SYNCLife

[GCHarder]

Here are two, well actually three, new versions of LIFE that I haven't seen posted before. Both versions were originally written for the ZX80 as they use the IX register during the "test" cell routines. As such, certain parts of the programs HAVE to be RUN in FAST mode or they will crash!

SyncLife-IX, published in SYNC 8201. There was a ZX80/1K/4K ROM version and a ZX80/16K/8K ROM version listed, this is the 16K version. It's a bit clumsy to use as the positions of each cell must be input one at a time, I'm sure this was done to get it to fit into 1K. I've included the mag scans if anyone wants to enter the strictly 1K version.

SyncLife-HL, this is my modified version of SyncLife-IX which doesn't use the IX register. It can therefore be RUN in SLOW or FAST mode without crashing. I've replaced the INPUT method of entering patterns with a menu selection.

What's interesting about this version is that the cells live in a "PETRI" dish environment, they don't wrap around and stop at the borders. Also, there is only one cell buffer used, D_FILE, which means that intermediate cell states of dying and birth are calculated in this buffer. In the original program the intermediate states were never seen because the program was being RUN in FAST mode and the results were only displayed during a PAUSE delay. Because my modified version can be RUN in SLOW mode these intermediate states can now be seen, they represent the cell count of surround cells, so you see graphic CHRS 01 to CHR 08 displayed. The CHR codes are then used to determine if a cell should live, die or be born. To see the original display style use the FAST mode option, but the screen will flash and roll a lot. If someone can improve the display somehow be my guest.

PCWLife, published in Popular Computing Weekly 8207-15. This is a ZX81/16K version but...., the cell generating routine was "borrowed", without credit, from SyncLife-IX. Even thought it's a ZX81 program it still used the IX reg. and certain parts of the program have to be RUN in FAST mode. Basically, this is a "rewrite" of SyncLife-IX with a somewhat better cell INPUT routine.

Regard;

Greg

[GCHarder]

Here's the screenshot which I forgot to post.

SyncLife.jpg (67.19 KiB) Viewed 1982 times

[GCHarder]

Here's yet another version of LIFE, designed for a 2K T/S 1000 by Toni Bakers from Chap12 of MMC.

I changed the program so that it will run on a 16K machine. The machine code routine is identicle to her 2K version, so in order to get it to run on a 16K machine WITHOUT lowering RAMTOP you have to create a collapsed display file. This is done by "SCROLLing" the display by 24 lines, without doing this the program will crash. Note, this version should also RUN on a 2K machine.

Quote from source...

"In this version of LIFE our grid is sixteen by sixteen, because of course sixteen is a fairly easy number to work with in hexadecimal. Further, our grid is rather strangely constructed in a curved space continuum, meaning that every square on the left hand edge is connected to the corresponding square on the right hand edge, and vice versa, also every square on the top edge is connected to the corresponding square on the bottom edge and vice versa.

An interesting point about this program is that it is capable of producing its own random numbers."

Useful POKEs

To change the cell character...

POKE 16549, NEW CELL
POKE 16613, NEW CELL
POKE 16637, NEW CELL

To change the background character...

POKE 16553, NEW BKG
POKE 16641, NEW BKG

Many interesting combinations can be found try 134/6.

Also editing line 70 RAND can produce some interesing results, see the RAND Values.jpg, from PCW 820701.

Use the Chap12-Pokes.p program to INPUT these values.

Regards;

Greg