I always wanted to make a frontend for my favorite computer of all time, the Commodore 64!
My main goal was to write a frontend that can help me to build a relatively small and personal subset of games and applications starting from the big and "chaotic" set that is Tosec.
So... here it is C64 Memories.
Full support for Tosec naming convention: displayed data about games are taken directly from the filename.
Comes with a C64 emulator: C64 Memories uses a slighlty modified version of Vice2.2 emulator.
Directories display: the list of the content of a .D64 or .T64 file is displayed in automatic by C64 Memories.
Favorites folder: you can add your favorite games in the favorites folder (and every disk/tape of a sequence is added in automatic).
Search filters: you can filter results for the first letters, substrings and you can show only the first disk/tape of a sequence.
Snapshots galleries: your can take screenshots from inside the games and the pictures will be displayed in automatic in C64 Memories.
Notes: you can add custom notes for every single game.
Ratings: you can rate every single game.
Search providers: you can easily find additional informations (review, screenshots, remake, music) over the Internet for every single game just by pressing a button!
Last but not least, C64 Memories fits perfectly on a Netbook screen!
Or, alternatively, you can download the Special Edition: C64 Memories Special Edition Installer.zip(the special edition contains a pack of games that are my favorites, one for each letter of the alphabet, but apart from that the main application is the same)
REALLY IMPORTANT: Vista and Windows 7 users should run the frontend AS ADMINISTRATOR or it hangs during the splash screen.
C64 Memories is written in AIR 2.0 so you must have the AIR 2.0 runtime installed: however it should be automatically downloaded and installed when you install C64 Memories.
If you get any error during the install process, try to download and install the Adobe AIR 2.0 Runtime first: http://www.adobe.com/go/getair
Right now I have only made the Windows version: it is more than likely that sometime in the future I will make Mac and Linux versions.
If you find C64 Memories useful, please consider making a small donation to show your support!
or
Latest donations:
100€
my mother
1€
my father
10€
my wife
50€
my grandma
-20€
my wife's mother
-40€
my wife's father
a kiss
my daughter
Tab My computer: when selected, you can explore every directory of your computer, looking for C64 games and applications.
Tab Favorites: when selected, you will see only the games you have in your favorite folder.
Tab Preferences: when selected, you can edit some settings and preferences of C64 Memories.
Currently selected game on the Browse panel: the icon on the left of the name tells whether it is a tape, a disk or a program file.
Action panel: you can browse through the entries found in the current directory on your hard drive, or you can add or remove the currently selected game from your favorites or you can launch and play at it.
Filters panel: you can filter results for the initials or substrings and you can decide to show only the first disk/tape of a sequence.
Info panel: the data displayed are taken directly from the filename of the game following Tosec naming convention.
Screenshots panel: here are the screenshots taken from inside the game.
The icons that appear when you pass your mouse over the panel enable you to:
• Delete the currently displayed screenshot.
• Open the directory that contains it.
Directory content panel: here is the list of contents of the currently selected game or application.
The icons that appear when you pass your mouse over the panel enable you to:
• Get a snapshot (jpg) of the content.
• Open the directory that contains the snapshots.
• Surf to a Facebook's group "Nice C64 Directories": if you think that a snapshot of yours looks nice enough for the group, you can upload it there.
Search on the Internet panel: here you can find many buttons that will open a new browser window, showing the search results related to the button you have pressed.
Just try! You will be amazed by looking at the results!
Notes panel: here you can add your custom notes about the currently selected game or application.
Rating panel: here you can rate the currently selected game or application!
After the first run, the installation folder of C64 Memories will look like this.
As we'll see below, the most important folder is the one named "myC64".
Directory _contentSnapshots: this folder contains the snapshots of the C64 directories that you have taken.
Directory _logs: here you can find the logfiles of C64 Memories; if you have any problem with C64 Memories and you contact me, it is most likely that I'll ask you to send me a zip of these logfiles.
From time to time, if you want, you can delete them all to free up some precious disk space.
Directory _trashcan: this folder, as the name states, contains rubbish and you can safely delete the entire content.
However you have to know that in this folder are placed the C64 images that you have removed from favorites.
C64 Memories doesn't delete anything (hindsight!).
Directory C64_ViceEmulator: this folder contains the slightly modified Vice 2.2 emulator that is used by C64 Memories to run games and applications.
Directory img: in this folder there are the icons used by C64 Memories for displaying the buttons in the Search on the Internet panel.
You can change these icons or you can add new ones if you have inserted new "search providers" in the "resources.xml" file (see below).
Directory myC64: as I have said before, this is the most important directory of C64 Memories.
Remember to backup this folder regularly.
If you want to install C64 Memories on another PC, just save this folder and replace it on the other PC.
Inside this folder you will find the following elements:
Directory favorites: here are the copies of the files of games and applications that you have added to your favorites folder.
C64 Memories copies files because one of its goals is to "tidy up" by building a relatively small and personal subset of games and applications starting from the big and chaotic set that is Tosec (Tosec has more than 90.000 files).
Directory snaps: this folder contains the screenshots that you have taken from inside the C64 emulator.
You can take as many snapshots as you want for every single game and application.
Different versions of the same game/app will display same snapshots because every single snapshot name is the plain name of a game/app purged of invalid chars (accepted chars are only the alphanumeric ones).
For example, with:
Head Over Heels (1987)(Ocean Software)[cr FBR].t64
Head Over Heels (1987)(Ocean Software)[cr PC][t +1 PC].t64
Head Over Heels (1987)(Ocean Software)[cr Relax][t +1 Relax].t64
C64 Memories will look for screenshots named "Head_Ove_rHeels_[X].png" where [X] is a number starting from 0 (or it's missed if it is the first screenshot taken)
The naming convention used is, in most cases, compatible with the Gamebase screenshots collection.
File dbdata.db: this is a sqllite database file that contains just one table.
In that table there are all the data about the games or the applications on which you have done an action (loaded, added to favorites, added a custom note, rated, etc...).
File settings.xml: this file contains settings used by C64 Memories.
You can edit some of them directly from the Settings and Preferences panel of C64 Memories.
Warning: do not play with these settings! But if you're stubborn and still mess the file up, you can just delete it and C64 Memories will recreate a default one.
There is an hidden feature (I've chosen to hide it on purpose): it is the ability to rename the Tosec files directly from C64 Memories.
To enable this feature you have to set the value of the node <hiddenRenameFeature> to 1 and a new button "rename" will be available in the action panel of C64 Memories: use it at your own risk!
File C64 Memories.exe:as the name states, this is the file you have to run.
File C64 labels.xml: this file contains nearly all of the static strings of text used by C64 Memories.
If you want, you can translate it in your own language: if you ever do so, please send a copy to me and I will upload it on this page in "goodies" section.
Do not forget to make a copy of your original file before editing anything.
File C64 resources.xml: this file contains the basic settings needed by C64 Memories to run.
In addition, the internet search providers are defined here.
You can add or remove <item> entries (however only the first 14 will be displayed).
Each <item> entry has some nodes that define the properties of every search provider.
You can play with them by yourself, it shouldn't be hard to understand how it works, just have a look at the providers already defined in the file... and try!
If you add any interesting search provider, please send a copy to me and I will make it available to everyone on this page, in the "goodies" section.
Do not forget to make a copy of your original file before editing anything.
Download the italian translation files for: just replace the ones you have in the C64 Memories install directory. Italian Translation
To contact me, please use the email address iltimidο＠gmаil․orgсᴏⅿ
(Note: it will not work to copy and paste the address from this page; you must type the address yourself; Tnx Rebecca for this trick!)
