RAPTOR Engine is unveiled

[sh3-rg]

It's the Jaguar's 18th birthday today. To celebrate, Reboot of Jagware are pleased as punch to unveil The RAPTOR Engine. RAPTOR is a high performance RISC-based API designed to leverage the performance of the Jaguar's custom RISC chips in an easy and flexible manner. It also utilises LinkoVitch's new U-235 sound engine. It's not finished yet, there's much more functionality to add in future, but we believe this to be a huge step forward in bringing Jaguar game design within the reach of many more people.

 

To give you an idea of the possibilities, our latest game, Kobayashi Maru, was implemented using an early version of RAPTOR. Head over to the RAPTOR page to learn more. Feedback is most welcome!

[matmook]

Excellent !!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

I want it !!!

Could I beta-test ?

[Atari_Owl]

This seems like a very good idea

[sh3-rg]

Excellent !!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

I want it !!!

Could I beta-test ?

 

I thought you already were, lol

 

Have ZeroSquare add you to the relevant jagware forum group, cheers!

[Zerosquare]

Done

[matmook]

Cooool, thanks !

[GroovyBee]

Having read the tech doc provided at eJagFest its going to make homebrew development on the jag much easier. Put a "C" wrapper around it and you'll lower the entry point for programmers even more.

[+CyranoJ]

Having read the tech doc provided at eJagFest its going to make homebrew development on the jag much easier. Put a "C" wrapper around it and you'll lower the entry point for programmers even more.

 

Volunteering to write the wrapper?

[GroovyBee]

Volunteering to write the wrapper?

 

If RAPTOR is emulator friendly then I don't mind doing that.

[+CyranoJ]

Well, I am on the VJ testing team

 

RAPTOR applications run fine under VirtualJaguar, with a slight glitch at the top of the screen due to an undocumented feature in the ObjectProcessor (Yes, we found another new and undocumented bug in the Jaguar chipset... hurrah!).

 

Shamus and myself are currently investigating this issue, once it is resolved all should be good.

[GroovyBee]

Just joined over at Jagware. I'll give you a prod when I'm ready to go with the "C" wrapper.

[+CyranoJ]

Welcome aboard!

[+CyranoJ]

Bumping an old thread just to say that since r407 VirtualJaguar has been 100% RAPTOR friendly

[+CyranoJ]

Status update:

• Matmook has merged his latest revision of RMotion into the main trunk, making animation events has never been easier!
  
• LinkoVitch's U235SE 0.17 has been integrated
  
• Particle Effects engine implemented
  
• Highscore management, complete with webcode generation (www API TBA)
  
• Transparent memorytrack management
  
• Test 'game' completed to demonstrate functionality - documentation [20% complete]
  

BETA phase continues. More news as we make it.

[+CyranoJ]

Reviving a dead thread.... RAPTOR is coming.

It is now assembling and linking correctly as an object file (RAPTOR.O) which can be included in other applications. This is pretty big as it is now possible to interface RAPTOR with C or other languages (I will not be doing this myself, but post release, someone else could take this on).

I'll try and get a release ready as a Reboot xmas present for everyone... but don't shoot me if it's late.

RAPTOR provides the following functions, in a stable environment that needs no user maintenance (ie, faffing with the hardware):

HOOKS:

RAPTOR_user_vbi - Called every VBI by RAPTOR_Core - User responsibility to save/restore registers

RAPTOR_PRE_Object_List - Routine called prior RAPTOR objects being created (allows static objects to be inserted into list above RAPTOR objects)

RAPTOR_POST_Object_List - Routine called after to RAPTOR objects being created (allows static objects to be inserted into list under RAPTOR objects)

FUNCTIONS:

RAPTOR_Version - Returns RAPTOR version info

RAPTOR_HWinit - Configures the Jaguar system

RAPTOR_Install - Installs RAPTOR handlers and tables

RAPTOR_ERROR - Flashing colours error routine (Can be called by user/RAPTOR)

RAPTOR_U235init - Configures the U235-Sound Engine

RAPTOR_U235stopDSP - Halts the DSP

RAPTOR_U235playsample - Calls U235 to play a sample

RAPTOR_U235resetmodule - Calls U235 to reset the current module playing

RAPTOR_U235setmodule - Calls U235 to set the current module

RAPTOR_U235gomodule_mono - Calls U235 to play the current module (mono)

RAPTOR_U235gomodule_stereo - Calls U235 to play the current module (stereo)

RAPTOR_U235stopmodule - Calls U235 to stop the current module playing

RAPTOR_move_palette - Copy palette data to CLUT

RAPTOR_GFXConvert - Convert BMP/TGA to JagBMP format

RAPTOR_init_map_objs - Initialise the RAPTOR map objects (if used)

RAPTOR_map_set_position - Sets the current map co-ordinates

RAPTOR_setup_object_xyg - Object update: X/Y/Graphics (NON RAPTOR Object)

RAPTOR_setup_object_xg - Object update: X/Graphics (NON RAPTOR Object)

RAPTOR_setup_object_g - Object update: Graphics (NON RAPTOR Object)

RAPTOR_setup_object_xy - Object update: X/Y (NON RAPTOR Object)

RAPTOR_setup_object_xyz - Object update: X/y/scale (NON RAPTOR Object)

RAPTOR_rmw - Convert current object to RMW (NON RAPTOR) (list entry only, not bitmap!)

RAPTOR_setpalt - Convert current object to CLUT x (NON RAPTOR)

RAPTOR_reflect - Flip Reflect bit on current object (NON RAPTOR)

RAPTOR_CreateObject - Create a new object (NON RAPTOR)

RAPTOR_particle_init - Initialise the RAPTOR particle engine

RAPTOR_particle_clear - Clear the particle display buffer

RAPTOR_print - Command driven text output (multiple fonts/sizes/control codes)

RAPTOR_HEXtoDEC - Convert HEX value to ASCII decimal

RAPTOR_chk_highscores - Check the scoreboard top 10

RAPTOR_resort_score_table - Sort the scoreboard top 10 (required if new entry)

RAPTOR_mt_init - Initialise the MemoryTrack

RAPTOR_mt_load - Load from MemoryTrack

RAPTOR_mt_save - Save to MemoryTrack

RAPTOR_d_lz77 - Unpack LZ77 compressed file

RAPTOR_call_GPU_code - Call GPU code (Wait for exit)

RAPTOR_call_GPU_code_STOP - Call GPU code (Halt 68000)

RAPTOR_call_GPU_code_nowait - Call GPU code (Immediate return)

RAPTOR_HANDLER - RAPTOR Core

RAPTOR_GPU_COLLISION - RAPTOR Object Collision Handler

RAPTOR_map_update_GPU - RAPTOR Tile Map Handler

RAPTOR_particle_injection_GPU - RAPTOR Particle Injection

RAPTOR_particles_GPU - RAPTOR Particle Handler

RAPTOR_start_video - Starts video generation

RAPTOR_wait_frame - VSYNC

RAPTOR_setlist - Set current RAPTOR display list (on next VBLANK)

Each RAPTOR object can have the following attributes, defined in a user readable file, as below (Max 512 Objects)

dc.l 1 ; (REPEAT COUNTER) ; Create this many objects of this type (or 1 for a single object)

dc.l is_active ; sprite_active ; sprite active flag

dc.w 0,0 ; sprite_x ; 16.16 x value to position at

dc.w 0,0 ; sprite_y ; 16.16 y value to position at

dc.w 0,0 ; sprite_xadd ; 16.16 x addition for sprite movement

dc.w 0,0 ; sprite_yadd ; 16.16 y addition for sprite movement

dc.l 32 ; sprite_width ; width of sprite (in pixels)

dc.l 32 ; sprite_height ; height of sprite (in pixels)

dc.l is_normal ; sprite_flip ; flag for mirroring data left<>right

dc.l 0 ; sprite_coffx ; x offset from center for collision box center

dc.l 0 ; sprite_coffy ; y offset from center for collision box center

dc.l 16 ; sprite_hbox ; width of collision box

dc.l 16 ; sprite_vbox ; height of collision box

dc.l somebmp ; sprite_gfxbase ; start of bitmap data

dc.l 4 ; (BIT DEPTH) ; bitmap depth (1/2/4/8/16/24)

dc.l is_RGB ; (CRY/RGB) ; bitmap GFX type

dc.l is_opaque ; (TRANSPARENCY) ; bitmap TRANS flag

dc.l 32*32/2 ; sprite_framesz ; size per frame in bytes of sprite data

dc.l 32/2 ; sprite_bytewid ; width in bytes of one line of sprite data

dc.l 0 ; sprite_animspd ; frame delay between animation changes

dc.l 0 ; sprite_maxframe ; number of frames in animation chain

dc.l ani_rept ; sprite_animloop ; repeat or play once

dc.l edge_wrap ; sprite_wrap ; wrap on screen exit, or remove

dc.l spr_inf ; sprite_timer ; frames sprite is active for (or spr_inf)

dc.l spr_linear ; sprite_track ; use 16.16 xadd/yadd or point to 16.16 x/y table

dc.l 0 ; sprite_tracktop ; pointer to loop point in track table (if used)

dc.l spr_unscale ; sprite_scaled ; flag for scaleable object

dc.l %00100000 ; sprite_scale_x ; x scale factor (if scaled)

dc.l %00100000 ; sprite_scale_y ; y scale factor (if scaled)

dc.l -1 ; sprite_was_hit ; initially flagged as not hit

dc.l CLUT_map ; sprite_CLUT ; no_CLUT (8/16/24 bit) or CLUT (1/2/4 bit)

dc.l cant_hit ; sprite_colchk ; if sprite can collide with another

dc.l cd_keep ; sprite_remhit ; flag to remove (or keep) on collision

dc.l single ; sprite_bboxlink ; single for normal bounding box, else pointer to table

dc.l 1 ; sprite_hitpoint ; Hitpoints before death

dc.l 2 ; sprite_damage ; Hitpoints deducted from target

dc.l 32/2 ; sprite_gwidth ; GFX width (of data)

All objects are dynamically processed each frame, inactive objects are removed from the current display list. Branch objects can also be defined and dynamically updated.

Lots of examples of RAPTOR driven binaries are on the REBOOT website.

Edited November 15, 2014 by CyranoJ

[Orion_]

 

 

raptor.o not found, link aborted

damn !

[+CyranoJ]

raptor.o not found, link aborted

damn !

 

 

Don't think you need it! You seem to be doing fine on your own hehe

 

That being said, looking at the above it looks like it's 'just' a sprite manager. But remember, to the Jaguar, a sprite (object) can be anything from a 4x4 bullet to something bigger than the entire screen. RAPTOR doesn't care what dimensions / attributes you give the objects....

[TXG/MNX]

AWESOME! Cannot wait good job...

 

I hope a C-wrapper lib will be there soon...

[GT Turbo]

If after Raptor release people tell 'it's difficult to dev on Jaguar'. We need to stop Jaguar coding and putting bugs on another machine O_o

 

 

GT

[TXG/MNX]

I can only say anything that is released is great for the Jag this raptor is a big project I am happy to see its getting finished. Helping the community this way is a good thing.

What is the status of Rmotion or is that included ?

[+CyranoJ]

I can only say anything that is released is great for the Jag this raptor is a big project I am happy to see its getting finished. Helping the community this way is a good thing.

What is the status of Rmotion or is that included ?

 

Thanks,

 

RMOTION is *not* bundled in the build I am preparing for release, but I hope it will be bundled in a post-release update. Matmook has simply not had time to work on this. I don't think it'll be too hard to implement as RMOTION lives entirely inside the GPU core, and doesn't have any external function calls to use it - it's activated by data in the Object Scripting.

 

Unlike the source code builds I've been using for our games, a few things have had to be changed subtly for the .O version in order for it to work.

[TXG/MNX]

Seems a powerfull thing using pure gpu power :-) Will lookout for that pre-release ....

Thanx for the info

[82-T/A]

Hah, so we're not talking about the newest Coyote engine in the new aluminum framed Ford Raptor?

[+BitJag]

Great news, and hopefully the best Christmas ever! It is awesome to see this kind of effort to make the Jaguar more accessible than ever. Thanks!

[+CyranoJ]

Short update...

 

The example code for the documentation is coming along nicely

 

 

Starting with a couple of lines of code to display 'Hello World' we add bits slowly, one section at a time, until:

 

RAPTORVADERS!

 

However, the actual documentation currently looks like this:

 

raptor.doc 0 bytes

 

Still, i've given myself a month (ish) to write that...

 

Edited November 21, 2014 by CyranoJ