Hello CPC users

[rk last]

Hi to all and may I say how excited I feel to be here- just like when my parents gave me my first computer, the CPC 464. At the time my friend had a C64 and it wasnt until I got the CPC that I wondered where all of his computers bright colours had gone

The other week I helped to empty my parents attic and guess what I came across - my old CPC 464, monitor and games.  Since then Ive found to my surprise that it still turns on and works.  Ive briefly re-played Space Hawks and Roland on the Ropes with the latter bringing back a memory.  I can recall typing in a short listing from Computing With The Amstrad magazine and then testing it with the Roland game.  The listing which was found in the letters section of the mag used the OUT &BC00 and &BD00 commands to enlarge the screen and stretch the display at the same time.  So Mode 1 displayed larger text with an interlaced look/appearance.  Now,when I played the Roland game with this new display, everything moved quicker.  I`m just wondering if anyone knows what I`m going on about.  I`m pretty sure I typed something in from that mag which enlarged each screen mode with only a few, short lines of basic...or is my memory fooling me.

Thanks.

[CraigsBar]

Welcome, make yourself at home. And most importantly, have fun!

[Carnivius]

Hello and welcome

[||C|-|E||]

Hello! 

[Kris]

Welcome here

[TFM]

Welcome and enjoy the CPC spirit 

[rk last]

Thanks guys.  This place is enormous!  It`ll take me years to fully explore the AMSTRAD following.  I never realised just how well liked the computer still is.

[VincentGR]

Welcome 

[EgoTrip]

I think I remember that type-in, from CwtA 05/85, in the postbag pages:

Code Select Expand

10 MODE 0
20 OUT &BC00,0:OUT &BD00,127
30 OUT &BC00,4:OUT &BD00,18
40 OUT &BC00,5:OUT &BD00,15
50 OUT &BC00,6:OUT &BD00,15
60 OUT &BC00,7:OUT &BD00,17
70 WINDOW #0,1,20,1,15
80 ORIGIN 0,160

[CraigsBar]

Thanks guys.  This place is enormous!  It`ll take me years to fully explore the AMSTRAD following.  I never realised just how well liked the computer still is.

well thanks. Although it is a bit of a boom time right now with the annual software compo in Spain, and new hardware coming in what seems like monthly

The m4 is amazing, you should certainly start with that.

[rk last]

I think I remember that type-in, from CwtA 05/85, in the postbag pages:

Code Select Expand

10 MODE 0
20 OUT &BC00,0:OUT &BD00,127
30 OUT &BC00,4:OUT &BD00,18
40 OUT &BC00,5:OUT &BD00,15
50 OUT &BC00,6:OUT &BD00,15
60 OUT &BC00,7:OUT &BD00,17
70 WINDOW #0,1,20,1,15
80 ORIGIN 0,160

Wow, that looks very familiar.  Thanks EgoTrip, I`ll try that out later when I`m back home.

[Carnivius]

That's cool!   
Am I using it right?  It's extra chunky but the grey has turned magenta. Can't see the status bar either.  Fun though.



Also this is the first time that I've learnt that I can just copy paste code into Winape like it's a regular Windows thingy.  I never knew that before and was always typing out all those damn lines of BASIC and often making typoes.


EDIT:  Here it is with Winape's version of scanline effect switched off (since this code already gives a scanline-ish appearance).

[EgoTrip]

Yeah thats it. It doesn't work on all games (any that will modify the CRTC values, so speccy ports are out). It looks cool but its a shame the screen area is limited.

[Carnivius]

Yeah thats it. It doesn't work on all games (any that will modify the CRTC values, so speccy ports are out). It looks cool but its a shame the screen area is limited.

Yeah it doesn't seem to work on different games I tried.  On some I see nothing but hear a weird messed up (but interesting) versions of their game tunes such as Switchblade, some just don't work at all, and some (like AMC) just ignore it completely and load up as normal.   Still, it's a curious bit of code.

[rk last]

From memory, when I used the code and loaded up Roland/Ropes the colour scheme remained the same.  It also played like a Roland on the Ropes TURBO

I dare say that using that code can speed up your basic programs/games too.  Alas, smaller display and strained colours. (Which may allow via basic, the implementation of new colours?)

[rk last]

Its also probably ideal for use with that Arcade Game Designer?  Since from what I have seen of it, you can reduce the game play area.

[arnoldemu]

Welcome!

That code increases the length of a scanline and it produces half as many hsyncs so may not display well on televisions. It displays fine on a standard CPC monitor.

It will also generate half as many interrupts per frame (e.g. 3 instead of 6) because interrupts are timed from the hsync.

The frame time is about the same (R4 is adjusted to make 312 scanlines lines). If it was too few or too many then the screen will roll and will probably not display on a television.

The apparent difference in speed is probably down to the difference in the number of interrupts rather than actual frame time.

Yes you could draw less pixels because of the spacing of the lines so in theory you could make it faster because of this.

I think Winape is probably displaying it wrong because the colours should not change. Maybe it's doing some kind of frame interpolation and that gives the result you see?

[EgoTrip]

Its also probably ideal for use with that Arcade Game Designer?  Since from what I have seen of it, you can reduce the game play area.

It definitely won't work with AGD as AGD changes the CRTC values to make a 256x192 screen.

[rk last]

It definitely won't work with AGD as AGD changes the CRTC values to make a 256x192 screen.

I actually tried AGD earlier and it loads up the menu screen, allows you to try out the example and then exit back to menu.  However, if you attempt to play the demo again - the screen goes crazy.

[rk last]

Heres 3 games Ive tested that employ split mode or smaller displays.

Sorcery works with only a slight portion of the game play area missing. 

Manic Miner works, entire level visible with a slower frame rate.

Sacred Amour of Antiriad loads ups and crashes at the start of the game.

Useless information though