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Re: Graphics program for SMSQ/E
Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2021 8:32 pm
by pjw
stevepoole wrote:Hi Folks,
I see that eight other people have downloaded the zip file...
Has anyone managed to execute the 'QDesign' file in the BOOT file yet ? (using QPC2).
I get as far as line 65, where I get a 'bad parameter' signalled, but can't find a workaround !
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I played it safe and ran it in Q-emulator. JS ROM, TK2, GoldCard speed, 1 meg memory. It worked fine. Didnt try it in a proper working environment as, although it appears to be very well written, I dont have much hope that itll be of much use to me in its present form.
Re: Graphics program for SMSQ/E
Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2021 9:02 pm
by stevepoole
Hi Again,
Great Per ! as you have Qemulator...
On QPC, I set screen resolution to 512x256, and :
16 scr=SCR_BASE
23 SCRB=128
26 Set the underscore to dot
65 Set to EX 'QDesign_bas' , after changing the filename.
This time, I get eight tiny screens across the top (of mine), and the program stops....
It looks like the program will need a lot of tweaks to work under QPC2 v4.02
I will report back after some head-scratching, but I fear little can be achieved without the source code !
Steve.
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Re: Graphics program for SMSQ/E
Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2021 9:48 pm
by Derek_Stewart
Hi,
I havd not tried the version here, but the version from QL/E worked okay, but I had to change the configurzgion with menuconfig.
I remember using Qdesign, long time ago, I used a Trump Card with Extended Environment installed, worked great. I thought I had a manual, but can not find it.
There was problems with the Atari QL Emulator, which Jochen did a fix for thr screen handling I think.?
Re: Graphics program for SMSQ/E
Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2021 10:19 pm
by Andrew
stevepoole wrote:Hi Again,
Great Per ! as you have Qemulator...
On QPC, I set screen resolution to 512x256, and :
16 scr=SCR_BASE
23 SCRB=128
26 Set the underscore to dot
65 Set to EX 'QDesign_bas' , after changing the filename.
This time, I get eight tiny screens across the top (of mine), and the program stops....
It looks like the program will need a lot of tweaks to work under QPC2 v4.02
I will report back after some head-scratching, but I fear little can be achieved without the source code !
Steve.
_____________
Works great, both QEmulator and QPC2 (except for Help, which shows only a blank page, same as in version 4.02)
It needs to be configured with the proper directory names.
In QPC2 - I use 512x256 resolution, QL colours
Remark - version 4.02 works only with menu_rext version 7.66, but would not work with the newer versions. I have not checked this for v4.04
Re: Graphics program for SMSQ/E
Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2021 11:19 pm
by pjw
I tried to get 4.04 to work in QPC2 in mode 32 with QPC_QLSCREMU 4 in full HD resolution, but no luck. Some things work, others dont. Mostly they dont.
If the source code were available I guess it wouldnt be impossible to fix. It appears to me that the author uses mostly clean code. But he doesnt only use EasyPtr's ptrmen_cde, but some of his own toolkits, so it wont be enough just to unscramble the BASIC; the toolkits would need to be extracted, and possibly dissembled, too. Quite a job. Right up there with Qlib, I reckon, but not as useful by half.
Nice as it is, but without live source code, unless someone is willing to apply considerable elbow grease to the project, QDesign should be consigned to the relics. (IMHO)
Re: Graphics program for SMSQ/E
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 9:20 am
by mk79
pjw wrote:I tried to get 4.04 to work in QPC2 in mode 32 with QPC_QLSCREMU 4 in full HD resolution, but no luck. Some things work, others dont. Mostly they dont.
No, the program is quite aware of the real screen base, so QLSCREMU will not work. As you say it is quite clean, uses XTOP when needed etc. It seems to be prepared for Atari screen modes but predates high colour modes by a bit.
If the source code were available I guess it wouldnt be impossible to fix. It appears to me that the author uses mostly clean code. But he doesnt only use EasyPtr's ptrmen_cde, but some of his own toolkits, so it wont be enough just to unscramble the BASIC; the toolkits would need to be extracted, and possibly dissembled, too. Quite a job. Right up there with Qlib, I reckon, but not as useful by half.
The extension thing is easier than QLib I think, no idea about the basic part. I could imagine myself doing it for the fun of it (the extension part). These are the extensions involved:
Code: Select all
BEZIER
A_MONO
SWAP
MIX
MONOISE
CONVERT
ENHANCE
OUTLINE
VGPAT
Q_ERR_ON
Q_ERR_OFF
Q_ERR_LIST
BOX
POKE$
INITDEST
M_CONV
MOVE_ID
MOVEPARA
TOSCR
TOMEM
ZOOM
PREV
INOUT
ROTATE
PUNKT
LINIE
P_PARA
PAINT
S_SAVE
S_LOAD
HC_PATT
HC_GOOD
HC_PARA
HC_RESO
HC_DEV
HC_DO
HC_MULTI
VG_MODE
VG_RESO
VG_WIND
VG_PARA
VG_LOAD
VG_PRINT
VG_WEG
VG_INK
VG_SHAD
VG_OVER
VG_CLR
VG_INV
LEVEL2
VG_INIT
VEC_THG
VG_BREIT
VG_HOCH
VG_NAME
VG_LANG
ATARI
Q_ERR
WIN_BASE
SYS_BASE
VGRSP
PEEK$
BRUSH
MUSTER
CHECK%
CHECKF
THING
KEYW
RMODE
QVER$
C_STRG$
C_CHAR$
C_CODE
C_BYTE
C_WORD
Some are rather trivial, some, like the vector font things, not quite as much but doable I guess. Extracting the EasyMenu windows should be rather easy, too, and then there is only the EasyPtr extensions themselves.
Re: Graphics program for SMSQ/E
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 9:49 am
by mk79
stevepoole wrote: Has anyone managed to execute the 'QDesign' file in the BOOT file yet ? (using QPC2).
It's ready to run in my QPCDemo, available on my site... right-click Start and select QDesign. Remember to start in QL mode.
Re: Graphics program for SMSQ/E
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 10:55 am
by Derek_Stewart
HI,
The QL/E distribution has Qdesign v4.02 included, so it looks like this is a better version.
Do I continue decompiling Qdesign
Re: Graphics program for SMSQ/E
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 12:55 pm
by BSJR
Despite its standard menu size of 512x256, Qdesign is capable of creating pages (_pgn) in fixed resolutions up to 960x640 and more (max 3200x4800). The PIC format it uses is based on the QPTR PSA standard but deviates at two places to allow for monochrome and compression.
It would be nice to know exactly how this is implemented.
BSJR
Re: Graphics program for SMSQ/E
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 2:02 pm
by dilwyn
If you do manage to find or deduce the file format, especially the compression, I'd be happy to document it on my website.