MCGA Sprite programming?

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2 total messages Started by Byron Guernsey Wed, 19 May 1993 01:10

#488

Author: Byron Guernsey
Date: Wed, 19 May 1993 01:10

31 lines
2153 bytes

I'm not sure if this is the right group to post this in, but I found no
"programming" group for the ibm.pc

I've been looking at some shareware packages for manipulating MCGA 
320x200x256 graphics screens with "sprites" and most of them have just
fallen short of what I'm looking for.

Most of them use a virtual screen which is then copied on the vertical screen
retrace to video memory.  I want to know if there is a way to merely change a
register on the vga card and change the video ram address after a retrace
to quickly swap to the updated screen?   It seems a mjor slowdown with the
programs is copying the virtual screen to video ram. 

One other problem I found with the 2 TPU's "sprites" and "pasKAL" is that
they always allocate a set amount of space for each sprite whether or not
the sprite requires it. (At least that is what I assumed after looking at
the Interface files)  I'd like to do something where the sprites are
dynamically allocated by the size of the image.  If anyone knows if a 
package that already does this, please let me know.  I don't want to 
reinvent the wheel, I just want fast, memory efficient display routines.

ANIVGA is the 3rd package I am looking at, however some of the demo programs
written for it lock up on my machine.  Does anyone know if a newer version of
ANIVGA is available?  I haven't really studied it to see how it handles
memory, but it appears to be extremely fast. 

Any comments or information anyone can give me would be helpful.  I may end
up writing my own routines so I can get those 2 things: speed, and memory
optimization.

Byron

Re: MCGA Sprite programming?

#489

Author: vp... Victor Putz
Date: Sat, 22 May 1993 21:55

51 lines
2552 bytes

specter@compunet.uucp (Byron Guernsey) writes:

>I'm not sure if this is the right group to post this in, but I found no
>"programming" group for the ibm.pc

>I've been looking at some shareware packages for manipulating MCGA 
>320x200x256 graphics screens with "sprites" and most of them have just
>fallen short of what I'm looking for.

>Most of them use a virtual screen which is then copied on the vertical s
reen
>retrace to video memory.  I want to know if there is a way to merely cha
ge a
>register on the vga card and change the video ram address after a retrac

>to quickly swap to the updated screen?   It seems a mjor slowdown with t
e
>programs is copying the virtual screen to video ram. 

>One other problem I found with the 2 TPU's "sprites" and "pasKAL" is tha

>they always allocate a set amount of space for each sprite whether or no

>the sprite requires it. (At least that is what I assumed after looking a

>the Interface files)  I'd like to do something where the sprites are
>dynamically allocated by the size of the image.  If anyone knows if a 
>package that already does this, please let me know.  I don't want to 
>reinvent the wheel, I just want fast, memory efficient display routines.

>ANIVGA is the 3rd package I am looking at, however some of the demo prog
ams
>written for it lock up on my machine.  Does anyone know if a newer versi
n of
>ANIVGA is available?  I haven't really studied it to see how it handles
>memory, but it appears to be extremely fast. 

>Any comments or information anyone can give me would be helpful.  I may 
nd
>up writing my own routines so I can get those 2 things: speed, and memor

>optimization.

>Byron

The newsgroup you want is rec.games.programmer.

If you can use C++, the library you want is yakIcons.  In any case,
look in the /pub/profile/game-dev/msdos/tools directory of ftp.netcom.com.

Thanks-->VPutz

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