Author Topic: 16-Level Grayscale  (Read 35334 times)

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Offline thepenguin77

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #15 on: May 30, 2010, 02:10:53 pm »
That's me. Anyways, calculators is really all I do in my free time, but I'm a pretty quiet person and I usually like to do things myself so that is why my posts are so low. But I actually check UTI like every day and it wasn't until like a few weeks a go that I really noticed omnimaga.

I got my calculator before the 08-09 school year and by February I had learned assembly. I have pretty much been making games and stuff since then. But I never put them on ticalc because I am also a perfectionist and I never felt that the games were finished. But one day, I finally decided that they were done and just posted everything notable that I've made.

The 16 level gray scale just came from the fact that 8 had already been done, so why not do 16. I agree, it's got some pretty strange stuff going on, but if you look at the gradient picture, you can see 16 shades (or maybe just movement patterns.) The main problem is that the last half shade only toggles 6.5 times per second, which causes all the nasty effects.

My goal for Tetris was really just to end the war of the Tetris games and make one with the most the calculators can do. Plus some of the stuff in ZTRIS was annoying me.

For zStart, I understand why you are hesitant to use it because modifying ram clears is scary. Although you don't have to install that part because it is the last app. What the ram clear code does is right before the calculator displays "RAM Cleared", it calls my routine which is at the end of the page. The routine checks to see if zStart is installed, and if it is, it gives it a CSCHook. Then the CSCHook gives zStart control. Now comes the hacky part. zStart calls a page 0 routine which calculates how much free ram is being used because hooks always report it as zero. Then it makes a program (which is obviously corrupt) which jumps back to zStart and runs the program. From here it does its thing and returns.

Although this is risky, I have never had trouble with it. I have gotten so used to it in fact, that I haven't seen mathprint in over a month  and the standard TI font actually looks funny to me.
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Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #16 on: May 30, 2010, 02:40:51 pm »
Welcome here. I hope eventually you participate more in the TI community, noticing you are pretty good at making games. I think it's better to not be too perfectionist, else we tend to judge ourselves too hard, even thought most people find your stuff very good, and we tend to judge others too hard. I personally liked the stuff from you that I've tried, and I was disappointed you did not get more recognition on UTI. In fact, your stuff went more noticed here despite the fact the last time you posted on Omni was in December 2009 (in the TI-Boy SE topic).

As for 16 level grayscale, unfortunately on a regular 83+ I don't think it could be used in games, though, because the screen contrast is way too sparse: if your contrast is high enough to view the lightest shade of gray in 8 level grayscale, it's too high to view the two darkest shades. If you decrease the contrast by one, then you can't see the two lightest shades of gray. The quality of the LCD is just not enough. I enjoyed Calc84maniac chips challenge game, but on my 83+ it was not 8 level grayscale,  it was like 6, because of contrast issues. On the 83 Plus Silver Edition or higher, this is not a problem anymore.

Also btw I liked that Tetris game, it was fun to play for a while. The only suggestion I would have is to allow the player to start at the level he wants to, like the original NES Tetris, for people who seek for challenges and TAS'ers :P

Offline ztrumpet

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #17 on: May 31, 2010, 02:58:49 pm »
Welcome here!  I really like your games!  ;D

Offline Michael.3545

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #18 on: July 05, 2010, 10:55:49 pm »
uuh, thepenguin77, Zstart isn't working quite right.  It didn't work on my calc, or on wabbitemu (using an old ROM of my calc (2.43)).  When I tested it with wabbitemu, I only had omnicalc (the included version) installed, without any ROM patches.  I guess it just doesn't like me?    :'(    Anyways, here is a screenshot.

Offline ztrumpet

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #19 on: July 06, 2010, 11:37:06 am »
That's funny.  It works on my calc (2.43), so it's probably just an emulator glitch. :)

Offline Michael.3545

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #20 on: July 06, 2010, 11:59:56 am »
Nope.  Same problem happened on my real calc.  I actually tried my calc first, then because I had patched ptt and thought perhaps that could be causing a problem, I tried it on the emulator using my (unpatched) ROM.

Offline thepenguin77

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #21 on: July 06, 2010, 03:54:30 pm »
rrrrrrr. Found the problem. Ti changed the boot code without updating the number. This version only works on os 2.43. I'll have to update zStart with another flash unlocking routine.
zStart v1.3.013 9-20-2013 
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You can build a statue out of either 1'x1' blocks or 12'x12' blocks. The 1'x1' blocks will take a lot longer, but the final product is worth it.
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Offline Michael.3545

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #22 on: July 06, 2010, 04:14:17 pm »
Aha.  All of my suspicions are confirmed TI IS the root of all evil!

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #23 on: July 06, 2010, 06:49:27 pm »
rrrrrrr. Found the problem. Ti changed the boot code without updating the number. This version only works on os 2.43. I'll have to update zStart with another flash unlocking routine.
They did that too? I know the boot code changed from 1.00 to 1.02 at one point (initially, people thought this was the root of all TI-Boy SE issues), but I was not aware TI released a 3rd one with no boot code version number changes

Offline ztrumpet

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #24 on: July 06, 2010, 09:25:00 pm »
For reference, what's the complete serial number on the back of your calc Michael?

Offline Michael.3545

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #25 on: July 06, 2010, 11:25:53 pm »
1192020399_K-0507F

Offline thepenguin77

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #26 on: July 07, 2010, 12:45:57 am »
Would you look at that, he's got one of the mysterious K's.

Anyways, before we say the boot code was changed, i think we should compare it with another 84+BE because I'm not sure I've ever actually done it on a BE. 5 SE's but I'm not sure about a BE.
zStart v1.3.013 9-20-2013 
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Offline ztrumpet

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #27 on: July 07, 2010, 11:06:57 am »
Would you look at that, he's got one of the mysterious K's.

Anyways, before we say the boot code was changed, i think we should compare it with another 84+BE because I'm not sure I've ever actually done it on a BE. 5 SE's but I'm not sure about a BE.
Geekboy did it on a 84+BE without problems, so you may want to talk to him. :)
Source: http://netham45.org/irc/EfNet/view.php?log=omnimaga.20100609 (Ctrl + F zstart)

To compare some other calc serial numbers: http://www.unitedti.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=8913&view=findpost&p=137172 and http://www.unitedti.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=8913&st=140&p=137113&#entry137113
« Last Edit: July 07, 2010, 11:09:59 am by ztrumpet »

Offline thepenguin77

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #28 on: July 07, 2010, 11:19:32 am »
I wonder why geekboy thought it doesn't work on se's? I don't see anything in my readme that would even hint at that. But it looks to me like the version K is what is to blame here. K's just don't follow the rules when it comes to making calculators.
zStart v1.3.013 9-20-2013 
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You can build a statue out of either 1'x1' blocks or 12'x12' blocks. The 1'x1' blocks will take a lot longer, but the final product is worth it.
       -Runer112

Offline ztrumpet

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Re: 16-Level Grayscale
« Reply #29 on: July 07, 2010, 11:24:25 am »
I wonder why geekboy thought it doesn't work on se's? I don't see anything in my readme that would even hint at that. But it looks to me like the version K is what is to blame here. K's just don't follow the rules when it comes to making calculators.
I have a friend with a K (BE) (he's in the tables I linked to).  I think I could test zstart on his calc today or tomorrow and let you know what happens. :)