 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : CMM2: Sprite Editor
| Author | Message | ||||
BruderJo Newbie  Joined: 16/08/2020 Location: GermanyPosts: 18 |
Hello, I am working on a small game. But it requires some sprites as movable objects. As I am not good with graphics software, my idea was to use the CMM2 and a sprite editor. BUT: There is none. (really?) So I wrote my own tool. It is not finished, but has already many features implemented and you can save and load the library. Sprites have a fixed 32x32 pixels format. The editor commands are shown within an info box. To switch between editor and library use the TAB key and move around with cursor keys. The library is designed as a screen area and graphics picture. It was the easiest way to load/save sprite data. I would like to present you this work in progress program, and I am interested, if it is useful to continue or if I am totally wrong and better stop? Features planned: - library file name to be edited (currently fixed) - a common loop for all key activities (now editor/library splitted) - a better colour selection - an editor to modify the colour palette - flexible sprite size (now fixed 32x32) - increased library (fixed to current screen area -> multiple banks to use a whole graphics page) and the most difficult (I do not fully understand...) is to implement transparency. Enjoy. SpriteEditor.zip |
||||
thwill Guru  Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4311 |
It looks good to me @BruderJo, if you need it for yourself and/or you are enjoying working on it then keep going. I wouldn't be too disheartened if you get little response that just seems to be the nature of this community. I sometimes wonder whether anyone is actually using what others are producing beyond an initial "play". Perhaps there is a silent horde of "consumers" lurking on TBS as the number of active participants seems at odds with the large number of CMM2's apparently sold. I believe someone else (capsikin?) was working on a sprite editor at some point but haven't heard anything recently. And finally, a sprite (and font) editor was on my original "hit list" for inclusion on the Welcome Tape. Would you consider allowing me to include a later version of this ? Best wishes, Tom MMBasic for Linux, Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
twofingers Guru Joined: 02/06/2014 Location: GermanyPosts: 1593 |
Tom, gut gesprochen! (well spoken! I couldn't say it better.)  Michael causality ≠correlation ≠coincidence |
||||
| BruderJo Newbie Joined: 16/08/2020 Location: GermanyPosts: 18 |
Hi, I am sure, this wonderful little computer is owned by many and highly interested people. I've seen so much cool projects and initiatives here and enjoy learning from other peoples code. @Tom: if you really like to add my programs to the welcome tape, i feel highly honored. My own scribble is public domain.  But first, I still have a lot of work ahead. Enjoy. |
||||
PilotPirx Regular Member  Joined: 03/11/2020 Location: GermanyPosts: 99 |
Hello, i am also writing a little game for the cmm2. I created my sprites with the WIN tool SpriteMite. It uses fixed sprites-sizes with 16x16 pixels. But you can load the files directly with SPRITE LOAD "file" A good sprite editor with flexible sprite sizes would be a great advantage. Good luck with your program. |
||||
| thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4311 |
@BruderJo, @capsikin uploaded his sprite editor here: https://www.thebackshed.com/forum/ViewTopic.php?FID=16&TID=12662 I haven't tried it myself, but from the comments on that thread it looks like he may have made progress with using transparency. Perhaps there is something there that can help you? Regards, Tom MMBasic for Linux, Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
elk1984 Senior Member  Joined: 11/07/2020 Location: United KingdomPosts: 228 |
Hi. Welcome to the community! Really cool program! I have the basics of a sprite editor which stalled as all the exciting developments like mouse support took off. Would you mind if I incorporated some of your work / ideas in my editor? I'd also be happy to work with you towards a single code base if that's of interet. CMM2 Sprite Editor I'll put some additional effort in over the weekend. In the meantime, comments welcome. I'd also appreciate it of anyone has a predone tile sheet I could use to test against (graphic design not being a specialty). Edited 2020-11-20 03:37 by elk1984 |
||||
| BruderJo Newbie Joined: 16/08/2020 Location: GermanyPosts: 18 |
feel free. as I told, I release my code as public domain. I use the CMM2 for fun not for profit. To me, it is a step back in time, when I used a C64 and was a bit younger. why not. It seems, a sprite editor is welcome. As soon as I have a working tool, I can continue with my game. I just saw, there a still some german comments. If google isn't helpful and you need a translation, just ask. You could see my updates on github |
||||
| thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4311 |
@elk1984, @BruderJo, Just a line to say that if it is to be included on the Welcome Tape then a sprite editor will need to have full keyboard support. IMO the majority of CMM2 users are not going to invest the time/money/effort in mouse support (unless some killer application comes along, and that seems like a long-shot). Best wishes, Tom MMBasic for Linux, Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
| markboston36 Regular Member Joined: 27/10/2020 Location: United StatesPosts: 76 |
i really want this!! so keep doing it! lol it would be a big help to those of us who are not artists or graphics wizards. |
||||
| elk1984 Senior Member Joined: 11/07/2020 Location: United KingdomPosts: 228 |
Keyboard, Nunchuk, Classic Controller, Mouse. Already planned. In fact the primary input so far is keyboard.... |
||||
epsilon Senior Member Joined: 30/07/2020 Location: BelgiumPosts: 255 |
This is good stuff and absolutely needed on CMM2. Maybe it can become a general bitmap editor and/or a font editor? Remember Koala Paint on C64? It would be great if I could use a key+cursor combination to draw lines. E.g I press 5 + crsr up/down/left/right to paint color number 5 'turtle graphics'-wise if you know what I mean. Good work! Epsilon/Ruben. Epsilon CMM2 projects |
||||
| BruderJo Newbie Joined: 16/08/2020 Location: GermanyPosts: 18 |
Hello, during the last time, I reworked some stuff and finished the SpriteEditor to a first working version. I was not able to keep using 800x600 and moved to a lower screen resolution. My display is flickering in "MODE 1,12". The sprite library has 64 sprites available. Save writes the complete library into a binary file. (Load reads it) To use the sprites within a program, you can export the current selected sprite from library into a basic include file "SPRITE-##.INC". I included a demo program se-demo.bas as example. The sprites are transparent. Restrictions so far: - sprite size is fixed to 32x32 - 16 pre-defined colours only - filenames cannot be edited. So, still some goals for the next versions. Enjoy, BruderJo SpriteEditor_20201207.zip |
||||
Nimue Guru Joined: 06/08/2020 Location: United KingdomPosts: 420 |
Love the idea - good work. But (and?) would like to suggest that the CMM2 has a diverse user base. For me, its education and the connectivity of the device that is the use case. I have no interest (other than academic / nostalgia) in creating / playing games on the CMM2. That said, it ELITE or a STARTREK clone appeared -- I'd be there. So I don't comment on the addition of those features. That said, the diversity of the CMM2 is its strength - its not solely an industrial process box, retro 8bit clone nor an "almost" PI. It's far more than all of those. Now, if someone would integrate it into a commercial solution inside a keyboard (like the PI 400) for a similar price - I think the world of education would welcome it with open arms. Nim Entropy is not what it used to be |
||||
| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4044 |
I expect most buyers don't join this or any forum. John |
||||
 Print this page |
 |
The Back Shed's forum code is written, and hosted, in Australia. | © JAQ Software 2025 |
