Magellan

[+retroclouds]

Played around with the latest version. The below screenshot shows I definitly have zero drawing skills

 

 

While playing with Magellan, I noticed following things would be nice.

 

1. Undo functionality: Revert the latest modification(s)

 

2. Would be cool if you could move/copy certain parts of the screen. e.g. in my screenshot copy letters to complete

the title screen as "FRANKY AND FRANK". In this example I would only need to add one additional letter.

Now I have to draw them all again.

 

3. When the "look at character mode" is active it would be nice if the matching character in the character set would be

highlighted as well. That way you know exactly what character you are looking at.

 

4. Possibility to shift character pattern 1 pixel left/right or up/down.

 

5. Copy character patterns by drag and drop in the character set. This is only minor as there is a workaround; go the character pattern; select hex codes, go to other pattern, insert hex codes.

 

 

Anyway, Magellan rocks

[Opry99er]

I had some fun with this new release last night... Got some "Cave World" work done.... I'll be re-doing the Forest world screens this week after the SSGC judging is finished, then I'll really be rolling!!!

[The Codex]

LOVE the updates!!!!! One favor to ask... when adding new maps to the project, is there a way to add a map that's already made?

 

That would be Append Maps in the File menu. I added it with you in mind, man.

 

Here’s one. Start Magellan. Open map project “city.mag”. Export Character Image (Color). New project map. Screen Color unaffected. It’s still grey as in “city.mag”. Import Character Image just saved. All characters have every pixels set (FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF). Now Import Character Image “characters_demo.png”. Looks fine. Now click a character. It disappears (there’s no pattern).

 

About the Import Character Image. I would like it to import the colors too. From what I’ve seen “png” mess up the palette order at least when all 16 colors are not different and in use. This might differ between applications. I suggest we stick with exact colors, and we’re already using the MAME/Raphael Nabet definition.

 

Import Character Image only works with monochrome images at the moment. I can add color support, but there are the previous issues I mentioned with that (colors have to be exactly the same palette values as defined in Magellan, the can't have more than two colors per character row and expect consistent results, Magellan has to guess at which is foreground and which is background). All doable, but with more complications than the current image importer, and with less real utility values down the line, so will probably happen later on.

 

1. Undo functionality: Revert the latest modification(s)

 

Mmmmmaybe. I implemented undo/redo in my text editor, but I suspect it'll be a bit tougher in a graphical editor. And the Java undo handler does some funky stuff. But I'll give it a try, as there are times I'd like it to be there too.

 

2. Would be cool if you could move/copy certain parts of the screen. e.g. in my screenshot copy letters to complete

the title screen as "FRANKY AND FRANK". In this example I would only need to add one additional letter.

Now I have to draw them all again.

 

I can think of a way to implement a kind of "lasso and copy" mechanism, but it'll take some time as well. This thing is accumulating new features faster than I can add them.

 

3. When the "look at character mode" is active it would be nice if the matching character in the character set would be

highlighted as well. That way you know exactly what character you are looking at.

 

Right, should be able to do that with a custom border around the highlighted character. Can't really do it with a background highlight, since that would interfere with the colorset information display. But a border should be enough if I can get it to stand out.

 

4. Possibility to shift character pattern 1 pixel left/right or up/down.

 

Yay, an easy one! Yes, this is quite doable, should be in the next release. Will likely necessitate changing the button layout, that could stand improving anyway.

 

5. Copy character patterns by drag and drop in the character set. This is only minor as there is a workaround; go the character pattern; select hex codes, go to other pattern, insert hex codes.

 

Hmm, if I can get the Java DnD framework to function as expect for this then it could be doable. Probably another lower priority one for now though, as I want to lock down the main functions that enable people to work effectively in it without too much effort.

 

I think the priority items from these posts are character shift, look tool highlighting, and area copy, with perhaps a look-in at color import and undo/redo. Still working through the earlier list of features as well, so we'll see how it goes.

 

Thanks as always for the comments, everyone!

[sometimes99er]

About the Import Character Image. I would like it to import the colors too. From what I’ve seen “png” mess up the palette order at least when all 16 colors are not different and in use. This might differ between applications. I suggest we stick with exact colors, and we’re already using the MAME/Raphael Nabet definition.

Import Character Image only works with monochrome images at the moment. I can add color support, but there are the previous issues I mentioned with that (colors have to be exactly the same palette values as defined in Magellan, the can't have more than two colors per character row and expect consistent results, Magellan has to guess at which is foreground and which is background). All doable, but with more complications than the current image importer, and with less real utility values down the line, so will probably happen later on.

Yep, I understand. The reason I’m asking (for color) is because I would probably import quite a few of my graphics from PhotoShop - of course with the correct size and a palette to match.

 

[sometimes99er]

4. Possibility to shift character pattern 1 pixel left/right or up/down.

Yay, an easy one! Yes, this is quite doable, should be in the next release. Will likely necessitate changing the button layout, that could stand improving anyway.

Maybe something like this would work for scrolling. A few other tms9918a tools do that. I should have done that with "Patterns" (maybe it´s an easy fix).

 

 

[Bones-69]

3. When the "look at character mode" is active it would be nice if the matching character in the character set would be

highlighted as well. That way you know exactly what character you are looking at.

Right, should be able to do that with a custom border around the highlighted character. Can't really do it with a background highlight, since that would interfere with the colorset information display. But a border should be enough if I can get it to stand out.

 

While you are playing with this request, any chance to get the selected charcters ascii number displayed somewhere on the screen?

[The Codex]

Maybe something like this would work for scrolling. A few other tms9918a tools do that. I should have done that with "Patterns" (maybe it´s an easy fix).

 

 

 

Yep, that's pretty much what I had in mind. Will probably put the rotate and flip icons at the various corners, in places where they would make sense.

 

While you are playing with this request, any chance to get the selected charcters ascii number displayed somewhere on the screen?

 

Sure thing, I should be able to snatch a little screen space for that too. I'll work it into the overall redesign of the button layout.

Edited April 26, 2010 by The Codex

[Opry99er]

Hey Codex--- When you get Magellan "release-ready," you should have a dedicated site for it with Screenshots, a DL function, comment box, etc... I'm planning to make up a YouTube video of it, and you're welcome to post that to the site as well. Since the CV guys will be able to utilize this excellent program as well, it might be a good idea (when you're inclined and have the thing where you want it) to start spreading the word to the CV guys about it. I know they will be as excited as we are at the prospect of such a user friendly and interactive screen builder.

[The Codex]

Definitely man. I've got ColecoVision support on my wishlist for the app and will be glad to share it with them for a final tweak before official release.

 

New version is underway now, I'm predicting a lot of folks will hate the new button layout, but I can always revert that if so.

[Opry99er]

Could someone do a quick test in Magellan for me? Make up a 3 map project--- export it, and see if the 3 exported map DATA chunks are different from one another. I am experiencing a bit of difficulty

[The Codex]

New version posted. Fixes the Append Maps issue and adds new features like the Color Dock, separate background colors for each map, character image shifting, and active character highlighting. It also displays the decimal and hexadecimal value for the selected character above the editor, and it begins to implement saving user preferences. (Right now it just remembers the magnification size of the map that you last used, and whether or not you tend to export files with the comments included.)

 

Hope you like, and let me know if any problems you encounter.

[Opry99er]

Codex... found a couple things... sorry. =) Anyway, the export multiple maps feature did the exact same thing... Maps #1, #2, and #3 were all the same map... "MAP1". Maps #4, #5, and #6 all came out as MAP4. In addition, with this new version, the output is skewed one character... I'll show you what I mean....

 

This is a good datafile that is formatted correctly

 

 

 

 

And this is one that was exported from this new version of Magellan.

 

 

Don't know whats up here, but hopefully its something simple. I have also attached a copy of my .mag file below. =)

Berylappend.zip

[Opry99er]

By the way--- the new User interface is freaking sweet. Love the new features and the color bar is awesome.

[The Codex]

Hmm, bizarre, that. Your mag file loads fine when I use it, there are six distinct maps in there. And the XB output renders okay, though the full program is too big for memory so I just loaded in part of it. How are you outputting those character grids you printed in your post? Is it perhaps the assembler output?

[Opry99er]

This is the updated LOADMAP program. It creates 3 datafiles (like the ones above) on DSK1 and names them "1, 2, and 3". I then run this a second time and change LINE 90 to read "FOR X=4 TO 6". This creates the last 3 files. It works quite well, and I've completed this once or twice already. But for some reason, the Magellan output is giving me duplicate MAP DATA... I've attached it to this post

 

 

90 FOR X=1 TO 3

95 LAB$="DSK1."&STR$(X)

100 OPEN #1:LAB$,OUTPUT,INTERNAL

110 RESTORE 9210 :: FOR R=1 TO 24 :: C$="" :: FOR C=1 TO 32

120 READ CHA :: C$=C$&CHR$(CHA) :: NEXT C

130 PRINT #1:C$ :: NEXT R :: CLOSE #1

140 NEXT X

 

REM MAP DATA PASTED BELOW

mapdataforest.zip

[Opry99er]

By the way, I pretty much just have this program sitting in a textfile and I paste 3 map data chunks at a time below this code, change the RESTORE statement to the proper line#, and run it. It works nicely--- you should try it out with DSK1 of Classic99 open so you can watch them all being created as the program runs. =) pretty cool

[The Codex]

Ah, I think I see what it's doing. The new XB exports from Magellan have a single-value DATA statement at the beginning of the MAP blocks that wasn't present in the previous versions. For example, here's a chunk when I export your Beryl data in the new release:

 

REM MAP #1
900 DATA 1
910 DATA 32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32
920 DATA 32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32,32

 

That line 900 DATA 1 is new. It contains the CALL SCREEN color to use for this map (in this case black). Each map has it's own DATA line like this, part of the change to support individual SCREEN colors in the same mag file. For your code to work, you'll need to set the RESTORE point to the first line of actual map data. (For the fragment above, it would be RESTORE 910, since that's where the map itself begins.)

 

The duplicate map error is in your XB code. You are doing a loop three times (90 FOR X=1 TO 3), but each time you are RESTORE'ing the same map data line (110 RESTORE 9210). So each time through the loop you read the same map. You need something more like this:

 

10 DIM MAPDAT(3)::MAPDAT(1)=9000::MAPDAT(2)=12000::MAPDAT(1)=15000
90 FOR X=1 TO 3
95 LAB$="DSK1."&STR$(X)
100 OPEN #1:LAB$,OUTPUT,INTERNAL
110 RESTORE MAPDAT(X) :: FOR R=1 TO 24 :: C$="" :: FOR C=1 TO 32
120 READ CHA :: C$=C$&CHR$(CHA) :: NEXT C
130 PRINT #1:C$ :: NEXT R :: CLOSE #1
140 NEXT X

 

That way you can define an array of where each map data block starts (DIM MAPDAT(3)), set each value to right line number (MAPDAT(1)=9000), and use the loop variable to RESTORE each one in turn (RESTORE MAPDAT(X)). Alternately, if you know that the map blocks are the ONLY data in your program, you can leave out RESTOREs entirely, since they'll start reading at the first DATA line and loop through them automatically.

Edited May 3, 2010 by The Codex

[Opry99er]

Ha!! Whatever man. You slick dawg... Let me give this another rip

[Opry99er]

Yea man--- the RESTORE 9210 was from the first version of this routine--- somehow this thing got Frankensteined.... I got it worked out now though--- and thanks for letting me know about the DATA 1 thing... I don't know why I didn't catch it.

[Opry99er]

In Classic99's directory folder, change your DSK1 folder to "@DSK1" just to move it out of the way temporarily. Then, download this zip, unzip it and put the DSK1 file in this download into the Classic99 directory. It will autoload. ENJOY and THANKS TO CODEX!!!!!

 

On a personal note, this Magellan project has revolutionized the way I do this development work on the Beryl project. I've done more in the past month than in the past year. Thanks Howard!!!! You're a true gem.

DSK1.zip

[Opry99er]

by the way, this works best in CPU Overdrive

[The Codex]

Man, that's slick! Looking gorgeous.

 

Glad you got the Magellan changes worked out. The data format is likely to keep changing in small ways until the first official release. Once all the features are in then I can really lock it down. I'll be adding the "binary" export then, and any other formats that folks want.

[Opry99er]

Awesome man... Yea, this is what I've been working on. So, I'm glad it's there and rockin. Everything is just getting smoother and smoother... I've never had so much fun BETA testing any software.

[Bones-69]

Am really digging the latest changes, that's some great work - Thanks for your efforts!

 

Another odd request..... Would it be possible to have a setting where you could type characters directly onto the grid rather than having to select individual chars with the mouse? Perhaps type in a single character and then tab to the next position similar to excel? This would be very handy for screens with lots of text.

 

For what I am using Magellan for at the moment, this single function would turn Magellan into my best friend for designing screens with graphics and large amounts of text.

[The Codex]

Good idea Bones! Turns out typing on the map is shockingly easy to implement, so I've added it just now. A few more changes and I'll have another version to push out shortly, as I expect you could benefit from this right away.

Edited May 3, 2010 by The Codex