Commodore Free 8/Commodore_Free_Issue_08_2007_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64/t.tnd tool disk

Text File | 2023-02-26 | 13KB | 454 lines

uTND User Tool Disk
Compiled by Richard Bayliss

I thought I write a little something
about the TND User Tool disk. Basically
this is a compilation of many public
domain tools that I seem to have made
use with in the past. I still use those
today as well. All programs on the disk
were done by various members of various
demo scene groups.

The whole idea of creating this tools
disk is to share it with everybody &
also give you some general information
on how those programs can be used. As
well as the user tool disk, I have also
included another disk with various
stuff to support the tools, such as the
Turbo Assembler & the DMC music editor.

The tools on this disk are all public
domain, just like the compilation & you
are very welcome to copy the disk to
all of your friends & contacts.
Anyway here is what we have on the
disk, & some background information
about the programs.

Turbo Assembler V7.0+ (Angels version)
This wasnt the version of Turbo
Assembler that I used to use. I used
version V5.3 which was public domain by
Case/The Ancient Temple. However this
is a programming tool for writing your
own assembly code. There is already an
assembly programming feature in
Commodore Free as someone else has the
role, but I have included a .D64 with
various sources I made to create
programs, like the Goldfish demo, 2
scroll intro demo & the Missile Blaster
game.  Also to accompany the assembler,
we have the Turbo Assembler commands.
So you will know how to assemble, load
a file etc. Hope it helps

Code Suck Monitor (Padua) Another handy
old tool here. This is a programming
tool & also good for ripping code
(Which I dont recommend) as well. The
Code Suck Monitor is probably based on
Action Replay Machine code monitor.
Most demo/game programmers on the C64
probably used a machine code monitor as
well as an assembler. So if you dont
own an Action Replay cartridge, here is
a handy hint for you, to use this tool.
Since you may wish to use Turbo
Assembler as well as this M/C monitor,
do not chose $8000 - $C000 as the
address for the monitor or anywhere
where code & data overlaps the M/C
monitor, itself. However, if you would
prefer to try programming with a M/C
monitor instead (Which is slightly more
difficult) then that is entirely up to
you.

Code Suck Monitor also has instructions
to help you get started. Simply chose
the note. If you do chose the note then
youll have to load the Code Suck
Monitor all over again from the menu.

DMC V4.0 (Graffity) DMC stands for Demo
Music Creator. This is a tool which I
like to use a lot & it is very easy to handle, compared to DMC V5.0. To be able to get the hang of the DMC V4.0, I have included some example tunes in the
source files disk, so you can get
started. However there seems to be some
instructions missing in this music
editor (Unlike DMC V2.0, which had
instructions in with the editor). Here
are the commands:

General:
INST/DEL: Insert/Delete positions
Left arrow: Main menu
Up arrow: Read data from cursor
 position
@: Write data from cursor position
F1: Play music from the start
F3: Pause/stop playing music
F5: Continue playing music (Paused)
F7: Fast Forward music (When playing)
Shift + F5: Record played notes (In
 live play mode)
Shift + F7: Enter live play mode

Track Editor:
Shift + +(and value): Transpose up
Shift + - :(and value): Transpose down
Shift + Return: Enter sequence/notes
 editor

Sector/Notes editor:
CBM+D: Set duration
CBM+G: Set glide value
CBM+S: Set instrument
CBM+V: Set volume of channel
CBM+X: Set switch effect
= : Set end of note
: Place gate on current sound (Depends
on how the sound is set, use to stop
sound playing in current sector)

Keys Q-P, 1-0: Make notes
< >: Change octave of all notes from
 cursor position.

Synthesizer:
Shift + +: Select next instrument
Shift + - : Select previous instrument
Shift +1 - 7: Select ocatave
Keys Q-P, 1-0: Play notes
Shift + Return: Exit sequence/notes
 editor & return to the track editor

Instruments / waveform editor:
Shift + +/-: Select next/previous
 instrument.
Shift + Return: (Edit waveform / Exit
 waveform editor)
SPACEBAR: Test instrument
(Use back arrow twice to exit)

Filter editor:
Shift +/-: Chose filter to edit.
(Use Back arrow twice to exit)

If you need to learn to create
instruments, etc. Check out Music Scene
feature on my web site at
 http://www.redesign.sk/tnd64.

All Round Re-locator (The Syndrom/TIA)
This is a music re-locator that can
relocate tunes that have been composed
in either an old version of the JCH
player (JCH Player V4), DMC V2.0, DMC
V3.0, DMC V4.0 or DMC V5.0. Tunes can
be relocated from their current
position to a new position in C64
memory. This tool was handy for me to
relocate my tunes for my game projects,
so that I could have one tune at
$1000-$1fff & another from $9000-$9fff,
etc. Depending on how many tunes I
wanted to use for the games/demos.

Font Editor V1.3 (Faces) Another tool I
used to use to draw my own character
set graphics for my own productions.
The editor allows you to draw character
sets of various sizes, which are 1x1,
1x2, 2x1, 2x2, 2x3, 2x4, 3x2, 4x2, &
3x3. Font editor also has music in the
background.

The help file is a very nice tool. Have
fun drawing char sets with this tool.

Sprite Editor V1.2 (Faces) Another
graphics drawing program, that allows
you to create hi resolution or multi-
color sprites for games or demos. I
often used this program, because it is
easy to handle. You can even save
sprites from one range to another to
save separate sprites.

This tool has instructions to help make
game/demo sprites, with handy functions

Amica Paint V1.5 (Oliver Stiller) This
tool consists of a wide range of
options to help you draw, pixel &
enhance your pictures, such as bending,
rotating & other options, which dont
exist in many C64 painting programs.
You can also use an Amiga mouse instead
of a joystick. A later version of Amica
Paint is available at
 http://www.lemon64.com

in the applications section. I didnt
bother adding that version to the disk
because of the other files that
supports the utility.

Picture Splitter V2 (Plush) A handy
utility to help you split pictures into
3 different files, or even swap colors.
You can load various images on to this
program Amica Paint, Koala paint & a
few others. Splitting a picture is
simple. All you need to do is chose the
memory locations to place your bitmap
file, video RAM & screen color RAM.

To do intro pics I place the bitmap at
hex $2000, the video RAM at $4000 & the
color RAM at $4400, especially when it
comes to coding picture demos. However,
if you wanted to turn your picture into
a Vidcom painter picture, set bitmap at
$6000, color RAM at $5800 & screen RAM
at $5C00.

Another option is a routine that allows
you to swap colors with a different, by
using keys 0-9 & a-f & RETURN.

There are also some options that allow
you to lighten or darken your picture.

Visiomizer V6.3 (Magnus Lind) A handy
utility by the author of the Exomizer.
This is probably one of the best char
packers available for the C64. The
concept is like many other packers,
except that you can change load
addresses for linking something to your
intro/demo (Your own game or another
demo part).

The concept of this program is to
compress single files that range from
$0800-$ffff (probably lower than
$0800). The program asks you to enter
filename details (file which you want
to pack). Then it asks for $01 value. I
always use $37 as the $01 value. The
packer also asks for Jump address? Well
it may vary depending on the program.

To help you use this packer: (If you
have an action replay cartridge or
reset cartridge with m/c monitor).
Download a SEUCK game from my web site.
Run the game. Freeze/reset to M/C
monitor & enter S (name),8,0801,FFFF.
When done load the Visiomizer & enter
as follows:

Loadname: game
Savename: game+
$01 : 37
JMP$ :4245
Loadback $: 0801
Leastgain: $08
Maxspce: $0c

Insert disk for packing & the program
will begin packing. When prompted to
save the file, press SPACEBAR to save.
After save, reset C64 & load the
directory & you will notice that the
game has been packed. The next step
will be to test the depacker. So load
game+ & then enter SYS2049 & the game
will depack & run. Remember that for
all SEUCK games, the jump address is
$4245.

Sledgehammer II (Cross) This is yet
another packer, but this time it has a
built in linker. The main purpose of
using this tool is to grab all data &
code & link it all into one main file.
You can link up to 252 blocks of data,
but the problem is load addresses must
differ & be in order, or packer will
overwrite existing data causing the
packed program to bomb. Anyway, you can
even pack one single unpacked file. So
lets try it out.

First of all download a SEUCK game from
the TND web site. This time we will
save it in two separate files. Load the
game & enter the M/C monitor & then do
as follows for the first file.
S GAME1,8,0801,A000 then for the
second file S GAME2,8,A000,FFFF. Load
Sledgehammer II from the menu & exit
the intro with SPACEBAR & then insert
the disk which you saved both SEUCK
game files from.

Enter the depack text option & clear
the screen then select depack effect as
nothing (No depack text & effect is
more helpful for slightly bigger
compression for when it comes to using
a cruncher.) Now enter Sledgehammer.

Insert the disk with the two game files
& press SPACEBAR. Now highlight both
files & press return. You will then see
a 1 or 2 appear (These are the files
that have been selected & will load in
that kind of order). Once done, use
SPACEBAR to enter the Sledgehammer II
packer & fill in the following:

SAVENAME: GAME+
JMP TO : $4245
$01 VALUE: $37

When done, loading & packing commences.
Once packed, press SPACEBAR to save
packed file to disk. Reset C64, LOAD &
RUN the packed file. You will get a
black screen & will have to wait a
while for the depack to finish, then
your game should come on.

Super Zipper V8 (Oneway) This is
probably a modified version of 4-Code
Zipper classic packer. Unlike
Sledgehammer II & Visomizer. This is a
simple char packer compatible with
different hardware/software fast
loaders. Entering information for
packing of data is the same as
Sledgehammer II & Visiomizer, but it
doesnt pack as good as Visiomizer,
altho still usable.

The Cruncher AB V3.0 (Oneway) Here is
something to accompany the Visiomizer
packer. You can chose a type of flashy
border (for depack effect), but it is
not mandatory. In fact, youre better
off without an effect. Anyway
instructions about the effect to chose
is simple. SPACEBAR will test effect.

You also have a choice of 3 crunching
methods:

1. 202 Block fast crunch (Extra RAM)
2. 111 Block fast crunch
3. 202 Block slow crunch

If you chose option 1 on cruncher, you
will need to have 256K RAM installed on
your C64. In the past, to increase RAM
for home computers there used to be
cartridges known as RAM Expansion
Packs. Youll get a fast 2-pass crunch
which will take a maximum time limit
between 10-15 min (Depending on how
much memory is to be crunched).

If you chose option 2 for cruncher. You
wont need to have 256K extra RAM. You
can use BASIC kernal load or any other
hardware/software fast load. However
your program size is limited to 111
blocks. Any higher & the cruncher will
crash.

If you chose option 3 for cruncher. You
wont need 256K extra RAM. You will need
a lot of patience. Why? Well because
(depending on program size) crunching
time may take up to 2-3 hours.

Cruncher uses its own software loader.
Say you packed a program using
Visiomizer, & want to crunch it even
further to get a smaller amount of
memory. Use $0801 as jump address. It
wont fail if you get it right.

Exploding Faces Cruncher (Epic)
This is a version of the Exploding
Cruncher, originally created by faces.
However this version has high speed
loader, & faster compression. Unlike
Cruncher AB, this program allows you to
compress programs in a one-pass mode.

Dir Master V8.4 (Hitmen)
A perfect C64 tool to enhance & manage
directories on disk. Edit tracks/
sectors, load addresses & even disguise
some of your programs inside the
directory. With Dir Master V8.4 you can
create your own directory stamps, to
give the directory art.

Careful if you do this because loading
a directory from disk for listing will
take a longer time. It depends on the
size of your directory. Theres a HELP
file to get you started with this handy
tool. All you need to do is use * to
enter the help screen.

Well those are all the tools on this
disk. Hope you find those to be handy.
But before I go, here is how to convert
a SYS address to a hex address to use
in a packer+cruncher.

In a M/C monitor i.e. Action Replay
cartridge, use the following.

To find the following SYS addresses
displayed in BASIC into hexadecimal:

2049:
N 2049

2061:
N 2061
Result = $080D

20480:
N 20480
Result = $5000

49152:
N 49152

Thats it. You may find various useful
information about C64 machine code from
http://project64.c64.org

Commodore Free

Richard Thanks for your efforts on
this, everyone else you should be able
to download this disk image from the
Commodore Scene website by the time you
read this text

I am hoping to expand the utilities
section of the site with other tools &
utilities for users to download.