Author
| 192kB VRAM, for what?
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manuel
msx guru
Posts: 3447 |  Posted: November 19 2005, 21:35 |
Hi,
Can someone tell me which software is 192kB VRAM aware and even better: which software uses it?
Already known: used by FastCopy.
Any more?
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Yukio
msx professional
Posts: 819 | Posted: November 20 2005, 01:23 |
BASIC?
I wanted to make a similar topic, and yes I saw the MSX-Magazine with the modification for MSX Turbo R.
Now, I have another question. Is possible to use 256KB VRAM?
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ricbit
msx lover
Posts: 116 | Posted: November 20 2005, 02:14 |
Using additional hardware, you can use as much vram as you want.
Using only the features of V9938, you can use only 128+64kb.
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Yukio
msx professional
Posts: 819 | Posted: November 20 2005, 05:23 |
Maybe with 6 pages (Screen 5 and 6) or 3 pages (Screen 7 and 8) it would be possible to make some fancy effects.
Sure that it would be even possible to use screen 10 or 12 (maybe with 3 pages?) too A page for data storage, another for mount and other for exhibition (flipping the two pages for display and using another page for data storage)..
This without talk about interlaced graphics that would require two pages instead of just one.
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BiFi
msx guru
Posts: 3142 | Posted: November 20 2005, 06:25 |
MSX-BASIC doesn't detect the extra 64 KB of VRAM at all and it's not VRAM you can display directly by switching the page to it for screen display or sprite stuff. It's possible to use it for tile storage and copy from it to the screen.
Apart from FastCopy, SysID has detection for it as well and a little test tool I wrote about 10 years ago... which is published in one of the MCWF booklets.
AFAIK that's all...
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[D-Tail]
msx guru
Posts: 3017 | Posted: November 20 2005, 11:15 |
NestorBASIC supports it too!  |
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arnold_m
msx lover
Posts: 81 | Posted: November 20 2005, 11:36 |
Make.com and cc.com ( http://msxbanzai.tni.nl/dev/software.html ) can detect the extended ram connected to the v9938 and use it for storing their internal state while executing another program.
Thus with 192 KiB ram connected to the vdp it becomes possible to run program that use the video ram but not the extended ram from within make. Lhpack probably falls in this category.
With the extra ram it also becomes possible to nest up to three levels of make.com, and run cc.com from the lowest level. |
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manuel
msx guru
Posts: 3447 | Posted: November 20 2005, 17:03 |
Nestorbasic might support it, but is there an existing program (in NB) that uses it?
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Sonic_aka_T
msx guru
Posts: 2268 | Posted: November 20 2005, 17:18 |
Quote:
| Maybe with 6 pages (Screen 5 and 6) or 3 pages (Screen 7 and 8) it would be possible to make some fancy effects.
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Unfortunately, there's no real way to use the extra VRAM in SCREEN 7 and 8. A real pity too, since SCREEN8 would've been a nice mode to make RPGs in. With 3 pages that would've been a lot more feasible, but alas, even with 192kB VRAM you're stuck with two pages...  |
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BiFi
msx guru
Posts: 3142 | Posted: November 20 2005, 20:36 |
at least you have an extra 64 KB for tiles etc. you can use, even though it's not displayable the way we're used to for the normal 128 KB. You can use VDP commands on that extra 64 KB. R#45 has two bits (bit 4 and 5) just for that purpose...
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[D-Tail]
msx guru
Posts: 3017 | Posted: November 20 2005, 21:27 |
Quote:
| Nestorbasic might support it, but is there an existing program (in NB) that uses it?
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Probably some games which have been developed using NBASIC. My guess is some of Imanok's games, but I don't know for sure... |
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manuel
msx guru
Posts: 3447 | Posted: November 20 2005, 23:09 |
I'd find it really surprising if it was actually used in a game, but please give me an example.  |
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Sonic_aka_T
msx guru
Posts: 2268 | Posted: November 21 2005, 00:17 |
Quote:
| at least you have an extra 64 KB for tiles etc. you can use, even though it's not displayable the way we're used to for the normal 128 KB. You can use VDP commands on that extra 64 KB. R#45 has two bits (bit 4 and 5) just for that purpose...
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In screens 7 and 8 the extra vram doesn't work, since the vram is 'interleaved' in those modes. |
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BiFi
msx guru
Posts: 3142 | Posted: November 21 2005, 06:41 |
Quote:
| In screens 7 and 8 the extra vram doesn't work, since the vram is 'interleaved' in those modes.
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I think the memory interleaving is only for the normal VRAM (Chip Select 0 and 1) and that extra VRAM. I'm gonna do some tests today regarding that Expansion RAM (as it is called officially) which includes tests in SCREEN 7 or 8. |
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[D-Tail]
msx guru
Posts: 3017 | Posted: November 21 2005, 07:22 |
Quote:
| I'd find it really surprising if it was actually used in a game, but please give me an example.
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As I already stated, I don't know for sure, but NBASIC games are many. What about Gradius III Legends, Cat'n'Mouse, Bubble Rain, etc...
Actually, I reconsider. To develop something that actually uses the 192kB VRAM, you'll have to test it for proper functionality. That means that the developer has to have 192kB VRAM -- and as there aren't that many people with 192kB VRAM...
I myself wouldn't use it. Too much of a programming hassle  |
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