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vegipete

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Joined: 29/01/2013
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Posted: 03:04am 30 Oct 2023

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The new layer framebuffer transparency options in the latest PicoMite release candidate (RC12) firmware makes certain tasks very easy to perform.

Here is a quick PicoMiteVGA demo program I've been messing with this weekend. Don't get excited - this only displays levels. There is no game logic or anything else at this stage.

Level Data from the ArduBoy LodeRunner project can, with some massaging, be displayed by my demo code.

Enjoy...

Visit Vegipete's *Mite Library for cool programs.

MarkF
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Joined: 01/08/2023
Location: Australia
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Posted: 07:18am 30 Oct 2023

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Thanks for sharing. I look forward to trying it. Could you please add a screenshot into this post.

lizby
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Joined: 17/05/2016
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Posted: 12:08pm 30 Oct 2023

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Nice. With IF mm.device$="PicoMiteVGA" then MODE 2, it works on the LCD:

PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed

thwill

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Joined: 16/09/2019
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Posted: 12:11pm 30 Oct 2023

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Neat, LodeRunner was on my TODO list, looks like you are saving me the effort

.

Best wishes,

Tom

Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures

Hawk

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Joined: 15/07/2021
Location: Australia
Posts: 141

Posted: 05:26am 31 Oct 2023

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vegipete said The new layer framebuffer transparency options in the latest PicoMite release candidate (RC12) firmware makes certain tasks very easy to perform....

What is the nature of the changes? Does it affect the transparency of SPRITES?

One of my issues with transparency of sprites was that the alpha channel was hard coded to Black…a popular colour for sprites. If hard coded, I’d prefer it was hot pink…a less used colour.

Volhout
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Joined: 05/03/2018
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Posted: 06:15am 31 Oct 2023

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That is possible now. PETSCII robots uses Magenta as transparent color.

Volhout

PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS

vegipete

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Posted: 05:18pm 31 Oct 2023

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I'm able to use the non-black transparency of the layer frame buffer to iris the playing field into view.

I select a colour other than black as transparent and clear the layer to that colour. Then I draw a black box covering just the playing area. Now I can draw the play field on the main layer, which remains hidden by the black box on the top layer. The play area comes into view as I draw increasing sized circles in the transparent colour on the top layer. Neat!

The closing iris was harder. I wish we had a clipping region for the drawing commands.

Visit Vegipete's *Mite Library for cool programs.

Amnesie
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Joined: 30/06/2020
Location: Germany
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Posted: 06:38pm 31 Oct 2023

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Yay more and more games for the Pico! Looks nice!

Greetings
Daniel

stanleyella

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Joined: 25/06/2022
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Posted: 07:02pm 31 Oct 2023

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Games for vga or lcd again. I give up keeping up.

Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
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Posted: 07:32pm 31 Oct 2023

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The two systems seem to be getting closer, Stan. :)

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs

stanleyella

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Posted: 12:59pm 01 Nov 2023

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Mixtel90 said The two systems seem to be getting closer, Stan. :)

But spi lcd 320x240 is slower than vga mode 2 and some graphics work but too slow to be a game imho.

matherp
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Joined: 11/12/2012
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Posted: 01:17pm 01 Nov 2023

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Quote But spi lcd 320x240 is slower than vga mode 2 and some graphics work but too slow to be a game imho.

Suggest you load and try the petscii code before making that assumption

stanleyella

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Posted: 02:14pm 01 Nov 2023

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matherp said

Quote But spi lcd 320x240 is slower than vga mode 2 and some graphics work but too slow to be a game imho.

Suggest you load and try the petscii code before making that assumption

It's said "will only work on vga" and "spi bottle neck". I found myself vga is much faster than spi lcd ili9341 for graphics.
edit I should of said with the latest lcd picomite version not petscii but quoted from the thread.
Edited 2023-11-02 00:49 by stanleyella

Mixtel90

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Posted: 02:39pm 01 Nov 2023

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Peter has done *a lot* of work on the SPI side of things, Stan, including bringing the second CPU into play. Update speeds can be much faster now.

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs

stanleyella

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Posted: 03:02pm 01 Nov 2023

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Mixtel90 said Peter has done *a lot* of work on the SPI side of things, Stan, including bringing the second CPU into play. Update speeds can be much faster now.

Wasn't the 2nd cpu already for vga but not for lcd.. did nothing?
Is it now for lcd?? How's that make spi faster? Thread is 21 pages.
Does it need rc21? last time used peek zx spectrum not even picaxe.

JohnS
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Posted: 03:04pm 01 Nov 2023

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Try the latest RC for LCD.

John

lizby
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Joined: 17/05/2016
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Posted: 03:36pm 01 Nov 2023

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stanleyella said It's said "will only work on vga" and "spi bottle neck".

Who you gonna believe, "It's said" [by whom, when] or Peter Mather [now]?

~
Edited 2023-11-02 01:36 by lizby

PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed

stanleyella

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Posted: 03:52pm 01 Nov 2023

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JohnS said Try the latest RC for LCD.

John

It was rc12 last time and all my previous blit code gave syntax errors but I try again ili9341 with info I documented from forum advice about new blit but no real guide though. I can appreciate the work others are doing.

Mixtel90

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Posted: 04:16pm 01 Nov 2023

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To get the best out of the new release some things have changed so you can expect syntax errors. Unfortunately the documentation is only what's in the forum threads at the moment.

Yes, the second CPU is now used for LCD as well as VGA.

rc12: https://www.thebackshed.com/forum/ViewTopic.php?TID=16248&P=9#211461
Edited 2023-11-02 02:21 by Mixtel90

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs

stanleyella

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Posted: 06:21pm 01 Nov 2023

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Mixtel90 said To get the best out of the new release some things have changed so you can expect syntax errors. Unfortunately the documentation is only what's in the forum threads at the moment.

Yes, the second CPU is now used for LCD as well as VGA.

rc12: https://www.thebackshed.com/forum/ViewTopic.php?TID=16248&P=9#211461

Thanks sir,I'm back to rc12 and spi ili9341 options and cpu to max setup ok .
back to blit error syntax but now error displayed on lcd. what if lcd wired wrong or duff .. sorry, cynical.
I would like to see lcd improvements over what is already a brill spi implementation for ili lcd. so much better than 8 bit pics.
see if I can sort blit write syntax error from info. cheers, stan

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