Beta testing has started!

allanon

Hello guys!


I'm finally ready to start the beta testing program, executable & database updates works, at least on my tests so we are ready to go!

At this time EmuLa recognizes:
- Gameboy : 4159 roms
- Gameboy Color : 3966 roms
- Gameboy Advance : 641 roms
- NES : 7646 roms (completed on 08 Feb 2016)

There is also some downloadable contents for the Gameboy to test this feature.

To all beta-tester: please report any issue, suggestions, thoughts, anything that can help me to make EmuLa the definitive tool! Don't forget that EmuLa should be usable also for the beginners and people without emulation knowledge/computer skills!





Happy testing!

allanon

Main Application
Beta 1.1 Version 13 Available

Enabled remote communications for serial check

Please hit the "update" button on EmuLa!

allanon

Main Application
Beta 1.1 Version 14 Available

If TGDb.net is down or there are internet problems during a scan, after a few try if the user cancel the download EmuLa will ask you if you want to continue normally, continue without TGDb support or abort the scan job.
Previosly on *every* rom detected EmuLa was conplaining about network problems. (Reported by Pascal)
If during the scan TGDb.net server was unreachable all detected roms was listed without a name, (Reported by Gabriele and Pascal)
Added version number to the window's title

allanon

Main Application
Beta 1.2 Version 15 & 16 Available

Version 15
Now EmuLa show the change log when the main application has been updated.
A console-mode (called cMode) has been introduced with this version, it's accessible using a button from the classic (desktop) mode. You can switch back to console mode using a button. You can also start EmuLa in console mode using the switch:
-cmode 1
Joypad/Joystick support has been introduced, you can browse in cMode using you joystick/joypad, one button is configured to select the active entry and one to go back to the previous interface. The joystick/joypad must be inserted before EmuLa is launched to be recognized (at least this is the way it works on Windows, please let me know about AROS).
cMode can be browsed using your mouse or using the keyboard, default keyboard keys are cursor arrows and ENTER to select and ESC to go back to the previous menu.

Version 16
Fixed a small issue that caused a crash after EmuLa update when showing the application change-log.


Databases
Rom database has been updated adding hundreds of NES games, still 2300 roms to be completed.

allanon

Databases
Rom database has been updated with thousand of NES games, still missing 300 roms to be completed.

WARNING!
I've just discovered a bug that was forcing the game art download during a database update under certain circumstances, this was already fixed and will be available in the next version.

allanon

Main Application
Beta 1.2 Version 17 Available

Version 17
EmuLa was not updating properly the recognized roms database when an update for all supported roms was downloaded and applied.
During the update process EmuLa was signing-in to the server even if it was already signed, this was popping out warning messages to the user.
During a supported database update the previous one is renamed to preserve the previous version.
A new images cache system has been introduced in the console-mode interface to speed up interface building & drawing.
Change log windows are now much larger than before
Now EmuLa is able to recognize roms even if they miss the file extention.
After an application update that includes always the latest databases, EmuLa will do a check on local recognized rom to update and integrate possible new informations.

Databases
NES rom-set completed with 7646 recognized roms
Additional Gameboy downloadable demos included
Added some Gameboy Color downloadable demos

allanon

Main Application
Beta 1.2 Version 18 Available

Version 18
EmuLa after the update was not restarting by itself: fixed.
Fixed a bug that was causing crashes after a rom being run in console mode, this was caused by removing the images cache (wrongly) without notification the cache system.
Added a configuration menu in Console-Mode, now users can configure their joystick or joypad as they wish to navigate the interface.
Fixed a small bug in the image caching routines that was preventing png files from being cached.
Added a switch in cMode configuration to disable or enable the skin system.
Added a cache system for downloadable contents images, now they will be downloaded only the first time they are accessed.

Databases
Added more downloadable Gameboy Color demos

allanon

Main Application
Beta 1.2 Version 19 Available

Version 19
The downloadable contents image cache was not working as supposed causing wrong screenshots after the download was completed. Fixed.
When a rom was deleted or moved and the user was trying to run it, EmuLa was advising the user of the missing rom giving him the opportunity to remove the rom from the database. Deleting the rom was fine but the game counter was not updated. Fixed.
Rom actions are now represented by intuitive icons, holding the mouse pointer over the gadgets a floating tips will appear with a brief description.
Below the rom description two new action buttons were added:
Multiselect and Delete.
- Multiselect : enable or disable multiselect mode in the games list so that the user is able to select more than one game, this selection is usefull to delete multiple roms in one go.
- Delete : allow the user to delete the selected rom(s), he will be asked to select if he want to remove the roms from the database or from the database and also from the disk. In the last case a further confirmation is needed.
Roms not available (because located on a disconnected media will be skipped but still removed from the database.
Added a splash screen, it is showed when EmuLa is updating or during the initialization time on slow systems.
Fixed an error that was not handled: rarely, if the communication between the EmuLa-server and EmuLa-client was incomplete for network problems, EmuLa was crashing, now this possibility is handled without crashes.
Started to add emulators configuration file handling. Now it's possible to configure if the emulator must be run in fullscreen mode or not, each mode (classic & console) have its own settings, and from each mode you can edit their settings. This feature has changed the emulators database format because I've added a new field that define how the fullscreen option should be handled for each emulator.
Now it's clear when EmuLa is waiting for the emulator to be closed thanks to a fullscreen message available in both classic and console mode.
Replaced the backdrop images of the inbuilt theme
Now when a filter is changed the latest selected rom area is cleaned to avoid confusion.
Fixed a bug that was not resetting the selected download after the download was completed.
Introduced some colors to the classic interface and a first theme configuration file. For this first test only buttons are themed with five different styles that can be tuned tweaking the db/gmode/current/gui.def

I'm not a graphician so the theme could be ugly but I need to test it

Databases
Emulators database: added a new field to handle the fullscreen parameters of each emulator.

A Screen shot of the current build:

allanon

Main Application
Beta 1.2 Version 20 Available

Version 20
Now a check to the emulators preferences is done after a new emulator is installed
Changed the VBA emulator package to include a basic default config file ready to work with EmuLa.
Now EmuLa is able to handle, globally, the fullscreen resolution for the installed emulators, you can also change emulator fullscreen resolution and stretch flag from both the configuration menu of the classic mode and console mode, only for those emulators that support this feature.
Fullscreen mode is checked and validated at each EmuLa startup.
The Tools->Reset options now will prompt the user if he want to remove the downloaded emulators and if he want to reset EmuLa preferences.
Added Tools->ReFetch to refetch data and game art from TheGameDB.net, updated data will be saved and new images and missing images will be downloaded.

Databases
Changed VisualBoyAdvance for Windows fullscreen configuration.