Vide V1.0

Version 1.0 is released!

After about 9 months of nearly continuous development I am proud to declare V1.0 of Vide as finished (bugfixes might be in order though).

To my knowledge all (to me) known vectrex programs can be run with vide. Following a list of

Supported emulation features:

• Vectrex “standard” components (6809, VIA, PSG and analog parts) – as accurately as I am able to
• Bankswitching schemes for “normal”, vecflash working (haven’t got a VecRam available)
• Lightpen
• Imager 3d (Goggles)
• VecVoice speech synthesis (SP0256-AL2)
• VecVox speech synthesis (SpeakJet)
• extra RAM (Animaction style, Logo/Spikes Circus style, Spectrum RA style)
• Spectrum RA LED and coin slot
• eEprom DS 2430A (Protector, Thrust)
• eEprom Microship 11AA010 (Vector Pilot)
• VecLink cable(s)

Vectrex Development utilities:

• editor with special vectrex features (syntax highlighting, short help, bookmarks, jump to subroutines, project features and much more)
• built in assembler (can also be run from the editor, error can be edited on a double click…), nearly 100% compatible to the well known Kingswood assembler
• vector editing tool for 2d/3d vectors with import/export capabilities from/to different formats
• a built in debugger with an overwhelming set of features (inspect vectors with a mouse click, set breakpoints, watch ram/rom addresses, watch all “hardware” parts of the vectrex (6809, VIA, PSG, analog, cartridges, joyport etc), add comments while disassembling (and persist comments),  build runnable source from the disassembler, change appearance of memory on a click, set dp registers to “correct” values… etc etc etc)

Additional tools to enhance above features even more:

• editor supports code generation for standard “situations”, like a gameloop, bankswitching, eEprom support etc
• conversion utility to convert raster images to vectrex raster images (also code generation for
  direct runnable binaries)
• conversion utility to convert raster images to vector images (also code generation for direct runnable binaries)
• utility to build or convert samples (also code generation for direct runnable binaries)
• utility to convert YM-files to vectrex (also code generation for direct runnable binaries)
• utility to convert MOD-files to vectrex (also code generation for direct runnable binaries)
• utility to convert AYFX-files to vectrex (also code generation for direct runnable binaries)
• utility to edit and build vecVox/vecVoice speech files easily (also code generation for direct runnable binaries)
• utility to edit/create vectrex instrument settings (ADSR/twang tables)
• utility to edit/create wheels for the 3d-Imager

Sample code especially created for Vide:

• very well document sample sources (runnable) for Lightpen for the four most used
  situations (text picking, vector picking, dragging, location finding)
• very well documented sample sources (runnable) for 3d-Imager
• very well documented sample sources for VecLink cable V1 and V2 (also runnable)

Sample code included from other sources (freely available)

in form of a “code library” included are known sources like:

• Complete releases (Thrust, Omega Chase, Pushr, Patriots, Vaders, Frogger, BETH,
  Veccy Bird, Vaboom…)
• Demos (Electric Force, Lineart…)
• Originals (Artmaster, Berzerk, Minestrom, Star Castle, Spectrum RA)
• Snippets (diverse routines…)
• Unfinished (not finished games)

Most of these sources are directly runnable from the “codelib”-browser.

Library of vectrex “material”

A collection of documents gathered, which are placed in the filesystem (and are from there entered automatically as “library entries” in the library menu). For now available (but every user can expand by copying files to the dirs):

• instructions for all games
• original pdf files of used vectrex hardware
• programming guides
• service manual
• official vectrex rom listings
• and much more

Documentation

• Vide is well documented, a helpfile is available as html (see: http://vide.malban.de/help) or as help within the application
• first vide “videos” were made and are also available via the above mentioned page
• the “history” of the development can be reviewed by visiting here (wow, there are 40 entries already!)

The Big picture…