Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!news
From: alex@teeth.demon.co.uk (Alex Amsel)
Newsgroups: scee.yaroze.programming.2d_graphics
Subject: Re: It's just a question of time...
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 14:35:19 GMT
Organization: Into Beyond
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On 22 Apr 1997 20:50:40 GMT, "Chris Allmark" <ZooSoft@compuserve.com>
did quoth at me:

>...well two questions actually.
>
>The first one : is there a tick count function ( I haven't really looked
>but the manuals drive me CRAZY ) I need something to control a sprites
>frame rate.

There are 2 possibilities. 

Root counters (p292 ref manual) - not enough info available on there I
don't think - I heard there are a number of counters. I haven't used
this function yet.

VSync(-1) - returns number of vblanks since the program started. I'm
using this a lot.

Or just stick in a vertical blanking interrupt.

>The second one : what's is the real difference between GsSortSprite and
>GsSortFastSprite (apart from the speed as the names suggest). Can you mix
>them ? I'm working on a basic sprite animation routine, but the sprite
>flickers like hell when I use GsSortSprite - I need to use this to perform
>scaling & rotation effects.

I haven't used either, but I expect SortFastSprite takes no account of
sprite size, only the top left co-ordinate, while SortSprite may try
to be more clever about it.

As for animation, scaling etc. if you need any help or routines
written just let me know. I'll at least provide some idea, if not
write some code.


* Alex Amsel * Into Beyond Web Design & JAVA Programming *
* http://www.intobeyond.com  *  WWFC Utter Rubbish 1996-7*
MM - "Steve Corica is every bit as good as that Kinkladze"