Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.


Author Topic: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise (Read 19639 times)

Offline Jonathan

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 4
  • Country: gb
    • The Egghead Site
Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« on: 2018.November.25. 00:46:28 »
Hi guys,

My name is Jonathan Cauldwell and I've been a ZX Spectrum developer since the late 1980s.

For the past few years I've been developing an arcade game designing tool, first on the Spectrum, then on the Amstrad CPC464 and of late a multi-platform version that (I hope) will expand to cover every 8-bit machine.  Arcade Game Designer started out in 2008 and over the years has evolved into a seriously useful tool.  I have lost count of the number of games that have been written with AGD, it runs into hundreds now and more are written all the time.

I'm presently working on a multi-platform version of Arcade Game Designer.  I've coded compilers and engines for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC464 and Timex TC2048.  Others are converting these to the Acorn Atom, Dragon 32/64 and Acorn Electron/BBC.  I'm also writing Windows x64 editors so users can create games that work on a large number of platforms.  It can already import dozens of the games written on the Spectrum and these can be converted to other formats.  This alone could mean a substantial number of new games for the Enterprise!

What I'm looking to do here is to get an Enterprise compiler and engine up and running and wondered if there any advanced coders here who would be interested in converting the code to the machine?  Although I'm a Z80 coder I have lots of things to do on this project and realistically, I cannot devote the time to learning every machine and converting the CPC/Timex/Spectrum engine code.  Besides, you guys know the machine better and would do an infinitely better job than I ever could!  I will give every assistance I can, I've been programming the Z80 for 30 years (that makes me feel old) and am quite happy to write editors to take advantage of the Enterprise's graphics capabilities.

So, what are your thoughts folks?

Multi-Platform Arcade Game Designer can be downloaded from my download page here: http://www.spanglefish.com/egghead/index.asp?pageid=397755
« Last Edit: 2018.November.25. 01:08:44 by Jonathan »

Offline gflorez

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 3607
  • Country: es
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #1 on: 2018.November.25. 02:16:23 »
I know about his project. What he means is that, once an Enterprise version of his editor where ready, automatically we will have free access to a lot of already made  and upcoming games  to try. Enterprise only characteristics can also be added to the standard motor.

I think it is a very good idea, no more isolation for our loved computers.

Offline geco

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7082
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #2 on: 2018.November.25. 10:19:44 »
Hello Jonathan

Welcome here.
This is a great idea.
I saw several speccy AGD games, and once i started to check CPC AGD to convert to Enterprise, but it stopped shortly i do not know why.
I would convert Speccy version, and CPC version also to Enterprise, and i would try to add EP specific stuff to the converted CPC version, I would like to convert both, because lot of AGD games looks better on Speccy Attr screen, or if I can, I include Speccy attr mode, and EP attr mode into the converted CPC version.

May I ask the sources of AGD for trying to make EP version? :)

Regards:
Noel

Offline ron

  • User
  • *
  • Posts: 85
  • Country: es
    • RetroWiki & Cacharreo [RW]
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #3 on: 2018.November.25. 12:00:34 »
Hi Jonathan ! great to see you here !

As you said, I think it's a great idea. There is a user on our site, retrowiki.es who has done the same but for the Dragon and Tandy CoCo microcomputers.

They have ported the AGD from Z80 to Motoroloa 6809 and with this they have managed to make many of the AGD games of ZX Spectrum work now in Dragon

http://www.retrowiki.es/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=200034092
http://www.retrowiki.es/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=200034116
http://www.retrowiki.es/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=200034108

I have the impression that thanks to the characteristics of the Enterprise could achieve something really amazing. Go ahead with it, if we can help something, let us know.

Regards.

ron.

Offline endi

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7298
  • Country: hu
  • grafikus, játékfejlesztõ, programozás, scifi, tudományok, vallás
    • Honlapom
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #4 on: 2018.November.25. 20:38:30 »
this is cool
is this engine supports character modes and maybe scroll?
Vigyázat! Szektás vagyok! :)

Offline Jonathan

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 4
  • Country: gb
    • The Egghead Site
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #5 on: 2018.November.25. 22:19:40 »
Thanks for the replies folks, great to see so much enthusiasm!

Ron, I've been following the progress of the Dragon version, I'm bowled over by what has been achieved (and by Kees' work on the Atom too, for that matter) and am in regular contact with Kees.  The Dragon shares a graphics chip with the Atom so there are monochrome editors for that and the Atom, I'll be starting work on colour mode editors for the Atom and Dragon soon.

Geco, that would be wonderful!  You're welcome to the source code, it's included in the latest download at my site as part of the zip file.  The compilers you'll be interested in are CompilerZX.c and CompilerCPC.c and the engines are EngineZX.asm and EngineCPC.asm.  The engines are fully commented although there's a slight typo in the CPC engine, the second xorbk0 label needs changing to xorbko.  The Amstrad's screen width didn't really match the Spectrum so I had to resize the blocks and sprites so that games could be converted between the two without any major issues.  Take a look, let me know what you think.  Maybe take the best of both?

Endi, the Spectrum and CPC need specialist engines for scrolling so it isn't incorporated in those but there's no reason why it couldn't be added as an extra in the Enterprise version.  That said, there is an up/down/left/right starfield option for shoot-em-ups.

GFlorez, Absolutely.


Offline geco

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7082
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #6 on: 2018.December.01. 18:07:57 »
First version of EP AGD compiler:
What should be modified: Speccy colour conversion, Dark black, is a very dark yellow on EP, I will, just I do not know by using a 256 table or modify the existing code
What should be added: Palette definition with EP specific modes, my idea:
EP0 mode: palette foll full screen
EP1 mode: different palette can be set for pixel line of the character for each colour (colour 0-8), with this every character line can be rasterized.
EP2 mode: every character line could get it's own palette.

AY emulation could not be tested yet, but sound has to be modified.

I could not reproduce full AGD files from SNA, all of them contained assembly instructions also, which was not recovered by WINAGD unfortunately, so menu does not work.

Offline endi

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7298
  • Country: hu
  • grafikus, játékfejlesztõ, programozás, scifi, tudományok, vallás
    • Honlapom
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #7 on: 2018.December.01. 19:38:28 »
Does it not use Enterprise features yet?
---
tehát ez egyelőre még nem használ ep-s ficsöröket?
« Last Edit: 2018.December.02. 18:57:47 by szipucsu, Reason: English translation »
Vigyázat! Szektás vagyok! :)

Offline geco

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7082
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #8 on: 2018.December.01. 19:48:37 »
tehát ez egyelőre még nem használ ep-s ficsöröket?
No, what i can build in max different palette modes into LPT.
This is only a compiler for AGD files, but it is possible to write converter to character mode also, only AGD file is needed which was written to character mode (graphics), or for any other mode.

Nem, de amit be tudok építeni az max az LPT -ben a különféle palettamódok.
Ez csak a Compiler az AGD file-hoz, de lehet írni convertert pl karakteres módra is, csak ahhoz kéne karakteres módra írt AGD. (a grafika), vagy egyéb más módra.
« Last Edit: 2018.December.01. 21:17:52 by geco »

Offline endi

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7298
  • Country: hu
  • grafikus, játékfejlesztõ, programozás, scifi, tudományok, vallás
    • Honlapom
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #9 on: 2018.December.01. 20:33:50 »
Nem, de amit be tudok építeni az max az LPT -ben a különféle palettamódok.
Ez csak a Compiler az AGD file-hoz, de lehet írni convertert pl karakteres módra is, csak ahhoz kéne karakteres módra írt AGD. (a grafika), vagy egyéb más módra.

I understand, so it depends on the author if there will be extra EP version.
---
ja értem, tehát a szerzőn múlik hogy lesz-e extra ep-s verzió...
« Last Edit: 2018.December.02. 18:59:28 by szipucsu, Reason: English translation »
Vigyázat! Szektás vagyok! :)

Offline geco

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7082
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #10 on: 2018.December.01. 20:52:05 »
ja értem, tehát a szerzőn múlik hogy lesz-e extra ep-s verzió...
not necessarily, because the graphics can be drawn in WinAGD for Attribute mode and col 16 mode (CPC mode), and the sprites and graphics drawn for col 16 mode (based on rules) can be converted by compiler generated code to character (4 colour/character) mode graphics, only specific palette settings can not be done there (ex what is used by gracha), this could be coded manually into AGD file.

Nem feltétlenül, mert a WinAGD-ben meg lehet csinálni a grafikát attr módhoz,és 16 szín módhoz (CPC-n), és a 16 szín módra rajzolt sprite-okat ha bizonyos szabályoknak megfelelnek, át lehet konvertálni a compiler által generált kóddal karakteres módú grafikára, egyedül a spéci paletta beállítást nem lehet ott megvalósítani (mondjuk olyasmit, amit a gracha is használ), ezt manuálisan lehetne bekódolni az AGD file-ba.
« Last Edit: 2018.December.01. 21:22:24 by geco »

Offline IstvanV

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 4822
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #11 on: 2018.December.02. 17:59:08 »
AY emulation could not be tested yet, but sound has to be modified.

It is a minor issue, but the frequency conversion is for CPC, Spectrum music converted this way will play at too low pitch. The code also seems to be based on an older version of the AY emulator, although the differences are only in optimization. Envelope emulation seems to be enabled in the code, but it is not called from the IRQ handler.

By the way, what is the purpuse of the variables VOLA, VOLB, and VOLC? I do not see them referenced, but perhaps they are used in the generated game code.

Offline szipucsu

  • Global Moderator
  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 9898
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
    • Webnyelv.hu - Tanuljunk nyelveket!
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #12 on: 2018.December.02. 19:05:07 »
AY emulation could not be tested yet, but sound has to be modified.
If there is some music, it should be rewritten using Midiconv, I think.
100 SOUND SOURCE 2,STYLE 128,PITCH 25.2,SYNC 1
110 SOUND PITCH 25,SYNC 1
120 ! Videos

Offline geco

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7082
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #13 on: 2018.December.02. 21:06:59 »
It is a minor issue, but the frequency conversion is for CPC, Spectrum music converted this way will play at too low pitch. The code also seems to be based on an older version of the AY emulator, although the differences are only in optimization. Envelope emulation seems to be enabled in the code, but it is not called from the IRQ handler.

By the way, what is the purpuse of the variables VOLA, VOLB, and VOLC? I do not see them referenced, but perhaps they are used in the generated game code.
You are right, i took the code from profanation, and did not change the frequency recalculation, and VOLx remained from there also, and I forgot to insert the envelope routine into RST routine :oops: , and probably I have to enable 1KHz interrupt for envelope emulation, because as I heard music  used high frequency interrupts in AGD game, but until music can not be get automatically from snapshot, AY playback will not be useful.
Do you have a link for the latest AY amulation routine?
Thx :)

Offline geco

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7082
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Arcade Game Designer for Enterprise
« Reply #14 on: 2018.December.09. 15:51:52 »
Mistakes have been corrected, and modification: beeper will sound on right side, AY on left side