Aquarius Graphics Editor and "SuperFont" Upgrade Idea

[Pset]

Presenting Aquarius Bitmap Composer Livecode Project

 

With binaries for Mac, Windows and Linux.

 

The stack, ie the project file containing the GUI and the scripts works in Livecode 602

It breaks in higher versions. Progress is the great hair puller.

 

The program opens and save simple texts files containing lines of sixty four ones and zeros.

The Aquarius font is the base "custom property" of the stack.

 

Now I need code to Write the roms please.

and sleep.mostly sleep.

 

I was working up an introduction to Livecode over at the retrogamecoding forums. Lots to see there.

 

So tired I forgot to post the instructions.
Click the around the character window to paint.

 

Export options-

White with Alpha, Black with Alpha, Inverted White with Alpha.

Exports to png in folder path of the application or stack "/Images/" & the size of the images & the choice

Will export 256 images at a go.

-- remind me to make a requester.

Keyboard commands.

Arrow keys scroll the current character in the array

Tilde and Tab keys move back and forth through the character set list, applying any changes.

Space, Return, and keypad Enter are redunant apply buttons --to be changed.

Command key on the Mac, Control key on windows AND

S save a text file representing the graphics as binary bits, ie, "0101010"

O Open a text file that contains lines of sixty four 1s and 0s representing graphics characters

C Copy current graphics

V Paste the black of the graphic in memory

Z undo, i think i broke this.

AquariusBitmapComposerv1.0.0.1.zip

Edited December 5, 2013 by Pset

[Pset]

And now Aquarius ASCII Draw v0.0.0.1 for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.

 

 

Its very simple. No color, no undo, no special draw tools or converstion functions , but it saves BASIC pokes to a file, or use Command/control X or C to put that on the clipboard and paste into the emulator.

You can also paste in text for conversion to Aquarius graphics, for instance if you want to layout instructions, scores, and the like.

 

I've gone too far on this version, with its limitations of editing image source of text characters, but its a good prototype for what I've wanted to do for a good long while.

 

I highly suggest you jump into the source code stack and poke around.

Made with Livecode 6.0.2 available here http://downloads.livecode.com/livecode/6_0_2/

There's more to it than this script, but not much, a few more scripts and some custom property data, have a look see

/* Aquarius Ascii Drawtool v1.0.0.1 December 7 2013
 
Use Aquarius character set to draw on simulated 40x25 character screen
 
Left click to put character on canvas at mouse
Right click to put empty space character on canvas at mouse
Alt/Option key and mouse click on canvas character to make it the current brush
 
Command /Control and:
   --   N to start a fresh draw
   --   C to copy BASIC code text for pasting into Aquarius emulator or text editor
   --   S to save .txt file of BASIC code
   
   -- arrowkeys cycle through the character set
   
   -- No undo and colors yet. 
   
   -- 256 images are loaded as internal controls of the stack
   -- another method would be to load the images as file references--next versions maybe
   -- the image IDs are reset in sequence from 400000 to 4000255 to match the ASCII when called later.
   --- drawing on mouse drag is handled by the field script of stack "aquatextchanger" handler : mouseDrawOnField 
   -- defaultImages will reset stack size and the images in case I mangle things in other scripts.
   
   --Note if you are going to hack this document, the resizeable of the main stack is set to false
   --resizing the mainstack and thereby the images it contains, resizes the imageSources of the characters in the "AquaTextChanger" stack field  "AquaScreen" 
   */
   
on defaultImages
   
   put 399999 into BID -- IDs below 2999999 are reserved to livecode
   put 1 into x 
   put 1 into y
   put 1 into c -- columns counter  
   repeat with i = 1 to number of images of card 1 of this stack
      set the width of image i  to 16
      set the height of image i to 16
      set the topLeft of image i  to x,y
      set the ID of image i to BID+i
      add 32 to x
      add 1 to c
      if c > 16 then 
         put 1 into x
         put 1 into c
         add 16 to y
         end if
      end repeat
      put right of image (number of images of card 1 of this stack) into NewW
      put  bottom of image (number of images of card 1 of this stack) into NewH
      set the width of this stack to NewW
   set the height of this stack to NewH
end defaultImages
 
--Updates the character preview, colorizes characters, ensures (S)ize is set.
on updateImages S
   put 1 into c
   put 1 into x
   put 1 into y
   if S is empty then put the width of stack (the mainStack of this stack)/16 into S
   put lineOffset("Gray0",the colorNames) into xo
   put xo into NC -- 
   repeat with i= 1 to the number of images of group "AquariusCharacterSet" of card 1 of stack (the mainStack of this stack)
      set the width of image i to S
      set the height of image i to S
      set the topLeft of image i to (x*S)-S,(y*S)-S
      
      put trunc((x*S)-S) & comma & trunc((y*S)-S) & comma &  trunc((x*S)) & comma & trunc((y*s)) & cr after tRects
      put the ID of image i into TID
      put the ImageToUse of stack (the mainstack of this stack) into ITC
      if TID is ITC then 
         set the colorOverlay["color"] of image i  to "Red"
         else
            set the colorOverlay["color"] of image i to line NC of the colorNames
            end if
      add 1 to x
      add 1 to c
      add 7 to NC -- differentiate by new color.
      if c > 16 then 
         put 1 into x
         put 1 into c
         add 1 to y
      end if
      if NC > xo+48 then  put xo into NC -- color range
   end repeat
   set the ImageRects of stack(the mainStack of this stack) to char 1 to -2 of  tRects
end updateImages
 
 
-- snap grid graphics to size of stack minus the border for export / number of squares across
--resize is disabled as it increases the size of the graphics in the text field
on resizeStack newWidth
   if the mouseLoc is within the rect of stack(the mainStack of this stack) then
   put the topLeft of this stack into TL
   set the height of this stack to newWidth
   put trunc((newWidth)/16) into S
    set the top of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to item 2 of TL
    set the topleft of group "AquariusCharacterSet" to 1,1
    updateImages S
    set the title of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to "Aquarius Characters" && S
 else
    exit resizeStack
    end if
end resizeStack
 
 
-- command and control key , new file and save.
on commandKeyDown cKey
   if the tool is not "browse tool" then  exit commandKeyDown
   switch cKey
      case "n" 
         open stack "AquaTextChanger"
         go to card 1 of stack "AquaTextChanger"
         fillFieldWithEmptyImages
         focus nothing
         break
      case "s"
         ask file "Save text file out"
         if it is not empty then 
            put getPokes() into BASICfile
            put "file:" & it into tURL
            if char -4 to -1 of tURL <>".txt" then put ".txt" after tURL
            put BASICfile into URL tURL
         end if
         break
      case "c"
         case "x"
            set the clipboardData["text"] to   getPokes()
            break
   end switch
   pass commandKeyDown
end commandKeyDown
 
-- arrow keys cycle through the images and set the brush
on arrowKey tkey
put  the  ImageToUse of stack (the mainStack of this stack) into TC
   switch tkey
      case "left"
         subtract 1 from TC
         break
      case "up"
         subtract 16  from TC
         break
      case "right"
         add 1 to TC
         break
      case "down"
           add 16 to TC
         break
   end switch
   if TC > 400255 then put 400000 into TC
   if TC < 400000 then put 400255 into TC
   set  the  ImageToUse of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to TC
   updateImages
   pass arrowkey
end arrowKey
 
 
-- fill the field with  empty  clickable images  representing default PEEKS of aquarius screen ram.
on fillFieldWithEmptyImages
   if the EmptyField of stack (the mainStack of this stack) is empty then
      put 1 into p
      put empty into field 1  of stack "Aquatextchanger"
      put the ID of image "032.png" of stack (the mainStack of this stack) into SP -- 400032
      repeat with l = 1 to 25
         repeat with c = 1 to 40
            put space after field 1  of stack "Aquatextchanger"
            set the imageSource of char -1 of field 1   of stack "AquatextChanger" to SP
         end repeat
         put cr after field 1   stack "AquaTextChanger"
      end repeat
      set the EmptyField of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to HTMLText of  field 1 of stack "AquaTextchanger"
   else
         set  the HTMLText   field 1 of stack "AquaTextChanger" to (the EmptyField of stack (the mainStack of this stack) )
      end if
      set the itemToChange of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to "char 1 to 1 of field 1"
end fillFieldWithEmptyImages
 
 
-- change image source of selected character of field "Aquascreen" to image selected in preview
on updateText
   put  the  ImageToUse of stack (the mainStack of this stack) into TC
   put the itemToChange of stack (the mainStack of this stack) into ITC
   if ITC is not empty  and TC is not empty then
      put the mouseDownMemory of stack(the mainStack of this stack) into MDM
      put cr & word 2 of ITC & comma & TC after MDM   -- character number in the list
      set the mouseDownMemory of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to MDM
      put "set the imageSource of" &&  ITC &&  "to" &&  TC into todoit
   end if
      do todoit
end updateText
 
-- extract picture to Aquarius BASIC output
function getPokes
   put 12287 into FCerror
   put the  ID of image "000.png" of stack (the mainStack of this stack)-400000 into tChrBase
   put the ID of image "032.png" of stack (the mainStack of this stack)-400000 into tSpc
   put 0 into dcount
   put 0 into i
   repeat with c = 1 to 25
      repeat with e = 1 to 40
         put (the imageSource of char e of line c of field 1 of card 1 of stack "AquaTextChanger" )-400000into PEEK
         put i && peek & cr after tlist
         if PEEK is not a number then put 32 into Peek 
         put PEEK into ASC
         put "32" & comma & tspc into tignore
         if ASC is not among the items of tignore    then 
            add 1 to dcount
            put  i & comma & ASC & cr after TPokes
         end if
         add 1 to i
      end repeat
   end repeat
   replace cr with comma in Tpokes
   put 1 into n
   put 9990 into LC
   repeat with i = number of items of Tpokes down to 1
      add 1 to n
      if n = 8 then 
         subtract 5 from LC
         put cr & LC && "Data" & space before item i of Tpokes
         put 1 into n
      end if
   end repeat
   subtract 5 from LC
   put LC && "Data " before tPokes 
   subtract 5 from LC
   put LC  && "Data" && dcount & cr before tPokes
   replace (comma & cr) with cr in tPokes
   repeat with d = number of lines of tPokes down to 1 
      if word 3 of line d of tPokes is empty then delete line d of tPokes
   end repeat
   put the BASICHeader of stack (the mainstack of this stack) & cr  & char 1 to -2 of Tpokes & cr  & "run" & cr into tBASIC
   return tBASIC
end getPokes
 
-- convert text input to imageSource data
on convertTextToImageSources tText
 
   repeat with C = 1 to number of characters of tText
      put charToNum(char c of tText) && comma after tTextNums
   end repeat
   
   set the currentInputText of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to tTextNums
   put  the  ImageToUse of stack (the mainStack of this stack) into TC
   put the itemToChange of stack (the mainStack of this stack) into ITC
   put ITC into oldITC
   put false into TabBool
   if tTextNums is not empty then
      
      if TC is empty then put 400032 into TC
      if ITC is empty then put "char 1 to 1 of field 1" into ITC
      put word 2 of ITC-1 into N
      put 1 into itemLineCounter
      set itemDelimiter to comma
  
      repeat with i = 1 to number of items of tTextNums
         put  400000+item i of tTextNums into TC
         if item i of tTextNums = 9 then 
            put true into TabBool
            add 2 to N
            put 4000032 into TC
         end if
         add 1 to itemLineCounter
         if item i of tTextNums = 10 then 
            add (42-itemLineCounter) to N
            put 1 into itemLineCounter
            if TabBool is true then 
               subtract 2 from N
               put false into TabBool
            end if
            next repeat
         else
           
            set the imageToUse of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to TC
            put "char" && N+i && "to" && N+i && "of field 1 of stack" && quote & "AquaTextChanger"  & quote into ITC
            set the itemToChange of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to ITC 
            updateText
            
         end if
      end repeat
   end if
   set the itemToChange of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to oldITC
   put oldITC into field "CurrentLocation" of stack "TextInput"
   focus nothing
end convertTextToImageSources
 
on printchr0to255
   put empty into TS
   put 0 into c
   repeat with i = 0 to 255
      put numTochar(i) after TS
      add 1 to c
      if c = 14 then 
         put 0 into c
         put cr & TS
      else
         put space after TS
         end if
      end repeat
      convertTextToImageSources TS
end printchr0to255
 
on preOpenStack 
         set the mouseDownMemory of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to empty
set the itemToChange of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to "char 1 to 1 of field 1"
   set the ImageToUse of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to 400255 -- FullBlock
   set the currentInputText of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to empty
   choose browse tool
   lock messages
  updateImages (the width of this stack/16)-- set icons to 16x16, they are a mess for some reason when stack opens
   open stack "AquaTextChanger" 
   fillFieldWithEmptyImages
   open stack "TextInput"
   unlock messages
   put 1 into field "CurrentLocation" of stack "TextInput"
   put char 1 to -1 of the IntroHelp of stack (the mainStack of this stack) into Halp
         convertTextToImageSources Halp
 
     focus nothing
end preOpenStack
 
on ImageToUseClicked
   put the ImageRects of stack (the mainStack of this stack) into IR
   repeat with i= 1 to the number of lines of IR
      put line i of IR into tRect
      if the mouseLoc is within tRect then
         set the ImageToUse of stack (the mainStack of this stack) to the ID of image i of group "AquariusCharacterSet"  of stack (the mainStack of this stack)  
         updateImages (the width of this stack/16)
         end if
   end repeat
end ImageToUseClicked

 

AquariusAsciiDrawv0001.zip

[catsfolly]

Pset -

 

I gave it a try. It works pretty well so far.

 

Occasionally, I needed a extra right click here and there to get things working. But it was easy to put some characters on the screen and generate a basic program that would put the same characters on the Aquarius. It's a nice way to get familar with the character set.

 

Thanks,

 

Catsfolly

[jaybird3rd]

Very interesting! Thanks for putting this together; I'll definitely give it a try.

[Pset]

The field of the bitmap composer with the window size and file/export options may lock up and require a control key click to reset it.

That field needs to be removed and replace with proper menu/key command system.

 

The Command / Control C for the new Ascii Draw seems to be bugged and you need to use Command / Control X to grab the BASIC code into the clipboard.

And this may or may not just grab a blank character.

 

There's all kinds of ways to do this different, I just wanted to get this code up so you all have it before I make it too deep for an introduction.

Livecode is super simple to use, it should be very much be like learning Aquarius BASIC all over again for you, only with functional programs.

You can all can at least prototype interfaces very quickly and then fill the blanks over time.

[Pset]

Coming soon. What is being called The Aquarius TypePSETter for lack of a better name, especialling since it does not handle painting very well at all.

As you can guess by the name it uses the PSET commands, draws Aquarius ASCII data enlarged, and of course spits out BASIC code for the image.

 

I struggled to capture the pokes from the same locations, maybe my values are wrong,

I was starting at 12288..damnPSET(0,0) is at 12288+40 well now I know.

 

Just a picture preview for now. alpha app to come soon. oh joy.

Edited December 12, 2013 by Pset

[jaybird3rd]

Congratulations! I'd like to do something similar with my own screen editor. One of my inspirations is TheDraw, as I've mentioned, and TheDraw had an add-on ("TDFONTS", I believe it was called) which included several different fonts that were composed using the IBM PC block and line characters. I think there are lots of possibilities for something similar on the Aquarius.

 

Regarding the SuperFont upgrade: I've been taking a closer look at the Aquarius video circuitry lately, and I still think I can implement the upgrade as part of the new Mini Expander, without requiring the user to desolder or socket any chips in the Aquarius computer. I'll need to recreate part of the video circuitry, and tap into some signals that are not provided through the cartridge port. When it's finished, the installation will require removing the RF shielding, running a new cable into the computer and soldering in a few wires (five, by the looks of it), and lifting one pin or cutting one trace on the board, but most users should be able to do it in an hour or so. Removing that shielding will probably be the hardest part!

[Aquaman]

Congratulations! I'd like to do something similar with my own screen editor. One of my inspirations is TheDraw, as I've mentioned, and TheDraw had an add-on ("TDFONTS", I believe it was called) which included several different fonts that were composed using the IBM PC block and line characters. I think there are lots of possibilities for something similar on the Aquarius.

 

Regarding the SuperFont upgrade: I've been taking a closer look at the Aquarius video circuitry lately, and I still think I can implement the upgrade as part of the new Mini Expander, without requiring the user to desolder or socket any chips in the Aquarius computer. I'll need to recreate part of the video circuitry, and tap into some signals that are not provided through the cartridge port. When it's finished, the installation will require removing the RF shielding, running a new cable into the computer and soldering in a few wires (five, by the looks of it), and lifting one pin or cutting one trace on the board, but most users should be able to do it in an hour or so. Removing that shielding will probably be the hardest part!

That's exiting news you are giving us

[Aquaman]

Coming soon. What is being called The Aquarius TypePSETter for lack of a better name, especialling since it does not handle painting very well at all.

As you can guess by the name it uses the PSET commands, draws Aquarius ASCII data enlarged, and of course spits out BASIC code for the image.

 

Looks very nice indeed!

[Pset]

Current conditions and C# are keeping me from concentrating on this particular code.

80x70MapMode editor,aka Aquarius TypePSETter lets you draw via the PSET locations.

It translates input text to the Aquarius character set and converts the pixel location to PSETs.

Control C will copy the BASIC code for the Aquarius to the clipboard.

Control S will ask to save that to a text file.

 

Arrow keys will draw lines around the image area.

 

Tab and Tilde will move through the character set.

 

Toggling Live Type will reproduce your text in the Aquarius screen simulation as you type.

 

I'm pretty sure my math for the POKE location is still broken.

There was some odd behavior where if a bloxel was hit twice

while using the arrow key, it would be enabled (black) in the simulation

but turned of for the BASIC program.

 

I want to get this posted as a resource before I get sidetracked.

The 'source code' stack is included with the binaries for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

You can open and edit that with Livecode, and I encourage you to try that.

I'm sticking with Livecode 6.0.2 until they fix the Import/Export Image functions.

 

Oh before I forget my reason for rushing this to post.

 

Jay, please post and explain your algorithms for reading and writing Aquarius Character Roms.

I don't know if it will sink in but its a key to the whole point of having cool graphics tools for Aquarius.

Or you could just write an import/export for your app that reads those easy to parse lines of 64 bits that I'm using.

When you have the time and mind to explore that, it would be really appreciated.

 

Oh and you know, I was thinking, a cool program to make would be a character editor in the Aquarius.

You have 8x8 poke locations, you move your cursor with the keyboard, poke in the bits with the space bar,

LPRINT or save the data to a CAQ for some other program to convert to a workable ROM.
Of course the poor hardware could never enjoy such an awesome program, so nobody ever wrote it.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Pset

[jaybird3rd]

Jay, please post and explain your algorithms for reading and writing Aquarius Character Roms.

I don't know if it will sink in but its a key to the whole point of having cool graphics tools for Aquarius.

Or you could just write an import/export for your app that reads those easy to parse lines of 64 bits that I'm using.

When you have the time and mind to explore that, it would be really appreciated.

 

Oh and you know, I was thinking, a cool program to make would be a character editor in the Aquarius.

You have 8x8 poke locations, you move your cursor with the keyboard, poke in the bits with the space bar,

LPRINT or save the data to a CAQ for some other program to convert to a workable ROM.

Of course the poor hardware could never enjoy such an awesome program, so nobody ever wrote it.

The Aquarius Character ROM is plain linear bitmap data. The first 64 bits of the ROM is the 8x8 bitmap for the first character, the next 64 bits is for the second character, and so on through the whole 2K ROM (256 character bitmaps at 64 bits per character adds up to 16,384 bits, or 2 kilobytes). As I recall, the character data in my editor is stored internally as a two-dimensional array of bytes, and I'm just serializing it and writing it to a file as binary data when the characters are saved to a ROM image.

 

I remember a character editor program for the TI-99/4A that was similar to the one you're describing (it was a type-in BASIC program provided in the 99/4A manuals). You could edit the characters using an on-screen interface on the 99/4A, and after you were done, the program would convert it into hexadecimal data that you could use in a DATA statement in your programs. I'm planning on putting together a "sampler" of programs and demos for the new Mini Expander, and this sounds like it would be a good one to include.

[Pset]

Knew I should take my cue's from Clu and be dogged and relentless.

That information was "All I wanted for Christmas".

 

This bit of Livecode reads ROM .bin file and returns the 256 lines of 64 bits I use to make my other apps go.

Hoorah. Should have some ROM .bin I/O action updated apps happening real soon.

Happy Holidays!

 

 

 
// Livcode convert Aquarius character binary file to 256 lines of 64 1s and 0s
function binDecodeAquariusCharacterRom 
   // must initialize variables for binaryDecode
   global tData, tContainer
   
   // file requester to find a rom 
   answer file "Aquarius character set ROM" with filter "*.bin"
 
   if it is not empty then
      
      put "binfile:" & it into tBinaryFile
      put URL tBinaryFile into tData
      
      // converted 2048 "b"its, of tData to 1 or 0, hold the conversion in tContainer
      
      put binaryDecode("b2048", tData, tContainer) into tN //returns number of converted data types 
 
      //  access 64 bits of data in tContainer per step to get 8x8 bitmap
     put the length of tContainer into tLen
      repeat with i = 1 to tLen step 64
         put char i to (i+63) of tContainer & cr after tBinaryCharacterList
      end repeat
      
      return tBinaryCharacterList 
   end if
end binDecodeAquariusCharacterRom

 

 

[Pset]

Oh Apparently I forgot to attach the 80x70map mode program.

So here you go:

 

 

And a Binary file viewer to.

 

80x70MapMode.zip

2KRomBinaryDataViewer.zip

[jaybird3rd]

Cool! It's great to see all these new tools appearing for the Aquarius!

[Aquaman]

Indeed, this is indeed another fine tool from the hands of Pset