Beschreibung Description

Interlace Character Editor (ICE) -
Version 1.0 for the 2011 ABBUC Software Contest

Interlace Character Editor (ICE) is a collection of three font editors written in Turbo BASIC for the Atari 8-bit (XL/XE) computer. Unlike other font editors, ICE designs fonts for use in special software character-flip modes which allow for the display for more colors onscreen than in normal Atari graphics modes.

An Atari with 64K memory and a joystick controller is required. You can run ICE under an emulator, but Atari800Win is not recommended because some of the special text modes will not display properly. If you use Altirra, select Frame Blending and turn off Burst I/O.

ICE creates fonts for use in special software graphics modes known as character flip modes. These special display modes allow for the display of additional colors onscreen, by flipping character sets, color registers, and/or graphics display modes onscreen at a fast rate. The persistence of vision of the human eye allows the perception of extra colors.

The first usage of this type of display mode on the Atari 8-bit computer was by Atari programmer Bill Kendrick in 1998. He wrote a puzzle game called Gem Drop that used a special software display mode he named Super IRG. The display mode is based out of ANTIC 4 (Graphics 12) but allows for the display of 14 colors onscreen at once.

There are three different editors; each one is on a separate disk or .ATR:

ICE IRG: Edits in the Super 0 / Super IRG / DIN modes

ICE GTIA: Edits in the GTIA modes (Super 9, Super 10, Super 10+, Super 11, HIP, CHIP, APAC)

ICE CIN: Edits in the CIN/MIN/PCIN modes (There are 9 CIN modes supported in this program).

To run these, boot with the appropriate disk or ATR, and RUN the appropriate program from the “READY” prompt. After the welcome screen, press any key and you will be delivered to the main editor screen.

The main editor screen is divided into several areas. The top line is a status area that displays the current Graphics mode. Two character grids are shown, a normal grid on the left, and an inverse grid on the right that shows how the character will look when inversed. Below the grids are two 16-color palettes from which drawing colors can be selected, along with a block that indicates the current drawing color. Below the color palette display is a 4-line menu display that shows the commands you can use. The TAB key will cycle this menu display. Next is the character set display, which shows all 128 characters, from which you can select a character to edit. The bottom two lines are the typing area, where characters can be typed. Two lines are shown, with the top line displaying in ANTIC 2 or 4, and the bottom line in ANTIC 3 or 5.

There are several commands available, which are mostly self-explanatory. In addition to the usual editing functions (scrolling, mirror) you can edit fonts on the individual mask level, save each individual font mask, a double font, or a custom ICE format that will remember the graphics mode and color settings for each font. There is a special palette select screen (in ICE GTIA and ICE CIN) which will let you select up to 16 colors at a time to draw your character with, and a special color tuner for fine tuning your color settings. Using the arrow keys will allow you to select a character to edit, or to copy to/from. Your joystick is used for editing your character.

Each ATR also includes several ICE fonts which provide examples of all 20 display modes.

These commands are supported in the ICE editors:

0-9 and A-F: Select color from drawing palette Ctrl-TAB: Cycle drawing palette (ICE GTIA and ICE CIN only) P: Enter Palette select mode (ICE GTIA and ICE CIN only) Ctrl-C: Color tuner Ctrl-E: Select Font Edit Mask V: Select view for Super 10+ (ICE GTIA only) U: Undo edit CLEAR: Clear character from grid G: Cycle Graphics modes S: Save font

Arrows: Select Character to edit RETURN: Copy character to edit grid >: Copy to character <: Copy from character SHIFT-Up or Down Arrow: Scroll Character M: Horizontal mirror CTRL-M: vertical mirror I: Inverse character TAB: Cycle Menu L: Load font

Manual

Videos