Added option -if to get flicker effect in border while loader loads game.

Author: fredrikramsberg

asm/picloader.asm

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 * = $801
 
 loader_start = $334
+interrupt_vector = $314
 
 !source "constants.asm"
 
@@ -10,6 +11,11 @@ loader_start = $334
 
 !zone picloader {
 
+; Copy background colour
+	ldx loader_pic_start + 10000
+	stx $d020
+	stx $d021
+
 ; Copy bitmap data
 
 	ldx #0
@@ -46,11 +52,6 @@ loader_start = $334
 	bcc .copy_screen
 
 
-; Copy background colour
-	lda loader_pic_start + 10000
-	sta $d020
-	sta $d021
-
 ; Show image
 
 	; Set bank
@@ -90,6 +91,28 @@ loader_start = $334
 	sta loader_start,x
 	dex
 	bpl -
+
+!ifdef FLICKER {
+; Copy background colour to loader code
+	lda loader_pic_start + 10000
+	and #15 ; Make sure we don't have any noise in the high nybble
+	tax
+	lda .alt_col,x
+	sta .load_alt_col + 1
+	
+; Setup interrupt
+	sei
+	lda interrupt_vector
+	sta .jmp_kernal_interrupt + 1
+	lda interrupt_vector + 1
+	sta .jmp_kernal_interrupt + 2
+	lda #<.interrupt
+	sta interrupt_vector
+	lda #>.interrupt
+	sta interrupt_vector + 1
+	cli
+}
+	
 	jmp loader_start;
 
 .loader
@@ -107,6 +130,16 @@ loader_start = $334
     lda #1 
     jsr kernal_close
 
+!ifdef FLICKER {
+; Clear interrupt
+
+	sei
+	lda .jmp_kernal_interrupt + 1
+	sta interrupt_vector
+	lda .jmp_kernal_interrupt + 2
+	sta interrupt_vector + 1
+	cli
+}
 ; Hide image and set default graphics bank
 
 ; Set graphics mode
@@ -142,15 +175,35 @@ loader_start = $334
 	lda #3  ; 3 chars are now in keyboard buffer
 	sta 198
 
-	; Set text colour to black
-	lda #0
+	; Set text colour to background colour
+	lda $d021
 	sta 646
 
 	rts
+
+!ifdef FLICKER {
+.interrupt
+	ldx $d020
+.load_alt_col
+	lda #0
+	sta $d020
+	nop
+	nop
+	stx $d020
+.jmp_kernal_interrupt
+	jmp $ea31
+}
+	
 .filename
 !pet "story"
 }
 .end_of_loader
+
+!ifdef FLICKER {
+.alt_col
+	!byte 1, 0, 10, 14, 14, 13, 14, 0, 9, 8, 2, 12, 15, 5, 6, 12
+}
+
 } ; zone picloader
 
 loader_pic_start

make.rb

@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ def read_labels(label_file_name)
 def build_loader_file()
 	necessarysettings =  " --cpu 6510 --format cbm"
 	optionalsettings = ""
-	optionalsettings += " -DSPLASHWAIT=#{$splash_wait}" if $splash_wait
+	optionalsettings += " -DFLICKER=1" if $loader_flicker
 
     cmd = "#{$ACME}#{necessarysettings}#{optionalsettings}" +
 		" -l \"#{$loader_labels_file}\" --outfile \"#{$loader_file}\" picloader.asm"
@@ -1241,7 +1241,8 @@ def build_81(storyname, diskimage_filename, config_data, vmem_data, vmem_content
 def print_usage_and_exit
 	puts "Usage: make.rb [-t:target] [-S1|-S2|-D2|-D3|-81|-P]"
 	puts "         [-p:[n]] [-c <preloadfile>] [-o] [-sp:[n]]"
-	puts "         [-s] [-x] [-r] [-f <fontfile>] [-cm:[xx]]  [-i <imagefile>]"
+	puts "         [-s] [-x] [-r] [-f <fontfile>] [-cm:[xx]]"
+	puts "         [-i <imagefile>] [-if <imagefile>]"
 	puts "         [-rc:[n]=[c],[n]=[c]...] [-dc:[n]:[n]] [-bc:[n]] [-sc:[n]]"
 	puts "         [-dmdc:[n]:[n]] [-dmbc:[n]] [-dmsc:[n]] [-ss[1-4]:\"text\"]"
 	puts "         [-sw:[nnn]] [-cb:[n]] [-cc:[n]] [-dmcc:[n]] [-cs:[b|u|l]] "
@@ -1257,6 +1258,7 @@ def print_usage_and_exit
 	puts "  -f: Embed the specified font with the game. See docs for details."
 	puts "  -cm: Use the specified character map (sv, da, de, it, es or fr)"
 	puts "  -i: Add a loader using the specified Koala Painter multicolour image (filesize: 10003 bytes)."
+	puts "  -if: Like -i but add a flicker effect in the border while loading."
 	puts "  -rc: Replace the specified Z-code colours with the specified C64 colours. See docs for details."
 	puts "  -dc/dmdc: Use the specified background and foreground colours. See docs for details."
 	puts "  -bc/dmbc: Use the specified border colour. 0=same as bg, 1=same as fg. See docs for details."
@@ -1281,6 +1283,7 @@ def print_usage_and_exit
 preloadfile = nil
 $font_filename = nil
 $loader_pic_file = nil
+$loader_flicker = false
 auto_play = false
 optimize = false
 extended_tracks = false
@@ -1363,8 +1366,9 @@ def print_usage_and_exit
 		elsif ARGV[i] =~ /^-f$/ then
 			await_fontfile = true
 			$start_address = 0x1000
-		elsif ARGV[i] =~ /^-i$/ then
+		elsif ARGV[i] =~ /^-if?$/ then
 			await_imagefile = true
+			$loader_flicker = ARGV[i] =~ /f$/
 		elsif ARGV[i] =~ /^-ss([1-4]):(.*)$/ then
 			splashes[$1.to_i - 1] = $2 
 		elsif ARGV[i] =~ /^-sw:(\d{1,3})$/ then

releasenotes.txt

@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ New features:
 - make.rb support for additional target platforms (currently only -t:c64)
 - Added a runtime error for division by zero.
 - Option -i to add a loader showing a picture while the game loads.
+- Option -if to add a loader showing a picture while the game loads + a slight border flicker while loading.
 
 Optimizations:
 - Slight optimization to printchar_buffered.

version.txt

@@ -1 +1 @@
-3.7
+3.8