SBTCVM Bench: Groundbreaking rework (v0.2.0)

 

New Features:

• Instant return from desktop from Bench apps (doesn't include SBTCVM-DOS)
• new wallpaper via PLRLE image compression technology.
• Newly reworked with the new SBTGA Plotter Buffer System for more impressive graphics.
  

fttarget: New Plotter game.

fttarget, (or Falling Ternary Targets) is a `falling target` style plotter game for SBTCVM Gen 2. it joins Oncoming Trains as one of Gen 2's two SBTGA-based example games.

SSTNPL: broad performance boost.

While, its not possible to adequately depict here, SSTNPL has recently gotten a HUGE performance improvement across the board. the reason? fairly simple actually....

Null

null is an SBTCVM Assembly keyword that maps to the opcode 0 in the SBTCVM G2x ISA. for a unfortunate amount of time SSTNPL has been using nulls as an easy way to target the next block of generated assembly with a label, there were two problems with this, however:

• This took up extra TROM space for no real reason.
• This actually has slowed down SSTNPL's flow control (including the new 0.4.x code blocks)

zerosize 

enter zerosize. this fairly obviously named assembler keyword, doesn't generate much of anything at all... its sole purpose is to make it possible for compilers, like SSTNPL's compiler, to target the next line of assembly code, without writing that line first.

Conclusion:

as simple a change as this may be, its definitely improved performance of many different SSTNPL modules and applications.

SBTGA mode 31: new high-resolution 575x575 plotter mode.

included demo of mode 31

 SBTCVM Gen2-9 now has a high resolution, 1:1 scaled 575x575 plotter mode, in the form of SBTGA mode 31.

In terms of uses, Mode 31, offers FAR greater information density than the older 243x243 mode 30.

modified plottertext showing VERY small text.

BINRLE: new 2-tone image compression format

575x575 tritmap

BINRLE Image Compression

BINRLE is an efficient 2-tone RLE image compression format supported by the BINRLE options in gfxcon.py

it features 2 additional interpolated conversion modes:

• BINRLE 2-line interpolation: simulates 3 tones
• BINRLE 4-line interpolation: Simulates 5 tones. 

other features: 

• the BINRLE module features a similar set of control variables to PLRLE, so switching between the two algorithms as needed, is fairly quick.
• More efficient compression than PLRLE
• both colors can be changed during runtime.

 
 

 

2-line interpolation

 

 

4-line interpolation