DPC+, so it's finaly come to this...

[Retro Lord]

So it finaly happened. I could no longer live in my cave in the outskirts watching as the world embraced this new and mysterious thing called DPC+. At first it frightened me, it looks complicated and weird, but it was at the same time beautiful. So I threw away my old version of VBB and got the newest one. As I suspected there was a lot of trouble getting it going since my computer has a mind of it's own and decides by itself if something will work or not depending on if the planets and the stars are aligned in the sky and what not.

 

Anyway, Things are setup and I begun taking my first steps and upon compiling this just to see if it worked:

   set kernel DPC+
   set tv ntsc


   goto __Bank_2 bank2


   bank 2
   temp1=temp1


__Bank_2


__Start_Restart


   drawscreen


   pfclear


   AUDV0 = 0 : AUDV1 = 0

   ;
   a = 0 : b = 0 : c = 0 : d = 0 : e = 0 : f = 0 : g = 0 : h = 0 : i = 0
   j = 0 : k = 0 : l = 0 : m = 0 : n = 0 : o = 0 : p = 0 : q = 0 : r = 0
   s = 0 : t = 0 : u = 0 : v = 0 : w = 0 : x = 0 : y = 0 : z = 0
   var0 = 0 : var1 = 0 : var2 = 0 : var3 = 0 : var4 = 0
   var5 = 0 : var6 = 0 : var7 = 0 : var8 = 0


__Main_Loop


   DF6FRACINC = 255 ; Background colors.
   DF4FRACINC = 255 ; Playfield colors.

   DF0FRACINC = 128 ; Column 0.
   DF1FRACINC = 128 ; Column 1.
   DF2FRACINC = 128 ; Column 2.
   DF3FRACINC = 128 ; Column 3.

   drawscreen


   goto __Main_Loop


   bank 3
   temp1=temp1


   bank 4
   temp1=temp1


   bank 5
   temp1=temp1


   bank 6
   temp1=temp1

I got this error report:

Compile started at 2015-07-08 16:51:55
Compiling C:\BatariBasic\Gladiator\Gladiator\default.bas
DASM V2.20.07, Macro Assembler (C)1988-2003
      bytes of ROM space left in bank 1
      bytes of ROM space left
      11059 bytes of ROM space left in bank 1
      0 bytes of ROM space left
      11059 bytes of ROM space left in bank 1
      0 bytes of ROM space left
--- Unresolved Symbol List
pfcenter                 0000 ????         (R )
kernelmacrodef           0000 ????         (R )
pfhalfwidth              0000 ????         (R )
BS_jsr                   0000 ????         (R )
bs_mask                  0000 ????         (R )

Fatal assembly error: Source is not resolvable.
Errors were encountered during assembly.
2600 Basic compilation completed.
Compilation completed at 2015-07-08 16:51:55
view output file:///C:/BatariBasic/Gladiator/Gladiator/bin
Post compilation files deleted

What's going on? I've never done anything with DPC+ so I'm most likely being stupid here.

[Retro Lord]

Figured it out, had to set romsize, silly me.

 

Now, where do I place playfields? I can't figure out where to place them to get them to show up, this new stuff is over my head at the moment...."I'm old and new stuff is weird to me!"

[+Random Terrain]

Try looking at some of the DPC+ example programs.

[Retro Lord]

Hm, I must have done something wrong. I grabbed the "ex_dpc_template" and looked at it, and when I compile it I get a syntax error at:

   set kernel_options collision(player1,playfield)

Must be something wrong with my installation. I got the latest version, I have setup the 2600.bas, emulator and sed accordingly to having Windows 7 64bit.

 

Edit:

I deleted everything and downloaded the latest version of VBB again, and I still get the same syntax error =/

Edited July 8, 2015 by Retro Lord

[+Random Terrain]

I think jwierer still hasn't put the latest version of VbB in the official thread. You'll probably have to get whatever version is in his blog from 2012:

 

atariage.com/forums/blog/302/entry-9759-small-update-for-visualbb/

 

I keep hoping that he'll put the version that I'm using from 2014 in the official VbB thread (build 568).

[Retro Lord]

Ah, so I should get version 566 then? And I'm guessing I need an even newer version of 2600bas too?

 

 

Compilation error with version 566:

[2015-07-08 17:50:24] saving C:\BatariBasic\Projects\DPC template\ex_dpc_template.bas succeeded.
Compile started at 2015-07-08 17:50:24
Compiling C:\BatariBasic\Projects\DPC template\ex_dpc_template.bas
2600 Basic compilation failed!
LINE -->  set kernel_options collision(player1,playfield)
Post compilation files deleted

Edited July 8, 2015 by Retro Lord

[+Random Terrain]

Ah, so I should get version 566 then? And I'm guessing I need an even newer version of 2600bas too?

 

Whatever version is in his blog.

 

The latest version of batari Basic is linked to from here:

 

randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-batari-basic-commands.html#gettingstarted

[Retro Lord]

Now it works, thank you ever so much, Randomterrain, it was the latest version of batari basic I've overlooked. Now I'm playing with power!

[Retro Lord]

Hm, I noticed that NUSIZ0=$05 works as usual, but not NUSIZ1=$05. What do I need to change to get player1 wider?

[+Random Terrain]

Hm, I noticed that NUSIZ0=$05 works as usual, but not NUSIZ1=$05. What do I need to change to get player1 wider?

 

randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-batari-basic-commands.html#dpc_nusizx_refpx

[Retro Lord]

Aahh, cheers

[Papa]

_NUSIZ1=5 (underscore). After 1 (2-9) you don't need the underscore.