MiSTer FPGA Forum

^ Thank you for the updates!

And yes, I'm still working on this. Sorry for the rapid iteration and multiple releases, not trying to waste anyone's bandwidth! c:

The 20240226 release has a ton of new stuff over the 0219 release, which is pretty much just the last 2021 version with an additional virus sweep. There have been many newly cracked classic Macintosh games in the last few years, and the DSK.zip archive in the pack has gotten a lot fatter as a result.

Unfortunately you still can't play Alternate Reality: The City on the core despite it having been finally successfully cracked recently, as it can't be run from a floppy image in raw (a.k.a. DiskDup) format (which is the only kind the core supports). At some point it would really be quite nice to get DiskCopy 4.2 support in the core, both so games like this might be able to work, and so many, many more images available online can be played without conversion. Short of flux-type images (which are a whole other can of worms and seemingly far more difficult to support directly), DC42 seems to be the accepted archival standard for classic Macintosh software. DC42 format is the same as raw/DiskDup but with an 84 byte header.

meauxdal wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 3:58 am

Please note, I don't recommend using the 010 or 020 instruction sets in conjunction with the SE ROM. It seems to cause hardfiles to corrupt.

Here's a short video showing what can happen if you don't heed this warning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDetZDiLoNw

Seems like a possible core bug. I've let alanswx know about it, hopefully we can figure out what's going on here.

I've uploaded a new version of the pack. Lots of optimizations, improvements, etc. I'm quite happy with this one. The search term should be: MacPack for FPGA

Awesome!

Thank you @meauxdal

I've had this suspicion for some time, but at this point I think the aspect ratio is simply incorrect on the MacPlus core.

The pixels should be square. The aspect ratio should be 256:171 for 1:1 pixel aspect ratio (PAR). For some reason the core is currently squeezing the screen into a 4:3 shape, which is not correct for the early compact Macs.

I've looked at the repository to see where I can issue a pull request to correct this, but haven't been successful in parsing it. Maybe someone else can shine a light here.

More reading: https://www.folklore.org/Square_Dots.html

And from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_XL - emphasis mine

Because of its roots as a Lisa — unlike all other Macintosh computers — the stock Macintosh XL used rectangular pixels. The resolution of Macintosh XL's 12-inch (30.5 cm) display was 720×364 pixels. Square pixels were available through the Macintosh XL Screen Kit upgrade that changed the resolution to 608×432 pixels.

@meauxdal First, I'm not sure you're taking DAR into account...square pixels in memory are not necessarily represented as such on-screen due to the limitations of analog display technology.

That being the case, might I suggest you create a custom aspect ratio for the MacPlus to visually confirm your suspicions? It may also prove to be a suitable long-term workaround.

rhester72 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 27, 2024 2:40 pm

@meauxdal First, I'm not sure you're taking DAR into account...square pixels in memory are not necessarily represented as such on-screen due to the limitations of analog display technology.

That being the case, might I suggest you create a custom aspect ratio for the MacPlus to visually confirm your suspicions? It may also prove to be a suitable long-term workaround.

If you take a look at a real Macintosh Plus you'll see what I mean. 4:3 is not correct. The first Macintosh to use a 4:3 display was the Macintosh II in 1987, which used a 1:1 PAR with initially supported resolutions of 512x384 and 640x480. No aspect ratio corrections were/are needed when running earlier Macintosh software on a Macintosh II, as all prior Macintosh machines use a (~)1:1 PAR*.

The compact Macs (512x342) have a DAR either at or extremely close to 3:2 (3/2 = 1.5, 512/342 = 1.49707602339). I wouldn't mind having both whatever the mathematically correct aspect ratio is (if not exactly 256:171, it is very close to 3:2) with 256:171 being available as a toggle (could mirror Genesis/Megadrive "Original"/"Corrected" language for its 320x224 display mode, though I really think no one should ever choose non-square pixels for this core) - but 4:3 is simply incorrect.

I am using the custom aspect ratio I listed above (256:171), and it corrects the issue. I don't mind it being a toggle (assuming the mathematically correct aspect ratio results in something other than exactly 1:1 PAR - otherwise, the core should simply be set to use 256:171), but it shouldn't default to being incorrect.

• Note this does not include the "Macintosh XL" which is not really a Macintosh at all, but a rebadged Lisa. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_XL

For now, to correct the issue, add these lines to your .ini file

[MacPlus]
custom_aspect_ratio_1=256:171

Then apply the aspect ratio in the core and save your settings.

@meauxdal - First, thank you SO MUCH for the MacPack. I'd never given it a try (I was operating off my own homegrown SC40 image)...it's fantastic in so many ways!

Also, I see your point about the aspect ratio...it'd been a hot minute since I fired up the Mac, but it's an interesting tradeoff. With proper PAR, things like the background don't experience striping, but it looks shockingly widescreen compared to the real McCoy. Fix that with 4:3, and you're back to stripes.

Are we sure the original Mac had a 1:1 PAR with a 4:3 monitor? There had to be some sort of display stretching going on, because it's been MANY years since I used one to learn to program in THINK Pascal, but I definitely do not recall it being unusually sized (from a physical perspective), and if it was indeed physically (i.e. glass) 4:3, the pixels were necessarily being vertically stretched for display, no?

No, I'm saying the early compact Macs (with built-in monitors) are very obviously not 4:3. They are extremely close to DAR 3:2.

The intended PAR for Macintosh Plus is 1:1, though there of course can be variances and the actual mathematically "correct" DAR might not give exactly 1:1 PAR. I don't have the ability to calculate the mathematically correct/perfect DAR/PAR.

However, I can tell you that the DAR currently applied in the core is incorrect.

In any case, for functional reasons, one should choose 1:1 PAR. This is the intended experience for the Macintosh.

Huh. I just looked up a photo (which I probably should have started with LOL), and sure enough, you're right - they are indeed wider than I remember, and absolutely not 4:3. Ah, the beauty of 35-year-old memories. laughs

I appreciate the MacPack feedback. Some updates on that front:

Been doing testing on the archive of disk files. Was never entirely happy with the organization for that in previous releases, so the next one will make it much easier to find what you want (merging 400K and 800K folders, one title per directory with better naming, culling some duplicates and non-working disks), as well as having a supplementary index of all the disks in the archive (check out the WIP version here)

Found a few schematics for old Apple stuff here: https://tinkerdifferent.com/resources/

MacPlus core test build with corrected aspect ratio attached to this post. Please test and report any issues. I'll try and spruce up the (outdated) readme as well before submitting a PR.

Edit: I don't really know what I'm doing but I'm trying to also update the framework - we'll see how that goes

Same as above but built with latest MiSTer framework, please test. Seems to work fine on my end.

meauxdal wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 2:25 pm

Found a few schematics for old Apple stuff here: https://tinkerdifferent.com/resources/

Oh, it might help fixing core sound fx? It's broken since forever in older games

jordi wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 8:31 pm

meauxdal wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 2:25 pm

Found a few schematics for old Apple stuff here: https://tinkerdifferent.com/resources/

Oh, it might help fixing core sound fx? It's broken since forever in older games

I didn't peruse too closely, just saw some schematics and technical documentation that hadn't been linked to here previously. Whether or not they are actually relevant to the current core, eh. Most likely not. I don't have the ability to really discern, so maybe.

There are inaccuracies in the core that affects software whose audio rely on perfect timing. There may also be some unfinished functionality regarding tone generation, but that is not entirely clear at this point.

Regarding Lode Runner SFX in particular, could you (or anyone) please confirm that the sound works properly on Mini vMac or MAME under their Macintosh Plus emulation, or better yet, a real Macintosh Plus - and specify which disk image must be used for sound to work there? There are numerous versions of Lode Runner floating around, some potentially with extant or only partially cracked copy protection.

I guess I'll try and check this out myself when I can, I've been curious about why the SFX in Lode Runner don't work myself. I do hear a sort of "click" on the first instance where a SFX should be played when you play the game on the current core.

meauxdal wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 8:57 pm

jordi wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 8:31 pm

meauxdal wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 2:25 pm

Found a few schematics for old Apple stuff here: https://tinkerdifferent.com/resources/

Oh, it might help fixing core sound fx? It's broken since forever in older games

I didn't peruse too closely, just saw some schematics and technical documentation that hadn't been linked to here previously. Whether or not they are actually relevant to the current core, eh. Most likely not. I don't have the ability to really discern, so maybe.

There are inaccuracies in the core that affects software whose audio rely on perfect timing. There may also be some unfinished functionality regarding tone generation, but that is not entirely clear at this point.

Regarding Lode Runner SFX in particular, could you (or anyone) please confirm that the sound works properly on Mini vMac or MAME under their Macintosh Plus emulation, or better yet, a real Macintosh Plus - and specify which disk image must be used for sound to work there? There are numerous versions of Lode Runner floating around, some potentially with extant or only partially cracked copy protection.

I guess I'll try and check this out myself when I can, I've been curious about why the SFX in Lode Runner don't work myself. I do hear a sort of "click" on the first instance where a SFX should be played when you play the game on the current core.

Yes, it works in mini vmac. Thanks!!

Oops, I saw that jordi had actually mentioned the sound works fine in Mini vMac earlier in this thread. It does for sure appear that the tone generation referenced previously in this thread is unimplemented in the core.

Lot of thanks for your effort on improving this core

Minor additional sys updates. I've submitted a pull request.

Thanks for all your work on this !

meauxdal wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 8:31 pm

New version (v13.02) of my hard drive image is out there, linked from the usual document. This is probably the most stable and polished release thus far.

Hi,

Please, could you share your document with this link?

Thanks,
Shark

Everything can be accessed from the archive.org page for the pack now. Search for MacPack for FPGA.

I got it at archive.org!!

Thanks a lot,
Shark

Heads up, I recommend against trying to play the game located at MacPack/Games/1985/Translyvania™. Damn thing might blow up the hardfile if you run it. At least, it did for me. I launched it once, it started running, then it did a beep and a restart and the hardfile was corrupted and had to be swapped out. Yeesh. Gonna kick that game off the image for the moment just to be safe and put out an update within the next few days. Until then, maybe just delete that particular game lol. There's a working copy of an earlier version of the same game in the 1984 folder.

PR has been merged https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/MacPlus_MiSTer/pull/10

I have download the mac pack and copied it to my sd card. The Macplus core starts up fine and boots to the OS (which seems to be system 7.5). I eventually found dark castle on the supplementary disk in the system 6 folder. So I assume this only works with system 6 (it crashes when I ran it). How do I boot into system 6?