a2fc.system/README.md

45 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
Raw Permalink Normal View History

2018-01-09 21:22:31 +00:00
# a2fc.system
a very small `.a2fc` graphics file viewer for Apple II computers
`.a2fc` ("Apple II Full Color") files are uncompressed double hi-res graphics files that can be displayed on any Apple //e or later with an extended 80-column card.
## Usage
`a2fc.system` has no user interface. It is designed to take the pathname of an .a2fc file as a startup program, as explained in [ProDOS 8 Technical Reference Manual §5.1.5.1](http://www.easy68k.com/paulrsm/6502/PDOS8TRM.HTM#5.1.5.1). If this pathname is not supplied, `a2fc.system` will simply quit.
ProDOS 2.4.1 users: if you rename `a2fc.system` to `basis.system` and put it in the root directory of your startup disk, you can select any `.a2fc` file in Bitsy Bye and it will be passed to `basis.system` as the startup program and displayed properly.
ProSel users: you can create a ProSel item that displays an `.a2fc` graphic file. Assuming `a2fc.system` is `/HD/BIN/A2FC.SYSTEM` and your graphic file is `/HD/PHOTOS/MYPIC.A2FC`:
````
Screen title: -your choice-
Prefix: ?BIN/
Application path: A2FC.SYSTEM
Startup: ?PHOTOS/MYPIC.A2FC
````
2018-01-09 21:36:40 +00:00
## Memory Usage
`a2fc.system` loads at $2000 (like any `.system` file) but relocates itself to zero page. It loads the given `.a2fc` file into hi-res page 1, but only $2000 bytes at a time, so it never touches hi-res page 2.
````
0050..0096 relocated program code
2000..3FFF graphic data
2000..3FFF/aux graphic data
9200..95FF ProDOS file buffer
````
2018-01-09 21:22:31 +00:00
## Tools to create A2FC files
* [BMPA2FC](http://www.appleoldies.ca/graphics/index.htm#dhgr) (Windows)
* [Buckshot](https://apple2.gs/buckshot/) (macOS)
Beagle Graphics used separate files to store double hi-res graphics, a `.bin` and `.aux` file. You can easily combine these into a single `.a2fc` file. The `.aux` part goes first.
````
]BLOAD MYPIC.AUX,A$2000
]BLOAD MYPIC.BIN,A$4000
]BSAVE MYPIC.A2FC,A$2000,L$4000
````