menu isn't open).

This is just because ZSNES uses a custom GUI. There will be a choice in the future. People were asked about whether they would want a Windows-style GUI or the current GUI, the answers were almost all for the current GUI. Nach and pagefault both have made a new GUI style and there even a thread about it somewhere.

* Mind you I AM NOT knocking their GUI.
I think it's wonderful and definitely for gamers by removing all instances of a window frame or title during gameplay and still can run Window applications background.

I would like to use a non-windowed frame that is 640x448 however, so as to show the application buttons on the bottom selection panel where I can pan the mouse over them to check their % progress on tasks.

Currently I am using:
512x448 DR WIN (no filters active)
which is good, but it shows applications in the background on both the left & right of it when centered. An option to FILL in the remaining (or most of) remaining screen area with BLACK when it is active could be an easy fix for this.

If ZSNESW is to maintain this ability to show windows around it, an option to auto-center the window to the center of the screen would also be additionally welcome.

[Nach]

I am intrigued. How do you get a DOS program to detect when you minimize and reenter it from Windows?

* The application can be found to have been TRADED to another window task by using the timer, a single frame will be greater than 1/4 a second between frames upon returning which signifies the program WAS interrupted. I use this same technique for my program. Mind you, you must not allow your DOS applications to run in the background if you want this feature to activate correctly.

I would like to see a sample application with it's source code to see this technique in action.

[Esturk]

I somehow doubt that this thread describes accurately * What We All Want *.:p

All I want is accurate SNES emulation. That includes sound and graphics that run at full speed. I don't care about enhancements, extra features etc.. I believe this to be the priority for most people including the developers. Zsnes is definately the best accurate SNES emulator out there.