Table of Contents
CD32-compilation HOWTO by Frostwork
Requirements:
- Computer with some space left for working dir and iso
- Amiga (-compatible) OS
- A cd-burner
- cd-burning software (I think any will do, I use k3b)
- The cd32-developer-kit
- or at least isocd,cd32.tm or cdtv.tm
HOW TO:
- Make sure that your software doesn't miss any requirements like libs, assigns, devs
- You need a usual AmigaOS-structure in the root dir of your workingdir/cd (I have S:, C:, fonts:, libs: here)
- Of course you need a working startup-sequence in s:, several libs in libs: fonts in fonts: etc…
- In order to give your software the maximum of memory a RAD-device should be created
- Some kind of dashboard is quiet useful f.e. the ArcadeGameSelector or the menu-system from the "Now that's what I call games" CDs
- Optional a modplayer or anim-player and the proggie "joypad" from aminet in CD32goodies.lha which f.e. lets you choose from different start-up-sequences plays an anim before menu appears or other things like that…
OK, some steps to get at least one game work on the cd32:
1) startup-sequence
(everything after # is explanation) Basic structure is from the Amiga-Experience-CD and not my work…
;FreeAnim # cd32.tm needs this, cdtv.tm doesn't DoubleSpeed # guess what Assign >NIL: RAD: EXISTS # IF NOT WARN # FAILAT 99999 # IF NOT EXISTS RAD:OK # ECHO >RAD:OK # Assign T: RAM: # RAD Assign ENV: RAM: # Assign S: RAD:S # Execute RAD:S/Startup-Sequence # ELSE # HardReset # ENDIF # ENDIF # SetPatch >NIL: # name is program Assign T: RAM: # Assign ENV: RAM: # Assign Menu: CD32:Menu # assign for AGS cd32:c/joypad green # optional "DO-THIS-OR-THAT if warn # ON-STARTUP-IF-I-PRESS-THIS- cd32:c/atd cd32:anim/1.anim # OR-THAT-JOYPAD-BUTTON" endif # cd32:c/joypad red # if warn # cd32:c/atd cd32:anim/1.anim # endif # CD CD32:Menu # lets get into the menu-dir HiP HIDE Songs.mod # play random mod from playlist # called Songs.mod Title # show title-picture called "Image01.iff" Menu # start the menu Execute RAM:.run #
2) The Menu (here the ArcadeGameSelector)
It will display any "script.start" you have under Menu:
The script can lead to a directory or start a an app.
directory-script:
Assign Menu: CD32:Menu/Pinball CD32:Menu/Menu Execute RAM:.run
Menu: is simply re-assigned and Menu is restarted… Of course the given dir must exist
app-script:
IF EXISTS RAM:.run Execute CD32:C/MakeRAD else cd cd32:games/Wendetta start endif
The CD32 will reset and execute everything between "else" and "endif". Please no RAD-questions, I don't know anything about that…
A mini-example "dir" under Menu:
Songs (dir) # contains mod, look 3) Puzzle (dir) # dir for puzzle.start Racing (dir) # dir for racing.start Image01.iff # image shown by title on startup Menu # menu system Menu.iff # background for the menu Puzzle.start # script for puzzle-dir Racing.start # " " racing " Songs.mod # mod-playlist, look 3) Title # gfx-viewer for title-picture
3) Songs.mod
An example "songs.mod"-playlist which for Hippoplayer has to be installed:
HiPPrg SYS:Menu/Songs/BrianTheLion02.mod SYS:Menu/Songs/ChuckRock.mod SYS:Menu/Songs/Jaguar.mod SYS:Menu/Songs/ProjectX.mod # and so on...
SYS: is the root-dir of your cd, subdirs and mod should exist of course…
4) using ISOCD
- start it via shell
- click on source, cd your working-dir, click OK
- click image, choose path & imagename for your iso, click OK
- click Options
- fill out "VolumeID"-"Application" (very likely you don't have to fill everything but who cares; I use "cd32" everywhere, especially for ID, as assigning for scripts is easier, if you don't change the name too often…
IMPORTANT in order to make the cd bootable! :
- click on TM File, and choose either cdtv.tm or cd32.tm, click OK (there are some games only working with cd32.tm and not with cdtv.tm and vice-versa! But cdtv.tm seems to be more compatible and doesn't show this ugly cd32-animation everytime you start, so I'd recommend the cdtv.tm)
- leave options with OK
- click Examine; your source dir and size will be checked maximum size of the iso is somewhere at 734 MB…
- when examine is ready click on build to build your iso
Please no questions about other options of Isocd! I never read the manual, if there exists one (?)…
Use your favorite cd-burning-software to burn the iso
- loading speed in cd32 depends heavily on your CD and on lowest possible burning-speed!!!!
Have fun! Frostwork