Apsuvax.1042
net.games
utzoo!decvax!harpo!ihnss!mhtsa!allegra!psuvax!sysred
Sun Apr 25 21:41:45 1982
The straight poop
OK - now we've gotten both sides of the issue. The lines don't
have jagged edges so it must be vector graphics. Yet, on close
(real close!) examination, the display is made of discrete display
elements (each display point looks like a long, thin spot
of one color, with the long axis vertical, all surrounded by a black matrix)
so it must be raster scan. I don't claim to know much about
CRT image generation (esp. color), but I don't understand how a
vector system can be superimposed on a discrete screen. On the other
hand, I don't understand how the angled lines can be made smooth
in a raster scan system (although I recently saw an ad for a color
terminal which mentioned something about smoothing lines in a raster
system). The point is, does anybody REALLY know (I mean, has anybody
peeked inside)? Anybody from Atari reading this?
Additionally, has anyone else seen Zaxxon? This is the first video
game I've seen to make an attempt at 3-D display (displaying all
three simultaneously - I'm ignoring Red Baron). For those of you
who haven't discovered the game, the display is an isomorphic projection
of a "fortress" through which you must fly a plane using horizontal
and vertical control from a joystick (forward speed is fixed).
I give it a high recommendation. Anybody working on a
Unix version (JUST KIDDING!)?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen <
[email protected]>
of
http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/
This Usenet Oldnews Archive
article may be copied and distributed freely, provided:
1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles.
2. The following notice remains appended to each copy:
The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996
Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.
