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ljbk · Post by **ljbk** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:12 pm

Hi !

Here is the promised 1Mb version of the limited unlimited sprites technic.
As promised, it features fullscreen, playfield and digisound as well as some balls.

If you use an emulator to view the demo screen, use SainT >= 1.80: the sound quality is much better.

This should work on any ST at 8MHz and with 1Mb.
As i had to use really almost 1Mb, there is no exit to TOS.

Enjoy and have fun

,
Paulo.

Post by **[ProToS]** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:38 am

nice work

megar · Post by **megar** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 8:16 am

Thank you ! Great screen !

Post by **Brume** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:57 am

Very good, Paulo!
Thanks for this screen

Brume.

tobe · Post by **tobe** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:03 pm

I love fullscreen !

leonard · Post by **leonard** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:12 pm

Hi paulo !

that screen simply *rocks* !!!! I like technical code !

Well, what about your next soundtrack player ? I know you're preparing the *fastest* module player ever made on STF machine !

cheers,

Post by **simonsunnyboy** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:48 pm

Looks nice - I'm looking forward to check it on my STFM as neither Hatari nor STEEM seem to run it properly.
Esp. the 8 channel digi on plain ST is a cool feature - I like that!

Post by **Brume** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:55 pm

Also isn't Gunstick working on a 8 channel mod demo, too? What kind of screen effects does it contain?

leonard · Post by **leonard** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 2:40 pm

Hey sunnyboy, are you aware there is an ATARI emulator called SainT wich run perfectly the Paulo demos ? LOL

Add to this SainT actually features the best digi-sound ever seen on any emulators

Post by **Mug UK** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 4:07 pm

But Sunnyboy is a Linux-fiend so he can't use SAINT (at least that's what I'm guessing judging by other posts he's made here).

ljbk · Post by **ljbk** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 10:24 am

Thanks for the nice comments

!

Now, here are some infos for the tech guys:

About the mixer:
- the core digisound mixer was written in 1991/92 and can handle any number of voices up to 16 with independent frequency and volume
- it was part of a larger project called Hextracker that i intend to release someday in the future (may be for the 20 years of the ST

) after i update the MOD control with some missing Protracker 2.x commands (not known to me in 1991/92)
- an upgrade of the 40KHz player is currently under work again to add those missing Protracker 2.x commands and to push the mixer strategy to the max for a 100% CPU player

About this screen:
- the mixer is limited to 8 voices and takes 70% of the CPU
- the PSG is updated every 512 cycles (= 1 scan line)
- the "Playfield" takes around 15% of the CPU
- Fullscreen handling takes almost 9% of the CPU
- the sprite(s) take(s) around 6% of the CPU
- I have very very few cycles left

and a very small amount of memory left

!

Don't ask me about dates for the next releases.
ST coding is about fun.
So as long as i have ideas, time and fun, i will do some coding.
Otherwise, i stop.
So there are no deadlines and so no dates for the releases.

Have fun

,
Paulo.

PS: yesterday i checked the screen under Steem 3.2 and i saw that sometimes the top border flickers

and then stops from being removed

. This is very strange because the screen was developed using the very nice hard disk feature from Steem (working on an a ST without an ST !

) but with version 3.1 (i did not make the upgrade yet).
So i checked with the other version 2.61, and it also works.
Of course the screen also works on my real ST and with SainT.
So something has changed regarding top border removal timings, clock cycle counting or MFP timers with Steem 3.2 ...

Gunstick · Post by **Gunstick** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 7:43 pm

ljbk wrote: PS: yesterday i checked the screen under Steem 3.2 and i saw that sometimes the top border flickers and then stops from being removed . This is very strange because the screen was developed using the very nice hard disk feature from Steem (working on an a ST without an ST ! ) but with version 3.1 (i did not make the upgrade yet).
So i checked with the other version 2.61, and it also works.
Of course the screen also works on my real ST and with SainT.
So something has changed regarding top border removal timings, clock cycle counting or MFP timers with Steem 3.2 ...

maybe the patch was included which makes the MFP timer-triggered overscan in the upcoming 8-voice ULM screen work.

Just a guess...
Georges

Post by **Steem Authors** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:25 pm

No sorry Georges, we still haven't done that one, I promise we'll get round to it soon-ish!

Russ

ljbk · Post by **ljbk** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:02 pm

Hello all,

1 byte changed and it works fine with Steem 3.2 and still works with Steem 3.1 and 2.61 as well as with SainT 1.8x and with my real ST.
I hope that this version works also on other real STs and STEs.

There are problems with the upload, so i can not provide the new file.
When it is possible again, i will upload it.

Have fun,
Paulo.

Nev (Orbital Software) · Sun Jan 16, 2005 6:13 pm

Just tried the screen on my genuine STE (TOS 1.62, 4MB Ram) and it sort of works!!!

The fullscreen comes on, but looks all jumbled up. The track plays okay, then after about 30 seconds the top and bottom borders dissapear, then the screen flickers badly(while still moving the background & sprites) and the music slows down badly!!!

Runs fine on Steem though, but it's not the same as on a real Atari.

Just thought i'd run the bug report past you. Looks like a brilliant screen though.

Peace...

Post by **Brume** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 12:13 am

New version is available on Atari Legend

Thanks to Paulo for the upload.
Take care,
Brume.

Nev (Orbital Software) · Mon Jan 17, 2005 12:37 am

Brume wrote:New version is available on Atari Legend
Thanks to Paulo for the upload.
Take care,
Brume.

Thanks mate, just got it. And thanks to Paulo for one hell of an impressive screen.

Peace...

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