PROJECT

Virtual-E archive 1999.

Updates:

November 21th,1999 Thinking about the veGL advances, I release a beta version of the SDK for the guys who are interested in program with veGL and are also interested in this project. This release contains a preliminar library and an include file (also the documents and examples to program with this API). About the EPROM, I do not have any luck. The construction is in stand by because the person who is helping me has many projects and does not have enough time to finish the electronic part, this is the reason why (in general) all the Virtual-E project is also freezed. I hope to finish this piece as soon as possible because I really want to deploy this part of the project that will be really important.
October 15th, 1999 Oahhh... two months had passed and We're actually working too hard on this project to make our own programmed cart (EPROM). With this piece we'll be ready to test real VB code and see what happen. Also the veGL (OpenGL-like interface for the VE project) is in the mid steps to be finished (more than 50% at least), I code a preliminar demo with a cube rendered and transformed to native VB data, but as you suposse, the missing part is the transfer protocol to send this data. But believe me, maybe in a few months this project will be a reality. I hope to post in a few days that the EPROM goes on. Gimme Luck. This lack of actualization is because my internet connection has many problems. In fact, I need to hack this machine to make the project actualization.
September 30th, 1999 Oahhh... another month and a half passed and We're actually working too hard on this project to make our own programmed cart (EPROM). With this piece we'll be ready to test real VB code and see what happen. Also the veGL (OpenGL-like interface for the VE project) is in the mid steps to be finished (more than 50% at least), I code a preliminar demo with a cube rendered and transformed to native VB data, but as you suposse, the missing part is the transfer protocol to send this data. But believe me, maybe in a few months this project will be a reality. I hope to post in a few days that the EPROM goes on. Gimme Luck.
August 17th, 1999 One month pass... my vacation is over and the VirtualE project continues. I release a document about the VE project after receiving many questions about it. Be sure to check it because many people think that this project is not factible when in fact it does, and it promises a lot. I also worked on the cable to connect the VB to PC and I find useful the SNES/N64 AVcable plug because if you use a cutter or knife to remove some parts, it plugs perfect on the link port (and also the pins), I'll explain this homebuilt cable later on a future document. The Affin Map stuff is also a priority on this project. See ya.
July 12th, 1999 After some hard work, our development application, the Virtual-Environment 1.1 is released with many advanced options, the most interesting one is the plugin support. I recommend to download it and program cool demos & games for Virtual Boy. Also we are working on Link port and will be helpful if someone has the original programmer's reference for this system, to start the 2nd part of this project.
June 23th, 1999 We release the third document for programmers. This reference pretends to be a complement in VB documentation to make special effects with HBias mode and palettes. Also enjoy the Virtual Pong, the new game programmed for Virtual Boy by this team. Play it loud!.
June 14th, 1999 The VirtualE emulator first final release is out. Read the README.TXT file to be sure of the changes of this emu. Also wait for the next document of HBias Worlds and the first amateur game programed for VB, the Virtual PONG=?. See ya.
June 1st, 1999 I'm working in the Virtual-E to make some sounds and display the HBias and Affin Worlds right. This job consumes many time, so I hope in a few days release the next version of VirtualE with some nice features. Actually this emu is running more games and with the right displaying modes, it'd be really good. I'm also working in the IO part of this project, I tried the last weekend to connect the Pad to the LPT1 port like Direct Pad Pro and it actually works, then I do the inverse thing to send some controller signals with the LPT1 but i think some pins are incorrect connected and it doesnt work but I'm trying this and also find out the Link port connection instead the controller port. Gimme luck.
May 20th, 1999 If you are a VB programmer, you must see the changes in VE V810 Assembler. It also contains a PDF document with the program functions and macros. As our first document about this program, don't expect all detailed information. In future releases we'll refine this document.
May 16th, 1999 The VB Animation document is finished. Check it out and feel ready to code a game for Virtual Boy. It also includes our second demo called The Croach. Enjoy.
May 14th, 1999 After some hard work, we release the Virtual-Environment. This program is a complete development to deploy cool games and demos on Virtual Boy. In fact, I used it yesterday to test all the options and I'm currently finished a demo called The Croach. This demo will be available in a few days.
April 27th, 1999 We release the new V810 Assembler with the include feature, imagine all you can do with this new option. The Virtual-Environment is in the final stage, we are working on complete support with many formats.
April 23th, 1999 Now we have 2 other alternative sites to visit this page. One is now the main site in Emulators Unlimited, and the other acts like a mirror site1 and mirror site2. I'm working on a new application, the Virtual-Environment that is basically an advanced tile editor (more powerful that Virtual-Editor) and I'm also thinking in join it with the V810 Assembler and other tools like an hex editor, etc. With the help of the Gameboy Developers Mail-list, I've a good document on sound in gameboy (very similar to VB), so the next step is identify the every sound register on this system.
April 18th, 1999 Do you want to play Galactic Pinball, VTetris, Teleroboxer or see some stuff on other games in Windows?... just download the Virtual-E 0.3b and enjoy this emu. In other things, we are starting some stuff in sound emulation but hooooaaaaa!!!! it's hard this one. Oh! also we have the V810 Assembler 0.41 with all the known bugs fixed.
April 8th, 1999 As we promise, the first version of the Virtual-Editor is available. This program would be great for people who expects to write a demo on Virtual Boy. Try to download now.
March 28th, 1999 Now, the 0.2b version of Virtual-E is out. Start some games (try Teleroboxer), have new options, and other features, read carefully the Readme.txt before use. As a special note, now it also uses OpenGL for Windows.
March 24th, 1999 The emulator now appears to start VTetris game. We can access the Warning screen, the VB screen and the AutoPause Screen. The teleroboxer just show the Warning screen and the other games do not start. The pad emulation is done, and we are completly focused on the Display and Timer interrupts. The current version of VirtualE has some Win95 bugs that now are solved, and in a few days, a better VirtualE version will be available. Until now, the main work is improvement of the interrupt implementation.
March 13th, 1999 After hard working, the Virtual-E 0.1 Beta Release is done. It can emulate all the V810 opcodes, and some interrupts, so VB demo programmers can use this version as a useful tool. Also, it has some graphic improvements and bugs solved in the Alpha version. Commercial Games cannot be emulated but try it out!
March 5th, 1999 The new release of the V810 assembler is available for download. Now includes floating point opcodes and bit string also supported. If you want to make a good demo, this assembler will be a useful tool. I'm working with interrupts and other stuff in my Emu, just wait a few days and see.
March 3nd, 1999 Finally, the first released document in this page about Virtual Boy programming. This reference is known as "Handling Display" and is oriented to programmers that wants to know basic information about displaying graphics on this console. Som e future references will be part of this page. About the Virtual-E... well... it emulates my Cursor Demo... but... not commercial games :( I'm working on that, maybe in a few days the beta release will be available. About performance... well, because is DIB oriented until now, at low frame rates works a little slow, but at medium and high fps... Ahhh... It's like a 386!!!
February 25th,1999 I'm actually finding a solution to blit a 2bpp bitmap in a DDraw Surface. One solution i found it's the 8bpp convertion and build a DIB with it, but it's very time expensive. So I'm expecting an answer from the creators of Virtual Gameboy and other emulators of GB with the same problem to found out a better solution. At least, the main emulation of the V810 are done ... thanks to David Tucker, that helps me with opcode emulation.
February 22th, 1999 A problem with the V810 Assembler for Linux and Aix has been solved. About the Virtual-E the main opcodes are being emulated by my emu, but some problems with read and write to memory are present, and also exists a problem with blitting a BGMAP on a DirectX surface... This must be solved today (i thing it can be solved with the BPP property).
February 20th, 1999 Ok. See the advances in this project. The Virtual-E Alpha is available for download. Also the new V810 Assembler 0.3 with support for Linux and Aix, this new version can also dissasemble a ROM. Check it out!
February 18th, 1999 The essential part of the Virtual-E version Alpha is done. The Multi Surface and (DSo) ROP are done in DirectX and it works perfect. I'm only finishing the ROM reading part to ... at least, read the ROM info on this version.
February 15th, 1999 The Teleroboxer ROM extraction procced. Now I'm working on the VirtualE Graphic User Interface, in a few days, the GUI will be available for download.
February 7th, 1999 After a half week of relax and try to learn more about the interrupts teory, we found that it's a little complicated issue, so the need of support books in hardware is the current project priority.
February 3rd, 1999 The first part of the Cursor demo is complete, so we start working with interrupts.
February 2nd, 1999 The second version of the V810 assembler is a reality, with support of labels, definitions and pseudo-operations like .jump and .mov32 to make the coding life more easy.
February 1st, 1999 We need more functionality in the assembler, so the inminent second release is on the way!
January 29th, 1999 Continue working with the CURSOR demo (now, it has a name :-) with the new V810 Assembler, and also acquiring & xchanging information with David Tucker.
January 27th, 1999 First release of the assembler, with basic string problems.
January 26th, 1999 A good V810 Assembler is a priority project, so we start coding a new one in ANSI-C.
January 25th, 1999 Begin coding a demo in Asm (with David Tucker's Assembler) that displays a single sprite on screen. After working a little with this assembler we found that it's no good.
January 23th, 1999 We found that David Tucker is the only one who have worked previously on Virtual Boy emulation and currently he's working on the VB Emu 98. His page provides a lot of information about the Virtual Boy Hardware.
January 1st, 1999 The Virtual-E project starts. The most important task; search the web for every known document and site about Virtual Boy.

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