Tool - CVPAINT 2

[newcoleco]

CV PAINT 2nd Edition Win32 - 2009-03-21 : cvpaint2.zip

CV PAINT 2nd Edition Win32 - 2009-03-23 : cvpaint2_.zip

CV PAINT 2nd Edition Win32 - 2009-03-25 : cvpaint2.zip

 

Written in Jabaco.org (partially VB syntax and totally Java bytecoded), this tool will eventually replace my tool CV PAINT to support the new reality of actual Windows without retrocompatibility and usage of SDCC instead of Hi-Tech C for the new devkit.

 

Enjoy!

Edited March 25, 2009 by newcoleco

[retroillucid]

CV PAINT 2nd Edition (WIP) version 2009-03-21 : cvpaint2.zip

Windows Only (EXE)

 

Written in Jabaco.org (partially VB syntax and totally Java bytecoded), this tool will eventually replace my tool CV PAINT to support the new reality of actual Windows without retrocompatibility and usage of SDCC instead of Hi-Tech C for the new devkit.

 

Still too early to be used for your projects, but you can experiment with it and see if you like it or not.

 

I have to tell you that sometimes holding SHIFT key when drawing change the way the software add the new pixels in the picture.

 

And for now, the button to export to C do nothing, but you can load and save your graphics.

 

Enjoy!

 

Looking very good Daniel!

This's great news for CV Homebrewers!

 

Nice works as usual

[youki]

Nice Tool Daniel !

 

It would be cool if we could draw line and Fill surface Tool!

[newcoleco]

Nice Tool Daniel !

 

It would be cool if we could draw line and Fill surface Tool!

Drawing lines and fill surface? err... I have a suggestion : the hability to copy and paste the picture, using the clipboard to exchange the picture between your favorite graphic editor and this tool.

 

*UPDATE*

 

Still no clipboard support, but it's only a question of time. I did check and it looks like it's feasable with Java class Toolkit, Clipboard, etc.

Edited March 23, 2009 by newcoleco

[youki]

Nice Tool Daniel !

 

It would be cool if we could draw line and Fill surface Tool!

Drawing lines and fill surface? err... I have a suggestion : the hability to copy and paste the picture, using the clipboard to exchange the picture between your favorite graphic editor and this tool.

 

*UPDATE*

 

Still no clipboard support, but it's only a question of time. I did check and it looks like it's feasable with Java class Toolkit, Clipboard, etc.

 

 

Yes, clipboard support is doable in jave , here a class that does that :

 

import java.awt.datatransfer.Clipboard;
import java.awt.datatransfer.ClipboardOwner;
import java.awt.datatransfer.DataFlavor;
import java.awt.datatransfer.Transferable;
import java.awt.datatransfer.UnsupportedFlavorException;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;

public class ClipBoardProcessor implements ClipboardOwner {

private Clipboard myClipboard;

public static void copy(BufferedImage bi) {
	try {
		ClipBoardProcessor cbp = new ClipBoardProcessor(bi);
	}
	catch (Exception e) 
	{
		//nothing
	}
	
}

public ClipBoardProcessor(BufferedImage bi) {
	 myClipboard = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getSystemClipboard();
	 process(bi);
}

public void process(BufferedImage bi) {
		ClipImage ci = new ClipImage(bi);
		myClipboard.setContents(ci, this);
}

public void lostOwnership(Clipboard clipboard, Transferable contents) {}

private class ClipImage implements Transferable {
	
		private DataFlavor[] myFlavors;
		private BufferedImage myImage;

		public ClipImage(BufferedImage theImage) {
			myFlavors = new DataFlavor[]{DataFlavor.imageFlavor};
			myImage = theImage;
		}

		public Object getTransferData(DataFlavor flavor) throws UnsupportedFlavorException {
			if (flavor != DataFlavor.imageFlavor) {
				throw new UnsupportedFlavorException(flavor);
			}
			return myImage;
		}

		public DataFlavor[] getTransferDataFlavors() {
			return myFlavors;
		}

		public boolean isDataFlavorSupported(DataFlavor flavor) {
			return (flavor == DataFlavor.imageFlavor);
		}
}

}

 

and to put a image in the clipboard :

 

 

ClipBoardProcessor clip=new ClipBoardProcessor(m_img);

 

where m_img is a BufferedImage .

[newcoleco]

Thanks youki, I will play with this code and let you know how things are going.

 

But before being able to add it, I have to add a couple of steps including resizing the picture if it's too big and dithering to reduce valid colors for tms9928 (coleco, etc)

Edited March 23, 2009 by newcoleco

[Pixelboy]

Okay, I had a look at CVPAINT2 during my lunch break today, and it's very nice, although it's not a tool I would use personally for my projects. I tend to use ICVGM for defining my graphics, because my style of graphic design is usually very tile-centric, so for me to use CVPAINT2, it would need to incorporate the tile (and sprite) pattern editor of ICVGM, coupled with a name table editor that lets me copy/paste tiles at will.

 

If I were to convert Dragon's Lair frame by frame, then I would probably use CVPAINT2 (assuming the software came with proper clipboard support, with color downgrade features), but that's about it. The only thing I find unfortunate about ICVGM is that it only lets you work with a single set of 256 tiles, which is inadequate for graphic mode 2. CVPAINT2 fixes that in a way, but with that kind of interface, I'm only trading one annoyance for another.

 

But for what it's worth, here are my thoughts about the current WIP of ICVGM (2009-03-23 version):

 

1) The main display needs to have scrollbars in "Zoom 2x" mode.

 

2) It took me a few minutes to understand what the "Protect color" and "Protect pattern" modes do. I would use different names for those buttons, like "Edit Color Table" instead of "Protect pattern".

 

3) The "Clear Screen" button needs an "Are you sure?" confirmation pop-up.

 

Nice work so far, Daniel.

[Pixelboy]

But for what it's worth, here are my thoughts about the current WIP of ICVGM (2009-03-23 version):

Sorry, I meant to say "about the current WIP of CVPAINT2 (2009-03-23 version)".

[newcoleco]

Reminder : I designed CVPAINT to be a pixels editor tool for coleco bitmap screens. This new version named CVPAINT2 is in work in progress to replace the old one for two reasons -- Vista and SDCC.

 

If I were to convert Dragon's Lair frame by frame, then I would probably use CVPAINT2 (assuming the software came with proper clipboard support, with color downgrade features), but that's about it. The only thing I find unfortunate about ICVGM is that it only lets you work with a single set of 256 tiles, which is inadequate for graphic mode 2. CVPAINT2 fixes that in a way, but with that kind of interface, I'm only trading one annoyance for another.

ICVGM is certainly the graphic tool I did put the most efforts in. Like you said, it only supports one charset, which doesn't annoye me, because if I want the center and/or the bottom part to use a different charset, I create more charsets and get them in the video ram properly to see the result by running the project with an emulator. I know there is a better way, but for now it's all I can think of with the tools I have.

 

But for what it's worth, here are my thoughts about the current WIP of ICVGM (2009-03-23 version):

That's the kind of comments I like to read about my projects.

 

1) The main display needs to have scrollbars in "Zoom 2x" mode.

Done.

 

2) It took me a few minutes to understand what the "Protect color" and "Protect pattern" modes do. I would use different names for those buttons, like "Edit Color Table" instead of "Protect pattern".

Well, I did a compromise for the next version, is changing the word protect by block and unprotect by edit.

 

3) The "Clear Screen" button needs an "Are you sure?" confirmation pop-up.

Done. I did also add a dialogbox window when clicking the New button.

 

Tonight, I will upload the actual version I'm working on. Some features from the preview edition is now ported to this new edition.

Edited March 24, 2009 by newcoleco

[newcoleco]

I was able to build a bufferedimage and copy it to the clipboard. That was somehow easy to do, because there is no need to reduce the number of colors or change the resolution.

 

To copy the image from the clipboard and manage to fit the 256x192 resolution and the color palette, I have to put more effort and computations... but you can use Marcel's BMP2PP tool if you want to produce back a PowerPaint file and open it with CVPAINT2 again... well, it's a workaround solution for those who can't wait.

 

I will work on this clipboard thing tonight, then I will upload a new version.

 

 

About CVPAINT2, 2009-03-25

 

What's new?

 

+ Added GRP, SCR, MLT and PC file extensions support.

+ Added alert dialogbox when asking for making a new picture or clear screen.

+ Added scrollbars for Zoom 2x mode.

+ Added Copy to Clipboard option.

+ Added Paste from Clipboard option.

+ Added Nearest and Error Diffusion dithering options.

+ Rearrange again the buttons configuration.

 

TODO

 

- Optimize speed in general

- Fix bugs (if any)

Edited March 25, 2009 by newcoleco

[retroillucid]

Hi Daniel,

 

Any chance for an update release of ICVGM ?

[newcoleco]

Hi Daniel,

 

Any chance for an update release of ICVGM ?

I did no plan actually to update ICVGM. And like I said earlier, ICVGM is a very big one and rewriting it will takes a lot of time and energy just to make the new application do the almost same thing as it can do now.

 

BUT, if you have a wish list of things you would like to get in an hypothetic new version of ICVGM, let me know.

Edited March 25, 2009 by newcoleco

[newcoleco]

This tool called CV PAINT 2 is merging with another tool I'm trying to program during the last 5 days. I will start a new thread when a first almost stable version will be done.

 

Meanwhile, I had the opportunity to get codes from Dale Wick about his compression algorithm and the results so far are not impressive but do sometimes save a few bytes compared to Marcel's RLE compression, but you have to only use one, not both, compression algorithm if you really want to save a couple of bytes in your ROM. His compression algorithm need a compression part in the tool (to be tested) and a decompression code (to be tested) in the library. So, as well as an update for CV PAINT 2, a new version of my current devkit with SDCC will be release.

[intvdave]

I have tried all three versions of CV PAINT 2nd on my PC with no success. I am running WinXP SP3 and get an error message saying "cvpaint2.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close". I have tested this also under Windows 2000 and another WinXP.

 

Do I need to have support files installed for this to work?

 

Do I need to install some other program before running CV PAINT?

 

Do I need to have Java installed?

 

cvgraphictoolkit.exe is giving me the same error.

 

Thanks!

[newcoleco]

Do I need to have support files installed for this to work?

 

Do I need to install some other program before running CV PAINT?

 

Do I need to have Java installed?

My answer is that it's supposed to be self contained but it looks like it needs Java installed first.

 

I'm sorry for the problems you had with these tools. Maybe I'll have to find another way to make them, but Java is largely used and for many purposes.

[intvdave]

My answer is that it's supposed to be self contained but it looks like it needs Java installed first.

 

I'm sorry for the problems you had with these tools. Maybe I'll have to find another way to make them, but Java is largely used and for many purposes.

 

I installed Java and it now works. Thanks!

[newcoleco]

I've got another message today about CVPaint2, but this time the comment simply said that it crashes a Windows XP. Again, I guess the solution is installing an appropriate Java for your computer first.

[Murph74]

Hmm.. getting the error using Java 6 (build 1.6.0_11-b03). What versions are compatible?