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Commodore Free 38
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Commodore_Free_Issue_38_2010_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64
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minigrafik 1
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2023-02-26
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*************************************
MINIGRAFIK FOR THE VIC 20
INTRODUCTION
*************************************
This is a short expose introducing
MINIPAINT, and its accompanying
BASIC extension, MINIGRAFIK:
I'd like to introduce two programs
designed for doing high resolution
graphics on the VIC-20: MINIGRAFIK,
and MINIPAINT.
MINIPAINT is an editor for a 160x192
pixels graphics mode, and MINIGRAFIK
is an accompanying extension for CBM
BASIC. Unlike to the Commodore 64,
where the VIC-II chip provides a
dedicated graphics mode, on the
VIC-20 there is only a text mode
available. However, the character
definitions can be placed into RAM,
and by "painting" the text screen
with unique characters, it is
possible to set up a bitmap.
Only the internal memory is
accessible to the VIC-I, and the
layout of the bitmap has been
carefully chosen to only allocate
the upper 4K. A RAM extension is
required, at least 8K for
MINIGRAFIK, and 16K for MINIPAINT.
The zeropage is untouched, and so
both programs are compatible to
KERNAL, and CBM BASIC.
The main screen of MINIPAINT shows
three windows. All edit operations
are done in the first - largest -
window, which shows a zoomed view
into the picture. This window is
overlaid by a dialog box, when you
invoke the help screens, or want to
access storage media. A second
window, and third window show the
same view in original size, and
additional status information.
Pressing the SPACE key toggles
between editor, and a full-screen
preview.
MINIPAINT, and the stored picture
files are compatible to both PAL,
and NTSC. The pictures can easily be
used by your own programs in BASIC
and machine language. For BASIC
programmers, the MINIGRAFIK
extension provides powerful commands
for loading, saving, and
manipulating pictures in this file
format.
There are some projects where these
two programs already have
contributed to: VIC=toria Gold
Edition, a strategy game set in the
times of Ancient Rome, some of the
graphics in Realms of Quests III
were designed in MINIPAINT, and
quite recently 'Island of Secrets'
has been re-released with additional
graphics.
I hope to have piqued your interest,
and maybe yours is the next program
or game to use bitmapped graphics on
the VIC-20 with MINIGRAFIK, and
MINIPAINT.
Here's MINIPAINT, a pixel-oriented
editor for MINIGRAFIK bitmaps:
http://cid-05ef0a8eae2a4f4a.skydrive.
live.com/self.aspx/.Public/vic-20/
minigrafik/minipaint/2009-11-01.zip
The main screen is divided into
three windows:
- At the top, a scrolling window of
40x32 pixels into the 160x192
picture, zoomed to 4 times the
size,
- in the bottom left, the same window
in original size,
- in the bottom right, status and
help info,
- it supports *both* hi-res, and
multi-colour for each (4/8)x16
cell,
- the program, and the stored
pictures are PAL/NTSC compatible by
design (as MINIGRAFIK already is),
- the pictures contain a stand-alone
viewer, and can easily be used from
both BASIC, and ML (as the game
VICtoria readily demonstrates).
Within the editor:
- Cursor controls work as usual,
- Keys 1,2(,3,4) set a pixel
- Ctrl-1,2,3,4 cycle the colours for
that palette entry,
- H enters hires, M enters
multicolour mode,
- HOME, and CLR work as expected,
- DEL, and INST cut and paste whole
attribute cells,
- SPACE toggles preview/editor,
- ? (Shift+/) toggles help/editor,
- f1/f3/f5: enable different draw
modes:
- f1: set pixel, advance cursor,
repeat,
- f3: set pixel, advance cursor,
don't repeat - this is the default
after start, and load picture,
- f5: set pixel, don't advance
- <- (left arrow key): toggle cursor
draw mode (f5 only)
- Shift-L/S will load or save the
picture,
- C=-4 shows the disc directory,
- Shift-Q quits MINIPAINT
Within the load/save dialog box, DEL
deletes the last char, RETURN starts
the load or save, and f7 cycles
through the devices 1, and 8..11:
Further plans mostly concern the
completion of the batch processing
suite. MINIPAINT as such is feature
complete. Version 1.2 fixes some
small issues in the directory
display.
The batch processing suite makes use
of MINIGRAFIK to convert PGM files
into MG format, export MG files to
Koala bitmaps, and convert to and
from charset binaries (1K or 2K) at
4096, 5120, 6144, and 7168 - thus
transforming MINIPAINT into a
comfortable charset editor
Here's King Tut, pixeled with
MINIPAINT
http://cid-05ef0a8eae2a4f4a.skydrive.
live.com/self.aspx/.Public/vic-20/
minigrafik/minipaint/king%20tut.prg
I used a suitable cropped, and
re-sized photo, and a variant of PGM
import to obtain a first workstage
in white, light orange, orange, and
blue. The lower part of the snake
(in cyan), and the black shades were
added in MINIPAINT.
Outside MINIGRAFIK, or MINIPAINT the
file must be loaded ,8 (not ,8,1!),
and then RUN. You'll need at least
an 8K RAM expander to view the image
this way.
===================================