[Coco] real-time mouse cursor

[Roger Taylor]

Hopefully others are paying attention to your tutes so they might can 
dive into something graphics intensive.  I've known for ages most of 
what you're saying but the part about letting IRQ decide when to 
switch the screen and having the main code not accidentally get mixed 
up with the current state is something that carries a little bit of 
worry since IRQ can happen at any time during the main code 
execution, even if predictable at 60hz.

I mostly use the following VSYNC subroutine in all of my screen updating stuff.

VSYNC   TST     $FF02
a@      TST     $FF03
         BPL     a@
         RTS






At 09:42 AM 1/26/2008, you wrote:
>After read my reply, I think I need to fill in a bit more on the details...
>
>For any game or program that uses a GUI there is a graphics system 
>that updates the screen.
>
>In most games the graphics system uses two screens, one to display 
>the current game image and the other to "build" the next game image 
>on. The reason for doing this way is to remove all game flicker.
>
>Game flicker is caused by changing the graphics while the VDG (or 
>GIME) is displaying that page that graphics are changing.  If you 
>build the game screen and then tell the VDG to "switch" to the new 
>game image then this removes the graphics flicker.
>
>But there are two rules about screen switch:
>
>First, you only switch when building the new screen is done. (That 
>simple and straight forward.)
>Second, you only switch during the V-Blank.  This one takes a little 
>explaining.
>
>The screen is built of about 243 scan lines but the TV image is 
>about 262. (We are talk 60hz frames.)  It is those extra scan lines 
>that you don't see are the V-blank and the perfect time switch the screen.
>
>In most of my games, I would have the IRQ set to fire at the start 
>of the V-Blank and the IRQ code would do the switching to the new 
>screen, if need. (Then clear the "switch" flag to show the main code 
>that the screen was switched.)
>
>  The next item the IRQ would do is read the joystick reading.  By 
> reading the joystick at the same level of noise created by the 
> monitor I would get less "jiggle" on the joystick reading.
>
>Anyway, do the screen switching during the V-Blank made sure the 
>game would never flicker between the two screens.
>
>Oh yes, The code would need to check if the "switch" flag was 
>cleared before making any changes on the next "build" screen.
>
>Steve
>
>At 06:58 AM 1/26/2008, you wrote:
>
>>Roger, that is a lot of CPU time for drawing a mouse cursor.
>>
>>I would added the mouse cursor into the graphics system as a sprite 
>>and be done with it.
>>
>>Steve
>
>
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