Function 2014 :: October 3/4/5 :: Budapest, Hungary
category: parties [glöplog]
amiga fans will be like
I am going
Hello Charlie,
I am thinking of maybe submitting an entry to the 256 byte compo.
I read on the 2014 Function demoparty website that :
1) the prod will be executed on "straight dos" : "Entries will be run from straight DOS.";
2) the exit on esc is optional : "If possible, quit on a keypress, preferably ESC.".
My 4 questions are :
1) by "straight dos" do you mean DOS 6.22 (or MS-DOS by wikipedia's definition) or one of the other 58 flavors (reference and reference ) ;
2) if exit on esc is optional, any entry executed after one lacking that feauture will benefit from
a hard reboot I suppose and hence "clean" memory segments, which could be seen as an unfair
advantage if one is required to clear a memory segment explicitely in his entry. What are your
assumptions : can every entry benefit from a quick hard reboot then so as to have initial context ?
3) what is the model of the processor running the "straight DOS" competition ? For example, the x86 cmov opcode is solely available starting with the Pentium pro (reference reference)
4) is midi available as default and if so on standard port 330h ? The soundbaster setting environment variable is viewable when you type the SET command in "straight DOS" and is along the like of "BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 P330 T3". Can you please type *that* line exactly as it appears with the SET DOS command ?
PS: I am asking these questions publicly instead of in a private email exchange so other contestants can benefit from your answers. Thank you in advance.
Kind regards,
I am thinking of maybe submitting an entry to the 256 byte compo.
I read on the 2014 Function demoparty website that :
1) the prod will be executed on "straight dos" : "Entries will be run from straight DOS.";
2) the exit on esc is optional : "If possible, quit on a keypress, preferably ESC.".
My 4 questions are :
1) by "straight dos" do you mean DOS 6.22 (or MS-DOS by wikipedia's definition) or one of the other 58 flavors (reference and reference ) ;
2) if exit on esc is optional, any entry executed after one lacking that feauture will benefit from
a hard reboot I suppose and hence "clean" memory segments, which could be seen as an unfair
advantage if one is required to clear a memory segment explicitely in his entry. What are your
assumptions : can every entry benefit from a quick hard reboot then so as to have initial context ?
3) what is the model of the processor running the "straight DOS" competition ? For example, the x86 cmov opcode is solely available starting with the Pentium pro (reference reference)
4) is midi available as default and if so on standard port 330h ? The soundbaster setting environment variable is viewable when you type the SET command in "straight DOS" and is along the like of "BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 P330 T3". Can you please type *that* line exactly as it appears with the SET DOS command ?
PS: I am asking these questions publicly instead of in a private email exchange so other contestants can benefit from your answers. Thank you in advance.
Kind regards,
amiga fans will be like
@saga, eheheheheheheheeee.
@Baudsurfer:
They run dos on a modern PC. You can assume that you have processing power and all those awesome new instructions, pipelining, loop cache and everything.
Assume reboot after showing each entry.
Your intro should be self sufficient and not rely on anything that is might create incompatibilities. I usually test my intros under XP and DosBox. If i get the same results then it's ok :)
Checking for escape is as simple as
That's 6 bytes. There is no excuse for not using it unless your prod is that awesome technical achievement people will be talking about for years.
I think midi is avaliable on 330. Not sure about other sound output.
They run dos on a modern PC. You can assume that you have processing power and all those awesome new instructions, pipelining, loop cache and everything.
Assume reboot after showing each entry.
Your intro should be self sufficient and not rely on anything that is might create incompatibilities. I usually test my intros under XP and DosBox. If i get the same results then it's ok :)
Checking for escape is as simple as
Code:
e470 in al,60h
fec8 dec al
75fa jnz main
That's 6 bytes. There is no excuse for not using it unless your prod is that awesome technical achievement people will be talking about for years.
I think midi is avaliable on 330. Not sure about other sound output.
@Baudsurfer: "straight DOS" basically means that we show it on the thing that runs it properly :) We had years when we had a dedicated DOS machine, but IIRC last year we had only dosbox, and it worked fine.
Sound or even midi is something that rarely comes up for 256 byte, so we don't really have a fixed specification for that.
That said we always managed to show the intros properly (even the ones with sound), but if you're worried about any exotic hacks you're doing, your best bet would be to send the prod to us via mail before the party and we'll test it on the compo pc.
Sound or even midi is something that rarely comes up for 256 byte, so we don't really have a fixed specification for that.
That said we always managed to show the intros properly (even the ones with sound), but if you're worried about any exotic hacks you're doing, your best bet would be to send the prod to us via mail before the party and we'll test it on the compo pc.
Quote:
We had years when we had a dedicated DOS machine, but IIRC last year we had only dosbox, and it worked fine.
We had the DOS machine both years actually, but some intros ran better or only from DOSBox.
I noticed one problem which destroys performance on real machine but runs OK from DOSBox.
Here are a few tips:
Don't write values into the code segment near code. It invalidates the cache for the executing code, it invalidates the pipeline and it invalidates the loopcache. IT DESTROYS PERFORMANCE on modern machine but it works fine on emulated or old cpu models.
Code like this would make your CPU cry:
A good practice is to define constants into code segment in the first 256b ofc, and the memory starting from cs + 512 for variables.
Also, writing directly to 0A000h -> 0AFFFh is much slower than writing to normal memory. I recommend buffering it and using movsd for transfer.
Here are a few tips:
Don't write values into the code segment near code. It invalidates the cache for the executing code, it invalidates the pipeline and it invalidates the loopcache. IT DESTROYS PERFORMANCE on modern machine but it works fine on emulated or old cpu models.
Code like this would make your CPU cry:
Code:
mov cx,320*200
i:
inc word [x]
loop i
jmp n
x:
dw 0
n:
A good practice is to define constants into code segment in the first 256b ofc, and the memory starting from cs + 512 for variables.
Also, writing directly to 0A000h -> 0AFFFh is much slower than writing to normal memory. I recommend buffering it and using movsd for transfer.
For the third year in a row I'll have something on the same week as Function :( At best I might be able to be there for the saturday evening compo.
Also, just in case folks are expecting the maple liquor I usually bring to parties in Europe, I won't be able to get to Québec before the party and nobody is coming down from there before then either, so I'll have to bring something else instead.
Perhaps a strange flavor of Oreos, or something else.
Perhaps a strange flavor of Oreos, or something else.
train trip to the party will be like
No bar girls?! No meat-stuffed sandwiches? This time I'm not going to Function. ;)
the bar will be like
infodesk orga nightshift will be like:
sunday morning will be like:
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. stuck with 256b..
trying to finish your demo is being like
It might be the case that I'm blind but when is the deadline? (remote entry, 256b compo)
:)
:)
for local/remotes also
2014.10.04 20:00 256Byte,4K,64K intro competition deadline
2014.10.04 20:00 256Byte,4K,64K intro competition deadline
pasy: thank you :)
Setting up a 15 years old PC for the DOS/GUS demoshow feels like:
Charlie
THIS THIS THIS THIS
I need to show this to Dr Claw, but if he sees it at home we might get evicted, or they'll send the guys in the white coats. As it is our landlords probably now think I have finally snapped from all the laughing.
THIS THIS THIS THIS
I need to show this to Dr Claw, but if he sees it at home we might get evicted, or they'll send the guys in the white coats. As it is our landlords probably now think I have finally snapped from all the laughing.
All these funny gifs make me wanna visit but want happen yet. Maybe I'll plan next year.
Maybe just a remote 256b entry.
Maybe just a remote 256b entry.
Finishing your demo is like
[img]
http://media.giphy.com/media/DONJqBm2on3a0/giphy.gif[/img]
looking forward to next Friday . . .
[img]
http://media.giphy.com/media/DONJqBm2on3a0/giphy.gif[/img]
looking forward to next Friday . . .