Visual bB 1.0 - a new IDE for batari Basic

[yuppicide]

Works now, wasn't working earlier. Great work, RT. Can't wait to see version 2 of the page.

 

I am liking the music thing. It has REALLLLLY helped me. I never had sound working in my game before, definitely not a whole song, but now I do. With a little modification I was able to incorporate it into my title screen.

 

Two things I'd be interested in seeing:

 

- How about a choice between SDATA or DATA. I have my level data stored in SDATA. If I was able to use DATA then I could play my music during title screen and in between rounds the song would continue.

 

- When you use Dual Voice Mode and you click once to do channel 1, then click to do channel 2. I think I'd like when I click the first time for my data to show up for that channel. The reason I say this is because I wanted to do one note in 6 (Pure Buzzy) and do the same thing (or close to it) in 7 (Reedy/Rumble), but was always second guessing myself when I clicked 7. I couldn't see what I really clicked in 6.

 

What would be fabulous if someone gets with Cybergoth and works a way to get SID2TIA to work in bB without all the pretty graphics and such and make it this easy to drag and drop the code in.

 

 

 

Your link just takes me to the top of the VbB page. Doing a find on the page comes up with nothing containing the letters "music".

 

The first draft is done:

 

www.randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-batari-basic-vbb.html#music_and_sound_editor

 

I'm still trying to figure out where things should go and what else should be added. Hopefully more questions and suggestions will help make it better.

The link is working for me?

[+Random Terrain]

- How about a choice between SDATA or DATA. I have my level data stored in SDATA. If I was able to use DATA then I could play my music during title screen and in between rounds the song would continue.

If jwierer can do that, then users wouldn't need to convert the code themselves, so that would be nice. Users would just have to remember that they'll have a 256 byte limitation when using data.

 

 

 

- When you use Dual Voice Mode and you click once to do channel 1, then click to do channel 2. I think I'd like when I click the first time for my data to show up for that channel. The reason I say this is because I wanted to do one note in 6 (Pure Buzzy) and do the same thing (or close to it) in 7 (Reedy/Rumble), but was always second guessing myself when I clicked 7. I couldn't see what I really clicked in 6.

That would be useful if possible. Just remember that you can also use Single V,C,F to add data for the other channel. You'd replace 0,0,0 with the new data.

[yuppicide]

That's how I did the song I showed you. Made two separate songs, they seemed to go together and they did.

 

That would be useful if possible. Just remember that you can also use Single V,C,F to add data for the other channel. You'd replace 0,0,0 with the new data.

[yuppicide]

Here's another idea for the new music thing. How about an option to "delete .bin after test"? I just noticed I have about 20 to 30 files all 4k and I'm never going to use them again. I just keep Testing in Emulator and if I don't like them I make another.

[+Random Terrain]

Here's another idea for the new music thing. How about an option to "delete .bin after test"? I just noticed I have about 20 to 30 files all 4k and I'm never going to use them again. I just keep Testing in Emulator and if I don't like them I make another.

That's a good idea.

[jwierer]

Here's another idea for the new music thing. How about an option to "delete .bin after test"? I just noticed I have about 20 to 30 files all 4k and I'm never going to use them again. I just keep Testing in Emulator and if I don't like them I make another.

Absolutely. I am not sure why I never did that myself. If anybody has a good starter project for music DATA instead of SDATA, it should not be that hard to add in the future.

 

-Jeff

[+Random Terrain]

If anybody has a good starter project for music DATA instead of SDATA, it should not be that hard to add in the future.

If you PM me that file again that I edited before, I can make a data version of it.

[yuppicide]

Will do. Once I have the starter information, I can use it over and over with my data statements I guess.

 

I'd PM you, but I can't figure out how to attach a file.. it opens me up in something not full editor like.

 

If anybody has a good starter project for music DATA instead of SDATA, it should not be that hard to add in the future.

If you PM me that file again that I edited before, I can make a data version of it.

[yuppicide]

So, with all the enhancements to Visual bAtari Basic, I'm wondering what it would take for version 2.0 to come out? We've already seen sprite editors, music editors, etc. What next? I'll describe the game I want to make and it will automagically make it for me?

[jwierer]

So, with all the enhancements to Visual bAtari Basic, I'm wondering what it would take for version 2.0 to come out? We've already seen sprite editors, music editors, etc. What next? I'll describe the game I want to make and it will automagically make it for me?

What I would really like is to have a better way to detect and automatically correct syntax errors, but for that I would have to understand the language a whole lot better. What I could imagine adding is a set of inline assembly blocks and common mini-kernels so that less experienced programmers could use them.

 

-Jeff

[Pioneer4x4]

OK, I feel like a dolt, but I cannot seem to create anthing new in Visual bB.

I have build 550. It seems to work fine with no errors. I can open up samples, and tweak things like colors. When I recompile and run it works find. If I create a new project and copy the sample.bas file's contents, it compiles OK. But when I run the .bin in stella, I just get a flickering black screen with a couple vertical white lines on the left, and a smaller one to the right. If I paste the text into Crimson Editor it works OK.

Edited February 21, 2010 by Pioneer4x4

[yuppicide]

Could you post your .bas file here for us to take a look?

 

Use Full Editor, then Attach the file here.

[Pioneer4x4]

It is just one of the samples "Draw.bas". It compiles fine as is, but not when I make a copy of it. I admit I am a TOTAL noob at this, but not at programming.

If I do a Add New Code, and paste it in, it won't work.

 

 

include div_mul.asm

set kernel_options no_blank_lines

set romsize 8kSC

set smartbranching on

const pfres=32

pfclear

player0x=10:player0y=7

player0:

%11000000

%01100000

110001

011011

001111

011111

111111

end

gameloop

COLUP0=15

COLUPF=20

if joy0left then player0x=player0x-1:if player0x<10 then player0x=10

if joy0right then player0x=player0x+1:if player0x>137 then player0x=137

if joy0up then player0y=player0y-1:if player0y<7 then player0y=7

if joy0down then player0y=player0y+1:if player0y>99 then player0y=99

skipjoy

if joy0fire then gosub plot

drawscreen

goto gameloop

plot

rem convert player position to playfield pixel

rem divide by 3 vertically

g=(player0y-7)/3

h=(player0x-10)/4

if g=i && j=h then return

i=g:j=h

pfpixel h g flip

return

[jwierer]

OK, I feel like a dolt, but I cannot seem to create anthing new in Visual bB.

I have build 550. It seems to work fine with no errors. I can open up samples, and tweak things like colors. When I recompile and run it works find. If I create a new project and copy the sample.bas file's contents, it compiles OK. But when I run the .bin in stella, I just get a flickering black screen with a couple vertical white lines on the left, and a smaller one to the right. If I paste the text into Crimson Editor it works OK.

Are you saving after you copy and paste the code into the editor because that is what happens when you compile a blank piece of code.

 

-Jeff

[Pioneer4x4]

Are you saving after you copy and paste the code into the editor because that is what happens when you compile a blank piece of code.

 

-Jeff

LOL!

Miracle of miracles, what a difference! I guess that makes sense since it is passing the code to another parser...

 

THANKS A BUNCH!

Now I can get started on my ideas, and then the hopefully less obvious questions will come!

[jwierer]

Are you saving after you copy and paste the code into the editor because that is what happens when you compile a blank piece of code.

 

-Jeff

LOL!

Miracle of miracles, what a difference! I guess that makes sense since it is passing the code to another parser...

 

THANKS A BUNCH!

Now I can get started on my ideas, and then the hopefully less obvious questions will come!

It's usually the small things Happy coding!

 

-Jeff

[Pioneer4x4]

It's usually the small things Happy coding!

 

-Jeff

I know about the simple things! I'm on call this weekend, and I just got paged for somthing even more mindless, that 3 people missed and paged me on.

[jwierer]

It's usually the small things Happy coding!

 

-Jeff

I know about the simple things! I'm on call this weekend, and I just got paged for somthing even more mindless, that 3 people missed and paged me on.

I should probably have it warn you if you have unsaved changes before compiling. The next update will include that. For what it's worth, if you go to the settings tab there is an option to always save unsaved changes before compiling.

 

-Jeff

[Pioneer4x4]

I should probably have it warn you if you have unsaved changes before compiling. The next update will include that. For what it's worth, if you go to the settings tab there is an option to always save unsaved changes before compiling.

 

-Jeff

Got it, thanks again. I enabled that setting. I will need to be proactive on filve versions so I don't blow away a working copy. I'm at the point now where I need better understanding of the "playfield". Ideally I would like a way to display 4 colors without using sprites. I have a long way to go!

[yuppicide]

Just tried out the Graphics Converter for the first time and get the following:

 

 

I'm very interested in the choice of either sdata or data for the new music program. That thing rocks.

 

Ooh, I know what would be nice. To be able to draw different sprite frames and have different options to play it back. Like, I could make 3 frames for a guy running to the right and play them back in order and adjust the speed of playback. Obviously this wouldn't output the whole code for the animation process. You would design 3 separate sprites and the program would simply have an option to select your sprites and play them.

 

If we could work some kind of hi-res title screen tool that would be great. I know there's a hi-res title (high-res?) thread on AA which I believe Cave-In uses, but that's mirrored I think and I lost the thread. I got feedback that the game itself looks great, but the title screen cheapens things. I have to agree with him because so far I don't have other options.

[jwierer]

Just tried out the Graphics Converter for the first time and get the following:

 

 

I'm very interested in the choice of either sdata or data for the new music program. That thing rocks.

 

Ooh, I know what would be nice. To be able to draw different sprite frames and have different options to play it back. Like, I could make 3 frames for a guy running to the right and play them back in order and adjust the speed of playback. Obviously this wouldn't output the whole code for the animation process. You would design 3 separate sprites and the program would simply have an option to select your sprites and play them.

 

If we could work some kind of hi-res title screen tool that would be great. I know there's a hi-res title (high-res?) thread on AA which I believe Cave-In uses, but that's mirrored I think and I lost the thread. I got feedback that the game itself looks great, but the title screen cheapens things. I have to agree with him because so far I don't have other options.

That would probably happen if you deleted ImgtoCode.exe? Is it in the same directory as visualbb.exe? It was built as a standalone executable so you can just double click ImgToCode and it will load. It will import an image, any type, and either output a single sprite or playfield frame or a set of animated frames. You can create a hires screen as it was originally written to work with the bitmap kernel.

 

-Jeff

[yuppicide]

Not sure. It works at home, but did not work at work. I did successfully run the .exe file at work. I just upgraded to 550 today at work, so maybe that was it. We'll see when I am in work next since obviously I've rebooted.

[yuppicide]

I don't get the error message anymore. Not sure what the problem was. Maybe the reboot did it.

 

Thanks for the link to that hi-res title page. I did see the thread awhile ago and replied in it, but I forgot about it until you mentioned here. I'll fool around with it later on tonight if I get a chance and see if it works for me. If I can display a hi-res picture along with two sprites, then it'll be exactly what I need.

[jwierer]

I don't get the error message anymore. Not sure what the problem was. Maybe the reboot did it.

 

Thanks for the link to that hi-res title page. I did see the thread awhile ago and replied in it, but I forgot about it until you mentioned here. I'll fool around with it later on tonight if I get a chance and see if it works for me. If I can display a hi-res picture along with two sprites, then it'll be exactly what I need.

I don't know if Michael ever got the bitmap kernel working beyond the displaying a single image phase. Perhaps you're use can motivate him to continue to develop it You might want to bump that thread to recapture attention to the work. My tool will output the necessary format for his current work and I'd be happy to update it if he needs changes.

 

-Jeff

[yuppicide]

Maybe. One static image is fine with me long as I get it display sprites at the same time also.

 

Actually, if I really wanted, there might be a way to do two images in two separate banks. Then just gosub one, wait a bit, then gosub the other. For example, a skeleton with his mouth open and one with his mouth closed.

 

Being that I've got a nearly complete game and bug free, I'm unveiling it to the relatives this weekend to play.