I was working a little on μOS yesterday night, but I was so sleepy that I didn't write any update. So, yesterday I've finished Alpha phase and moved into Beta phase
TRIANGULAR μOS 1.40 Alpha 9 Task list:
- Improving separated programs and add main menu to GP BRAZIL => DONE
Here I was able to further improve separated games and apps. SIMCITY is near meant and is another 25% faster: now 3.27s , while in 1.36 it was 13.32s (over 4 times faster), in Alpha 8 4.80s (nearly 1.5x faster).
Apps still don't have code for bring back GUI [this will be implemented after sprites data separation].
SIMCITY and STAR WARS have changed F1 to F8 key for quitting to main menu form gameplay (other apps like WORDS have this correct). This inconsistency was present in μOS trough whole time from VIC-20 to C128 1.36 (PET don't have function key, but uses correct keys: Space as F1/Forward and DEL key as F8/Back). Spotted it recently and I thought about patching it in 1.36 but left it, so video about it could be more relatable if someone would like to learn how operate older versions of μOS. This marks end of Alpha phase.
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TRIANGULAR μOS 1.40 Beta 0 Task list:
- Reshuffle sprite order before separating sprite data into asset file => DONE
Start of Beta phase. Simple change of sprite order, so GUI, games and other apps could work properly. Aim was to relegate sprite with stripes that appears at loading sequence, so PETSCII TRIANGULAR logo looks more realistic, to sprite #8. All apps will have address it there for uniformity.
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TRIANGULAR μOS 1.40 Beta 1 Task list:
- GUI: Sprites data moved into separate resources file => DONE
After reshuffling sprites in Beta 0, sprite data was ready for spawning it into separate GUI.BIN binary asset file. This file once loaded will overwrite whole memory area designated for sprites in C128. Also now UOS will handle loading sprite data from file. GUI program won't handle them at all. File count goes up to 10.
Efficiency of BLOAD is astounding: old routine READ:DATA performs loading in 3.1s, while be load in just 0.083s to 0.1s [that is 31 to 37 times faster!!!!!!!!
I've checked it few times and I still didn't believed my eyes]. Due to all previous actions system now boots over 5 seconds faster (start machine, type commands loading until appearance of mouse pointer): 42.52s in 1.36 vs 36.75s in 1.40 Beta 1 (and probably it's not last word
).
GUI file in 1.40 Beta 1 size:
22 075 bytes / 21.56 KB / 87 disk blocks / 21.75 KB disk size - this is 19 515 bytes / 19.06 KB less than 1.36
System Disk: 10 files / 46.38 KB / 192 disk blocks / 48.00 KB disk size
Right now I'm separating sprite data from STAR WARS to asset file as Beta 2, then Beta 3 will do the same for CRAB IN NEW YORK. Later Beta stages will build up GP BRAZIL and further tailor μOS 1.40 into final release. There will be short video wrapping changes done in 1.40 (vs 1.36).
Then 1.41 will buildup BASICALLY API with icon, button and text label creators. Also I will expand menu start. This menu is unchanged from version 1.00 for Commodore PET (only original 1.00 BETA for PET had different start menu with 4 items instead of 3). But doing it I will keep my goal for series 1.4x being all about visual metamorphosis: first 1.40 has new theme, 1.41 will have new menu and 1.42 will have those promised mouse settings with separate MOSUE tab implemented. Later version will add stuff like custom fonts, bitmaps etc. Not mention new features and even more apps and games.
Also I thinking about changing Brazil theme from green & yellow to blue & orange color combination. Which one you prefer?
I've checked it few times and I still didn't believed my eyes]. Due to all previous actions system now boots over 5 seconds faster (start machine, type commands loading until appearance of mouse pointer): 42.52s in 1.36 vs 36.75s in 1.40 Beta 1 (and probably it's not last word