#23780 - Kay - Wed Jul 21, 2004 1:32 pm
What we call dynamic text field mode is a method that permit infinite multi-directional or mono-directional scrolling.
This method simply consists of updating hidden out of screen tiles/graphics in order they wrap on window size settings modulos (256 pixels) - and/or update tilemap by DMA transfers.
The biggest advantage to this, is that you can scroll huge raw bitmap graphics without any tile construction at very low computing power costs, or use custom tile size (16x16 or 32x32) to construct games levels.
In GBA Visual VRAM manager, 240x176 corresponds to vertical infinite scrolling, 256x160 to horizontal infinite scrolling and 256x176 to multi-directional infinite scrolling.
Those sizes are explained by the need of 2 extra rows/colomns to build the offscreen area before they're displayed.
Please assume that i added an empty extra tile to the size calculation to 240x176 modes only (+32/+64 bytes) to avoid certain troubles.
This method is sometime very hard to understand for newbies and needs a perfect understand of GBA video hardware text display mechanics.
Kay.
#27106 - Steve++ - Sun Oct 03, 2004 8:05 pm
What is GBA Visual VRAM manager and where can I get it? It sounds like something I would very much be interested in (I tried to make something like that myself, but it was killing me).
#27108 - Kay - Sun Oct 03, 2004 8:20 pm
You can download it at GBADEV.org under Tools / Misc tools section.
You'll find a brief description within the .zip file.
-- Kay