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Website :
https://github.com/spartaomg/Sparkle2
Credits :
Download :
Look for downloads on external sites:
Pokefinder.org
Summary
Submitted by Sparta on 6 May 2021
From the manual:
Sparkle is a trackmo loader solution for the Commodore 64 originally inspired by Lft’s Spindle and Krill’s loader. It utilizes full on-the-fly GCR processing, fast data transfer, and blockwise data compression. Demos are built using loader scripts, files are bundled together and are loaded in batches. Sparkle handles multi-disk trackmos and offers limited file saving capability.
New in version 2:
- “Hi-score" file saver with limited file saving capability. Sparkle can now overwrite an existing file on the last track of the disk (track 35 on a standard disk and track 40 on an extended disk). The hi-score file can be specified in the disk info section of the script. File size must be $100-$f00 bytes and it must be multiples of $100 (i.e., the low byte of the file size must be zero). If a hi-score file is added to the script, Sparkle will include the saver code on the last track of the disk with an index of $7e while the hi-score file’s index will be $7f. The saver code and the hi-score file can be only accessed using index-based loading. To overwrite the hi-score file, first load the saver code then call it with the high byte of the file size in A. To exit the saver function without saving anything, call it with $00 in A. The saved file can be smaller but it cannot be larger than the original hi-score file. Sparkle can also save from the RAM under the I/O area ($d000-$dfff).
- Sparkle now supports random file access, i.e., bundle index-based loading. The bundle index must be loaded in A. Two sectors are used as internal directory on track 18 and each directory entry needs 4 bytes. Thus, maximum 128 bundles can be loaded by index ($00-$7f). Note that there can be more than 128 bundles on the disk, but only the first 128 can be accessed this way. Subsequent bundles can only be loaded sequentially, with a Sparkle_LoadNext call. Calling the loader with indices $80-$fe in A is interpreted by Sparkle as a disk flip call (subtract $80 for the corresponding disk index). A=$ff is used with the Sparkle_SendCmd function to reset the drive. Bundle indices $7e and $7f will load the saver code and the hi-score file, respectively, if a hi-score file is included on the disk (see below).
- Product ID: a 3-byte long unique identifier (max. 6 hex digits) that is used to identify disk sides belonging to the same product/build. The Product ID is shared between all disks built from the same script. This will ensure that disks of Product 2 will not be accepted by Product 1. If a Product ID is not specified by the user then Sparkle will generate a pseudorandom number every time the script is run.
- NTSC support.
- 40-track disk support. Tracks 36-40 are extensions of tracks 31-35 (17 sectors each, speed zone 0). |
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