Hacking R4 Commander V2.0

[TrolleyDave]

2.06 released
----------------

Fixed a couple of minor bugs, still has problems with unpacked .NDS files. It may take me a while to solve it.

Added support for 3-in-1 saves and unpacked GBA files. Using the Import Saves routine automatically copies over any saves found in the \GBA\SAVE\ folder.

You can also add unarchived GBA files to the build by dropping them in the build window. If it finds a save for the GBA file in the save library then it'll automatically add/copy the save as well. There's no trimming or patching yet. If I can find some decent tech specs on GBA headers, file trimming and patching it to use SRAM I'll try and add it in as an automatic process.

All GBA games are copied to \GBA\ and all GBA saves are copied to \GBA\SAVE\.

Download available on my blog.

 

[zardoz]

I'm sorry if this has already been asked, but I couldn't see the question or answer via searches.

How do I create my own EZ-Packs? I can see the format is a ZIP file, with a further ZIP and INI file inside it.
I tried to reproduce an updated version of the 1.15 firmware from your existing 1.14 file but it fails to be recognized as valid.

What are the .ezc creation rules and procedure?

The ROM commander an excellent tool and I would like to make more use of it for the homebrew stuff.

Thanks.
Z

 

[TrolleyDave]

I'm sorry if this has already been asked, but I couldn't see the question or answer via searches.

How do I create my own EZ-Packs? Â I can see the format is a ZIP file, with a further ZIP and INI file inside it.
I tried to reproduce an updated version of the 1.15 firmware from your existing 1.14 file but it fails to be recognized as valid.

What are the .ezc creation rules and procedure?

The ROM commander an excellent tool and I would like to make more use of it for the homebrew stuff.

Thanks.
Z

Not a problem mate.

The .EZC File
----------------
Each EZC file is just a standard zip file except it has the extension .EZC instead of .ZIP. (You've obviously already worked this out but just in case anyone else wants to know). Inside the file is a .INI file containing pack and installation details, a .ZIP file containing the installation and a graphics file . The .ZIP file inside the .EZC file has to be named EZPACK.ZIP or R4 Commander V2.0 won't recognize it, the .INI file has to be named EZPACK.INI or again it won't be recognized. The graphics file can be named anything you want and can be either .JPG, .BMP, .GIF or .PNG.

The EZPACK.ZIP File
------------------------
When installing the .EZC pack to the MicroSD card R4 Commander V2.0 just unzips the contents of the EZPACK.ZIP file directly into the output folder set in the .INI file, keeping the directory structure intact. Unzip a couple of the EZPACK.ZIP files into empty folders and you'll see what I mean. To create one simply create a copycat folder on your hard drive (ie. one that looks exactly how it should look on the R4), highlight all the files and use WinZip to pack them. Remember to include any subdirectories that the app/firmware needs.

The EZPACK.INI file
------------------------
The .INI file is just a standard Windows format .INI file. Each setting is as follows :

Pack Name= (* This is the name of the app inside the pack *)

Pack Details= (* This is a brief description of what the app does. Shown in the homebrew library window *)

Pack Type= (* This is the type of pack. It can be Firmware, Application, Emulator, Game, Moonshell, Skins, usrcheat.dat, Other *)

Destination= (* This is the folder on the MicroSD card that the .ZIP file should unpack to. Firmware packs should always install to \ and to have the pack installed in the folders defined by the user use the following macros \*APPPATH*\ for the applications folder, \*EMUPATH*\ for the emulators folder and \*HBGPATH*\ for the homebrew games folder *)

Notes= (* Does nothing at the mo *)

Picture File= (* This is the name of the graphics file included in the .EZC pack. It gets added to the R4 Commander gfx library for future use. *)

File Type 1= (* This is for emulators and programs like ComicBookDS. If you put an extension here then any files dropped into the window with the same extension get copied automatically to the correct folder on the MicroSD card. ie. if this is set to .SMC and File Type Path=\SNES\ then any .SMC files will automatically be copied to the \SNES\ folder on the MicroSD card. You can have up to 4 file types per pack. *)

File Type Path= (* This is the output folder on the MicroSD card for the files set in File Type 1-4 *)




If you have any other questions then fire away. It's pretty straight forward once you get the hang of it. If you create any packs then any chance of you sending them to me so that I can make them available for people?

EDIT : Oh yeah, when you name the pack if it's an R4 only pack it has to e called R4-******.EZC, M3 Simply packs are M3-*******.EZC and packs for both are R4M3-*******.EZC (so that firmware packs can be seperate but all others are 1 for all!). There are other card types set in the program as well.

 

[zardoz]

Brilliant! That makes things a lot clearer and I have managed to produce some customized packs, for the latest DSOrganize and DSLinux.

Many thanks for that very clear reply.

Z.

 

[TrolleyDave]

Not a problem mate, I wasn't sure if it would be helpful or not, my literary skills aren't the sharpest! Any chance of getting copies of the DSO and DSLinux pack? Add Pack by Zardoz into the Notes= pack and that way people will know you've done it.

I'll put them up for download on the blog so other people can grab them as well (I'll give you full creds of course).

 

[potechi]

I'm also having problems renaming. When I add a .rar to the build the internal .nds renames fine but when adding an .nds to the build it doesn't autorename. Also when I try to do a rename in the ROM Library the listed game just disappears. I'm using 2.05B.

thanks.

Same problem here. When I drop .nds files to R4 Commander, the autorename didn't work, but if I compress .nds file into .zip file, autorename work just fine, it rename .nds file inside the .zip and also the .zip file.
In Library if I remove all my game, removal of the last game will cause error box "List index out of bounds (-1)".
I'm using R4 Commander v2.06

 

[zardoz]

Not a problem mate, I wasn't sure if it would be helpful or not, my literary skills aren't the sharpest! Any chance of getting copies of the DSO and DSLinux pack? Add Pack by Zardoz into the Notes= pack and that way people will know you've done it.

I'll put them up for download on the blog so other people can grab them as well (I'll give you full creds of course).

PM sent.

Z.

 

[TrolleyDave]

Not a problem mate, I wasn't sure if it would be helpful or not, my literary skills aren't the sharpest!  Any chance of getting copies of the DSO and DSLinux pack?  Add Pack by Zardoz into the Notes= pack and that way people will know you've done it.

I'll put them up for download on the blog so other people can grab them as well (I'll give you full creds of course).


PM sent.

Z.

Nice one! I've grabbed them now, I'll try and up them to the blog later. I didn't realize DSLinux was so large!

 

[TrolleyDave]

I'm also having problems renaming.  When I add a .rar to the build the internal .nds renames fine but  when adding an .nds to the build it doesn't autorename.  Also when I try to do a rename in the ROM Library the listed game just disappears. I'm using 2.05B.

thanks.

Same problem here. When I drop .nds files to R4 Commander, the autorename didn't work, but if I compress .nds file into .zip file, autorename work just fine, it rename .nds file inside the .zip and also the .zip file.
In Library if I remove all my game, removal of the last game will cause error box "List index out of bounds (-1)".
I'm using R4 Commander v2.06

I'm working on the app now so I'll try and upload an update later tonight. I've fixed the plain .NDS file problem but am still working on the delete from library bug. Didn't know about the rename bug so I'll look into it.

 

[TrolleyDave]

2.1 Fixes + Changes
——————-
+ All files can now be in .ZIP, .RAR or .7Z when dropped into the window.
+ Fixed problems with unpacked .NDS files.
- There’s still a bug when deleting the last file from the game library.

Downloads available on the blog.

 

[potechi]

2.1 Fixes + Changes
——————-
+ All files can now be in .ZIP, .RAR or .7Z when dropped into the window.
+ Fixed problems with unpacked .NDS files.
- There’s still a bug when deleting the last file from the game library.

Downloads available on the blog.

Thanks for a great program

 

[TrolleyDave]

Has anybody had a problem installing 2.1 over the last release?

 

[TrolleyDave]

V2.11 Released
------------------
+ Fixed bugs when deleting from Game Library.
+ Now auto-patches GBA games to use SRAM. Not all save types supported yet, releases 0001-1000 work 100%, about 30% of games 1001+ still to be done.
+ Fixed space saved display.

Sorry that the GBA SRAM patching isn't 100% yet but I thought the fix to the Game Library delete function was important enough to release it before finishing the GBA patch stuff.

There's around 5 save types not supported yet, but hopefully I'll get them done tomorrow.

As always downloads are available on my blog.

 

[TrolleyDave]

More packs added to the blog (thanks Zardoz!) including DSLinux, the latest DSOrganize and EliteAGB.

 

[marla.k]

That is cool TrolleyDave!

Too bad that I have absoutely no time at the moment (due to some private problems

) to have a look at your newest changes, but I am sure they are great, like your app is

Later, I think in about 2 month, when everthing will calm down a bit, I plan to send you some nice homebrew packs for your blog too ...

 

[TrolleyDave]

That is cool TrolleyDave!

Too bad that I have absoutely no time at the moment (due to some private problemsÂ

) to have a look at your newest changes, but I am sure they are great, like your app isÂ

Later, I think in about 2 month, when everthing will calm down a bit, I plan to send you some nice homebrew packs for your blog too ...

That would be cool marla! Did you get the version I sent you as an attachment?

 

[TrolleyDave]

2.13 Fixes + Changes
——————-
+ Auto-patches 90% of GBA roms to use SRAM when copying to the MicroSD card. (It won't fix ones with protection)
+ Fixed wifi block size (Thanks Azimuth!)
+ Fixed a couple of visual errors.

Downloads available on my blog.

 

[sepinho]

Hey TrolleyDave, I love your tool, thanks for the effort.

I usually use it for all my R4/rom managing needs. And it'd probably prove even more useful with the new GBA trimming tool.

Problem is, it's been crashing for me ever since 2.10: Whenever I press the button "Open Rom Library" it gives me a "List Index out of bounds (147)" error and then hangs at "Please wait while I build the details in your list". Any idea as to what's going on?

I'm currently using 2.13 (well, trying to..) on Win XP SP2. The Roms are stored on a Debian file server.

 

[TrolleyDave]

Hey TrolleyDave, I love your tool, thanks for the effort.

I usually use it for all my R4/rom managing needs. And it'd probably prove even more useful with the new GBA trimming tool.

Problem is, it's been crashing for me ever since 2.10: Whenever I press the button "Open Rom Library" it gives me a "List Index out of bounds (147)" error and then hangs at "Please wait while I build the details in your list". Any idea as to what's going on?

I'm currently using 2.13 (well, trying to..) on Win XP SP2. The Roms are stored on a Debian file server.

You're the third person to complain of that problem, unfortunately I can't help you out as I've never been able to replicate the problem, and I definitely wouldn't be able to recreate your setup. It's going to have to be a case of resetting the program from the utils menu and adding all your roms to the library again. I think your index has become corrupt somehow, but how I don't know as I haven't changed the file structures at all.

On another note :

2.14 Fixes + Changes
———————
I was going to add GBA trimming in but as I’ve had no response to whether or not it works in BatchGBA I’ve left it out.

+ Fixed another bug when deleting from game library.
+ Sped up trimming slightly.
+ Fixed a bug in one of the GBA patching routines

Downloads available from the blog as usual!

 

[sepinho]

Thanks, I'm gonna give 2.14 a try tonite, resetting the database while I'm at it.

Oh, and I wouldn't call my last post "complaining". That'd be inappropriate of me, considering the great job you're doing. I was merely pointing out a problem I had encountered, hoping for help.

PS: "How can I laugh tomorrow..." -> one of the greatest songs ever. I remember seeing ST live in Hamburg/Germany in 1992, it was awesome. I suppose I should put that album on my MP3 player. Thanks for the inspiration!