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[XPort]

Q: I've made a skin and it's so large that the emulator becomes faulty.  What can I do?

A: Decrease the size of your skin.  Virtual memory is not an option because it will sacrifice emulator performance.  I'm not going to trade off emulator performance for fluff like skins.

Q: Will you change the UI to allow menu navigation using a controller other than the one in port #1?

A: Maybe, but don't hold your breath.  

Q: How do I get the game-configuration options screen again?

A: Press X on the game-selection menu instead of A.

Q: I'm using samba shares under Linux.  Is there anything special I need to do?

A: No, although it has been mentioned that you should use "share level security" instead
of "user level security."

Q: Version "X" of emulator "Y" has been released.  When will the XBox port be updated?

A: Who can tell the future?  You're just going to have to be patient.

Q: I can't get the emulator to load.  It just seems to freeze before anything happens.  Or
it just seems to freeze randomly while running.  What could be the problem?  I've
tried everything!  

A:  Thanks to zoogderrick for the following: <br>
"Upgrade to the newest 4979 bios, and dont mod the bios, just use the default."<br>
I believe this is particularly applicable if you are using 4977.


Q: How do I install these emulators?<br>
How do I upload to the XBox?<br>
How do I burn it to a CDRW/DVDR?<br>
I'm new, help me.

A: <a href=http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?act=SF&f=18>Check out the newbie section</a>

Q: Is there a way to prevent the filenames from being converted to all lower-case letters?

A: Not yet.

Q: Is there a way to start the emulator on the game-listing screen?

A: Not yet.


Q: What about ISO9660 support?

A: It'll happen eventually.


Q: My games don't seem to be saving.  What's going on?

A: Save states are saved immediately when you do them.  However, if you are saving the game
in a manner other than save states, then actual saved data is not written to the XBox
hard drive until you exit the emulation.  If you save a game while playing the emulator
and then immediately turn off your XBox, the data will not be written to the hard drive.
You need to first go back to the game select menu at which point it is safe to turn off
your XBox because the save data will have been written to the hard drive at that time.
This is typical of any emulator.  If you were to save a game using an emulator in Windows
and then immediately unplug your computer without exiting the emulator, the same thing
would happen.<p>
Furthermore, if you have changed the default location of your SAVES directory, you need
to make sure that directory actually exists.  If you changed the directory to something like
F:\SAVES, then you need to create the F:\SAVES directory.

Q: What about G drive support?

A: It's implemented, but it has not trickled down to all the ports yet.


Q: Why can't I save the hires video mode settings?  (E.g. 1080i)

A: Setting the hires video mode has the potential of causing many more problems for me
(and possibly other people) than it would solve for you.  

Q: Games seem to hiccup when I change the 50/60 refresh rate using Enigmah video
changer.  What's the problem?

A: Don't use enigmah to change your video settings in this way.  The emulators themselves
have their own methods of setting the correct refresh rate.  Set your video refresh
rate from the official MS Dashboard and not with anything else.

Q: Do Relax shares work on Linux systems?

A: Not at the moment.  I'm aware of the issue and it will be sorted out eventually.

Q: MY_FAVORITE_GAME works in version X of the emulator but does not work in version
Y of the emulator.  Why not?

A: Usually this means a change to the emu core.  As always, check how the game plays
in the Windows version of the emulator.  If it behaves the same in the Windows version,
there's not much I can do about it.

Q: Can I use a mouse and keyboard on a hub?

A: I've heard reports of it not working.  I do not have a hub here, so I have not
had any opportunities to experiment with it.

Q: Where are the downloads?  What's wrong with your website?

A: Distributing XBEs created with the MS XDK is bad, m'kay?  Search the
net for them.

Q: Will you be implementing multiple shares or multiple favorites lists?

A: Not likely.  Certainly not anytime soon.

Q: What buttons do what on the various menus?

A: General Navigation<p>

Use DPAD Up/Down to move the menu bar up/down one position<br>
Use LTRIGGER/RTRIGGER to move the menu bar quickly<br>
Press A to select a menu item.<br>
Press B to cancel an action or to go back to the previous menu<p>

File Select Navigation<p>

Use DPAD Up/Down to move the menu bar up/down one position<br>
Use DPAD Left/Right to jump to the next/previous letter<br>
Use LTRIGGER/RTRIGGER to scroll the menu bar up/down quickly.<br>
Use LTHUMB Left/Right to scroll through screenshots (where applicable)<br>
Press Y to go automatically up one directory level<p>

The scrolling speed of LTRIGGER/RTRIGGER can be changed via: Main Menu -> Configuration -> Menu Scroll Speed.<p>

Change Value Popup Menus<p>

Use DPAD Left/Right to increment/decrement the value by 1<br>
Use LTRIGGER/RTRIGGER to increment/decrement the value quickly


Q: How do I get back to the Main Menu when I'm done playing a game?

A: The default button mapping to bring up the in-game options menu is RTHUMB.  You can change this
mapping by going to Configuration -> Configure Controllers -> Configure Controller # -> Change
Joypad Mappings -> Change UI Mappings -> Options Menu/Pause Emu.  You should also look at all
of the other UI actions you can map to buttons from this menu.

Q: Do you have a paypal account?  I'd like to donate.

A: This is appreciated, but I don't need any money.  If you want to help me, then always
read the FAQs on this website before you ask questions.  Furthermore, you can help me
by directing people to the FAQs on this website when they ask questions.  (Make sure
the answer they want is here first, though, or else they may decide to never look again.)

Q: Can you make it easier to configure and the play games instead of jumping
back and forth through menus?

A: This has been implemented.  Now when you choose "Configure Game" from the
main menu, it will automatically launch the game after you have configured it.
When you exit the game, you will be back at the "Configure Game" menu so you can
change the configuration again if you wish.  This might take a while to trickle
down to your favorite emulator, however.

Q: Is there an easy way to copy the configuration of joypad keys from one
controller to another?

A: It's now an option from the Controller Configuration menu.  It may take a while
for the feature to trickle down to your favorite emulator, however.

Q: "FEATURE" is in emulator A, but I don't see it in emulator B.  Why not?

A: Features and bugfixes are being made on a constant basis to all of the projects
I've done.  It's not really feasible to release new versions of absolutely everything
whenever I make small changes to the core.  Eventually everything will be have the
same bugfixes and feature-set, however.  Just be patient.


Q: Could you implement languages support?

A: It's being considered.  Everything is in a perpetual state of transition at the
moment, though - and adding languages support is fairly large task that I would
prefer to do when everything is more stable.


Q: Sometimes I hear sound in your ports and sometimes I don't.  What could be the problem?

A: I really have absolutely no idea.  Thusfar I've only heard one person having this
problem.  I'm adding this question to the FAQ page, however, so that I can remove it
from the questions section.  


Q: Are you going to port KIAME or port a SNES emulator or port "MY_FAVORITE_EMU"

A: Firstly, when I think about doing a brand new project, I think about something
that I would have at least a slight interest in playing.  I don't like fighting
games and I don't like FPS games.  Second, I try to refrain from doing what has
already been done.  Why in the world would anyone ask me to port a SNES emulator?
What else could you want from XSnes9X? <p>

Finally, it really makes absolutely no difference to me
how many people "would love" to see a certain platform emulated.  I ignore all
requests for new projects so don't even bother asking.  You're wasting your breath.  
That may sound brusque, but I would really like to make this notion stick.

Q: Why doesn't "MY_FAVORITE_GAME" work the way I want it to (or at all) on your emulator
ports?

A: Have you tried it on the Windows version?  If the game you are trying to play
behaves the same way on the Windows version, then there is nothing I can do about it.



Q: Why can't I get rid of the E:\SAVES\<EMULATOR> directory and the *.INI files there?
<p>

A: Let's say that you want to save all of your INI files and save files, etc, to a
new directory called F:\FOO.  How is the emulator supposed to know that you want
to save everything in F:\FOO?  It has to read that directory from an INI file.  Where is it
supposed to look for that INI file?  There has to be a standard, static place
that the emulator can look for the INI file.  You're probably thinking to yourself,
"Why not read it in the same directory that the XBE is located?"  Well, what about the
people who want to burn the emulator to a disc and play it like that?  Yes, you can
still read the INI file from the disc, but what about when they want to make configuration
changes?  Where should those configuration changes be saved?  It obviously cannot be
written back to the D drive since that is a disc and cannot be written to by the XBox.
This is why the emulators are saving the INI data to the standard directory of
E:\SAVES\EMULATORNAME.  
<p>

Q: The emulator is locking up when I try to run it.  What's wrong?
<p>
A: There is a known problem with the Evolution-X dashboard that will sometimes cause
programs that it launches to randomly crash.  Try unplugging the network cable or
try installing a different dashboard.

<p>

Q: How do I stop the background music from playing when I start playing a game?
<p>

A: Go to Main Menu -> Configuration -> Stop BGM Before Playing Game <br>
Exit back to the main menu and play a game.  The BGM should stop before the
game begins.  This setting is saved automatically when you exit the configuration
screen.  You do not need to fiddle with any INI files.
<p>

Q: I've made a change to my INI file, but the change is not being recognized?
<p>

A: Do not hand-edit the INI file.  Absolutely everything that can be altered in the INI file can be done via the on-screen menus.  Carefully examine the "Configuration" menu.

Q: My controllers are not configured how I want them to be. <br>
My controllers are doing something I don't want them to do. <br>
My controllers are not doing something I do want them do do.
<p>

A: Controller configurations are saved for each game you play.  This means that
every single game you play has its own separate controller configuration.  This is a
good thing because *you* are in control of your settings rather than the emulator.<p>

When you play a game for the first time, you are presented with a configuration screen.
This will allow you to change (among other things) the controller configuration for
that game.  If you do not change anything, then it will use the currently defined defaults
that you specified from the "Main Menu -> Configuration -> Configure Controllers" section.<p>

If you later discover that the settings are not what you want, you can either change the
controller configuration while playing the game ( "Options Menu -> Configuration ->
Configure Controllers") or from the main menu ( "Main Menu -> configure Game" ).
<p>

Q: But how do I actually *change* the controller configuration?
<p>

A: First, you need to make sure that you are changing the configuration from the correct
place.  If you want to change the controller configuration for a specific game that you
have already played, then you need to either go to "Options Menu -> Configuration ->
Configure Controllers" (while playing the game)  or from the main menu "Main Menu ->
configure Game".  Do *not* go to "Main Menu -> Configuration -> Configure Controllers"
and expect those changes to be globally applied to every single game you've already
played.  <p>

Now that you're updating the correct place, on to the actual configuration.<p>

Every emulator has a set of buttons that control its activities.  This is different
for each emulator.  For example, the PSX has buttons for Cross, Square, Circle, etc.
The NES has A and B buttons instead.  Every possible controller action that you
can invoke from a real emulated controller is available to you from the "Main Menu ->
Configuration -> Configure Controllers -> Emulator Definitions" menu.  As you can see
from that menu, there are 32 user-definable "buttons" and each of those buttons can
be assigned an emulator controller activity.  For example, you can assign button 1 to
be the NES B button.  Or you can assign button 5 to be the PSX DPAD-UP activity.
The defaults for each emulator are probably sufficient for most people and don't need
to be changed.  (Every controller action is mapped to at least one button on this menu.)
<p>

Now that you've got the button assignments down, we can actually map those buttons
to the XBox controller.  From the controller configuration menu, go to "Change Joypad
Mappings".  From here you will be able to assign XBox controller activities to just
about anything.  Firstly, go to "Change Game Mappings."  You will be presented with
a list of the 32 buttons that you defined in "Emulator Definitions" along with
what you defined each one to be.  Simply select one of the buttons and a popup
box will appear where you can enter in the XBox controller command you want to map to
that button.  For example, let's say you defined "Emu Button 1" to be the "NES DPAD-UP"
command.  Select that button and a popup box will appear.  When it does, press DPAD-UP
on your XBox controller and wait until the timer goes down to zero.  You will now see
that "Emu Button 1 (DPAD-UP)" is mapped to XBox DPAD-UP.  Simple.
<p>

You can do the same kind of thing in the "Change UI Mappings" section.  In this menu,
you will see things like "Take Screenshot" "Save State", "Start Recording", etc, etc.
Simply select the one you want to change, the popup box will appear, and you can
then press the XBox controller combination that you want it to be.  For example,
select "Take Screenshot" and then press the LEFT TRIGGER and the RIGHT TRIGGER.  Now
whenever you are playing a game and you press the LEFT TRIGGER and RIGHT TRIGGER at the
same time, it will take a screenshot.  <p>

Q: How can I reset all the saved controller configurations and make new standard
defaults?
<p>

A: Go to the E:\SAVES\EMULATORNAME directory and delete all of the *.KEY files.  Now
start the emulator, go to "Main Menu -> Configuration -> Configure Controllers" and
configure your controllers how you would like them to be.  Now whenever you start
a game, it will default to the settings you just assigned.  If you change the controller
configuration of a game to something else, however, then that becomes the new default
unless you change it again from the Main Menu.
<p>

Q: The scanlines look like they're applied to the game image and then the image
is scaled.  Why don't you apply the scanlines after the image is scaled?
<p>

A: The scaling of the game image is done by the XBox hardware.  There does not appear
to be any way to access the post-hardware-interpreted data, therefore the only viable
way to do what you're suggesting is to software scaling first, and then apply scanlines.
The slowdown introduced by this is not an appealing option.
<p>


Q: I can't load certain ROMs from my relax share.  What's going on?

A: There is a known bug with the relax server where it will not serve files with
a comma character in them.  A beta version of Relax is available at the relax
website that fixes this problem.  


Q: My Samba shares are spitting out garbage characters and mangled filenames.  What's going on?

A: This is a bug with the Samba library.  No files are omitted, but some extra
garbag entries show up every once and a while.  Just ignore them.


Q: I can only see around 4000 files in my directory even though I know there are more.  What's going on?

A: Wouldn't it be a heck of a lot easier to navigate through your files if you
used subdirectories?  (E.g. "A", "B", "C".....)

Q: Why don't your ports support the S-Controller?

A: Everything new I've released allows the user to customize absolutely everything
about their controllers.  You haven't looked at the Main menu -> Configuration ->
Configure Controllers section yet.

Q: I'm trying to netplay and I cannot connect to my friend's xbox.  What's wrong?

A: There is some strangeness with establishing an XBOX connection - especially
when going from NAT to NAT.  I have a router that can map specific ports to
specific computers in my intranet, but it would not route correctly to my XBOX.
I still don't know why this is, but if you are having the same kind of problems,
then I suggest you download a portmapper, for example:<p>

http://www.analogx.c...d/n...er.htm<p>

If you are the server, set up a mapping for port 8989 going from your computer to
your xbox.  For example, let's say your XBOX IP address is 192.168.123.10 and
your computer IP address is 192.168.123.11.  You would run the portmapper on your
computer and map port 8989 to 192.168.123.10.  Be sure your router is routing port
8989 to your computer (192.168.123.11 in the above example.)<p>

If you are the client, set up a port mapping on your computer from port 8989 to
the IP address of the XBOX server to which you are trying to connect.  Then
when you are entering an IP address in the emu, enter the IP address of your computer
that is running the port mapper.

Q: What network port is used for netplay?

A: 8989

Q: When using relax or samba shares, does the emu stream the whole file over to the
hard drive or does it stream only cd-requested data?

A: In PCSXBox, the BIN images are streamed. <p>
In NeoGenesis, all ISO/MP3 cd-data is streamed.  ROM cartridge images are copied
across the network onto the XBox X: drive and then executed from there.<p>
In HU-GO!, ISO files are streamed whereas MP3 files are copied over the network
entirely and then played.  HU-Card images (ROMs) are copied over onto the XBox
X: drive and then loaded.


Q: Why don't you join all your emulators to one giant "emulation center" or so?

A: Due to the XBox's limited memory (64MB) this is not possible/feasible.

Q: Does MY_FAVORITE_XBOX_CONTROLLER work with your ports?

A: All XBox-compatible controllers work with all of the projects I've done.  Just about all emulator/UI button mappings can be custom-configured using the on-screen menus.  Read back in the FAQ for more details on how to configure button mappings.

Q: After I installed one of your newer ports, all of your projects show up with the same icon on my dashboard.  What gives???

A: All of my projects have the same title ID.  I only recently started using icon graphics in some more recent ports.  The problem lies with your dashboard.  I'm not about to make special releases of all the projects I've done simply to change the title IDs on all of them to something unique.  Avalaunch is one dashboard that handles the icon graphics on my projects just fine.  I suggest you use it if the icons bother you so much.

Q: How do I get command-line launching to work?

A: It has to be implemented into the dashboard you are using.  You need to make a request to your favorite dashboard author to implement XPort's method of command-line launching.

Q: Can you make MY_FAVORITE_EMULATOR look/sound exactly like the original hardware?  I am a video-game purist and I notice even the slightest differences.

A: Core audio/video updates happen periodically to try and improve authenticity, but most likely the ports will never behave exactly like the original.  

Q: What about screensavers?

A: In due time.