[Coco] So does your coco3 do 256 color mode ? Mine does...

[Bill Pierce]

Luis,
Having fonts compatable between L1  & L2 would be impossible. They are 2 completely different monsters when it comes to graphics. L1 has NO support for the type of graphics L2 can handle.
But since you are using an external card with external memory, it seems to me that you may get "some" compatability. At that point, there would need to be MAJOR revisions to the L1 code and drivers.
I would think you'd run into memory problems in L1 eventually. I know the old cards did it, but I think they had hard coded in memory fonts and OS9 didn't have to deal with it. L1 just needed a drive to redirect STOUT to the card.
I've got a feeling you'll run into a lot of problems trying to do it this way from L1. Though L2, it should be workable in some form or another.

I seem to remember on at least one of the old cards, new fonts could be loaded, but it was not a "driver" or OS9 function. More like a "serial" operation to send the font to the card. Not a part of the system. This could be done from basic before OS9 was booted and (I think), the font was "flashed" so it stayed resident, not really sure.

I would think a "flashable" rom for the fonts would be much better (if possible), then you wouldn't have to "load" fonts unless you wanted to change them. Then software could be written in basic, os9 L1 or L2 or any language/OS to flash the rom with a new font.
This way, there would always be a font present at all times.


Bill Pierce
"Today is a good day... I woke up" - Ritchie Havens
 

My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
Co-Webmaster of The TRS-80 Color Computer Archive
http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/
Co-Contributor, Co-Editor for CocoPedia
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E-Mail: ooogalapasooo at aol.com




-----Original Message-----
From: Luis Antoniosi (CoCoDemus) <retrocanada76 at gmail.com>
To: CoCoList <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Sat, Feb 15, 2014 10:38 am
Subject: Re: [Coco] So does your coco3 do 256 color mode ? Mine does...


I could do it in startup but seems kinda a kludge for me and error prone.
But a command line tool to replace or refresh the font seems interesting as
one could erase all the characters when setting another video mode.

I dont know anything about L2 fonts but this must be compatible with coco1.

The v9958 had support for extra 64k that could be used for any purpose like
ramdisk, etc the problem is the espace to accomodate 2 more chips
On 2014-02-15 10:18 AM, "Bill Pierce" <ooogalapasooo at aol.com> wrote:

>
> Luis,
> Why not do it in the "startup" file?
> You will no have no display during the boot, but the startup is run before
> the os9 prompt is reached, so you will get a display then. Be aware that
> the OS9 font/pointer/pattern files have a "load" header. I'm not sure of
> the format, but I know it's documented somewhere.
> I'm not sure how much functionality exists in intit, others can answer
> that better. It seems to me that what you're trying to do, should be done
> in the driver init as you suggested. It should be doable.
>
>
> Bill Pierce
> "Today is a good day... I woke up" - Ritchie Havens
>
>
> My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
> https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
> Co-Webmaster of The TRS-80 Color Computer Archive
> http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/
> Co-Contributor, Co-Editor for CocoPedia
> http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
> E-Mail: ooogalapasooo at aol.com
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Luis Antoniosi (CoCoDemus) <retrocanada76 at gmail.com>
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Sent: Sat, Feb 15, 2014 9:54 am
> Subject: Re: [Coco] So does your coco3 do 256 color mode ? Mine does...
>
>
> But I will have to make a L1 driver and I need to send 2K of patterns
> to the VDP prior the booting.
>
> In the init of the covdg.io for example is the files system already up
> and can I open and load  a file inside the os9 file system ?
>
>
> On Sat, Feb 15, 2014 at 9:35 AM, Bill Pierce <ooogalapasooo at aol.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > Luis,
> > If you're talking to the OS9 L2 HiRes char set, you just "merge" them
> wuth the
> system ie.
> > merge /dd/sys/stdfonts
> > This is done externally from the drivers.
> > All hires fonts are stored in get/put buffers with "special" group and
> buffer
> names. The same goes for pointers and patterns.
> >
> > All the buffers are explained in:
> > "The OS-9 Level 2 Windowing System" manual
> > The buffer tables are in chap 3 page 8 (3-8)
> >
> > You can actually load several fonts and switch between them if you want,
> but
> it's tricky programming and playing around with the groups and buffers.
> > Also, all fonts, patterns and pointers reside "outside" of system and
> program
> memory as do almost all graphics oriented buffers. They do not use up
> program
> memory but are a major PITA to manipulate if you're not familiar with
> working
> with the get/put buffers.
> >
> > Hope this helps
> >
> >
> > Bill Pierce
> > "Today is a good day... I woke up" - Ritchie Havens
> >
> >
> > My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
> > https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
> > Co-Webmaster of The TRS-80 Color Computer Archive
> > http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/
> > Co-Contributor, Co-Editor for CocoPedia
> > http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
> > E-Mail: ooogalapasooo at aol.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Luis Antoniosi (CoCoDemus) <retrocanada76 at gmail.com>
> > To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > Sent: Sat, Feb 15, 2014 9:04 am
> > Subject: [Coco] So does your coco3 do 256 color mode ? Mine does...
> >
> >
> > also my coco1, coco2, coco2b, etc.
> >
> > Meet the WordPak 2+ fully operational:
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdAwJJsXbtA
> >
> > Still need to make all the drivers, one problem is the charset that
> > must be loaded from disk. How do I do it in os9 ? Just open a file
> > into the video driver init ?
> >
> > --
> > Long live the CoCo
> >
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> >
> >
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>
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