RTG on AGA.

[whabang]

Is there any way of using P96 or CGFX with AGA?
There are several programs out there that requires RTG, but I don't want to use a GFX card as I want to keep my 1200 in it's original casing.
Anyone?

[xeron]

If you have a PowerPC, there is a CGX AGA driver for it, but to be honest theres little point.

If a program actually requires a graphics card, the chances are it'll want at least highcolour graphics, and unless the CGX driver has a HAM8 mode, the program still won't work (no modes to show in the screenmode requester).

Even if it DID have a HAM8 mode, it would be so slow as to make the program unusable.

[whabang]

Suspected that.
I guess I'll have to use WinUAE for such things, then...
Thanks.

[Karlos]

I did use CGX AGA for a bit. It was fine for 8-bit stuff, such as Benoit and the like. There was no 15/16/24/32 bit support though..

It doesn't actually need a PPC - it just uses the ppc.library's AllocVec() replacement function to get memory aligned to a 32 byte boundary (AFAIK).

Maybe somebody could write a tiny stub ppc.library for this purpose ;-)

[xeron]

Hmm... but are there any programs that use 8bit output, yet absolutely require the presence of an RTG system?!

Surely any sane programmer writing an OS friendly program that requires 8 bit chunky would offer a mode that uses graphics.library, so users of BlazeWCP can use the program too!?

[Karlos]

Tickly wrote:
Hmm... but are there any programs that use 8bit output, yet absolutely require the presence of an RTG system?!

Surely any sane programmer writing an OS friendly program that requires 8 bit chunky would offer a mode that uses graphics.library, so users of BlazeWCP can use the program too!?

Unless theyr'e lazy buggers like me :-)

[xeron]

Heh well, ok, but i don't see the point of limiting your audience, when the potential userbase is already tiny. Especially when WriteChunkyPixels() support requires not much more than:

[color=006600]
void writechunky( x, y etc. etc. )
{
  switch( mode )
  {
    case GMODE_CGX:
      WritePixelArray( x, y etc. etc. )
      break;
    default:
      WriteChunkyPixels( x, y etc. etc. )
  }
}
[/color]

[Karlos]

I was kidding ;-)

I have my own code which is much faster than WritePixelArray() (gets copy speed basically) for 15/16/24/32 bit, even when conversion is required. I don't really support 8-bit yet though :-(. This is principally because I use Warp3D for a lot of stuff and most 3D hw is severely crippled on 8-bit screens.

[xeron]

Yes, well i guess you didn't read my original post properly then... i said software which requires 8 bit chunky graphics!  :-P

[whabang]

The reason I wanted RTG for AGA is tat I have a few programs that work fine in full-screen on AGA machines, but they won't work in a WB window unless I have RTG.

[Karlos]

Tickly wrote:
Yes, well i guess you didn't read my original post properly then... i said software which requires 8 bit chunky graphics!  :-P

Nope, I did read it :-). I was just excusing myself from not having written much 8-bit stuff yet :-)

[saimo]

Tickly wrote:

Even if it DID have a HAM8 mode, it would be so slow as to make the program unusable.

erm... ehm... a little OT, but this gives me the opportunity for some self-advertising... :-P
some months ago a released a package for fast (49 fps for a 320x256x8 with a 030@50) C2P stuff (and lotsa more) on AGA: it's pure c0d3rz stuff, but still I think it may be interesting to Amiga freaks... it can be found on Aminet searching for "TCS" (WARNING: there may be probs with scandoublers and gfxcards redirection because the system uses SHRES displays - no damage can be done, though, just bad-looking visuals).
I'd really like to know what people may think of it...

Regards,
saimo

[Karlos]

I might be interested...
Does it bang the copper etc? Or can I just wrap it in a stub C function and use it safely in OS compatible code?

[lorddef]

I use CGFX3 on my 030 with AGA, theres a a patch on aminet that allows you to install the PPC AGA drivers then replace certian files with ones in the archive, and woo hoo, CGX on a 68k with AGA.

a screenshot here

http://www.lorddef.net/computers/grabs/grabiff.jpg

You'll get a little speed up doing this, but it is very little.

[saimo]

sorry for this late reply - I had to fly to a uni lecture...

anyways, yes it bangs the hadware, although it can be made OS-friendly (BTW: the system is in the form of a shared library, but nothing stops anybody to write his own routines, thanks to the extensive documentation that can be found in the archives); yet, I don't have the time right now and, after all, it's not something really needed... who cares about AGA this days, besides AGA democoders (who will be quite happy with the current implementation)?
To have a glance at some of the features, check out also the TCS_demo (on Aminet, too): you may find interesting things like 2 indipendent, variably cross-faded, 256-color screens with some rotzoom effects.


Best regards,
saimo