Stella Development screen...

[GreenDayRlz]

Can't find the Stella development screen, even though Iv been through EVER setting in the menu :/

 

I am very confused....Is it another download?

 

EDIT:

 

Found it but now the screen is WAY too big. I can't move it. The ALT - doesn't work to make it smaller. Anyone know how to fix?

Edited April 10, 2009 by GreenDayRlz

[SeaGtGruff]

Can't find the Stella development screen, even though Iv been through EVER setting in the menu :/

 

I am very confused....Is it another download?

 

EDIT:

 

Found it but now the screen is WAY too big. I can't move it. The ALT - doesn't work to make it smaller. Anyone know how to fix?

If you mean the debugger screen in the Stella emulator, it's toggled on and off by hitting the backapostrophe/tilde key (~ on the top half and ` on the bottom half). You said you found it, but I'm saying it for the benefit of anyone else who might see your post but not know the answer.

 

Yes, the debugger screen is kind of big, and you can't resize it. I have my screen resolution at 1024x768 and it mostly fits (it fits vertically, but is a tad wider than the screen horizontally). If you can grab the title bar of the debugger window, you can move it around. If your screen resolution is too small for the title bar to show, you might want to switch to 1024x768 or higher resolution.

 

Michael

[+SpiceWare]

It is resizeable, but currently the minimum size is 1030x620. stephena has been making changes to the debugger, in 2.7.5 he was able to decrease the min height to 620. In reply 16 he mentions that he's trying to figure out how to accommodate smaller screens, such as the 1024x600 ones found in Netbooks, while also making good use of larger screens.

 

Hit tab to bring up the in-game menu

 

Click on UI Settings then the Debugger tab.

 

The change doesn't take place right away, you have to quit Stella for it to take effect.

Edited April 10, 2009 by SpiceWare

[GreenDayRlz]

New question- How do I start making a game from scratch on Stella?

[Wickeycolumbus]

New question- How do I start making a game from scratch on Stella?

 

You can not make a game on Stella, Stella is an emulator. You need a 6502 assembler and a text editor to write the games. DASM is the best assembler for 2600 programming.

[+Random Terrain]

Some people make Atari 2600 games using batari Basic and Visual batari Basic, the bB IDE.

[GreenDayRlz]

Well fi Stella is an emulator, How does it have a code lkist of everything on the bottom right with the instruction it is and such? I find that a compiler.

 

Ok well is there any way I can use assembly language and not a basic language? I don't wana make games in basic, I wana write them in assembly.... :/

[Wickeycolumbus]

Well fi Stella is an emulator, How does it have a code lkist of everything on the bottom right with the instruction it is and such? I find that a compiler.

 

That is for debugging.

 

Ok well is there any way I can use assembly language and not a basic language? I don't wana make games in basic, I wana write them in assembly.... :/

 

Yes, see my previous post...

[+Random Terrain]

Ok well is there any way I can use assembly language and not a basic language? I don't wana make games in basic, I wana write them in assembly.... :/

Go here:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showforum=31

[GreenDayRlz]

Ok well is there any way I can use assembly language and not a basic language? I don't wana make games in basic, I wana write them in assembly.... :/

Go here:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showforum=31

 

 

 

I know assembly. Not for the 6502 yet, but I messed with it.

 

Is there any 6502 that assembles BIN files for execution?

[Wickeycolumbus]

Ok well is there any way I can use assembly language and not a basic language? I don't wana make games in basic, I wana write them in assembly.... :/

Go here:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showforum=31

 

 

 

I know assembly. Not for the 6502 yet, but I messed with it.

 

Is there any 6502 that assembles BIN files for execution?

 

See my first post in this topic...

[GreenDayRlz]

I downloaded Basic for atari and Im probably an idiot because my DOS programs I can never get working....Even after unzip.

 

Ok will download DASM now. It does 68xx

[GreenDayRlz]

Wont work....:/ I HATE DOS.

[Wickeycolumbus]

Wont work....:/ I HATE DOS.

 

You must run it using the command line. See Random Terrain's post and follow the 2600 Programming for Newbies course. It will tell you how to assemble.

Edited April 10, 2009 by Wickeycolumbus

[GreenDayRlz]

Screw it.....If stella can't assemble the games although it allready has a program to de assemble the code, I can't do it easily.

 

Anyone know where I post cheats for games? Or tell someone where to put a value in RAM to see if it works? I wana start making some cheats charts....Maybe Atariage should make a kind of NES "Game Genie" thing for it....I'd buy it

[ZylonBane]

This thread is awesome. It's like AA's own "How is babby formed".

[GreenDayRlz]

Ok well thanks for try to help guys

 

Maybe in the future I may be able to make an assembler and just have it save the BIN files in 6502 for some development....Or just go into NES development :/

[Wickeycolumbus]

I really don't understand why you won't read Andrew Davies wonderful tutorials They will tell you how to do everything.

 

And don't say bad stuff about Stella. stephena works very hard on that and he does a great job.

Edited April 11, 2009 by Wickeycolumbus

[GreenDayRlz]

Stella over all is GREAT, But really. You have a list of every instruction and combination and all that, Why not add on great thing to it that would make it wonderful for developers to develop games on?

[Nukey Shay]

There was some talk about that in the past. But since it only takes a second or two to assemble with Dasm anyway, it's of little consequence. It's not like it's going to make learning programming any easier.

 

BTW you can configure your browser to include an assembly option, so you don't even need to touch commandline. By opening up the folder options window (and adding a new action for the file type), you can instruct your OS to use Dasm with %1 for a wild card name. This is the action I use in Win98:

 

"C:\Bin\dasm.exe" %1 -f3 -o%1.bin

 

In my case, the Dasm files exist in the C:\Bin folder. By right-clicking on the file name, I just pick the added action (I named it "assemble"), and the binary file appears almost instantly.

[+stephena]

There was some talk about that in the past. But since it only takes a second or two to assemble with Dasm anyway, it's of little consequence. It's not like it's going to make learning programming any easier.

I agree. About the only thing that I may add to Stella in this area is a mini-assembler for the current disassembled code. For example, if you want to 'nop' out certain lines of code, right now you have to know the opcode ($EA). In a future release, I'll probably make it possible to type 'NOP' and have Stella insert the $EA instead. Note that this is only a MAYBE (I already have a lot on my plate for 3.0 as it is), and that's as far as I'll be going assembler-wise. There are other utilities outside Stella that do the work better than I ever could (DASM, IDEs, text editors, etc), so I see no point in duplicating something that already exists. And that's pretty much the last word on that, unless someone else wants to step up and add such support.

 

EDIT: I should also reiterate what others have mentioned; the disassembly window is used in helping to debug/error-check code that was written elsewhere. It was never meant to be a full development environment onto itself. If you're writing your own code, then as I've suggested, there are much better utilities already existing to help in that area. The built-in disassembler is actually more helpful when you're hacking old ROMs that don't have source available. That's the area I'm focusing on in the future, when I may integrate distella and have better disassembly.

Edited April 11, 2009 by stephena

[+SpiceWare]

It is great for development, the debugger is most excellent.

 

The problem is you are mixing up the tools - you don't get upset that your hammer won't turn a screw, do you?

 

Check out jEdit, it's a programmer's text editor. I have a mode file for Atari development in my blog. Use this tool to create and edit your source file.

 

Yes, DASM is a command line tool - but it's not difficult to use. I put a copy of DASM in my project folder and have a text file that I copy/paste into the command line. After the first copy/paste I can just hit the up-cursor key to recall the command and compile again.

./dasm mm.asm -f3 -v5 -smm.sym -lmm.lst -omm.bin

dasm is the program to run

mm.asm is my source code for Medieval Mayhem.

-f3 sets the format of the output

-v5 sets how verbose the compiler should be while compiling

-s sets the file for the symbol table (if the part before the .sys matches the part before the .bin then Stella will automatically reference this file so it can display your symbol names in the debugger).

-l sets the file for the list file

-o sets the file for the compiled output.

 

Note - that's what I use under OS X. I think all you'd have to change for a DOS box is

dasm mm.asm -f3 -v5 -smm.sym -lmm.lst -omm.bin

[Nukey Shay]

As far as a "Game Genie" method is concerned, that is already part of Stella. When you have the debugger window displayed (showing the contents of user ram), just click on a ram location and alter the value there. The change takes effect when you flip back to the program.

 

 

In addition, Bob Colbert made a utility called Cheetah so that you can use GG-type codes directly on actual hardware. The catch is that you'd need a way of running Supercharger-compatable images on your console (and because it's running through the Supercharger, it only works for 2k/4k binaries).

[+stephena]

As far as a "Game Genie" method is concerned, that is already part of Stella. When you have the debugger window displayed (showing the contents of user ram), just click on a ram location and alter the value there. The change takes effect when you flip back to the program.

 

 

In addition, Bob Colbert made a utility called Cheetah so that you can use GG-type codes directly on actual hardware. The catch is that you'd need a way of running Supercharger-compatable images on your console (and because it's running through the Supercharger, it only works for 2k/4k binaries).

Stella also supports Cheetah codes directly. Go to the 'Cheat Code' dialog and enter a Cheetah code, and voila, the cheat is activated. As well as Cheetah codes, several other types are supported. Have a look at appropriate chapter in the Stella documentation for more info.

[TROGDOR]

How is binary formed?

 

how is binary formed

how programer get ROMs

 

They need to do way instain programer> who execute thier binarys. becuse these binary cant dissasemble back?

it was on the forum this mroing a programer in Homebrew Discussion who had execute his three ROMs. they are taking the three binarys back to Atari 2600 Programming forum too disgust further

my post are with the programer who lost his code ; i am truley sorry for your lots

 

 

A simple fix to the min size issue in stella is to add horizontal and vertical scrollbars if the window won't fit in the minimum space. I could see the min size being a real problem on netbooks.