Chankast Wrapper 2.5 (Daemon / Alcohol 120% Edition)

What's New in 2.5
===================
Fixed tags to work with chankast 2.5a
Added a resolution tag.
Added support for alcohol 120% virtual drives.
Added error checking for paths.... the wrapper now checks to see if a image path is valid quits if it isn't.
This won't effect people using real discs as paths aren't checked if "-nodaemon" is used.  



Usage:
======

Take the wrapper and the manifest file and drop them in your chankast folder.  
Keep both versions of the chankast exe in the same folder, they co-exist just fine.  Do NOT rename the chankast exes!
Double click on the wrapper to set your settings and you are done!  

Setting Up an Image:
==========================
As you know, chankast cannot support real dc discs but instead relies on mounting ripped images virtually on your harddrive.  
The chankast website explains how to do this.  This special version of the wrapper takes advantage of the command line options 
of daemon tools and alcohol 120%.  



This wrapper determines if you are using Alcohol 120% or Daemon Tools by the exe name (axcmd.exe or daemon.exe respectively) if 
your mounter isn't named after those two files you'll need to rename it.


To use it with daemon you must allow chankast full control of virtual device zero. (Daemon's term, not mine... 
left-click on your daemon icon to see which drive is "device 0") Now in the settings menu, press the button that reads 
"Keycode for Virtual Drive that Chankast uses" and when prompted press the key of the drive device 
zero simulates (like "E" for example).  


To use it with alcohol 120% first be sure to set the exe path to the "axcmd.exe" executable in your alcohol install folder and NOT the 
"alcohol120.exe" executable.  Unlike daemon tools, a120 allows you to send the windows drive name.  Be sure to enter the appropraite drive letter for
alcohol 120% in the text box provided. Now in the settings menu, press the button that reads "Keycode for Virtual Drive that Chankast uses" and when 
prompted press the key of the drive you use in chankast (like "E" for example).  


!!!!Important, important note!!!!!  READ READ READ READ!!!!
============================================================
Due to things in xp like virtual drive letter asssignments and drive letter assignments in alcohol 120%, the drive letter that your virtual disc
shows in explorer might NOT be the drive letter that chankast sees.  For example, on my machine I run alcohol 120%.  By all accounts it mounts things
to the J: drive and for the alcohol drive letter in the launcher I use "J", but when assigning the j drive to chankast, it crashes.  Chankast thinks 
it is the h drive.  Why?  I'm not sure, but I have seperated the drive letter you use for mounting the drive and the key you use to select the drive 
in chankast just for this reason.  Just try for yourself without the wrapper to determine which drive chankast sees your virtual drive as and use that for
the chankast key press and use the explorer drive letter for the alcohol drive. 



The wrapper will take care of the rest. 
 

The rest of the options are self explanitory. 


Command Line Usage:
==========================

chankast-launch.exe d:\path\to\your\iso\isoname.extension -command line options

options:

-cpu ###  			set cpu speed to number you specify (100% is used if the option is left out)
-highpriority			enable high priority
-zwrite				enable zwrite
-zwritealpha			enable zwrite alpha test
-capcomhack			enable capcomhack
-ntsc				use ntsc mode (vga is used if this option is left blank)
-showfps			show fps data
-nodaemon			doesn't mount the image using daemon or alcohol 120% (used for physical cds, just use any old romname.)
-resolution WidthxHeight        Set's the resolution (640x480 is used if you don't use this tag)


Note:  don't put any stray spaces in your commands... only one space should be between each tag and 
only one space should be between a tag and it's value.


In this version the iso path is CRUCIAL so it must be valid.  

Game Specific Configurations:
==============================
When this wrapper loads an image it checks in "chankast\cfgs\" for a ".cfg" file named after the disc image.  
You can make a cfg to use specific options for specific games.  The cfg files override any options set in the command line.
Open up notepad and make a cfg file named after the iso in your "chankast\cfgs\" folder. To make a cfg simply type the commands 
in the cfg file on the first line exactly as you would if you were to launch the wrapper via command line, minus the 
"chankast-launch.exe" and rom path of course. 

An Example would be:

-cpu 110 -capcomhack -resolution 640x480 -showfps


What if I'm using Real Cds?:
=================================
First off, you should know by now that original dreamcast discs don't work, but backups do.  With that out of the way.....

Simply press the key for the real cdrom drive you wish to use when configuring in the settings.  Now when you launch use the
-nodaemon option.  Poof it works like magic.  Be sure to put the cd in BEFORE you launch chankast and give it time to spin 
up.


Special Note About Autolaunch:
=================================
When you put in a cd in windows, the stupid autolaunch tries to load the cd for you.  This will interfere with the wrapper.
You need to turn autolaunch off for the drive you wish to use, even if it is virtual.  For information on how to do so use
this link:

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article03-018


Special Note About Daemon Tools:
==================================
I have nothing to do with how daemon tools reacts to the options you send to it.  So if you send an invalid or corrupted
iso to the wrapper and daemon gives an error you'll know it's on your end, not mine.  Take special note about the device zero
instructions above.  If you don't have at least on virtual device made in daemon (device 0 is the first) then it will error.


Special Note About Alcohol 120%:
================================
See the note about daemon tools.  Be sure to set your path to "axcmd.exe" and NOT "alcohol.exe"  



Notes:
======

The "virtual cd" method and the "real cd" method can be mixed and matched together if you have a mixed collection.


No, I can't hide chankast while the game is loading.  I have to use simulated keypresses, and thus I must be able to
"see" the window.  

No you can't exit with your gamepad.  Because chankast uses exclusive direct input to poll it's inputs, the emulator would
slow to a crawl if I tried to poll the joystick.  Sorry.  :-(  However, joytokey might do a decent job as it uses other 
methods.

High Priority doesn't really work with the wrapper, but I put it in for completeness.  Use at your own risk.  


Tempkast.cfg is a "blank" chankast.cfg I use to clear all the saved settings.  If chankast were to be updated 
(and I don't update the wrapper) you may need to make your own tempkast.cfg by deleting the chankast.cfg, launching chankast,
 selecting the plugins,and then exit and rename. Note that that the tempkast.cfg I've included uses the default plugins, 
if you wish to use others make a new tempkast as described above, selecting the proper plugins.  











  