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Making tape images - preferably with a native Linux app
http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=318		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  MurrayCakaMuzer [ Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:17 am ]
Post subject:  Making tape images - preferably with a native Linux app
When I get my master I'll want to try my game on the actual machine from time to time, just to see how it really plays (my netbook isn't very good at emulating the BBC (my main PC's wifi card is broken), and the fact that the Linux BeebEm isn't very good doesn't help).

Obviously I don't have a 5.25" disk drive on my PC, but I do have a sound card, so I'd like to record the game onto cassette. The question is how? What would be the best, preferably open-source app to use to make a tape image, and what would be the best, preferably open-source app to convert that into an audio file, or just play it directly?


Thanks a lot :)
Author:  DaveM [ Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Making tape images - preferably with a native Linux app
You could go to the Essentials page on STH and download FREEUEF, which can be used to turn any of the BBC UEF Cassette images into WAVE files (only use 0.3-spec UEF files with FREEUEF i.e. nearly all the ones on STH ... the ones on AcornPreservation.org are 1.x-spec UEF and won't work well with FREEUEF).

Or, if it would be any easier, I could just include a bunch of tapes in with the cassette leads I'm about to send? ;)
Author:  MurrayCakaMuzer [ Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Making tape images - preferably with a native Linux app
No no, you misunderstood. I want a way to turn the game I am developing into a tape image, then turn that into a wav file. I can do it on the disk image (obviously) or the raw binary output file. Something like bbcim is what I'm looking for, but for tapes, not disks.

Although some commercial tapes would be nice too! :)
Author:  DaveM [ Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Making tape images - preferably with a native Linux app
Ah yes ... I only skim-read your post, sorry! :oops:

I believe BeebEm Windows has the facility to record UEF tape images (which can in turn be FREEUEF'd to WAVE then recorded to cassette). Not sure about the Linux port.

However, I've always achieved this using David Boddie's Python scripts (again, see STH Essentials page).

Simple summary of process:

- extract files from SSD Disc Image and output into INF format using BBC Explorer (remember to delete the $. from the filename dialog when extracting each file)

- copy all files into a subdirectory and add an index.txt file, which should contain the running order of the files

- run inf2uef.py script under python, and have it spit out a uef

If you need me to expand on each step, just shout.

I'll still sort you out with some commercial tapes, no problem ... also, if you're coming to Huddersfield (for Homebrew Coding Geekend #2!) I'll have cratefuls of tapes with me then.

--Dave
Author:  MurrayCakaMuzer [ Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Making tape images - preferably with a native Linux app
Unfortunately, Huddersfield is a bit too far for me :(

I'm going to the Oxford event in February, but none this year :(




I'll try the python scripts, thanks :)
Author:  MurrayCakaMuzer [ Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Making tape images - preferably with a native Linux app
I get:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "../../t2tools-enhanced-0.1/INF2UEF.py", line 172, in <module>
match = matches[0]
IndexError: list index out of range



Directory list:
total 20K
-rw-r--r-- 1 muzer muzer 20 2009-08-03 14:05 index.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 muzer muzer 647 2009-08-03 14:03 LOADER
-rw-r--r-- 1 muzer muzer 32 2009-08-03 14:03 LOADER.INF
-rw-r--r-- 1 muzer muzer 3.9K 2009-08-03 14:02 PLAT
-rw-r--r-- 1 muzer muzer 32 2009-08-03 14:03 PLAT.INF


index.txt:


I've tried

LOADER.INF
PLAT.INF


and


LOADER
PLAT




The INF files were output by bbcim, I hope they're the same.




EDIT: Ah, the command line syntax help wasn't working for some reason. It's all sorted now. I need to testit still...
Author:  DaveM [ Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Making tape images - preferably with a native Linux app
Cool!

I know a couple of people travelling up to Huddersfield from Hampshire - do you want me to see if I can snag you a lift?

Unfortunately there won't be any programming stuff going on at RetroVision - it'll just be games, booze, curry, rockband and llamas.
Author:  MurrayCakaMuzer [ Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Making tape images - preferably with a native Linux app
It works perfectly! Thanks!


I'll have to talk to my parents about that. They probably won't be too keen, but we'll see.
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