Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

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Nomad
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Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by Nomad »

Tried to get ZX-Paintbrush to work with wine and while it installed I can't convince wine to run the thing.

I just need a simple editor to do a title screen. Is something like this available on linux? Or that is just a basic windows exe file that I can run on wine?
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ZXDunny
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by ZXDunny »

For Linux? no. You'll need to use WINE. BASin comes with a screen paintbox, and that does work with WINE.
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by Nomad »

ZXDunny wrote: Mon Jan 01, 2018 11:00 am For Linux? no. You'll need to use WINE. BASin comes with a screen paintbox, and that does work with WINE.
Cheers, that is a cracking set of tools.
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by Nomad »

So after you have your bin file from the screen editor, is there any way to save it so you get the

db $nn, $nn, ...

file layout. At the moment I am having to manually go in and alter the bin.
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RMartins
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by RMartins »

Why do you need to do that ?
Any decent compiler, can inport/include a binary file.

If you need to reference it, just define a label just before the include.

Example using PASMO:

Code: Select all

ORG #A000
include "_DATA_.symbol"
incbin "_DATA_.bin"
or

Code: Select all

ORG #A000
MY_DATA_LABEL
incbin "_DATA_.bin"

Alternatively, a decent SCREEN editor, also allows you to output the contents in assembly format.
SevenUp Screen Editor (Windows only), for example, provides several options of ASM output.

Even if your prefered screen editor, does not have any extra options, you can always save as SCR, and import that on another editor that suports ASM output.
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by Ralf »

Sevenup would probably run under Linux:

http://metalbrain.speccy.org/

It may need messing with compiling and other Linux trickery but if you choose to be a Linux user then you get what you like ;)

I also personally believe it's the best to use it for graphics converting only and do the actual drawing elsewhere. But if you are stubborn, you may design screens in Sevenup too :)
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by Nomad »

I have an old machine, so I can't run modern windows Os. That is why I use linux.

The reason I wanted to store the screen that way was this was how it was done in libzx, but point taken I just use the incbin command.

Sevenup works but it would have been nice to have a native application.
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by hikoki »

you may want to try Colorator
and this other tool https://sourceforge.net/projects/zxscredit/

Edit:

Also Multipaint : http://multipaint.kameli.net
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by Nomad »

hikoki wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 9:13 am you may want to try Colorator
and this other tool https://sourceforge.net/projects/zxscredit/

Edit:

Also Multipaint : http://multipaint.kameli.net

Thanks for the tips, because of this now I have a native screen$ editor! 8-)
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RMartins
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by RMartins »

As I believe someone mentioned already (either here or some other thread, SevenUp has a 1.21 version for Linux, it's in the Download section of the website.

http://metalbrain.speccy.org/

I never tried it though.
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by hikoki »

Another Java tool, the sprite editor which comes with zxpoly : https://github.com/raydac/zxpoly
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by RMartins »

hikoki wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 10:50 am Another Java tool, the sprite editor which comes with zxpoly : https://github.com/raydac/zxpoly
Did not knew that project. Looks interesting.
Was there ever a plan for the hardware ?

Uses several Z80 CPUs , executing the same code (not very efficient), but how the graphics/colors are accompished, doesn't seem to be explained anywhere.
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by Nomad »

I was shocked, through some black magic the guy was able to make the spectrum look like a MSX. :lol: I tried to find out more about the project but all the google links seem to go back to the same github.
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by hikoki »

I told the author of Zesarux about zxpoly. I don't think this computer had been implemented with circuitry. Dunno if this could be configured with fpga nano-computers like the Next or ZX-Uno. Its author can be contacted by email, facebook, twitter, skype, etc
Why do you find it interesting? If I'm not wrong, the idea behind this computer is adding just multiprocessor from back in the day in top of the original machines, to have been able to compete for longer with the likes of the NES
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by Ralf »

I made a quick check on this zxpoly.

It looks that indeed it is an emulator emulating an non-existing machine ;)

The idea behind this machine is to use 4 Z80 processors which would works in a parallel way. Each of them would have own separate 64kB of memory. So there would be 4 screen memories which would be combined by some kind of new ULA to produce a final display. Each pixel would be coded not by one bit but by 4 bits, each coming from a different processor. It makes 16 possible combinations = 16 independent colours without attributes.

All 4 CPUs would have the same game code in their memories. There would be just a difference in graphics. This way in theory you don't need to change a single byte in game code, you just alter graphics. Attributes are still present, copied to proper memory and tested by game logic if necessary but not displayed to screen.

I would say it's a very interesting idea but as it wasn't done in hardware it will remain a curiosity.
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by hikoki »

Ralf, I'm not sure if ZX-Poly would require a new ULA.. also I think it's 128K per CPU.
The author colourised a classic game just with the sprite editor without hacking the code!
some elements of third level were not colorized because their colorization broke game process and made desynchronize CPU modules, it looks like that there is some optimization in graphics processing for those elements and presented some check for empty areas to optimize speed.
which is nice because you'll find untouched elements to remind it's an original game :)

I've opened a thread in the ZX-Uno forum. There could be some interest since a russian is making a Spec256 core and someone else checked if another multicpu clone (for a bigger fpga project from the russian forums) would fit in the ZX-Uno
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by Seven.FFF »

That's amazing!!
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Re: Is there such a think as a linux SCREEN$ editor?

Post by hikoki »

^^^
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