The Sinclair QL Forum

Hi,

I'm following up a short discussion with Mr. Navigator as we both tried out DPs Super Sprite Generator but find it limiting in some ways. Is there any other package around which has the same or better features?

Best,
Thor

I know that in Microsoft QuickBasic (turns and spits on the floor) you could define any size array, say 64x64 and using a keyword to place it x,y directly on the screen. I used this feature to produce animated sprites, 3D buttons that operated when clicked (any size) and a host of cursor shapes including one that looked like a mouse. This was all in DOS in 16 colours when Windows 3.0 was in it's infancy. Now currently (when I have time) I am slowly making my way through PD software and eventually I will tackle QUANTA's library for something similar, but I haven't seen anything yet.

I don't know if there was any other sprite software (professionally available), there are plenty of sprite based games where this is apparent and I am sure they all can't be using SSG.

I have tried Simon Goodwin's very fast draw routine on simple shapes, but this was just a temporary stop gap.

What it really requires is some m/c work for speed, however that is beyond my current skills (any volunteers)

I have found another sprite generator - this was originally from Sinclair QL World's Microdrive Exchange, so I have no idea on the copyright status!

Thanks RWAP, I have looked for Richard Cross of whom I remember as being a prominent article submitter in the eighties, but haven't found anything of significance yet. However, i did find this entry in Sinclair User - issue 40:

The sprite designer, Zappit, allows the user to develop up to 99 sprites which can be on the screen at the same time and manipulated through SuperBasic, without the use of PEEK or POKE

Zappit was sold for £14.95 by Quest apparently.

Then, finding the entry on your 'wiki' (its the very last entry ), it states:

Quest Automation
Author: Martin Gilpin and Mark Leaman

I have heard those surnames before somewhere...

Thanks RWAP, downloaded and tried out. It's not as easy to use as DPs Sprite Generator and in the Basic Progs I sometimes get some errors (reminding that I'm Using Qemulator). Need to investigate further. I looked after Zappit!, thanks for this info Mr. Navigator but couldn't find it in the Net. May somebody knows more about it? 99 colored sprites on the screen the same times sounds interesting
Nice weekend everybody,

Thor

I guess DP's SSG was the best known. But all game sprite packages I came across have one fundamental problem - they don't work on anything other than a 512x256 screen,so no chance of working on a modern system (although QemuLator should be OK in most cases). I've attached 3 PD sprite packages you can look at. Some have no instructions. There is a fourth one written by Frank Linder in Sweden which I saw back in DJC days, but I don't know if he ever released it as PD since - perhaps if anyone in Sweden is still in touch with him you could ask him. It was a very good package with some great demo files, but it was never published as I wanted him to adapt it for non-QL screens.

Dilwyn

Ah yes, Zappitt!

I have a copy of that here on my PC, but no original cartridges for sale - it was sold by Quest - no idea what the copyright position is on their software!

Rich

Yes, tried to find that company down on the south coast, used Google street view and had a look around but couldn't find the building at the last address the company had.

Thank you Dilwyn, downloaded. I hope to get into this this week and will report how it worked for me.
Best,
thor

Hi there
Sorry for my late reply, But I just got a membership.

The Sprite generator is not released.
It is free to use for whatever purpose yuo like.

It is made for 256x256 screen, and it uses XOR for drawing.
I used a special tchnic to prevent flicker. Sprite is erased and drawn 4 pixels at a time. So flicker should not be seen.
Not containing only a spritegenerator, there is also a sprite editor and a background editor.

I demonstrate it public first time in Münster.(Can't rememer the year)
That's a very nice memory.

I haven't run it for years, so it would be nice with pictures and maybe someting on youtube.

Frank Linder