Hacking AKAIO v1.0 Officially Released

[Smiths]

It should have custom icon support. Just gotta place a BMP in te folder with the name of the extension (GBA.bmp).
I know that was ported over.

Also FYI: I just finished putting in custom loader support. So you can place an akmenu4.nds in "__aio/ak2loader/" and in the rom option under "AK2 Loader" specify "Alternate", and it will use that loader when launching the ROM.

Was a little bit of a bitch to program in, thank god for Normmatt's patience with me

Kept failing failing failing at the idea behind it then in a dream I figured out what I needed to do and ta-da....

So now it's "futureproof" in a way... I guess.
Norm's about to see my ugly-ass code to do the binary searching and copying... I hope he doesn't hit me.

So whenever and update is released, that'll be put in.

I wasted far too much vodka on that to not have it included

 

[Gevexx]

Yeah i know that there is an icon support for extensions but i want to give an different icon for every single game/homebrew. Unless ofcourse its already possible with the method you posted.

Thx for the fast answer btw. ^^

 

[Bri]

Also FYI: I just finished putting in custom loader support. So you can place an akmenu4.nds in "__aio/ak2loader/" and in the rom option under "AK2 Loader" specify "Alternate", and it will use that loader when launching the ROM.

Thank you for adding this! I was wondering if it's possible to scan the "ak2loader" folder and have a selector that you could select between different loaders, similar to how skins are selected. I doubt I'd ever have more than one alternate loader, but you never know. If the interface is already there and it's not hard to do, it may be useful.

-Bri

 

[Smiths]

Also FYI: I just finished putting in custom loader support. So you can place an akmenu4.nds in "__aio/ak2loader/" and in the rom option under "AK2 Loader" specify "Alternate", and it will use that loader when launching the ROM.

Thank you for adding this! I was wondering if it's possible to scan the "ak2loader" folder and have a selector that you could select between different loaders, similar to how skins are selected. I doubt I'd ever have more than one alternate loader, but you never know. If the interface is already there and it's not hard to do, it may be useful.

-Bri

It's actually really easy, believe it or not. As you said, the selector is that. I just don't know if it's worth it since really I dunno if people will use multiple loaders. It's a good idea for the whole "futureproof" concept in case ROM "A" works with loader "A" but ROM "B" doesn't, but worked with previous version "C".

Now that the routine is in place it's as easy as passing a variable of the file name to the romloading routine. It's similar to how the cheat menu lets you select from multiple databases (my addition

).

Right now I'm just happy.. tracked down a bug when I added gelu's latest fixes to the RPG code (we use a slightly modified Patching routine, because of the 'common cheat file' change I love). Forgot he didn't and basically spent 2 hours tracking down while "filename" != "arFilename".

I hate when it's as simple as that crap.

 

[Bri]

I hate when it's as simple as that crap.

The bug is always in the last place you look, isn't it?

The more I think about it, the more useful it might be to have multiple loaders for the very reason you listed. Sometimes a game gets broken in a later loader, but worked in a previous one. That is likely to be the case when they move from 4.07 to 4.08.

Anyway, thanks for all you're doing, Smiths. It's a great menu and it's getting better because of your hard work!

-Bri

 

[Smiths]

yeah, update: multi loaders done. Just need to clean up the option window cuz the file names go out of the boundaries. simply visual at this point but tested with 3 alternate AK2 loaders in the /ak2loader directory.

MULTIBLURN
MULTIBLURN
MULTIBLURN

 

[Tomy Sakazaki]

@ kellicros, I had a little trouble running AIO on my AK2. This is what I did
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=942...t&p=1270157

I usually have my SDHC fprmatted with the Panasonic formatter.

I couldnt get AIO to run utill I used the windows formatter on my card.

For some reason AIO doesnt like how Panasonic formats.

In my case I've tried to format both microSD (they aren't SDHC) with Panasonic Formatter, and Windows formatter at FAT16 and FAT32, doesn't solve =(

 

[Bri]

Has anyone tried looking at the "__aio" folder in DSOrganize to make sure that it's all lowercase and not "__AIO" or "__Aio" or something else? I know that looking at it on Windows doesn't always show you how it's actually formatted in the file table.

-Bri

 

[Bri]

Now that is really weird, I will try reformatting my microsd later, thanks for the confirmation though. :|

Someone on the Acekard forum was also able to fix the problem by reformatting their microSD using Windows.

-Bri

 

[KnightFire]

Is there a possibility to add Filename-based external icon support ? i want to give my GBA Games and/or Homebrew a nice Icon like the NDS ones.

Not meaning to hijack this thread but I second this request.

 

[gratefulbuddy]

Is there a possibility to add Filename-based external icon support ? i want to give my GBA Games and/or Homebrew a nice Icon like the NDS ones.

Not meaning to hijack this thread but I second this request.

"_aio\icons" for some file types:
Icons thread

I think for homebrew you must use a rom-editing tool.

 

[Smiths]

Is there a possibility to add Filename-based external icon support ? i want to give my GBA Games and/or Homebrew a nice Icon like the NDS ones.

Not meaning to hijack this thread but I second this request.

I defeat hijacking terrorists by telling you:

32x32 15-bit BMP (hi-color) with name of .bmp in the /__aio/icons/ or /__aio/ui//icons/ dir = items with extension of have that bmp as the icon.

We've had it for a lonnnnng time. It's just hard to make a readme featuring all the changes and yeah, some stuff should be documented.

horrid pic, but there's a custom icon for TXT files.

 

[jmonee84]

Normatt and Smith, I absolutely love the custom firmware. Thank you so much! Just a FYI, I reformatted my Sandisk 1GB MicroSD to FAT32, and while the loader worked on my AK2, no games would load. I reformatted to FAT16, and all problems were resolved. I am using Mac OS X 10.5, and since option to format in FAT16 was not available in the DiskUtil program, I had to go to the terminal.

 

[704jaffer]

Waffles, definitely.

I have a small question, is it too much to ask (or even possible) to include an option to use %NAME%.sav files instead of %NAME%.nds.sav files?

 

[Normmatt]

Waffles, definitely.

I have a small question, is it too much to ask (or even possible) to include an option to use %NAME%.sav files instead of %NAME%.nds.sav files?

The option to change the save extension is already in 1.1, there are a few more things we want to add before we release though.

 

[mastodon81]

hi there.

thanks for your work again - i always preferred merged love to bliss one

, but some problems of merged love force me to change to it.
so now i'm happy you came out with a new firmware.

but, i had a problem

-i made the original post on acekard bbs, but i saw you'll never use it, so, here's a repost.


exactly with dump 1968: advance wars, dark conflict.
rmi used Bliss firmware till i switched to AKAIO today; i start to play with that dump and i see that the game now didn't recognized the sav file that i was using.
even if i set the correct save file dimension (2M) in game properties, the game didn't see the save file at all and i have to play from the beginning again.

why this happened?

[EDIT]

i tried other dumps and i had the same problem (save file not recognized), for example with, 2339 - LEGO indiana jones - the original adventures (euro), but not with 0111 - advance wars: dual strike (euro), whose save file was originally created with merged love, latest version.

this is dued to compatibility issuees between bliss and akaio? it's a bit strange, isn't it?

moreover, as usual there are errors in save file dimension (eg. 0705 - phoenix wright - ace attorney, euro) so the game delete the save. i already asked for an automated savelisteditor -Normmatt created one for me- using advanscene XMLs, but i get no response from Normmatt :| - it will be much simplier, in my opinion, that edit game per game properties - or, discover the problem only when you lose your save game.

[EDIT END]

thanks in advance,
ciroops

ps. just for curiosity: why you, smiths, shouldn't use anymore acekard bbs?

Hi guys thanx for this firmware but I had the same problem of ciropizza, the OS doesn't recognize the savegame file and in the properties there is a wrong dimension of the saver, for example with yugi oh the saver dimension on the akbbs is 64/512k and with AKAIO is 1M (strange, isn'it?)

The games with this save problem are

-yugi oh world championsip 2008 [EUR]
-Farm life [EUR]
-Sonic and mario at olympic games [EUR]

Thanks for your work, I hope this problem will be solved, for now I continue using the AKBBS!

 

[Smiths]

I think Norm traced down the save thing.

 

[Smiths]

I have a small question, is it too much to ask (or even possible) to include an option to use %NAME%.sav files instead of %NAME%.nds.sav files?

You bet your ass it's in 1.1. Including renaming all existing saves from within the GUI (including save slots). Can go back and forth between the two. Just set the "Advanced Option" of "Save Extension" to your choice, select the sav file (set browsing option to NDS+sav), on the file info you can hit the "Save Ext." button and viola, converted.

Also, if you do the copy/cut/delete SAV with file options, it'll figure out which sav extension you're using and copy/cut/delete those saves too. So if you're a .SAV guy and you have a rom with a .ds.sav thing.. when you copy/cut/delete the ROM, the sav will be there (since your option is for .SAV). but if your option is for .nds.sav, the savs will be copy/cut/delete too.

Huzzah.

(btw: multi-loader is just plain fun. got a13, a14, a15 and the beta all in my loader dir and just change between them and AKAIO at will.)

 

[704jaffer]

*Swoon* Your my new hero...

 

[Normmatt]

hi there.

thanks for your work again - i always preferred merged love to bliss one

, but some problems of merged love force me to change to it.
so now i'm happy you came out with a new firmware.

but, i had a problem

-i made the original post on acekard bbs, but i saw you'll never use it, so, here's a repost.


exactly with dump 1968: advance wars, dark conflict.
rmi used Bliss firmware till i switched to AKAIO today; i start to play with that dump and i see that the game now didn't recognized the sav file that i was using.
even if i set the correct save file dimension (2M) in game properties, the game didn't see the save file at all and i have to play from the beginning again.

why this happened?

[EDIT]

i tried other dumps and i had the same problem (save file not recognized), for example with, 2339 - LEGO indiana jones - the original adventures (euro), but not with 0111 - advance wars: dual strike (euro), whose save file was originally created with merged love, latest version.

this is dued to compatibility issuees between bliss and akaio? it's a bit strange, isn't it?

moreover, as usual there are errors in save file dimension (eg. 0705 - phoenix wright - ace attorney, euro) so the game delete the save. i already asked for an automated savelisteditor -Normmatt created one for me- using advanscene XMLs, but i get no response from Normmatt :| - it will be much simplier, in my opinion, that edit game per game properties - or, discover the problem only when you lose your save game.

[EDIT END]

thanks in advance,
ciroops

ps. just for curiosity: why you, smiths, shouldn't use anymore acekard bbs?

Hi guys thanx for this firmware but I had the same problem of ciropizza, the OS doesn't recognize the savegame file and in the properties there is a wrong dimension of the saver, for example with yugi oh the saver dimension on the akbbs is 64/512k and with AKAIO is 1M (strange, isn'it?)

The games with this save problem are

-yugi oh world championsip 2008 [EUR]
-Farm life [EUR]
-Sonic and mario at olympic games [EUR]

Thanks for your work, I hope this problem will be solved, for now I continue using the AKBBS!

The save bug was just a stupid mistake, it will be fixed in 1.1, sorry about any inconveniences this bug has caused anyone.