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→On Gaming
| requirements = console, monitor or television, cassette recorder of disk drive and controller, Extended BASIC cartridge, joysticks (disk version requires expansion memory)
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If you want to save a lot of time designing graphics on the TI99/4A this is the program to have. It is excellent for the purpose.
You're probably familiar with the Character Generator program that's listed in the back of the user's manual that came with your console. Well, this program does much the same thing, only much better. Although I do not write programs myself-I'm more interested in adapting unprotected programs to my own use-having this programming aid gave me second thoughts about putting together a definitive graphic version of TI-Trek.
===Performance===
This graphics editor allows users to create graphics using a four-grid editing table. Each grid consists of 64 squares, each square representing a pixel. By comparison, the character generator program in the TI manual consists of one grid of 64 squares. There is also a small window-called a ''print table" -at the bottom of the screen where the graphic will be displayed after entering the command mode. More on that later.
All input is via a joystick, which is only one of the many unique features of On Gaming. The fire button is used to turn a square "one" or "off." All the user has to do is to move a cursor to the desired location and press the fire button. Holding the fire button down allows the user to create a continuous line.
Grids, which are white with
colored lines when not being used,
turn grey as the cursor moves from
one to another. This lets you know
which grid you are working on without
having to count rows or columns.
When finished with the editing
stage-the program will store as
many as 10 sets of designs at a timethe
user moves the cursor to the right
side of the screen to a list of commands.
Moving the cursor off the
editing table automatically moves
the program into the command
mode.
The Edit command allows the user
to call up any of 10 "edit sets" for
further editing on the editing table.
The Print command allows the
user to get a readout on the hexidecimal
code of the contents of each of
the four grids. This command also
