Sega Genesis GPWT Newbie-Proof A-Z EASY Tutorial

[TechnoWolf]

!!!!!!!!!!! THIS POST INCLUDED AN OLDER VERSION OF GPWT...SEE POSTS BELOW FOR UPDATES !!!!!!!!!!

I've written this as a newbie to GPWT wishing someone had written a hand-holding tutorial with everything you need in one place. Here it is. Thanks to everyone else who wrote tutorials on this subject, but unless your drive does not support Nero, THIS ONE WILL WORK. FOLLOW THIS VERBATIM!!!!

CRITICAL NEEDED DOWNLOADS:
http://dchelp.net/sbi/files/Emus/Genesi ... ckAura.sbi
Make sure this file downloads as .sbi and not .zip Change the file name to .sbi before it downloads if it tries to save as .zip

http://www.dcevolution.net/dsdevelopmen ... -tools.zip
After extracting the zip file, delete BootDrms, Renamer, and Checker. They will not be necessary. Keep only Provlist and SBInducer4

ftp://ftp5.use.nero.com/software/nero7/ ... no_atb.exe
Only download this if you do not have "Nero" burning software already on your computer. The link is a trial version.


#1 Install SBInducer to C:\SBInducer
#2 Copy 'GenesisPlusDC-gpwt-260706-BlackAura.sbi' to C:\SBInducer\Sbi
#3 Run SBInducr.exe then select 'Single Menu' as menu type. Now click the 'Extract SBI' button. This will create the folder C:\SBInducer\Inducer
#4 Copy all your UNZIPPED Genesis roms to the folder C:\SBInducer\Inducer\gpwt\data\ROMS
#5 Copy Provlist.exe to the same ROMS folder listed in #4
#6 Run Provlist.exe from the ROMS folder (the copy you just made), and click ok/yes when prompted. When it's done, exit Provlist (if still running) and then delete Provlist.exe from the ROMS folder.
#7 Look for the file named 'ROMS.LST' in C:\SBInducer\Inducer\gpwt\data\ROMS Now right click this file then select to open with notepad.
#8 The file names should look something like this example:
SNS_0001.SMC:GameName
YOU NEED TO REPLACE THE COLON WITH A BLANK SPACE FOR EVEY LINE IN THIS FILE. THE EXAMPLE WOULD BE RENAMED TO LOOK LIKE THIS:
SNS_0001.SMC GameName
Do this for all the lines, then in the notepad 'file' menu, select 'save as' and enter ROMS.TXT as the file name, and save to the folder C:\SBInducer\Inducer\gpwt\data
#9 Delete the file 'ROMS.LST' from the ROMS folder, it's not needed any more.
#10 Run SBInducr.exe then select 'Single Menu' as menu type. Now click the 'Nero Burning Rom TAO' button. SBInducer will build a Nero TAO image file of your new CD-R.
#11 Once the image is created, SBInducer will save the image to C:\SBInducer Run your Nero Burning Rom software, and open this new image. Be sure 'finalize disk' and 'Track At Once' options are selected if not already. If you have the option, burn at 4x, but 16x is okay.

Enjoy!!

P.S.
From the 1st screen that comes up in the dreamcast, press the red 'A' button on your dreampad controller. Pressing 'start' or anything else may cause a fatal freeze. After pressing 'A', you'll be lead to the games menu. From here, highlight the game, then press 'start' to load. Note that if you experience any freezing, garbled graphics, or sound skipping during a game, it's not necessairly a bad rom. Go back to the game menu by pressing Left+Right+Start and then experiment with the settings shown in yellow text at the top of the menu screen. Chances are you'll be able to get the game to play smoothly.

[TechnoWolf]

I forgot to make clear that your Genesis roms need to be UNZIPPED going into the ROMS folder. If you have a million roms, just make several CD-R's following the above tutorial, being careful not to exceed the max size of each CD-R. I understand that the zipped roms method is popular, but I did experience more glitchyness in playability if they are zipped, especially with higher compression. Again, using this tutorial, UNZIP THE ROMS FIRST!!!!!!!!

[Juan]

Really? Unzipped ROMS make a difference? Could you mention any specific cases?

[TechnoWolf]

There were two that I noticed sound and graphic choppyness issues concerning zip vs. unzipped.

[TechnoWolf]

Besides this, a newbie will have better odds with less steps. To include zip files, we know that you need to rename the lines in ROMS.TXT to SNS_0001.ZIP GameName and then the roms which were renamed by Provlist to SNS files must be changed to .ZIP from .SMC using the renamer program.
Not to take away from potentially higher negative odds with zipped roms, the unzipped method makes it that much easier to get a successful and playable disk by taking away another unnecessary step.

[mankrip]

There were two that I noticed sound and graphic choppyness issues concerning zip vs. unzipped.

Which ones? Maybe BlackAura can find what's causing it.

[Juan]

He said ECCO the Dolphin and Sonic 1 IIRC. Sonic works fine for me (zipped, under FAME) even though I haven't played much.

[TechnoWolf]

Hmm. No problems with other emulator cd-r's or homebrews??
Try selecting 'SBI2Boot' as the menu type in SBInducer. (It insures a direct boot without needing the first "select A" menu.)
Also, use:
http://dchelp.net/sbi/files/Emus/Genesi ... -Quzar.sbi
in place of black aura's. Quzar's is the most recent, and best version. (this tutorial is a bit dated, but works for most everyone).
Note that your roms, and the roms.txt file need to be in the folder:
C:\SBInducer\Inducer\gpwt\data\ROMS
You mentioned moving it up one level?? Not sure if that may have goofed anything up??
(You don't need to start from scratch with the roms, simply copy the ROMS folder you did all your work in into your new compilation).
You also mentioned a very small burn...you can include a dummy file to offset this by using bootdreams at: http://dchelp.dcemulation.org/?download ... s_102a.exe
Then, download this: http://dchelp.dcemulation.org/index.php ... aspi32.zip
Be sure to include this file"WNASPI32.DLL" in the 'tools' folder in the BootDreams directory BEFORE you run BootDreams for the first time, or it won't work properly.
Simply do everything short of creating the Nero image with SBInducer, move the Inducer folder to BootDreams folder, run BootDreams, select "create dummy file" from the tools/options menu, click NeroTAO as the image type, point BootDreams to the Inducer folder, and let it fly, then burn the resulting image. You may also try loading Nero by right clicking the new image, then "open with" nero. BootDreams builds in the settings so you don't have to worry about having Nero set up properly. Let us know how this all works for you, and if not, give details.

[Juan]

You could try using the plain files instead of a SBI.

[TechnoWolf]

I was mainly wondering if this is normal, or if I'm doing something wrong [or if .SMDs are the problem?].

There's nothing you've done wrong. smd vs bin should not make a difference. The Quzar build you're experiencing is currently the best that DC Emulation for Genesis has to offer. It's certainly not perfect, and is an ongoing project. Just in about the last year, it was updated....3-4 times? Coders who have worked with it suggest that it is theoretically possible to create a 100% perfect build, but the time necessary to do so would be absolutely daunting.
So, rest assured, you've got the best there is at the moment. Like you said, do experiment with the 4 possibilities of C68K+SW, C68K+HW, FAME+SW, FAME+HW on each game to see which combo yields the best overall results.

[TechnoWolf]

Alright, thanks TechnoWolf. I appreciate all of the help. I knew it was in development, I just wanted to make sure it was how it was. Thanks again.

Glad to help.

By the way, check out the following for a list of the best emus'
viewtopic.php?t=71861&start=0

Also, check out http://dchelp.net/sbi/ for almost ready to burn games, apps, emus, etc...etc...
Using the SBInducer4 and BootDreams coctail with these SBI files, I was happy to make a multi-menu "Homebrews" CDR loaded with over 30 great hi-res games. (Find them under the Games folder at the SBI site.)
The best of the best would be "Giana's Return", "Tetris 2", "Ecco's Quest", "DreamChess", "NXDoom", "QuakeDC", "DrXlax", "3dinvaders", "Wolfenstein3D", and any of the "Beats Of Rage" mods. Many say that Asteroids3D is great, but personally, I greatly prefer the original. Try "Another Asteroids Clone" if you're like me on this.

Furthermore, check out http://www.dcevolution.net/collection_introduction.php
for "download and burn" images of some of the better freeware game collections.

Have fun. Let us know if you need more help.

[djray]

I need help with the emulator.. Something is wrong and I'm not sure what.

I went step by step through the tutorial, but, I'll list what I did:

Downloaded appropriate files. Made Single Menu Sbi using the

GenesisPlusDC-gpwt-260706-BlackAura.sbi [put in sbi folder, and then extracted.

Then, I copied a list of genesis roms [some .bin, some .smd] into a folder called roms in the C:\SBInducer\Inducer\gpwt\data directory. Then I used the provlist tool, deleted the executable afterwards and moved the list up one level. I was left with files that looked like: SNS_0001.SMC.

Then I replaced all of the .SMC: with .SMC [there is a space]

Renamed the filed ROMS.txt

Then, I made a TAO [single menu] image and downloaded a newer version of nero [the link provided was dead]. I did the following configuation after opening the image:

4X Speed, Write, Finalize Disk, BURN-Proof, Track-at-once.

The file burnt successfully [with a lot of room to spare]. I popped it into my DreamCast and it loads up the single menu deal. The emulator is on the list. I hit A. It goes to "Loading. . ." then the DreamCast hard crashes and reboots.

If it makes a difference, my DreamCast is early in, like, I got it within the first week.

Thanks.

same thing happened to me!
what did you do to solve this, elian?

[Christuserloeser]

Hm, maybe try this:

• At first you should download SBInducer v4 and install it into C:\SBInducr\.
• Then download the SBI for GenesisPlusDC from DCHelp.net's SBI Repository HERE (right-click and save target as...).
• Put this file into your C:\SBInducr\SBI\ folder.
• Start C:\SBInducr\SBInducer.exe and check the SBI file showing up on the right window. Then select either "Single Menu" or "SBI2Boot" and click on 'Extract SBI'.
• Using Windws Explorer you'll find some tools within the C:\SBInducr\Inducer\gpwt\tools\ directory. Extract "provlist_by_burnerO.zip" and copy "Provlst.exe" to C:\SBInducr\Inducer\gpwt\data\roms\
• Then follow these instructions:
  

  1. Copy your ROMs (*.zip) in /gpwt/data/ROMS/ and run Provlst.exe
  
  2. Open ROMS.LST in Wordpad and replace ".SMC:" with ".ZIP " (space).
  
  3. Save as 'ROMS.TXT' in /gpwt/data/
  
  4. Right-click on your /gpwt/data/ROMS/ folder and start Renamer
  
  5. Click on 'Edit' -> 'Multi-Change' and replace "%a.SMC" with "%a.ZIP"
  
  6. Click on 'A->B' to apply the changes and then close Renamer
  
  7. Burn the disc with BootDreams or SBInducer v4

[mankrip]

Then, I copied a list of genesis roms [some .bin, some .smd] into a folder called roms in the C:\SBInducer\Inducer\gpwt\data directory. Then I used the provlist tool, deleted the executable afterwards and moved the list up one level. I was left with files that looked like: SNS_0001.SMC.

Then I replaced all of the .SMC: with .SMC [there is a space]

SMC files are Super NES ROMs, not Genesis/Mega Drive ROMs.

[djray]

okay after burning four coasters...

i decided not to use the SBI! method.

for an alternative way to get GenesisPlusDC working, do the following:

1) Download the plain files:
http://www.dcevolution.net/dsdevelopmen ... 006-BA.zip

2) Extract the .ZIP into a folder of your choosing.
eg. "c:\GenPlus"

3) Extract your Genesis roms to the following directory:
eg. "c:\GenPlus\gpwt\data\roms\"

4) Create your ROMS.txt with Provlist (or anything of your choosing... I'm not going to go too far into this) and place it one directory above:
eg. "c:\GenPlus\gpwt\data\"

5) Download and install BootDreams from here:
http://dchelp.dcemulation.org/?BootDreams

6) Run BootDreams and for the "Selfboot folder" point it to your GenesisPlusDC folder:
eg. "c:\GenPlus"

7) Pick your preferred disc image (I chose DiscJuggler), give your CD a label of your choosing and then hit "Process"

8] (optional) Now that you have your disc image and you have a hidden suspicion that you're going to burn another coaster, fear not DC disciple! you can test your image out using the newest Dreamcast emulator called nullDC! (http://emudev.com/funstuff/nullDC_100b1_setup.rar). You'll need the DC bios and i'm not going to post a link to that, but if you really want it... you should be able to find it! *cough* BT *cough*. I wish i thought of this before burning all those coasters!

9) Burn your image using your preferred burning app (I used Alcohol 120%) and pop it in your DC and you should be good to go!

[TechnoWolf]

Okay, I saw all the commotion with people getting lots of coasters, so I figured SOMETHING changed. (Occum's razor after all). I re-downloaded the BlackAura SBI from the repository, and checked it out...it seems this is not the same SBI from when I created this thread. (looks the same, acts totally different.) I notice in 'sbi2boot' under sbinducer4, there is no 1stread.bin created, where in the past this was a non-issue. It seems that the program core is missing!?! I have (since the Quzar release) destroyed all my previous copies of BlackAura's build...AARRGG!!! I'd like to use it again, as it WAS faster on some games I've come to find addiction to.
Any help or suggestions here, Christuserloeser??

[djray]

umm... did you try reading the post above yours?