**************************
* The TND User Tool Disk *
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Compiled by
Richard Bayliss
I thought I write a little
something about the TND
User Tool disk. Basically
this is a compilation of many
public domain tools that I
seem to have made use with
in the past. I still even use
those today as well. All
programs on the disk were
done by various members of
various demo scene groups.
The whole idea of creating
this tools disk is to share it
with everybody and also give
you some general
information on how those
programs can be used. As
well as the user tool disk, I
have also included another
disk with various stuff to
support the tools, such as the
Turbo Assembler and the
DMC music editor.
The tools on this disk are all
public domain, just like the
compilation and you are very
welcome to copy the disk to
all of your friends and
contacts. Anyway here is
what we have on the disk,
and some background
information about the
programs.
====================
Turbo Assembler V7.0+
(Angels version)
This wasn't really the
version of the Turbo
Assembler that I used to use.
I used to use version V5.3
which was a version given
away to the public domain
by Case/The Ancient
Temple. However this is a
programming tool for writing
your own assembly code.
There is already an assembly
programming feature in
Commodore Free as
someone else has took the
role, but I have included a
.D64 with various sources I
made to create various
programs, like the Goldfish
demo, 2 scroll intro demo
and the Missile Blaster
game. Also to accompany
the assembler, we have the
Turbo Assembler commands.
So you will know how to
assemble, load a file etc.
Hope it helps :o)
====================
Code Suck Monitor (Padua)
Another handy old tool here.
This program is also a
programming tool and is also
good for ripping code
(Which I don't recommend)
as well. The Code Suck
Monitor is probably based on
the Action Replay Machine
code monitor. Most
demo/game programmers on
the C64 probably used a
machine code monitor as
well as an assembler. So if
you don't own an Action
Replay cartridge, here is a
handy hint for you, to use
this tool.
Because you may wish to use
Turbo Assembler as well as
this M/C monitor, do not
chose $8000 - $C000 as the
address for the monitor or
anywhere where code & data
overlaps the M/C monitor,
itself. However, if you would
prefer to try programming
with a M/C monitor instead
(Which is slightly more
difficult) then that is entirely
up to you.
The Code Suck Monitor also
have some instructions to
help you get started. Simply
chose the note. If you do
chose the note then you'll
have to load the Code Suck
Monitor all over again from
the menu. :o)
====================
DMC V4.0 (Graffity)
For short, DMC stands for
Demo Music Creator. This is
a tool which I like to use a
lot and it is very easy to
handle, compared to DMC
V5.0. To be able to get the
hang of the DMC V4.0, I
have included some example
tunes in the source files disk,
so you can get started.
However there seem to be
some instructions missing in
this music editor (Unlike
DMC V2.0, which had
instructions in with the
editor). Here are the
commands:
General:
INST/DEL: Insert/Delete
positions
Left arrow: Main menu
Up arrow: Read data from
cursor position
@: Write data from cursor
position
F1: Play music from the start
F3: Pause/stop playing music
F5: Continue playing music
(When paused)
F7: Fast Forward music
(When playing)
Shift + F5: Record played
notes (When in live play
mode)
Shift + F7: Enter live play
mode
Track Editor:
Shift + +(and value):
Transpose up
Shift + - :(and value):
Transpose down
Shift + Return: Enter
sequence/notes editor
Sector/Notes editor:
CBM+D: Set duration
CBM+G: Set glide value
CBM+S: Set instrument
CBM+V: Set volume of
channel
CBM+X: Set switch effect
= : Set end of note
œ: Place gate on current
sound (Depends on how the
sound is set, use œ to stop the
sound playing in current
sector)
Keys Q-P, 1-0: Make notes
< >: Change octave of all
notes from cursor position.
Synthesizer:
Shift + +: Select next
instrument
Shift + - : Select previous
instrument
Shift +1 - 7: Select ocatave
Keys Q-P, 1-0: Play notes
Shift + Return: Exit
sequence/notes editor and
return to the track editor
Instruments / waveform
editor:
Shift + +/-: Select
next/previous instrument.
Shift + Return: (Edit
waveform / Exit waveform
editor)
Spacebar: Test instrument
(Use back arrow twice to
exit)
Filter editor:
Shift +/-: Chose filter to edit.
(Use Back arrow twice to
exit)
If you need to learn to create
instruments, etc. Check out
the Music Scene feature on
my web site at
http://www.redesign.sk/tnd6
4.
====================
All Round Re-locator (The
Syndrom/TIA)
This is a music re-locator
that can relocate tunes that
have been composed in
either an old version of the
JCH player (JCH Player V4),
DMC V2.0, DMC V3.0,
DMC V4.0 or DMC V5.0.
Tunes can be relocated from
their current position to a
newer position in C64
memory. This tool was
handy for me to relocate my
tunes for my game projects,
so that I could have one tune
at $1000-$1fff and another
from $9000-$9fff, etc.
Depending on how many
tunes I wanted to use for the
games/demos.
====================
Font Editor V1.3 (Faces)
This is yet another tool I
used to use to draw my own
character set graphics for my
own productions. The editor
allows you to draw character
sets of various sizes, which
are 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, 2x2, 2x3,
2x4, 3x2, 4x2, and 3x3. This
font editor also has music
playing in the background.
I need not give you any help
on how to use this old tool,
as the help file is already in
this very nice tool. We hope
you have fun drawing your
char sets with this tool.
Sprite Editor V1.2 (Faces)
Yet another graphics
drawing program, that allows
you to create you own hi
resolution or multicoloured
sprites for your own games
or demo productions. I often
used this program a lot,
because it is very easy to
handle. You could even save
your own sprites from one
range to another, which helps
me even more, to save
separate sprites.
This tool also have
instructions to help you on
your way to making your
own game/demo sprites, with
its handy functions, so I need
not give you any help for this
tool.
====================
Amica Paint V1.5
(Oliver Stiller)
This is a painting program
which I also used a lot to
paint stuff. This tool consists
of a wide range of options to
help you draw, pixel and
enhance your pictures, such
as bending, rotating and
other options, which don't
exist in many C64 painting
programs. You can also use
an amiga mouse instead of a
joystick if you needed to.
There is a later version of
Amica Paint available at
http://www.lemon64.com in
the applications section. I did
not bother adding that
version to the disk because
of the other files that
supports the utility.
====================
Picture Splitter V2 (Plush)
This is a very handy utility to
help you split your picture
into three different files, or
even swap colours. You can
load various images on to
this program. Those can be
Amica Paint, Koala paint and
a few others. Splitting a
picture is simple. All you
need to do is chose the
memory locations to place
your bitmap file, video RAM
and screen colour RAM.
Here is how to do this for
intro pics :o) The way I do it
is quite simple. I place the
bitmap at hex $2000, the
video RAM at $4000 and the
colour RAM at $4400,
especially when it comes to
coding picture demos.
However, if you wanted to
turn your picture into a
Vidcom painter picture,
simply set bitmap at $6000,
colour RAM at $5800 and
screen RAM at $5c00.
Other options in the picture
splitter is a routine that will
allow you to swap colours
with a different colour,
simply by using keys 0-9 and
a-f and return to perform
swap.
There are also some options
that wall allow you to lighten
or darken your picture to
how you'd like it. Nice
====================
Visiomizer V6.3
(Magnus Lind)
Here, we have a handy utility
by the author of the
Exomizer. However this is
probably one of the *best*
char packers available for the
C64. The concept is like
many other packers, except
that you can change load
addresses for linking
something to your
intro/demo (say your own
game or another demo part).
The concept of this program
is to compress single files
that range from $0800-$ffff
(probably lower than $0800).
The program asks you to
enter your filename details
(The file that is on your disk
which you want to pack).
Then it asks for $01 value. I
always use $37 as the $01
value, so I would
recommend that you do that
as well with your programs.
The packer also asks for
Jump address? Well it may
vary. It depends on the
program.
Actually let's help you out a
bit using this packer (If you
have an action replay
cartridge or reset cartridge
with m/c monitor).
Download a SEUCK game
from my web site. Run the
game. Freeze/reset to M/C
monitor and enter S "(name
of game),8,0801,FFFF.
When done load the
Visiomizer and enter as
follows:
Loadname: game
Savename: game+
$01 : 37
JMP$ :4245
Loadback $: 0801
Leastgain: $08
Maxspce: $0c
Insert your disk for packing
and the program will work
with the packing process.
Now when prompted to save
the file, press spacebar to
save. After save, reset C64
and load the directory and
you will notice that the game
has been packed. The next
step will be to test the
depacker. So load game+
and then enter SYS2049 and
the game will depack and
run. If the game is fine, well
done you done it correct.
Else if parts of the game
messed up. You may have
gone wrong somewhere.
Remember that for all
SEUCK games, the jump
address is $4245.
====================
Sledgehammer II (Cross)
This is yet another packer,
but this time it has a built in
linker. The main purpose of
using this tool is to grab all
data and code and link it all
into one main file. You can
link up to 252 blocks of data,
but the problem is that the
load addresses must differ
and be in order, else the
packer will overwrite
existing data causing the
packed program to bomb.
Anyway, you can even pack
one single unpacked file. So
yet again, let's try it out.
First of all download a
SEUCK game from the TND
web site. This time we will
save it in two separate files
:o)). Load the game and
enter the M/C monitor and
then do as follows for the
first file. S
"GAME1",8,0801,A000 then
for the second file S
"GAME2",8,A000,FFFF.
Load up Sledgehammer II
from the menu and exit the
intro with spacebar and then
insert the disk which you
saved both SEUCK game
files from.
Enter the depack text option
and clear the screen then
select depack effect as
nothing (No depack text and
effect is more helpful for
slightly bigger compression
for when it comes to using a
cruncher.) Now enter the
Sledgehammer.
Insert the disk with the two
game files and press
spacebar to start. Now
highlight both files and press
return. You will then see a 1
or 2 appear (These are the
files that have been selected
and will load in that kind of
order). Once done, use
Spacebar to enter the
Sledgehammer II packer and
fill in the following:
SAVENAME: GAME+
JMP TO : $4245
$01 VALUE: $37
When done, the loading and
packing commences. Once
packed, press spacebar to
save the packed file to disk.
The file will then save. Reset
the C64, load and run the
packed file. You will get a
black screen and will have to
wait a short while for the
depack to finish, then your
game should come on.
====================
Super Zipper V8 (Oneway)
This is probably a modified
version of the 4-Code Zipper
classic packer. Unlike
Sledgehammer II and
Visomizer. This tool is a
simple char packer that is
compatible with different
hardware/software fast
loaders. Entering information
for packing of data is purely
the same as with
Sledgehammer II and
Visiomizer, but it does not
pack as good as Visiomizer,
although still usable.
====================
The Cruncher AB V3.0
(Oneway)
Here is something to
accompany the Visiomizer
packer. A damn good
cruncher. You can chose a
type of flashy border (for
depack effect) if you wanted
to, but it is not mandatory. In
fact, you're better off
without an effect if you don't
want it. Anyway instructions
about the effect to chose is
simple. Spacebar will test the
effect.
You also have a choice of
three different crunching
methods which are simply
the following:
1. 202 Block fast crunch
(Extra RAM)
2. 111 Block fast crunch
3. 202 Block slow crunch
If you chose option 1 on this
cruncher, you will need to
have 256K RAM installed on
to your C64. In the past, to
increase RAM for home
microcomputers there used
to be cartridges known as
RAM Expansion Packs.
You'll get a fast 2-pass
crunch which will take a
maximum time limit between
10-15 minutes (Depending
on how much memory is to
be crunched down to size).
If you chose option 2 for this
cruncher. You wont need to
have 256K extra RAM. You
can use BASIC kernal load
or any other
hardware/software fast load.
However your program size
is limited to 111 blocks. Any
higher and the cruncher will
crash.
If you chose option 3 for this
cruncher. You wont need to
have 256K extra RAM. You
will need to have a lot of
patience. Why is this? Well
it is because (depending on
your program size) the
crunching time may take up
to 2-3 hours, which means
you need to sit back and
relax or go to sleep for the
time limit :o). The cruncher
uses its own software loader.
Anyway. Say you packed a
program using the
Visiomizer, and want to
crunch your program even
further to get a smaller
amount of memory. Use
$0801 as the jump address. It
wont fail if you get it right.
====================
Exploding Faces Cruncher
(Epic)
This is a version of the
Exploding Cruncher,
originally created by faces.
However this version has
high speed loader, and faster
compression. Unlike the
Cruncher AB, this program
allows you to compress your
programs in a one-pass
mode.
====================
Dir Master V8.4 (Hitmen)
This is a perfect C64 tool if
you want to enhance and
manage your own directories
on disk. For example you
can edit tracks/sectors, load
addresses and even disguise
some of your programs
inside the directory. With Dir
Master V8.4 you can create
your own directory stamps,
to give the directory art. Be
very careful if you do this
because if you do, loading a
directory from disk for
listing will take a longer
time. It depends on the size
of your directory. There's a
help file to get you started
with this handy tool. All you
need to do is use '*' to enter
the help screen.
Well those are all the tools
on this disk. We hope you
will find those to be really
handy. But before I go, I
want to help you out a bit on
finding out how to convert
an SYS address to a hex
address for usage on a
packer+cruncher.
In a M/C monitor i.e. Action
Replay cartridge, use the
following.
To find the following SYS
addresses displayed in
BASIC into hexadecimal:
2049:
N 2049
2061:
N 2061
Result = $080D
20480:
N 20480
Result = $5000
49152:
N 49152
That's it. You may find
various useful information
about C64 machine code
from http://project64.c64.org
