Mode 4 Development Tools
Information
Franky originally comes with a few loaders
to load Sega Master System games in your MSX computer. Also some games are (or will
be) adapted to use Franky to use the MSX1 compatibility modes. On this page tools
and links are presented that allow development of software using the Sega Master
System display mode 4 (this will be called Franky Mode 4 further on the page).
A brief list of the features:
- palette in 2 banks with 16 colors each of which 1 bank is dedicated to
backdrop and sprite colors
- horizontal and vertical hardware scrolling
- TMS9928 style tile and sprite patterns where each pixel can have its own
color
- line interrupt
- extended name table with up to 512 tiles, options to mirror, flip, change
priority (sprite will go behind it) and palette bank for a tile
- flags to disable specific rows or columns from scrolling (useful for score
boards in games that use scrolling)
- access to horizontal and vertical counters
Version History and Downloads
To encourage development for Franky Mode 4 the tools are released in stages.
First release are the conversion tools to create Franky Mode 4 tiles and sprites.
When a new tool in the line is finished, such as actual tile and sprite pattern
editors and name table or sprite attribute table editors that use Franky to
display the result on, the release is added here.
- Release 1 (Download)
- SC5TOM4P.COM
SCREEN 5 to Franky Mode 4 Tile converter (8*8 pixels)
- SC5TOM4S.COM
SCREEN 5 to Franky Mode 4 Sprite converter (8*16 pixels)
- M4VIEW.COM
View the result of either of the converters on Franky
This section covers a list of tools that can also be used to create for
Franky:
- BMP2Tile
(http://www.smspower.org/maxim/Software/BMP2Tile/)
- input formats: BMP, GIF, PCX and PNG
- output format: assembler text (.db and .dw style)
- both 8*8 (tiles, sprites) and 8*16 (sprites) supported
- removes duplicate tiles
- builds up name table (tilemap)
- includes tile mirror and flip support
- converts palette
- Conversion tools for cross development
(download archive) written by Armando Pérez Abad
- Binaries for Linux, OS-X and Win32 of:
- SR52SMS
SCREEN 5 to Franky Mode 4 Tile converter (8*8 pixels)
- SR52SMSSPR
SCREEN 5 to Franky Mode 4 Sprite converter (8*16 pixels)
- C sources of mentioned tools
- Z80 sources with example code of how to use Franky Mode 4
Now with updated Z80 sources for improved detection
For questions, ideas, bug reports, other related tools, etc.
IRC: #msxdev @
Rizon (Info:
MSX
Banzai! development page)
The channel link only works with IRC clients capable of handling them, for example
mIRC 5.81 and later.
For information on the Franky cartridge itself contact
SuperSoniqs.