User Interface - The Ace

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Common Commodore 128 Commodore 64 Commodore 65 Mega 65

VYMS64 Board

Steve J. Gray is creating VYMS64 board - graphic, sound and serial port card

targets are Commodore 128, Commodore 64

It enhances possibilities of both computers, even if will be supported can be available for Mega 65

What is it?

Uses chips

Yamaha V9958 - videochip used in MSX2 computers, similar to VIC-II, but higher resolution, more colors, more sprites and...

Yamaha YM2413 - soundchip with 9 voices and 15 instruments (used in MSX computers too)

RS-232 Serial Port - uses 6551 ACIA and MAX232 chips

VDP V9958 supports many modes incl. 80 column text mode, output is analog RGB and has own dedicated VideoRAM (similar to Commodore 128 VDC).

VRAM size is much more larger - 192K, resolution up to 512×212 pixels, can display 16 colors of 512 color palette and in special modes can use 19 268 colors

YM2413 audio chip has built-in DAC - this means no other chip for complete sound generator is required

Serial Chip - Commodore MOS 6551 ACIA allows computer use RS-232 capability and compatibility to existing communication software

This card can port Commodore 64 into other dimensions and advance Commodore 128, maybe useful for Mega 65 as second desktop but not in Mega 65 class...

I'm still waiting and when will be finished I want to add support to The Ace

If you want to find more look at its webpage

Commodore 128 can run both UI at once in 2 desktops

Here's IDEA (Integrated Desktop Environment for Applications) look then and now

Here's CLIVE (Common Lightweight Versatile Environment) look

Look at few Old Look IDEA UI screenshots

And few New Look IDEA UI screenshots

Commodore 64

runs standard CLIVE UI for all computers

it uses 320×200 pixels resolution in 8×8 color cells

sprites, background and border color

It's common system base which can run on each computer without any limit...

Other computers uses also its enhancements

*for screenshots look at Commodore 128 UI section

Commodore 65

user interface supports both IDEA and CLIVE UI

CLIVE

- all modes

- supported also 256 color modes without attribute clash

IDEA

- limited maximal 640x400 pixels 16 color mode

- even can use 1280x400 pixels 4 color mode

- IDEA was writen for various resolutions of C128's VDC, VIC-III chip has not so variable possibilities

*screenshot of some modes you can see in Commodore 128 UI section

**Commodore 65 and Mega 65 can switch between UI on single desktop

Mega 65

User Interface will come later...

...and will contain all features of IDEA UI and CLIVE UI together and even more

For now I can say that will require...

...App Scaler for resizing text, icons, controls for better readable transparency in high resolution

of (for example C64 apps) running in 320x200 pixels in Mega 65 resolution up to 1920x1200 pixels.

Native Commodore non-OS apps can work in window like C64 app with resolution 320×200 pixels

in Mega 65 up to 1920×1200 pixels (like MS-DOS apps in Windows 9x)

*Commodore 65 and Mega 65 can switch between UI on single desktop