Showing posts with label Atari STuff made by ME!!. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atari STuff made by ME!!. Show all posts

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Title-Designer


Let's play...

By sheer chance, I found another demo/intro maker the other day and it's also something I've never actually seen before. It was released in 1987/89 for the Atari ST by Hans-Conrad Stamm. That's right, The Blade Runners! Just when you think you know your ST stuff, something appears out of the blue. Well, new to me!

Creating your first demo screen is a cinch because this is a remarkably easy program to use. Your intro can feature scrollers, colourful rasters, music and more. It's up to you to decide what and how to make your screen appear. Those with the skills to draw their own images or sample music will get even more from Title Designer.

( Sadly, there are some visual issues on anything other than the original Atari ST )

Over the last few days, I have made several intros and what's immediately impressive is how effortlessly I could make screens bursting with colour - I only wish it supported traditional YM tunes along with samples utilizing the STe DMA hardware. Having said that, this is a belting program stuffed with loads of features and I love it.

So, come on ST folk, get this program downloaded as I would love to hear what you make of it - let me know in the comments below. Don't forget there are many more gems for your Atari ST right here on AtariCrypt.

I've uploaded my own creation to YouTube so brace yourself for a thrilling rocky rollercoaster ride (hey, whilst you're there, why not check out our channel?). I'll also upload it to Demozoo for those wanting to download it!

Okay, here are a few cool Title-Designer screenshots to check out...

Remember reading those menu disk scrollers? Well, now you can write your own!

Chose their colours. Yes, that is colours rather than one single colour.

Why not add a couple of visual effects to your drawings?

I thought this was a powerful feature to have before loading another program or ST desktop.

And here's the result after mere minutes. Yes, minutes! (credit to unknown for the superb image)

Saturday, June 19, 2021

SuPer eXcellent graphics demo


Let's play!

Yep, I've been enjoying another doodle on my Atari ST and if you wanna see more of my work then click here for a laugh. Okay, this time I've been experimenting with SPX, a technology by Electronic Images, that magically stitches together several Spectrum 512 pics into a ginormous image displayed in scrollable overscan.

I've always loved the idea of the SPX format and remember buying several PD disks back in the day. Of course, most of the pictures were titillating girls or something of a fantasy theme. The potential of huge Spectrum 512 images, in overscan, was quite mind-blowing at the time. (ignore my capture, the scrolling is silky smooth).

SuPer eXcellent Graphics Demo can be downloaded from my Dropbox. Be warned, it's pretty big. In fact, too big to fit onto a real floppy as I got carried away and made lots of SPX images, so installation is intended for a hard drive or Ultrasatan. However, I have made a huge ".ST" image that should work as a good alternative for those using Hatari. Within my download, I've included the Atari ST programs used to create each SPX picture.

Perhaps you feel inspired to make your own SPX images? If so, I'd love to see whatever you guys managed to create!! Righto, I hope you enjoy my humble graphics demo? Let me know in the comments below...


Go, create!

Now, reading these instructions might appear dull and longwinded? Possibly far too much hassle if you're as lazy as me but don't worry because it's actually very easy to make your own SPX images. Have a bash:

- Those without any artistic skills, ahem, should download imaged off the internet!! Look for something large, possibly with a clean background and try to select something that uses a portrait ratio.

- Crop that large image into 320x199 segments. (a pixel line is lost due to a limitation of Spectrum 512). This cropping can be done on the ST or a PC/Mac (I used the freebie 'Preview' on my Mac).

- Once you have your image split into several segments, it's best to convert them into GIFs. Again, this can be done on the ST but is probably much quicker on the Mac/PC if I'm honest. Yowzers!

- Now copy all your new GIF files over to the Atari ST.

- Each GIF will need converting into Spectrum 512 format (.SPC) and the best program for that is 'GIF to Atari Spectrum 512 Picture Converter' by Steve Belczyk. A brilliant program and very fast too!

- Finally, each SPC file can now easily be imported into SPX Creator for both previewing and, well, creating. All your SPX pictures can be displayed using the dedicated viewer, 'SPX_V18D.PRG'


An example...

Check out this portrait image of Jason Voorhees split up into three segments. As you can see, I carved it into the relevant sections, which are converted to GIFs and imported into SPX Creator. A standard ST might take a few minutes to save this fantastic image but it's well worth it (don't worry, it's already on the disk!).




SuPer eXcellent Graphics Demo

Idea and creation were all me - Steve, Crypt Keeper, Strider, AtariCrypt, whatever you call me, it's my fault!

The Credits

Spectrum 512 - Boris Tsikanovsky.
SPX Creator/Viewer - Electronic Images (Gizmo + The Phantom).
Original images - Everything was freely sourced off the internet with appropriate credit.
AtariMania & Demozoo - two super Atari resources that I used for my dabble.

Programs Used

Preview - a freebie Mac program to resize and clip each image into 320x199 segments.
GIF2SPC - a wonderful Atari ST program by Steve Belczyk.
SPX Creator - the program that stitches together each of the GIF pictures into SPX images.

Links

SuPer eXcellent Graphics Demo is the latest AtariCrypt production. Yes, there's more here << O_o
Electronic Images released a load of cool disks so check 'em out on Demozoo.
There are many SPX Slideshows although I remember more? I should research and build a collection!

Sunday, October 18, 2020

GEM Desktop Music


Music while you work!

Over the decades, I've seen many neat programs that would play a piece of chip music, in GEM, as a background task. I always thought this was so cool and wondered why there wasn't more. Well, it turns out that there are a lot on several Budgie UK disks. (I don't think I ever saw these types of programs on any other floppy disks?)

Anyhow, I've spent some time going through my disks to gather a quick, no-frills compilation. Some of these tracks were made by Goth but I'm not sure who else to credit for the rest - possibly Budgie UK? There's also an intro included which is a scroller text by me using a utility coded by Dogue de Mauve of Overlanders.

I hope this floppy disk is of some interest to you ST Nutters? Like it? Let me know in the comments below!
(my download is updated to v1.1 -thanks to Tronic of Effect for his superb new addition!!) :-)

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Silly Dabbles Demo



Oh no, I've been creating again...

I love finding Atari ST programs that do something silly or unexpectedly cool. There are lots already within our Software section, like Full Screen Construction Kit, MandelST and I even got to play with overscan. Yep, I love to dabble in hiSTory so I was pleasantly shocked to find an intro maker which I had not heard of before...

It's by Deviant Designers, called Letter And Intro Maker (L.A.I.M.) and is simple to use. Just select the various fragments of what actually makes an intro - a picture, fonts, chip music and, of course, a text file used for the scroller. There are already lots of fonts on the disk and dozens of chiptunes to choose from - the hardest part is writing the text (read the docs) and finding a decent image to use - unless you're talented in NeoChrome?

Once you're happy, save your production to disk and then quit into GEM to load it up. Yep, you've created your first demo screen in mere seconds! This is what I've done here and called it "Silly Dabbles" which features an image from Beastlord and music by An Cool. Try this program - I'd love to see what you guys create.

I've recorded a video and the disk image can be downloaded too. It's jerky under emulation (for me) but smooth as silk on a real Atari ST. Anyhow, I hope you like my Silly Dabbles Demo and enjoy using the program too?

Credits and Download Links:

Deviant Designers for Letters And Intro Maker (LAIM)
https://demozoo.org/groups/38004/

Picture was taken from Beastlord by WJS Design/Grandslam
http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-beastlord_8696.html

Music by An Cool used in The Death Demo for 2-Life Crew
http://sndhrecord.atari.org/mp3/AN_Cool/

- Screenshots from L.A.I.M -



Nothing flashy here but it works great and never crashed on me once!!


Oodles of fonts to choose from and a preview is shown before you decide, which is nice.


Dozens of awesome chiptunes to choose from but sadly no preview. Can't have it all...

Friday, April 06, 2018

Half-Life II Slideshow



Half-Life 2 for Atari ST!

Well, no it isn't but this is the next best thing I think. Well, no it isn't lol. However, you guys might like this if appreciate slideshows of digitised pixel art? I hope so! After last year's mega-hit, ZombieCrypt [yes, sarcasm!], I have made another slideshow. Of course, this time for the incredible Half-Life II games using the engine created by my friend Peter Jørgensen. I've added a superb chiptune by TAO called Line of Fire, which I think suits this production just perfectly.

Each picture is a screenshot from my own gameplay - I then converted each one to Degas format using Imagecopy 4. The entire process took me about six months to compile so I hope you enjoy my lame release? [download]

If you wanna see more of my various Atari ST creations then there's a link on the right and also back there  👈


- A Few Sample Images -








Sadly, a couple didn't make the cut as I ran out of floppy disk space... Doh!

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

ZombieCrypt



I have made a horror slideshow!

A few months ago I came up with the notion to create a slideshow based on a zombie/horror theme because I love George A. Romero and adore movies like Evil Dead and Resident Evil. Not to mention Milla Jovovich!!

I used Imagecopy 4 to convert several JPGs from various movies but that's where my artistic skills ended. I have none! So I asked a few friends if they'd like to donate some gruesome pics of their own. My thanks to the boys listed below for their images and Peter Jørgensen for his awesome slideshow. This program removes the lower border for a cool scroller, plays fantastic YMT music and can be launched from either floppy or hard drive.

I've really enjoyed working on this project and I hope all of you ST nutters download it. Let me know :)



- The Credits -


Production ideas and childishly drawn images are by Meeeee!! :D
Artistic skills: Stuart Johns / Peter Jørgensen / Karim Mezaouri / Aurélien Vaillant
Also, credit to the "unknown" for the images I nabbed off the web!
Slideshow programmed by Peter Jørgensen.
Addams Family theme tune by Vic Wizzy (converted Peter)



- Sample Slideshow Pics -





Sunday, April 02, 2017

Collaboration Two




Oh no, not another disk?

Following on from last year's success, Collaboration #2 has just been released. The STatariART gang have been very busy and created even more funky pixel art - by many different people who kindly submitted their Degas dabbles. Heck, you will even see a few images from yours truly - brace yourself and don't get your hopes up :o)

A lot of hard work went into this production and it's always fantastic to see so many people coming together like this. People, like us, aren't often associated with the "scene" so let's hope we see many more disks. Any ideas? Contributions? Get in touch. Until then, Clickety-Click and download Collaboration #2 via Demozoo.

Let me know what you guys think in the comments below... Enjoy!!


- SAMPLE IMAGES -





Saturday, December 10, 2016

Collaboration One


 


A new demo group is on the scene!

The Atari ST/e demoscene has entertained us with some incredible productions over the decades. Predictably, these are often by the talented people that made our jaws drop from the late 80s onwards. Well, today we have something different and by a brand new group called STatariART who have released their first slideshow!

It's called Collaboration One and features tons of pixel art created by many people from all walks. Along with the images, there is chip music and a lamer's scroll to read. Let's hope this is the start of something great!

Not tempted? Check out our theme tune by Cornervizion. It's awesome...

Tuesday, December 06, 2016

The AtariCrypt Magazine!!




Stop The Press!!

Today, I am extremely proud to announce the availability of AtariCrypt Magazine!! That's right folks, a brand new PDF magazine STuffed to the brim with 16-bit gaming goodness. Layout and design are by none other than Darren Doyle so I'm sure you will appreciate the talent that helps to promote our reviews, interviews, and more.

So, the joy of Christmas has come early for every Atari ST gamer out there. I hope you enjoy it? It's my way of saying a Mega ST thank you for supporting the website over the years. Have fun flicking through the world's latest Atari ST magazine (I hope for a Vol.2 one day). Take a look at the screenshots and let me know what you think.

I hope you enjoy this? Here's to more retro gaming in 2017 and beyond - Merry Christmas!


Fancy a read of the latest Atari ST magazine in the world?
Why not support me via BuyMeACoffee and I'll send you a copy :)