240p test suite
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Re: 240p test suite
A few days, mikejmoffitt and I were brainstorming alternatives to the Green Hill Zone background for the Scroll Test. This is what I have so far.
It could use better clouds and a mountain backdrop. So far I've only used three of the palettes:
backdrop: 22
grass: 08 1A 29
dirt: 08 18 28
sky: 08 32 20
It could use better clouds and a mountain backdrop. So far I've only used three of the palettes:
backdrop: 22
grass: 08 1A 29
dirt: 08 18 28
sky: 08 32 20
- Attachments
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- greenhillzone.png (3.73 KiB) Viewed 18664 times
Re: 240p test suite
You can always draw inspiration from the reduced complexity renditions of Green Hill Zone from games like Sonic 1 and 2 (GHZ in this game is pretty different though) on the Master System, or Sonic Pocket Adventure on the Neo Geo Pocket, if you want to stay close to the original theme. If you're going for something more original, I think you're on the right track, although the colors could be a little more vibrant.
If you're gonna include background mountains, be sure to make them look way less saturated than the foreground. Since you don't have parallax scrolling (unless you plan on adding that?), this is kind necessary to properly convey distance.
If you're gonna include background mountains, be sure to make them look way less saturated than the foreground. Since you don't have parallax scrolling (unless you plan on adding that?), this is kind necessary to properly convey distance.
Re: 240p test suite
Yes, I have parallax scrolling. Currently the topmost cloud is still (to act as the sprite 0 trigger), the rest of the clouds are at 1/8 speed, the mountains/water is at 1/4 speed, and the ground is at full speed. It'll be a b#### to get right on PAL though. I haven't made anything PAL-friendly yet.tokumaru wrote:Since you don't have parallax scrolling (unless you plan on adding that?), this is kind necessary to properly convey distance.
Re: 240p test suite
Ah, cool.tepples wrote:Yes, I have parallax scrolling.
Really? If you're interested, I have a "WaitScanlines" function that receives a scanline count in X and waits that many scanlines, adjusting itself automatically to PAL or NTSC based on a flag. I planned on using it for raster effects but haven't had the chance yet. Let me know if you want it and I'll post it. It's nothing out of this world, but since it's ready...It'll be a b#### to get right on PAL though.
BTW, are you using any sprites or can you consider using them for the foreground trees (blowing your sprite budget)?
Re: 240p test suite
I'd have to adjust the other parts of the loop as well, such as reading the breakpoint list, dividing the X position by 8, and doing that thing where I combine the current strip's fine scroll with the next strip's coarse scroll to fully avoid glitches. I lack confidence in releasing anything that races the beam that I haven't tested on hardware, and I own no PAL NES.tokumaru wrote:If you're interested, I have a "WaitScanlines" function that receives a scanline count in X and waits that many scanlines, adjusting itself automatically to PAL or NTSC based on a flag.
I could put foreground trees in "Scroll test", but they'd blow the sprite budget in "Drop shadow sprite".BTW, are you using any sprites or can you consider using them for the foreground trees (blowing your sprite budget)?
Re: 240p test suite
Assuming all of that takes a constant amount of time, shouldn't it just be a matter of doing all that, compensating for the scanline duration difference the same way it's done in the "WaitScanlines" subroutine, and then waiting n scanlines until the next split?tepples wrote:I'd have to adjust the other parts of the loop as well, such as reading the breakpoint list, dividing the X position by 8, and doing that thing where I combine the current strip's fine scroll with the next strip's coarse scroll to fully avoid glitches.
Not really sure what you mean here.that thing where I combine the current strip's fine scroll with the next strip's coarse scroll to fully avoid glitches
You can always take your best shot with emulators, make it clear that PAL support is experimental, and have people with the proper equipment test it for you, no? Otherwise you're never going to support PAL consoles.I lack confidence in releasing anything that races the beam that I haven't tested on hardware, and I own no PAL NES.
Re: 240p test suite
The table specifies a right shift of 0, 2, or 3 bits. Currently I loop, but making this take constant time is doable if necessary.tokumaru wrote:Assuming all of that takes a constant amount of timetepples wrote:I'd have to adjust the other parts of the loop as well, such as reading the breakpoint list, dividing the X position by 8, and doing that thing where I combine the current strip's fine scroll with the next strip's coarse scroll to fully avoid glitches.
Because I'm not changing the vertical scroll, I'm writing only to $2000 and $2005. Changes to the coarse horizontal scroll ($2000 bit 0 and $2005 first write bits 7-3) have to go in before horizontal blanking, but changes to the fine horizontal scroll ($2005 first write bits 2-0) have to go in after horizontal blanking. So on the last line of a strip, the line immediately before the split, I write the current strip's fine scroll with the next strip's coarse scroll, then later (during vblank), I write the next strip's complete scroll.Not really sure what you mean here.that thing where I combine the current strip's fine scroll with the next strip's coarse scroll to fully avoid glitches
Code: Select all
;;
; Sets the horizontal scroll position to A:X.
.proc set_xscroll_midscreen
onesplit:
and #$01
ora #VBLANK_NMI|BG_0000|OBJ_1000
sta PPUCTRL
txa
and #$F8
ora lastfinex
; Set the current fine scroll with the next coarse scroll, because
; fine scroll takes effect immediately whereas coarse scroll waits
; for x=256
sta PPUSCROLL
sta PPUSCROLL
; Now waste a bit of time waiting for hblank
txa
and #$07
sta lastfinex
jsr waste12
stx PPUSCROLL ; Set the fine scroll during hblank
stx PPUSCROLL
waste12:
rts
.endproc
I am willing to support this iff there are both A. demand and B. a willing tester who can load builds immediately. But with the reduced prestige of PAL NES, getting it feature complete for NTSC takes priority. After all, it's not called the 288p test suite.You can always take your best shot with emulators, make it clear that PAL support is experimental, and have people with the proper equipment test it for you, no? Otherwise you're never going to support PAL consoles.
Re: 240p test suite
Oh, I get it now. Since you're not using $2006, the coarse scroll doesn't change when you finish the writes, but when the PPU does v:0000010000011111=t:0000010000011111, so you have to do the $2005 write before that, but since the fine X scroll changes immediately, you can't update that part at the same time. Got it.
Anyway, landing a couple of PPU writes on hblank shouldn't be so hard, there's quite a bit of tolerance there.
Anyway, landing a couple of PPU writes on hblank shouldn't be so hard, there's quite a bit of tolerance there.
Re: 240p test suite
Here's what mikejmoffitt did to my pseudo green hill zone.
I have only a few final checks before I release 0.04.
Re: 240p test suite
With new graphics in hand, I announce 240p test suite 0.04
0.04 (2015-11-16)
0.04 (2015-11-16)
- IRE: Added emphasis and $2D/$3D grays
- Shadow sprite: Added full functionality
- Added Hill zone scroll test with Green Hill Zone-inspired background by mikejmoffitt
- Sound test: Added pulse beep (requested by mikejmoffitt)
- Full README file
- Testing on PAL NES
- Testing on Dendy
- Testing with high-quality displays and scalers
- Measuring the actual IRE levels of NES video with an oscilloscope
- Putting 27C512 onto an UNROM-compatible board
- Attachments
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- 240pee-0.04.zip
- (129.95 KiB) Downloaded 817 times
Re: 240p test suite
Make me a subset/variant that I can flash onto an 8KiB PRG EEPROM on a mapper 218 (CHRless) card and I will do this.tepples wrote:Measuring the actual IRE levels of NES video with an oscilloscope
Re: 240p test suite
Was there anything in particular that you wanted to be tested?tepples wrote:Testing on PAL NES
Download STREEMERZ for NES from fauxgame.com! — Some other stuff I've done: fo.aspekt.fi
Re: 240p test suite
In the current build, you can try these:
Here's a 1K IRE-only test, compatible with mapper 7 and (presumably) 218. The copy of FCEUX on my PC doesn't appear to support 218 at all.
- Color bleed to see what PAL does with horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines
- Linearity to see whether it recognizes PAL's aspect ratio
- Overscan to confirm that 2 pixels on the left and right are already hidden
- Shadow sprite: Press A+Up to switch to a striped shadow, then press A to switch among horizontal, vertical, and diagonal stripe patterns and see what they do to the portrait.
- Color bleed, Full screen stripes: Wrap frame counter at 50 instead of 60 on PAL NES and Dendy
- Stopwatch: Wrap frame counter at 50 instead of 60 on PAL NES and Dendy
- Hill zone scroll test: Reduce all delays by 6.25% on PAL NES only
- Sound test: Decrease tone period slightly to more closely approximate 1 kHz on PAL NES only
Here's a 1K IRE-only test, compatible with mapper 7 and (presumably) 218. The copy of FCEUX on my PC doesn't appear to support 218 at all.
- Attachments
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- iretiny-0.01.zip
- (14.91 KiB) Downloaded 835 times
Re: 240p test suite
Here's the measurements into the 75.1Ω of my television:
SYNC: 48 mV / -37 IRE
CBL: 148 mV / -23 IRE
0D: 228 mV / -12 IRE
1D: 312 mV / ≡ 0 IRE
CBH: 524 mV / 30 IRE
2D: 552 mV / 34 IRE
00: 616 mV / 43 IRE
10: 840 mV / 74 IRE
3D: 880 mV / 80 IRE
20: 1100 mV / 110 IRE
0Dem: 192 mV / -17 IRE
1Dem: 256 mV / -8 IRE
2Dem: 448 mV / 19 IRE
00em: 500 mV / 26 IRE
10em: 676 mV / 51 IRE
3Dem: 712 mV / 56 IRE
20em: 896 mV / 82 IRE
There was about 10mV of noise (and 4mV of quantization error) that I could never quite fully get rid of, so the numbers here should be taken as having an error of ± 2 IRE.
SYNC: 48 mV / -37 IRE
CBL: 148 mV / -23 IRE
0D: 228 mV / -12 IRE
1D: 312 mV / ≡ 0 IRE
CBH: 524 mV / 30 IRE
2D: 552 mV / 34 IRE
00: 616 mV / 43 IRE
10: 840 mV / 74 IRE
3D: 880 mV / 80 IRE
20: 1100 mV / 110 IRE
0Dem: 192 mV / -17 IRE
1Dem: 256 mV / -8 IRE
2Dem: 448 mV / 19 IRE
00em: 500 mV / 26 IRE
10em: 676 mV / 51 IRE
3Dem: 712 mV / 56 IRE
20em: 896 mV / 82 IRE
There was about 10mV of noise (and 4mV of quantization error) that I could never quite fully get rid of, so the numbers here should be taken as having an error of ± 2 IRE.
Re: 240p test suite
I'm curious: why are you specifically calling this out?tepples wrote:Putting 27C512 onto an UNROM-compatible board
This is a very simple thing, so why explicitly mention the 'PROM technology?