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

games/cd32/compilation.txt · Last modified: 2010/03/04 10:58 (external edit)
Back to top
CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
Driven by DokuWiki Recent changes RSS feed Valid CSS Valid XHTML 1.0