ZX ULAX emulator

[Sokurah]

What was done to Dingo?

colour clash removed, most xor effects removed, each sprite given its own colour (only one per sprite though, i was feeling lazy)

Interresting. Is there a video showing the result?

[Lethargeek]

Is there a video showing the result?

no, we stopped making videos when the emulator became public (and it wasn't me making them btw)

anyway, why don't you just run the damn thing and see yourself?

are you not on windows? i know there may be sound problems under wine, still you can check the graphics

[Sokurah]

anyway, why don't you just run the damn thing and see yourself?

How charming

Tried it. It's pretty neat. Pretty ****ing impossible to figure out how to load a game in that emulator though

Oh, and a bug report: The game no longer shows in the status area which fruit gives the bonus
... and also too bad that it's an old version of Dingo where the controls hasn't been fixed yet.

But I'm definitely going to check out some of the other games included

[Lethargeek]

Tried it. It's pretty neat. Pretty ****ing impossible to figure out how to load a game in that emulator though

but it's thoroughly described in the accompanying readmes
i'm really at a loss for what else might people need

Oh, and a bug report: The game no longer shows in the status area which fruit gives the bonus
... and also too bad that it's an old version of Dingo where the controls hasn't been fixed yet.

not a bug, but a feature of the 1.1 (somehow i overlooked the 1.3)
there was a different bug though (i forgot to suppress the yellow attrs for the flying 1000pts)
will fix it when updating the game version, if only because of the controls (the old ones really were a pain)

But I'm definitely going to check out some of the other games included

just try to do everything according to TFM, ok?

[Sokurah]

not a bug, but a feature of the 1.1 (somehow i overlooked the 1.3)

Haha, you're right. I just compiled v1.1 and the bonus fruit isn't shown there.
I'd completely forgotten that I must have added that later.

... well, it has been a while

[akeley]

but it's thoroughly described in the accompanying readmes
i'm really at a loss for what else might people need

Perhaps an example? I've just spent half an hour trying and didn't get a single game to run.

The readme says to run "emuL.exe <filenames>", trying "emul.exe addams.dux" (or addams.sna or addams.dux addams.sna) just starts the emu window.

I've also tried to drag and drop various files from dux directory on the emu window and on the emul.exe file itself, again, jsut end up in the emu window. I've also tried some normal .tap files.

[Lethargeek]

Perhaps an example? I've just spent half an hour trying and didn't get a single game to run.

The readme says to run "emuL.exe <filenames>", trying "emul.exe addams.dux" (or addams.sna or addams.dux addams.sna) just starts the emu window.

I've also tried to drag and drop various files from dux directory on the emu window and on the emul.exe file itself, again, jsut end up in the emu window. I've also tried some normal .tap files.

Ouch, this forum really needs a facepalm ideogram. Seriously, what's wrong with people nowadays? Why they refuse to spend just 5 minutes reading a very short text till its end but are spending much longer time in vain exactly because didn't read it? I'm really, really at a loss here do i need to write every other line of the readme "THIS IS NOT THE END YET, PLEASE READ THE REST OF THE TEXT!" Why, oh why did you stop reading there when the very next few lines of the readme clearly describe the keys you need to press to actually load and run a game:

- Load the game in the emulator as usual with tape loader (F4 key to run/stop tape) or TR-DOS; or use End key to load sna. Then right after press PgDn to load the dux code (for snapshots, you may press both End then PgDn when the emulator is paused). If it doesn't work or gives strange results, try pressing PgDn in this game's menu (especially when there was a few seconds delay before the menu, most likely because of decompression). When dropping new names onto the working window, you still need to press End and/or PgDn keys to actually load a corresponding file at the right moment.

...and worse yet, why didn't you return to the readme when you got stuck?

sorry if i'm overreacting, but AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

oh, maybe i really need to add an example for some actual game with all the steps numbered...
but then again, there's no warranty that somebody won't stop reading right before the said example

[PeterJ]

You are right about the instructions [mention]Lethargeek[/mention]. Its just very different to anything that most people have ever used. generally (and I know there are exceptions, before someone shouts!) people expect menus of some kind. There is a saying in Britain, which I don't know if you have too, that men don't read instruction manuals.

However, it is well worth the perseverance and brings a joy to my eyes to see the modifications you have made. One day (and no rush), would you be able to put the programming guide in English. I promise I will read it from start to finish.

Best wishes

Peter

[akeley]

Ouch, this forum really needs a facepalm ideogram.

Oh, boy, you are so right about that.

Unfortunately it's the only thing you are right about. Because I've read this sorry excuse of a readme/instruction till the very end, several times. And I had some jolly time pressing F4/End too.

But guess what - it still looked very much like several different methods of loading a game! Surprise, eh, but maybe because that's how things have been done/written up since time immemorial? I wonder...

Now, really mate, if you expect a normal user (that's a person who is not you), and has no telephatic link to your brain, to suss it all out then kudos to you. Maybe I'm just a dumdum (who hasn't spent last 30 years dealing with computers, part of it in servicing) but judging by replies in this thread, not the only one. So no, I didn't just wade in expecting commercial-grade shiny menus and mind-reading interfaces. In fact the reason I gave it a whirl was the previous exchange on this page- I thought, surely it can't be as complicated as Sokurah says? Well...I was wrong


Overall, I have zero problems with following esoteric instructions and don't expect hobbyist WIP projects to be insta-approachable, and matrix-processing devs to be perfectly clear in their docs. Been around too long and I'm well used to that, it's fine, it can be worked out. But what I do have a problem with is people throwing unjustified hissy fits and acting all high and mighty over a banally simple question. All this pointless posturing could be instead substituted by a clear explanation (no, buddy, your readme really, really isn't one, before you start huffin' and puffin' about that again).

So, um, yeah...guess that was my brief adventure with "ZX ULAX Emulator". I'm sure it's great 'n all, but I'm too old to put up with some primadonna dev and his silly outbursts. Oh, well

[Lethargeek]

Unfortunately it's the only thing you are right about. Because I've read this sorry excuse of a readme/instruction till the very end, several times. And I had some jolly time pressing F4/End too.

Unfortunately i don't believe you. Otherwise you weren't stopping your complaints right at the moment when you "just end up in the emu window" in your previous message.

But guess what - it still looked very much like several different methods of loading a game! Surprise, eh, but maybe because that's how things have been done/written up since time immemorial? I wonder...

Guess what - this stands true for ANY emulator out there. ALL of them use different methods to run games in different source formats. Surprise, you need to type LOAD "" and start a tape with on-screen button or a hotkey to load from tape image! Surprise, you need to check the directory and to type LOAD/RUN "name" to run a game from a disk image! SOME emulators might have disk/tape autostart but not all and it doesn't work properly every time. Okay, most (if not all) other emulators run a snapshot immediately as the name is selected but there are use cases when it's not desired or inconvenient so i decided to actually run it with a hotkey at the right moment. Same about running a corresponding dux driver. Deal with it. And on top of that, it's actually faster and less hassle than usual method of going through slow dialog windows every time.

Now, really mate, if you expect a normal user (that's a person who is not you), and has no telephatic link to your brain, to suss it all out then kudos to you.

I expect normal user above 12 years old to be able to read and understand about damn 2KB (that's ONE printed page approximately) of simple instructions. And if he's able but decides not to go through it then i expect him to not blame ME for HIS decision!

Also mate, do YOU expect me to have a telepathic link to YOUR brain to know you actually read about the proper hotkeys and actually pressed some (which ones? and at what time? after giving/dragging what filenames?) when you were telling anything EXCEPT about pressing them?

Maybe I'm just a dumdum (who hasn't spent last 30 years dealing with computers, part of it in servicing) but judging by replies in this thread, not the only one.

found only two such replies in the whole thread and in the 1st one the cause was the same - user not following the instructions, and in the 2nd one the problem was already solved without my assistance

Overall, I have zero problems with following esoteric instructions and don't expect hobbyist WIP projects to be insta-approachable, and matrix-processing devs to be perfectly clear in their docs. Been around too long and I'm well used to that, it's fine, it can be worked out. But what I do have a problem with is people throwing unjustified hissy fits and acting all high and mighty over a banally simple question

...which has a banally simple answer - RTFM (all those mighty 2KB of the said FM in total)
I can understand it might be harder to do something less obvious, but definitely not something as simple as giving a name and then pressing a hotkey, with all of it clearly described in a few lines. Especially not for a person boasting he has zero problems following esoteric instructions

All this pointless posturing could be instead substituted by a clear explanation (no, buddy, your readme really, really isn't one, before you start huffin' and puffin' about that again).

What a "clear explanation" do you want? What in the world could be any more clear than telling what hotkeys to press and when??
Especially for a person who can't clearly explain his own situation in the first place (judging by your previous message)

And it's actually very easy to tell who's right here: you describe exactly every action you made trying to run a game and i will point when you didn't follow the instructions to the word.

So, um, yeah...guess that was my brief adventure with "ZX ULAX Emulator". I'm sure it's great 'n all, but I'm too old to put up with some primadonna dev and his silly outbursts. Oh, well

Or it's me being to old to put up with some primadonna users running crying and complaining left and right in public places immediately when something doesn't work on the first try (when the clear answer was just a few mouseclicks away)

[PeterJ]

[mention]akeley[/mention],

May I work with you to get one game working? In this case 'Slightly Magic'? I do note that you have worked with computers as long as myself (I started as a computer technician when the College I was at still had a BBC Micro network!), and I also had problems to start with.

This guide tries to cover every mouse click. I'm using Windows 10 Pro. I set-up explorer so I have file types showing.

So without further ado....

• Start by downloading 'ULAX-emuL.zip' and 'ULAX-games.zip'
• When you have unzipped both files you should have two folders. 'ULAX-emuL' and 'ULAX-games'. Open up each folder in its own explorer window. Resize both windows so they are both visible. I put one below the other.
• In the 'ULAX-emuL' explorer window change to the 'exe' folder
• In the 'ULAX-games' explorer window change to the 'dux' folder
• Scroll down the 'dux' folder until you see 'slimagic.dux' and 'slimagic.sna'
• Left click on one of the above files, then hold down the left Ctrl key and click on the second file, so both files are selected. Release the Ctrl key.
• With the left mouse button drag both selected files so they are on-top of emul.exe in the other window, then release the mouse button. See example below - Make sure two files are being moved:

• The emulator will now open with the '128 TR-DOS' menu
• Make sure that the emulator is in-focus by clicking on it's top border with the left mouse key. Next we need the keys from the instructions (This is why show file extensions is important - we know this is a .sna file):
  
  
• Now press the 'End' key and the game will appear
• Finally press 'PgDn' to load the multi-colour dux

I'm happy to try any other games if anyone else is struggling

[Lethargeek]

Thanks, [mention]PeterJ[/mention]! I'm not so patient to explain everything down to standard windows interface level or Spectrum basics besides the emulator itself (and i hate preparing and editing illustrations). Only a few things in addition:

- starting the emulator by dragging files on it works in standard explorer, but not necessarily in other apps like commanders

- but that's not a problem as it's possible to drag&drop source files onto the working emulator window any time
⠀ (the only ones accepted exclusively at the startup are "extra ini" name and a log name)

- you don't have to drag both (or more) files at once, the emulator remembers the last filename of the each type (snapshot, tape, dux, etc)
⠀ (and in case of disk images, it inserts a given image in drive A shifting previous images to other drives, losing the one located in drive D)

- same about command-line parameters - the last one of the each type will be used (if it's a disk - inserted in the drive A)

- types are recognized by the file extension, order of the different types dragged (or given in a command line) is not important

- control keys, especially alt-combos, might not work as expected (or at all) when alternative keyboard layout is being used
⠀ (this is how windows and/or SDL works, with unpredictable results, couldn't do anything with it, so always use the english one)

- and of course when pressing some control key (well, any key) the emulator must be in-focus, like any other windows app

[PeterJ]

Thanks [mention]Lethargeek[/mention],

Preparing documentation is part of my work job. There are many ways of doing things in Windows

I'm doing everything on a standard windows vanilla install with a UK English keyboard layout.

I hate preparing and editing illustrations.

The Windows Snipping Tool is the best application Microsoft ever built!

[RMartins]

From my view, the problem seem to lay on the assumptions that each type of user makes (developer, regular user, power user, etc...).

Instead of relaying on any assumption (and I know this is difficult to do, because we do not realise easily that we are assuming stuff, because they are so obvious to the person assuming them), a manual or README file should not, i.e. MUST not assume any prior knowledge, and simply list every single step required, no matter how obvious it is, to do some specific action.

This way, that manual will work for any user, without problems.

As a developer myself, I find that sometimes I do these assumptions unwillingly too, even when I'm trying to be as thorough as possible.
Usually the real test, is to grab someone completely unrelated with the project or even computers in general, hand them the manual and a goal.
Then lay back and watch, without intervention and see where and how they struggle.

[PeterJ]

Hopefully my tutorial covered that [mention]RMartins[/mention].

[RMartins]

Hopefully my tutorial covered that @RMartins.

Yes and no.

It covers on how to provide the argument files to the executable, but apparently that is not the only thing that is needed.

NOTE: I haven't tried it or even read the manual. I was just stating, how I usually go about to make it more "user proof"

[PeterJ]

It covers on how to provide the argument files to the executable, but apparently that is not the only thing that is needed.
NOTE: I haven't tried it or even read the manual. I was just stating, how I usually go about to make it more "user proof"

There are multiple ways as [mention]Lethargeek[/mention] says, but that completely covers one way. To load that specific game there is nothing else you need to know. Please give it a go.

[Lethargeek]

Instead of relaying on any assumption (and I know this is difficult to do, because we do not realise easily that we are assuming stuff, because they are so obvious to the person assuming them), a manual or README file should not, i.e. MUST not assume any prior knowledge, and simply list every single step required, no matter how obvious it is, to do some specific action.

Right now it's an emulator readme, and it covers just the emulator part. Do you understand how much it will grow in size if i try to teach modern basic computer literacy (there are several ways just to supply files as parameters in Windows!) there as well as the emulated machine controls (like the inlays of the old days explaining how to type two quotation marks after LOAD)? And some people already don't wanna read even something a lot shorter.

It covers on how to provide the argument files to the executable, but apparently that is not the only thing that is needed.

See? This is what i mean. This time it looks like you didn't read [mention]PeterJ[/mention]'s excellent message to the end.

[RMartins]

Instead of relaying on any assumption (and I know this is difficult to do, because we do not realise easily that we are assuming stuff, because they are so obvious to the person assuming them), a manual or README file should not, i.e. MUST not assume any prior knowledge, and simply list every single step required, no matter how obvious it is, to do some specific action.

Right now it's an emulator readme, and it covers just the emulator part. Do you understand how much it will grow in size if i try to teach modern basic computer literacy (there are several ways just to supply files as parameters in Windows!) there as well as the emulated machine controls (like the inlays of the old days explaining how to type two quotation marks after LOAD)? And some people already don't wanna read even something a lot shorter.

You are not listening.
I didn't even mention windows anywhere.

The stuff that you are assuming, is how the emulator works due to your own choices, that users are not supposed to know.
You clarified it here in the comments, on previous posts, but most probably your README is not clear enough about the process, or people wouldn't be complaining.

NOTE: Again, I haven't read the README/Manual. So I'm only commenting on people reactions to it's contents.

It covers on how to provide the argument files to the executable, but apparently that is not the only thing that is needed.

See? This is what i mean. This time it looks like you didn't read @PeterJ's excellent message to the end.

Maybe you are too eager to jump on people, without first trying to understand the context.

I for one, was replying based on content I saw on the previous page, I didn't even see this page, while I was writing my post.
So don't be too quick to jump to conclusions.

[PeterJ]

To be fair to [mention]Lethargeek[/mention], to get English language documentation from a Russian speaker is very pleasing. Only a few people have reported issues.

[RMartins]

It covers on how to provide the argument files to the executable, but apparently that is not the only thing that is needed.

See? This is what i mean. This time it looks like you didn't read @PeterJ's excellent message to the end.

If after reading @PeterJ's excelente message to the end, you don't realise you have an UI issue, you are too deep into the code and technical details and not the UI experience it provides.

[RMartins]

... SOME emulators might have disk/tape autostart but not all and it doesn't work properly every time. Okay, most (if not all) other emulators run a snapshot immediately as the name is selected but there are use cases when it's not desired or inconvenient so i decided to actually run it with a hotkey at the right moment.

Same about running a corresponding dux driver.
...

I'm going to go on a limb here and give you some advice on this particular issue from an UI perspective.

It seems, to me, that those particular choices you made is what is breaking the UI principle of least surprise.
When you run a command in the command line, you don't expect the parameters to not have any immediate effect.

So telling the emulator "here are the files to load" but nothing actually happening (in visual terms, i.e. no application running) it will make the users doubt if the first step was correct or they missed something.

It also makes it a lot harder to automate launching a game using your emulator. i.e. you need some way to inject key presses to it, to make it work as expected.

If you really need to not have the application start for development purposes or similar special or power user cases, then make it configurable and most importantly NOT the default behaviour.

So provide an extra parameter, -noLaunch, -noRun, or whatever you find suitable, so that the default behaviour is what the user expects.
The developer (you) or power Users that need the special case, can then use this new parameter to force that behaviour.

My long UI 2 cents.
I hope it is helpful.

[Lethargeek]

You are not listening.
I didn't even mention windows anywhere.

And you are not reading even your own messages it seems. You didn't mention windows, but your words imply much more than just windows:

Instead of relaying on any assumption (and I know this is difficult to do, because we do not realise easily that we are assuming stuff, because they are so obvious to the person assuming them), a manual or README file should not, i.e. MUST not assume any prior knowledge, and simply list every single step required, no matter how obvious it is, to do some specific action.

ANY prior knowledge, EVERY SINGLE STEP required, NO MATTER HOW OBVIOUS it is
Your words. Or did YOU just assume any prior knowledge of how one must interpret them?

Maybe you are too eager to jump on people, without first trying to understand the context.

I for one, was replying based on content I saw on the previous page, I didn't even see this page, while I was writing my post.
So don't be too quick to jump to conclusions.

Oh my... i'm really getting tired of people blaming ME for THEIR faults. What the previous page has even to do with it?
First, you were quoting [mention]PeterJ[/mention]'s message about the tutorial located on the same page, not on the previous one, here:

Hopefully my tutorial covered that @RMartins.

Yes and no.

It covers on how to provide the argument files to the executable, but apparently that is not the only thing that is needed.

Second, in your reply to this quote it was YOU so eager jumping to the conclusion that is obviously wrong for anyone who had read the tutorial mentioned. This is why i said looks like you didn't read it.

If after reading @PeterJ's excelente message to the end, you don't realise you have an UI issue, you are too deep into the code and technical details and not the UI experience it provides.

His message is a tutorial. These are being written for any app no matter ho much advanced the UI. The problem is rather people not realising that in multitasking environment you can have any UI you want.

[Lethargeek]

I'm going to go on a limb here and give you some advice on this particular issue from an UI perspective.

It seems, to me, that those particular choices you made is what is breaking the UI principle of least surprise.

A surprise comes out of the wrong expectations. I'm not responsible for the expectations of the other people. Especially when they don't read the files telling them exactly what to expect (and not telling what to not expect).

When you run a command in the command line, you don't expect the parameters to not have any immediate effect.

If it's a non-interactive app, so not the case here. And actually, not even then - for example, specifying several output file names for the compiler doesn't make all of them appear every time. Also there IS an immediate effect - replacing and remembering the given name(s)

And the same actually happens when you open a tape or disk image in many other emulators. You still usually need to do some extra actions to load it. So why it should be much different just for the one and only source type? Do tell about the unexpected!

So telling the emulator "here are the files to load" but nothing actually happening (in visual terms, i.e. no application running) it will make the users doubt if the first step was correct or they missed something.

Why? The only cause i see here is "because they didn't read the manual". A very short manual. Never promising a load happens immediately.

It also makes it a lot harder to automate launching a game using your emulator. i.e. you need some way to inject key presses to it, to make it work as expected.

If you really need to not have the application start for development purposes or similar special or power user cases, then make it configurable and most importantly NOT the default behaviour.

Again, these are YOUR expectations. You just want YOUR use case to be default. As for me, i'm not making it any "special" case, but providing the most flexible method at least (and very fast as well). And you can't automate launching every game anyway, not every one is a snapshot (and there are complications for snapshots considering the colorization). Also what's the problem really? Is pressing a few extra keys so hard for you? You will have to press so much more in the game, so the difference is negligible.

So provide an extra parameter, -noLaunch, -noRun, or whatever you find suitable, so that the default behaviour is what the user expects.
The developer (you) or power Users that need the special case, can then use this new parameter to force that behaviour.

maybe the opposite (definitely NOT doing running a snapshot as default!)
and it's very low priority as it seems really superfluous even next to other possible bells and whistles

[MonkZy]

Hi [mention]Lethargeek[/mention] ,

Great project!

I am a Linux user so I have tested your emulator using Wine. The emulator works in both the original mode and the extra colour mode and looks amazing!

I do have a problem with sound which I am trying to solve, so I have a question. Do you use openAL for sound in your emulator?