*dev experts only* Created a new Snes graphics engine, way too busy to test it out

I'm in colledge now, and I also have a job in the morning. For a few weeks I was busy working on a super-awsome multijoin sprite monster demo for the Super Nintendo to show off and test a sprite engine I've created.

I got bored with programming it, so I copied the existing sprite engine to another ROM and I added background support to it. However because I'm so busy and pooped out from working on my super-awsome multijoin sprite monster demo (that is still no-where near finished) I don't have enough time and effort left to test my codes out to make sure they are working properly.

Does anybody have time on their hands to test my codes out, so I could be busy doing other things, and inform me if it works or not? My Aaendi engine is here, with a document that gives all the information you need to program something using it.


EDIT: Just if your confused if the Aaendi Engine is the monster multijoined-sprite demo or not, I'm uploading the (obviously unfinished) monster demo too.

Hello.

Appearantly you haven't noticed the "experts only" in the title of the thread. I never said I wanted to talk to trolls.

Knuckle Duster, I've actually been wondering . . . what is a troll, anyway? Is it someone who just shits all over threads and attempts to start arguments?

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Originally Posted by Dragonboy

Appearantly you haven't noticed the "experts only" in the title of the thread. I never said I wanted to talk to trolls.

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"Appearantly" you assume too much. I'm not arguing with you, only acknowledging your return with little input other than your own.
They say time heals all wounds; If only the 'internet' could better gauge itself to such rule. Troll you say? Pot & Kettle I say.

Welcome back.
You should have posted this under 'Tech aid'

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

Knuckle Duster, I've actually been wondering . . . what is a troll, anyway? Is it someone who just shits all over threads and attempts to start arguments?

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Not quite, a troll is more akin to someone who shits on themselves publicly and doesn't shut up about how it's the right thing to do.

Shitting on threads to start arguments is a character trait commonly shared by all who wish debate, but equally suppressed by judgment for those who chose not to.

Wow, that's exactly what I didn't expect Knuckle Duster to say.

I forgot about the "Tech Aid" forum, thanks for reminding me.;)


I'm in the mood of sharing some stuff I made while I was gone. Here is a demo that does rotation on the Super Nintendo without using Mode-7. It is actually a trick I discovered by watching a video of Contra Hard Corps really carefully.

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Originally Posted by dragonboy

I'm in colledge now

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It must be the worst one in the nation if your spelling is still that atrocious. It is such a sad thing when college students can't even spell "college" properly. Shows that our expectations of society in this country are extraordinarily low.

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Originally Posted by Joe Redifer

It must be the worst one in the nation if your spelling is still that atrocious. It is such a sad thing when college students can't even spell "college" properly. Shows that our expectations of society in this country are extraordinarily low.

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the real question is how he's programming SNES demos at 18, yet is spelling at a 1st grade level.

I just noticed my Aaendi demo just got a few views? I would like to know who looked at it?, because you probably only saw a blank screen. It is actually supposed to be blank. You don't actually see game engines, you see the demo that runs on the game engine, and because I only have an engine but no demo to run, it does nothing.

Just incase anyone is confused.

What the hell's an "Aaendi"?

Aændi with an ash, maybe?
No, I don't think he's grasped English, let alone 'Old English'. :lol:

All jokes aside. I don't intend to look at it.
Other than that:

http://sourceforge.net/ is good if you open your project up.

http://stackoverflow.com/ is a good social network for 'programming wisdom' should you need it.

"Now you know, and knowing is half the battle."
(Red and Blue lasers each being 25% of course)

http://fashionablygeek.com/wp-conten...ttle-shirt.jpg

I downloaded the stuff, but haven't had a chance to look at it yet. I suggest a google project page.

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Originally Posted by Knuckle Duster

http://stackoverflow.com/ is a good social network for 'programming wisdom' should you need it.

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But what does that have to do with console coding?

Dragonboy: You're using tile scroll mode for the rotation demo? I'm gonna borrow your tiles for a dynamic tile demo that does that same effect :)

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With the Aaendi Engine, BG1 tile map is loaded every frame from cpu address $1000. BG2 and BG3 tile map, and the tile pattern tables can only be accessed via forced blank.

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You're re-copying a whole BG section to vram on every frame? If it's a typical game engine, you only need copy either a row or a column to the offscreen part. Usually 16-32 pixels out. Depends on how fast the game scrolls and in which directions. Bonks Adventure has large sections of the tilemap that update in frame, but the game logic detects this and only updates the differences for those sections (the beginning level with the volcano's rising out of the ground), else is does what most other games do and just do row/column updating as the screen scrolls and let the screen wrapping take care of the rest for you.

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Originally Posted by tomaitheous

But what does that have to do with console coding?

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Nothing. Just extra wisdom if he takes up coding for practical purposes. He can learn about higher languages there.

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Originally Posted by tomaitheous

But what does that have to do with console coding?

Dragonboy: You're using tile scroll mode for the rotation demo? I'm gonna borrow your tiles for a dynamic tile demo that does that same effect :)

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Yes, Mode-2 offset-per-tile + HDMA line scrolling!

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You're re-copying a whole BG section to vram on every frame? If it's a typical game engine, you only need copy either a row or a column to the offscreen part. Usually 16-32 pixels out. Depends on how fast the game scrolls and in which directions. Bonks Adventure has large sections of the tilemap that update in frame, but the game logic detects this and only updates the differences for those sections (the beginning level with the volcano's rising out of the ground), else is does what most other games do and just do row/column updating as the screen scrolls and let the screen wrapping take care of the rest for you.

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I was planning on some explodable scenery. Maybe I'll change it to a list of tiles to change, instead of the entire thing at once, but the question is how many tiles should it allow per frame? I currently have it forced blanked until it's done copying so it will have a black bar, but it won't glitch.

Sometimes I wonder how other programmers made sure their code never passed the end of v-blank? I don't remember black lines flickering on top of the screen in any games. Was slowdown ever intentually programmed in games so it can finish off the v-blank code during the next frame where it left off? I'd take flickering black lines over slowdown anyday.

Update:

Since it is the weekend, I have some time for testing it out.

Appearantly, using register $0422 to control register $2100, doesn't work for some reason. Then I changed it to $0424 instead and somehow that worked but $0422 didn't?

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Originally Posted by dragonboy

Yes, Mode-2 offset-per-tile + HDMA line scrolling!

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Cool :D

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I was planning on some explodable scenery. Maybe I'll change it to a list of tiles to change, instead of the entire thing at once, but the question is how many tiles should it allow per frame? I currently have it forced blanked until it's done copying so it will have a black bar, but it won't glitch.

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Yeah, if your engine requires anything more than the basic x/y scrolling - it'll need a custom design from the ground up. I always rewrite my map routines. Even if they're almost identical to another one I've written. But yeah, for something that requires a huge tilemap update, you'll have to think about the limitations and design it around that. That means other things than just updating the map sections to the sPPU/vram. I mean, if parts of the map are dynamic/changeable - then you'll have to figure out some sort of system to keep track of this in work ram, but without eating up all the work ram. Special tags/control codes that point to sections in ram (reference) instead of reading directly from rom, etc. But I highly recommend not updating the whole virtual tilemap in vram. You're wasting redundant writes. If you need large changes to the map, you might want to section off the tilemap layer to double buffer. Use a HDMA to 'sew' the map together vertically (for wrapping). This'll keep your tilemap divided into two section. Thus, you'll be able to make changes to the buffered tilemap section over a series of frames - without it showing up in realtime as you're doing it. Then swap which map you're displaying. Just remember you need to clip and sew the one section of the tilemap with an HDMA (or just use another section of vram and change tilemap BG pointer when needed). But.. it's hard to give specifics when I don't know the entire requirements of your effect.

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Sometimes I wonder how other programmers made sure their code never passed the end of v-blank? I don't remember black lines flickering on top of the screen in any games. Was slowdown ever intentually programmed in games so it can finish off the v-blank code during the next frame where it left off? I'd take flickering black lines over slowdown anyday.

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I've seen many NES games that turn off the display during vblank. Probably so as not to corrupt the onscreen display if the game code takes too long. It results in a black screen for 1 frame. Though, it's not common to see this. Like I said previously, most games only write a column or row update to the tilemap. So most of the time, it's the other game logic that causes it to missing the vblank marker. I.e. by the time it gets to the "wait_for_vblank" check loop, it's passed it and won't hit until the next frame. So no worries about writing to the display during active screen. Just the slow down of 50%. If the music routine is tied to the vblank interrupt, then the music won't slowdown - else it will.

You know, Super Mario Bros for the NES runs the entire game logic in vblank. Tilemap updates and sprite table updates are buffered, so they only happen on the next call (it's the first thing that happens). A few other NES games do this. It's very weird, but it works because of how the tilemap/sprite table updates are buffered.

From the looks of unfinished multijoined sprite monster demo, (that I haven't worked on for a week) I use the same load-32-16x16-sprites-per-frame set up, only without the background stuff, and it has two black lines on the top of the screen on bsnes. Do you mean the screen will come up completely black on real hardware?

Just some questions Dragonboy. What tools/Dev Equipment are you using to program games? What program language(s) do you know how to code with? If you do complete a game/demo I figure the only way you can play it or anyone for the matter is with the emulator right. Not like you can make and distribute carts...?

Not trying to be smart ass just wondering..

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Originally Posted by FoxHound

Just some questions Dragonboy. What tools/Dev Equipment are you using to program games? What program language(s) do you know how to code with? If you do complete a game/demo I figure the only way you can play it or anyone for the matter is with the emulator right. Not like you can make and distribute carts...?

Not trying to be smart ass just wondering..

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I use tile molester for the graphics, and I use a program called asmdev to program. Both can be found here: www.smwcentral.net

For programming languages I use 65816 assembly, there are a lot of 65816ASM docs out there to find, and I also use hardware register docs, which are also easy to find.