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2022-08-26
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GODOT: GETTING STARTED
by Dave Moorman
You will need to use Wraptor to
unWraptor GODOT.W3 to a work disk.
Boot the first program with:
LOAD"*",dv (where dv is the drive
number) and
RUN
After a moment of "Waiting for
GoDot" (a sly reference to Samuel
Beckett's play), the main screen
appears.
In the [upper left] corner are two
command buttons. The text tells you
which Loader and Saver are currently
plugged into GoDot. When you boot
GoDot, the 4-Bit GoDot Loader and
Saver are plugged in. To change the
Loader, click the upper button.
This takes you to the file server
screen. You can choose the drive, then
choose the Loader you want. For
example, you can load the LOADSTAR
loader, which will load our SHP files.
[VICE Users:] GoDot can access D64
disk images with no problem. However,
to get a directory of a D81 image, you
must use True Drive. See below for
instructions on turning on True Drive.
Back on the main screen, the Saver
button works the same way. Again, you
might choose the LOADSTAR Saver, which
creates SHP format files.
The [upper right] corner command
buttons actually do the loading and
saving of graphics. Remember, GoDot
can load from and save to 1541 or 1571
disks (or compatible partitions on an
FD or HD drive).
In the [bottom left] corner are
the Display buttons. You can choose
between Hi-Res or Multi-Color. You
also can limit the number of colors in
the palette. [Display] actually
renders the graphic in memory.
The [center left] area of the
screen are the Color Controls. [Dith:]
refers to the pattern of dots used in
a black and white print-out to create
a gray scale. The [Balancing] button
switches on a contol panel where you
can change the Brightness and Contrast
of the picture.
Brightness "skews" the palette. If
you are working with a palette of
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F,
and move Brightness 2 steps to the
negative, the result would be
0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D.
A Brightness of +3 would result in
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F F F F.
Contrast "skews" the palette from
the middle to the ends, creating
greater or lesser differences between
the numbers on the scale.
The values of the palette are
associated with colors. The results of
Contrast and Brightness are based on
monochrome, and the output in color
may be quite strange.
The [Palette] button on the main
screen lets you see the order of
colors GoDot uses by default. Also in
this command box, you can click on a
color from the Commodore Color row and
place it anywhere on the GoDot color
palette. This is a great way to turn
all Black pixels to Orange, etc.
In the [lower right] corner of the
main screen is the [Image Operators]
section. This boots up with Clip
Controls already plugged end. Click
the name of the Module to go to the
file requester. There you can pick one
of dozens of magical image
manipulators. The most powerful is
[Convolve], which does a great number
of special effects by itself. Load it
and give it a whirl by clicking
Execute.
Convolve will show you a 3 x 3
grid where you can input positive and
negative values. To enter a value,
point and click the number. For
negative values, you must move the
cursor a space to the left and press
the minus sign, then the value (0 -
9).
However, to start, try LOADing an
existing pattern -- Deep Emboss. You
will see how values are put in the
grid. Click Apply, then Display your
graphic to see the results.
Quite frankly, I cannot adequately
describe what the Modules each will
do. So I am working on a slide show
for next month to display "before and
after" examples of many of the
effects. The [best] way to learn the
tremendous power of GoDot is to [play]
with it! Try something. See what
happens!
The last area of the main screen
is [right center] -- Image Information
-- which shows the name of the current
graphic and its size. Click on the box
to see a thumbnail.
This short document should be
enough to get you started. Many of us
are not really artists. But with
GoDot, we all can take an existing
image and play with it. When the over
all effect is pleasing -- you have
committed [art]! Send your new art to
LOADSTAR, and become an honest to
Godot Artiste!
DMM
[Turning on True Drive on VICE]
Press <Alt-E><R> and choose drive
8 or 9. Click on the type of drive you
are planning to use, then "OK". Press
<Alt-O><T>. You will have to reset
VICE <Alt-R><Y>, then load GoDot. All
disk images must be the same type.
Actually, everything works better
(in my opinion) when using D64 disk
images without True Drive, which
drastically slows disk access time.
But the capability is available if and
when you need it.
DMM