RECOIL / Tickets / #105 eLeMeNt ZX graphics support

Sam Coup - 2024-12-16

the highest eZX resolution + programming example attached

456show.png

456src.png

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Sam Coup - 2024-12-16

videos: https://www.youtube.com/@jankucera6443/videos
Pouet: enhanced ZX... https://www.pouet.net/prodlist.php?platform%5B%5D=ZX%20Enhanced

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Piotr Fusik - 2025-01-06

status: open --> accepted

assigned_to: Piotr Fusik

Group: -->
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Piotr Fusik - 2025-01-07

What is the format of HRXC attributes?

Can I have some THR examples?

The palette in SS3 is different from what @Dec suggested in https://sourceforge.net/p/recoil/bugs/84/ Which one is correct?
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Sam Coup - 2025-01-08

1) The format of HRXC attributes is: bits 0-3 INK and 4-7 PAPER , 16+16 colours, no bright and no flash

2) THR examples are here: https://zxart.ee/eng/graphics/database/pictureType:timexhr/sortParameter:date/sortOrder:desc/resultsType:zxitem/
the last byte should hold a colour information, however, the standard is not settled yet, I think...
sometimes this byte holds a number 0-7, sometimes takes a form of the timex hw port (bits 3-5)
eg. see page 34 of the ProgRef https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NJB_z3zVorTfmEj2JAS3QtAx_zbpkdCAAptHSnOOzkU/edit?tab=t.0

There is also a suggestion to save a full byte of the the Timex hw-port, incl. bits 1 and 2 set for hires. This last option was proposed by Moroz (zx-art.ee, and he will be kind to change this byte in all pictures in the database ), Dec is not decided about it... The eLeMeNt will follow Recoil and Dadither standards, if it is needs some dispute, will I vote personally for a proposal of the Moroz. :-)

3) Similar to the previous last sentence :-) The eLeMeNt uses physical layouts mostly. I have spotted this inaccuracy years ago, when making a simple convertor: https://sam.speccy.cz/gfxm3.html but completely forget about it. The eLeMeNt will definitively follow the current Dec´s and DaDither format (+ I will repair all pictures then).

Last edit: Sam Coup 2025-01-08

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Piotr Fusik - 2025-03-04

status: accepted --> closed-fixed
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Piotr Fusik - 2025-03-04

Done! Please test at https://recoil.sourceforge.net/web.html

2) RECOIL already handled 12289-byte SCR by taking the ink color from bits 3-5 of the last byte and ignoring the other bits. I handle *.THR identically.
3) I kept SS3 palette handling unchanged.
4) 23-PIC.SCR is inversed. Is there a standard of what's black and what's white? RECOILWin has an "inverse" option, but it would be good to provide a common default. ZX-Art uses the inverse of RECOIL: https://zxart.ee/eng/graphics/database/pictureType:monochrome/sortParameter:date/sortOrder:desc/resultsType:zxitem/ but TIME3.!s and OBJ2.!s look better in RECOIL.
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum_graphic_modes#Compatible_machines_and_interfaces lists Radastan as supported also on ZX-Uno, ZX Spectrum Next and MB03+ Ultimate. It seems that ZX-Uno was first, so I report it as the platform for *.RAD. Please confirm.

Last edit: Piotr Fusik 2025-03-04

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Sam Coup - 2025-03-05

ad5) yes, ZX-Uno was the first: https://www.zxuno.com/ht2e/ + see the attachement. I also opened a Radastanian thread on the SpecComp forum, in order to support the RAD format and its older converter, https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?p=77038#p77038

ad3) ??? imho, in the monochrome should be pixel set (binary 1) in black as an ink. white is 0, a paper.

MANY THANKS, let me go with some testing :-)

Last edit: Sam Coup 2025-03-05

RADASTAN.TXT

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Piotr Fusik - 2025-03-06

You're welcome!

3) RECOIL doesn't open your SHIP.SS3 and TIGER.SS3. One problem is they contain just a four-byte palette and no color changes ("interrupts"). The other, bigger problem, is that palette entries 1 and 2 are swapped - that's the issue discussed in https://sourceforge.net/p/recoil/bugs/84/ Or, equivalently, pixel bits are swapped.

4) Why do TIME3.!s and OBJ2.!s look better with black paper and white ink?

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Dec - 2025-03-12

eLeMeNt ZX uses value 182 for dark ZX colors. And GSC color can be calculated with very simple formula R = (R1 + R2) / 2.

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- Sam Coup - 2025-03-14
  
  yes, the formula is OK and the value is the same for both eLeMeNt ZX and MB hardware, plus the LnxSpectrum emulator
  
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Sam Coup - 2025-03-14

SS3>
thanks, I also spotted this, but have no time to check ... till now
as far as I can remeber, SSx were unsettled years ago, so I started to use SS3 with length of 24580 and SS4 with 24592, expecting that a "higher level" format like SSX will cover screen types and also palette/line changes
currently the SimCoupe emulator can produce raw files with 24580 and 24592 bytes as the SSX
and paradoxically the old SS3 and SS4 were unified to 24617 bytes, a full SAM SCREEN$ file, with a palette tables, although colour changes are mostly NOT used in SAM pictures
https://www.worldofsam.org/products/screen-modes

I will change my (and some zxart.ee) SS3 pictures... or maybe simply rename them to SSX

however, I see that the RECOIL is tolerant to old SS4 files of 24592 bytes :-)

Last edit: Sam Coup 2025-03-14

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Sam Coup - 2025-03-14

Why do TIME3.!s and OBJ2.!s look better with black paper and white ink?

Sorry, I am not sure about it. Moroz told me that according to your reports he immediately repaired and inverted all monochrome pictures.
https://zxart.ee/eng/graphics/database/pictureType:monochrome/sortParameter:date/sortOrder:desc/resultsType:zxitem/

PS. I repaired (inverted) my 23-PIC.SCR

Last edit: Sam Coup 2025-03-14

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Sam Coup - 2025-07-02

Hi, Piotr!

after several weeks of usage I can say, all these formats work!!!
Many thanks for support!

I personally appreciate hires formats and two VRAMs combinations.

I wish you a wonderful summer time!

Looking forward to RECOIL 6.4.6 :-)

Kind regards
Josef

Last edit: Sam Coup 2025-07-02

SEC-HKL.PNG

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Piotr Fusik - 2025-07-03

Thanks for confirmation, Josef!
The next RECOIL is going to be 7.0.0.

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Sam Coup - 2025-07-04

Nice. I am also very happy for the linux support, I personally use Linux MX, in my family and friends I install Linux Mint. I also use XnView.

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#105 eLeMeNt ZX graphics support

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