Emulator(Native Android)

The Uzebox now have a fully functional emulator! Download and discuss it here.
User avatar
Jubatian
Posts: 1564
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:44 pm
Location: Hungary
Contact:

Re: Emulator(Native Android)

Post by Jubatian »

I think I will bail out on this a bit since it is getting a bit too complicated for my tastes.

For now I say do the Android port (which of course is definitely useful, no doubt! :) ) on a separate, dedicated branch / fork (along with maybe all the other similar systems) without cluttering the master CUzeBox with these. I will follow up with modifications which are useful for all platforms (for example generalizing the paths in some manner).

The reason is that the current CUzeBox which can be built easily and (unless you needed a controller database) can stand well on its own is I think useful in this manner. At least I frequently rely on this property, very often I mod it with various diagnostics and tests I need for one or another idea I am developing. It is easy to generate and toss around versions just as needed. Uzem likewise was nice that it functioned all well alone, before CUzeBox, I modded that when I needed something.

I usually like programs which operate this way: you can toss it on your system, give it execution rights (if needed by the design of your OS), and it just works without needing setting up a hell of dependencies, configurations & paths, and it wouldn't either want to be smarter than it should be.

If the Android port can be streamlined well enough, done in such a manner that it doesn't interfere much with the necessary components for all platforms, I will merge it in.
User avatar
uze6666
Site Admin
Posts: 4801
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:13 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada
Contact:

Re: Emulator(Native Android)

Post by uze6666 »

Wow, this is really awesome, I wanted this for so long! :mrgreen:

I have downloaded and installed the two latest APK you posted both none works on my Galaxy S8. Alas, they just blink and close :( . Sorry I didn't read the whole posts in details...did I miss something? I have put the .uze roms in /storage/emulated/0/cuzebox and gave it permission to read the file system. Anything else?
User avatar
Artcfox
Posts: 1382
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 5:35 pm
Contact:

Re: Emulator(Native Android)

Post by Artcfox »

uze6666 wrote: Sat Sep 23, 2017 4:01 am Wow, this is really awesome, I wanted this for so long! :mrgreen:

I have downloaded and installed the two latest APK you posted both none works on my Galaxy S8. Alas, they just blink and close :( . Sorry I didn't read the whole posts in details...did I miss something? I have put the .uze roms in /storage/emulated/0/cuzebox and gave it permission to read the file system. Anything else?
Thanks! It still needs some polish, but I've been having fun playing the games using tilt and the touchscreen. It's pretty transformative for some games. Ghosty Ghost feels pretty much the same, but Bugz on a tablet feels like I'm holding an ant farm and tilting it to get the little guy to run around.

It is looking for Bootloader_0_4_5.hex to be in that directory download/file.php?id=2044

Put that in there and you should be golden.
Last edited by Artcfox on Sat Sep 23, 2017 4:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
nicksen782
Posts: 714
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:23 pm
Location: Detroit, United States
Contact:

Re: Emulator(Native Android)

Post by nicksen782 »

The online emulator is at it's basics just a wrapper with a file manager that loads up the Emscripten CUzeBox with the selected game files. Perhaps a similar idea could be done with the Android version? At least then errors like these could be handled with an error message or maybe even a download link. :)
User avatar
Artcfox
Posts: 1382
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 5:35 pm
Contact:

Re: Emulator(Native Android)

Post by Artcfox »

nicksen782 wrote: Sat Sep 23, 2017 4:34 am The online emulator is at it's basics just a wrapper with a file manager that loads up the Emscripten CUzeBox with the selected game files. Perhaps a similar idea could be done with the Android version? At least then errors like these could be handled with an error message or maybe even a download link. :)
That could be cool, but I'm planning on storing the bootloader, the game controller database, and some .uze files inside the .apk itself, so the final version won't have these issues. The .uze file with instructions can display links.

Theoretically all of the ROMs could go inside the .apk, but if this ends up in the app store, we might have to limit what graphical/audio assets it gets distributed with, especially since this has the potential to shine a big spotlight on the entire Uzebox project.
User avatar
nicksen782
Posts: 714
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:23 pm
Location: Detroit, United States
Contact:

Re: Emulator(Native Android)

Post by nicksen782 »

I would suggest keeping the app size smaller. Perhaps including MegaTris and the bootloader. The user can download games on their own. Perhaps a list of the games could be queried for and easily downloaded to the phone's storage separate from the application? ... Call it the Uze-Store... or something. A web site with download links that can be linked to from the app. The Android app could read the downloads folder.

I am really looking forward to this!
User avatar
uze6666
Site Admin
Posts: 4801
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:13 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada
Contact:

Re: Emulator(Native Android)

Post by uze6666 »

Cool! Works now...but can't control it! :cry: I assume there will be onscreen controls eventually. For now, usb joysticks are supported? I tryied a XBox controller without much success. I'll try a keyboard.
User avatar
Artcfox
Posts: 1382
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 5:35 pm
Contact:

Re: Emulator(Native Android)

Post by Artcfox »

uze6666 wrote: Sat Sep 23, 2017 4:56 am Cool! Works now...but can't control it! :cry: I assume there will be onscreen controls eventually. For now, usb joysticks are supported? I tryied a XBox controller without much success. I'll try a keyboard.
It should have tilt controls, and invisible touchscreen buttons. Keyboard works, game controllers not so much yet.
User avatar
D3thAdd3r
Posts: 3222
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:00 am
Location: Minneapolis, United States

Re: Emulator(Native Android)

Post by D3thAdd3r »

Very cool, it runs perfectly on my S7 and the tilt controls work pretty decently for certain games. Thanks ArtcFox for the help on enabling storage permissions, I have not had any issues at all with it since I enabled it. Also very cool to see it emulating the bootloader, I almost want to start messing around with that.

Man, this is just awesome work. Constantly amazed with progress that gets made around here, on all fronts.
User avatar
Artcfox
Posts: 1382
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 5:35 pm
Contact:

Re: Emulator(Native Android)

Post by Artcfox »

D3thAdd3r wrote: Sun Sep 24, 2017 12:21 am Very cool, it runs perfectly on my S7 and the tilt controls work pretty decently for certain games. Thanks ArtcFox for the help on enabling storage permissions, I have not had any issues at all with it since I enabled it. Also very cool to see it emulating the bootloader, I almost want to start messing around with that.

Man, this is just awesome work. Constantly amazed with progress that gets made around here, on all fronts.
Glad it's working for you now! I hope to get this thing nice and polished so it just works right off the bat for everyone. I'm not sure why the storage permission needs to be enabled like that. Perhaps because it got side loaded?

This wouldn't have been possible without the bootloader support that Jubatian added, but yeah when I look back just two years ago when i found this place, so much has been improved.
Post Reply