ANTIC4 Screen but use it as a Virtual Bitmap one

[José Pereira]

Hi, just get out of bed with something on mind...

 

Using an ANTIC4 with 3Charlines are 1Charset, 9Charsets are 27CharLines (9Kb.), untill here all O.k.

Now I will drop Chars over the fixed Chars at the Screen like:

 

CHARSET0:

->Charline0:Chars 0,3,6,...,117

->Charline1:Chars 1,4,7,...,118

->Charline2:Chars 2,5,8,...,119

CHARSETs1->8 (the same)

 

I have many, many different Chars of Screens Gfxs. to place on this VirtualBitmap screen.

How many maximum of Chars (Data) can I create to put on each Charset/3Charlines?

(I think I read somewhere that the maximum is 1024... but in all the Screen? or if it is, 1024 to drop in each Charset, that will be 1024Charsx9Charsets?)

 

And how all this Data is in Kb.?

(can I count each normal size Char data as 1bytex8scanlines=8bytes) or are any way of save Kbs.?)

 

 

Thanks.

Greets.

José Pereira.

[José Pereira]

Ah, forgot to say something:

 

"Don't worry with scrolling, it's just a Static Screens Games, go out one Screen and it shows the other one..."

 

 

 

José Pereira.

[Rybags]

Haven't you just about answered you own question?

 

3 lines per charset means you've used 120 out of 128 characters assuming you want all positions to have a unique character.

 

27 lines = 9K in character sets + another 1080 bytes for the text screen.

 

You can't have 1024 characters in a character set - 128 is the maximum.

[José Pereira]

Haven't you just about answered you own question?

 

3 lines per charset means you've used 120 out of 128 characters assuming you want all positions to have a unique character.

 

27 lines = 9K in character sets + another 1080 bytes for the text screen.

 

You can't have 1024 characters in a character set - 128 is the maximum.

 

But I think you're not understanding me:

 

I am not with 128Chars on each Charset.

I start with all the Screen Blank with Chars all empty, and like:

Char000 at 0,0

Char001 at 0,1

Char002 at 0,2

Char003 at 1,0

Char004 at 1,1

Char005 at 1,2

and so on...

 

Now I have the idea of having ".dta" are 1Char

And have ... number of ".dta" lines, but not any of them are assigned to any Char nor any Charset.

On each Screen I will call the ".dta" to eachn Char on each Charset.

(Something like a "pick-up on the fly...) or (something like all .dta are kind of software sprites different shapes ".dta")

 

 

Hope you're understand it better now.

José Pereira.

[José Pereira]

Trying with some Pictures:

I have here Charset0_Charline0_Chars0&1

First Screen this two Chars have the first shape, 2nd replace,3r,4th and so on (like a Soft Sprite)...

I only have 3CharLines each Charset that are indeed 120Chars, but I have Xnumber of Data Lines with many shapes that I will drop where I want.

This Data Lines are not a Char, are like SoftSprites different shapes Data.

 

I can count this Data as each Char taking 8bytes (1bytex8Lines)? And if a large number of Data needed then it would only fit in those large Memory Carts?

 

 

Thanks.

Greetings.

José Pereira.

[Heaven/TQA]

assuming that you are using the screen as a antic 4 bitmap screen you can have as much tiles as much you memory gives you?

 

you are coping them into the fixed chars on screen? see Ultima games f.e.

[José Pereira]

assuming that you are using the screen as a antic 4 bitmap screen you can have as much tiles as much you memory gives you?

 

you are coping them into the fixed chars on screen? see Ultima games f.e.

 

 

Hi.

 

I was thinking something like SoftSprites:

 

One SoftSprite:

ADG

BEH

CFI

 

It is always this 9Chars, but you can have Xshapes (Memory permission...), you just drop the different shapes on Screen according to it's movement...

 

 

Translate this, and Screen Gfxs. intead of SoftSprites I would have:

->Fixed Chars on screen and copy the shapes I wanted onto the Screen fixed Chars.

 

If a SoftSprite, for example 9Chars with 8different shapes would be 72 different Chars Chars, but for the game it represents only/always the same 9Chars.

 

 

 

On the other way, the BitMap masking of SoftSprites take normally 16or21 cycles each byte, normally...

If I act as a SoftSprite routine with a 16cycles lost each byte (just over Backgr.-(00)) and for a Screen 18Chars high I will spend:

-> 144scanLines(x)1byte(x)x16cycles=2304cycles to replace a Char on the 18CharLines high

-> And I could only get how many Chars all high replaced? 6/7 Chars probably each frame...

-> For a 30Chars wide (like lastNinja PlayingArea) this would be done in 5steps

(Like this how much time would a Screen takes to be all designed?)

 

 

All this because I spent yesterday most of the time with the NES LN (indeed their only version and it's LN2).

All the Game is done in Char basis and with TileLayerPro i have all the Chars (and also Sprites) shapes.

There aren't there something like a 256chars or so for each Level (CentralPark, Streets,...) and not all are on the same Lines.

That's why NES Gfxs. seems more simple and the Screens change and not like C64. There are no overlaps between Gfxs., they are all in their fixed Chars...

I don't like these veresion, but I thought I could get each C64 Gfxs like this:

-> ANTIC4 Virtual Bitmap with fixed Chars on screen

-> First the Walways, second Rocks/Walls, third Trees,... just as a simple example.

(Walls are just some Chars, Rocks, Trees,... If each of them act as a SoftSprite over the Screen with the already there Walkway/Ground I have what I want)

 

This is a lot of work:

-> If no-one enters in C64version to get the routine for each Gfxs. Object I would need to get all probably by hand using a C64Emulator running at 1% or so speed...

But this will take me into hundreds, thousands,...???? of Chars.

 

See... someone encourage me to get LN some time ago, but as no-one appears to help me and I have free-time, lots of free-time I must start something, I must...

There must be a starting point, even if I am alone in this... I promise myself that I would get LN series on A8 and I will do it... I hope...

 

 

José Pereira.

Edited December 27, 2010 by José Pereira