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Include Rastaconverter image in MadPascal


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Hello,

I just created my first ever Rastaconverter image. It really is an amazing tool which enables non-artistic people like me to create images that I could not have dreamed to create before. 

Now, my plan is to use this image as a title screen for my little MadPascal game that I am working on.

 

I was thinking of daisychaining the rastaconverter exe with my main program as the rastacoverter file is aready 22k in size alone, but I am not sure how to do this.

Could anyone please give me some hints or are there any tutorials or documentation where I can check this out?

 

Many thanks and kind regards

 

 

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Not sure if there's an option to generate source code with RC.

 

But the executable generated - runs with interrupts disabled, checks for fire button and key presses at the bottom of screen.  If one of those conditions met, it enables VBlank and issues an RTS.

So, should be suited fine for chaining as an early part of a game.

One thing to note, the memory occupied won't be cleared so don't rely on RAM containing zeroes (which really we shouldn't do anyway)

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Hi Rybags,

thanks for your reply.

So I assume you are referring to this part of code in the Rastaconverter exe:

/--------------------
//    EXIT
//--------------------
    lda trig0        ; FIRE #0
    beq stop
    lda trig1        ; FIRE #1
    beq stop
    lda consol        ; START
    and #1
    beq stop
    lda skctl        ; ANY KEY
    and #$04
    bne skp
stop    mva #$00 pmcntl        ;PMG disabled
    tax
    sta:rne hposp0,x+
    mva #$ff portb        ;ROM switch on
    mva #$40 nmien        ;only NMI interrupts, DLI disabled
    cli            ;IRQ enabled
    rts            ;return to ... DOS
skp

 

So your suggestion would be to modify this code and rebuild the exe in order to trigger the loading of my main program in the exit routine above?

To be honest, I am a rather Assembly/MADS noob.

Would that be possible by using the INS pseudo command of MADS?

INS 'filename'["filename"][*][+-value][,+-ofset[,length]]

 

Alternatively, as i am mainly programming in MadPascal, is it possible to define in MadPascal a container file that sequentielly loads the rastaconverter exe and then my main exe into memory?

 

 

Edited by starfighter
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You don't need to change anything.

If you're happy with having the loading pic which then waits for the key or fire button, the RTS should be sufficient to continue the load process.

 

The RC pics seem to have a 2E2-2E3 segment which is an INIT.  So if you just append your executable file to the pic executable it should be enough.

Not sure if RC allows a set delay also which for a game might be desirable.

But you could add it yourself easily enough, like just alter the code there.

 

skp  dec timer1

  bne skp2

  dec timer1+1

  beq stop

skp2 

 

Before the pic runs you'd need to set word timer1 to some value, e.g. 600 which would be 10 seconds delay for an NTSC machine.

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Yea, a timer would probably even better, otherwise I guess, I would have to include a text remark in the pic and recalculate it again, so the user is aware of it ?

 

I am pretty sure that this is the most stupid question now, but how exactly am I going to do this:

1 hour ago, Rybags said:

So if you just append your executable file to the pic executable it should be enough.

 

30 years ago in Atari Basic, I would have just included an ENTER or RUN "D1:..." at the end of the first program, but with all this new technology nowadays and a fading memory, I need to learn/re-learn things ?

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During my further researching today , I found this very nice lightweight DOS, which just seems to do what I want: LiteDOS

http://www.mr-atari.com/Mr.Atari/LiteDOS/

 

By just renaming the file extension to AU0, AU1, etc. files will autoboot in the specified order according to the numbering in the extension name.

A first check seemed to work just fine with the title exe and my main program exe

Very cool indeed. ?

 

Edited by starfighter
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