Re: [ql-users] QDOS & SMSQ/E logo?
Malcolm Cadman makes some magical things to make me read } >>The problem is that we don't have a logo to represent } >>QDOS or SMSQ/E. } >>.. I agree. } >> } >> The main QL screen. } >>.. } >> } >>So, what do you think? Would it be worthwhile to have a logo? } >>Would the QL screen work? It may be a good logo, but we would still need some sweetie character (like the linux penguin) to generate some good feelings... } > } >Hasn't there been a discussion on this and IIRC Jerome has made a } >nice Webpage where QLers can choose and vote for a logo? Page for suggestion and choose : Yes. Vote : it never take place. } > } >PS: You're right that the main QL screen is unique to all QLers but } >in my opinion this logo is too simple. I prefer to have also an animal } >or at least a more complex and thrilling logo. But I don't know which one, } >sorry. The idea of a simple flag is good. But I agree too: we need a more complex and cut mascot ! } } The Linux Penquin is a friendly association - very 'toy like'. Yet it } takes time and repetition to associate the image with the product. } Linux is certainly no toy. Also it may not wish to have this image at } some time in the future. The penguin is a kind of teddy-bear : it attracts sympathy. We need something like that too. } Anything for the QL would be have to be simple, direct and be made to } have an association by promotion. simple: not necessary (but clearly distinguishable is mandatory) direct: No (the penguin is not direct from Linux !) promotion: Yes } The QL now hasn't got this advantage, so a logo will need to reflect } both the 'history' of the QL and the coming 'future'. No easy task. The logo(main screen) may represent the history, we need to find a mascot to represent the future. The mascot could then display the logo, or have a pool with the flag-logo, or whatever. A simple logo is a good thing for the webdesigner which has no great graphic tools... } } As we all know 'QL' is derived from 'Quantum Leap', or so the promotion } at the time had it. As a 'quanta' is a package of energy in physics, } this idea is still up to date; and may not go out of date. Where as an } image of Clive Sinclair 'leaping' as, sadly, gone well out of date. The problem is : how to represent clearly, and for the mundane people, the notion of quantum ? Clive Sinclair image will provide a problem of right to use his image... And an image being static, a leap is difficult to represent. } } I hope this prompts further thought :-) } } PS - Did Jerome get any response on his web site ? I initially filled the page with my idea/proposal, but nobody even dare to submit another picture, or even another idea.(from April to August !) So, assuming the interest was dropped (even after the long thread on the list) , when I had to move my website, I did not kept the page.
Re: [ql-users] QDOS & SMSQ/E logo?
Norman Dunbar makes some magical things to make me read } I must have missed that - I remmebr a small discussion (I suggested a TOAD } from the QL Toady mis-type) and there was a QuaiL mentioned. I never knew } about the vote on the web site though ! Well, I also had the Toad and Quail (as well as a Quetzal...) but no-one ever send a picture for them. And due to the lack of competitor, the vote never happens.
Re: [ql-users] QDOS & SMSQ/E logo?
} >} >>The problem is that we don't have a logo to represent } >} >>QDOS or SMSQ/E. } >} >>.. } >} >> The main QL screen. } } Personally ... I think still think that the QL screen is rather boring } for a logo. } } We need a good simple image, which will also help to take us forward. } } Linux has the Penguin, as has been mentioned. Perl has the Camel. } } I don't believe that we need to confine ourselves to 'animal' images. So, we have also: - plant (root, leaf, flower, tree, whole,...) - abstract 2D (like the QL screen, traditionnal flags) - minerals/inanimate (rock, mountains, river, valley, quartz cristal) - human figure (with a specific aspect and specific clothes) - abstract 3D (cube, sphere, icosahedron, tubular construct) - common object (umbrella, table, bowler hat, key) } >The penguin is a kind of teddy-bear : it attracts sympathy. } >We need something like that too. } > } > } >simple: not necessary (but clearly distinguishable is mandatory) } >direct: No (the penguin is not direct from Linux !) } >promotion: Yes } > } >} The QL now hasn't got this advantage, so a logo will need to reflect } >} both the 'history' of the QL and the coming 'future'. No easy task. } > } >The logo(main screen) may represent the history, we need to find } >a mascot to represent the future. The mascot could then display the logo, } >or have a pool with the flag-logo, or whatever. } > } >A simple logo is a good thing for the webdesigner which has no great } >graphic tools... } } Yes, yet a good logo is always reproduced at many different sizes, so it } has to have accurate detail. It's look like we have the same problem than the POV-logo. (OT: POV is a short cut for Povray, a raytracer ( http://www.povray.org ), a competition for a logo recently occured at http://rjs.mobilixnet.dk/logo/logo.html ) And they are now asking if they need a mascot too... But at least, in the POV-logo case, they had some real entries (given that most POVers are artists-oriented, that was easy for them). ) They asked for a small/big, colour/b&w entry (so 4 variations). } >} } >} PS - Did Jerome get any response on his web site ? } > } >I initially filled the page with my idea/proposal, but nobody even dare } >to submit another picture, or even another idea.(from April to August !) } >So, assuming the interest was dropped (even after the long thread on the list) } >, when I had to move my website, I did not kept the page. } } Ah well ... it seems to have 're-ignited' again in this discussion :-) Yes, it's look like... I will wait until next week before doing a web page for a logo/mascot competitions... if there is still traffic on that subject. I think I will take the pov-rules... directly!
Re: [ql-users] child's computer
[EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } > Forget the display for this type of gadget - give it a video output. } > The one I bought my son only has composite video and mono audio out } > (via phonos, phono to SCART leads supplied for most modern TV sets) } > and uhf out, picture qualty acceptable for this type of device. } } That is not what you see in the stores. You mostly see laptop like } toy computers, with LCD screens. There must be reason. } Yes, the parents want to keep the TV for them and the child can take the gadget to school...
[ql-users] QPC2
I have just installed the final version It's great but: - I have a problem in full screen mode (screen 1280x960, QPC2 about 1200 x 800) when issuing BGCOLOUR_QL 255 when in 65536 colours mode after the command, the mouse pointer gains a BIG pattern (note: it also happen with BGCOLOUR_24 ). The pattern seems to be related with the specified background and goes away if I go to Window mode and back to full screen. It's look like the Windows mouse pointer is 'updated' by the BGCOLOUR... (For info, I have DirectX7 on a Voodoo 3 PCI 2000 (16 Meg), drivers are 1.0.4 (because 1.0.6/7 for DirectX8 just crash the whole system) - I really enjoy the DOSx_ device, but could it be possible for it to indicate bigger than 2GB size ? (I'm on fat32/W98 with current disk size (from 1GB to 15 GB) - Is there any way that the sound system use my sound card instead of the tiny speaker ? - Prowess loads in 65536 colours, but output seems to wrap... Did I miss something ? Do I need a not yet existing driver ? - Could it be possible to have more memory than 16 Mega for QPC2 ? (32 would be fine, 64 a dream... I have 256 Mega of Windows memory, so even with windows doing a lot of caching, I think 16 is a very short limit...)
Re: [ql-users] Benchmark
Marcel Kilgus makes some magical things to make me read } Peter Graf wrote: } > I will no longer lose my money and sparetime for QL style hardware!!! If } > you find the Windows PC the better investment, you can save me a lot of work! } } No, Peter, don't say that. I really think the QL world needs both. } So do I. I have been looking for months to upgrade my PC (P1-MMX, 180 MHz, 4 PCI and 1 ISA used, 4 IDE HD, 2 SCSI HD, 1 IDE CDROM, 1 DVD and 1 CD-R burner on SCSI, 256 Mega of EDO). And the simple change to a 'viable' configuration (which would not be obsolete in three months) (change of Motherboard, CPU, memory and box (because AT is now extinct)) has always been rated too expensive: my limit is about 5kF (i.e. 750 Ecus). So, If you were able to produce a new Qxx for less than this price, (and if it was able to reuse for instance one or more of my 64 Meg EDO module, or use any currently largely available memory module from PC (66/100/133 SDram), fit inside an AT big tower (or even an ATX , this is now stable), and be able to manage some IDE drives (old and less old: I would recycle a 1080 Meg and a 6.5 Giga : but this would mean the softare would be able to deals with a new filesystem which would have no limit (or higher) on the directory vs filename length issue) with FPU , and on which the PE & Prowess program can be run, I would say I would probably go for it. -J. Grimbert
Re: [ql-users] Benchmark
Peter Graf makes some magical things to make me read } Marcel wrote: } } >>>...haven't tried bogomips yet } >> And my 80 MHz Q60 (GCC-compiled): 101010 Dhrystone/s } > } >Wow. } > } >> BTW the effective speed of the x86 chips seems to rise slower than their } >> clock frequency so it'll probably take much more than a 3.1 GHz x86 chip. } > } >Not true for QPC. The speed increase from a P75 to an Athlon 1000 was } >always almost linear. } } So we have different experience with Windows PCs. With those I tried, the } speed increase was significantly less than linear for QPC as well. } PC users, Beware: the frequency of the processor is mainly marketing-hype: a P3 has upto 12 decomposition steps to process one instruction. and the P4 goes to 20 ! So, if the program instructions cannot be executed in pipeline (because the n+1 need the result of n), the performances really drop ! Moreover, even with a 64, 128 or 256 bits memory access, the speed to read and write the memory is still limited to either 66, 100 or 133 MHz. Given the bad scheme to access the memory (first send column to access, then the row and finally get/put the data), accessing very randomly the memory means that with a 66 MHz bus, you can be limited to read at 22 Mhz (it may even be worst, as some memory have a latency so that it take two or three bus cycle to get the data... hence the idea they came of Rambus, where the memory gets a queue of requests and thus can try to have a pipeline-like approach (the execution of ONE instruction may take 60 cycles, but the next request can be issued before the current is finished, thus overlapping the time needed for the execution of TWO instructions). One last thing, some processors have two ULAs, instead of previously one in the old model, it somehow makes up for keeping the linear aspect (sometime, it even perform better), but when you know the internal, there is really a huge waste when you compare to what you would have expected. P.S: SSE and other instructions are so interestings for the PC because they performs over multiple contiguous bytes/word explicitely, thus allowing to somehow optimized access to the memory (instead of getting x[0] then x[1] and then x[2] (where x can be a 32 bit integers) with three consecutive instructions, on 128 bitwide bus , there is only one instruction which make one memory access (instead of three).
Re: [ql-users] Benchmark (OT)
Wolfgang Lenerz makes some magical things to make me read } Me: } > I have been looking for months to upgrade my PC (P1-MMX, 180 MHz, 4 PCI and 1 ISA used, 4 IDE HD, 2 SCSI HD, 1 IDE CDROM, 1 DVD and 1 CD-R burner on SCSI, } > 256 Mega of EDO). And the simple change to a 'viable' configuration } > (which would not be obsolete in three months) (change of Motherboard, CPU, } > memory and box (because AT is now extinct)) has always been rated too expensive: my limit is about 5kF (i.e. 750 Ecus). } What? Just for a box, a motherboard,CPU & some memory? No, } for 5Kf you can get that easy - ubless of course, you want a 1GHz } chip... Well, the quicker the better... I need it! (it's for ray-tracing). I'm now avoiding the buy because of the memory format instability forecast: SDram is obsolet soon and neither DDR nor Rambus is available. (not speaking of the 100/133/150 dilemn). The memory price is dropping after Xmas, but the Motherboard is still high (about 1 to 1.4kF) and the processor is still moving (the Duron 700 has now been stopped...) P4 1.4 is just crap, so I would better go for a Thunderbird 1 or more, once the memory issue is resolved (next year ?). For info, on my old 180MHz, QPC2v2 finale does not beat the Q40 in speed (but it has a bigger display, more memory, access to big DOS partitions, but no sound system...)
[ql-users] Sound device
Hi all, I just received QLtoday (floppy get smashed by the postal service, but was still readable, so the first thing I did was to backup it). I'm very interested in the SOUND device, where can I find it ?
[ql-users] Sprted Updated
As requested in the last QLToday, it is now possible to save binary from sprted. So, now, there is no excuse to not provide a lot of PE program with a lot of nice sprites...
Re: [ql-users] QLSSS
Dilwyn Jones makes some magical things to make me read } The QLSSS (Sampled Sound System) version 2d from Simon Goodwin and } Mark Swift for QDOS Classic (Amiga and Q40) and SMSQ/E (Q40) featured } in a recent QL Today article is now available from my web site. Great!! } The files may be found on my Other Software Page. I found the link, but the server reply with a 404/not found Error. Date of my try: Monday morning, 8:30 GMT (9:30 local time)
Re: [ql-users] Highcolor on QXL
Peter Graf makes some magical things to make me read } Hi, } } is there anybody on this list who has experience with highcolor on QXL? I did (before I resold it last Autumn...). } Is it usable for real work? I was able to run sprted (I'm the author!!), and from memory, even if it did not compete with my Q40 (on the QXL, the redraw of a 60x60 grid of 6x6 sprites is very visible, about 3 seconds I think; whereas on Q40 it is less than one.), I think it was usable (not the same confort, but not a really slow system). Beware, for High Colour and big resolution, you really need a 8meg QXL, because what usually remains is about 3 and half meg with the empty system (Ok, just Sbasic and some small PE applications). Now, please define 'real work'...
Re: [ql-users] Nut cutlets - NO QL
Tony Firshman makes some magical things to make me read } > } >4. Why don't they vaccinate } >fact - it is a LIVE vaccine } >fact - some animals vaccinated would become carriers } >fact - susceptible wild animals that weren't vaccinated would become } >infected } >fact - the vaccine covers one strain only just like a flu vaccine. } } and BBC (again) said that vaccinated animals are difficult to } differentiate from ill animals when meat is tested. Something to do } with antibodies? And to ear the french media (so everybody can enjoy different views...), here (I'm mailing from France), the decision to stop vaccinate was mainly pushed by economists which 'demonstrates' that the cost of vaccine was not worth and that there was no real risk to stop vaccinate and that it was in fact needed for the farmer so that they can export to some other countries (i.e. usa). Sound to me they are trying to use the french preconception against Eurocrats... (a new unregulated specie of Technocrats, the traditionnal faulty guys in France [well, they usually deserve it too...]).
Re: [ql-users] Jerome's site
[EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } Hi, } } I cannot access Jeromes site. Does anyone know whats the matter? } The logs of the server indicates a downtime around the 6 march. I tried to access my site this morning, and it seems ok... URL: http://grimbert.cjb.net/ (aliased to http://www.crosswinds.net/~grimbert/ )
Re: [ql-users] DJ Mirror
Phoebus Dokos makes some magical things to make me read } } Cjb.net cloaks the redirected address through a Perl script they use. So } every address on your browser address bar appears as xxx.cjb.net. I.e. } http://www.ql2k.50megs.com/aboutql/aboutql.html (uncloaked address) appears } as http://ql2k.cjb.net (cloaked). So if for example you want to go to the } orinal uk site and you click on the appropriate link on the homepage... } allthough you are watching the main site http://www.soft.net.uk/dj/ (you } can see that from the absence of ads on top of each page) your browser } reports http://ql2k.cjb.net My question would be why you choose to cloak your site, instead of simply using the redirection service of cjb.net ? On the otherside, you choose Java and other bells (IFRAME), so it may be logical.
Re: [ql-users] Amiga (was: New QL website in the making)
Anthony W. Prime makes some magical things to make me read } } >BTW. does Motorola actually still make the 68XXX processor, or is there just } >an enormous stock in a warehouse somewhere that people are buying chips } >from? Coming from the Mac world, I tend to look on them as being a bit } >antediluvian. } >From Motorola document (Product Information, First Quarter 2000), the some packaging of 68020/68030 series are removed from sales on 31/12/2000 and would last be available (if you bought them before) the 30/6/2001. The packaging is changing, but they seems to still make them. For instance, they still sold embeded board with a 68040 (they upgraded the kind of memory needed, but it's still that old 68040!) I really like Motorola for there low advertisement on speed: a 66 MHz M68060 is really a 66 MHz (outside), even if internally there is two unit... and more... With the same approach, Intel would still have to advertise the P3 B as a 100 MHz processor and the EB as 133 MHz. That would keep the hype out of business!
Re: [ql-users] GoldCard and Floppy-LW
Andreas Berger makes some magical things to make me read [Charset Windows-1252 unsupported, skipping...] The fact that "dir flp2_" will motion the flp1_ floppy after trying the flp2_ floppy is normal, it's part of the TK2 behavior (When "dir something" fails, TK2 next try "dir DATAD$&'something'", where DATAD$ is the value for default data (DATA_USE set it to whatever you want, default is flp1_ ) As you probably have no file named flp2_ on the flp1_ disk, the dir result is empty. Have a nice day.
Re: [ql-users] Text87 and Colour
Robert Newson makes some magical things to make me read } > I remind you from Robert's previous mail: 1=red, 2=blue, 3=magenta, } > 4=yellow, 5=orange, 6=green } } } 0-Black, 1-Magenta, 2-Cyan, 3-Violet, 4-Yellow, 5-Red, 6-Green } } CMYK is a subtractive printing model: } } Magenta (Red + Blue) - Cyan (Blue + Green) -> Blue } Magenta (Red + Blue) - Yellow (Red + Green) -> Red } Cyan(Blue + Green) - Yellow (Red + Green) -> Green Easier to remember like that: 1 : single magenta (the reddish tank, alone) 2 : single cyan (the blueish tank, alone) 3 : 1+2: magenta and blue : mix of two: a kind of dark blue/violet 4 : single yellow (the yellow tank) 5 : 4+1 : magenta and yellow : mix of two: a kind of red/orange 6 : 4+2 : cyan and yellow : mix of two: a kind of green The number is a binary encoding of the tank/ribbon to use.
Re: [ql-users] Eindhoven Meeting
Tony Firshman makes some magical things to make me read } } I can't come because I am singing Bach's St John Passion that weekend! What?? You're singing the Passion *A WEEK BEFORE* Easter !!! Where is the holy inquisitor ???
Re: [ql-users] QL List:: QPC2v1 and TRA
Robert Newson makes some magical things to make me read } } > Entering "PRINT start" at this juncture yealds: } > 4.07296E6 } > } > Running the program again immediately (using the same data) yealds: } > 4.07192E6 } } This difference is because you've just RESPRed another 1024 bytes of } memory (subject to system rounding/overheads) in line 150! } Why do you RESPR ? Why not ALCHP ... My current guess would be that 'start' is a float number and that the 4.07296E6 is missing precision, hence a bad address. Have you tried start% instead ? Using ALCHP instead of RESPR should also provide you with a lower address. And you can free it later too (when you have finished with TRA).
Re: [ql-users] Q40 patch And QLiberator Bugs
Duncan Neithercut makes some magical things to make me read } Hi } Richard Zidlicky made a patch for MMU and Qlib problems for SMSQ/E 2.98 on } Q40. } Having used it I have found 3 things } - the Qliberator compiler now works & compiles on my Q40 - at last - many } thanks Richard. } - ProWesS does not install properly all the time after patching, failing } with a can`t find library message. I don't yet know if this is due to the } patch or that I am using the version of ProWessS recompiled with GCC that } Thierry Godefroy posted on his site or to the caches/ timing issues on Q40. I'm using the 'classical' Prowess on Q40, and since the patch, it works more reliably (before that patch, sometimes, Prowess never finished its initialisation [at startup, I have Three items from prowess: clock and two menus; Before the patch, sometimes, the clock failed to display and the other buttons too! Now, every boot is a complete success with Prowess.( It's just it take more than 30 seconds to get it completely running, and I find it too long!) Also, before the patch, it happened (sometimes) that the LonelyJoker failed to load and run. It works perfectly each time now! -- Grimbert Jérôme
Re: [ql-users] Q40 patch And QLiberator Bugs
Wolfgang Lenerz makes some magical things to make me read } > } > Hi } > Richard Zidlicky made a patch for MMU and Qlib problems for SMSQ/E 2.98 on } > Q40. } } Oh goody, where can one get the patched QLIB then Or is it } the Q40 OS that was patched? } It is the Q40 SMSQ/E 2.98 file which is patched. The patching program was sent to this list.
Re: [ql-users] Q-emuLator
} > } > http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/1296/index.html } > -- } Thanks Tony, } } It's very odd, but I haven't been able to get access to the zip file when } trying over the last 2 days. I can get the index.html page no problem, but } can't download the zip from my demon account - weird eh? Is it on your BBS? Load the page: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/1296/winql.html and then perform the download. (try just clicking the link, not save_as) Some server restrict the delievery of binary files to browser that are displaying a local HTML file (so that they can put some advertising on it) (so that one did not use them to store the mega-big image/zip/mp3, while referencing them from another server (without advertising, or with a different contract (one gets paid, but max file size is 100K...)) So, if your browser do not send the "REFERER" information, download may be denied. If it still does not work, I can email a copy of the zip file, I just download it...
Re: [ql-users] Q40/Q60 in ATX case
Wolfgang Lenerz makes some magical things to make me read } On 12 May 2001, at 21:41, Thierry Godefroy wrote: } } > I can confirm this as I just acquired a Q60 from Peter } Hey, this is favoritism - can I buy one, too? } Me too ? What's the max memory size ? Could I use some 64 MB EDO ship on it ? Or is it still restricted to the smaller model ? What's the difference with Q40 ?
Re: [ql-users] Q40/Q60 in ATX case
Richard Zidlicky makes some magical things to make me read } On Mon, May 14, 2001 at 09:58:33AM +0200, Jerome Grimbert wrote: } > Wolfgang Lenerz makes some magical things to make me read } > } On 12 May 2001, at 21:41, Thierry Godefroy wrote: } > } } > } > I can confirm this as I just acquired a Q60 from Peter } > } Hey, this is favoritism - can I buy one, too? } > } } > } > Me too ? } > } > What's the max memory size ? Could I use some 64 MB EDO ship on it ? } > Or is it still restricted to the smaller model ? } } 128 MB RAM is the maximum, SMSQ does not yet support that much. Good ! For info, on QPC2, SMSQ/E can handle a lot of memory, if the PC has it! And some free-memory buttons get confused with so much, but not sysmon, which just keep working fine ! } } > What's the difference with Q40 ? } } Not much else, just a bit faster. Mine shows about 134 BogoMIPS. With or without cache ? (w/ : which mode ?) Have you tried dhrystone on it ? (which compilation ?) My main interest on the Q40/Q60 is the speed of the boot, vs the slowness of the PC (The Bios boot is far too long for me, so even adding the shortest linux boot, I find the PC computer to be too slow... at least at boot time; even with a x-GHz thing ) When I boot the Q40, it's just: press the button, take a seat and it's ready to read the latest floppy from QLToday.
[ql-users] another float question
I have a strange question about float number: what are the maximal and minimal values for a float, on the QL. I have found the answer for Abacus (it's in the doc!), but not for the SBasic/whole system.
Re: [ql-users] Fragmented Memory block copy and specific Mode (32,33 etc)
Phoebus Dokos makes some magical things to make me read } At 05:20 ìì 28/5/2001 -0500, you wrote: } Hi all again, } on my previous question I have an additional one. } After all these years I finally decided to take a look at TurboTK and I SAW } THE LIGHT! The Move_Memory plus the PEEK$/POKE$ will probably do the trick } I want. However I do need some info which is nowhere to be found (at least } by me). } Here's the question. (For Marcel, Peter and probably Dave Westbury he } knows everything on Auroras ;-) } } How is high colour or 256 colour screen memory organized for each of these } (QPC2v2/Q40/Aurora/QXL) with SMSQ/E v. 2.98? } I take it from some experiments I did it on QPC2v2 that it is not } Pixel=Byte and furthermore since I deleted my old mail I cannot find some } info posted on this list on how colours are stored for each mode. } } Can ANYONE help me? On the Q40 with high colour, the organisation is 1 pixel = 2 bytes. The encoding is G5R3 R2B5W1 (Green 5 bit, most significant bit first,... last White, 1 bit (kind of sixth bit for RGB) ) The high color of other systems is different, it's R5G3 G3B5. (Swapping red and green, extending green to 6 bits, and shifting blue by one bit !). The 256 color mode is 1 pixel = 1 bytes. The encoding is GRBGRBGX, where X is a special Red and Blue bit. You can retrieve the GD2 specification on Thierry's site (http://qdos.free.fr) For partial screen save, it was quiet popular during the old days, when the PE was not yet the standard. I seem to remember there was a lot of various superbasic extensions which tried to save the screen under the window they were going to open (it's obviously the wrong approach with multitasking : it's better that every one be able to save/restore its own windows (either redraw or the system had saved yours for you). The trick was to fine the length (in bytes) of a screen line (it's somewhere in the system), and to compute the length (also in bytes) of the part of the line to be copied. Then, for each line to be copied, the source is incremented by the first value, whereas the destination is by the second.
Re: [ql-users] Fragmented Memory block copy and specific Mode (32,33 etc)
Marcel Kilgus makes some magical things to make me read } Jerome Grimbert wrote: } > The high color of other systems is different, it's R5G3 G3B5. } } It's actually G3B5 R5G3. I guess it depended on the Endianness used (Intel or Motorola). QPC2v2 is probably the only system with mode 32 , and its a dual one (Looks like a Motorola, but Intel hardware).
Re: [ql-users] QPC2
Ian Pizer makes some magical things to make me read } Hi Malcoln } } Thanks for your reply, but when using disp_colour 3 (start with "QL } colours" for QPC2) anything tried closes QPC2. } There is a program in Thierry Godefroy's web site called col.zip. Run in } "QL colours" it does not work properly but could be interesting if QPC2v2 } worked with High colours. } } Anyone with other ideas, or does High colours just not work with SMSQ 2.98 } ? I do not have any problem running QPC2v2 (updated) in high color mode. But I usually have a bigger screen area. (my 48 cm display allow upto 1600x1200, so I think I have Qpc2 set to run about 1024 or 1280... It may be that your video card does not support 24/32 bits (16 ??) in 640x480. Did you tried within a ZinZin windows instead of full screen ? (BTW, what is your ZinZin screen size/depth ?) How much memory does your video card have ? Have you tried : disp_size 512,256,3 ? disp_size 640,480,3 ? disp_size 800,600,3 ? disp_size 1024,768,3 ? What about replacing the 3 by a 0 (mode 4 QL colors) ? Does it works ?
Re: [ql-users] QPC2
Jerome Grimbert makes some magical things to make me read } Ian Pizer makes some magical things to make me read } } Hi Malcoln } } } } Thanks for your reply, but when using disp_colour 3 (start with "QL } } colours" for QPC2) anything tried closes QPC2. } } There is a program in Thierry Godefroy's web site called col.zip. Run in } } "QL colours" it does not work properly but could be interesting if QPC2v2 } } worked with High colours. } } } } Anyone with other ideas, or does High colours just not work with SMSQ 2.98 } } ? One more question: how many Megabytes of memory are you providing to QPC2 ?
Re: [ql-users] pic2bmp
[EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } Hi, } } I've dowloaded the program pic2bmp and tried to convert high color } pic-files into bmp. The program immediately stops. OTOH Jerome's webpage } says that it supports high color pics. Has anybody a working copy? } Probably a bit late, but I was offline (holidays!!) since yesterday. Are you using a Q40 high color pic file ? (not a QXL one ?) A real pic file (with the 10 bytes header ?) ? Is it displayed correctly by other programs ? How are you using the pic2bmp program ? I know that the program did work, at least once, because the sprted pictures in QlToday were made with it. You may want to contact me directly if you do not want to bother the list. -- [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[ql-users] QPC 2.03 still bugged...
I installed the QPC 2.03 yesterday evening. It works better, but there is still some problem with floating point: try that: PRINT 1e-615 PRINT 1e-615/10 PRINT 1e-615/100 PRINT 1e-615/1000 It's at least interesting results.
[ql-users] Q40 I/O
My Q40 IDE is currently fully used. (One hard disk and an EZ-135, for a total of 5 partitions). I was wondering if it was possible to add a second I/O board on it, and would it work with SMSQ/E ? Or even only with Linux ? (Target: moving another HD from my PC to my Q40, as well as a CD-Rom reader, I would then give SMSQ/E another 3 partitions, and a try to linux on Q40 on the remaining of the disk (which gonna be in the 6/8/10 GB range in size)) (I'm still hesitant about the use of the second ISA slot, should I reserve it for an ethernet card, if it ever work with SMSQ/E ?)
Re: [ql-users] pic2bmp
} } It's version 1.0ß that I downloaded today again fron your site. } The program tells that it only can display mode 4 and 8 pics. } It's my fault, the website is not up to date (Ok, it crashed, and I had to download it again...) I will update the pic2bmp.zip file by monday. Sorry for the delay.
[ql-users] pic2bmp
As promised, pic2bmp (version 1.0 delta) is now available online. (I updated the file, so be sure to flush any cache) I should update it in a month or two to add the support of QPC2 high color.
Re: [ql-users] Not getting my own messages
Adrian Vickers makes some magical things to make me read } Has the list been modified so I don't get duplicates of my own missives? I do not think so, because I do get a copy of my messages. Must be something on your side.
Re: [ql-users] CDROM driver for Q40/Q60 and Qubide
Norman Dunbar makes some magical things to make me read } Didn't Amstrad use a small 3" drive around that time as well - look how } popular that became :o) No, it was years later... at that time, the amstrad came with an integrated tape. ... and the power supply was in the monitor ! The 3" started around '86/'87, when 3"1/2 disk where more popular (and Alan found a stock of 3" drives/disk, so he used them for the new model...)
[ql-users] more IDE for Q40
I have found at a local store two (!) different ISA card that would provide additional IDE drives for my Q40. (ISA is really becoming hard to find !) But before I buy one of them, is there something particular I should check ? I had a look at one of them, it provide 2 IDE as well as 2 floppy. Would it be a problem ? Should I go only for it if I can disable the floppy part ? The IRQ setting is by jumper, either IRQ 14 or IRQ 15, is that ok ? The price is about 260 FF ( that 25 £, or 40 Ecus/Euros). Is-it normal price, or can any of the dealer provide me with a cheaper and warranted solution (That is, a no-risk card that has been demonstrated to work on a Q40 with up to 4 IDE devices).
Re: [ql-users] QPC2
} Hi Malcolm } } Thanks for your suggestions re impossibility to use zip-100. I followed } your suggestions and they responded correctly, yet win3, which is E, still } gives No Medium. } It looks like QPC2 works correctly but my WIN98 SE fails somehow to connect } to the driver. Is the QXL.WIN on E: read-only ? (It may be if you get a backup from a CD after the crash). This may be the origin of your problem
Re: [ql-users] Linus biography
Malcolm Cadman makes some magical things to make me read } } >I just saw a new book about Linus Torvalds life tranlated in French, so } >I think that it is a few months old in the USA. It was at FNAC, a French } >store where everybody can impolitely read the books without the security } >being impolite with you (this was the subject of one of their adverts, and } >it is still true). } > } >There is an eleven page chapter about the QL, why Linus did buy one, } >what he did develop with it, what he did like and dislike about it } >eg. he was not happy at all with the OS in ROM so that it is impossible } >to patch it. } } That is a good point ... about the ROM based OS. I like ROM based OS. OS should be stable. and Rom based provided a virus-free quick install ! } >I did not buy it, the rest seems not interesting enough. And there is } >his usual arrogance: "I am the best in the world, the code that I develop } >is always perfect". } } Umm ... I always thought he did :-) ... but then Linux is perfect too, } isn't it ? ... :-) May I say "kernel version 2.0.x, 2.2.k, 2.4.z... " who know when it will stop. Perfection should be done right the very first time! (I do not even speak of 2.1.139 !)
Re: [ql-users] Linus biography
Robert Klein makes some magical things to make me read } } >} That is a good point ... about the ROM based OS. } >I like ROM based OS. } >OS should be stable. and Rom based provided a virus-free quick install ! } } A ROM based OS is ok, but it's always nice to have an option to } use a newer version or a different OS. That's why the current rom SMSQ/E for Q40 looks fine for me: I can upgrade it at boot. In fact, I would really like that the SMSQ/E get really stable so that I could get some EPROM with the definitive versions. But it seems there is still some problems (latest update in QPC2v2 make me believe so). And for the patch/extension, It is and was really easy to program them for the SBasic. The initial Qdos was clean and very open. (Unless you really want to implement your own scheduler, but that's not programming.)
Re: [ql-users] Rom Versions - FWD from Admin
Tony Firshman makes some magical things to make me read } >Is it worth upgrading from previous versions ? } If you have a very early version, then of course. } I don't have a change by change list, but I suspect the last few } versions adding nothing significant. } One change was the FLP_JIGGLE to get around Mitsubushi disk problems. } } I though hadn't realised that Roy still sold upgrades, so I quickly } withdraw my rom image offer in case I get thrown out of the plane next } week on the way to Salzburg (8-)# I think Roy is solding the EPROM programming, not the image by itself. Programming an EPROM is really a valuable service.
Re: TURBO and SMSQ/E (was: Re: [ql-users] New QPC2 release)
Claude Mourier 00 makes some magical things to make me read } SBasic compilers always were (are) for me a mystery on SMS : TT told me } there is no gain compiling a SB program except the size in ram (because } there are two versions of source in memory), and in most case I notice it's } true (when compiling programs on PC gives x5 speed over interpreted). Why ? Because, smart Tony perform on-the-fly compilation of SB program, or rather the tokenisation of the program has already been done at load/edit time, So, it's just like the SB is already compiled. (no need to check the syntax all the time). On PC, interpreted code is tokenised for each execution of a loop; whereas on SMS, it is tokenised the first time you enter the code, and after that, the result is reused. The PC approach is too careful (or lack the tokenisation concept): it is worth only with self-modifying code and self-modifying code is not possible easily. (In SB, it can be done with some DLINE [but this as no impact on the tokenised image, only removing instructions] and with some MERGE [and then the tokenisation process is perform during the MERGE, hence the existence of thing like QSAVE and QLOAD which avoid the tokenisation process by saving the tokenised image instead of the plain text [but which failed to reload on machine with extensions loaded in differents orders...].)
Re: Re: [ql-users] Clive Sinclair
[EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } > Wafer memory... } "Wafer Scale Integration" I believe he referred to it as at the time. B. Wrong. It refers to a bigger microdrive like device, with magnetic tape. The same infinite tape trick as in microdrive, no rewind needed. It was the alternative to floppy. (or the evolution of classical tape).
Re: [ql-users] Floating Point confusion
[EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } Peter points out that there is Intel FP } code in SMSQ/E for QPC but none for 68k hardware. Is this true of } SBASIC as well? Is the 68040 FPU in the Q40 never used except in } assembler or C applications? } >From memory, there is a small extension to load on the Q40/SMSQE which allow the use of the FPU. (in fact, it work with any MC68xxx QL system with a real FPU, even with the QXL if you replace the chip) I believe it replace the math stack trap... thus making it system-available. Or I might just be wrong. I test it once with povray (a raytracer which uses a lot of floating points), and it seems to have been quicker with than without. (same binaries).
Re: Re: [ql-users] Floating Point confusion
[EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } Ah, would that be the FPSAVE one? I wasn't sure whether that allowed } SBASIC to use FP, or just allowed compiled C68, etc. programs with FP } instructions to run correctly. Yes, it is FPSAVE.
Re: [ql-users] Here I go again with my absolute coordinates :-) (And something for the Q40 too)
Phoebus R. Dokos makes some magical things to make me read } Hello again and thanks for everyone that responded to my previous question. } The question now is: } Is it possible to place the text cursor ABSOLUTELY according to a given } window or the screen (that is without using @#!@$~~!@## SCALE) ?? AT ?? or you want 'pixel' precision ? } } } And a question about SMSQ/E on Q40. } Do the COLOUR_QL, COLOUR_PAL, COLOUR_24 etc commands exist for the Q40 as } well? If yes, do they (especially the COLOUR_PAL one) use the same colour } codes for both QPC and Q40 Yes, they exist on Q40. And they probably have the same default colours (I remind you that the palette colours CAN be redefined by the user !) (That's remind me that I need a new keyword/extension to reset the palette to what it is at startup..., when I've finished changing the most important entry)
Re: [ql-users] Here I go again with my absolute coordinates :-) (And something for the Q40 too)
Phoebus R. Dokos makes some magical things to make me read } >} Is it possible to place the text cursor ABSOLUTELY according to a given } >} window or the screen (that is without using @#!@$~~!@## SCALE) } > } > ?? AT ?? } > or you want 'pixel' precision ? } } PIXEL precision :-) Shortest way is to have a sub-window (coordinate relative to the application, not the screen, under PE), in which you can for instance then use the AT, if you really want AT. You only need that sub-window at (re-)draw time, so you may use one for multiple texts. For the screen relative, as long as your primary is big enough if you are under PE, any open#6,scr_XXxZZaAAxBB should do. You may want to considere con_ instead of scr_ Beware of the various screen size (Q40 can be 512x256 or 1024x512, QPC has a lot of standard variants) The colour coding is the same for the commands from S*Basic, but the pixel coding is differents in the screen memory. } } I'm sending you something via private email for you to see what I mean :-) } Interesting picture...
Re: [ql-users] Q40/Q60 keyboard interface
[EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } matrix thermal printer. I didn't realize how fast a thermal print would } fade! If you wanted to keep anything you had to photocopy it. Having } said that I have some listings I kept in a folder which are still } readable - maybe they became fossilized or something :) Thermal print do not like sun, light, uv and heat. So you can keep them if you never look at them... they will fade anyway with enough time.
Re: [ql-users] no shadow
Wolfgang Lenerz makes some magical things to make me read } Hi all, Hi Wolfgang, } } has anybody noticed that, when in multicolour mode, SMSQE } doesn't draw shadows under windows any more? Yes, it was like that since high-colors is available } } Does anybody care? Yes, I miss it. } } Does anybody know why ? TT must know, I do not. I guess it's simpler like that. } } Does anybody care to bet that it'll be Marcel who replies to that } last question again?... No, I do not care about that.
Re: [ql-users] Need some flaming :-) - What about re-writing QDOS for x86 processors
Writing an OS for a processor family is nothing, compared to the needed writing for peripheral supports. So, as well as generic x86 support, what about GENERIC x86 compatible supports of hardware in the OS. Natively of course, NO PC BIOS. (there is no Bios on some embeded card, so you cannot rely on that). And able to support all the fancy graphics cards (dual headed and DVI included), as well as all the fancy sound card/extension/native... with full capabilities and optimal operations... Disk access is another story too. All I give you is hardware IRQ (possibly multiplexed and shared), and the full addressing range of the CPU. Oh, last point, the system CANNOT assign the IRQ, it is always a choice of value you have to support... good luck...
Re: [ql-users] Hyper Browse Development - freetype
Joachim Van der Auwera makes some magical things to make me read } Plus the need to develop screen and printer drivers, handle colour } issues etc. As you talk about that, is there any Prowess driver for the high colour mode of QPC2v2 (final) ? (Or even only the 256 fixed colours mode ?) If yes, how can I get it, and how should I install it ?
Re: [ql-users] Need some flaming :-) - What about re-writing QDOS for x86 processors
Malcolm Cadman makes some magical things to make me read
} >Ah ! I think it was just a french problem where magazines looks more an more
} >catalogues with lot of advertising and propaganda (guru Bill do this, guru
} >Bill thinks that...)
} >
} >-Message d'origine-
} >De : Malcolm Cadman
} >(...)
} >OT - yet computer magazines today are largely just product reviews, and
} >new software version reviews ...
} >(...)
}
} Probably a 'world wide' depressing period for computer magazines then
}
Nope, a classical evolution.
Magazines are first made by enthusiasts, for other enthusiasts and hobbyists.
When success is there, money start flowing, and marketing people gets in.
At that time, the enthusiastic writers are usually exausted or outnumbered by
'will write for food' writers.
Hence the content drop in level of specificity ("Let's widen our audience"),
the commercial ads have more influence on the editorial, and the latest
integrity enthusiasts stop being published or even writing.
The magazine is then the optimal money-making scheme:
- no hard content (counter productive with advertisement)
- lots of advertisements and 'product'-review
- good reputations (from the old time) in the newcomers' circles
- hopefully a lot of running subscription.
Alas, it's survival is limited to about 2 or 3 times the longuest subscription.
(But who cares about that, it's easy money now!, and maybe in the meantime
we can sell the magazine team to some other publisher..., just like selling
the old cow... )
Re: [ql-users] Need some flaming :-) - What about re-writing QDOS for x86 processors
Malcolm Cadman makes some magical things to make me read } >Alas, it's survival is limited to about 2 or 3 times the longuest subscription. } >(But who cares about that, it's easy money now!, and maybe in the meantime } >we can sell the magazine team to some other publisher..., just like selling } >the old cow... ) } } C'est le vie ... ? Interesting gender inversion or typo. "C'est le vit" is not heard often, as it is just a kind of "It is a male organ", so it might be taken as offensive by some bigot. Especially if you say it to someone (in which case, the spelling of vi* is not heard!!) "C'est la vie" is the classical quote. ObTopic: This post is ON topic, because of the subject line (flaming... :-)
Re: [ql-users] Need some flaming :-) - What about re-writing QDOS for x86 processors
Malcolm Cadman makes some magical things to make me read } He .. he ... I got my 'le' and 'la' mixed up then :-) } } Is the QL masculine or feminine in gender ? In french, it is masculine. I do not know for german and english (neutral ?).
Re: [ql-users] no shadow
Marcel Kilgus makes some magical things to make me read } BTW: The next QPC will again have 16bit shadows. That's a great news! } Anyway, the result looks nice and I'm a fan of eye-candy. In case } anybody's interested http://www.deuschle.de/qpc/shadow.png shows how } it looks like. It looks great. I hope you intend to at least share your code with TT, so that it would at least be possible to have also shadow on Q40 in a next version of SMSQ/E (if there is some one day, even if the retrofit of the patch is seriously needed)
Re: [ql-users] supergoldcard problems
Michael Grunditz makes some magical things to make me read } Hi } } I just installed a supergoldcard in my ql and it wont start. } Sometimes it shows wierd colors on the screen , but more often } nothing. } } Why ? I do not know. If you remove the SGC, does the QL works normally ? When you say "nothing", is the screen black or is there no video signal ? Does pressing the Reset buttons make any sound (small click from the speaker)? Does it change the screen ?
Re: [ql-users] supergoldcard problems
Derek Stewart makes some magical things to make me read } Hi, } } Take out the 68000 CPU in the QL. There is not enough power in the Sinclair } Power supply to power the Super gold card and 68000 CPU. This remind me that I changed the three-legged beasty inside the QL (the screwed to the metal cooler), a long time ago, to a more powerful one. It allows me to keep the 68008 with the SGC. (or did I changed it for another reason ?). But strictly speaking, the original power supply box is ok. (With my SGC, there is : SHermes, Qimi, Miracle Hard disk)
Re: [ql-users] Q40/Q60/??? Ultra IO card
} Silly question from a hardware ignoramus : } } what is a 6 layer (or 4 layer) board ? } I suspect it is to do with the track layour, but all the boards I ever used } were 'double sided' = 2 layer ??? } } Your in ignorance, } Norman. } } PS. Be gentle when you reply ! Well, you can also have track inside ! Think of the board as a sandwich. There is two side per slice of bread. Therefore, you can have the simple sandwich: 1 slice of bread, 2 layers. There is also a sandwich with 2 slice of bread (separated by your favorite ham): 4 layers. Things like big-mac, with 3 slice of bread: 6 layers! and so on. Of course, the more layers, the more expensive to manufacture!!! Therefore, a manual routing with 4 layers is far better than autorouting with 6 layers!
Re: [ql-users] Sound sampler...
Dave makes some magical things to make me read } } I recall that a couple of years ago someone was working on a sound } sampler. I think it could sample sound, and play it back. Basically an A/D } and D/A converter. I think it plugged into the ROM socket. } } Does anyone have any information about this? Yes, I have information and also it! It's the amadeus system. The rom socket was used as the host for a network, and then each hardware application get it's own module. a host for PC was also available, and you could even connect a QL to a PC via this network. One of the module is a sound A/D & D/A. (mono) (amasound !) It was provided with a micro and a speaker. Sound format was highly compressed (about 4 bits per sample, using a hard-coded proprietary algorithm). I tried to find information to convert existing sound files into this format, or even just to be able to perform some volume adjustment on a recorded sound, and only end up with the conclusion that unless being able to obtain the full math, it was impossible. -- Grimbert Jérôme
Re: [ql-users] PIC-files
Christopher Cave makes some magical things to make me read } Would someone please point me in the direction of documentation } on PIC files? >From head to tail of file: Word: width Word: height Word: number of row (special, more later) Byte: mode Byte: Spare (but might be set to 64 to force mode 33 on some _piq file such as the colorful papa512_piq) Mode can be 0 (for mode 4), 8 or any GD2 values (33 for Q40, 32 for QPC, other mode might also exist, see GD2 documentation) Then it is followed by row*height bytes. Mode 8 and mode 4 are encoded as on the original QL. GD2 mode are described in GD2 document (2 bytes for one pixel): mode 33: Green 5 bit, Red 5 bit, Blue 5 bit, Intensity 1 bit mode 32: Green top 3 bit, Blue 5 bit, Red 5 bit, Green 3 bit (simpler in Intel Mode: Red 5, Green 6, Blue 5) Beware of the alignment constraint for each line if you intended to write some pic file. Hope this help.
Re: [ql-users] A foible ...
Norman Dunbar makes some magical things to make me read } Ian, } } can't remember offhand, but doesn't RJOB require a name, or id plus an error } code ? >From my old memory, in basic, rjob can take three arguments, all integers: rjob int1, int2, error where int1 and int2 come from the jobs listing int1 and int2 can be combined as a single bigger number or replaced by the jobs name if it is short enough. But the most deterministing is using the value from the JOBS listing.
Re: [ql-users] BMP2SCR-WIN Add.
Phoebus R. Dokos makes some magical things to make me read } A BGIMAGE type of command, with the difference that it will be able to } display on screen and at the point we want RLL encoded BMP files at all } colour depths (if it is 24bit of course it will be slow :-)) If it is for displaying picture, there is already photon available. It is a little bugged with mode 33/32 pic files, but has no problem with BMP.
Re: [ql-users] DISP_COLOUR
Marcel Kilgus makes some magical things to make me read } } What? That 32bit per pixel is far too memory consuming for a windowing } system that does the saving of backgrounds itself? Nothing proprietary } in this knowledge ;-) } } The PE was designed for 2 bit per pixel with a small resolution and } the concept was good for that purpose. It's however a very bad design } if you have more bits per pixel (one single(!) 800x600 window almost } needs 2MB in 32 bit mode!). It would be better if PE was able to compress the saved area on the fly, or even better, perform no saving and require a (re-)drawing routine from each application. But then this would be trading memory for CPU and more problems for the applications.
Re: PIC/SCR Compression (Was:Re: [ql-users] DISP_COLOUR)
Phoebus R. Dokos makes some magical things to make me read } Well I don't think memory is of any concern for people with hi-colour mode } capabilities... } I don't think there are users of QPC2 and Qx0 without at least 16 Megs of } RAM... Well, just think of QXL user ! at most 8 Megs.
Re: [ql-users] Re: PIC/SCR Compression & Sprites
Marcel Kilgus makes some magical things to make me read } Phoebus R. Dokos wrote: } > So what I see is writing some sort of toolkit (a-la SSG) which can do this } > in high-colour (and more)... for example clever background redrawing of the } > screen on the anticipated movement of the sprite, } } This I don't understand. When doing sprites you only have to save and } redraw the part that is directly under the sprite. Why do you want to } predict where the sprite is moving to? Because he is taking the 'amiga/commodore' approach of game with sprite: he want the system to handle the graphic and the collision detection as well as (de-)synchronisation of the movements, thus leaving the game program with very little thing to do: managing the score and life counter, changing the level display,. IMHO, it's not the right approach. He should make his game without sprite, using instead 'Letter' and detecting collision in memory, not on the screen. Once the 'low-level graphic' works, he could replace it with all the fancy sprites he wants. In the mean time, he would have learned that he need to have the moving objects in memory, but also the full background, but not as a monolithic part, rather like an assembled puzzle. Thus moving a sprite is resumed to: draw the background where the sprite is (erasing the sprite), perform movement calculation, draw the sprite, wait for some event/time (or do something else somewhere else), do it again! Problems unrelated to not having the sprite managed by a dedicated ship are: - The hero moves according to input stroke, unless input provide only a change in the direction of movement (the 'always-moving' type of pacman vs the 'one touch=one move' type of some other games). - The bad guys usually move in a kind of continuous ways, at least it's not like a chess game (bad guys wait for hero to move, then move themself, and wait again). So the management of the bad guys must be interlaced with the scanning of the input for the hero move. - collision between hero and bad guys: can happen when hero move, when bad guy move or when both move at the same time. Using letters to illustrate: ...HB... : hero(H) is just on the left of the bad guy(B) If hero move right, H & B are on the same cell, collision. If bad guy move left, H & B are on the same cell, collision if hero move right and bad guy move left, we end up with: ...BH...but a collision really occurs in the 'game logic'. This last case is the most difficult to detect. If hero move right and bad guy move right (at the same time), there should not be any collision (unless the hero is too quick !). - To add fun, the speed of the hero and the bad guy might be different, thus collision detection should use a finer grid and each object occupy more than one cell at the same time in this grid. Anyway, reading the screen to detect collision is just a bad approach, because it means that you are adding contraints to the graphical representation of your objects. It was the easy way with machine like spectrum and other, but it gives really bad habits and empeachs adaptation of the engine for other graphics.
Re: [ql-users] Re: PIC/SCR Compression & Sprites
Phoebus R. Dokos makes some magical things to make me read } } True but see what I say above. All these are already done, but I am afraid } you misunderstood me too... } } } I seem to have a talent in being misunderstood lately... } Ok-dokee... So, all you need is drawing your background with sprites and then calling the right PE function to do the drawing for you. What was your question again ?
Re: [ql-users] Re: PIC/SCR Compression & Sprites
Malcolm Lear makes some magical things to make me read } With large sprites you can reduce flicker significantly by combining the } background redraw } and sprite data in memory and write the lot to screen in one go. This } eliminates the problem } of writing to screen memory twice where the old and new sprite positions } overlap. } Beware if you intend to use high-colour, or even non-native mode sprite (such as mode 4 in high colour). The automatic adaptation made by GD2 is nice but limited to about 60x60 (a little more, but not a lot). No size problem normally with sprite in the exact mode of the screen. But if you intend portablity, that means have the sprite in all the possible mode. (Q40 and QPC2 have different ones!) (I have some converting code which can be used to set the sprite definition according to the machine it is running on, allowing to store only once the high-colour definition, and adapting at launchtime to Q40 or QPC2). Also, if you intend to foolishly use the same sprite structure, just changing the actual data (not the pointer, but the real data bytes), there is a cache mechanisms which may provide some debugging fun (NOT). For instance, using a pattern of 1 pixel and a blob of whatever size you want, if you just change the actual pixel colour by writing the colour in the pattern data, it won't be taken into account UNLESS you draw some other things before (because otherwise, the pattern is assumed to be in the cache, thus, the conversion is not refreshed and you keep getting the old colour!!). You can also alternate between two patterns, which waste less cpu.
Re: [ql-users] D17-QL?
John Hitchcock makes some magical things to make me read } still searching for a pre D05 (D00 to D04), a post D16 (D17) } and a S13 QL. If someone knows how I could obtain such a machine, } please let me know, Thank You! } === } Hi Urs! } } Please post a little reminder where these (and other designations of note) } may be found on the hardware. Thanks. } } John in Wales On the bottom side of the black QL, at one end, there is some green number engraved in the black plastic. Just lift the QL and turn it...
[ql-users] QPC2 v2 and Multi-screen
I recently updated my W98 system to support dual-screen (with two video cards). After that, I tried QPC2 v2, and seems to only detect the primary video card (which in my case is now the worst one, with only a 17" monitor) (at least the selection list only show one entry in the QPC start-up menu, with a limited list of resolution) QPC in window is ok on the second screen, but going full screen make it jump to the first. Is-that intended ? Is there any corrected behaviour in v3 regarding this problem ? (aka is-it worth upgrading ?) Also: If QPC begin in full-screen mode, the Window mouse pointer disappear on the border of window once toggled to window mode. This does not happen when started in window mode.
Re: [ql-users] The future of SMSQ/E
ZN makes some magical things to make me read } >> I believe that the solution to this problem also includes the } >> solution to programs continuing to produce screen output even when } >> burried. } } > Probably, yes. } } What I mentioned in an older post. If the save areas are kept in their } original specified format (2BPP, 4BPP, 8BPP, etc) in RAM, and the } application always writes to the save area and in addition to that, writes } to the screen only if it is not burried (with translation for current } screen mode) then this solves the problem of the save area size and the } background screen output in one stroke. Sure, at first on would get the } 'updated' version of a window only once it gets on the top of the job } stack, but that's certainly already a big improvement. This might be the second step, but I would now push to let Marcel make first the first step he wanted to do. His first step is the more appealing, because it would make a real visual difference. Non-blocking Output for program is not so visual, and I'm still too much used to it... it might be a good second step, nevertheless. } PS: about the 36 character limit. I know that many have argued this is } hardly a burning problem, and for a system where all the software ever } produced fits on an obsolete hard drve, that may largely be true. But we } are talking about serious networking in the near future. Keep in mind that } the trick to solving burning problems is to solve them before they become } burning problems. This one may not be the open flame variety, but the } ambers are being felt under the feet... I really believe that this could be addressed with a new filesystem (Please avoid the kludge of M$: adding fields into previously unused part). Moreover, starting from nothing allow to get ride of compatibility and have things like real directory and symbolic links (if the designer want them...). The traps handling names (device and filename) might need to be checked/updated for the supported length of the string, but there might not be such a big problem, because when using the old network, it has no known problem expanding the path name with N5_. At most, existing application expected only 36 chars for filename might get broken, but the only one I want would be QPAC2 files. (Hint: produce a new version of it which would support long name and I'm happy!) For portability sack, the new filesystem should NOT be supported by floppy or MDV or actual Ramdisk. When copying from hard disk to something else a long filename, the user should specify the new name (automatic removal of the 'directory part' might be difficult to implement, or not...). PS: and Yes, more than 4 partitions are needed (so aligning on some fdisk standard might also be a good thing).
Re: [ql-users] Qascade and QPC
[EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } Has anyone noticed that Qascade does not appear in their button frame if } more than about 10Mb of memory is set aside for QPC II (v3.02)?? Using QPC2v2 and 96Mb, no problem. Not yet upgraded to v3...
[ql-users] Q40 to ql transfer
A serial cable is all you need, with the right connection... One of the two must be a DTE and the other DCE. Best thing is to use Ser2 on QL with normal QL serial cable, (if you have one for a printer for instance). Then setting same baud rate and parity on both machines. copy_n (or just copy) is then your best friend, or you can write a basic program to transfer line by line a text file. just like QL: 10 open_in#3,ser2_ 15 open_new#4,mdv1_myfile 20 repeat loop 30 input#3,a$ 40 print#4,a$ 50 end repeat loop Q40: 10 open#3,ser1_ 20 open_in#4,win1_myfile 30 repeat loop 40 if (eof(#4)): exit loop 50 input#4,a$ 60 print#3,a$ 70 end repeat loop For test purpose, it is better to replace the file with #1... Only thing: to stop the reception on the QL, you have to use ctrl-c. Copy_n works better with binary files, but is difficult for test purpose..
Re: [ql-users] Source Code Status
[skipping a very long message] [EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } Thus I make a PLEA for volunteers. Obviously, for SMSQ/E running on QPC, Marcel } KILGUS will be the key developer. } For SMSQ/E on Q60/Q40, the obvious persons would be Claus and Peter GRAF (yes, I know, } I'm trying to twist your arm here, Claus and Peter :-) and perhaps also Jerôme GRIMBERT (?)). } No need to twist my arms, I will gladly help. I've been kept busy with non-Q40 programming lately, but I really enjoy this platform (at least for the real 'instant-ready-on-power-on!', which is a thing I really appreciate early in the morning, just before leaving, to be able to quickly make a floppy). } } E - } There will always be a lag of time between one feature coming out on one version of SMSQ/E } and then being ported to the other versions. } I shall strive to keep this lag as small as possible, but I feel that it is not such a } good idea to penalise the one version having the new feature by waiting for all } of the other versions to have it. } Yes, as long as you can redistribute the work to someone with the right platform, in order to keep everybody going in the same direction, even if sometime some platforms are a step ahead on the right, while someother are another step ahead on the left, the main things being to always converge as soon as possible, but without impairing innovations. -- Grimbert Jérôme
Re: [ql-users] Source Code Status
Tony Firshman makes some magical things to make me read } >I have understood the bit about no charge in giving copies. As someone } >running a PD library I'll mention here I'm happy to adhere strictly by } >this. } I was surprised that media/post costs were vetoed I must admit. } Surely that is a bit of an imposition on the sender. Well, I was not part of the discussion, but I can understand some reasons for the veto. For instance, the QLCF library has been running along similar lines: - the requestor must provide both the media and stamped return package. The reason might concern the income tax of the Librarian: - if the requestor make a payement to the librarian, the income of the librarian grows. Which mean more taxes for the librarian. Therefore, the taxes should be reported to the requestor, but why would a requestor pays the librarian's income tax ? (Ok, if you want, you can pay all my income tax, you are very welcome...). - Sending cash is forbidden by the postal rules here. - Sending unlabelled cheque is dangerous (the librarian could not label it to the seller of media, but might label it to "Tresor Public", which is the tax collector. But paying income tax with a lot of small cheques is rather strange and may be not welcome by the tax people...) So, avoiding any money transaction is the best thing. And as a requestor, I know exactly where my money goes: back to me. (because I got back the media, and the parcel... even if the postal service destroy the value of the stamps!)
Re: [ql-users] Source Code Status
Tony Firshman makes some magical things to make me read } Outside ones own country, IRCs have to be used which is 'payment' of a } sort - but in stamps. } Surely no problem with this? Probably not any problem, as long as it does not appear on the accounting system and thus leave no trace for the tax people ... and the usage of IRC seems pretty evident, so alegation of 'substantial income' via IRC would be rather easy to turn down (at least they can be put in the small allowed % of error.)
Re: [ql-users] SMSQ/E license criticisms
Dexter makes some magical things to make me read } Hi all, } } I'm not saying anything here as personal opinion - I am playing devil's } advocate for the sake of creating a little controversy, which will } hopefully result in some discussion. At the moment there is too much } agreement. :o) Ok, let's see... It's just my point-of-view/feeling. } The decision to have two official sellers of SMSQ/E is flawed. It prevents } growth to not have a clear way for additional people to become resellers. } If there isn't a way for people to become resellers, it's also probably } illegal. There should at least be a procedure for one person in each } country/territory to apply and be accepted as an official reseller. That's easily answered by specifying either that: - Reseller must be directly nominated by Tony Tebby. - a would-be-Reseller must get clearance from the college of actual Resellers. the procedure for the college of Reseller is up to them. In case of conflict, the coordinator or Tony Tebby get the final word. } } The decision to not allow any charging for sources is being rationalised } by you folks as a good thing (taxes, etc). It forces the sources to be } distributed by some free means only, ie the internet, and prevents it } being distributed by PB/shareware libraries unless they make special } arrangements. These arrangements more than double the length of time it } would take a recipient to get a copy of the sources. Outdated argument, might has been valid ten years ago. Moreover, personnaly speaking, as I'm still the QLCF librarian, French people could get free access to the sources from me the same way as they get access to the QLCF library (even more easily, because accessing the QLCF library required to be on the right list!). I would not have to make any change to my management for these sources. } } The decision to not allow distribution of binaries is very restrictive to } the point of being obstructive. I would propose the refinement to the } license, stating object code/binaries cannot be distributed to the general } public, and may only be shared at no cost for the purposes of beta } testing, or for producing custom versions for specific hardware. It would } otherwise restrict development and, combined with the clause mentioned } above, testing, of the code. The only way to force fancy developpers to share their code is to forbid the distribution of binary. This way, code related to new hardware is forced to go back to the coordinator for inclusion in the main code. It is also the only means to have the reseller doing their work. Otherwise, Just Imagine: I make a custom version for some hardware, based on version 3.01. I distributed it worldwide. Then official version move on up to 3.30 (with lot of nice enhancements), and either: - I get hassle by my customers to update and either: + I do it (and everybody is happy) + I try to do it but fail du to a major incompatibility in my old design, and customers get stucks. + I say 'f**k up', and customers get stucks. - I cleverly disappeared or loose my code: customers get stucks! Whereas, if the reseller are responsible of the binary distribution, I could have simply given to the coordinator the patched source code, and new improvements get available to my customer. The burden of the price is dealed by the reseller. What I'm not yet confortable with is the 'pay-me-option' for my source if it is not free and how to keep the main distribution of source. There must be some priviledged people (with the relevant hardware for test) which must be able to generate the binary and test it. But that's the problem of the coordinator. Your argument for beta-testing is void, because, for a beta, I want to have the source available. Thus you distribute the source, I compile, and get back to you with comment on behavior and code. Testing a black box is not a good testing for code! Dissiminating time-unlimited beta is not a good thing either! } } If only the official tree can be sold, how does a hardware manufacturer } who produces a custom version of SMSQ/E for XXX hardware include it in } ROM? He can offer to make payment of a license fee, but under this } license, it doesn't matter, it can't be distributed in binary form, or for } a fee. This removes any incentive for a developer to actually adapt SMSQ } to specific hardware, forcing us to stay with the hardware we already } have. He should provide its sources to the coordinator, Get the status of Reseller (see first point) or buy them the needed binary for the customer or just refers its customer to the Resellers. Just my opinion.
Re: [ql-users] QIMI Mouse Interface
[EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } Does anyone have the drivers and disk for this mouse interface - I have } a manual and two interfaces if anyone is looking for one. } I do not remember you would need any driver with QIMI interface. All you need is the PE and a mouse! Are you sure you are not confusing with some Hermes/SuperHermes mouse interface ? [text/html is unsupported, treating like TEXT/PLAIN]
Re: [ql-users] Source Code
Sorry, it might be long. I will try to [snip] what I do not want to discuss. [EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some magical things to make me read } Hi all, } } This is to keep you informed of the state and } status of the SMSQ/E source code. } } The future licence-to-be has been a bit } modified, notably to take into account the fact } that test versions must be easily distributed. } Here is the (still provisional) text. As usual, } I invite all of you to comment. } } I have now received the source code from Tony } Tebby, and, as soon as this licence is hammered } out and I have had a chance to put everything in } order, I'll start sending it out. I'm now taking } orders. Good! but I think you need an appendix which states: - Who is the registar - What is the address of the registar - Who are the distributors/resellors (address and more also) This way, you do not have to touch the statements when things change. } } Official statement } == } } } 1/ This software, called 'SMSQ/E', is copyright } © Tony TEBBY. I know you have better understanding of laws than me, but I've always been told that: - Copyright without a date is void. (How else would I get a chance to wait for it to expire...) - Copyright is only for USA, there is different protection in Europ (including the Bern convention which acknoledge the US copyright). Specifically, the statements should reserve all the rights excepted the ones already mentionned. (Just in case I want to make a movie out of the SMSQ/E, currently, nothing stop me from: - adapting - broadcasting the play - making DVD of the play - distributing DVD of the play - ... ) [SNIP] } } 2/ SMSQ/E will be made available, as source code } only, to any person who so requests it. The } request must be made to the "registrar", i.e. } me. As I said, Put the 'i.e. me' in an appendix. And provide your postal address too! The post office should get a visit soon. [SNIP] } Except by prior } agreement, binary, i.e. compiled, versions of } SMSQ/E may not be distributed other than through } the distributors. Ok, That should fix the 'beta' distribution! But there is later contradiction. } } } 4/ The registrar, i.e. me, will maintain } official distributions of SMSQ/E, in binary and } source code form, one for each machine on which } SMSQ/E may run. That's define the obligations of the registrar, but that's does not forbid someone else from doing the same. Well, at least the resellors might also provide support, but probably not debugging/correction ? } } 5/ Any person may make any } changes/additions/modifications/adaptions to the } source code he feels like. Any person may give } away to others the modification he thus made, } including the official distribution in source } code form only, provided this is made ENTIRELY } FOR FREE - } no charges, not even copying charges, or charges } for the media on which this is distributed, } may be levied. Good, there is nevertheless no obligation to distribute the original source along with the change... I'm afraid of the distribution of 'patched' sources only, with divergent patches... Integration nightmare ? } } This distribution of the source code including } the changes/additions/modifications/adaptions } made by any author may not be made in electronic } form other than on a physical disk. Ok, no web, no email, no ftp, no BBS, no ...; What's a disk ? floppy or CD ? would a Syquest elect ? what about a Zip ? and a sinclair microdrive ? a DVD-R ? What about QL network ? even via sernet ? } } Distribution of the changes/additions may be in } binary(compiled) form, provided that the } original and/or official version of SMSQ/E, } which is copyright © T.Tebby, is not distributed } in binary form as well. } There is restriction on the distribution of the source, but I do not read there is such for the binary. Moreover, the binary distribution seems to be allowed until a ressellors make available an official versions (without or with the change). Was the intend to allow the distribution of a modified binary by someone, as long as this someone does not also provide the original or official version in binary too ? [Pervert distribution: I change the default background to be blue instead of black, and that's the only change, therefore I'm allowed to charge big money for distribution of the binary, or even to distribute the new binary on the web!] Currently, the modified source is free and protected, the modified binary need more restriction (at least for free and distribution means) or I need confirmation about my silly thoughts. } } 6/ Any changes/additions/modifications/adaptions } may be proposed by their author(s) to the } registrar for inclusion in the official } distributions of SMSQ/E. Adding also in Appendix how such proposal should be made. (expected format, will you give a confirmation, and so on) [SNIP] } When making s
Re: [ql-users] Re: positioning windows
Dilwyn Jones makes some magical things to make me read
} > I've got no clue of C68 or assembly programming but I know that what
} you describe, is NOT the
} > normal case. I have been using EasyPtr (Albin Hessler) for years now
} and every wanted positioning
} > works very well, before, after resizing, after a wake etc. May be
} you can have a look at the source
} > code of Albin to overcome your problem?!
}
} Not always. It mostly works, but some of my Easyptr programs do appear
} at almost random positions after certain events. I've tried the
} absolute and relative positionings and can't really pin down a firm
} reason. Obviously seems to depend on what you use and how you do it.
Have you check how the position was provided for these events.
If, for instance, the position is part of the parameters of a function,
beware of the declaration and definition style used.
This is more blatant with latest C68, since there is a different handling
of K&R functions vs ANSI functions.
It has no effect for int and pointer, but for 'short' and other, there
is a difference in stack usage.
Example: you declare a function like
int foo();
and then used it.
result=foo(first,next);
But the definition of foo is done later or elsewhere and is something like :
int foo(short x, short y)
{
}
Then you are in trouble because the usage of foo will use 8 bytes (2 long word),
whereas the definition will use only 4 consecutive bytes from the stack.
The same kind of trouble can also append if:
- declaration is ANSI, while definition is K&R
- no declaration, definition ANSI style.
For illustration, get the PE demo code for C68 (from Thierry site),
and make the various program. Most will works fine, excepted the ones
which plot a point on the application windows.
The cause is just because of the style used (K&R) for the callback,
whereas the current C68 PE library is expected ANSI style.
Correction is easy, once you know why it fails!
Re: [ql-users] gold card and qubide
henk verbeek makes some magical things to make me read } Hello everyone, } } I have a standard ql with a qubide and a gold card. If i connect the gold } card or the qubide separatly they work fine but as soon as i put them } together (quibide first and after this the gold card at the left hand slot } of my classic ql) the ql doesn't boot up anymore. } I already tried the jumpersettings j3+j4+j5 and j3+j4 only but it still } doesn't work. I know its possible to let them work together but how? Does } anyone have a clue ? or do i have to buy an mplane or something like that ? } } Henk Verbeek } Check the Qubide manual, it has something to do with the available IO zone/rom location. With a GC, only one is possible.
