Pixel Joint Forum: Fairchild Channel F graphics

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These are complete---no longer in progress---but I wanted them to be my first contribution to PJ (if they're accepted). They're done within the limitations of the Fairchild Channel F computer from 1976.

Resolution is 102x58 pixels, aspect ration is approximately 4:3. There are some odd restrictions on color usage. There are three foreground colors (red, green, and blue) that can be used anywhere on the screen. There are four background colors (light green, light blue, and light grey), and these can only be 
used once per line. You can use black/white, but only on the same row. Here's the palette:

Here are my pictures:

 "Yearning to Fly"

 "Fairchild Yus" - in tribute to Ptoing's Yus birds! (Edit: Ptoing/Helm)

 "Gappy Glowskull"

 "Space Crab in a Box"

 "Stayin' Alive" 

 "Channel F 2009"

Edited by saehn - 08 September 2009 at 9:01am

Author	Message
saehn Seaman Joined: 03 August 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Topic: Fairchild Channel F graphics Posted: 08 September 2009 at 8:45am
	These are complete---no longer in progress---but I wanted them to be my first contribution to PJ (if they're accepted). They're done within the limitations of the Fairchild Channel F computer from 1976. Resolution is 102x58 pixels, aspect ration is approximately 4:3. There are some odd restrictions on color usage. There are three foreground colors (red, green, and blue) that can be used anywhere on the screen. There are four background colors (light green, light blue, and light grey), and these can only be used once per line. You can use black/white, but only on the same row. Here's the palette: Here are my pictures: "Yearning to Fly" "Fairchild Yus" - in tribute to Ptoing's Yus birds! (Edit: Ptoing/Helm) "Gappy Glowskull" "Space Crab in a Box" "Stayin' Alive" "Channel F 2009" Edited by saehn - 08 September 2009 at 9:01am
	saehn/Style
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cure Commander Joined: 23 March 2022 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2859	Posted: 08 September 2009 at 8:48am
	They'd definitely be accepted. My favorite is the winged eye. (sidenote: though usually associated with ptoing, yus is actually helm's character :P)
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saehn Seaman Joined: 03 August 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 08 September 2009 at 9:01am
	Ah, thanks! Yes, I'd always thought of it as Ptoing's. Submitting the pics now...
	saehn/Style
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KittenMaster Midshipman Joined: 23 November 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 83	Posted: 08 September 2009 at 9:04am
	This is a sexy palette, but I still haven't quite grasped the limitations. For example, you say the background colors can only be used once per line, but I'm clearly seeing them being used more than that per line. The limitation on black & white isn't so clear to me either.
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saehn Seaman Joined: 03 August 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 08 September 2009 at 9:54am
	OK, I'll try again. Here are the possible colors that you can have on each of the 58 rows: red, green, blue, light green red, green, blue, light blue red, green, blue, light grey black and white Does that explanation make more sense? By "rows", I'm referring to horizontal lines. All my pics meet these requirements... they have to, in order to display on a real Fairchild Channel F! :-)
	saehn/Style
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KittenMaster Midshipman Joined: 23 November 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 83	Posted: 08 September 2009 at 10:00am
	That makes much more sense, thank you.
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A.B. Lazer Commander Joined: 21 July 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 310	Posted: 08 September 2009 at 12:49pm
	Channel F games had very blocky and undetailed graphics. Production run of the console was very brief and I always wondered what programmers would make it do if only it survived some longer (Atari 2600 started to get the face we know only after 3 or more years of existence). Are there useful information on limitations for real, moving games? It would be handy in doing mockups. Edited by A.B. Lazer - 08 September 2009 at 12:49pm
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saehn Seaman Joined: 03 August 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 08 September 2009 at 1:46pm
	I'm in touch with a Fairchild Channel F programmer who is going to put these images in a slideshow program that will run on the FCF, so they'll definitely "work" in a practical sense as well as being theoretically accurate to FCF graphic specs. If you PM me your email address, I'll put you in touch with him. In the meantime, here's the FCF programming Wiki: http://www.veswiki.com/Main_Page
	saehn/Style
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Hatch Admiral Joined: 05 August 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1387	Posted: 08 September 2009 at 2:20pm
	These are really nice. Just when you think you've seen all of the masochistic spec restrictions... Only issue I see is some light banding on the skull, especially around the eyebrows. EDIT: also on the skull, I think the green being used to AA from red to blue doesn't work at all (if that is indeed its purpose). Edited by Hatch - 08 September 2009 at 2:21pm
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saehn Seaman Joined: 03 August 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 09 September 2009 at 7:42am
	Thanks Hatch, you're right about green not working as AA... that was one of the earlier pics. After I realized the AA issue with later pics (the eye and bird), I simply didn't go back and fix the skull. That one isn't exactly my favorite anyway. :-)
	saehn/Style
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vampireslug Commander Joined: 16 February 2009 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 187	Posted: 11 September 2009 at 5:44am
	I'm a big fan of restricted palettes and this is just plain sexy as hell. I have a Channel F in the box but I have no games for it so I've never turned it on... it's good to see the first cartridge based gaming system hasn't been forgotten. Great job!
	"The Earth starts to rumble, world powers fall. A 'warring for the heavens, a peaceful man stands tall...." - Mustaine. ©1992 Screen Gems/EMI
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saehn Seaman Joined: 03 August 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 12 September 2009 at 4:29pm
	Check it out, here are the other contest entries... I especially like the black and white space scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6f3RWGV7jQ
	saehn/Style
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KittenMaster Midshipman Joined: 23 November 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 83	Posted: 12 September 2009 at 6:33pm
	Space Crab in a Box looks so much better in that video, likely due to aspect ratio. Definitely voting that.
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