[Coco] Compiler Sprites (was: DynoSprite source code now available!)

[Allen Huffman]

> On Dec 4, 2014, at 12:43 AM, Richard Goedeken <Richard at fascinationsoftware.com> wrote:
> 
> unfortunately it would have also been much harder to create and use then.  The
> Python script that I wrote for dynamic sprite compilation is extremely complex
> and isn't even really feasible for porting to the Coco.  It's only with the
> modern tools that we have now that we can push the Coco to its limits.
...
> ever used fullscreen X and Y scrolling; I can only think of Z89 and Gold
> Runner 2K.  And due to other hardware limitations, this is about the only way

I was working at Microware along with Eric Crichlow (GR2K MM1) and Chet Simpson (GR2K CoCo) during the days of "The Challenge". My memory is foggy, but I think it was Chet who first explained to me the concept of a blasting out bytes on a screen using assembly code rather than copy/paste type stuff. I may be wrong, but I think he used that technique in GR2K CoCo and had a sprite compiler.

What is it about your implementation that makes it different? I thought it was just looking at some bytes (the sprite bitmap) and emitting 6809 assembly statements that would recreate those bytes?

I really need to learn how to get MESS going again on my Mac. I want to play with this.

		-- A