xm3smps: now with more Visual Basic

WARNING: Version 3.1 had a major bug appeared when I added the custom panning options! Thanks to Puto for noticing this, I can't believe I did such a big mistake in my code, and I can't believe I didn't notice it at first (though I admit I didn't do much testing to it).

In short: don't use version 3.1, I also deleted it from the wiki server. Go get version 3.1.1 please, and sorry for the whole mess.

xm3smps

Also, a note: I was having some problems with Visual Basic so I had to upgrade a few libraries. While the whole program should be better and stabler now because of this, you might need to download MSCOMCTL.OCX and MSCOMCT2.OCX, replacing COMCTL32.OCX and COMCT232.OCX (of course you shouldn't delete them if other programs need them), I was still using deprecated libraries and not the most recent ones because they're slightly smaller and should need less memory, except that they crashed Visual Basic when the project began to be too big for them. Think of a Genesis that tries to run a 5MB cartridge.

Also, the fact that no one else noticed that bug except from Puto confirms my initial idea, few people are actually using this.

 

The problem is that you got that bug if you DIDN'T set the pan. Interestingly enough, the custom panning (which I tested) was working fine, and the default panning (which I didn't test, because I thought "oh yeah it's the same code so it works for sure") screwed it up.
Here is my stupid error:

Code (Text):

1. If defpan = 1 Then a$ = Chr$(224) + Chr$(192)
2. If defpan = 2 Then a$ = Chr$(224) + Chr$(128)
3. If defpan = 3 Then a$ = Chr$(224) + Chr$(64)
4. Put #3, , a$

The problem is that I wrote a$ to the binary file also if defpan = 0 (aka: "old mode"), so I outputed whatever I had in a$ at that time (most likely an F6 XX XX from the previous channel).
Yeah a stupid mistake, it was the last day of the year also for me :P

 

That's the point. Let me explain again. With version 3.1 I added 7 combo boxes for the panning (6 FM + DAC), with 4 options: default, centre, left, right. By default, it's set on "default" (lol), which sets the defpan variable to 0 and uses the old code (which reads the 8xx commands from the XM file). If an user didn't change that combo (aka didn't bother with panning), he was going to get a broken output, as I wrote a trailing a$ with some other shit in it. You actually had to change the panning on ALL the combo boxes to avoid that bug. The new options are used to override the 8xx effects used in the XM (sometimes the panning in the XM is broken if you import a MIDI with Mod Plug Tracker).

However, that bug is fixed now; also, I'm not writing E0 C0 anymore when you set it to "centre", as it's not needed (thanks Tweaker).

 

I think it's an awesome idea! In fact, I've been thinking about it since xm2smps 0.1, except that I don't know the format for syx files. I once tried to ask Saxman, with no success. Just use SOME or SQX, I guess, I'm sorry. That, or provide me specs for syx files.

 

Working on the next release. Of course feel free to suggest any features you'd like to see implemented (keeping in mind the SMPS limits).
For now, I'm adding some options.


(the spike bug thing is actually a joke suggested by Tweaker)

 

It is gone now anyway, it was just a joke. The "do not exit" option, instead, is staying and is priceless. You can click on X as many times as you want and it won't quit.

 

<!--quoteo(post=175296:date=Jan 5 2008, 07:58 PM:name=Hitaxas)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hitaxas @ Jan 5 2008, 07:58 PM)

Just kidding. But you gave me an idea. Now that one can set up the settings I'm going to add the chance to use a custom background picture. Pointless, I know, but easy to implement.

 

Can't. Kamineko is copyrighted.