Acorn Graphics Extension ROM (GXR) User Guide [Remastered PDF]

[dv8]

Attached is a remastered PDF of the Acorn Graphics Extension ROM user guide along with the reference card and keystrip.

The included zip file contains:

• three GXR ROMs (version 1.20 for the Model B, version 2.00 for the B+ and version 1.00 for the Electron)
• two SSD disc images containing the above ROMs, listings from the manual and extra programs from a cassette originally supplied with the GXR. The Sprite disc also contains the Master Sprite ROM. Both discs can be booted with Shift+Break to show a menu of available programs.

Graphics_Extension_ROM.pdf

Second revision, January 2021

(266.91 KiB) Downloaded 1661 times

Graphics_Extension_ROM_Reference.pdf

(46.54 KiB) Downloaded 809 times

Graphics_Extension_ROM_KeyStrip.pdf

(14.67 KiB) Downloaded 531 times

Graphics_Extension_ROM.zip

(89.92 KiB) Downloaded 383 times

Other remastered user guides you may be interested in:

Computer Concepts Graphics ROM User Guide
BBC Micro User Guide (Model B and B+ editions)
Advanced User Guide
New Advanced User Guide
BBC Master Reference Manual Parts 1 and 2

[jms2]

That looks terrific! It must have taken ages to get it that good!

I may have the card.

[lurkio]

Attached is a remastered PDF of the Acorn Graphics Extension ROM user guide.

Superb! This has prompted me to do a quick rewrite of the circles/interference program using the GXR ROM:

• http://bbcmicro.co.uk//jsb2/play.php?lo ... om&autorun

[Lardo Boffin]

I have the reference card and will take some photos later on when it is a bit lighter.

You may need to pm me an email address to send the photos to otherwise they will be compressed if put as attachments on here.

[tricky]

Thanks for these, does it happen to mention any differences between this and the built in version on the master?

[Lardo Boffin]

The card is 13MB scanned at 250DPI.

[dv8]

That looks terrific! It must have taken ages to get it that good!

Thanks. Short books like this really don't take too long, especially when they have a bunch of listings that can just be copy+pasted.

Thanks for these, does it happen to mention any differences between this and the built in version on the master?

It predates the Master so no mention of it. As far as I know the Master MOS contains everything except the sprite routines and editor. These are available as a separate file on the Welcome disc that needs to be loaded into sideways RAM.

The card is 13MB scanned at 250DPI.

The file size can often be reduced dramatically by scanning in black+white or even better in 1-bit monochrome (often called 'text' or 'line-art' mode in scanner software) and saving to a lossless format such as PNG.

I usually scan text documents at 600 DPI mono and they come out at a few hundred K per page.

Failing that the scans could always be uploaded to a file sharing site like DropBox.

[flaxcottage]

That is brilliant quality.

[Lardo Boffin]

The card is 13MB scanned at 250DPI.

The file size can often be reduced dramatically by scanning in black+white or even better in 1-bit monochrome (often called 'text' or 'line-art' mode in scanner software) and saving to a lossless format such as PNG.

I usually scan text documents at 600 DPI mono and they come out at a few hundred K per page.

Failing that the scans could always be uploaded to a file sharing site like DropBox.

I only have a cheap and cheerful scanner but here goes. If these are not good enough I can re-do and put them on Dropbox or similar.

[dv8]

I only have a cheap and cheerful scanner but here goes.

Perfect, thanks.
I should be able to get the PDF done later today.

[Lardo Boffin]

For completeness here is the key strip.

[dv8]

I've now added PDFs for the Reference Card and keystrip to the opening post. Thanks to Lardo for the scans.

Lurkio has also found an error on page 16 of the main guide. I'll leave it a day or two to see if any other errors are discovered and then reissue a corrected PDF.

[Lardo Boffin]

Nice PDFs! Top stuff.

[dv8]

A corrected version of the main user guide has now been added to the opening post.

[pixelblip]

Thank you all of you for your brilliant effort. Much easier to read than the txt version.
This rom is so awesome with so many shades and colours. A lot of life left in it yet!

[elkrepair]

Hi.

I have a Graphics ROM, but when I type *HELP it doesn't appear. Also, when I type *GXR the Beeb just hangs.

I guess the ROM has gone to the great silicon repository in the sky.

[dv8]

I have a Graphics ROM, but when I type *HELP it doesn't appear. Also, when I type *GXR the Beeb just hangs.

It might be the Computer Concepts Graphics ROM rather than the Acorn GXR.

Try entering *FX162 then *HELP. If it's the CC ROM it will be listed as GRAPHICS EXTENSION 2.09

*HELP GRAPHICS will then show a list of supported commands.

[elkrepair]

Yup, that did it, and that's exactly what appeared. Many thanks.

I can't find a manual for it though. Does anyone know of a link please?

[dv8]

I can't find a manual for it though. Does anyone know of a link please?

I couldn't find one either so I've scanned my copy of it and am currently putting together a remastered PDF.

[jgharston]

I have a Graphics ROM, but when I type *HELP it doesn't appear. Also, when I type *GXR the Beeb just hangs.

It might be the Computer Concepts Graphics ROM rather than the Acorn GXR.

Try entering *FX162 then *HELP. If it's the CC ROM it will be listed as GRAPHICS EXTENSION 2.09

*HELP GRAPHICS will then show a list of supported commands.

Also, the graphics extension ROMs default to disabled or enabled depending on if the ROM slot they are in is odd or even. Try swapping the GXR ROM with the one adjacent to it.

[dv8]

Also, the graphics extension ROMs default to disabled or enabled depending on if the ROM slot they are in is odd or even. Try swapping the GXR ROM with the one adjacent to it.

That's true for the Acorn GXR. For the CC Graphics ROM, versions 1.xx are enabled by default, versions 2.xx are disabled.

The telltale sign that elkrepair has the CC ROM is the fact there was no output from *HELP.
The Acorn GXR still responds to *HELP when disabled.

[elkrepair]

Yup, defo the CC Graphics ROM.

I did as DV8 explained and everything behaved as described.

Until I see a manual, the only way to use the commands within a program is to use OSCLI, which isn't great. I'm hoping the manual explains PLOT commands similar to the Acorn GXR.

[flaxcottage]

There is a low quality scan here but the commands are visible - http://www.flaxcottage.com/gxr/AcornSoftGFX.zip

I found this somewhere on the internet and just hoarded it. I am a bit of a magpie that way.

[dv8]

I've uploaded a new zip file (containing ROMs and disc images) to the top post.
(The PDFs have not been updated).

Changes:

• added both Model B and B+ versions of the GXR.
• disc images now also include these ROM files.
• sprite programs split off onto their own disc image.
• sprite disc image includes Master Sprite ROM.
• discs now have a menu and are bootable with Shift+Break.

[mlouka]

Nice. Thanks for your effort.

I've uploaded a new zip file (containing ROMs and disc images) to the top post.

[jregel]

Really good job. Thanks for contributing this.

[pixelblip]

Thank you dv8. The Graphics Extension Rom rocks.

[TobyLobster]

Excellent PDF, very well done.

I found one possible small error on Page 27. "PLOT &90,740,512" has no visible effect (because &90 is 0 within the group of eight codes which is a 'move relative'). It should more likely be "PLOT &95,740,512".

EDIT: Ah, actually - looking at the scans of the original it should be "PLOT &9D,740,512".

[dv8]

Thanks for the correction, Toby.

I've re-issued the PDF and zip file in the top post.

Changes since revision 1, April 2019:

• p27 (33) 3.1 colour patterns, second example : PLOT &90,740,512 should be PLOT &9D,740,512
• p70 (76) Appendix A : OSBYTE A=163, X=242, Y=65 : f=1 FLOOD on, f=0 FLOOD off
• Electron version of GXR (created by SteveF) added to zip file
• added missing 'pointer' and 'airbrush' UDGs to PAINT program

Thanks to SteveF for permission to include the Electron GXR ROM.

[Arcadian]

Amazing work Paul as always!