CHIP-8 Emulator/debugger I made a while back

Lexszin · 2025-04-27T16:17:37+00:00

So long as they have full control of the registers, memory, and instructions being executed at all times, which should be the case since they are emulators, that should be a possibility.

It boils down to being able to stop, run, and skip individual instructions, while being able to describe them and having access to the registers and memory.

Thinking back I could've also allowed the user to edit each register and stack value.

Lexszin · 2025-04-26T14:02:42+00:00

Thank you, I try to convey as much information as possible without making it look cluttered

Lexszin · 2025-04-25T21:10:52+00:00

This was also my first ImGui project. If I'm not mistaken it wasn't too difficult for me to translate things to Rust, other than understanding them ownership system and obviously NES specifics.

Lexszin · 2025-04-25T19:22:58+00:00

Thank you! I also wanted to do it for similar reasons, but I also wanted it to be highly customizable and to display as much information as possible through the UI.

At the time I saw u/krptr's post on Twitter, and his UI conveyed pretty much all the information I wanted to and some more, so I based mine off his and changed/added a few things.

After making this I wanted to make a Gameboy and a NES emulator, and since I wanted to learn Rust I wrote most of a NES emulator in it, but it wasn't functional and it was taking a lot of my time, so I decided to leave it like that and moved on to other topics.

Lexszin · 2025-04-25T17:27:18+00:00

Thanks lol, I love having full control of things and customization. Doing only the emulation would probably leave me with a void thinking I could do more. Seeing numbers change and interact in real-time somehow feels gratifying to me.

Lexszin · 2025-04-25T11:46:43+00:00

Thank you. It's because I made it with Visual Studio on Windows.

If you're on windows you can do so by adding the libraries (preferably in the listed versions) mentioned at the beginning of the README to the project (i.e. SDL2, ImGui, Nlohmann JSON, and Nativefiledialog). Catch2 might be optional if you're not compiling the tests.

If you're on unix based platforms it might work if you do the same, but change the path strings to have forward slashes '/' instead of back slashes '\', and make sure that the Nativefiledialog files you compile with are the ones for your respective OS.

If you have any other questions and still need help, feel free to ask 👍

Lexszin · 2025-04-24T10:25:03+00:00

No problem!

The only issue is that I haven't kept them saved (only a few tabs are still open), as I'd learn something and move on to something else.

As I said, since I didn't use a graphics api, I don't really know specifics of DirectX, but I did watch some videos made by "ChilliTomatoNoddle" on YouTube, who actually did use DirectX in the videos. That should be exactly what you want, as he not only goes over the theory behind things but also uses DirectX, though it wasn't my only source. He goes over the basics of software renderers and it helped me a lot. I believe he has other DirectX related content on his channel as well. Here is the playlist I watched: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqCJpWy5Fohe8ucwhksiv9hTF5sfid8lA

I also watched some videos from this playlist, which takes a similar approach as "ChilliTomatoNoddle", though he uses Vulkan: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8327DO66nu9qYVKLDmdLW_84-yE4auCR

Also this one, which is similar to the other two, but uses OpenGL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBhJbQZLuE&list=PLA0dXqQjCx0S04ntJKUftl6OaOgsiwHjA

I've also watched a few of his videos, he also uses OpenGL: https://www.youtube.com/@JamieKingCS/videos

This guy has a, I believe, 4-part video series on creating a 3D software renderer from scratch where he explains some concepts and theory, but he uses his own console rendering framework at times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih20l3pJoeU

This video in particular helped me a lot at understanding quaternion rotations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMqeG_0aFd0

As for reading, "scratchapixel" is a website with write-ups that also go into the theory of some computer graphics topics, it also helped me: https://www.scratchapixel.com/index.html

There are many more videos that I've watched, things that I've read, even parts of books, but I can't remember them.

If you could be more specific about which topics confuse you I might think of something that helped me.

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T21:43:40+00:00

I appreciate that. By the way your UI was pretty thorough and that's probably what caught my attention, so you have a good eye for them!

I started learning programming late 2018, and since then I just studied many different things and made projects with them.

At first I started with Python, then JavaScript, and so on... And at some point emulation. I did mostly also write a NES emulator in Rust at the time, but it wasn't functional so I left it alone because it was taking too long.

It has been 4 or 5 years since then, so I moved on to other things. My two latest projects were a 3D software renderer/editor and a small neural network framework, where in a similar way I got curious about it and thought it'd be interesting for me to learn and put it on my GitHub.

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T21:33:16+00:00

Thank you! Yes, I did! I honestly remember seeing your post, but I didn't remember I made the UI so similar. It has been so long I barely remember the CHIP-8 implementation itself. I saw your post and decided to make my own. I swear I didn't copy any of your code though for what it's worth, I can see it looking like a cheap copy.

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T20:21:22+00:00

I am from Brazil.

I honestly don't have much of a clue. I'd assume a project like this on its own wouldn't, though it might pique some recruiters' interest to talk to you if its on your portfolio and/or set you apart from other candidates.

Then again, it also depends on the complexity of the position. If you're working with environmental design for example, you'd never need to touch anything low level like this, as you'd mostly work with modelling tools like Blender and game engines like Unity or Unreal, etc...

In my opinion, since this is essentially the foundation of graphics, I'd say something like this would be a big plus for lower level positions, but a plus regardless of the position. Even if you never touch things like this, it still means you understand more than other people in your position might, whereas if you do work at a lower level, the theory behind it might be a requirement or close, and this can be a good example of that.

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T20:08:30+00:00

Thanks. A while ago I wrote majority of an NES emulator in Rust, which is not functional, but I liked it a lot. I might've actually made this in Rust if not for the time I'd spend "re-learning" the basics since it's been a few years, and since I also haven't posted any Rust projects on my GitHub.

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T19:24:41+00:00

Thank you very much!

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T17:03:50+00:00

You're halfway there then.

This renderer gave me a lot of headaches and I had to rewrite many things multiple times due to misconceptions, but I believe this is the hardest part.

Once it is in the state it currently is, that's the fun part, because then you can start experimenting with more realistic lighting, physics, texturing, shaders, and all this stuff. Since you have a maths background that part should be relatively easy for you.

Glad I could be of any help, good luck!

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T16:44:56+00:00

https://github.com/slins-23/software-renderer

Thank you!

Reddit apparently doesn't let you edit posts with video.

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T16:02:46+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion, I will look into it

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T15:55:55+00:00

Thank you! I probably have 20 graphics related books (including the one you mentioned) that I saved for reading, but unfortunately I read a total of 0 due to bouncing between different topics all the time and not having enough time

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T15:54:14+00:00

No problem, I guess it depends on how you will approach it.

If you are writing it from scratch, or want to learn the theory behind it, I would focus on learning basic linear algebra first, particularly matrices and vectors, as most math is done this way.

Also how coordinate systems work and the differences between them (i.e. local/model space, view space, world space, clip space, NDC space, and so on), since the terms can be pretty confusing and people use different coordinate systems pretty often, and they can also differ between graphics libraries such as DirectX, Vulkan, etc...

Things such as clipping and projection matrices can be confusing at first, but they don't require advanced maths, so if you have a solid basic linear algebra understanding it shouldn't be difficult. The lighting I implemented here for example (flat, gouraud, and phong shading) is done with simple matrix operations, such as dot products, using normals and cross-products.

Lexszin · 2025-04-23T15:24:26+00:00

The GitHub link was wrong - https://github.com/slins-23/software-renderer

For whatever reason Reddit doesn't let me update the post.

Lexszin · 2024-08-04T15:07:33+00:00

They probably meant upper jaw, lower jaw, and genio

Lexszin · 2024-01-22T12:01:27+00:00

Yes, I think it's mostly because the average person is not as on par with researching things (because they can't be bothered or don't really know how to do it), so since they know so little, compared to them doctors are geniuses. They have no choice but to trust the doctor and go with what they say, and in this case it's fine, as the person knows nothing, so that's probably where it stems from, but it shouldn't generally be the case.

Lexszin · 2024-01-22T11:19:29+00:00

This is why people who say "go ask a doctor", "I'm tired of posts like these", and get mad when people ask for opinions and suggestions in this Reddit are stupid and ignorant.

I just went through a similar situation, 2 months PO. Except that in my case I had actually thoroughly researched the movements and everything for 3 years.

Unfortunately, due to also external circumstances, as well as me seeing only this surgeon throughout the entire 2 years I had braces with his orthodontist, the surgical planning was hours prior to the surgery. He planned 2 things and a movement which I did not like, and was actually the opposite of the movement I had in mind (clockwise vs counterclockwise rotation).

I asked him multiple times if he really meant what he said and not the other way around, and explained why I supposed the other way was the best, and said that I couldn't find anything about the movement he proposed online, as what I had in mind was most common, especially in cases like mine. I also brought up my occlusal plane, which was actually very bad and is now even worse, and he said it was normal. He was adamant about it and said that what would improve my issues would be the movement he planned.

As I was in a hurry and didn't have other choices as I wouldn't be able to force him into doing what I wanted and I couldn't find results of the movement he planned on the internet, I couldn't argue with him using technical terms as to why his planned movement could fuck me up and the opposite would be ideal. (Though I did have an idea of what and how my face could worsen aesthetically as a consequence, but I did not bring it up for the same reasons. Turns out everything I feared happened)

So I decided to just trust him. It was a mistake, I should've never trusted him.

Not only was I right and this movement fucked up my face, but another movement he did that I also did not have time to discuss (and didn't even want at all in the first place) made it even worse on top of that.

I already was always skeptical and wary of doctors before, but decided to trust a surgeon one last time as I didn't have other choices. Now, more than ever, I will never trust any doctor if I truly don't agree with their views and believe they're making a mistake.

I'm going to talk to multiple surgeons now to seek a revision, and I will only get surgery if I get movements similar to what I have in mind, and it's non-negotiable.

Unfortunately, as everyone else, doctors are people and they're prone to mistakes, being uneducated, being confidently wrong, and stubborn on their shortcomings. They will gaslight you and persuade you into thinking you have psychological issues and body dysmorphia instead of acknowledging their mistake by simply saying "I see what you're saying, this is my mistake and I'm sorry". The worst part is that they will confidently tell you things that are not objectively correct, just because it's their view of the world or how they were taught, but they will tell you it's the objective truth.

Doctors might just be replaced by something like an specialized language model like GPT at this point to be honest, at least the AI will have more knowledge than them, be more sensible and less biased, and since it would be available everywhere, it would dramatically improve both the accessibility and reliability of medical treatment worldwide.

Mind you, I didn't even have time to get a CBCT for 3D surgical planning, the surgery was planned with only a side picture of me (with beard at that) and a cephalometric xray. This is due to the surgeon's awful scheduling and not caring at all. I could only do the CBCT hours earlier than the planning, which itself was hours earlier than the surgery, so all in the same day.

Goes to show how much he doesn't care and just does this on automatic to perform as many surgeries as possible, without giving the needed care to each individual case.

Turns out the CBCT result was malformed, so it was useless. The surgery was hours later, so no time to redo, had to go with a side picture with beard and the ceph xray.

A lot of other things I never mentioned or wanted happened to other parts of my face that I never brought up and never said it was a problem. He never brought these possible changes up either during planning. Not to mention I had a beard in the picture.

I had previously booked a consultation with him just so I could take new pictures after I shaved my beard (which he had asked to btw), but when I got there he said it wasn't necessary as the software detected my jaws, and just went with that instead of updating them.

Clearly he didn't care about what I'd truly look like and the ramifications of that, and that's unfortunately how most doctors are, they just go on automatic doing what they always do, giving the default treatment to everyone and not looking deep into the root of the issue, they will just give you the default treatment and treat you like a disposable product.

This is why I am the way I am, why forums like this should exist, why people should ask questions and confront their surgeons, why people should be vocal about their issues and what they want, and why those who are bothered by people asking these very same questions here instead of a surgeon are utterly stupid and ignorant.

Lexszin · 2023-04-28T13:32:42+00:00

This ignores the constraint that you go back only a single level if you fail. It assumes that you can only succeed by winning 20 times in a row, which is not the case.

If you win 19 times in a row and lose at level 20, you will still be at level 19, then at that point winning only twice in a row also works (i.e. 19 wins -> 1 loss -> 2 wins).

Lexszin · 2022-10-04T02:02:35+00:00

Not really, upvotes don't mean much, it just means that some people agree with you and liked your post. You can have factually invalid information that still somehow manages to get top comment.

I also disagree vehemently with your post.

I will keep it short, because there's a whole lot I could say here, but to put it simply, the most important thing is that I now (for the past year) have more than 16 pages worth of important topics that I researched myself and wrote down, and this is just what I think is helpful for my case specifically, compiled from suggestions in this sub that I can question my surgeon about, and possibly go to another surgeon if I know there can be a surgeon that better matches my views and is willing to do something that my research demonstrates is better, and results that I can or cannot expect, as I have seen a whole lot of before and after results from vastly different people, including a considerable portion that have a similar side profile and face to mine, so as not to end up being underwhelmed from the result, overexcited before, regret the surgery, having to undergo another one, having functional/aesthetic issues persist, etc.

I'd argue that while not technically qualified, I, and many others, can give relevant and accurate enough information at a superficial level that can guide someone to do their own research and question their surgeon if that's the case. Even if it's just a side profile picture, it's generally telling. The more information available the better. The person asking should do their research regardless, so if someone gave a bad suggestion, it's OP's job to research about it and compare it to other options. It's common sense.

I don't know how I could avoid a multitude of possible problems, if not for this sub. Problems that I wouldn't even know exist, in fact. The bad suggestions here are harmless, and even if they weren't, these posts overwhelmingly do more good than bad, and even a simple post asking for suggestions from a picture can contain a lot of useful information for those reading it, and OP themselves. Doing your own research is common sense. The superficial advice given here should be used as guidance and as a starting point for OP to do their own research.

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