Ken Gracey: About the TV terminal interface

Sleazy - G

I had remembered discussing the drivers for a TV UI i'm developing, and addressing the TV terminal issue.·

I realized that my "ripped" hybrid spin uses a top file similar to "GRAPHICS DEMO"·and only the "TV" and "GRAPHICS" objects underneath it

I saw that the "TV terminal" does this too, but I tried to adopt the "GRAPHICS DEMO" framework in my hybrid

So i psyched myself into second-guessing my·program , and i realized why I didnt use·"TV TERMINAL" to begin with.

The "TV TERMINAL" doesnt have a graphics hub RAM allocation for double buffer (right? I see no STACK allocation).· You cant get any flicker free graphics this way, as far as i can understand, from a calling top object.· Calling the "TV TERMINAL" object from a higher top object wont allow any REPEAT loops, and Ive tried to adopt the "GRAPHICS DEMO" idea of including that double buffering REPEAT loop in that top object.

Is there a double buffering terminal program which allows for graphics with the "TV TERMINAL" object's "byte string from variable" style·debug simultaneously , flicker free?· If not·its what im working on,·but its messy still, and i only·have 300 hub·Longs left (since·"GRAPHICS DEMO" allocates $6000 (2 X $3000 double buffer?))·Converting raw variables to DAT block byte strings for display in the "GRAPHICS DEMO" style framework is alot more work than just using "TV TERMINAL", however you cant get the flicker-free movement for any graphics.

Any thoughts?

GTS

Rayman

If your aim is do draw lots of small text onto a double-buffered screen, they you should be able to integrate the text routines of "TV Terminal" into the "Graphics Demo" object as a starting point.

However, you will become aware that double buffering the entire screen requires almost all of the 32k hub RAM. You might want to limit the graphics area to as small an area as possible and use regular ROM fonts for the rest of the screen.

PS:· Ken's busy counting chips right now... [noparse]:)[/noparse]

Ken Peterson

Depending on how much time you're spending drawing graphics, you might want to look into waiting until the vertical sync interval before drawing the graphics. Check tv_status for the bit corresponding to sync. This can reduce flicker without having to double buffer.

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