roccom@tahoe.unr.edu (RoCCo mArtIn) (05/14/89)
I've noticed that using certain hacks such as "oing" and "friends" creates a character that is smeared vertically across the screen. I'm assuming that these programs are using sprites of some kind. Could someone please let me know what the problem could be??? Much grass, - Rocco Martin -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Usenet: uunet!unrvax!tahoe!roccom Internet: roccom@tahoe.unr.edu Withoutanet: mousketeers@disney.land.fun (ok, so its not very punny ...)
jms@tardis.Tymnet.COM (Joe Smith) (05/15/89)
In article <2254@tahoe.unr.edu> roccom@tahoe.unr.edu (RoCCo mArtIn) writes: > I've noticed that using certain hacks such as "oing" and "friends" > creates a character that is smeared vertically across the screen. Go into Preferences and re-center your display. If the screen is shifted over too far to the left, it eats into the time allocated to sprites 6 and 7. It causes the symptoms you describe - a vertical band of random colors, 16 dots wide and going the full length of the screen. It's unfortunate that Preferences does not do something when this extreme setting is selected. It really should put up a requester saying: Warning: Sprites 6 and 7 have been disabled [ OK ] [ CANCEL ] -- Joe Smith (408)922-6220 | SMTP: JMS@F74.TYMNET.COM or jms@tymix.tymnet.com McDonnell Douglas FSCO | UUCP: ...!{ames,pyramid}!oliveb!tymix!tardis!jms PO Box 49019, MS-D21 | PDP-10 support: My car's license plate is "POPJ P," San Jose, CA 95161-9019 | narrator.device: "I didn't say that, my Amiga did!"
lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) (05/16/89)
In <2254@tahoe.unr.edu>, roccom@tahoe.unr.edu (RoCCo mArtIn) writes: > I've noticed that using certain hacks such as "oing" and "friends" > creates a character that is smeared vertically across the screen. I'm > assuming that these programs are using sprites of some kind. Could > someone please let me know what the problem could be??? Run Preferences and move your screen to the right, and a little below center. With it too far left, you eat cycles that are needed by one of the sprites. It's a very old problem, and first showed up for me when running MindWalker. -larry -- - Don't tell me what kind of a day to have! - +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | // Larry Phillips | | \X/ lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca or uunet!van-bc!lpami!lphillips | | COMPUSERVE: 76703,4322 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) (05/17/89)
In article <2254@tahoe.unr.edu> roccom@tahoe.unr.edu (RoCCo mArtIn) writes: > I've noticed that using certain hacks such as "oing" and "friends" > creates a character that is smeared vertically across the screen. I'm > assuming that these programs are using sprites of some kind. Could > someone please let me know what the problem could be??? > Let me try and make this lucid yet terse so that those who know what the answer is don't get bored. Every video line the Amiga generates is divided into a number of slots. In these slots, the custom hardware fetches needed information from memory to do its thing. Among these are DRAM refresh, floppy disk DMA, audio DMA, sprite DMA, and display DMA. Now, if you use Preferences start dragging your screen to the left, display DMA needs to happen earlier so that it can display bits earlier on the video line. If you pull the screen far enough left, the display DMA will start eating up the DMA slots belonging to the other facilities. The first to go are the sprite channels, from sprite 7 to sprite 0. Theoretically, you should be able to stomp the audio channels as well, but I don't know of anyone who's done this. The cure for your sprite troubles is to free up the sprite slots again by dragging your screen to the right. [ Note for picky people: I have it on reasonably good authority that the documented hardware stop that's supposed to prevent killing sprite 0 doesn't actually exist. ] _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape INET: well!ewhac@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU \_ -_ Recumbent Bikes: UUCP: pacbell > !{well,unicom}!ewhac O----^o The Only Way To Fly. hplabs / (pronounced "AE-wack") "Work FOR? I don't work FOR anybody! I'm just having fun." -- The Doctor
michael@maui.cs.ucla.edu (michael gersten) (05/26/89)
In article <200@tardis.Tymnet.COM> jms@tardis.Tymnet.COM (Joe Smith) writes: > [talking about the screen being too far over causing sprite problems] > Warning: Sprites 6 and 7 have been disabled > [ OK ] [ CANCEL ] But does it really disable them? It seems that allocation likes to start at sprite 6 or 7 (not sure which) and work downwards; even cube masters, which onle uses one or two sprites, dies on an overscan screen (and according to the hardware manual, my screen position should only kill one sprite.) Michael