SyntaxBomb - Indie Coders

General Category => Worklogs => Topic started by: iWasAdam on May 21, 2020, 11:11:38

Title: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on May 21, 2020, 11:11:38
Here's a little something I'm toying with:
(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/screenshot-2020-05-21-at-11.09.30-1.png)
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: Santiago on May 21, 2020, 14:26:02
looks nice!, i never know a spectrom, but i have my C64c, are you working in a emulator?

remember me the animator years. in 90's

when i see that kind of graphics, i feel like i am home, like in my begininings..
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on May 21, 2020, 14:45:28
Quote from: Santiago on May 21, 2020, 14:26:02
looks nice!, i never know a spectrom, but i have my C64c, are you working in a emulator?

Sort of based on the Sinclair Spectrum, but with enhanced display.

It's not going to be an emulator, but a complete system.

My thought is to write a compiler that will compile into bytecode and run apps that way. The compile should be almost instant, so no waiting for compiles. That way I can have an immediate platform for pure retro games all running under a unified OS.
That way you just adjust the system sound/keyboard/joystick, etc and the games just work.

The same for the palette, you get a floating palette which can be used at any time.

I sort of thought about what 'if' and started from there.

I've just got the window system to function basically so far, so not too shabby...
(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spectrom.gif)
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: Santiago on May 21, 2020, 15:13:30
ahh, excellent !!, everything looks very neat !!

I ask you, technically speaking, if in a 3D game, you approach a computer, could the player be controlled by a computer that virtually has your spectrum program to make programs?

I always dreamed of the idea, that with virtual reality, I can program from virtual reality more of my virtual reality.

this is more a conceptual question.

(https://scontent.faep8-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/64918482_1940060129429222_7889178950734184448_o.png?_nc_cat=109&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=11yEJdpphmQAX8VDGnp&_nc_ht=scontent.faep8-2.fna&oh=6b734fa0e5550a025e137b498fbaf048&oe=5EED5802)
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on May 21, 2020, 15:27:33
Quoteif in a 3D game, you approach a computer, could the player be controlled by a computer that virtually has your spectrum program to make programs?

That's a very interesting concept. An addition to that would be a game, that you dropped back into the system for you to complete a computer related task, or one that could potentially rewrite the source.

Very interesting...  :o
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: chalky on May 21, 2020, 16:44:18
Ok - I give up - when the heck DO you sleep?! :o
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: Xerra on May 21, 2020, 17:14:14
Quote from: chalky on May 21, 2020, 16:44:18
Ok - I give up - when the heck DO you sleep?! :o

He doesn't. Adam is a bot created by the forum software to keep us all on our toes. He creates lots of projects so we feel obliged to get motivated and do stuff too.
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: Steve Elliott on May 21, 2020, 18:54:04
Haha yes, I think Xerra might be right.  Neat project.
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on May 22, 2020, 12:10:18
Bleep Bleep. Give me yourz data...  8)
Sorta got all the basics operational now, fullscreen, task manger etc, basic windows stuff. I'm letter the concept of how the 'apps' will operate settle into my thoughts, but I've got a solid concept to work from.

Next up will be window resizing and minimizing to finish things, then onto compilers...
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on May 22, 2020, 14:25:41
A very nice little thought just occurred to me...
Spectrom should run very well on a Pi  8)
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on May 22, 2020, 15:19:41
One thing i've found while just getting the window system to operate is the speed - It's a demon...
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: Xerra on May 22, 2020, 23:33:59
Never mind the klinklair klectrum. How about doing the mighty C64? Or the Vic 20. You know - real computers :)
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: JaviCervera on May 23, 2020, 00:47:22
Looking awesome!
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: 3DzForMe on May 23, 2020, 05:50:38
If you opt for the c64, can u make the tapes load a bit faster......? My mates took forever to load, we could get a gam of risk in while the c64 loaded!
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: Steve Elliott on May 23, 2020, 10:02:06
You might want to rename it to prevent alienating some people lol.   :))

Something like Go 8-Bit...there again I think that was a TV Show.
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on May 24, 2020, 07:43:44
hehehehehe  ;D

Well I've been working on text entry (as it will form a large part):
(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/screenshot-2020-05-24-at-07.35.12.png)

Next up will be cut/copy move to start of line, end, next word, etc. All the fun stuff.

After that I can sort of look at the language and how it will operate. One thing will be live variables, tracing, stepping through code.

So far there is a very nice 70/80's feel to it. You actually feel like you are using some form of spectrum/c64/apple, etc. I can't wait for the miracle RUN <enter> and it just runs the program without any compiling etc...

I wish the Pi had been like this...
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: Santiago on May 24, 2020, 13:51:32
This is great !, I would like to have a mini PC with a mini screen, and have that system, as a personal pocket computer or something like that.

it's great
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on May 24, 2020, 15:21:08
great idea :)

Just testing very first line interpreter:
(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/screenshot-2020-05-24-at-15.18.03.png)
it correctly parsed all four versions, giving float, variable(gin) and the value 10

So first step has been taken...
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on June 13, 2020, 12:18:54
and lets change it up a bit:
(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/screenshot-2020-06-13-at-12.12.26.png)

Whilst working on the parser I decided to start again, with a slightly different approach.
Instead of starting with the language. Start with the data and construct the language around that.

Let's assume that for any app there can be up to 5 character fonts and these are accessed by sprite commands. The above shows dynamically the fonts available and a selection of available sprites with their dynamic commands. So you sort of get automatic help, showing you what the sprite command would generate.
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on June 13, 2020, 14:18:22
And another this time with the final color palette added.
(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/screenshot-2020-06-13-at-14.12.22.png)

This also shows that picking a color will color the sprite - giving many more colors than the included 32.

You can see that a lime green has ben chosen as the base color and the sprite commands reflect this...


image: 0..4
char: 0..255
color: 0..31
Sprite image, char, xpos, ypos [, color]


Both the color pickers show the same data - so changing the main color on the popup palette or the included colors will work :)
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: Steve Elliott on June 14, 2020, 23:29:08
I really like that sprite editor, good stuff - a real nice retro charm about it.   8)
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: 3DzForMe on June 15, 2020, 00:35:29
Quote.    So far there is a very nice 70/80's feel to it. You actually feel like you are using some form of spectrum/c64/apple, etc. I can't wait for the miracle RUN <enter> and it just runs the program without any compiling etc...
     

Intriguing stuff 😁👌👍
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on June 15, 2020, 06:20:51
I think this is very much a 'slow burn' project. it will come together in little steps
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on June 15, 2020, 08:26:44
it's very interesting as you need to parse a line of code into some form of bytecode

So you will need a live parser:
(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/screenshot-2020-06-15-at-08.21.57.png)

on the left is the text as typed and on the right are the variables being created.
hello is an int, yes has not been currently defined, but has been added to the list of vars

I'm just at the part of creating the bytecode and then running a single line of bytecode

should be interesting... at least the parsing seems to be intelligent  :-X
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on June 25, 2020, 11:15:15
sort of creeping forward with this:
(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/screenshot-2020-06-25-at-11.05.11.png)

I thought a paint program would be a good idea (then I can use the core as the sprite editor...)
You can see I've now got some icons, and you also see an app minimized.
The palettes are all synchronised, so changing the color in one will change it in other variants.

(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/screenshot-2020-06-25-at-11.05.37.png)
Lastly here is the manager which allows you to change app, you can also see that the right tool area of the paint app is now open showing a larger palette. The layers will live below it...

and if you maximize a window:
(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/screenshot-2020-06-25-at-11.12.05.png)

You get the full window and the title bar dissappears. The spectrom logo lives in the top left corner and clicking it brings up the (shown) menu

So. it's all moving slowly along :) \0/
Title: Re: Spectrom
Post by: iWasAdam on June 26, 2020, 11:22:58
and now for some simple parsing:
(https://vjointeractive.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/screenshot-2020-06-26-at-11.18.14.png)
Very early stages, but starting to work.

on the left is the command line (like the C64/Spectrum etc)
on the right is the variable list - this is populated as you create variables
you can see that 2 variables m and n have been defined, with different values at different times and in different ways

Wh know how far it will get :)