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Author Topic: dreamcast loader idea  (Read 9193 times)

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scott315

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dreamcast loader idea
« on: August 04, 2003, 08:28:55 pm »
Ok, so i'm building a cabinet, and i really want to put my dream cast in it, however, i don't want to have any hastle with my cabinet (i.e: opening it up in some way shape or form to swith cds)... so, i had a brainfart last night and was thinking that if i could purchase say a 100 disc cd changer stereo unit, that i might be able to hack it in a way that instead of using the stereo's cd player's laser, the dreamcast cd player's laser is used instead. in therory, this should work, right? also, i was thinking that there has to be a way to connect the cd changer in some way shape or form to an external cd swither button, or to the computer through usb (how you would achieve this i don't really know)... and then control that through a custom driver... now, i'm a first year student in computer science, and eventually should have the knowledge to do something like this, but at the moment its just a pipedream... however, i know a lot of you out there have this knowledge and experience... anyway, just figured i'd toss my idea out to the community

pointdablame

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2003, 08:55:27 pm »
If I were you, I'd put the dreamcast behind the coin door, and call it a day. I'm not knocking your idea, but you'd need to fit the cd changer into the dreamcast, moreso than the dreamcast laser into the cd changer, if you understand what I mean. It wouldn't be a matter of just switching lasers, you'd have to still have the entire DC in there and functional. I guess it may be possible, but a heck of a pain.  

You may wanna look into those powered cd towers for PC's where you can just pick, say, cd 94 and it would load. May be easier to get that working with the dreamcast.
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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2003, 09:08:25 pm »
check on the dcemulation website forums, inthe hardware modification forum, if anyone can do it or tell you how it would be there, a few people were trying to make a drawer loading dc and were successfull i think but it was a pain, it seems like it is doable, and you would have to put the whole dreamcast lazer and spinner assembly in there you could prolly leave the rest somehwere else connected by wires....

i just have mine behind the coin door its not that bad actually. 8)

Frostillicus

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2003, 09:57:08 pm »
Heh I'm all about being lazy when playing, but this would take the cake :)  It seems like a whole lot of work for something that in reality only takes about 5 seconds to do.  Good luck and if you get it working make sure to take A LOT of pics (we love construction pics).

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2003, 12:00:43 am »
Well, this actually makes more sense than other nonsense discussed in this forum in the past... the crazy idea of the lcd marquee for example...:-)

Anyhow, I also toyed with this idea to manage my growing collection of 30+ DC games. And my conclusion was that, as mentioned above, the easiest way to accomplish this would be to retrofit a surplus CD library with the laser assembly from the DC and run it through wires to the actual console. Then it would just be a matter of writing a simple front end in VB so that your PC controls the library. This would seamlessly integrate a PC and a DC in an arcade cabinet. Still a pipe dream though...

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anthony691

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2003, 06:45:42 pm »
100 Disc? Where would you put the rest of your games? :P (no, really, I have many more than that!)

The DC laser asm is really nice! One nice piece. I have done the case mod into a transparent case b/f. It would be doable, but you would need to be very technically minded! I have a Pioneer 101 Disc CD changer too actually... but I love my Stereo!
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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2003, 11:28:01 pm »
It's a good idea but by the time to got it working we'd probably have a working dc emulator and pcs that are powerful enough to run it.  :)

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #7 on: August 06, 2003, 10:14:05 am »
It's a good idea but by the time to got it working we'd probably have a working dc emulator and pcs that are powerful enough to run it.  :)

It's so true...
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said7

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #8 on: August 06, 2003, 11:18:14 am »
I think it would suck. How would you know which game is getting loaded. Youd have to wait for each one to boot up.

Be more annoying than inserting a disc.
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Hoagie_one

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #9 on: August 06, 2003, 11:18:47 am »
Well, this actually makes more sense than other nonsense discussed in this forum in the past... the crazy idea of the lcd marquee for example...:-)

I thought the LCD Marquee was a neat idea

gnateye

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #10 on: August 06, 2003, 11:42:24 am »
i just hought of something else too, what about games that need a boot disc?

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #11 on: August 06, 2003, 01:50:12 pm »
A DC jukebox.  Not a bad idea.  Not easy to do.  Emulation won't work here you need the DC Sega API to run the games.  Will the SEGA OS see a piece of hardware you hack into the DC bus...no you will need to hack the SEGA OS.
I am with you, this would be cool toy, but adding a 100 disc cdrom player won't work.  I like the idea so here are some design ideas;

The problem with GDROM is capacity 1.2gig.  So your media 100 disc player needs to be a GDROM device, yuck.  How about going with a HD instead.  You will need a new interface to pick games, hack the SEGA API to add HD compatibility and work out a file system deal to use folders for your games.  Or use the ethernet controller mount ISO's in a network storage device...hack the SEGA API.  Does anyone have the SEGA API ?  Utopia is a start, trick the DC.  

Have fun that's a hell of a project,

Tom
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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #12 on: August 06, 2003, 02:01:34 pm »
I read somewhere that Sega, at one time, was going to release a PCI card that gave Dreamcast functionality to a PC.  The only problem was the CD drives, which they said could be fixed with a little software and a DVD drive.

Never came to be though.

Dave_K.

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #13 on: August 06, 2003, 04:55:21 pm »
i just hought of something else too, what about games that need a boot disc?
Well if you want to play your *cough* import games on it, you'd punch up the number for the boot disc, wait for it to load, then punch up the number for the *cough* import.  You aren't reseting the system inbetween disc changes.  

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #14 on: August 06, 2003, 05:12:29 pm »
imports, homebrews, emulators, divx and mp3 players etc.


something he will need to keep  in mind when making this.

as far as keeping track of what cds are what, he could just make a list outside the cab"cd1=soul caliber" etc.

i dont think this is as complicated as reprograming and bios management etc, just treat the dc as it is, and cd juke as amunition if you will, keep the dc power and reset switches etc, just move the laser assembly into the cd juke. its feasable

Dave_K.

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #15 on: August 06, 2003, 05:16:27 pm »
I was going to attempt this same idea about a year ago, and pretty much didn't go through with it.  Here are the problems I came up with:

The Dreamcast GRDOM laser/motor assembly can be detached from the reader, and I thought I could then just mount it in the cd changer and build a cable to connect the two.  But their might be too much noise and signal degregation in a long cable.  Also, cd changers don't use a locking spindle like the DC, so there would have to be some seriously difficult hacking to get the gdrom laser/motor restrofitted to the cd changers moving arm assembly.  Lastly, since we aren't using the cd changers original laser anymore, the internal chipset that detects when it picked up and started reading a valid CD wouldn't be working anymore, and would simply drop the CD after a couple seconds thinking nothing was there, and go to the next CD.

So I came to the conclusion that if this was ever going to work, it would probably involve a lot more than just hacking the gdrom into the changer.

scott315

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #16 on: August 07, 2003, 12:54:57 am »
WOW, i didn't know so many people would respond to this... i'm a noob at this stuff, and figured after the first few replies that all of the l33t would shoot the idea down. well, at the moment i'm going to work on the stuff i know i can do, and keep the loader as a pipe dream for the moment. i would however like to attempt it, and maybe see if i can rally up some tech support from the boys at dcemulation. i'm honestly don't know anything about the dc hardware, and so i am sure it would require a lot of research to do this the way i want to do it. however, once i get some extra cash and time, i might give it a go. if i attempt it, i'll be sure to post anything regarding my progress along with pics to this board

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #17 on: August 07, 2003, 09:44:52 am »
WOW, i didn't know so many people would respond to this... i'm a noob at this stuff, and figured after the first few replies that all of the l33t would shoot the idea down. well, at the moment i'm going to work on the stuff i know i can do, and keep the loader as a pipe dream for the moment. i would however like to attempt it, and maybe see if i can rally up some tech support from the boys at dcemulation. i'm honestly don't know anything about the dc hardware, and so i am sure it would require a lot of research to do this the way i want to do it. however, once i get some extra cash and time, i might give it a go. if i attempt it, i'll be sure to post anything regarding my progress along with pics to this board

Well, you might want to start out small; maybe buy a transparent case for your dc. This can teach you of the inner workings of it. There are many components once you get in there...
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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #18 on: August 19, 2003, 12:59:35 am »
ya know what would work get one of those mechanicle arm things that swap discs they have them on duplicators where it changes loads and prints on the disc there pretty fun to watch actually

the other option is something that uses a network drive and broadband adapter and it would load the games but since thats not gonna happen cause the bba is a ghost your stuck with the huge arm

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #19 on: August 19, 2003, 01:01:37 am »

the other option is something that uses a network drive and broadband adapter and it would load the games but since thats not gonna happen cause the bba is a ghost your stuck with the huge arm

hee hee, i have 2 of them ;D yeah, found 'em on ebay: 2 for 35 bucks, buy it now :)
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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #20 on: August 19, 2003, 01:02:40 am »
damn i hate you

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #21 on: August 19, 2003, 02:20:12 pm »
The robotic arm would be real cool.  How about a HUGE setup like the one depicted in the CIA on Clear and Present Danger (special super encore 5-in-a-row presentation on TNT last weekend  ::) ).  

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #22 on: August 19, 2003, 02:30:27 pm »

the other option is something that uses a network drive and broadband adapter and it would load the games but since thats not gonna happen cause the bba is a ghost your stuck with the huge arm

hee hee, i have 2 of them ;D yeah, found 'em on ebay: 2 for 35 bucks, buy it now :)

So does this mean you are going to try hacking them to make some sort of Dremacst CD loader contraption?

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #23 on: August 19, 2003, 02:58:43 pm »
So does this mean you are going to try hacking them to make some sort of Dremacst CD loader contraption?

for what theyre worth i dont think i'm even gonna touch em for a while :P
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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #24 on: August 19, 2003, 04:24:54 pm »
Well, this actually makes more sense than other nonsense discussed in this forum in the past... the crazy idea of the lcd marquee for example...:-)
The LCD marquee is not dead. I have code that works, now I just need to implement it.

I have 2 250 disk cd changers if anyone is interested in hacking them into their dreamcast.

I agree with what most people here said, put it behind the coin door or wait for an emulator.

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #25 on: August 20, 2003, 02:17:36 pm »
The emulation of the DC is really coming on well, I think a few games have been emulated fully now, but the developers are holding off on a release until everything is perfect.

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Re:dreamcast loader idea
« Reply #26 on: September 08, 2003, 03:52:21 pm »
DC emulation IS coming along...  but only 10fps one the fastest computers out there.

They are rebuilding the core to use dynamic recomp... They are hoping that will speed things up.

They also took 2 months off and didn't get anything working during that time.

So it's as good as it was 2 months ago... And they aren't even considering giving dates yet.  Don't expect a good DC emulator for a year or two.