Cxbx-reloaded: Feature Freeze: Version 0.1

[LukeUsher]

This issue documents the preparation for out first stable release

If there are any large changes or new features being worked on, I'd recommend trying to get them finished and merged by the end of the month. (If you want them included in this release). Deadline for inclusion of new features/significant changes in this release is 31st May 2018.

On 31st May 2018, a new branch of Cxbx-Reloaded will be created, tentatively titled v0.1-alpha. At this point, Cxbx-Reloaded will be in a state of 'feature freeze': Only bug-fixes, minor tweaks and usability improvements will be accepted into this new branch. Normal development can continue in the master branch, but any changes made there will not be reflected in the stable release.

The month of June 2018 will be used for testing, preparing the website and fixing any show-stopping issues we may encounter. Throughout this month, there will be intermediate marked builds (alpha, beta, rc1, etc) which are to be used for testing/feedback.

Estimated release date for Cxbx-Reloaded v0.1 is 1st July 2018. This includes the launch of the Website, a game/compatibility database and the emulator itself. This date is subject to change if any breaking issues arrive during the test phase, and as such is NOT a promise. Any changes in the deadline will be communicated on this issue, so make sure to keep track.

[LukeUsher]

Just a reminder that we have two days left until the feature freeze, finish up those PRs folks!

[AzurikRiseOfPerathia]

LAST days to finish, courage is almost there ,)

[LukeUsher]

We're here folks: The repository has been split in-to two branches:

1. master (this will become the stable release, so from now only Bug fixes, usability improvements and minor tweaks will be accepted
2. dev (This will become the development build, any changes at all will be accepted here)

After the stable release, things will be re-arranged so we have a development and stable channel, both with automated builds on AppVeyor.

[GXTX]

Bit confused @LukeUsher, so master will be "stable" instead of having it's own branch and using master as dev?

[LukeUsher]

Not forever, only for this first release (I need to reconfigure AppVeyor to build other branches, which I haven't done yet).

[x1nixmzeng]

Tweak here:

https://github.com/Cxbx-Reloaded/Cxbx-Reloaded/blob/09021d29c0f42a910312be737d09b7277be67219/appveyor.yml#L6-L8

Offtopic: shame the POC release was removed. It was useful for converting files to EXE with even the outdated kernel DLL

[LukeUsher]

@x1nixmzeng Cxbe is the tool for that (Xbe->Exe conversion and back) t's bundled with NXDK and can still be found standalone in the original OpenXDK.

[RadWolfie]

Cxbx-Reloaded v0.1 changelog

NOTE: This does not contain 1 month changes, it is for all the work we had done for 2 years to put in github's release page.

• HLE DirectX 8 major improvement
  
  
  
  • Dxbx back porting
  
  
  • pixel shaders
  
  
  • Hybrid emulation support
  
  
  • Is part of the reason more titles are able to boot than crash on start
  
  
  • Plus allow less patches requirement
  
  
  • Plus various fixes and improvement
  
  
• HLE DirectSound major improvement
  
  
  
  • Full support for:
  
  
  • XADPCM audio codec
  
  
  • 5.1 audio streams
  
  
  • Most titles are audible
  
  
  • No support for DSP binary nor environment sound effect
  
  
  • In order to support it is to do use low level emulation, LLE, only
  
  
  • Plus environment sound effect isn't supported since Windows Vista and later.
  
  
• XbSymbolDatabase (v2.0, formerally known as HLE Database)
  
  
  
  • Split from Cxbx-Reloaded project
  
  
  • In order to support third-party plugins or integrate into other projects
  
  
  • More accurate than ever before
  
  
  • Is part of the reason more titles are able to boot than crash on start
  
  
• LLE OpenGL support
  
  
  
  • Currently experimental
  
  
• Kernel
  
  
  
  • Many fixes and implement functions
  
  
• GUI
  
  
  
  • Add open xbox dashboard
  
  
  • Add Audio Config dialog
  
  
  • Add Xbox Controller mapping
  
  
  • Ability to map XInput ports, DirectInput, and Virtual SteelBatallion to specific xbox port
  
  
  • Add EEPROM config editor
  
  
  • Contains dashboard settings
  
  
  • Add data directory option
  
  
  • AppData (default)
  
  
  • current
  
  
  • custom
  
  
  • Add clear HLE Cache action
  
  
  • Add hack options
  
  
  • Speed hacks
    
    
    
    
    
    • Run xbox threads on all cores
    
    
    
    • Render directly to host backbuffer
    
    
    
    • Uncap framerate
    
    
    
  
  
  • Disable pixel shaders
  
  
  • Skip rdtsc patching
  
  
  • Scale xbox viewpoint to host
  
  
  • Add Reset to Defaults action
  
  
  • Perform clear Cxbx-Reloaded's registry data
  
  
• Misc
  
  
  
  • Brand new logos for Cxbx-Reloaded
  
  
  • Show titles' logo bottom right corner (only if title's xbe has one)
  
  
  • FPS & MS/F (frames per seconds; millisecond per frame)
  
  
  • LED status
  
  
  • HLE/LLE status