Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.


Author Topic: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes (Read 4208 times)

Offline ssr86

  • EP user
  • *
  • Posts: 355
  • Country: pl
4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« on: 2014.June.10. 20:01:18 »
Managed to get my first code to work...
Here are short codes to setup the following "square pixel modes":
160x128 with 16 colors (16-color pixel mode but pixels are 2 scanlines tall)
160x128 with 4 colors (4-color lpixel mode but pixels are 2 scanlines tall)
80x64 with 256 colors (256-color pixel mode but pixels are 4 scanlines tall)
80x64 with 16 colors (16-color lpixel mode but pixels are 4 scanlines tall)

Line Parameter Tables are 1120 bytes (80x64 modes) and 2144 bytes(160x128 modes) long...

The code is based on "the lines example" from "exos1.0 technical information" book.
No pictures - just some "random" pixels.

These modes should save quite a lot of memory, have square pixels and be rather fast (less to draw), these can't be achieved this "cheap" (or just can't at all) on other 8bit computers...
They remind me of old handheld consoles' resolutions...

edit: seems that the vertical resolution can be up to 144 and 72 pixels for respective cases (whole height of display)
« Last Edit: 2014.June.10. 22:09:09 by ssr86 »

Offline geco

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7082
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« Reply #1 on: 2014.June.10. 21:37:49 »
EXOS 2.1 doc also available, you can use it, EXOS 1.0 may contains obsolete information also.
I checked the codes, yes, a lot of memory, and a lot of CPU time can be saved by this blocky graphics setting, Endi mentioned a PC blocky game which resolution about 120 x 100 with 256 colour, unfortunately I do not remember to the name of the game, similar game could be realized with littlebit less resolution.

Offline geco

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7082
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« Reply #2 on: 2014.June.10. 21:56:05 »
I found it: Kid Tripp
Resolution: 120x80, on EP it could be 92x80 in 256 colour mode.
« Last Edit: 2014.June.10. 22:00:59 by geco »

Offline ssr86

  • EP user
  • *
  • Posts: 355
  • Country: pl
Re: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« Reply #3 on: 2014.June.11. 16:09:09 »
I based my code on the example from exos1.0 book, because I couldn't find that one in exos2.0 book. I remembered that I saw something like that in one of the available books and searched for it again, checked the exos2.0 book a few times before I actually found it in exos1.0 book...
 As for the exos2.1 doc - I get a "not found" for the nick and dave pages.

The game looks pretty. I like the colorful and blocky graphics.
I wonder when we'll see something using that 256-color mode in an enteprise game...

The mode 80x64 reminds me of pc textmode demos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-avSlD5SNQ or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO4IyHZ0ci4
these ones in particular are using 80x50 "textmode pixels" with 16 colors. Some "pixels" are "dithered blocks", but this is in 16-colors, so on enterprise one could just use a transitional color...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALy9TugTmmA

I think that this 256-color mode would be great for demos...
« Last Edit: 2014.June.11. 16:33:38 by ssr86 »

Offline geco

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7082
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« Reply #4 on: 2014.June.11. 16:45:30 »
Sorry, I did not check the links, I have it in downloaded version :D
Here you can find book from EXOS2.0 and EXOS2.1 in English also : EP Info Store

There is already one game which is using 256 colour mode in game, it was made by Endi in the 90's, and looks good also: Book of Life Pics and descriptiojn (HUN)
Book of Life Download

Those PC demos are fantastic, I think they would be good in blocky mode also :D

Offline jltursan

  • User
  • *
  • Posts: 69
  • Country: es
    • JLTurSan's MSX page - My little MSX corner
Re: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« Reply #5 on: 2014.June.11. 22:55:30 »
Yep, having enough colors, these blocky resolutions work incredibly well (and fast!). Love that bricks!

Offline SlashNet

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 1193
  • Country: ua
  • Enterprise 128K | Cubietruck
    • My old site about Enterprise
Re: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« Reply #6 on: 2014.September.22. 00:56:42 »
Review of some Nitrome games with 256-colour blocky graphics (on Russian): http://gamin.me/blog/selects/12794

Offline SlashNet

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 1193
  • Country: ua
  • Enterprise 128K | Cubietruck
    • My old site about Enterprise
Re: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« Reply #7 on: 2016.July.15. 23:04:16 »
Funny bubblebobble-like game in pixeling view: http://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=3421

Offline ssr86

  • EP user
  • *
  • Posts: 355
  • Country: pl
Re: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« Reply #8 on: 2016.July.17. 14:04:27 »
Funny bubblebobble-like game in pixeling view: http://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=3421
This pico8 games look really interesting. I like the palette, but as for the resolution 128x128 seems a little too small... the gameboy's 160x144 would be a little better imo.
All games for the system could be listed here as an example for possible low resolution mode ep games :)

http://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=2145&pid=11724&autoplay=1#pp
« Last Edit: 2016.July.17. 14:42:48 by ssr86 »

Offline geco

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7082
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« Reply #9 on: 2016.July.17. 16:40:04 »
In 16 col mode with sqare pixels the width would be a speccy screen, which would be good i think

Offline SlashNet

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 1193
  • Country: ua
  • Enterprise 128K | Cubietruck
    • My old site about Enterprise
Re: 4-16-256-color square pixel modes
« Reply #10 on: 2016.July.17. 17:06:37 »
All games for the system could be listed here as an example for possible low resolution mode ep games :)

I think about that, too.