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4gentE
Registered: Mar 2021
Posts: 285 |
What is PETSCII - A guide for compo orgas
Lately, We've seen several cases of releases that don't adhere to PETSCII standard being entered into compos. Examples are: 11th place at Revision 2024 Textmode Graphics compo called "U-MOD3L", 4th place at Deadline 2024 Textmode Graphics compo called "Depth Logo with Obligatory Skull & Blood" and 2nd place at Xenium 2024 ASCII/ANSI/PETSCII compo called "Fantastic 4 Cracking Group logo".
The first mentioned example uses a custom character set instead of standard PETSCII. The second and third mentioned examples use multiple background colors and a custom combination of both "upper" and "lower" PETSCII character sets which is not possible in standard PETSCII.
Several PETSCII editors/paint programs out there allow for this faux/"fantasy" modes by untying the newcomer authors from original hardware restrictions. Some of them churn out C64 executables that utilize either normal character mode but with custom character set defined and written along with the displayer, ECM mode again with custom character set being written in the prg file, or downright hires bitmap mode (which is way out of even most lenient definition of "textmode graphics"). This furtherly confuses both newcomer authors and compo orgas because it leaves them under false impression that the file is compliant with standard PETSCII.
The shortest possible definition of PETSCII would be: if a picture can be recreated by using BASIC to print it on the screen (thx Groepaz) then it's a PETSCII. Or, if you can recreate it with no commands whatsoever (other than 2 POKEs for border/paper colors), by physically using cursor keys and the rest of the C64 keyboard Raquel Meyers style then it's a PETSCII for sure. I know compo orgas can't go writing BASIC programs or playing around with a real C64. Therefore I've attached a precise PETSCII specification at the bottom of this text. The origin of this specification is Shine's PETSCII World Discord server and the author is wbochar (a PETSCII artist and coder/maintainer of Petmate). Now, I'm aware that orgas can't reprint all this text when organizing a compo, but if they read and understand it, I'm sure they can distill the gist of it into something shorter that fits their needs. As long as they themselves are aware of the precise definition. Additionally, if future orgas are not sure about a specific entry, they can always contact Shine's PETSCII World on Discord or X, as the place is inhabited by nice people ready to help.
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Single Frame 'standard' PETSCII in PRG format
1. Uses built in character rom, UPPER or LOWER case (no mixing or flipping between cases).
2. No relocating ROM's, soft/custom roms, or copied ROM's.
3. petscii/data in standard (for that machine) screen and color memory area (if there is a color area)
4. Frame size is the default character editor dimensions for that platform (c64: 40x25 chars)
5. static background and border color (if that machine has that)
6. loops showing the picture (ie "jmp *")
7. No sprites, music, splits. rasterbars or other code manipulating the system. If you have to clarify something else thats legal, then assume No.
8. Auto starts from basic
So basically the PRG (program) on c64 just loads the screen chars and colors, sets the background, border and "pauses/loops" showing the pic.
Most of the time, I mean 99% we are talking about a c64 showing the petscii.
But technically, there are few platforms out there with their own distinct PETSCII/Colors/Frame implementations.
examples:
c64: 40x25 chars, 16 colors, background and border color.
PetX032: 40x25 or 80x25 chars, Mono Color (green/White), black background and no border color. There are multiple Char roms available for various pet versions..
vic20: 22x23 chars, Color is Fluid.., border 8 colors, background can have 16. The char roms are closer to the Pet than the c64
c128, c16... all have different color, screen size and rom differences..
So when you enter a compo or post a 'PETSCII' online.. we are usually talking about c64 40x25 chars.
If the compo has specific rules like "C64 Micro PETSCII 16x16 Mono Color" then override the values in the list above with the compo values.
Which means I can put 16 x 16 anywhere on the 40x25 screen with one color and choose another color for the Background, Border.
Any messing with the underlying char ROM's makes this a highres image that resembles a PETSCII, but is not a PETSCII.
The whole fun of this, is to work within the confines of PETSCII.
It's great to make art however you want to do it.. but if you want to call it a PETSCII image.. then those are the rules/guidelines.
There are many other formats that are PETSCII.. Wide and Long that scroll, animations, gfx demos. They all use the default charset/colors for that platform. |
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chatGPZ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11386 |
that is in fact more true than one - hires mode is textmode with hardwired vram :) |
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spider-j
Registered: Oct 2004
Posts: 498 |
Quoting JetboyWell, technically hires bitmap is text mode, where there is 1000 characters, and all appear only once, and are ordered from 0 to 999, and you cannot reorder them.
I'm not sure what you mean by "technically". In my book the word "textmode"* implies that chars can be typed in from a keyboard.
*I'm only refering to Deadline compo – because it was called "textmode". Don't know about the other incidents. |
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Burglar
Registered: Dec 2004
Posts: 1101 |
whats the tldr of the first post? |
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4gentE
Registered: Mar 2021
Posts: 285 |
Quote:Well, technically hires bitmap is text mode, where there is 1000 characters, and all appear only once, and are ordered from 0 to 999, and you cannot reorder them.
I don’t think this technical curiosity is helpful for this conversation. At all. On the contrary, in fact. |
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4gentE
Registered: Mar 2021
Posts: 285 |
Quote:whats the tldr of the first post?
There are PETSCII tools out there that ignore some (or all) native restrictions and churn out PETSCIIs that do not adhere to standard. Unknowingly, newbies use those tools and enter PETSCII compos. Orgas don’t know that these entries are invalid. The fact they were made by a “PETSCII tool” confuses them. That’s as short as it gets. It already happened 3 times on 3 big parties this year. |
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chatGPZ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11386 |
Quote:I don’t think this technical curiosity is helpful for this conversation. At all. On the contrary, in fact
sorry, you are right |
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t0m3000
Registered: Feb 2024
Posts: 3 |
I'll write here again what I already wrote on pouet.
"For me as a beginner, PETSCII is the (plain) character set from the ROM, only one background color and 40x25 on the C64." |
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Oswald
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 5094 |
Quote: Quote:I don’t think this technical curiosity is helpful for this conversation. At all. On the contrary, in fact
sorry, you are right
so that means Groepaz == Jetboy, 2 csdb accounts ? |
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chatGPZ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11386 |
isn't it obvious? |
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Burglar
Registered: Dec 2004
Posts: 1101 |
Quote: Quote:whats the tldr of the first post?
There are PETSCII tools out there that ignore some (or all) native restrictions and churn out PETSCIIs that do not adhere to standard. Unknowingly, newbies use those tools and enter PETSCII compos. Orgas don’t know that these entries are invalid. The fact they were made by a “PETSCII tool” confuses them. That’s as short as it gets. It already happened 3 times on 3 big parties this year.
thanks :)
there's a simple solution to this, make a screenshot with vice and run it through png2prg 1.8:
png2prg -m petscii screenshot.png
if it fails, it's not petscii :) |
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