ASCII Graphics Challenge! :P

[na_th_an]

Thanks, Neo

Really cool routines. This library is really interesting. Adosorken, I love text mode stuff, if ya wanna I could try to help you providing some functions I've seen the "future plans" section and I can provide the 512 characters mode and the extended text resolutions, as well as the custom character set loader.

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This is my little set of routines to use the 512 characters mode and to load the customized char maps into VGA memory:

Code:

DECLARE SUB LoadCharInMap (file$, Map%)
DECLARE SUB BlockBitPlane2 ()
DECLARE SUB UnBlockBitPlane2 ()
DECLARE SUB SelectMaps (Map0%, Map1%)
DECLARE SUB OutPortW (dir%, a%)
'$INCLUDE: 'QB.BI'

SUB BlockBitPlane2
    EgaVgaSequencer% = &H3C4
    EgaVgaGraphCtr% = &H3CE
    OutPortW EgaVgaSequencer%, &H100
    OutPortW EgaVgaSequencer%, &H402
    OutPortW EgaVgaSequencer%, &H704
    OutPortW EgaVgaSequencer%, &H300
    OutPortW EgaVgaGraphCtr%, &H204
    OutPortW EgaVgaGraphCtr%, &H5
    OutPortW EgaVgaGraphCtr%, &H6
END SUB

SUB LoadCharInMap (file$, Map%)
    d$ = CHR$(0)
    aBase% = &H4000 * Map%
    DEF SEG = &HA000
    f% = FREEFILE
    OPEN file$ FOR BINARY AS #f%
    FOR i% = 0 TO 255
        FOR j% = 0 TO 15
            GET #f%, , d$
            POKE aBase% + j%, ASC(d$)
        NEXT j%
        aBase% = aBase% + 32
    NEXT i%
    CLOSE #f%
    DEF SEG
END SUB

SUB OutPortW (dir%, a%)
    OUT dir%, a% AND 255
    OUT dir% + 1, a% \ 256
END SUB

SUB SelectMaps (Map0%, Map1%)
    DIM Regs AS RegType
    DIM OutPortWs AS RegType
    ' Bytes:
    Map0% = Map0% AND 255
    Map1% = Map1% AND 255
    ' Acceso a los registros
    Regs.ax = &H1103
    b% = (Map0% AND 3) + (Map0% AND 4) * 4
    c% = (Map1% AND 3) * 4 + (Map1% AND 4) * 8
    bc% = b% + c%
    Regs.bx = bc%
    INTERRUPT &H10, Regs, OutPortWs
END SUB

SUB UnBlockBitPlane2
    EgaVgaSequencer% = &H3C4
    EgaVgaGraphCtr% = &H3CE
    OutPortW EgaVgaSequencer%, &H100
    OutPortW EgaVgaSequencer%, &H302
    OutPortW EgaVgaSequencer%, &H304
    OutPortW EgaVgaSequencer%, &H300
    OutPortW EgaVgaGraphCtr%, &H4
    OutPortW EgaVgaGraphCtr%, &H1005
    OutPortW EgaVgaGraphCtr%, &HE06
END SUB

To use it you just do this:

Code:

BlockBitPlane2
LoadCharInMap "charset1.fnt", 0
LoadCharInMap "charset2.fnt", 1
SelectMaps 0, 1
UnBlockBitPlane2

... where charset1.fnt and charset2.fnt are standard 4096 bytes text-mode font files (all the 256 characters, 16 bytes each).

Now remember that with colour 0-7 you print with the charset1 font and with colour 8-15 you print with the charset2 font, so adjust your palettes.

If you, reader, don't know what the heck the 512 characters mode is, check this demo Right-click -> Save as

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Edited once more: I can't work with the enhaced SVGA text modes 'cause my card doesn't seem to support them. I just call the interrupt and it does... nothing :o