Since you're a Next master now, I'm wondering if you know how many sprite patterns I can move into sprite RAM per frame? I need 36 16 colour sprite patterns per frame to implement my idea. Would this be possible using the DMA or am I being hopelessly optimistic?
Sprite patterns - or lack thereof - are the root of all my problems on this machine! You have 128 of them at a time, as I'm sure you know. Changing 36 of them each frame might be pushing it... (but easy to test with a border colour around it).
I am only changing a handful at most, per frame, and it's causing trouble but I think I just need to make sure I only do the actual dma after everything else in the cycle.
Because there are two questions, really. First is fast it can be done, but also at what point they get drawn. These two tasks have to be kept apart.
Thanks for the response, I never really considered the timing, that's extra complication. I suppose with the sprite patterns I can always alternate and do half the characters update on one frame and the other half on the next. While the position can update every frame, the animation isn't going to be more than 25 FPS, if that.
As for your game, it's a shame you announced UrbX when you did. You could have entered it into the competition and claimed you only just started development. Odds are you and Stoo would be fighting over a white Spectrum Next come the end of April 😁
Funnily enough I'm reading another Rinzler book, the making of Alien. Will put the Star Wars one on my shopping list. Thanks for the update Tony!
I saw he had an Alien one the other day - that is on my list now :)
Since you're a Next master now, I'm wondering if you know how many sprite patterns I can move into sprite RAM per frame? I need 36 16 colour sprite patterns per frame to implement my idea. Would this be possible using the DMA or am I being hopelessly optimistic?
Sprite patterns - or lack thereof - are the root of all my problems on this machine! You have 128 of them at a time, as I'm sure you know. Changing 36 of them each frame might be pushing it... (but easy to test with a border colour around it).
I am only changing a handful at most, per frame, and it's causing trouble but I think I just need to make sure I only do the actual dma after everything else in the cycle.
Because there are two questions, really. First is fast it can be done, but also at what point they get drawn. These two tasks have to be kept apart.
Thanks for the response, I never really considered the timing, that's extra complication. I suppose with the sprite patterns I can always alternate and do half the characters update on one frame and the other half on the next. While the position can update every frame, the animation isn't going to be more than 25 FPS, if that.
As for your game, it's a shame you announced UrbX when you did. You could have entered it into the competition and claimed you only just started development. Odds are you and Stoo would be fighting over a white Spectrum Next come the end of April 😁
I actually don't like the white one! I'd kill for translucent though :) I've told them that...
I'll take the white one! ;) Being white means it's ideal for drawing on with inks! Yay! ;)
I’m holding out for translucent 😁
Same here, I think the original black is so much nicer. Those white ones have gone for crazy money though.
Collector's item I guess. I got a KS2 at a decent price so I'm happy with that