[comp.sys.acorn] 8-bit. mode in elite.

quan@sol.surv.utas.oz (Stephen Quan) (01/09/91)

I have made mode 8 from the Advanced Users Guide, and know would like to
make a black and white mode similar to the top part of the screen in Elite.
Basically it was 32x32(?) characters, (if the black and white part were to
fill the screen).  I been modifying mode 8, but still could not get anything
like it.

Reason of use:  Each line takes 256 bytes of storage, which makes it simpler
to address bytes for graphics.

Stephen Quan,
Uni  of Tas.

vac122g@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Daniel Bowen) (01/11/91)

In article <quan.663387431@sol>, quan@sol.surv.utas.oz (Stephen Quan) writes:
> I have made mode 8 from the Advanced Users Guide, and know would like to
> make a black and white mode similar to the top part of the screen in Elite.
> Basically it was 32x32(?) characters, (if the black and white part were to
> fill the screen).  I been modifying mode 8, but still could not get anything
> like it.
> 
> Reason of use:  Each line takes 256 bytes of storage, which makes it simpler
> to address bytes for graphics.

Try something like this:

10MODE4
20VDU23;1,32;0;0;0;0;0;: REM MAKE SCREEN 32*8 =256 BYTES WIDE
30VDU23;2,46;0;0;0;0;0;: REM CHANGE SCREEN POSITION.. LIKE A HORIZONTAL *TV

The OS of course won't expect it, so any printing using OSWRCH will be
out of position. The screen will still start at &5800 and go to &7FFF,
but not all of it will be visible. Hope this helps.


Daniel Bowen
Starving but surviving beeb owner.
-- 
Raymond Luxury-Yacht |     HAPPY NEW BEER!!!!!!      | I've got an IQ of 6000.
a.k.a. DANIEL BOWEN  |-------------------------------| Which is the same IQ
MONASH UNIVERSITY,   | vac122g@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au | as 6000 P.E. teachers.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA |vac122g@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au |       [Holly, Red Dwarf]

terros@sideways.gen.nz (Dave Sainty) (01/12/91)

quan@sol.surv.utas.oz (Stephen Quan) writes:

> I have made mode 8 from the Advanced Users Guide, and know would like to
> make a black and white mode similar to the top part of the screen in Elite.
> Basically it was 32x32(?) characters, (if the black and white part were to
> fill the screen).  I been modifying mode 8, but still could not get anything
> like it.
> 
> Reason of use:  Each line takes 256 bytes of storage, which makes it simpler
> to address bytes for graphics.

ok, this is untested, but I think I've got what you want here. 
register 1 is the chars displayed register. in mode 4, 1 char is 1 byte, 
so no problems there. just do:
?&fe00=1:?&fe01=32

to do hardware scrolling in your new mode, you will have to set the 
addressable latch to 8K, which is luckily possible, because it's mode 6 
size.

?&fe40=12:?&fe40=5

this may be wrong, I suggest you disassemble from &c300 (a=mode) to 
verify this, if you can.
or, someone else could post corrections.

Dave.