Newbie(ish) question

[Dragnerok X]

I, right now, am starting to work on a game of sorts. I just can't figure out how to change the background color from one color to another on a particular scanline. Any ideas?

[Dragnerok X]

Ok, let me rephrase this. What I'm trying to ask is I want one part of the background one color, one part of the background another color. Suggestions would be highly appreciated.

[+SpiceWare]

like this(3 scanlines):

 

RRRRRRRR

BBBBBBBB

RRRRRRRR

 

or like this:

RRRRRRRR

RRRRBBBB

RRRRRRRR

[Dragnerok X]

like this(3 scanlines):

 

RRRRRRRR

BBBBBBBB

RRRRRRRR

 

or like this:

RRRRRRRR

RRRRBBBB

RRRRRRRR

 

The first one, this.

RRRRRRRR

BBBBBBBB

RRRRRRRR

[Dragnerok X]

........Does anybody have even a little hint on how to do this.......or a link?

[Dragnerok X]

I guess I'll have to explain a little more......

 

What I'm making is sort of a G.U.I. for the atari 2600. Here's the .bin file.

 

Atari_OS_v1.0.bin

 

The problem is that to sort of hide the fact that the "mouse" doesn't go all the way down without looping back to the top (and for eye-candy) I want to include a taskbar of sorts by changing the background color from the user selectable colors (i've already included them using the difficulty switches) to grey and when the "mouse" reaches the "taskbar" i'll tell it to stop moving.

 

Any Ideas on how I could pull this off?

[MausBoy]

I've wanted to know the same thing, to create things like oceanscapes and landscapes by using two seperate background colors, one for water/land, one for sky.

 

Use a line of the playfield:

COLUPF = 12 : pfhline 0 10 31 on

 

Or with the new patch:

background:

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

12

end

 

to create a blue screen with a gray bar across the bottom.

Edited July 1, 2006 by MausBoy

[Dragnerok X]

I've wanted to know the same thing, to create things like oceanscapes and landscapes by using two seperate background colors, one for water/land, one for sky.

 

So far nobody has been able to help. When I ask for detailed help like this, the answers I get are the equivelant of telling someone who wants to learn how to read how to open a book and turn pages. I think the general attitude might be "I learned it the hard way, why can't you? If you can't, you weren't serious to begin with." Which is ok, I just haven't yet found a good source of information, and things get a little sticky then you are talking integrating asm and BASIC.

 

Actually I think the short answer that I got on this topic was, "If you want a BASIC interpreter that allows multiple background colors, write a BASIC interpreter that allows multiple background colors."

 

EDIT: Woops, I DO have the answer! Use a line of the playfield:

COLUPF = 12 : pfhline 0 10 31 on

 

Or you can hit up Batari for a new patch, and use the background: table command. so you would do:

background:

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

12

end

 

to create a blue screen with a gray bar across the bottom.

 

thx for the response. I've been thinking and I *might* have a solution, could be sketchy though.

My idea was to have a missle going down the side of the screen corresponding with how much of the screen is drawn and basically go like this:

 

1 if MissileYposition < 150 then a = 20

2 if MissileYposition > 150 then a = 50

3 COLUBK = a

4 drawscreen

 

what do you think?

[MausBoy]

You want it to be like the "auto hide" option! so that the gray taskbar dosn't popup until the pointer reaches a certain y position. Using my example and assuming your pointer is a missile and NOT the ball that would be (and i'm only including relevent lines and this is an example, not cut and paste code):

 

missile0x = a : missile0y = b

if joy0down then b = b + 1

if b > 150 then pfhline 0 10 31 on : k{1} = 1

if b < 150 && k{1} then pfhline 0 10 31 off : k{1} = 0

 

That actually simulates an auto-hide taskbar really well.

 

BTW, my above comments about getting help only apply to things that the bB kernel can't do, like display more than one background color at once. As far as using bB as is, you'll find there are a lot of people around who will really go out of their way to offer help.

Edited July 1, 2006 by MausBoy

[Dragnerok X]

I still am not sure what you are wanting here. If you want a gray 'taskbar', what does that have to do with your pointer position? And how would you change 'how much of the screen is drawn'?

 

I'm also curious what the functionality of your os will be with no text, what kind of applications are you wanting to put into this?

 

aaaah, I get it, you want it to be like the "auto hide" option! so that the gray taskbar dosn't popup until the pointer reaches a certain y position. Using my example and assuming your pointer is a missile and NOT the ball that would be (and i'm only including relevent lines and this is an example, not cut and paste code):

 

missile0x = a : missile0y = b

if joy0down then b = b + 1

if b > 150 then pfhline 0 10 31 on : k{1} = 1

if b < 150 && k{1} then pfhline 0 10 31 off : k{1} = 0

 

That actually simulates an auto-hide taskbar really well.

 

nice coding! I might try that. That's basically what I wanted.

 

Well as of now though here is my thought process on what i'll do to get this project going/ finish this project up (the OS)

 

*make a taskbar

 

*use flickering or another method to display an additional icon or two in the folder

 

*link the icons to programs (maybe a small demo and a game or something)

 

*test the code

 

*make sure there isn't anything else I want to add (not like there would be any room TO add anything)

 

*clean up my coding

 

*post on atariage

 

well if you, or anyone else has any more ideas i'm open. Thx for your help.

[Dragnerok X]

by the way, does anyone know how to display multiple sprites 3-4 (counting players 1 & 2) without flicker?

[Dragnerok X]

......well I know one way like this.........

 

k = k + 1

 

if k = 2 then k = k - 2

 

if k = 0 then player0:

%01000100

%01000100

%01111100

%01000100

%01000100

%00101000

%00010000

%00000000

end

 

if k = 1 then player0:

 

......you get the idea. Does anybody have any other techniques?

[Dragnerok X]

......well I know one way like this.........

 

k = k + 1

 

if k = 2 then k = k - 2

 

if k = 0 then player0:

%01000100

%01000100

%01111100

%01000100

%01000100

%00101000

%00010000

%00000000

end

 

if k = 1 then player0:

 

......you get the idea. Does anybody have any other techniques?

 

Aha! I seemed to have stumbled upon batari basic .99a! I guess I'm fine then.

I'll try and post an update ASAP.

[Dragnerok X]

I have an update to atari OS. Icons! (well one, it's a start) I had to use flickering to achieve this and as of now all it does is reset it, but what do you expect?

 

Oh well

 

Here it is: AtariOs.bin

 

I've even renamed it so you can tell it apart from the other ones.

 

I plan to change the reset icon to something else if you can give me some more ideas that would be great.

 

Until next time,

 

Dragnerok X