Unofficial Deunan's GDEMU Thread

Thanks for your offer, those covers could indeed be useful, so whenever you have a chance PM me a link or something.

By the way, here's the download link for v0.6 as promised:
GDmenu_v0.6(24-08-2016).zip

 

Wow @neuroacid, that's quite the update. So we can disregard the warning on @japanese_cake website and use his new BIOS with this menu and everything will boot normally?

 

Yes, in theory it should work exactly the same as when not using the menu.

 

Ok guys, I just took the liberty of grabbing the latest nightly build of Dreamshell from the official GitHub repository and added the latest versions of Japanese Cake's 2 modded bios and rebuilt it into a cdi. Just trying to make it easier and to give back. Tested it and was working great.

https://mega.nz/#!7UVEmRIJ!f5BGy4CnzKhklCJ1uKL66CEdp1kCenyAt1uCmacYaQI

Note: I added both retail and devkit bios but I guess it only had room to show the devkit one, although both bios were added. Oh well I am sure most would want the devkit bios anyways.

Here is how to access all the new features of this bios if you aren't aware.

Code:

Details about the custom bootROM settings
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Starting from this version, v1.032, the custom bootROM handles new settings that
    can be changed from the Dreamcast settings menu by pressing the "START" button. Those
    settings are stored in the same way as original settings (language, date, audio and
    auto-start) in the Dreamcast internal flash memory. Note that the original and custom
    settings are saved only when you exit the Dreamcast settings menu.

    Boot animation (default: system region):
        Select the color of the boot animation swirl (color based on the system region,
    blue, orange or black). You also have an option to skip the boot animation
    (see note #3). Currently, the interface to pick up a custom color other than the ones
    suggested does not exist. This feature will be available in future versions of the
    custom bootROM.
       
    SEGA License screen skip (default: off):
        Decide whether the Dreamcast displays the SEGA license screen. In any case, the
    IP.BIN initialisation and bootstraps code is still executed to be compatible with
    homebrews that rely on a specific machine state at this point of execution.

    MIL-CD/backup direct boot (default: off):
        Decide whether the system resets when launching a MIL-CD/backup (see note #4).

    Dreamcast main menu (default: 2D perspective):
        Select the perspective and scenery color of the Dreamcast main menu. This feature
    is based on the Puyo Puyo Fever easter-egg that changes the Dreamcast main menu
    perspective from 2D to 3D. Here slightly more options are presented. You can keep the
    2D perspective and choose between a light-grey or dark-blue scenery color or switch
    to the 3D mode, that some people use to call the "3D menu hack" (that is rather a
    hidden feature than a hack). Note that with the 3D perspective, the analog stick and
    the triggers are used the mode the camera.

 

Very good news

 

Can someone refresh my memory on how to update gdmenu to the latest version. I remember there being something about extracting the 1st_Read.bin from the cdi and copying it to the sd card maker. However, I don't need to use the sd maker, so just want to update my current menu.

Been a while since I have used my gdemu. Thanks

 

Just replace the disc.cdi in folder 01 on your SD card.

 

I did what you said and it updated fine showing the list of games on the card. However, afterwards I flashed my Japanese console with JC's bios v1.032 (Dev Kit) provided in the link by Anthony817. The flash was successful, showing the version number, settings available, etc, but now my SD card with GDMENU that was working earlier before the flash, no longer boots, as it crashes every time on the SEGA logo screen

My separate card with folder 01 containing Dreamshell still boots fine but no matter what I do, my GDMENU one will not. I have the following on and off, but to no avail.

SEGA License screen skip (default: off):

MIL-CD/backup direct boot (default: off):

 

I deleted the full 01 folder and GDEmu.ini and then move over the new one. Not sure if that would be best but go ahead and try it just to be sure.

 

Just did that and also, renamed 01 to 02 (2nd card with just Dreamshell on) and copied a fresh 01 folder and GDemu.ini to it, so it's only 2 folders present and the same issues occurs (hangs on the Sega screen)

I also, just tested a blank 01 folder on both cards and the ODE is working fine using the button to cycle images, so somewhere GDmenu is F***ked up somehow???

Is there a link for a DEV kit region free bios, so I can reflash it back? That is what I had on it before I flashed JC's.

 

The bios inside dreamshell were already included, so maybe try any of the other ones? If you want to see a link to where I got it look here and browse the build folder and look inside firmware/sega directory to see the bios available.

https://github.com/DC-SWAT/DreamShell

 

Well I messed up big time last night (Tired after finishing a 14 hour shift at work and being impatient) I flashed this "dcjp_ntsc.bin" by mistake before you sent that link and now the system wont boot at all (no video). Is there anyway to recover?

 

Well, I assume you have a switch to select modded bios and stock bios? If not, and you have no switch, you might be fucked... I was gonna say you could switch to the stock bios to see if that might help to see if it works.

 

Copied the new menu 0.6 from neuroacid in GDEMU SD CARD MAKER to prevent confusion link is the same as always in my signature or in the first page

 

There is no switch added, as I bought the console a few years back now 2nd hand.

 

You could try to open it to see if there's a internal switch, or a possibility to add one yourself. Else your only bet is to unsolder the bios and either flash it and put it back or put a new flashed one there.

 

I checked and there is no internal switch, just 3 wires soldered from the bios chip to the MB. My soldering experience is at a beginner level and I don't currently have the skills to perform advanced mods, so i'm kinda stuck.

 

Is there a single chip or rather two chips one over the other?
Like on this picture (click to expand):

 

It's not piggy backed, just a single chip.

 

Let it be a cautionary tale, for anyone thinking about flashing theirs, just use common sense and don't rush things when dealing with something as critical as the bootROM, especially if you are unsure of what you are doing and if you don't know or don't have a way to recover from a bad flash.

For the most part, if you have a GDEMU and you are going to use it with GDmenu, changing the bootROM isn't that important anyway, unless there's a specific feature that you absolutely need from it. The menu already provides similar features and supports two retail bios (v1.004 and v1.01d).

Anyway, next time be sure to at least check if the file sizes are correct, so you don't end up flashing it with a flashROM dump, like you did this time