New PET release: Happy New Year 2008/PSW

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:53 AM

Original post by Robin Harbron

I coded a quick demo for the PET. It'll probably run on any 40 column PET, though I've only tested it on my NTSC PET 4032.

Run it on the real thing if you can.

Download it here:
http://psw.ca/prg/HNY2008_PSW.zip

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:53 AM

Cool

First PET demo in 20 years

Lance

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:54 AM

Original post by Robert Bernardo

Quote from: admin

First PET demo in 20 years

What was the last one 20 years ago? :-)

Something to show at our next FCUG meeting!
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:54 AM

Well I'm guessing there hasn't been a new one in a looooong while - wonder if this qualifies as the first 8 bit demo of 2008 ?

Lance

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:55 AM

Original post by donni

Very nice!
But running it on my pet2001-8 the demo produces a lot of interference in the upper scroll text which makes it not very pleasant to look at.

On a 3032 the smooth text scroll looks very cool

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:56 AM

Original post by Robin Harbron

Quote from: donni

But running it on my pet2001-8 the demo produces a lot of interference in the upper scroll text which makes it not very pleasant to look at.

Aha, a friend just pointed out that the earliest PETs didn't have the 6545 chip to generate video, and I'm using a bit in the 6545 to watch for vsync. So I'm guessing that's the problem? I wish I had a 2001

Anyone know if there is a way to sync video on the early PETs?

Quote

On a 3032 the smooth text scroll looks very cool :tummenupp:

Great, thanks for trying it

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:56 AM

Original post by adric22

Quote from: Robin Harbron

I coded a quick demo for the PET. It'll probably run on any 40 column PET, though I've only tested it on my NTSC PET 4032.

Run it on the real thing if you can.

Hey, that is cool. Smooth scrolling on a PET. How did you achieve that?

I'm cruious.. the PET has those little keyboard graphics, technically you could double the resolution on the scrolling text by using those, right? I realize it would complicate the code more.

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:57 AM

Original post by Robin Harbron

Quote from: adric22

Hey, that is cool. Smooth scrolling on a PET. How did you achieve that?

It was all done with PETSCII; there's no trickery going on. The main problem was figuring out the quickest way to render the screen, since 7/8ths of the time one "pixel" (really, an 8x8 square character) would have to mapped across two real characters on the PET screen.

Quote

I'm cruious.. the PET has those little keyboard graphics, technically you could double the resolution on the scrolling text by using those, right? I realize it would complicate the code more.

Not entirely sure what you mean, but in addition to the solid PETSCII graphics that were used in this demo, a similar smooth effect could be made with the skinnier line PETSCII graphics, though it wouldn't be as general purpose.

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:57 AM

Original post by Anders Carlsson

I have some 3032/4043 motherboards, power supply and keyboards in the basement, but no suitable monitor. Bah. I tried to implement an interface improved by Andre Fachat, but I didn't get it to fully work - probably bad sync rate. Perhaps I will be able to grab a broken 3032/4032 and replace the motherboard.

Anyway, some day I'll at least check out the demo in an emulator. As for graphical effects, I envision a parallax-ish scroller unless it has already been done:

Use vertical (or horizontal) line graphics for a background scroller, and then put the text scroller with filled blocks on top of it, scrolling at a different speed. It may look real nice.

A PETSCII plasma probably also is within reach, unless it has already been done. Back in Veni Vidi VIC! it was experimented with rather crude plasma effects. I suppose the PET character set has four levels of crosshatch patterns including the lower-case Pi graphics.

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:58 AM

Original post by Robin Harbron

With the help of some friends, I managed to get this demo running on a real PET at the World of Commodore 2008 this past weekend.

Syd from The Personal Computer Museum walked by and did a double-take, asking "How is that PET smooth scrolling?" That was fun

I'm going to make a custom version of it for him to run at the Museum.

Anders, the plasma idea is cool.

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:58 AM

Original post by Golan Klinger

Time to get cracking on a B128 demo.

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:59 AM

Original post by Robert Bernardo

Quote from: Robin Harbron on December 10, 2008, 02:24:30 am

With the help of some friends, I managed to get this demo running on a real PET at the World of Commodore 2008 this past weekend.

Which PET was that again, Robin?

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
Southern California Commodore/Amiga Network
http://www.sccaners.org/

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 05:59 AM

Original post by Robin Harbron

Quote from: Golan Klinger on December 11, 2008, 09:45:47 am

Time to get cracking on a B128 demo.

At 2 Mhz, there's some pretty neat things that could be done with an 80 column screen...

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 06:00 AM

Original post by Robin Harbron

Quote from: Robert Bernardo on December 11, 2008, 09:56:48 am

Which PET was that again, Robin?

It was a 4032, which was for sale by TPUG.

Golan helped me locate a 2040 drive (that had been modified into a 4040) to use with the PET. It was able to read the 1541-format disk I had with the PET demo saved on it.

I've nearly got the special Museum version of the demo done now. The large text scroll is in (I made a Perl tool I use to create the data); just typing up the text for the smaller scroller now.

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 06:00 AM

Original post by Steve Gray

Quote from: Golan Klinger on December 11, 2008, 09:45:47 am

Time to get cracking on a B128 demo.

I wrote some machine language routines that do plotting on the B128 screen using block graphics to make a 160x50 "pixel" display. It does line drawing, boxes, large fonts, and can save restore the entire screen to unused banks of memory as well. I wrote a few small games/utilities using it. It wouldn't be hard to port it to the pet.

Steve

Blacklord · August 04, 2009, 06:01 AM

Original post by Robin Harbron

Quote from: Steve Gray on December 14, 2008, 03:08:37 pm

I wrote some machine language routines that do plotting on the B128 screen using block graphics to make a 160x50 "pixel" display. It does line drawing, boxes, large fonts, and can save restore the entire screen to unused banks of memory as well. I wrote a few small games/utilities using it. It wouldn't be hard to port it to the pet.

Hi Steve, are your games and utilities available for download anywhere? As Golan was hinting, I now own a B128 and hope to have some time to play with it over the Xmas holidays.