MISCELLANOUS MSX TIPS
INDEX
How can I put a MSX [.DSK] image back to a floppy disk on a MACINTOSH computer?
I´m one of these guys who do not own a PC machine, but a MACINTOSH computer. My MAC is too old and thus too slow (16MHz) to run fMSX-MAC emulator, but still can be used in conjunction with my MSX to expand archives as LZH, ZIP, PMA and ARJ, ofcourse faster than on a normal 3,5MHz MSX. But since MSX emulators became popular we have got the .DSK image standard. An easy way of transporting whole disk images. Unfortunately I´m one of these MSX freaks who havn´t got at the moment neither 1MB RAM, HDD nor DOS2. So it´s prectically impossible to put the [.DSK] images back to a floppy on my MSX! I hope I will get soon a HD and DOS2, but till then how the hell am I supposed to do the same job using a MAC? As you might have seen the fmsx-mac emulator is only delivered with a .DDI/SHRINK WRAP™/APPLE DISK COPY™ converter to create a .DSK image. Nowhere in the documentation I could find any info on how to put the .DSK file back to a floppy! Thus this is irrevelant for an emulator user there are still some real MSX users like me who would find this option quite useful.
So lets quit this boring intro and get to the core. After some testing, I have found a way to put the [.DSK] files back to a floppy. Thus this will only work for 720KB floppies.
How to do it?
At first you will need following software: (System 7.0.1 (at least)),
![[SW]](shrinkw.gif){kind=small}
[Click
on the icon to download (BINHEX 4.0 format. Use StuffitExpander to
expand)].![[PC]](macpcext.gif){kind=small}
installed in your control panel folder. This one is automatically
delivered with System 7.5 (or 7.1 too?) or above. You can "borrow"
this control panel from system 7.5 and it will work fine on a MAC
with system 7.0.1. Note that the earliest version has a bug, it
can not display correct file sizes/free space on a PC floppy. The
one I use is version DK-1-2.0.3 and is bug-free.1st step:
Configuration must be:
2nd step:
![[hdrv]](hdrv.gif){kind=small}
"hdrv"3rd step:
Since I have no software that could change the type (if you have any mail it to me), I used the following method:
Final remarks:
13.02.99 Bjørn Boye Skjoldhammer.
How can I extract [.PMA] MSX archives on a MACINTOSH computer?
[.PMA] ?? What´s that? It´s a most common (standard) compression format on msx similar to .LZH etc. How can I expand these files on my MAC? A good question! There is no simple way to do it, thus no special program to extract [.PMA] is available on MAC computers. So, to extract those archives you will need a CP/M emulator for MAC and the program (extractor): PMEXT.COM. There are two different versions of PMEXT.COM. First one is CP/M native and the 2nd one is patched so it is compatible with MSX-DOS1/2. The patched version will break down the emulator since it uses some MSX-DOS calls. The unpatched version is fully CP/M native so it works fine. On my 16MHz MAC, PMEXT.COM works with approx. same speed as on a real MSX.
So what will I need exactly ?
[Click
on the text to download (BINHEX 4.0 format. Use StuffitExpander to
expand)].
[Click
on the text to download (BINHEX 4.0 format. Use StuffitExpander to
expand)].How to extract the files from [.PMA] archives?
A>PMEXT FILE.PMA B:
To check which .PMA files are in the folder "Drive A" (drive A:) type:
A>DIR *.PMA
13.02.99 Bjørn Boye Skjoldhammer.
How to connect a SONY HB-F700x MSX2 to a PHILIPS-CM8833II monitor?
I´m a happy owner of a SONY HB-F700D MSX2 computer and a PHILIPS CM-8833II monitor but I have no RGB cable. Thus I began to make one by my self. After studying several "descriptions" of how to make one, I have assembled this schema which should help you with making your own cable. This cable (connection) was tested by me and it works fine.
Connectors described here are the ones built-in...
...at the back of SONY HB-F700x ...at the back of CM-8833II
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
3 8 1 9 8 7 6
5 4
2
Pin: Description: Pin: Description:
1 ground 1 ground
1 ground 2 ground
6 red 3 red
7 green 4 green
8 blue 5 blue
4 status RGB 7 status RGB
2 audio
The audio-line can be connected to the audio-in of your monitor to obtain sound...
13.02.99 Bjørn Boye Skjoldhammer.
The info on the PHILIPS CM-8833II´s connector is taken from the message posted by Mari v. d. Broek to the MSX mailing list on 19th December 1998. Note that the description of tR/(SONY) connector´s pin arrangement in the mentioned message is wrong!
Where can I find an MSX screen converter for my MSX2?
Havn´t you encounted the problem of having drawn a picture in one screen mode and then later wanted to display it in another ? This is a common problem with MSX images. There are many screen modes with different resolutions and colour depths. The universal solution is to use a screen converter! I have collected several screen converters which operate on MSX images. None of them can handle all modes or are perfect , but anyway here they are to serve you.
MSXpaint____(screen 5) -> Graphsaurus -> MSXpaint____(screen 5)
MSXpaint____(screen 7) -> Graphsaurus -> MSXpaint____(screen 7)
MSXpaint____(screen 5) -> Quintus -> MSXpaint____(screen 5)
MSXpaint____(screen 5) -> DD-graphics -> MSXpaint____(screen 5)
Graphsaurus_(screen 5) -> Quintus -> Graphsaurus_(screen 5)
Graphsaurus_(screen 5) -> DD-graphics -> Graphsaurus_(screen 5)
Quintus_____(screen 5) -> DD-Graphics -> Quintus_____(screen 5)
Copyformaat picture___ -> MSXpaint___ -> Copyformaat picture___
Copyformaat picture___ -> Graphsaurus -> Copyformaat picture___
Copyformaat picture___ -> DD-graphics -> Copyformaat picture___
Copyformaat picture___ -> Quintus____ -> Copyformaat picture___
13-17.02.99 Bjørn Boye Skjoldhammer.
Where can I find graphic import/export utilities and viewers for MSX2/2+/GFX9000?
Import - GIF (Graphic Interchange Format)
[vgif101.zip] - View GIF V1.01 by Crazy Jack of Northwind 1994
[showem10.zip] - SHOWEM V1.0 by MSX Computer Magazine - SVL 1991
[mg050.zip] - MSX GIF decoder rev 0.5 by Itaru Kaneko 1989
Import - BMP (Windows Bit Map)
[bmp2msx.zip] - Bitmap 2 MSX by Triple soft 1993
[bmp2sc7.zip] - Bitmap to screen 7 converter by ?
Bjørn Boye Skjoldhammer.
Export - GIF (Graphic Interchange Format)
[engif122.zip] - Encode GIF V1.22 by PGN 1994
Export - BMP (Windows Bit Map)
[bmps111.zip] - BMP saver V1.11b by Ariakira soft 1994
Export - BMP from MIF (MSX Interchange Format)
[mif2bmp.zip] - MSX Interchange Format to Windows Bit Map V 1.2 by Noldas 1996
Bjørn Boye Skjoldhammer.
What is a .MIF file and where can I buy the MSX Intercahange Format package?
MIF is a new MSX image standard (similar to PC´s GIF). It supports MSX2/2+/GFX9000 screen modes and uses compression to obtain smaller files.
To kill eny doubts, MIF Tools package is not a Public Domain product (except MIF2BMP.EXE for PC and the viewers (and sourcecode of the viewers ) for MSX). The converter program offers keyboard / joystick or mouse controlled GUI with a lot of options which make it easy to operate on graphic files. This program runs in MSX-DOS.
The file types recognized by MIF converter are :
The benifits:
You will get also a PC program which is able to import BMP files directly as MIF files. It has built in auto dithering, scaling etc. which makes it possible to achieve really high qualty images on your MSX2. This BMPtoMIF converter is for PC (MS-DOS).
In my opinion this is a low price package and you get a really good product. Buy it!
You can buy this product (25NLG) or obtain further info from:
Laurent Halter 4, Eigenthal 57 870 WALSCHEID FRANCE
Bjørn Boye Skjoldhammer.
Where can I get Graph Saurus V2.0 which can run from harddisk?
You can download here Graph Saurus V2.0, which is patched so it can be installed on HDD. I know that it works fine with HSH/GOUDA SCSI interface. I have no idea if it will work with IDE interface. You might need to run a program called IMPROVE once, which is a defragmenting utililty for your SCSI drive, before you install GS 2.0. It runs really fine on HD and you can store all you pics at one place!
Bjørn Boye Skjoldhammer.
