There’s always WineBottler, which is what I use.
How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
- Ast A. Moore
- Rick Dangerous
- Posts: 2643
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 3:16 pm
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
Every man should plant a tree, build a house, and write a ZX Spectrum game.
Author of A Yankee in Iraq, a 50 fps shoot-’em-up—the first game to utilize the floating bus on the +2A/+3,
and zasm Z80 Assembler syntax highlighter.
Author of A Yankee in Iraq, a 50 fps shoot-’em-up—the first game to utilize the floating bus on the +2A/+3,
and zasm Z80 Assembler syntax highlighter.
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
As you can see I'm having so much fun with the gif creation. Because I cannot use Photoshop anymore I'm struggling to change the resulting .gifs that zxsp makes for my usage.
I big issue I still have is how to convert .scr files to .txt files that I can then load via zxsp to produce what I've done above. While doing these it got me thinking about how difficult it would be to convert a .scr file to a loading screen file WITH alternative loader-code like the 'alcatraz' one. Is this possible? I've tried with no luck to work this out so I thought it was about time I asked the experts
Having these display (randomly) as intended, one at a time full screen on my Mac as a screensaver really makes me smile big-time, a real goosebump maker! So any help would be immensely appreciated!
I did try to WineBottler working, but just haven't the brain-beans to make the magic happen. Sorry
© 1973 The Nev
- jpnz
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 332
- Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:07 pm
- Location: Hamilt[r]on - City Of The Future - NZ
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
It's definitely possible, and you can do it yourself - with the original toolsZXnibbs wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:58 am...While doing these it got me thinking about how difficult it would be to convert a .scr file to a loading screen file WITH alternative loader-code like the 'alcatraz' one. Is this possible? I've tried with no luck to work this out so I thought it was about time I asked the experts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryIvt8c ... Mlnl2Ev0tR
Here's a write up on how to use the Alkatraz Protection System
It's a bit involved, but essentially you can define and render a loading screen exactly as you like and capture that
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
Thanks jpnz for giving me directions I'll try to follow your videos and convert some of the .scr files from http://zxart.ee
Sorry I cannot promise I'll not message you soon about this stuff
Sorry I cannot promise I'll not message you soon about this stuff
© 1973 The Nev
- Ast A. Moore
- Rick Dangerous
- Posts: 2643
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 3:16 pm
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
What do you intend to change them to? Preview will open any GIF file. If you want a more refined tool, then https://ezgif.com/maker is a good start.
Well, a SCR file is just raw data. You could use zasm (link in my signature) and create a simple wrapper for SCR files. I could easily write one for you.
Every man should plant a tree, build a house, and write a ZX Spectrum game.
Author of A Yankee in Iraq, a 50 fps shoot-’em-up—the first game to utilize the floating bus on the +2A/+3,
and zasm Z80 Assembler syntax highlighter.
Author of A Yankee in Iraq, a 50 fps shoot-’em-up—the first game to utilize the floating bus on the +2A/+3,
and zasm Z80 Assembler syntax highlighter.
- jpnz
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 332
- Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:07 pm
- Location: Hamilt[r]on - City Of The Future - NZ
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
Apologies, I pasted the wrong link to the write up - it's hereZXnibbs wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 1:49 pm Thanks jpnz for giving me directions I'll try to follow your videos and convert some of the .scr files from http://zxart.ee
Sorry I cannot promise I'll not message you soon about this stuff
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
Slowly chipping away at creating a whole bunch of these using ZXSP's gif creation tool. VERY cool
Just a quick question.. (didn't want to start another topic to add clutter)
When I load a .tzx using ZXSP, for example Saboteur (1986), the emulator loads it automatically and skips the loading screen altogether. Sometimes it does this when loading a .tap file as well. Could someone explain the reason for this? I'm sure its because how the .tzx is created in the first place but wondered how I can get around this and record the loading of the screen.
Just a quick question.. (didn't want to start another topic to add clutter)
When I load a .tzx using ZXSP, for example Saboteur (1986), the emulator loads it automatically and skips the loading screen altogether. Sometimes it does this when loading a .tap file as well. Could someone explain the reason for this? I'm sure its because how the .tzx is created in the first place but wondered how I can get around this and record the loading of the screen.
© 1973 The Nev
- Ast A. Moore
- Rick Dangerous
- Posts: 2643
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 3:16 pm
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
Since a TZX is a perfect representation of a tape, it can very well be a tape that uses bog-standard ROM loading routines. Then it’s no different than a TAP file. Most emulators can detect standard tape loaders and load them into RAM virtually instantly.
zxsp doesn’t seem to respect its own “Instant load/save standard tape blocks” setting, unfortunately. Sometimes, however, it can be tricked by opening the tape recorder window (Command-T) and pressing the “Open/Eject” button. Then you “load” a tape file and type LOAD “”. They tape player will start playing the tape automatically and (normally) won’t skip standard block. Doesn’t work every time, I’m afraid.
Every man should plant a tree, build a house, and write a ZX Spectrum game.
Author of A Yankee in Iraq, a 50 fps shoot-’em-up—the first game to utilize the floating bus on the +2A/+3,
and zasm Z80 Assembler syntax highlighter.
Author of A Yankee in Iraq, a 50 fps shoot-’em-up—the first game to utilize the floating bus on the +2A/+3,
and zasm Z80 Assembler syntax highlighter.
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
Wow.. thanks Ast A. Moore! will try your tips of getting some of this stuff to work on certain .tzx files. Oh and its you find some spare brain cells lying around PM them to me so I can easily work out how do the other things you suggested but without having to buy a PC to run that software you mentioned.
© 1973 The Nev
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
'Somehow' I've managed to get a Mac program called PlayOnMac to work and successfully ran bmp2scr exp_2.11a.exe to convert a .scr to a loading screen that I can then load and convert to a gif (using ZXSP)
Only problem is, I think I'm going about this wrong. I thought I needed to convert each .scr file to a .tzx so that it would 'run' - ie load like a normal loading screen would load. You know, typically in 3 parts then the colour is washed in at the end.
Like so..
My head hurts now. I'd just like a way of converting .scr files to a file type I can then covert the process of it 'loading' via ZXSP, and converting this process as an animated gif. Hopefully all this hasn't hurt your heads too much for you to help me fix the last piece of this puzzle so I can nail down a new process to do this.
Again, I appreciate your patience my friends
Only problem is, I think I'm going about this wrong. I thought I needed to convert each .scr file to a .tzx so that it would 'run' - ie load like a normal loading screen would load. You know, typically in 3 parts then the colour is washed in at the end.
Like so..
My head hurts now. I'd just like a way of converting .scr files to a file type I can then covert the process of it 'loading' via ZXSP, and converting this process as an animated gif. Hopefully all this hasn't hurt your heads too much for you to help me fix the last piece of this puzzle so I can nail down a new process to do this.
Again, I appreciate your patience my friends
© 1973 The Nev
Re: How to record loading screen$ into an animated GIF (possible?)
...Loving that big .gif gallery..!
My Speccy site: thirdharmoniser.com