AcornPad

[Beebson]

The ASM / Text files which generate either EQUB or .byte data should be used with either BeebASM or CC65 to create your game

I must ask now, can drawn CharPad pictures be loaded like loading screens? Or are they data files just for game making and can´t be loaded like loading screen, by using BASIC loading commands?

1.04 wasn´t available when I started to test CharPad, but I will try 1.04 next.

EDIT: Is it possible to add a feature, what will keep the picture if you change MODE and it will adapt the picture to the new selected MODE? Changes in colour palette shouldn´t be a problem, when changing to 2 colour MODE, as all drawing colours can be changed to black. To change from 2 colour MODE to 4 or 8 colour MODEs, palette will not give any more problems, just keep the pixels black. When changing from 8 colour MODE to 4 colour MODE, perhaps CharPad could ask what colours you want to keep and to change?

[fizgog]

I must ask now, can drawn CharPad pictures be loaded like loading screens? Or are they data files just for game making and can´t be loaded like loading screen, by using BASIC loading commands?

Yes, if you had created a mode 1 map and then exported this as a game screen, you can *LOAD it into a Mode 1 at &3000 for example

[Beebson]

I have a MODE 1 picture and I typed

1 MODE 1
2 *LOAD NAME &3000

&3000 causes "Bad address at line 2". Changing it to 3000, without "&", will load the picture. It is recognisable, but tiles are made of garbage and instead of being 4 colour, it´s monochrome red against black and some of the tiles are missing or are in wrong places around the screen. What´s wrong?

[fizgog]

I have a MODE 1 picture and I typed

1 MODE 1
2 *LOAD NAME &3000

&3000 causes "Bad address at line 2". Changing it to 3000, without "&", will load the picture. It is recognisable, but tiles are made of garbage and instead of being 4 colour, it´s monochrome red against black and some of the tiles are missing or are in wrong places around the screen. What´s wrong?

Yes you are correct, seems I've introduced a bug into the export map to screen and it's generating red and black garbage

I'll fix it for 1.05

[fizgog]

Example Mode1 40x32 loaded into B-EM at address &3000 now working in the unreleased v1.05.
NB it won't change the palette for you, this is something you would do in code with VDU19.

like this

Code: Select all

10 MODE 1
20 VDU 19,0,4,0;0;
30 VDU 19,1,0,0;0;
40 VDU 19,2,1,0;0;
50 VDU 19,3,3,0;0;
60 *LO. BOMB/BIN 3000

EDIT: Is it possible to add a feature, what will keep the picture if you change MODE and it will adapt the picture to the new selected MODE? Changes in colour palette shouldn´t be a problem, when changing to 2 colour MODE, as all drawing colours can be changed to black. To change from 2 colour MODE to 4 or 8 colour MODEs, palette will not give any more problems, just keep the pixels black. When changing from 8 colour MODE to 4 colour MODE, perhaps CharPad could ask what colours you want to keep and to change?

This is on my list of things to do, at the moment the palette mode dropdown is locked down once the mode is chosen.
I'm planning on opening it and will probably use modulo to handle the colours

i.e. 4 colours down to 2 colours will give you: -

0 -> 0
1 -> 1
2 -> 0
3 -> 1

[Beebson]

Thank you.

[oss003]

If you need some data for maps ...... have a look here:

https://www.zx-spectrum.cz/maps-direct.php

Greetings
Kees

[tricky]

You can also try my version of the scramble maps. For the game I actually grab 8x8 tiles, but at 4 pixel steps. This gives me pairs of tiles that I need to be able to software scroll the whole map at 50fps including decompressing the maps to code (yes, code) which I then scroll (turns out scrolling code and running it is cheaper than scrolling data)!
Maps here: viewtopic.php?p=199761#p199761
Details here: viewtopic.php?p=199844#p199844

[fizgog]

EDIT: Is it possible to add a feature, what will keep the picture if you change MODE and it will adapt the picture to the new selected MODE? Changes in colour palette shouldn´t be a problem, when changing to 2 colour MODE, as all drawing colours can be changed to black. To change from 2 colour MODE to 4 or 8 colour MODEs, palette will not give any more problems, just keep the pixels black. When changing from 8 colour MODE to 4 colour MODE, perhaps CharPad could ask what colours you want to keep and to change?

Done in Version 1.05

If you need some data for maps ...... have a look here:

https://www.zx-spectrum.cz/maps-direct.php

Greetings
Kees

Thanks that's a good site with a lot of zx spectrum maps, I tend to use this one

https://www.spriters-resource.com/

but have also just found this one

http://vgmaps.com/

You can also try my version of the scramble maps. For the game I actually grab 8x8 tiles, but at 4 pixel steps. This gives me pairs of tiles that I need to be able to software scroll the whole map at 50fps including decompressing the maps to code (yes, code) which I then scroll (turns out scrolling code and running it is cheaper than scrolling data)!
Maps here: viewtopic.php?p=199761#p199761
Details here: viewtopic.php?p=199844#p199844

I've just enjoyed reading those posts, wish I had even half your programming skills in 6502 coding, maybe one day


Added usage information to the character editor status bar
Added usage information to the tile editor status bar
Added cursor keys selection to character set
Added cursor keys selection to tile set
Added keyboard shortcuts for transformation functions
Added ability to change mode of the machine
Added replace colour to character editor
Added replace all colours to character Set
Added replace colour to tile editor
Added some more example projects

Fixed cut function in the tile editor
Fixed map export to screen generating corrupted image

[Beebson]

Was this mentioned in some of your added/to-do lists? I tried to import 320x256 image to 1.04. to be used in 320x256 MODE. It was going well first, but when the conversion was just about to be finished (palette, map and other windows would show up next), 1.04 crashed. CharPad just disappeared. With 1.03 there was no problem.

[fizgog]

Was this mentioned in some of your added/to-do lists? I tried to import 320x256 image to 1.04. to be used in 320x256 MODE. It was going well first, but when the conversion was just about to be finished (palette, map and other windows would show up next), 1.04 crashed. CharPad just disappeared. With 1.03 there was no problem.

Sorry for that, seems there is a missing file from the code when it was zipped up, same goes for 1.05 above which has now been removed.

Missing file was AcornPad.exe.config

I've repackaged 1.05 (same code but with the missing file added)

AcornPad 1.05.zip

(625.35 KiB) Downloaded 50 times

[Beebson]

Thank you, it works now.

[Rob_hawk]

Quick platform related question.

I see a couple of the screen shots are running on Mac OSX. Is this via Parallels of similar as opposed to a native version?

Help appreciated.

Regards

Rob

[fizgog]

Quick platform related question.

I see a couple of the screen shots are running on Mac OSX. Is this via Parallels of similar as opposed to a native version?

Help appreciated.

Regards

Rob

Yes I use Parallels for Mac and just spin up a new Windows VM when I start a new project.

[Rob_hawk]

Perfect thank for confirming.

[fizgog]

New version 1.06

Added ability to import atom and beeb binary images

AcornPad 1.06.zip

(687.4 KiB) Downloaded 33 times

Source code available from the following GitHub location

https://github.com/fizgog/AcornPad

[fizgog]

Version 1.07 Release
New
Added map compression 4_4 (bits 11110000 for length, 00001111 for image index)
Added map compression 5_3 (bits 11111000 for length, 00000111 for image index)

AcornPad1.07.zip

(687.63 KiB) Downloaded 35 times

[Beebson]

In the Map Editor, is it possible to flood fill the same way as in Windows Paint, filling all the pixels until hitting some colour? If I select flood fill in the Map Editor, it will flood fill using the current character. As an example, if I have a circle in the Map Editor screen, usual flood filling should fill the circle, and filling should stop every time when it hits the circle outlines, thus filling only the inside of the circle. In the Map Editor, if I try to flood fill the circle, the flood filling actually prints the currently selected character in the circle area and that filling won´t stop inside the circle, but some characters naturally will partly come outside the circle, too, bringing a blocky look. I am using AcornPad 1.06.

[fizgog]

In the Map Editor, is it possible to flood fill the same way as in Windows Paint, filling all the pixels until hitting some colour? If I select flood fill in the Map Editor, it will flood fill using the current character. As an example, if I have a circle in the Map Editor screen, usual flood filling should fill the circle, and filling should stop every time when it hits the circle outlines, thus filling only the inside of the circle. In the Map Editor, if I try to flood fill the circle, the flood filling actually prints the currently selected character in the circle area and that filling won´t stop inside the circle, but some characters naturally will partly come outside the circle, too, bringing a blocky look. I am using AcornPad 1.06.

Sorry not sure what you mean, can you explain a little bit more (maybe with a diagram), as I've just tried it with the following example created a square and a circle with character 0 and filled the square with 1 and the circle with 2

PS I've got a 1.08 version which I need to release which lets you import a file with .byte and equb into the character set.

[Beebson]

Here, this will make it clear.

The left one is what I can do with CharPad in the Map Editor, it makes character fill, so filling doesn´t stop to the outlines. The right one is what I wanted to do (the right one is filled in advance with Windows Paint). I understand this kind of filling will need CharPad to rewrite every affected character then.

[Beebson]

I imported MODE 1 Charpad 1.06 .bin picture into Beebem disk image, made a BASIC loader what changes the colours with VDU 19, using only colour codes 0-7 and loads the picture to the address 3000 in MODE 1. I then changed mode to MODE 2 and some of the colours are flashing now, why? Is the screen address wrong for MODE 2?

The picture is only partially visible in MODE 5. MODE 0 shows vertical bars on the picture. Is this because of the screen address or that the picture is made in MODE 1 in CharPad or some bug in CharPad?

[fizgog]

The map was never designed to for pixel plotting, it only fills either characters or tiles, only the character editor is used for pixel plotting.

It would need a major rewrite to flood fill by pixel as it would need to create new characters for the cells that have the lines through. It’s not something I’m planning on doing as my time is limited and have other beeb coding to do.

Mode 1 and do use the same starting address &3000 but have different pixel depths so it wouldn’t work, you would need to export out again for the correct mode

[fizgog]

The map was never designed to for pixel plotting, it only fills either characters or tiles, only the character editor is used for pixel plotting.

It would need a major rewrite to flood fill by pixel as it would need to create new characters for the cells that have the lines through. It’s not something I’m planning on doing as my time is limited and have other beeb coding to do.

Mode 0, 1 and 2 do use the same starting address &3000 but have different pixel depths so it wouldn’t work, you would need to export out again for the correct mode

[Beebson]

Ok, thank you for CharPad advice.

I was going to make a wish for a new graphics tool for Windows, Acorn Paint. Supporting all Beeb and Atom graphic modes and allowing free hand drawing with a mouse, zooming, lines, box, circle, colour change, import/export .bin files, etc., superimpose a 8x8 character cell grid on picture even the Beeb won´t necessarily need that, but it could help with copying and pasteing areas. But this wish will have to wait, as you are too busy. Or does such Windows graphics tool exist?

[tricky]

That sounds more like a full on graphics package.
I use paint shop Pro from 1997 and the convert the output image to whatever format I want. You could do the same with your favourite Windows package or whatever your favourite OS is.
There have been plenty of image converters uploaded here over the years, but if you can't find one you like, I can post one of mine for Windows.
I was a tools and core tech programmer for many years and they often take more time to write than the games they get used on, partially because of the tools:)

[fizgog]

Ok, thank you for CharPad advice.

I was going to make a wish for a new graphics tool for Windows, Acorn Paint. Supporting all Beeb and Atom graphic modes and allowing free hand drawing with a mouse, zooming, lines, box, circle, colour change, import/export .bin files, etc., superimpose a 8x8 character cell grid on picture even the Beeb won´t necessarily need that, but it could help with copying and pasteing areas. But this wish will have to wait, as you are too busy. Or does such Windows graphics tool exist?

Acorn Paint, there’s an idea

I would for the time being use something like photoshop or paint shop pro as suggested by tricky and then you can import into AcornPad or another program like hexweb dithering tool and export from there

[Beebson]

Thank you for your tips, I just don´t like to learn to use new tools, except ones what are made for drawing graphics for particular old machine. Hexweb might be useful, though.

I have now tried a bit to use Multipaint´s Amstrad modes. With those modes one can draw in 320x200 and 160x200 resolutions. Multipaint´s Sinclair QL mode gives 256x256 with 8 colours. Those resolutions won´t exactly match with the Beeb, but are close enough, at least for modifying graphics from machines with 256x192 or 160/320x200 resolution. Multipaint is a good choice what AcornPaint could be.

[Beebson]

Here´s a link for Multipaint, if you want to try it.

[Beebson]

I have wishes to make Charpad even better. In Character Set window, there is a green "outline" showing what character is chosen. When looking the result in the Map Editor and then going back to Character Set, in many cases it is then hard to find where that particular character was, especially when the contrast between characters´ colours and the "outline" is very small. Could you please change that green colour to a much darker hue, thank you. Perhaps some key could change the "outline´s " colour (few different choices), to make it stand out better against certain colours.

In Map Editor there could be a "Character Picker" icon, working similar way as colour picker, except picking a 8x8 character. When clicked, I could then move the mouse on any character in Map Editor screen and click it and then that character would be automatically selected to Character Editor. It would be much easier that way, than to try to find the correct character from the Character Set, where there could be 50 or more similar looking small character shapes. As all those shapes are near together, they can look like just one big shape, it´s hard to try to find the correct one, as they can look exactly the same, maybe having just one or few different pixels.

[fizgog]

I have wishes to make Charpad even better. In Character Set window, there is a green "outline" showing what character is chosen. When looking the result in the Map Editor and then going back to Character Set, in many cases it is then hard to find where that particular character was, especially when the contrast between characters´ colours and the "outline" is very small. Could you please change that green colour to a much darker hue, thank you. Perhaps some key could change the "outline´s " colour (few different choices), to make it stand out better against certain colours.

In Map Editor there could be a "Character Picker" icon,

I’ll add it to the list to make the rectangle colour selector user defined

There is a character picker in the map editor it’s the last icon I think