Re: [MiNT] Bit-Depth and Graphics stuff....

[Johan Klockars <johan@klockars.net>]

>> I'm not scared of VDI code, I just don't think I'm the right person to implement new APIs for that kind of stuff :)
> Why? You understand VDI from 'inside', you can always make a proposal
> and let other comment it (esp. Johan, as he is an author of fVDI ;)

I'm even reading this.  ;-)

Someone mentioned the fVDI CVS (or rather klockars.net) not being
available, which should be corrected now.
(I just bought a nice new WLAN router and it has apparently decided to
reset itself once or twice, getting new dynamic IP addresses every
time, and thus causing my static DNS setup to fail. I've tried to keep
up with that, but apparently my web server also lost its default
router setting for some reason...)

> Maybe you'll get some critics but if, in your eyes, wont be convincing
> enough, you can still say "this is how I done it, feel free to do it
> better". Even if Johan wont agree, it's GPL, you can fork it. No harm
> done, no code power wasted.

I'd hope to avoid a fork, and I'm all for these kinds of updates to the VDI.

>> A special blit mode would help a lot on standard graphics hardware - blit with on-the-fly C2P. That means the application has a simple and fast way to render data, and that the low ST-RAM bandwidth will be used efficiently.

Yes, that is something that could definitly be added.

I always intended to write an actual chunky 8 bit driver, with such
blits being done in the background, but I suppose that wouldn't really
have been very useful. Still, I believe it would be better to have the
function not specifically do C2P, but rather extend the possible
source modes to include "chunky palette mode". That way it would be
useful even when the display is really chunky itself, but perhaps true
colour.

>> The SuperVidel has alpha-blit capabilites. That would also be nice to have in the VDI.
> And another one more reason for you! :)

I believe Standa added something along those lines in the ARAnyM
driver to do the anti-aliased vector fonts. But it is possible that it
was not a generic solution. Anyway, I'm all for alpha blits (unlike
those "interesting" blit modes that NVDIv5 added...).

/Johan