MultiColorTextGraphic EDITOR { SPRDEF }

lived.ch , 11:28 06.01.2024


This is probably the cheapest MultiColorEditor for C128 :-)
But it's almost all done by me { SPRDEF isn't }, and it's working nice.
The goal was to make it easy to understand so others can do their part too and produce some nice graphic parts for games.
I also added a multicolor screen, which i created directly using the selfmade gfx elements, as an example of how you could use this. This example was created using only 6 graphic elements!

Screen portion is 12 lines x 40 characters { 480 } and was saved directly using BSAVE command.
First i created the gfx elements using the Editor { SPRDEF }, then drew on the screen portion, and used different colors for the COLOR MAP between *8 - 15 by using C= Key to select them { Cursor will change its color map color so you know what you are using! }
{ *No. 4 in SPRDEF Editor. In SPRDEF it's always the same color, but later you can change it before or even after you have the character on the screen}

Saving is in direct mode, no lines.
Watch not to go below line 21 with direct command or you could move your drawings up { because of the screen printing function } and then you'll probably get very frustrated!!! I did, hahaha...!
Printing can be disabled with print chr$(27)+"m" , and enabled with print chr$(27)+"l" (it's L, not I) or you can also hit the ESC + M or L key. 
{ i'm using VICE Emu and my ESC is actually RUN/STOP key, no idea where real ESC button is!? }

{ You can use your own naming, of course }
When that was done, i saved the screen part as follows:
- bsave"screengfx.bl",b15,p1024top1024+480

Same then with the color map, just diffrent location:
- bsave"screencol.bl",b15,p55296top55296+480

To save the modified {and not modified } characters, type following:
- bsave"mcarea.bl",b15,p8192top9216 

Why is the last one so?
Because we transferred 128 characters {ED000 ED400 from ROM Bank 14 to Bank 15, starting $2000, dec 8192! Value $400 , dec 1024 bytes means: 1024 + 8192 = 9216 { $2400 }

Now do this:
- load"showscreen.bas",8 and type run { press enter } to see it working.
{ detailed explanation is in REM lines of the programm }

BACK TO THE EDITOR! 
Editor { SPRDEF } itself is here! just a 6 characters editor because i am using only the first Sprite, but you can easily extend it to all characters if you wish, but i don't see the *need!
Precisely, SHIFT + ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ { 26 gfx elements } can also be modified step by step using the first Sprite to modify 6 characters at once, then the next six and so on.
* { Well, maybe later to edit 26 chars at once! Good idea Joe! }
* { Why didn't i think about it!? hahaha... } 

Add the exported data to aditional BASIC lines with the correct location in the memory. 
That's not difficult, just count up from the F character { keep cursor data as last part }.
Aditional 8 memory locations are then modifying G character or better said the graphic symbol accessible with SHIFT + G... And next 8 addresses are then H, I, J, K, L, M etc... until Z.
To access them, as said SHIFT + Character!

Save all modified character as said above. 
Load is then only with bload"yourchar.bl" and it will go to the saved location 8192, $2000

Activation in BASIC 
{ can be of course squeezed in just one line without comments, keep the order }:

xx poke 216,0: rem keep interrupt enabled
xx poke 2604,24: rem pointer to $2000 location
xx rem transfer part
xx poke 216,255: rem disable interrupt 
xx poke 53270,216: rem and activate multi color character mode

Should be all clear by now...