Vectrex Alignment Steps

SnapCraft · September 20, 2009

I was checking Cosmic Chasm recently and I noticed that the enemies have a big gap between the 2 sets of two lines that construct them. On an emulator they are perfect trapezoids. I also wasn't happy with run-off lines in Clean Sweep.

This was my procedure and I didn't get much better results. Does anyone do anything different? Excuse the simplicity of the vocabulary. I'm not a electronics guy, I'm a tinker'er. I would use the Vectrex title screen for this process (yeah, a lot of turning it off & on).

1) Shrink the whole image down (horz/vert) with the two yellow spinners (pots?)

2) Stabilize the image in the middle of the screen with the far back spinner (NE to SW diagonal setting)

3) Adjust the two black spinners (near the warning label) and line up the corners to get a "perfect" rectangle.

4) Expand the image back (horz/vert) with the two yellow spinners leaving about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch gap all around (we're using the title screen, mind you).

5) Test Mindstorm and see if the mines leave one side and enter the other on time.

I know it can't be perfect (it's a vector display). Clean Sweep looked a little better, but the enemies in Cosmic Chasm still have that gap. Suggestions?