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FutureOS corner

Started by TFM, 05:12, 01 October 10

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MacDeath

#375
Was thinking about this one perhaps...[attachimg=1]


otherwise I'm not pissed off so I guess it is ok, better to ask the others their opinion...

here another post of the sets I did...
Most icons are in different variations, this can be "mostly black", mostly white" or "white on black / mixed".
Because I was thinking about selected/unselected states for those icons.

but on real screen some may look messy or harder to read/understand than others... so I guess other's opinions are welcomed as well.

ok I failed to find the latest version, here an exemple of variations available (may be a bit outdated)...



Also the screenshot you posted seems to have glitches in the numbers for date/clock...lol.

TFM

Quote from: MacDeath on 19:30, 09 October 14
Was thinking about this one perhaps...[attachimg=1]

Alright, I put the new better icon in, see original post. Just replace ROM D in your setup.

FutureOS corner
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

MacDeath

seems alright now.

perhaps the empty floppy drive slots could be a little bit darker and clean as well.

here a try at mod of it.

But as on real CRT monitor the mode2 ditherings may look like proper grey, not sure what looks better.

I will try to test it on real monitor but if someone can post an actual screenshot photo it would be kind.

TFM

That icon does look like the one I used (for my eyesight at least  :laugh: ). But use ROM C in spartan mode and they will disappear.  :)


Anything else ok? Then I can move forward to a release.

TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

MacDeath

I see nothing wrong with a release, you're the boss... :)


there example of the two then...

TFM

Looks really nice now! Thanks again for all the effort you put in!  :)   :)   :) 
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

MacDeath

YOU actually put a lot more effort in it, but thank you. :)

TFM

Thanks!  :)  Now since you and Ast mentioned that the pointer may appreciate a makeup too I thought about that.

If we reduce the mouse pointer to be smaller then we can also add a mask like you proposed. I guess I just need some nice GFX for that. But I don't like that kind of pointers used at PCs, Amiga or SymbOS they all look kind of squeezed, squashed, crunched. The PC mouse pointer isn't even that bad, but a bit too small. However aside of all critics I don't know how to make it better. Maybe I need to sleep over it.  ;)

Oh. @MacDeath: Let me ask you a question. Which colors do you suppose for background and PEN 1 for the MacDeath Edition of FutureOS?
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

CraigsBar

Quote from: TFM on 16:15, 10 October 14
Thanks!  :)  Now since you and Ast mentioned that the pointer may appreciate a makeup too I thought about that.

If we reduce the mouse pointer to be smaller then we can also add a mask like you proposed. I guess I just need some nice GFX for that. But I don't like that kind of pointers used at PCs, Amiga or SymbOS they all look kind of squeezed, squashed, crunched. The PC mouse pointer isn't even that bad, but a bit too small. However aside of all critics I don't know how to make it better. Maybe I need to sleep over it.  ;)

Oh. @MacDeath: Let me ask you a question. Which colors do you suppose for background and PEN 1 for the MacDeath Edition of FutureOS?
Well if the Plus Version makes a reappearance with a Hardware sprite, how about a nice pulsing or rotating crosshair for the cursor :)


http://www.streamhead.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/crosshair.png


Craig
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

TFM

Well, that's actually an interesting idea. For CPCoG and Plus we could use a pointer sprite which has maybe 3 or 4 phases. That shouldn't be to hard to implement it.
Of course an an arrow and an cross-hair for example can not be treated equal. For an arrow the left upper pixel marks the target, and for the cross-hair the center marks the target. But that's only two possibilities.


What's about the dimensions in X and Y?


I could imagine a set of exchangeable mouse pointers actually. That shouldn't consume too much memory in ROM.
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

MacDeath

#385
QuoteLet me ask you a question. Which colors do you suppose for background and PEN 1 for the MacDeath Edition of FutureOS?
concerning monocolour screens, I guess Black and white are best.

For colour screens I would Lime and seagreen.
Or Cyan and pastel Cyan...
or perhaps yellow and pastel yellow indeed.
:laugh:


jokes appart, there may be different tastes in the comunity so I really dont know.

Supersly would tell you about subpixels and some colours that would not mix well, others betterly.

White actually uses the 3 colours at max so the pixel is actually bigger than one using perhaps only one or two luminophores.
This can impact the blurriness for mode2 actually.

Then Grey over Dark Cyan or darkyellow may be perfect... or Pink over Orange ?


**reminds me the palette for the NEC PC6601... basically all the medium CPC colours in one 16 colour palette... no dark or pastel, only saturated colours and hybrid colours... imagine the palette of CPC with no dark tone, nor pastel ones... so useless lol, a graphician's nightmare, unless you dither a lot into B&W.


Green over black may be the one with best classic feel, the green luminophore being the one in the middle and green being a colour not too aggressive.

But hey, really I don't know.

For the PLUS mode : remember those freaking sprites use 1byte per pixel...
Routine can be implented to convert 1bpp or 2bpp into this, even 4bpp...
those datas would still need to be added then, got to decide if few colours or not so few are to be used, 
Once in ASIC's sprites slots, they don't really need RAM unless many refreshs and procedural things.


yeah, a starting screen comparable to MacOsX or Win8.
this spining things are so trandy theses days...

Depends to what point you want/can become fancy. ???

Mouse pointer design :
the 45° angle is not quite the best for Mode0.
if sprites is to have a real mask then you can do a "shadow effect" with some "dark colour + transparency" dithering.

then there are many different tastes on the matter.


TFM

#386
Hi guys and gals...

Thought about adding a 'Configuration' option to the FutureOS installer. It shall offer:

- Change colors for BASIC
- Change colors for FutureOS
- Select Green or Color screen
- Switch Spartan-Mode ON or OFF

Is everything clear?
Do you miss features for configuration?
Any suggestions?
Please let me know.  :)

TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

TFM

#387
Just debugged a lot until I saw that in few cases the tool Manage DSK cuts off &80 bytes of a ROM. It happened with ROM C when I changed a byte. Suddenly it saved only &3F80 bytes instead of &4000.

EDIT: It can happen if you copy/paste/drag a DSK from an emulator file-selection window to the Manage DSK. So maybe the emulator is the problem. !?!


In case of a problem close the emu before starting the ManageDSK.

TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

TFM

It's done!


Finally the MacDeath Edition of FutureOS is officially released. It also includes a configuration utility which changes the ROMs on disc.


(Sorry, SST Flash chips may still be problematic. Still have no access to real hardware. But this will change hopefully soon).

TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

TFM

Now there is an update (cured sound bug) of Space Chicken on FutureOS.de online. Means you can play online.  :)


Also the Game itself in the download section was updated.

TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

TFM

Small update in the applications source code section (also some Apps.), not really worth to mention it.


Idea was to include Header source into assembler source and save the binary as .COM file (using Maxam), so the generated .COM has no Amsdos header, but the FutureOS header (also recognized by Amsdos). This spares the step to include the file icon to generated Apps. And file icons are beautiful  ;)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

TFM

Hello dear CPC users!

I thought about this quite for a while. Is there any interest to give FutureOS something like a PROFILE.SUB ?

At startup it could f.e. load a background picture, install a screen saver etc.

Since FutureOS is in ROM even on a plain 128 KB machine enough RAM will be still available for different applications.
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

CraigsBar

Quote from: TFM on 21:02, 12 November 14
Hello dear CPC users!

I thought about this quite for a while. Is there any interest to give FutureOS something like a PROFILE.SUB ?

At startup it could f.e. load a background picture, install a screen saver etc.

Since FutureOS is in ROM even on a plain 128 KB machine enough RAM will be still available for different applications.
hell yes, sounds like good use on x-mem ram to me ;)
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

TFM

Got back to a Tribute to the Sisters... uploaded a new version.


See Downloads at:
FutureOS - The revolutionary UltraOS for the CPC6128 and CPCPlus

TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

Bryce

Didn't want to start a new thread just to send you one picture, and it is sort of related to your FutureOS development....

Bryce.

TFM

Thanks Bryce! Now the development can continue.  :) :) :)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

TFM

Update for "A Tribute to the Sisters" available, not much of a change, but a couple of nasty bugs killed. Please download from FutureOS - The revolutionary UltraOS for the CPC6128 and CPCPlus and tell me what you think.  :)


(Of course it's still WIP and the big bosses are missing).
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

TFM

Please update Giana Sisters now:


http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/WIP_of_A_Tribute_to_the_Sisters.zip


Bug cured which was only visible on real hardware and JavaCPC (had no access to real hardware before).


Critics is welcome.  :)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

Bryce

How's the cable (and monitor) working out for you? Does it give a decent picture and play along with all the CRTC tricks etc?

Bryce.

TFM

Hi! The cable works fine, but sadly the monitor displays a jerky picture when using the &85, &86 trick to move the pictures one MODE 2 character in X. (Or is it my code? Don't think so though). Guess I have to live with that.


Can somebody please confirm Giana running smooth on a real Amstrad CTM644?  :-*


I didn't look at much different stuff but anything else seems to be fine, including 50 Hz / 60 Hz.  :)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

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