ugBASIC User Manual

This code will draw the opening title of the “Blade Runner” videogame, developed by Westwood Studios and published by Virgin Interactive for Microsoft Windows, released on November 14, 1997. This was one of the games that missed out on 8-bit platforms, due in part to the remarkable software technology introduced, which made use of voxel-based software renderings instead of hardware accelerator cards. With this example we try to outline an isomorphic way of writing programs and designing graphic resources, so that it is easier to port them from one platform to another. The aim, as always, is to guarantee a comparable visual and gaming experience between systems, without giving up the specificities of each.

 
 	' We suggest the use the most coloured
 	' resolution (up to 16 colors).
 	
 	BITMAP ENABLE(16)
 
 	' We clear the graphical screen.
 	
 	CLS
 
 	' Put the color border to BLACK (if border is preset)
 	
 	COLOR BORDER BLACK
 
 	' Load from the host the (degrated quality of the) image 
 	' of the opening titles of the videogame. 
 	'
 	' Note that the original image has been converted to 
 	' match at best each target, and moved the result into 
 	' each folder with the same target name. In particular:
 	'
 	'	atari / atarixl : 160x96 pixel, 4 colors
 	'	c128 			: 160x200 pixel, 16 colors
 	'	c128z 			: 320x200 pixel, 2 colors
 	'	c64 			: 160x200 pixel, 16 colors
 	'	coco 			: 128x192 pixel, 4 colors[edited]
 	'	coco3 			: 320x200 pixel, 16 colors
 	'	coleco          : 256x160 pixel, 16 colors
 	'	cpc 			: 160x200 pixel, 16 colors	
 	'	d32 			: 128x192 pixel, 4 colors[edited]
 	'	d64 			: 128x192 pixel, 4 colors[edited]
 	'	msx1			: 256x160 pixel, 16 colors
 	'	sc3000			: 256x160 pixel, 16 colors
 	'	sg1000			: 256x160 pixel, 16 colors
 	'	vic20 			: 176x184 pixel, 8 colors
 	'	zx				: 256x192 pixel, 8 colors
 	
 	image := LOAD IMAGE("bladerunner.png")
 
 	' Now, we calculate the offset to center the image
 	' in the respect of the effective resolution chosen by
 	' ugBASIC.
 	
 	CONST cx = ( SCREEN WIDTH - IMAGE WIDTH(image) ) / 2
 	CONST cy = ( SCREEN HEIGHT - IMAGE HEIGHT(image) ) / 2
 
 	' Finally, we draw the image at the center of the screen.
 	
 	PUT IMAGE image AT cx,cy
 
 

• vdg_bladerunner.bas

The instructions here refer to compiling the example from the command line. For Microsoft Windows users we suggest using UGBASIC-IDE, which allows you to compile the example with just one click.

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the Altirra emulator, and in particular that the altirra executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.atari vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.xex
 altirra example.xex
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.atari.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.xex
 altirra example.xex

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the Altirra emulator, and in particular that the altirra executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.atarixl vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.xex
 altirra example.xex
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.atarixl.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.xex
 altirra example.xex

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the VICE emulator, and in particular that the x64sc executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.c64 vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.prg
 x64sc example.prg
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.c64.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.prg
 x64sc example.prg

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the VICE emulator, and in particular that the x64sc executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.c64reu vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.prg
 x64sc -reu example.prg
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.c64reu.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.prg
 x64sc -reu example.prg

In order to run the example, you need to have the YAPE emulator. In particular that the yape executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.plus4 vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.prg
 yape example.prg
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.plus4.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.prg
 yape example.prg

In order to run the example, you need to have the VICE emulator. In particular that the xplus4 executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.plus4 vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.prg
 xplus4 example.prg
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.plus4.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.prg
 xplus4 example.prg

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the XROAR emulator, and in particular that the xroar executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.d32 vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.bin
 xroar -rompath (your rom path) example.bin
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.d32.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.bin
 xroar.exe -rompath (your rom path) example.bin

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the XROAR emulator, and in particular that the xroar executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.d64 vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.bin
 xroar -rompath (your rom path) example.bin
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.d64.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.bin
 xroar.exe -rompath (your rom path) example.bin

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the DCMOTO emulator, and in particular that the dcmoto executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line and on the emulator:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.pc128op vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.k7
 dcmoto
 (choose BASIC 128)
 CLEAR,&H2FFF: LOADM"CASS:",R: EXEC
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.pc128op.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.k7
 dcmoto
 (choose example.k7)
 (choose BASIC 128)
 CLEAR,&H2FFF: LOADM"CASS:",R: EXEC

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the DCMOTO emulator, and in particular that the dcmoto executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line and on the emulator:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.pc128op vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.k7
 dcmoto
 (choose BASIC 128)
 CLEAR,&H2FFF: LOADM"CASS:",R: EXEC
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.pc128op.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.k7
 dcmoto
 (choose example.k7)
 (choose BASIC 128)
 CLEAR,&H2FFF: LOADM"CASS:",R: EXEC

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the VICE emulator, and in particular that the xvic executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.vic20 vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.prg
 xvic --memory 24k example.prg
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.vic20.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.prg
 xvic --memory 24k example.prg

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the Speccy emulator, and in particular that the speccy executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.zx vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.tap
 Speccy example.tap
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.zx.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.tap
 Speccy example.tap

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the openMsx or the BlueMSX emulator, and in particular that its executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.msx1 vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 openmsx -cart example.rom
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.msx1.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 openmsx -cart example.rom

 # Linux 
 ugbc.msx1 vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 bluemsx example.rom
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.msx1.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 bluemsx example.rom

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the openMsx or the BlueMSX emulator, and in particular that its executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.coleco vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 openmsx -machine \"COL - ColecoVision\" -cart example.rom
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.coleco.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 bluemsx -machine \"COL - ColecoVision\" example.rom

 # Linux 
 ugbc.coleco vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 bluemsx /machine \"COL - ColecoVision\" /rom1 example.rom
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.coleco.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 bluemsx  /machine \"COL - ColecoVision\" /rom1 example.rom

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the BlueMSX emulator, and in particular that its executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.sc3000 vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 bluemsx /machine \"SEGA - SC-3000\" /rom1 example.rom
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.sc3000.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 bluemsx  /machine \"SEGA - SC-3000\" /rom1 example.rom

In order to compile and run the example, you need to have the BlueMSX emulator, and in particular that its executable is accessible.

Then, type this command on the command line:

 # Linux 
 ugbc.sg1000 vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 bluemsx /machine \"SEGA - SG-1000\" /rom1 example.rom
 
 # Windows 
 ugbc.sg1000.exe vdg_bladerunner.bas -o example.rom
 bluemsx  /machine \"SEGA - SG-1000\" /rom1 example.rom

If you have found a problem trying to run this example, if you think there is a bug or, more simply, you would like it to be improved, open an issue for this example on GitHub. Thank you!