Dracon Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 At last! After a heavy fight with complicated A8 registers , after brain-storming and testing... here is a tool that allows everyone to prepare colorful and non-interlaced pictures for Atari. Graph2fnt 3.0 helps converting bitmap graphics into charsets. It accepts following formats: fnt (atari fonts), mic, dat (any file), scr (screen map), bmp (windows bmp saved in 8-bit pallette). You can edit whole screen, add 5th color in color mode (2x1 pixel). The compression of mode 1x1 and 4x1 pixels allows using inverse mode of chars. Before loading anything you can set colors from atari pallette. You can change colors every scanline and edit pictures in zoom mode. There are a lot of changes and updates since this version of G2F (v3.0): now you can also use PMG objects (sprites in other terms ). When you are finished with your colorful picture, you can also save special display routine in assembler code (3 variants). Overall, the results looks like MCS-picture. There are some sample picture added as well (*.g2f). In general: this is graphics editor for PC that helps you to prepare nice screens that will be displayed on A8 at the end. Download it from here. And here you can check out old ABBUC slideshow to make sure you know what the MCS is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Jefferson Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 It may be that I can't read polish, but I can't find a download link on that website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pps Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 It may be that I can't read polish, but I can't find a download link on that website. Hmm, I´m also a non polish speaking creature. But sometimes I went to this site. Since some Days there are every downloads disabled or so. Perhaps you must logged in now?!? If you´re interested in version 2.6, which has no PM, but is a very usefull grafics to font converter, I can mail it to you with a short english instruction. Perhaps the v3.0 will be soon available from another site? bye, PP´s PS: I´ll try to get in contact with dely/TQA to get this version and the Win32 Fontmaker too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dracon Posted September 22, 2003 Author Share Posted September 22, 2003 Oh, I see... There shoud be a text "pobierz" which means "download" in polish... But it turned out you gotta be registered at AtariArea to download anything. But look below - I give you a hand... graph2fontv3.0.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pps Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Hey thanks Dracon :-))))) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Ok, ok, I'll give this program a try. Just so all your hard work isn't wasted. I much rather have a graphic tool like this on an actual Atari, but IF I can save the finished pictures in a format that can be displayed on a REAL Atari 8-bit when I'm done, I'll accept this as a useful tool until a real atari computer tool comes along...I hope it does save it to be viewed on a real atari, if this is just stuff that can only be viewed on a PC, then I don't want it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dracon Posted September 22, 2003 Author Share Posted September 22, 2003 Hey, there are some more remarks: - you can use ZOOM tool only when you load picture and turn it into chars (so some options work only when combined with some other ones) - HELP doesn't work yet (and there is only Polish html-version added) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emkay Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Ok, ok, I'll give this program a try. Just so all your hard work isn't wasted. I much rather have a graphic tool like this on an actual Atari, but IF I can save the finished pictures in a format that can be displayed on a REAL Atari 8-bit when I'm done, I'll accept this as a useful tool until a real atari computer tool comes along...I hope it does save it to be viewed on a real atari, if this is just stuff that can only be viewed on a PC, then I don't want it... The main cause of this tool is to easy convert Graphics for the ATARI. You can allways use the data to load it into the ATARI itself you and can use the Data for your next software-projekt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZylonBane Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 I hope it does save it to be viewed on a real atari What else could it possibly be for? If it was for PC-only viewing he'd have called it Graph2Photoshop . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dracon Posted September 22, 2003 Author Share Posted September 22, 2003 What else could it possibly be for? If it was for PC-only viewing he'd have called it Graph2Photoshop . LOL!!! Didn't you read the 1st post from this thread carefully ? Well, I think you should have done so... So once again: This tool is aimed at preparing colorful and nonintelaced screens for Atari 8-bit although you can run this editor on PC only. At first you have to load a picture either from Atari 8-bit (.mic) or from PC (bmp format with 8-bit pallette). Second, you gotta turn the screen into charset... Then you can turn ZOOM mode on and carefully add 5th color (inverse) as well as extra colors from PMG objects. Besides you can change color every single rasterline. Of course there shouldn't be too many color changes at that line (up to 5 changes approx. allowed). Next, when having all picture done (more colorised), you can save all data in some separate files (.fnt, .scr, etc.) and generate .ASM sourcecode from this editor in order to place it in your own A8 programs... It's just so simple I think ! Of course you can also use G2F only for changing pictures into charsets (for games, etc.) without that extra color operations - it's up to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmutzpuppe Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Really good work. There are only two things i miss. One is a player definition tool, you can "only" set the width and priority at the moment. The second is the use of missles. I found the use of missles and player definition very helpfull when creating the druid picture. Without it you can't create a 1:1 conversion from "my" version. I have attached it for you, so you can compare both versions. druid.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmutzpuppe Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Ah, sorry my fault, missiles work So there are only one thing left to do Matthias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emkay Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Next, when having all picture done (more colorised), you can save all data in some separate files (.fnt, .scr, etc.) and generate .ASM sourcecode Hey ... what about an import and export filter for the basic MCS Files? So Charset-Pictures with Overlay that are already done can be handled easiely and some Pictures are still waiting to be finished... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dracon Posted September 23, 2003 Author Share Posted September 23, 2003 There are only two things i miss. One is a player definition tool, you can "only" set the width and priority at the moment. what do you mean exactly? You can add PMG data in ZOOM mode by clicking mouse every place you need... Isn't it enough? If not, please describe how you will see that new feature in G2F. Without it you can't create a 1:1 conversion from "my" version. I have attached it for you, so you can compare both versions. well, I don't see any serious differences. @emkay: yes I told about such filter to G2F's author before but he said G2F should be better tool in general and there's no need to make such import-filter (it would be pleasure to prepare gfx from scratch in G2F, not written before on anything else ). But we will see - I wrote him that you requested this feature again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmutzpuppe Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 what do you mean exactly? You can add PMG data in ZOOM mode by clicking mouse every place you need... Isn't it enough? If not, please describe how you will see that new feature in G2F. You must be right, if i active the PM only mode i can see that the player are defined. But zoom doesn't work for me, so i don't found any option for that feature!? If i click on the zoom button, nothing happens well, I don't see any serious differences. The difference are really not that big, there are only details. But if you can handle missiles and player definition it should be no Problem to create a 1:1 picture with g2f. Here you can see what i mean: Overall i think that g2f is a brilliant program and it hit's the market much faster than i thought Do you have an idea why zoom doesn't work for me? Matthias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dely Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 what could have been if the Commando author could use Graph2fnt: Original: My quick G2F version: Little difference commandogfx.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Jefferson Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Quick someone hack that screen into the program, and make an ATR while you are at it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emkay Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 what could have been if the Commando author could use Graph2fnt: Original: My quick G2F version: Little difference What to say... a small step for a man.... Do you remember Neill Armstrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emkay Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 BTW: And here you can check out old ABBUC slideshow to make sure you know what the MCS is... I am a bit nosy about what "some" polish people are saying about my MCS Pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dracon Posted September 23, 2003 Author Share Posted September 23, 2003 If i click on the zoom button, nothing happens So it seems you didn't precisely read my posts from this thread, too. I wrote before that some functions aren't accesible at once but only on certain condition(s).... The alghoritm is as follows: 1. Load the bitmap 2. Turn it into chars (Options/optymizing) and make sure you do it right (Options/Show Chars). 3. From now on ZOOM mode is enabled ! Change it as you wish (x4, x8, x16). 4. When being in that ZOOM mode select SPRITE and press 1-8 to select any PMG object you want to define 5. Click click and so on.... 6. Afterwards you gotta set some variables for your sprite object (its color, size, priority, range at screen) in special sub-menu - try to find and use it ! You can also load your PMG data later, from that submenu only! More notes on PMGs from author's mail: PMG you can define by its position (X key), width (S key) and priority, and its shape you can set in zoom mode as I wrote here before. To get PMG object that is place lower, you gotta turn off PMG object that is higher, and so on. The difference are really not that big, there are only details. Yeah, you are right. The color changes you are showing here are slight ones. G2F's author just decided to use different color values than you did. Overall i think that g2f is a brilliant program and it hit's the market much faster than i thought Nice to read it... To tell the truth I am also learning it yet... I hope that all that above will help you in troubles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmutzpuppe Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 1. Load the bitmap 2. Turn it into chars (Options/optymizing) and make sure you do it right (Options/Show Chars). 3. From now on ZOOM mode is enabled ! Change it as you wish (x4, x8, x16). Yep, it works now. I loaded the druid example and thought that no optymizing is needed because the example is allready convertef to font, my fault (again). Thanks for help Matthias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dracon Posted September 24, 2003 Author Share Posted September 24, 2003 I am a bit nosy about what "some" polish people are saying about my MCS Pictures I guess you are curious what was written there by... me. So, I gave the link for MCS' mode description and wrote that it is a pity MCS didn't become popular in atari scene through the years.... Hey ... what about an import and export filter for the basic MCS Files? So Charset-Pictures with Overlay that are already done can be handled easiely and some Pictures are still waiting to be finished... Feels like you haven't checked G2F out enough... You can load picture and separate file with inverse (overlay) data for it. This is the *.INV file type. It examines if a byte from file is >= 128 or less; if it is >= 128 then it sets overlay for a char. Filename has to be 30*32, 30*40 or 30*48 bytes (you know, it depends on how wide the screen is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXG/MNX Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Hi, I downloaded version 3.0 but I have bad results. What kind of files must I load 256 color bmp's ? I did try a file of 320x200 but only a grey screen secondly 1x 2x 4x pixel option is not available to switch could do that with the old version. Secondly I would like to see support for reading small GIF/JPG files. Output format would be cool when this also can output HIP picture data... The whole idea is cool but like I said I never got a good picture to work with it... TXG/MNX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dracon Posted September 24, 2003 Author Share Posted September 24, 2003 Hi,I downloaded version 3.0 but I have bad results. What kind of files must I load 256 color bmp's ? Well, according to instruction, BMP format should be: without compression, only 8-bit @pixel mode (indexed mode), with only 2, 4 or 16 colors. If the picture has much more colors, there will be selected only ones that were first in the pallette. That's how it is written.... I'm also are doing experiments with this option now so maybe after some time I will know... From the last moment: it works indeed! But keep in mind, your pc's picture has to be resized (from 160x192 pixels to 192x240 pixels - for G2F color mode 2x1 pix), too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXG/MNX Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 Hi,I downloaded version 3.0 but I have bad results. What kind of files must I load 256 color bmp's ? Well, according to instruction, BMP format should be: without compression, only 8-bit @pixel mode (indexed mode), with only 2, 4 or 16 colors. If the picture has much more colors, there will be selected only ones that were first in the pallette. That's how it is written.... I'm also are doing experiments with this option now so maybe after some time I will know... From the last moment: it works indeed! But keep in mind, your pc's picture has to be resized (from 160x192 pixels to 192x240 pixels - for G2F color mode 2x1 pix), too Thanx for the info I will play with it some more. But would it also be possible to create a HIP screen using characters? This would make the screens smaller then 16Kb I think. But it would make the program very complex I think. TXG/MNX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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