From b3b3690948840f75ac838c902d6b03ae84904615 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Tim Allen Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2017 17:07:19 +1000 Subject: [PATCH] We need to document all the parts of the higan UI. --- README.md | 180 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------- 1 file changed, 149 insertions(+), 31 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index d0ea440e..fea4da1e 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -465,6 +465,155 @@ of the new version. [bios]: http://problemkaputt.de/gbatek.htm#biosfunctions +The higan interface +=================== + +When you launch higan, +the main window appears, +with a menu-bar across the top, +a status-bar across the bottom, +and a large area in the middle where the game's video output appears. + +The Library menu +---------------- + +The Library menu allows you +to import games into higan's game library, +and to load games from the library. + +To play a game from your library, +click on the Library menu, +click on the console manufacturer submenu +(Nintendo for the Super Famicom, +Bandai for the WonderSwan, +etc.) +then click on the console menu item. +A window will appear listing all the games in your library +for that particular console. +Select the game you want to play +and click the Open button, +or just double-click the game, +and it will begin playing as though you'd just turned on the console. + +To add a new game to your library, +choose "Load ROM File ..." from the Library menu. +A file-picker dialog will appear, +allowing you to pick any ROM image for any supported system, +with any of the most common file extensions. +It also allows loading ROM images from `.zip` archives, +if the archive contains a single ROM image. + +To add many games at once, +run icarus, +or choose "Import ROM Files ..." from the Library menu +(which just runs icarus anyway). +A file-picker will appear, +with a check-box for each file in the current directory. +Check the check-boxes for all the files you want to import, +then click "Import ..." in the bottom right. + +For more information about the higan game library, +see [The Game Library](#the-game-library) below. + +The system menu +--------------- + +TODO + +The Settings menu +----------------- + +This menu lets you configure things +that aren't specific to any particular console. + + - **Video Scale** determines the size and shape + of the emulated console's video output + - Small, Medium and Large + control the size of the video output + when higan is running in windowed + (as opposed to full-screen) + mode. + - Aspect Correction, + when enabled, + stretches the image to match the aspect ratio + produced by the original console hardware, + since modern computer monitors use pixels + that are exactly as wide as they are tall, + but many TV-based consoles expected pixels to be + wider or narrower. + Aspect correction applies + to full-screen mode + as well as windowed mode. + + - **Video Emulation** applies various effects + to the emulated console's video output + to reproduce some behaviours + that aren't technically part of the console itself. + - "Blurring" simulates the limited horizontal resolution + of standard-definition TVs + by blurring together horizontally-adjacent pixels. + Games like Jurassic Park for the Super Famicom + depend on this to emulate a transparency effect. + For hand-held consoles like the Game Boy Advance, + this simulates the slow response time + of the cheap LCD screens these consoles used + by blurring each output frame with the previous one. + - "Colors" simulates the way a console's display device + differs from modern computer monitor's colour reproduction. + In particular, + it simulates the slightly-different gamma correction + used by the Super Famicom, + the dim, washed out colours of the original Game Boy Advance, + and the pea-green display of the original Game Boy. + - "Mask Overscan" hides parts of + the video output that would have been hidden + by the bezel around the edge of + a standard-definition television screen. + Some games (particularly on the Famicom) + allowed random glitchy output to be displayed in this area. + The amount masked can be configured + in the [configuration dialog](#the-configuration-dialog). + - **Video Shader** TODO + - **Synchronize Audio** TODO + - **Mute Audio** TODO + - **Show Status Bar** TODO + - **Configuration ...** TODO + +The Tools menu +-------------- + +TODO + +The Help menu +------------- + +TODO + +The status bar +-------------- + +TODO + +The Configuration dialog +----------------------- + +TODO + +The Cheat Editor +---------------- + +TODO + +The State Manager +----------------- + +TODO + +The Manifest Viewer +------------------- + +TODO + The Game Library ================ @@ -501,37 +650,6 @@ for each imported game. For more information about game folders, see [Why game folders?](#why-game-folders) below. -To play a game from your library, -start higan, -click on the Library menu, -click on the console manufacturer submenu -(Nintendo for the SNES, -Bandai for the WonderSwan, -etc.) -then click on the console menu item. -A window will appear listing all the games in your library -for that particular console. -Select the game you want to play -and click the Open button, -or just double-click the game, -and it will begin playing as though you'd just turned on the console. - -To add a new game to your library, -choose "Load ROM File ..." from the Library menu. -A file-picker dialog will appear, -allowing you to pick any ROM image for any supported system, -with any of the most common file extensions. -It also allows loading ROM images from `.zip` archives, -if the archive contains a single ROM image. - -To add many games at once, -run icarus, -or choose "Import ROM Files ..." from the Library menu -(which just runs icarus anyway). -A file-picker will appear, -with a check-box for each file in the current directory. -Check the check-boxes for all the files you want to import, -then click "Import ..." in the bottom right. Why game folders? -----------------