Hacking YSMenu0805200255

[Bri]

There is a new version of YSMenu:

* History
+ 2008/05/20 02:55
- Simple Text Viewer
- Draws Frame also with skin (u can disable by ini setting)
- Fix: a bug after softreset

For those who don't know, YSMenu is a homebrew menu for the DSTT and Acekard 2 by Yasu. Yasu doesn’t want anyone to link to any pages other than his home page. Yasu’s home page is http://home.usay.jp/. It's mostly in Japanese, but to get YSMenu, follow these directions:[*]Click the "ETC" button in the main menu near the top beneath the title.[*]Select "Nintendo DS" (second item) from the table.[*]Search for "DS(T_T)DS" (CTRL-F) or just scroll about 2/3 of the way down until you see the heading in blue.[*]There is a scrollable text area beneath that heading. Select the first item in the scollable list (currently "2008/05/20 02:55") to download the latest version.-----

To install YSMenu for DSTT:[*]Make sure you have the newest version of YSMenu and the latest version of the official TTMenu firmware.[*]Unzip the YSMenu archive.[*]Place a copy of "TTMENU.DAT" from the original menu into the same folder as the "ttextract.exe" program on your PC. Run "ttextract.exe" on your PC. Place the two resulting files ("ttdldi.dat" and "ttpatch.dat") into the "TTMENU" folder on your microSD card.[*](a) If you want YSMenu to be your default menu, rename "TTMENU.DAT" that is on your microSD to "TTMenu.nds", then place a copy of "YSMenu.nds" on the root (top level) of your microSD card. Make a copy of "YSMenu.nds" named "TTMENU.DAT" on the root of your card. You should now have "TTMenu.nds", "YSMenu.nds", and "TTMENU.DAT" (a copy of "YSMenu.nds") on the root of your microSD card.
(b) If you want TTMenu to be the default menu, place a copy of "YSMenu.nds" onto the root (top level) of your microSD card. Then make a copy of "TTMENU.DAT" named "TTMenu.nds" on the root of your card. You should now have "TTMENU.DAT", "YSMenu.nds", and "TTMenu.nds" (a copy of "TTMENU.DAT") on the root of your microSD card.[*]Place the skin files "YSMenu1.bmp" and "YSMenu2.bmp" into the "TTMENU" folder.[*]Edit "YSMenu.ini". Place a semi-colon in front of the line that says "LITERALS=LITERALS_JPN". Remove the semi-colon from the line that says "LITERALS=LITERALS_ENG". Save your changes to "YSMenu.ini" and place it into the "TTMENU" folder on your microSD card.That should be it. If you are using TTMenu as your default, simply run YSMenu.nds. Otherwise, it should launch directly into YSMenu.

-Bri

 

[genuisgeek]

awesome news and great tutorial this should be semi-pinned for new DSTT users wondering about the use of YSMenu

This sub-forum should have a stickied YSMenu tut/thread to have no questions or such

 

[helpme]

ive got a a couple of questions
whats the r4patch.dat for? ive never seen it in past versions of YSmenu
what format should txt be in to use the Simple Text Viewer? ive tryed txt, doc & rtf but none will show up in menu

 

[Bri]

Where are you seeing r4patch.dat? I'm looking at YSMenu0805200255.zip and there is no file with that name in it.

I would assume that if you click on a .txt file it would load into the simple text viewer, but I haven't tried it yet.

-Bri

 

[helpme]

Where are you seeing r4patch.dat?

when you convert your TTMENU.DAT with ttextract.exe you get three files now ttdldi.dat, ttpatch.dat & r4patch.dat

QUOTEI would assume that if you click on a .txt file it would load into the simple text viewer, but I haven't tried it yet.

ive put a .txt, .rtf & a .doc on my card & none would show up on my YSmenu
ive looked in the YSMenu.ini & there does not seem to be any reference to txt files

EDIT
the txt viewer maybe just for the acekard2!!??

 

[khan]

@helpme

Have you tried r4patch.dat yet? Let us know...

 

[Bri]

helpme,

OK, I tried the text viewer (on the AK2, not on the DSTT, but I'm guessing it works the same on the DSTT). You have to press the "select" button twice to view all files, then you can see text files. Click on one and it will display it on the top screen.

I also ran ttextract on the newest version of TTMENU.DAT (1.10) and it didn't create a r4patch.dat file (only ttdldi.dat and ttpatch.dat). So I have no idea where you got that file.

-Bri

 

[helpme]

You have to press the "select" button twice to view all files
thanks got it now

QUOTEI also ran ttextract on the newest version of TTMENU.DAT (1.10) and it didn't create a r4patch.dat file

im using the 1.10 but ive tryed a few times & it keeps making the r4patch.dat file

EDIT
ive compared the r4patch.dat & ttpatch.dat with CRC32 tool & there different
& ive used a hex editer to compare them but they look the same

 

[Bri]

Odd. It doesn't create that file when I run it.

I would think that "r4patch.dat" would be a patch file for the R4 cart, but it wouldn't make sense for it to create that from TTMENU.DAT.

-Bri

 

[helpme]

just had an email of yasu & he says its for the R4

it can be used with R4 (experimentally).
useless for DSTT.

nice to see yasu taking an interest in this thread LOL

 

[sidneyyoung]

I just chucked the r4patch.dat file in the ttmenu folder along with the other usual dats, all seems to be working fine on both DSTT and SCDS1.. great stuff

 

[Bri]

I'm almost positive you don't need that file, so it's just taking up extra space.

I wonder why it's creating the file for you and not for me. I wonder why it's creating the file at all since you're running ttextract on TTMenu, not on the R4 menu.

-Bri

 

[apocalypticvisio]

it created the file for me as well when i ran "ttextract.exe ttmenu.dat"...figured i wouldn't need it so i didn't put it on the card....but maybe it's hiding the r4 file or it just isn't creating it...not a threat if you're not using the r4...

 

[Nakura]

I'm almost positive you don't need that file, so it's just taking up extra space.

I wonder why it's creating the file for you and not for me. I wonder why it's creating the file at all since you're running ttextract on TTMenu, not on the R4 menu.

-Bri

It created it for me, and thanks for making this thread, I didn't know how to get YSMenu. I want it for when I get my GBA Expansion Pack, it can run GBA Roms off of the Micro SD right?

 

[Bri]

Yes, YSMenu can run GBA roms (and Opera) without a loader. However, I've had some problems with some GBA games before although it may have been an older version of YSMenu. If you run into any problems, you can always run them with GBA ExpLoader.

-Bri

 

[Nakura]

Yes, YSMenu can run GBA roms (and Opera) without a loader. However, I've had some problems with some GBA games before although it may have been an older version of YSMenu. If you run into any problems, you can always run them with GBA ExpLoader.

-Bri

Thanks, does GBA ExpLoader run them off of the Micro SD or does it put them on the EZ Flash? Thanks again.

 

[Bri]

Both GBA ExpLoader and YSMenu handle GBA games similarly with the 3in1.

The 3in1 only has enough memory to store 1 game at a time, so in general your GBA games are stored on the slot1 microSD and loaded to the 3in1 to play them. The memory is also volatile, meaning that the game is lost from the 3in1 if you turn off your NDS (it has a battery and SRAM memory which allows it to retain your save file though).

The 3in1 also has an additional non-volatile NOR flash memory which can be used to store one game even when you turn off your DS. In other words, you can load a game to NOR and then play it multiple times without having to re-load it. Unfortunately, the NOR memory is extremely slow at saving (it's faster at loading) so storing the game to NOR can take 1 to 2 minutes (but playing the game from NOR is faster). Frankly, it only takes a few seconds to load a GBA game into the volatile memory, so I'm not sure what advantage the NOR memory gives you.

Unfortunately, the 3in1 has more NOR memory than volatile memory, and so if you want to play a very large GBA game you're stuck with using NOR memory. The good news is that there relatively few large GBA games that won't fit in the faster volatile memory.

-Bri

 

[Nakura]

Both BA ExpLoader and YSMenu handle GBA games similarly with the 3in1.

The 3in1 only has enough memory to store 1 game at a time, so in general your GBA games are stored on the slot1 microSD and loaded to the 3in1 to play them. The memory is also volatile, meaning that the game is lost from the 3in1 if you turn off your NDS (it has a battery and SRAM memory which allows it to retain your save file though).

The 3in1 also has an additional non-volatile NOR flash memory which can be used to store one game even when you turn off your DS. In other words, you can load a game to NOR and then play it multiple times without having to re-load it. Unfortunately, the NOR memory is extremely slow at saving (it's faster at loading) so storing the game to NOR can take 1 to 2 minutes (but playing the game from NOR is faster). Frankly, it only takes a few seconds to load a GBA game into the volatile memory, so I'm not sure what advantage the NOR memory gives you.

Unfortunately, the 3in1 has more NOR memory than volatile memory, and so if you want to play a very large GBA game you're stuck with using NOR memory. The good news is that there relatively few large GBA games that won't fit in the faster volatile memory.

-Bri

So lets say I shut the DS off, can I get the save on my Micro SD?

 

[Bri]

Yes.

In fact, that's how it works. The SRAM is only big enough for 1 save file at a time. For technical reasons, the save file cannot be stored directly to the microSD card while the GBA game is running. The save file is stored in the SRAM of the 3in1 while you play your game. It remains there when you shut off your NDS (thanks to the battery in the 3in1) until after you turn your DS back on, then the save is automatically stored to the microSD card.

-Bri

 

[Nakura]

Yes.

In fact, that's how it works. The SRAM is only big enough for 1 save file at a time. For technical reasons, the save file cannot be stored directly to the microSD card while the GBA game is running. The save file is stored in the SRAM of the 3in1 while you play your game. It remains there when you shut off your NDS (thanks to the battery in the 3in1) until after you turn your DS back on, then the save is automatically stored to the microSD card.

-Bri

Thank you very much, you're very helpful. I like backing up my saves, so I'd like to be able to save it. Thanks =D