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Fun projects for your Atari 8-bit home computers and video game consoles

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Category: Graphics

Explore Mandelbrot Set Fractals on an Atari 8-Bit Computer (10-15 mins)

January 8, 2022 moorejh Graphics, Software

Task: Explore Mandelbrot Set Fractals on an Atari 8-Bit Computer Needed: Web Browser, Emulator Time: 10-15 mins Introduction I have been a fan of fractals since I discovered them in college. I even wrote some software for exploring the fractal features of DNA sequences when

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Print Atari 8-Bit Computer Text and Graphics to a Modern Printer Using FujiNet (15-30 mins)

December 12, 2021 moorejh Graphics, Hardware, Utilities

Task: Print Atari 8-Bit Computer Text and Graphics to a Modern Printer Using FujiNet Needed: Atari 8-Bit Computer, FujiNet, Web Browser Time: 15-30 mins Introduction Printing text and graphics to an Atari-compatible printer is certainly possible assuming you have a functioning printer with paper and

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Learn to Implement Page Flipping in BASIC on Atari 8-Bit Computers (30-60 mins)

March 28, 2021 moorejh Graphics, Programming

Task: Learn to Implement Page Flipping in BASIC on Atari 8-Bit Computers Needed: Altirra emulator Time: 30-60 mins Introduction We previously covered moving data on and off the screen as part of coarse horizontal and vertical scrolling by changing the memory address of the screen

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Learn to Implement Horizontal Scrolling in BASIC on Atari 8-Bit Computers (30-60 mins)

March 27, 2021 moorejh Graphics, Programming

Task: Learn to Implement Horizontal Scrolling in BASIC on Atari 8-Bit Computers Needed: Web browser Time: 30-60 mins Introduction Scrolling games like Defender, Caverns of Mars, and Eastern Front are tons of fun and I always wondered how the cool scrolling effects were programmed. This

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Program in 80 Columns of Text on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer with the ACE-80 Cartridge (5-10 mins)

February 6, 2021 moorejh Graphics, Software, Utilities

Task: Program in 80 Columns of Text on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer with the ACE-80 Cartridge Needed: ACE-80 or ACE-80XL cartridge Time: 5-10 mins Introduction The Atari 8-bit computers all display a maximum of 40 columns of text which can be limiting for some applications

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Display a Digital Photo on an Atari 2600 (10-15 mins)

December 6, 2020 moorejh Graphics, Programming, Software, Utilities, Web Resources

Task: Display a Digital Photo on an Atari 2600 Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 mins Introduction I am always amazed at the modern software tools people have created to expand the capabilities of the Atari 8-bit computers and consoles. I recently posted about the coding

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Purchase a RetroTINK for Conversion to Digital Video (10-15 mins)

October 25, 2020 moorejh Graphics, Hardware, Video

Task: Purchase a RetroTINK for Conversion to Digital Video Needed: Web browser, RetroTINK Time: 10-15 mins Introduction I have previously posted about the challenges of converting the composite signal from the Atari 8-bit computers to HDMI for display on an LED monitor or TV. I

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Fun with the Atari Light Pen (15-30 mins)

October 11, 2020 moorejh Graphics, Hardware, Software

Task: Fun with the Atari Light Pen Needed: Web browser, Atari Light Pen, CRT monitor or TV Time: 15-30 mins Introduction One of my favorite things to do with my Atari was making art. I had an Atari Touch Tablet and several other graphics programs

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Learn How to Make a Game in BASIC XE (30-60 mins)

December 21, 2019 moorejh Games, Graphics, Programming, Software

Task: Learn How to Make a Game in BASIC XE Needed: BASIC XE and extensions Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction My previous posts have demonstrated many of the programming techniques needed to make a game in Atari BASIC. A common theme is how slow BASIC is

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Combining Redefined Characters Sets and Player-Missile Graphics in BASIC (30-60 mins)

November 10, 2019 moorejh Games, Graphics, Programming, Software

Task: Combining Redefined Characters Sets and Player-Missile Graphics in BASIC Needed: BASIC Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction It takes time to learn the ins and outs of Atari graphics. This is especially true if you aspire to make a game. I have previously demonstrated how to

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Try the Diamond Graphical Operating System (10-15 mins)

September 22, 2019 moorejh Graphics, Software

Task: Try the Diamond Graphical Operating System Needed: Diamond GOS ATR file Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction The command line interface of DOS was cumbersome, but we didn’t mind because we were pioneers in the early days of home computing. It was all we knew and

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Fun With The Atari Touch Tablet (15-30 mins)

March 31, 2019 moorejh Graphics, Hardware, Programming

Task: Fun With The Atari Touch Tablet Needed: Atari Touch Tablet Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction I got an Atari Touch Tablet along with the Atariartist cartridge for Christmas back in the early 1980s. This was one of my favorite Atari gifts ever. I had so

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Try Player-Missile Graphics in BASIC (30-60 mins)

March 25, 2019 moorejh Demos, Graphics, Programming

Task: Try Player-Missile Graphics in BASIC Needed: BASIC Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction Player-missile (PM) graphics helped make the Atari the premier arcade and graphics machine in its day. A key feature of PM graphics is the ability to draw players and missiles on the screen

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Learn About Display List Interrupts in BASIC (1-2 hours)

November 23, 2018 moorejh Graphics, Programming

Task: Learn About Display List Interrupts in BASIC Needed: BASICĀ  Time: 1-2 hours Introduction Atari was far ahead of its competitors when it was released with superior graphics. This was largely due to the ANTIC chip that served as a graphics processor with its own

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Celebrate Halloween with Atari BASIC (10-15 mins)

October 31, 2018 moorejh Graphics, Programming

Task: Celebrate Halloween with Atari BASIC Needed: BASIC Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction When Halloween was approaching I went on to the web to see if there were some fun BASIC programs designed specifically for the haunted day. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any. There are a

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Create a Custom Display List in BASIC (30-60 mins)

October 21, 2018 moorejh Graphics, Programming

Task: Create a Custom Display List in BASIC Needed: BASIC Time: 30-60 mins Introduction When the Atari 400 and 800 were released in 1979 they were far ahead of their competitors in terms of computer graphics and sound. The advanced graphics were the result of

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Try GTIA Graphics Modes in BASIC (30-60 mins)

October 12, 2018 moorejh Graphics, Programming

Task: Try GTIA Graphics Modes in BASIC Needed: BASIC Time: 30-60 mins Introduction When the Atari 400 and 800 first shipped they included the Color Television Interface Adaptor or CTIA chip that creates the signal that goes to the television for display. The CTIA is

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