Astro Hacker News - Help My c64 caught on fire

omoikane |next [-]

This looks like the classic fire effect: generate rising flames by averaging pixels below each output pixel, and randomize the last row.

I remember this effect because there was a competition[1] where every entry was a fire effect in 256 bytes, and I was amazed at the simplicity of the core algorithm.

[1] https://www.pouet.net/party.php?which=1791&when=1996

syncsynchalt |next |previous [-]

Note to readers: the heavily dithered websafe thumbnails lead to full-color photos when clicked.

0x1ch |root |parent |next [-]

Why is it dithered like this? To save bandwidth? I wasn't on the internet much before 2010, so maybe this is an old technique you don't see anymore.

voxelghost |root |parent |next [-]

Author answered below, but dithering techniques like these were common on old computers like the C64 and others, due to the limited ammount of graphics colors available ( 16 colors on C64 if I remember correctly), plus there were usually limitations on how many colors you could use within one 8x8 block , commonly 2 - 1 foreground , and one background color. C64 had a multicolor mode with 1 background, and 3 forground color. But that was still just 4 colors (out of 16 available ) usuable for each 8x8 character block. However switching to multicolor mode took you from high resolution ( 200x320 px) to low res ( 200x160 px) - and yes thats for the entire screen (25 x 40 chars)

zahlman |root |parent |next |previous [-]

Originally, sort of. But also to work around limitations in GIF (which is palette-based; but see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIF#True_color) and because people didn't always have true-colour monitors (or ran the monitor in a different mode due to VRAM restrictions) anyway.

In today's context, more for the aesthetic, presumably.

c0de517e |root |parent [-]

Author - yes, it's "aesthetic", albeit not my best work and I might revert that decision at some point. Was inspired by lowtechmagazine but they did a much much better job.

I do care about the blog being snappy and working also on very low-end, vintage hardware though, so that also somewhat achieves that goal.

joshuahaglund |root |parent [-]

I like the aesthetic choice

zzzeek |root |parent |previous [-]

it seems obvious for nostalgic reasons

0x1ch |root |parent [-]

I'm in my early twenties. I only really associate this dithering with comic books, not C64s (much before my time, i've seen one in a tech museum lol)

altairprime |root |parent |next |previous [-]

(And, once, also HDR.)

stronglikedan |root |parent |previous [-]

only most do

Aldipower |next |previous [-]

Just in time I received my brand new Commodore 64 Ultimate directly before Christmas. What a lovely made piece of retro hardware.

gerdesj |root |parent [-]

I have an actual original C-64 from around 1986. I got it recapped a few years back and it worked! Now the floppy and tape drives gather dust: it has USB 8)

Oh and I have an original Quickshot II, which still works despite "Daley Thomson's Decathalon".

I'm going to give it to my son in law this Chrimbo - "Attack of the mutant camels" and "Matrix" etc needs new players.

mapontosevenths |root |parent [-]

I'm hoping mine shows up in time for me to get in a little Maniac Mansion. It sounds so good on a real SID chip!

andyjohnson0 |next |previous [-]

This is very nice, enjoyment-driven, seasonal hacking. Cool.

Brought back happy memories of the much simpler, much less impressive falling snowflakes animation, complete with Silent Night soundtrack, that I laboriously wrote in Basic on my Vic-20 one Christmas back in the 80s.

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rolph |next |previous [-]

i thought this was going to involve capacitor plague. rather a retro dive into coding an 8bit digital fireplace.

userbinator |root |parent [-]

Definitely a clickbait title. I thought it'd be about those infamous Rifa caps.

c0de517e |root |parent |next [-]

Fwiw, the c64 is pretty robust, if you don't use the original power supplies.

I'm surprised that people find this to be an example of clickbait. If I cared about views, I'd imagine an honest title like - "I turned my c64 into a digital fireplace" - would have probably been more appealing, no?

sokoloff |root |parent |next [-]

You’re surprised that people find a title of “Help! My c64 caught on fire!” to be clickbait in a case where your c64 did not catch on fire and you don’t need help?!

It’s an interesting article, but the title is a textbook example of clickbait and I’m surprised that you’re surprised.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clickbait

saidnooneever |root |parent |previous [-]

i understand them but considering the project and its nature its a punny / good way of clickbait :D. lovely lil fireplace btw!

snvzz |root |parent |previous [-]

I recapped a C64C I bought second hand recently, using premium Japanese 105C capacitors off the shelf on akihabara, minus the huge axial one I ordered a modern, extremely durable replacement for.

I tested every cap I removed, all of them nichicons from the mid 80s. They all measured to spec.

So it was kinda pointless at the end. Sure, it is going to be good for a few more decades, alongside the 1571 Ultimate II-L.

(yes, I replaced the original PSU. I bought separate modern, safe 9vac and 5vdc PSUs and an adapter to join them into the C64 power connector)

vintermann |next |previous [-]

Spoiler: nah, he just coded a fire effect on his c64.

There was apparently a demo party a while back where a Tiki 100 actually caught fire.

erickhill |next |previous [-]

Didn't need the click-bait title. I would have read it regardless (and did). I wish there had been a PRG or D64 included for the non-programmers. Fun read!

c0de517e |root |parent [-]

Author, fwiw, I don't do/care about click-bait, as I never cared about clicks. Since I moved to my bespoke blog system (previously I was on blogspot) I don't even track page views. But I thought it was somewhat funny.

dotancohen |root |parent [-]

I think not enough people today have ever seen the message "printer on fire".

qinchencq |next |previous [-]

A mechanical keyboard in c64 design would be lovely.

c0de517e |root |parent [-]

There are both mechanical keyboards for the c64 (mechboard 64) and c64 inspired mechanical keyboards for the PC (8bitdo sells one, probably others)

qinchencq |root |parent [-]

Cool, that 8bitdo one would have been a perfect holiday gift. Look so good.

moss47 |next |previous [-]

Made me think of the IT Crowd screensaver:

https://youtu.be/KH_0uybs93I

Which was a result of:

https://youtu.be/1EBfxjSFAxQ

arbol |next |previous [-]

This is particularly awesome cause I can't imagine anyone thinking of making a fake fireplace with a computer screen in the c64 era.

PunchyHamster |next |previous [-]

Why would you put pics with less colors in them than c64 ? They are not even small?! (yes I now I can waste time to click one to see proper one)

TacticalCoder |next |previous [-]

> https://c0de517e.com/026_c64fire/cozy.jpg

That should have been a real CRT monitor to give this picture a true feeling of the 80s!

andyjohnson0 |root |parent |next [-]

Simulated 14" portable TV fascia with tuning knob* and mono speaker grille.

*set to channel 36, natch

zahlman |root |parent [-]

> set to channel 36, natch

Was that specific to C64? I recall old consoles and VCRs using either channel 3 or 4.

andyjohnson0 |root |parent [-]

Might be a European thing. I remember that, here in the UK, on my Vic-20 connected to my parent's Bush portable tv, it was channel 36. I believe the C64 was the same.

And sometimes you had to twist/jiggle the aerial lead to get a good connection.

c0de517e |root |parent |previous [-]

Eh, if only I had one. I have some relatives living next to me through and I think I remember an old TV in their basement, I might check it out, that's a good idea.

jumbledoor |previous [-]

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