Remake of those old Loading screens

[+CharlieChaplin]

Hmmm,

 

but there was already a (hacked/cracked) file version of Arkanoid with a title-screen, similar to this one:

 

One can find it e.g. at Homesoft`s site: http://www.mushca.co...ndex.php?dl=201

But maybe someone prefers the screen with the spaceship / mothership, allthough I find it a little bit too grey(scale). Or was this just a test to show that XBIOS can also load XEX versions of G2F pics and XEX games ? (If so, don`t throw stones on me...)

 

-Andreas Koch.

Edited February 22, 2013 by CharlieChaplin

[Tezz]

Hi, yes I've seen that hacked version entitled "Arkanoid II". The version I based the loader from is actually Fandal's 3 ball fixed version of the original release. The main point of these here is to demonstrate XBIOS. The picture is just a conversion of the original c64 loading pic that I did about 9 years ago with one of the first releases of g2f so I had it to hand for an example. I agree that pic isn't fantastic however with some wrong colours apart from the mothership which is pixeled quite well by the original artist. I started pixelling a new picture for fun this afternoon as I had the same opinion

[Tezz]

... Or was this just a test to show that XBIOS can also load XEX versions of G2F pics and XEX games ? (If so, don`t throw stones on me...)

 

-Andreas Koch.

It's to demonstrate displaying a G2F image DURING loading as a loading picture is intended for rather than tagged on to the executable. Edited February 22, 2013 by Tezz

[Synthpopalooza]

Question:

 

Would ICE font pictures work as loading screens?

 

They use character DLI's and a VBLANK routine to swap fonts and other registers. Not sure if the character DLI's would interfere or not.

 

Here's a convert of the C-64 Arkanoid screen I did, in .IPC PCIN mode (Graphics 12+10):

 

arkanoid.obx

[emkay]

Question:

 

Would ICE font pictures work as loading screens?

 

They use character DLI's and a VBLANK routine to swap fonts and other registers. Not sure if the character DLI's would interfere or not.

 

Here's a convert of the C-64 Arkanoid screen I did, in .IPC PCIN mode (Graphics 12+10):

 

arkanoid.obx

 

No.

A DLI has the highest priority on the A8. As long as a DLI lasts the SIO cannot be handled.

As I wrote above, a DLI has to be limited to approximately 1.5 scanlines. A charmode ist ---- how much ? --- right 8 scanlines.

 

You know, you always have the chance, using some "kernal", but you also have to keep the timing of the SIO inside it's limits...

 

Well.... simple flicker would work, ofcourse...

Edited February 24, 2013 by emkay

[José Pereira]

Hi.

An weekend end loading screen, Draconus.

It's based on the original one that it's same on A8 and C64 (just that A8 it's 4colours and Cognito full-price release instead of Zeppelin budget quoting).

 

I tried to have as less PMGs and DLs as I could but probably some changes may be needed to get it during loading.

The original was Bitmap but this is Charmode.

Tezz, when you have some time and could load then more then the screen it would be the best way for me to learn what I can do and not do using G2F.

 

-> Without PAL Blending:

-> With PAL Artifacting:

-> The .g2f and .xex files:

DRACONUS.zip

 

I always liked the pale and darker colours 13 and 14 (and also the beautifull Blue colour 9) because I can even get nice, i think, Rocks with colour 14 Pale Green (simulates old rocks...).

Before you say that they seem a little bit darker then my idea (of cours that using the last A8 colour Pallete isn't simple to then have other colours 'Orings') was to really get it strange, darker and weird. This is the spirit of the game (it's a monters cave game so you don't expect nice and bright colours, right?).

The guys also have to look like monsters and lizards and that uggly creature better in Greenwish (that's the same as on the Nature).

 

 

The C64 version, for me, it's only good (good just because it's the normal 8bits colour for Rocks) on the Rocks Pillars using Gray then it could have been different, even with the C64 just 16colours Palette:

For me the monsters just don't have the colour feeling., the monster mouth with the Red countor isn't very 'true world', and those fire isn't the reality but, of course, they just wanted to have the 15 (indeed there's missing onbe of the C64 colours...).

Not critic but probably not so colourful I'll do it other way using the C64 resources.

 

 

 

 

Hope you like and you're free to do the changes you think it's best.

(P.s.- Hope there's no need to have many changes and less DL/PMGs to get this during loading)

[emkay]

Next one is attached. This time with a G2F picture during loading. Renamed to xautorun to skip XBIOS menu.

 

@ Jose, you can make 3 register changes on the first scanline of the char row. Try to keep the changes made as minimal as you can.

 

3 changes per charmode line. Seems to be more than enough, as pictures like this...

 

 

 

.... doesn't need DLIs at all.

 

With some nifty redrawing of the pictures, they could get very impressive.

 

[José Pereira]

Now I understand what Tezz was saying.

Will change some things but probably it will not be much different looking.

[Tezz]

Now I understand what Tezz was saying.

Will change some things but probably it will not be much different looking.

Hi Jose, looks good I've had a look at the attached files, I guess from this last post here that you're now sorting out those changes that you've made inbetween the char rows. I'll write a loader for it when you've completed it.

[Tezz]

3 changes per charmode line. Seems to be more than enough, as pictures like this...

 

.... doesn't need DLIs at all.

 

With some nifty redrawing of the pictures, they could get very impressive.

Yes absolutely with 3 dli changes per row, you can put together some good pictures. As you've mentioned also it's possible to make dli changes every second scanline if you have sections of the picture bitmap.

[Tezz]

Question:

 

Would ICE font pictures work as loading screens?

As long as all your dli changes are char aligned yes.

[Tezz]

Further to the previous example, yesterday I prepared Arkanoid to load and save the high score to disk. Remember to have the disk / emulated disk image r/w enabled, if not it will revert to the default high score.

xbios.atr

Edited February 24, 2013 by Tezz

[José Pereira]

The rule is what?

Only 3 changes each charline = 8scanlines? If possible then how much? I am doing, normally, 1 or 2 in some scanlines and never on badlines.

 

I was more into, if you don't mind, you see it the way it is and then say me where I am wrong and what I have to change.

Using this as example I would learn the possibilities for future ones.

Thanks.

[Tezz]

The rule is what?

Only 3 changes each charline = 8scanlines? If possible then how much? I am doing, normally, 1 or 2 in some scanlines and never on badlines.

 

I was more into, if you don't mind, you see it the way it is and then say me where I am wrong and what I have to change.

Using this as example I would learn the possibilities for future ones.Thanks.

You need to have all your dli changes on the bad lines only. The first scanline of each char row.. 0 8 16 24 32 ...

 

Edit> yes 3 changes per char row

Edited February 24, 2013 by Tezz

[emkay]

The rule is what?

Only 3 changes each charline = 8scanlines? If possible then how much? I am doing, normally, 1 or 2 in some scanlines and never on badlines.

 

I was more into, if you don't mind, you see it the way it is and then say me where I am wrong and what I have to change.

Using this as example I would learn the possibilities for future ones.

Thanks.

 

The only changes, you can make with charmode IS in the "Badline" Scanline... 3 changes. If you have to change the charset, you have only 2 other registers available for changing.

Remember, we're talking about DLIs....

[emkay]

Yes absolutely with 3 dli changes per row, you can put together some good pictures. As you've mentioned also it's possible to make dli changes every second scanline if you have sections of the picture bitmap.

 

Should be a rule for a contest

Pictures that fit into charmode usable for XBIOS.

 

I've started some conversion, but then I realized that G2F is hammering temporary Data to the SSD. So the Fun ended fast.

Some redirect of the path is still recommended, as today a RAMdisk is a good storage for temporary files

 

[Heaven/TQA]

Jesus... G2f is 9 years old?

[Tezz]

G2F is hammering temporary Data to the SSD. So the Fun ended fast.

The undo history is hammering your SSD? You should have no worries with a modern SSD with trim garbage collection under win7/8... but yes it would be a nice option to point that where you'd prefer.

Some redirect of the path is still recommended, as today a RAMdisk is a good storage for temporary files

yep, as we commonly did in our Amiga days. I'm not sure if Tebe has read your post in the G2f thread.

[Tezz]

Jesus... G2f is 9 years old?

haha, I know! I think it's actually 10+ years old now

[Synthpopalooza]

A DLI has the highest priority on the A8. As long as a DLI lasts the SIO cannot be handled.

As I wrote above, a DLI has to be limited to approximately 1.5 scanlines. A charmode ist ---- how much ? --- right 8 scanlines.

 

You know, you always have the chance, using some "kernal", but you also have to keep the timing of the SIO inside it's limits...

 

Well.... simple flicker would work, ofcourse...

 

The ICE mode picture I used has 7 DLI char changes, one per three lines. Though that could be reduced with character optimization, perhaps.

[Synthpopalooza]

Did an experiment with the Draconus pic from earlier:

 

draconus-pcin.obx

 

Below is a zip file with the source fonts, scr files, and code.

 

draconus.zip

 

This could always be enhanced by using PMG overlays which will show up over the Antic 4 side of the display, and as they will share the same color as the Graphics 10 screen, might help to reduce the flicker.

[emkay]

Jesus... G2f is 9 years old?

 

To correct you: The latest version of Graph2Font is approximately 3 Months old

 

 

[emkay]

The undo history is hammering your SSD? You should have no worries with a modern SSD with trim garbage collection under win7/8... but yes it would be a nice option to point that where you'd prefer.

 

Well, call it nitpicking, but every unnecessary write unnecessarily shortens the lifespan of the SSD. TRIM really doesn't help here

 

yep, as we commonly did in our Amiga days. I'm not sure if Tebe has read your post in the G2f thread.

 

It would be sufficient, when G2F is writing into the containing folder, not into the Roaming folder.

Edited February 25, 2013 by emkay

[emkay]

[/font][/color]

 

The ICE mode picture I used has 7 DLI char changes, one per three lines. Though that could be reduced with character optimization, perhaps.

 

This works, ofcourse.

Edited February 25, 2013 by emkay

[José Pereira]

O.K. the Draconus remake to fit on the 3changes at 1st scanline of a charline later (need to see it with better Eyes when less brandy on my Head ).

But Spellbound was more easy because I already had it with just Bitmap Mode 4colours and each PMG used only one time.

I just put there the PF3 and all the DLIs and PMGs changes are on those scanlines.

There isn't much changes and where they are most of times just one or two changes.

 

-> The PFs only:

-> Then adding some PMGs:

 

We get this:

(even with some brandy I don't have my Noose 'redish/rose' like the Merlin )

For the guys that have possibility to see this in PAL Artifacting:

 

 

 

With this simple one I think I get the 'Thing'.

Say me if that's the 'spirit of the Thing' so that I can do more...

Thanks.

 

 

 

Oops: The Files:SPELLBOUND A8 ANTIC4.zip

Edited February 25, 2013 by José Pereira