SpecNext Wiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Tilemap

2025-01-07T10:42:33Z

Rockdemon:

== Tilemap ==

A screen mode similar to hardware text linked to the ULA modes which allows for either 40x32 or 80x32, 16-colour or 2-colour, 8x8 tiles.

'''''Note''' that [[NextBASIC]] also has an older software tilemap, which operates quite differently from the hardware tilemap (sometimes called layer 3) described here. NextBASIC doesn't yet have commands to access hardware tilemap natively, although the techniques described here can be used with `REG` and manual memory control. And the software tilemap is not directly accessible to assembly language programs, although the <tt>IDE_TOKENISER</tt> and <tt>IDE_BASIC</tt> [[API|NextZXOS API]] calls can execute arbitrary BASIC commands.''

The hardware tilemap is enabled using {{NextRegNo|$6B| / 107}}

bit 7: 0=disable tilemap, 1=enable tilemap
bit 6: 0=40x32, 1=80x32
bit 5: 0=attributes in tilemap, 1=no attributes in tilemap
bit 4: 0=primary palette, 1=secondary palette
bit 3: Select textmode (soft reset = 0)
bit 2: reserved
bit 1: 0=256 tile mode, 1=512 tile mode
bit 0: 1=tilemap over ULA

The tilemap consists of two data areas: tile descriptions and an actual tilemap; both of which are located in 16k page 5, and the first half of bank 7

=== Tile Description ===

The tile description area is a contiguous list of tile descriptions starting at the location indicated by bits 5-0 of the value in {{NextRegNo|$6F| / 111}}.

Each tile description is a 32 byte block of 4-bit values describing the indices of each pixel of a tile in row major order.

In textmode, tiles are monochrome and take 8 bytes, making them essentially the same as ULA text chars and UDGs.

=== Tilemap ===

The tilemap begins at the location stored in bits 5-0 of {{NextRegNo|$6E| / 110}}, and the bank is switched using bit 7. If bit 7 is set, the tilemap is in the first half of bank 7, otherwise bank 5.

This map either consists of either pairs of tile numbers and tile attributes, or a list of tile numbers. If no attributes are present (bit 5 of Nextreg $6B=1) then the attributes for all tiles come globally from {{NextRegNo|$6C| / 108}}.

In textmode, the map attribute byte and the global attribute lose the x mirror, y mirror and rotate, so bits 7-1 become a much larger palette offset that can take values between 0 and 127. The palette offset then points to one of 128 different paper/ink pairs in the palette. The paper colour palette index is (palette offset * 2), and the ink colour index is ((palette offset * 2) + 1).

==== Tile Attribute ====

In default 16 colour mode:

bits 7-4: palette offset
bit 3: mirror X
bit 2: mirror Y
bit 1: Rotate
bit 0: In 256-tile mode ULA over tilemap, in 512-tile mode bit 8 of tile number

In textmode:

bits 7-1: palette offset
bit 0: In 256-tile mode ULA over tilemap, in 512-tile mode bit 8 of tile number

=== Additional Registers ===

{{NextRegNo|$1B| / 27}}
bits 7-0: Coord. of the clip window
1st write = X1 position
2nd write = X2 position
3rd write = Y1 position
4rd write = Y2 position
The values are 0,159,0,255 after a Reset
Reads do not advance the clip position

{{NextRegNo|$2F| / 47}}
bits 7-2: Reserved (0)
bits 1-0: MSB X Offset
Meaningful Range is 0-319 in 40 char mode, 0-639 in 80 char mode

{{NextRegNo|$30| / 48}}
bits 7-0: LSB X Offset
Meaningful range is 0-319 in 40 char mode, 0-639 in 80 char mode

{{NextRegNo|$31| / 49}}
bits 7-0: Y Offset (0-255)

{{NextRegNo|$43| / 67}}
bit 7: '1' to disable palette write auto-increment.
bits 6-4: Select palette for reading or writing:
000 = ULA first palette
100 = ULA second palette
001 = Layer 2 first palette
101 = Layer 2 second palette
010 = Sprites first palette
110 = Sprites second palette
011 = Tilemap first palette
111 = Tilemap second palette
bit 3: Select Sprites palette (0 = first palette, 1 = second palette)
bit 2: Select Layer 2 palette (0 = first palette, 1 = second palette)
bit 1: Select ULA palette (0 = first palette, 1 = second palette)
bit 0: Enable Enhanced ULA mode if 1 (0 after a reset)

{{NextRegNo|$68| / 104}}
bit 7: 1 to disable ULA output
bit 6: 0=select the ULA colour for blending in SLU modes 6 & 7
1=select the ULA/tilemap mix for blending in SLU modes 6 & 7
bits 5-1: Reserved (0)
bit 0: 1=enable stencil mode when both the ULA and tilemap are enabled
(if either are transparent the result is transparent otherwise the
result is a logical AND of both colours)

=== More info ===
[https://www.specnext.com/tilemap-mode/ Article about Tilemap Mode]

Development Tools

2024-01-14T15:43:33Z

Rockdemon:

Here you will find a collection of tools for working with or on the ZX Spectrum Next. If you have a tool that you think could help other Next users let us know...

* [[Emulators]]
* [[Graphic Tools]]
* [[Audio / Music]]
* [[Assemblers]]
* [[Compilers]]
* [[Miscellaneous]]
* [[Public Source Examples]]
* [[Development Tools:Linux setup|Development tooling setup on Linux]]
* [[Debugger Setup]] For SJAsmPlus with Dezog on CSpect and on real hardware via serial.

=== Code Examples ===

You can find an assortment of "premade" examples on how to do things in various languages on our own [[Code:Main Page|Next Rosetta Code]].

File:Actual Exclusions.png

2024-01-14T14:48:12Z

Rockdemon:

Actual Exclusions list

File:Location of exclusions.png

2024-01-14T14:45:24Z

Rockdemon:

Location of Exclusions

File:Windows av settings.png

2024-01-14T14:38:06Z

Rockdemon:

Where to find exclusions!

File:Windows AV Settings.png

2024-01-14T14:34:26Z

Rockdemon:

Showing where to find windows av settings

File:Where to find plugin in vscode.png

2024-01-10T13:38:29Z

Rockdemon:

where to find plugin in vscode

File:Screenshot of working serial comms.png

2024-01-10T13:37:19Z

Rockdemon:

screenshot of working serial comms

File:Basic test.png

2024-01-10T13:35:23Z

Rockdemon:

screenshot of basic test program.

File:Constructed DE9 connector.png

2024-01-10T13:34:03Z

Rockdemon:

Constructed DE9 connector

File:DE9 internals.png

2024-01-10T13:32:14Z

Rockdemon:

DE9 Socket internals

File:Image1.png

2024-01-10T13:30:37Z

Rockdemon:

de9 component

Development Tools

2024-01-10T12:35:29Z

Rockdemon:

Here you will find a collection of tools for working with or on the ZX Spectrum Next. If you have a tool that you think could help other Next users let us know...

* [[Emulators]]
* [[Graphic Tools]]
* [[Audio / Music]]
* [[Assemblers]]
* [[Compilers]]
* [[Miscellaneous]]
* [[Public Source Examples]]
* [[Development Tools:Linux setup|Development tooling setup on Linux]]
* [[Debugger Setup]]

=== Code Examples ===

You can find an assortment of "premade" examples on how to do things in various languages on our own [[Code:Main Page|Next Rosetta Code]].

Audio / Music

2024-01-10T12:34:08Z

Rockdemon:

=== ''[https://www.julien-nevo.com/arkostracker/ Arkos Tracker 2]'' ===
: Cross-platform (win/linux/mac) modern chiptune/sampled music tracker with support for 9-channel AY tracking, and [http://www.julien-nevo.com/arkostracker/index.php/the-players/ various players routines] for Next.
: ZX Next template [http://ped.7gods.org/ZX_Spectrum_Next.aks aks file] for 9 channel music by Bukem ([http://ped.7gods.org/song_properties.jpg song properties], [http://ped.7gods.org/psg_settings.jpg PSG settings])

=== ''[https://zx.remysharp.com/audio AYFX Editor and driver]'' ===

: Web app for generating sound effects on for AY chips (based on Shiru's AYFX Editor) - works fully offline, upload, export and edit your sound effects and use in NextBASIC using the AYFX driver.

=== ''[https://nextdaw.biasillo.com/ NextDAW]'' ===
: NextDAW is a reimagining of a modern Digital Audio Workstation for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next. Supporting three AY-3-8910 sound chips, giving a total of nine channel audio to create your latest musical masterpiece! The integrated patch editor can create a wide range of music instruments and sound effects. Use the piano roll editor supports editing of notes using the mouse, step recording, or realtime recording using the computer keyboard. The Arranger is used to quickly and efficiently create your composition.
: (mouse required)

=== ''[https://github.com/Volutar/vortextracker/ Vortex Tracker]'' ===
: Vortex tracker is a multi AY capable tracker for windows. Can export in protracker format for playback on next.

NextBuildStudio:Main Page

2021-10-08T16:33:58Z

Rockdemon:

'''So what is Nextbuild?'''

It's an environment for developing in BASIC for the Spectrum Next, which combined with MS VSCode (other editors are available!), ZXBasic compiler, and an emulator on a Windows, linux or apple PC gives pretty decent performance and Rapid development. It's a bunch of glue, plus a fairly extensive library, along with some examples, which allow access to a lot of the hardware banging functions of the Next with ease, at speeds you couldn't dream of in NextBasic. (Not NextBasic's fault of course - it's interpreted so is always going to have an overhead which NextBuild/ZX basic doesnt have.)

Contributions and ideas for Nextbuild are actively encouraged and there is a Boriel section on Discord which is well used by users of Nextbuild.

What are you waiting for? click the link below :)

[http://zxbasic.uk/nextbuild/ About NextBuild]

NextBuildStudio:Main Page

2021-10-08T16:32:10Z

Rockdemon:

'''So what is Nextbuild?'''

It's an environment for developing in BASIC for the Spectrum Next, which combined with MS VSCode (other editors are available!), ZXBasic compiler, and an emulator on a Windows, linux or apple PC gives pretty decent performance and Rapid development. It's a bunch of glue, plus a fairly extensive library, along with some examples, which allow access to a lot of the hardware banging functions of the Next with ease, at speeds you couldn't dream of in NextBasic. (Not NextBasic's fault of course - it's interpreted so is always going to have an overhead which NextBuild/ZX basic doesnt have.)

Contributions and ideas for Nextbuild are actively encouraged and there is a Boriel section on Discord which well used by users of Nextbuild.

What are you waiting for? click the link below :)

[http://zxbasic.uk/nextbuild/ About NextBuild]

NextBuildStudio:Main Page

2021-07-22T21:43:32Z

Rockdemon: Overview of current version of NextBuild

'''Boring/Temporary stuff :)'''

The current build of NextBuild is NextBuild 7, As released by em00k back in January 2021. Myself and a few others have taken over maintenance of the package, and there may be some setup changes over the next few days/weeks as we get everything setup.

First up is that I think most people that use this setup would like to thank David (em00k) for all his hard work getting things to this point.

Using ZXBasic (also known as boriel basic) and NextBuild, or by taking inspiration from it, several commercial quality titles for the next have been released, and it's users are probably blissfully unaware that this is the case.

As a starting point we have forked the NextBuild repo which can now be found at https://github.com/rockdemon/NextBuild/

The intention is to give this a MIT license, although there are a couple of rough edges to be sorted on this front, but nothing that isn't fixable, and I don't envisage anyone using nextbuild to have any problems releasing their software.

So that's all the boring stuff done.

'''So what is Nextbuild?'''

It's an environment for developing in BASIC for the Spectrum Next, which combined with MS VSCode (other editors are available!), ZXBasic compiler, and an emulator on a Windows, linux or apple PC gives pretty decent performance and Rapid development. It's a bunch of glue, plus a fairly extensive library, along with some examples, which allow access to a lot of the hardware banging functions of the Next with ease, at speeds you couldnt dream of in NextBasic. (Not NextBasic's fault of course - it's interpreted so is always going to have an overhead which NextBuild/ZX basic doesnt have.)

Contributions and ideas for Nextbuild are actively encouraged but it would probably be a good idea to message myself so i can help make sure it fits in correctly, and we can sort out pull requests etc. You can do that on Discord ( AManInHisTechnoShed(rockdemon)#2742 ), check out the ZX Basic facebook page. I'll get comms better over the coming weeks.

For now I'll link to em00ks site, [http://zxbasic.uk/nextbuild/ About NextBuild] but suffice to say I hope to give much more information here over the coming weeks!