** New Frontiers in VIC-Hires-Graphics, Part 16

[llopis]

Here are two other images I converted to 104x256 Wide FLI (PAL, +24K RAM required) some time ago:


(download)


(download)

As part of my research on THEVIC20, I tried those programs with it and, as I suspected, they don't work (PAL setting, 50Hz). It's not that they display an incorrect image, but they go back to the BASIC prompt after a few seconds. I have it set up for 32KB of RAM. Any idea what feature of the hardware they rely on that might not be emulated correctly that might be causing that?

[Mike]

[...] they go back to the BASIC prompt after a few seconds. [...]

It is quite possible that the emulation of TheVIC20 inserts keystrokes into the keyboard buffer as part of the autostart procedure. Normally, the pictures only return to the BASIC prompt after a key press.

[Vic20-Ian]

Hi,

Please find attached a couple of d64 images with those 2 images configured to load for TheVic20 and TheC64.

If you put these on a USB stick then launch the browser each image will load and stay on screen till a key is pressed.

I will look into a peculiarity I found - I could not load a second image on one disk from basic in the short time I tried, hence 2 separate d64 images for now.

Vic Art for TheVic20.zip

(23.28 KiB) Downloaded 175 times

Best regards,
Ian

[Mike]

Ian,

I will look into a peculiarity I found - I could not load a second image on one disk from basic

the picture files can be loaded and started with RUN on their own, provided enough RAM is available. After a key press, they leave BASIC memory in uninitialised state, though; that is the reason you cannot load and run another picture directly.

The main program of the (PAL) FLInale demo takes care of that and it provides a way to view a set of these images as a slide show. You can simply take a look at it and adapt it to your needs - one thing it does is changing the BASIC start, so the main program does not get in the way of the pictures as they are loaded to memory.

Finally, the OP download also contains a converter suite to produce own pictures in FLI mode. If you find this display mode interesting, go ahead and make a slide show with an own set of pictures.

Greetings,

Michael

[Vic20-Ian]

Thanks Mike, I tested it and it works just fine if you set the file name for TheC64 or TheVic20.

Ilopis, here is a tested working version of the full demo.

flinale-pal_B1B2B3.zip

(72.94 KiB) Downloaded 238 times

[mathom]

That is very nice! Thank you for setting that up for TheVIC20. I've been intending to get my head around the conversion process. This is a big motivator.

[Vic20-Ian]

That is very nice! Thank you for setting that up for TheVIC20. I've been intending to get my head around the conversion process. This is a big motivator.

PM me - I am working on a big project with SpannerNick - there will be little need to manually configure soon.

[llopis]

Thanks Mike, I tested it and it works just fine if you set the file name for TheC64 or TheVic20.

Ilopis, here is a tested working version of the full demo.

flinale-pal_B1B2B3.zip

That's great. Thank you! I'll try that today.

What did you have to do to get them to work on TheVIC20? (other than the postfix to indicate the memory expansion). Did you have to change the format or something? I suspect the problem I had is that I renamed them to crt and the emulator tried to load them as a cartridge.
Thanks!

[Vic20-Ian]

Thanks Mike, I tested it and it works just fine if you set the file name for TheC64 or TheVic20.

Ilopis, here is a tested working version of the full demo.

flinale-pal_B1B2B3.zip

That's great. Thank you! I'll try that today.

What did you have to do to get them to work on TheVIC20? (other than the postfix to indicate the memory expansion). Did you have to change the format or something? I suspect the problem I had is that I renamed them to crt and the emulator tried to load them as a cartridge.
Thanks!

I put the prg files on a d64 disk image and named that image with the memory block configuration for TheVic20 to be able to load it from the browser as the simplest way for you to load it correctly.

For the full slideshow demo I just renamed the D64 image file with the memory configuration.

No modification was made to the programs.

Renaming a prg file to a crt file to make it load is not the correct way to go about it. It was what you did and not any failing of TheC64 / TheVic20 as you stated in your post.

Other ways to get things to load on TheVic20 include using VICE snapshots, D64 disk images, tap tape images and cartridges where appropriate.

You could also boot into TheVic20 and set the correct memory configuration first then attach the disk image and load it manually.

[llopis]

That worked like a charm. Thank you!

[Vic20-Ian]

That worked like a charm. Thank you!

I saw the video, nicely done.

https://thec64community.online/thread/9 ... modore-vic

It would have been nice if you had included a mention or link to the Denial forum as you received help here.

Perhaps you can add that and re-upload?

[Mike]

Here are another two images I converted to 104x256 Wide FLI (PAL, +24K RAM required):


(download)


(download)

Greetings,

Michael

[nbla000]

Here are another two images I converted to 104x256 Wide FLI (PAL, +24K RAM required):

Wow, Really impressive!

I've attached a modified Vic20-Ian version with new Mike's images.

I don't have a TheVic20 but should work, with VICE and real PAL Vic works.

The modifies are:
-d64 -> d81 format to include all prg with just one file image
-infinite slide show (when the last picture was displayed, reload the first picture instead of exit to basic prompt)

maybe a RunStop or <- ESC key could be useful to restore prompt.

[Mike]

I've attached a modified Vic20-Ian version with new Mike's images.

I should note that Vic20-Ian also did nothing other than adapt tokra's original slide show for the more recent images.

I don't have a TheVic20 but should work, with VICE and real PAL Vic works.

I wouldn't have expected otherwise. The routine is still the same, only the data it displays as picture is different.

The issues that appeared with llopis' use (a white 'blob' in the fog of the Mount Drash picture) only appeared on his VIC-20, which is likely the result of faulty RAM in the tape buffer: unfortunately he didn't follow up so he could be assisted to track it down, that RAM fault would otherwise mostly show under somewhat obscure circumstances (tape SEQ file handling or other uses of the tape buffer), the KERNAL itself also doesn't check RAM there on power-on/reset ... so there.

The modifies are: [...] maybe a RunStop or <- ESC key could be useful to restore prompt.

I don't know exactly how many cycles are left during display for any of that luxury.

The display routine needs to disable RESTORE, so 'stray' NMIs by tapping the RESTORE key do not disturb the display. The routine cleanly exits upon pressing the SPACE bar and restores the default text screen. What is supposed to happen upon exit to the user program is entirely at the discretion of said user program.

...

That all being said, my remark from the post on Jul 12th, 2021 still is valid:

[...] The OP download also contains a converter suite to produce own pictures in FLI mode. If you find this display mode interesting, go ahead and make a slide show with an own set of pictures.

Greetings,

Michael

[Mike]

My suggestion for the intro screen to a certain spacefaring game (download):



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