VegaPlay issues + VegaPlay code question

VegaPlay issues + VegaPlay code question
by CanYouNot on 2016-05-28 (#171883)

Hey,
so I've made about 8 tracks in FamiTracker and I put them all into one file, exported as an NSF (only 2a03 btw) and I'm attempting to compile these into VegaPlay.
I've set the region to PAL for both the NSF and VegaPlay.
I've set it to 8 tracks (0-7)
I've specified the filename as well.

The error I'm coming to often when compiling is:

Quote:

C:\Users\User\Desktop\NES\VegaPlay\vegaplay base - Copy>asm6 vegaplay.asm test.bin

pass 1..
vegaplay.asm(56): Value out of range.

C:\Users\User\Desktop\NES\VegaPlay\vegaplay base - Copy>copy /b test.bin+geo.chr vegaplay.nes
The system cannot find the file specified.

C:\Users\User\Desktop\NES\VegaPlay\vegaplay base - Copy>del test.bin
Could Not Find C:\Users\User\Desktop\NES\VegaPlay\vegaplay base - Copy\test.bin

C:\Users\User\Desktop\NES\VegaPlay\vegaplay base - Copy>pause
Press any key to continue . . .

If anybody can help me as to what the problem is it would be much appreciated.

Re: VegaPlay issues help
by lidnariq on 2016-05-28 (#171888)

How big is the NSF file? Vegaplay will have problems if it's bigger than 31232 bytes.

Re: VegaPlay issues help
by CanYouNot on 2016-05-28 (#171892)

Ohh, the file was at 32 kb.

How do I lower it?

Re: VegaPlay issues help
by lidnariq on 2016-05-28 (#171895)

You're right about the threshold where every byte counts, so the exact size matters.

You can help free up a tiny bit more memory out of the 1536 bytes reserved for VegaPlay's engine by one of:
* somewhere between 400-800 bytes if you use tepples's (un)packbits to store the screen data
* about 1000 bytes if you move the screen data into an unused portion of CHR (since the 4 KiB that are reserved for sprites are woefully underutilized)
* about 1100 bytes if you remove all the screen data and associated loader (but it'll look ugly)
* about 1300 bytes if you shave off everything but the bare essentials, eventually leaving just a husk that will start playing one of eight songs when you press one of the eight buttons.

To shrink the NSF, OTOH,
* 128 bytes, if you remove the NSF header (and the NSF starts at 0x8000 instead of at 0x8080)
* Try cutting off the end of non-looping DPCM samples
* Maybe remove some notes and/or effects? simplify envelopes?
* Remove one of the eight songs?
I don't actually know how Famitracker stores its data, so I don't really know what will help vs not really.

Re: VegaPlay issues help
by CanYouNot on 2016-05-28 (#171898)

lidnariq wrote:

You're right about the threshold where every byte counts, so the exact size matters.

You can help free up a tiny bit more memory out of the 1536 bytes reserved for VegaPlay's engine by one of:
* somewhere between 400-800 bytes if you use tepples's (un)packbits to store the screen data
* about 1000 bytes if you move the screen data into an unused portion of CHR (since the 4 KiB that are reserved for sprites are woefully underutilized)
* about 1100 bytes if you remove all the screen data and associated loader (but it'll look ugly)
* about 1300 bytes if you shave off everything but the bare essentials, eventually leaving just a husk that will start playing one of eight songs when you press one of the eight buttons.

To shrink the NSF, OTOH,
* 128 bytes, if you remove the NSF header (and the NSF starts at 0x8000 instead of at 0x8080)
* Try cutting off the end of non-looping DPCM samples
* Maybe remove some notes and/or effects? simplify envelopes?
* Remove one of the eight songs?
I don't actually know how Famitracker stores its data, so I don't really know what will help vs not really.

Thanks I did this, I decided to remove some tracks that I felt were not as good as some which I made outside of the NSF format a few months ago. That's 2 tracks.
I then took away any instruments which were similar to others. It fell within the limit and I was able to compile it!

HOWEVER the ROM crashes when I test it out in NEStopia or NCEUX.
It says that the CPU jammed?

So there's obviously something wrong but I atleast know that the ROM can be compiled .

Re: VegaPlay issues help
by rainwarrior on 2016-05-28 (#171899)

CanYouNot wrote:

geo.chr

If you're making a ROM of Geo for Zero V2 I'm gonna feel bad. :cry:

I promised a long time ago I would do this for him when I was done my game, and then I spent a lot of extra time on my game (still going)...

Re: VegaPlay issues help
by lidnariq on 2016-05-28 (#171900)

CanYouNot wrote:

HOWEVER the ROM crashes when I test it out in NEStopia or FCEUX.

Did you copy the correct values for LoadAddy, InitAddy, and PlayAddy from the NSF header into vegaplay.asm ?

Re: VegaPlay issues help
by CanYouNot on 2016-05-28 (#171901)

lidnariq wrote:

Did you copy the correct values for LoadAddy, InitAddy, and PlayAddy from the NSF header into vegaplay.asm ?

Ahh, I just gave the LoadAddy and PlayAddy the wrong values, yeah that sorted it out.

Thanks for your help dude