KOALA/GG CONVERT and others stuff

 Memory usage:

   Converter $1001
   GG decompress ml - $1900
   RBSAVE ml - $1992
   CK compress ml - $1A00
   Xfer ml - $1A5E
  (graphic to be converted)  $2000 > $4710
   BASIC - $5101 > $5FFF
   Menu ml - $6000 > $6A9A
  (converted graphic)  $7800 > $a000

 Basically, we're LOADing the Koala/GG graphic to be converted into $2000 and the finished multicolor will be found at $7800 to $a000.

 The conversion process is automatic and only takes a few seconds. Each byte of the Koala map is examined and changed, by a table, to the proper Plus/4 value... more on that later.

 When you are into the converter, you are able to change a number of parameters, to suit you. They are all defaulted and will work out, in most cases, good the way it is set up.

 On the converter screen:


       SIZE                       Plus/4    C-64

  x,y Start : 00,00               ff15:*    d020:0
  x,y End   : 27,18               ff16:*    d021:0

  Original graphic                Converted graphic

   Data  :2000                       Data :8000
   Color :3f40                       Color:7800
   Color3:4328
   /D800 Data/


  C-64 Color  :   0   1   2   3   4   5   6   7
  Plus/4 Color:  00  71  32  43  44  45  16  67
  Change Color:   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *


                  8   9   a   b   c   d   e   f
                 38  09  4b  21  31  6f  36  41
                  *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *


                                       PRESS ESC


 You will note that as you cursor on the screen, the cursor will jump to the various parameter settings. You may change some... but some will not allow you to change. Those are ones that need to be left where they are set.

 The first parameter, Size, is the beginning and ending of the screen co-ordinates. The default will give you a full screen Koala conversion. The parameters to the right are for the $ff15 and $ff16 color values. As they are set, the default is 00 (black). If, when you convert a koala, you find that the background color2 obviously should be, say white, then you'd change the "0" following the "d020" on the screen to a 1. Then just reconvert:

              ff15:*   d020:0
              ff19:*   d021:1

 I had to do this on a graphic called "LEO LION" as the default caused the eyes to be black. Usually, as I said, the default values will be okay.

 The asteriks (*) can be changed to, say, 0 and the particular parameter will not be converted. This holds true with the color table at the bottom. Those values are the ones that match the colors, on the Plus/4, that are used in a Koala graphic.

 You may even change the memory locations by typing the value over the current one. Just be careful... they are set to the proper values, now. You won't be allowed to change them to really illegal values.

 The Koala will LOAD, then it will SYS to the converter and the above screen. If you decide to accept the defaults (try it that way the first time) just press the ESCape key to start the process. The converter will go to work. After a few seconds, your converted picture will be on the screen.

 While you are seeing the graphic, you can press the "" key to toggle the border color. While the black default border is okay on most pictures, being able to change it is nice. I put a "double-action" click on the keys, as ml is pretty fast on key detection. Hold the key down to cycle quickly. Press a couple of times to cycle each color value. The color that you decide on, will be saved with the final file. The value of $4B (K) will be SAVEd into the file at $1BFB and $1FFB as a flag to indicate that it is a converter Koala.

 To exit the graphic, just press the Spacebar.

 I built an RBSAVE (Relocating BSAVE) routine into this version. It will automatically switch out ROM, to SAVE the graphic in RAM (under the ROM). It will also change the address of the file to $1800 as it is SAVEd.

 Also of interest, to you:

   $10b6  is the double key press
   $139b  holds the displayed color table values
   $1429  holds the displayed memory values

 Okay, the simple viewer "VIEW FILE" will give you the PEEK locations for the color values that POKE into 65301, 65302 and 65305. The converter stores the values for these in the graphic files. The values for the colors are actually stored twice. They are in the few free bytes at the end of luminance and color memory:

    the value for $ff19 is at $1bfd & $1ffd in the graphic file
    the value for $ff16 is at $1bfe & $1ffe in the graphic file
    the value for $ff15 is at $1bff & $1fff in the graphic file

 If you play around with any graphic formats, in the future, try to stay with these locations. I chose them, because they correspond to the locations that are used in a popular European program called GODOT. I also add (automatically by the converter) a value $4D (M) at locations $1bfa and $1ffa. This is an identifier that it is a multicolor graphic. It will be used for a universal graphic display program that I'm working on. The absence of the "M", in the file, will kick the program into Hires mode. Okay?

 I haven't had any problem using a 1581 drive as both the source and destination drives, with this program. The only quirk is that, if you stop the program and swap to another disk of graphics, then reRUN it... it won't pick up the new directory. It will go to the "Ready" screen. It isn't a simple matter of initializing the disk. The way to handle this, if it happens, is to press the F3 key (directory) and when the directory listing is done, just type RUN.