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Post by =TRIANGULAR= on Dec 17, 2023 2:25:54 GMT
Newest TRIANGULAR μOS 1.40 for Commodore 128 is released: triangular-uos.blogspot.comTRIANGULAR μOS 1.40 for Commodore 128 [17-12-2023]: - New theme called "Brazil" - BIOS: Initializing procedure reworked - GUI: Streamlined, code cleaned and improved - MONITOR: Memory display mechanism is reworked and 7 times faster - WORDS: branch out to separate file & improvements - SYNTH: branch out to separate file & improvements - STAR WARS: branch out to separate file & improvements - CRAB IN NEW YORK: branch out to separate file & improvements - SIMCITY: branch out to separate file & improvements - GP BRAZIL game added in place of TRASURE CHAMBER - Sprites data moved into separate asset files - BASICALLY API Jump Table removed from GUI - Clipboard moved to System Registry - Improvements & bugfixes - Updated documentation TRIANGULAR μOS 1.40 goals overview: 1. Introducing new look with "Brazil" theme. 2. Separate all 4 games, WORDS and SYNTH from GUI (main program) codebase into modules/programs for: A. Faster execution of separate programs (around 3 times more). B. Easier development of separate programs. It will introduce "local variables", thus avoiding variables conflict. C. Easier building and debugging of separate programs (no need for building whole GUI and System Disk on development stage). D. All above also affects GUI main codebase + leaves more space for further features. 3. Introduction of system resources files to held system assets (mostly graphics like sprites) on them. That further decreased size of codebase and speeds up loading of those assets in comparison of READ & DATA method. And assets in files are making possible to have many interchangeable customized assets. 4. New racing game GP BRAZIL is added in place of TRASURE CHAMBER. 5. BASICALLY API Jump Table is removed from main GUI saved nearly 1 KB from code. Only TEMPLATE program has BASICALLY Jump Table and it can could be copied at end of GUI .bas file if needed. Video soon. |
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Post by robertb on Dec 17, 2023 6:23:34 GMT
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Post by =TRIANGULAR= on Dec 17, 2023 23:26:32 GMT
OK, I've made some minor update TRIANGULAR μOS 1.40. Just redownload them from μOS website: triangular-uos.blogspot.com/2023/12/triangular-os-1.40-for-commodore-128.html1. I've expanded assets loading mechanism. I've just find out that it loads assets properly only from disk #8, so I had to add few lines of code to programs that load assets for proper servicing of other disk drives (only UOS, STAR WARS, CRAB IN NYC and GP BRAZIL where updated). 2. I've corrected 1 minor visual issue in SIMCITY, when mouse pointer didn't hide when going back to man menu from game. After those updated System Disk grew over 1 KB to 47.41 KB / 201 disk blocks / 50.25 KB disk size. GUI: is not changed release and has size of 22 062 bytes or 21.54 KB, which is 53% of GUI size of versions 1.36 and 1.40 Alpha 1. Due to converting TRIANGULAR μOS into modules with other optimalizations in version 1.40, not only separated games and programs are around 3 times faster, but are also other parts μOS. Whole GUI loads significantly faster: goes from over 40 seconds in version 1.36 to just under half minute (29 seconds) in version 1.40, which is 40% faster. This is due to slimming down GUI and other optimalizations. Now I'm preparing video for TRIANGULAR μOS 1.40, probably will upload it tomorrow. Next I will start developing version 1.41 and there I will expand BASICALLY API, add new start menu (this menu is here from version 1.00), expand GP BRAZIL even more and add to SIMCITY saving and loading game functionality. After that version 1.42 with all those mouse options. |
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Post by robertb on Dec 18, 2023 21:46:50 GMT
At about 2 p.m. Pacific Time, we downloaded version 1.40 (whichever version that was), and we tried it out in the club meeting. We were pleased that everything was moving more quickly, e.g., the pointer moved across the screen more quickly and the games (Crab in New York, SimCity, and Star Wars) were more responsive. However, when we tried to play music on Synth, there were no sounds coming out of it. Merry Christmas! Robert Bernardo Fresno Commodore User Group - www.dickestel.com/fcug.htmSouthern California Commodore & Amiga Network - www.portcommodore.com/sccan |
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Post by =TRIANGULAR= on Dec 18, 2023 22:33:31 GMT
At about 2 p.m. Pacific Time, we downloaded version 1.40 (whichever version that was), and we tried it out in the club meeting. We were pleased that everything was moving more quickly, e.g., the pointer moved across the screen more quickly and the games (Crab in New York, SimCity, and Star Wars) were more responsive. However, when we tried to play music on Synth, there were no sounds coming out of it. Merry Christmas! Robert Bernardo Fresno Commodore User Group - www.dickestel.com/fcug.htmSouthern California Commodore & Amiga Network - www.portcommodore.com/sccanRobert great to hear from you. Updated version only differs in 2 aspects: it will load system from all disk device number [8 to 11], while older will start only on device #8 + small visual correction in SIMCITY, so no big difference. It is great that you like new speed improvements. As of no voice from SYNTH I will have to check it again, but on VICE emulator everything works fine. But I will check it and correct issue in next 1.41 release. |
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Post by =TRIANGULAR= on Dec 19, 2023 1:27:34 GMT
Grab YouTube preview video of TRIANGULAR μOS 1.40 in 4K:
Now I started developing TRIANGULAR μOS 1.41.
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Post by robertb on Dec 19, 2023 8:36:09 GMT
As of no voice from SYNTH I will have to check it again, but on VICE emulator everything works fine. But I will check it and correct issue in next 1.41 release. I forgot to mention that the volume control on SYNTH doesn't work correctly. While we can lower the volume, we cannot raise the volume. Merry Christmas! Robert Bernardo Fresno Commodore User Group - www.dickestel.com/fcug.htmSouthern California Commodore & Amiga Network - www.portcommodore.com/sccan |
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Post by =TRIANGULAR= on Dec 19, 2023 13:03:17 GMT
I forgot to mention that the volume control on SYNTH doesn't work correctly. While we can lower the volume, we cannot raise the volume. Thanks Robert for reporting this issue. Your input helps me improve TRIANGULAR μOS. I've checked this issue and that's because of faulty implementation of F-keys in CBM prg Studio when programming on C128, while it actuality works fine on C64. So this mislead me into thinking that this is just my VICE emulator idiosyncrasy. Thus to activate F5 you need to press F2 and vice versa because some of the keys are shifted. For sure I will correct this behavior in version 1.41 (I've already reported this bug to CBM prg Studio creator). Speaking of 1.41, I will expand BASICALLY API considerably by automating icons, text labels and buttons placement - that will be my primary task for this version. Alongside BASICALLY API Jumpable will be updated, as well as documentation, where on further expanded TEMPLATE program I will explain how to write TRIANGULAR μOS GUI programs using its BASICALLY API. But first I will add new Start Menu and that will be new visual change for 1.41. Also I will develop GP BRAZIL into even more interesting game. I find out that labels of DISK program tends to "decomposition" themselves when window is moved - this will be corrected. I hope to release this version before New Year. I don't know if there is need for video, maybe I will make one at end of the series 1.4x? Since purple mouse pointer is really visible right know, in version 1.42 I will introduce changeable colors of GUI elements like windows, buttons, icon labels instead of mouse setting. That feature will be introduced in version 1.43. |
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Post by =TRIANGULAR= on Dec 19, 2023 22:35:00 GMT
Ok, I've corrected F-keys issue and DISK now displays properly. Also I've checked SYNTH and not spotted yet possible conflict, so this is still open issue. But most importantly Start Menu is refreshed and expanded:  TRIANGULAR μOS 1.41 Task list: - Wrongly assigned function keys are fixed => DONE - DISK: Misplaced labels when moving fixed => DONE - New expanded START MENU => DONE - BASICALLY API expanded => Currently in development - GP BRAZIL expanded => TODO - Variables simplified and reorganized => TODO - BASICALLY Jump Table expanded => TODO - TEMPLATE expanded => TODO - Documentation updated and expanded => TODO - Improvements & bugfixes => Currently in development More updates here |
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Post by =TRIANGULAR= on Dec 21, 2023 18:50:55 GMT
API calls for drawing text label, icons and buttons are ready and work great. They are just drawing those elements. Logic behind it should be implemented separately in window loop. I'm in process of implementing it in rest of GUI elements. Those API calls are introduced neither for speed nor for smaller size (but when implementing those some calls reduce size of given item by up to 20 bytes, so we will see overall balance here), but for simpler and faster developing GUI apps along with easier reading their code. Also some icons are slightly updated like THIS C128 icon. What is worth to mention that names under icons are placed automatically thanks to icon API call. Button API call can easily create 2 types of button - bulky one - like those on APPLY button from 1.25 onward. And new, slim type. Finally Start Menu is slightly updated. Screen below shows all new changes:  Although it seems that in most places it is identical to μOS 1.40, trust me almost everything here is generated by API calls. Also GUI is restructured: simply reshuffled BASICALLY API code up, and GRAPHICS widow segment is just after SETTINGS for further clarity and speed of API. New updated TRIANGULAR μOS 1.41 Task list: - Wrongly assigned function keys are fixed => DONE - GUI: Few icons updated => DONE - DISK: Misplaced labels when moving fixed => DONE - New expanded START MENU => DONE - BASICALLY API expanded => DONE - GP BRAZIL expanded => TODO - Variables simplified and reorganized => TODO - Code restructured => DONE - BASICALLY Jump Table expanded => TODO - TEMPLATE expanded => TODO - Documentation updated and expanded => TODO - Improvements & bugfixes => Currently in development More updates here |
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