Can you show ASCII movies on an LCD?

naps1saps · Post by **naps1saps** » January 11th, 2006, 7:54 pm

If you've ever seen an ascii movie on the internet, it's really quite amazing! I've seen clips of the matrix in ascii which is pretty cool.

My only concerns are LPT/Serial bandwidth, refresh rate of the LCD, LCD resolution, and pixel response time. Otherwise, the displaying of it should be okay.

ASCII movies are all stored in txt/html files in frames of xlines by xrows in frame groups. If there was some way for a plugin to be written to have each line, 1, 2, 3, 4, read corresponding lines on a txt file, then advance 5 lines and read the next frame set. It should do this at least 2-3 times every second.

To know what I'm talking about, you have to see it for yourself. Just use Google to find some ASCII movies. I think you will be very impressed.

swimm3r · Post by **swimm3r** » January 11th, 2006, 8:56 pm

4x40 chars on LCD and the refresh is 12 ms... maybe I make a plugin under win XP

naps1saps · Post by **naps1saps** » January 13th, 2006, 4:56 am

Wait...I got it!
Write the plugin so it will only read one line, then read the next, the next, the next...

Put the function on the first line in Smartie, then check continue to the next line on all lines, no scrolling. Each frame will only be one line in the txt file; like how old fax machines used to send their data.

Each txt file will be "proprietary" to the screen width being used, for example: 40, 20, 16.

Example:
...A....
.C...B.
....D...
will look like this in the txt file:
...A.....C...B.....D...

Do you get what I'm saying?

_X7JAY7X_ · Post by **_X7JAY7X_** » January 13th, 2006, 5:05 am

This sounds very interesting. I just searched google for ascii movies and watched one. It took up my whole computer screen. How would 2 or 4 rows be enough to make a picture?

J

naps1saps · Post by **naps1saps** » January 13th, 2006, 5:48 am

maybe not a picture, but something cool looking. You would probably have to make each screen frame yourself. Get creative! Some people might have fun with it!

Just a thought, can you define a custom character in a text file, declare it in smartie, then change the definition? This would have great uses!

Post by **limbo** » January 13th, 2006, 10:36 pm

Changing the kline number of the $file command is possible.
But I need some exable txt file to have in mind ( and my eyes what is the target ).
Ascii movies are too big for lcd screens

naps1saps · Post by **naps1saps** » January 13th, 2006, 11:19 pm

I think ascii movies are out of the question now. Nobody would want it.

BUT,
If you can define 8 custom characters in a text file, then call them in Smartie, then write a plugin that will read the 1st line of defenitions, then read the second line of defenitions, You will have unlimited pixel animation time!
example:
c:/file.txt --
$CustomChar(1, x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x)$CustomChar(2, x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x)
$CustomChar(1, y,y,y,y,y,y,y,y)$CustomChar(2, y,y,y,y,y,y,y,y)
$CustomChar(1, z,z,z,z,z,z,z,z)$CustomChar(2, z,z,z,z,z,z,z,z)
$CustomChar(1, n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n)$CustomChar(2, n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n)

Smartie --
Line1: $dll(demo.dll,5,param1,param2) $Chr(176)$Chr(158)

What do you think?