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ePSXeCutor 1.0.4 - frontend for ePSXe
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- sorting the plugins in the plugin config window 
  by name, file or date (just click the list header)
- save state manager
- support for netplay plugins

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What's new with 1.0.3?

- dunno... ask calb :)

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What's new with 1.0.2?

- the internal ePSXe plugins will now be listed 
- full mem card block names 
- support for the new cdrom options

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What's new with 1.0.1?

- drop down list for the different gamepad types
- selection of country mode (Auto/PAL/NTSC)
- option for starting up the ePSXe GUI
- option for internal cdr... select your cdr drive in epsxe first!

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What's ePSXeCutor for? 

Well, ePSXe has its own gui, after you have started
the emu you can configure it easily using the menus.
But, of course, some games will need special settings
to start up, or sometimes you will want to turn off
the sound, etc.

So you would have to reconfigure ePSXe a lot of times,
and you would have to keep in mind the settings of a
certain game.

That's how ePSXeCutor will help you:
You can store individual settings for each game, all
game configurations will be stored in the Windows 
registry, a simple double-click on a configuration
icon will start ePSXe with the settings you have found
best for that game.

Each game configuration will store:
- plugins used, and the plugin settings
- ePSXe settings (like sound, mdec, cdr usage, command line)
- Selection of memory cards you want to use with that game
- Activated cheats

There are some goodies, too, like im/export of configs,
configuration groups (for example rpg games, fighting 
games, etc.), user defined config icons, creating/copying 
memcard files, a save state file manager and so on.

Enjoy!

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Installation
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Installation is easy:

Copy all 3 files (ePSXeCutor.exe, ePSXeCutorTool.dll and
ePSXeCutorStuff.dll) into your ePSXe directory (that's
the directory which contains the main emu "epsxe.exe").

That's all (ok, you surely want to make some desktop
shortcut icon to ePSXeCutor.exe, right). Oh, yes, 
ePSXeCutor is using the MFC dlls... maybe you have to
update them to use it.

Before you start ePSXeCutor the first time, please start
epsxe.exe and define your pad configuration. 
ePSXeCutor does _not_ store or change the pad config, so
you have to do that at least once with the build-in ePSXe GUI!

Oh, well, if you don't know how to copy files, but unfortunately
you are able to send mails... DON'T MAIL ME QUESTIONS LIKE
'how do I copy files?'... ask some cool friend or your parents
instead :)

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Usage
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If you are familar with PSSwitch, my PSEmu Pro frontend,
you will not have any troubles using ePSXeCutor.

If you don't know PSSwitch (shame on you ;), read on.

After starting ePSXeCutor you will see one sizeable
window. The main part of the window will show you
all config icons you have done so far (yeah, starting
it the first time, the list will be empty).
A simple double click on a game config icon will start
epsxe with the stored config settings.

On the left side (by default) is the group bar, it
will contain a list of game groups, if you want to
make multiple groups to keep you game configs well
ordered. The group bar will always have at least one
entry, called 'All configurations', by selecting this
entry the main window will show all available configs.

On the bottom (by default) is the config info bar,
it will display details of the selected configuration.

Well, on top is the menu and tool bar. Here you can
create/delete/change configurations, change the main
window view, and so on.

OK, now let us create a new configuration.

Create a new configuration
--------------------------

Simply select 'Configurations->New ePSXe configuration..'
or push the first button of the tool bar.
A new dialog window will appear, here you have to
a) enter an unique configuration name
b) choose a bmp file as icon (optional, can be empty)
c) type in some info/comment about the config
d) push 'Configure epsxe' to go to the config window

In the box below some of the current epsxe config settings
will be displayed (plugins, memcards).
After you have done the settings, push 'OK', a new
config will be born :)

Configure ePSXe
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Well, beside creating a new configuration, the most
important part of ePSXeCutor is the definition of
the ePSXe emu options and plugins settings.

When you are creating a new config (see above) you
will need to go to the 'change ePSXe configuration'
window (by pushing 'Configure epsxe'), but you can also 
change the settings of already existing configs by 
right clicking the config icon -> 'Quick configure' or
by selecting 'Quick configure' in the main window menu.

The 'change ePSXe configuration' is divided into four 
parts:
- plugins
- memcards
- options
- cheats

In 'Plugins' all available gpu/spu/cdr plugins will be
listed. Select a plugin, and push 'Activate'... now
that plugin will be used with the current configuration.
Push 'Configure' to change plugin options. 'Test' will
tell ya if the plugin will work, and 'About' shows some
plugin infos. You can also use a popup-menu by right-
clicking a plugin, though. Attention: if you want to
use the internal epsxe spu, you have to activate it
in the 'Options' dialog.

'Memcards' let you create, format, copy and choose memcard
files. You should choose two different memcards for
each game configuration. Should be easy to use. Select a
memcard and push 'Set Slot 1', select another and push 
'Set Slot 2'. That's all.

'Options' let you set the internal ePSXe thingies...
check out the ePSXe manual to get more infos ;)
Well, with the 'command line' edit you can enter
some special options, for example you can use
ISOs by the command line "-loadbin x:\game\spyro.bin".
For a full list of the command line params, simply start
the ePSXe with the commandline "-help" :)
A special option is called "Start ePSXe GUI", by activating
this option the ePSXe window with menus, etc., will be 
displayed and you have to start the game manually.

'Cheats'... here you can define/import/change cheat
settings and activate them... please note that ePSXe
can't use such 'D/8...' addresses yet (yeah, the cheat
editor can handle them, but the main emu doesn't support
it yet). You have to use plain mem addresses with ePSXe
right now.

Well, that's the main config handling... but there are 
some more goodies in ePSXeCutor... lemme explain the 
Group handling now.

Creating/using groups
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What are groups for? Well, if you have many game configs
you will want to order them.. you can change the config
icon order by dragging a configuration icon to a new
position, but if the config list grows bigger and bigger
you will want to use groups, be assured :)
Groups are displaying just some of the game configs,
the ones that belong to that special group... only
the main group 'All configurations' will show you
all configs.

To create a group just do a right-click in the group bar
and select 'new group'.
In the following window enter an unique group name and
select a suitable group icon. That's all.

When you click on the new group entry in the group bar,
the main window will just display the game configs of
that group. Well, after creating a new group, the list
will be empty, of course.

How to put a config into a group? 
a) If you activate a group, and create a new game config, 
it will be stored in the 'All configurations' group _and_ 
the activated one.
b) If you want to store an existing config in a certain
group, select the group entry which contains the config
right now (or select 'All configurations') and drag
the config icon at the group name in the group bar.

Note: you can remove a config from a group by right clicking
the config in that group and selecting 'Remove from
group'... that way the config will only removed from that
group, it will still be available in 'All configurations',
for example. If you choose 'Delete' instead, the config will
be deleted from _all_ groups.

Oki, that's the main group handling... now we'll take a
fast look at some special stuff...

Save State Manager
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You can use the "F1/2/3" keys in ePSXe to store/choose/load
save state files. Each file will have the game-id as file name,
and take a few MBytes of your harddrive.

The save state manager can be used to backup (export) save
state files, to import them again into the save state directory,
you can give each game save state its own name (it's easier to
search for a certain save state file that way, if you want to give 
it to a friend), and you can delete unneeded files.

If the gpu plugin has generated a small save state screen picture,
the pic will be displayed in the manager, too.

Misc
--------------------------

Well, in the 'View' menu you can hide the bars, if you
don't need 'groups' for example. You can also decide
if you want the game configs displayed as big or small 
icons or using a report list, which will display
your game comment in the second column.

The 'Tools' menu contains:

- 'Erase all ePSXeCutor settings', that's kinda an
  uninstall of ePSXeCutor... all game configs and
  entries will be removed from your Windows registry,
  so no trash will be left.

- 'Export/Import configuration': 'Export' stores the 
   selected config settings in a windows .reg file,
   'import' will read that file and make a new
   config icon with the stored infos.

- 'Customize ePSXeCutor': Well, you can change some of
  the ePSXeCutor gui in this dialog. You can select your own
  group bar icons, if you like. You can set a background
  picture in the main window. You can change the look
  of the toolbar buttons. And you can select, which config
  infos should be displayed in the info bar.

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Final words
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If you are having ePSXeCutor problems or suggestions,
you can send a mail to: BlackDove@addcom.de

And, as always, have fun :)
  
Pete Bernert   




btw, great job, calb, Galtor and _demo_ :)












