'Accession-cooldemo' - How is the tunnel made??

Photon · 09 February 2006, 01:49

Need expert advice on this. Just uploaded the most mind-boggling Amiga demo I've ever seen to the Zone. It was coded by Shocker of Accession, and I would like your expertise on how something like this is possible on a standard A500. Can't get my head around it.

I'm not into cracking, so I haven't Resourced it or anything. I don't even have a graphics ripper app for my WinUAE.

OK, let's start by counting colors to figure the bitplanes. Lowest is the tunnel, I counted 6 colors + black, so that should be 3 bitplanes at the bottom.

On top of this are the 3D balls, which are 3-color while waiting to bounce forward and at least 7 colors + transparent when they bounce forward. When they are at their closest, they are like 64x64 pixels!

On top of this is a semi-transparent text and a flickering cursor in a different color.

Total: 8 bitplanes unless there is some hefty blitting going on with palette sharing. If so then there is a 4-bitplane display where the balls are blitted and background restored afterwards. The text could be the 5th bitplane and the cursor a sprite.

OK.

But how the hell is the tunnel made?? It 'smells' like Page Render 3D or some other program, since there are textures on the arrow tiles and it has nice dithering. A 16-frame animation could create the illusion of going into a tunnel, since the pattern on its walls repeats on every tile.

The demo is 337k uncrunched, and the music sounds like a small SID tune, so you suspect the rest of the bulk being graphics.

But: how do they TILT AND PAN the camera???

Am I imagining things, doesn't the perspective shift, so that you see the side walls from a slightly different angle along time??

The center line along the floor also seems to tilt a few degrees to the left and right along time.

I've been thinking that the tunnel anim is like 40% bigger than the screen and they just use scroll registers to slide it around. But wouldn't that look normal and stiff??

Please advise. Of course the guys with cracking/ripping tools will get a head start in calling me stupid for not figuring it out

Codetapper · 09 February 2006, 12:43

I have only had a very quick look but it seems to be a ripoff of the Stardust tunnel.

The screen is made up of a reasonably sized graphic, maybe something like 272 x 128 pixels, and that is mirrored in the X and Y planes to create a screen more like 544 x 256 (these numbers are just guesses). I would guess the frames are pre-mirrored at the start while the picture is being displayed.

The 9 or 10 frames are cycled giving the effect of a huge number of smooth frames. You can see the individual frames using the FPS adjustment feature in WinUAE, setting the speed to 1 fps.

The perspective changes by simply moving the display area around with a sine wave motion both horizontally and vertically. I don't believe there is any tilt and panning as you put it, simply moving the display window around.

bobbybearing · 09 February 2006, 15:47

yes.
it's made with a pic 288x140 (36x140) 3 bitplanes, pre-mirrored in x and y
animation is done with 10 pics cycled

see raw data and IFF pics in the zone
+ gif version

Photon · 09 February 2006, 16:39

Thanks Codetapper. I guess I knew it really was impossible deep down. Nicely executed illusion though.

And thanks bobbybearing for taking the time out to rip the animation! What program do you guys think it's made in?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Codetapper

it seems to be a ripoff of the Stardust tunnel.

I'd love to see this, is this the one?

http://www.housemarque.com/stardust.htm

If the movement had been faster I suppose one might have seen it as a big animation, but the way it's done makes it look soo believable!

Photon · 09 February 2006, 16:55

Got it from Planet Emulation, nice intro. Hmm, a Blasteroids clone. Had a go at it, finished a level. Guess you have to complete all the sectors to see the tunnel?

kriz · 09 February 2006, 17:46

Complete one section and get the tunnel section

There is also some passwords you can use to quicky access the tunnel

Ironclaw · 09 February 2006, 17:52

For some reason I can't access the place I usually store my files, so I attack it instead. 2 files so had to zip it.

Tunnel.html
Tunnel.swf

I don't have the ship sprites so couldn't add the ship.

redblade · 10 February 2006, 23:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photon

Got it from Planet Emulation, nice intro. Hmm, a Blasteroids clone. Had a go at it, finished a level. Guess you have to complete all the sectors to see the tunnel?

Download AmigaPower coverdisk 28. It has a demo of stardust just the tunnel.

I never managed to finish it tho

I only got down to about 9 seconds or was it 15

Ironclaw · 10 February 2006, 23:10

To see a tunnel lvl of Stardust in action, goto www.retrogaming4ever.com and click on "Recorded games" and press the tunnel link there.

Photon · 11 February 2006, 13:08

That movie really shows Stardust off and how there is more to it than you might first think! All that smooth animation... Unfortunately I couldn't see much of the tunnels, blue blocks swooshing by due to the compression of the movie I guess. :s

Ironclaw · 11 February 2006, 14:27

Yeah, it's in low quality but should be fully viewable.

Photon · 11 February 2006, 14:36

Well the tunnel graphic itself is pretty much un-viewable but the movie gave a good overview of the game and what you can do in it.

Ironclaw · 11 February 2006, 14:48

That's why I recorded it in the first place to show the cool stuff on the Amiga. Cool music too.

For a better look on a tunnel, check my attachement above.

Photon · 14 February 2006, 00:31

That's the same tunnel as in the Accession demo. So they ripped it from Stardust? Huh. Thought it was a 'ripoff' in the sense of borrowed idea, didn't think they nicked the complete graphics. Huh again. :s

09 February 2006, 01:49	#1
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,602	'Accession-cooldemo' - How is the tunnel made?? Need expert advice on this. Just uploaded the most mind-boggling Amiga demo I've ever seen to the Zone. It was coded by Shocker of Accession, and I would like your expertise on how something like this is possible on a standard A500. Can't get my head around it. I'm not into cracking, so I haven't Resourced it or anything. I don't even have a graphics ripper app for my WinUAE. OK, let's start by counting colors to figure the bitplanes. Lowest is the tunnel, I counted 6 colors + black, so that should be 3 bitplanes at the bottom. On top of this are the 3D balls, which are 3-color while waiting to bounce forward and at least 7 colors + transparent when they bounce forward. When they are at their closest, they are like 64x64 pixels! On top of this is a semi-transparent text and a flickering cursor in a different color. Total: 8 bitplanes unless there is some hefty blitting going on with palette sharing. If so then there is a 4-bitplane display where the balls are blitted and background restored afterwards. The text could be the 5th bitplane and the cursor a sprite. OK. But how the hell is the tunnel made?? It 'smells' like Page Render 3D or some other program, since there are textures on the arrow tiles and it has nice dithering. A 16-frame animation could create the illusion of going into a tunnel, since the pattern on its walls repeats on every tile. The demo is 337k uncrunched, and the music sounds like a small SID tune, so you suspect the rest of the bulk being graphics. But: how do they TILT AND PAN the camera??? Am I imagining things, doesn't the perspective shift, so that you see the side walls from a slightly different angle along time?? The center line along the floor also seems to tilt a few degrees to the left and right along time. I've been thinking that the tunnel anim is like 40% bigger than the screen and they just use scroll registers to slide it around. But wouldn't that look normal and stiff?? Please advise. Of course the guys with cracking/ripping tools will get a head start in calling me stupid for not figuring it out

09 February 2006, 15:47	#3
bobbybearing Zone Friend Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: France Age: 51 Posts: 161	yes. it's made with a pic 288x140 (36x140) 3 bitplanes, pre-mirrored in x and y animation is done with 10 pics cycled see raw data and IFF pics in the zone + gif version Last edited by bobbybearing; 09 February 2006 at 16:28.

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09 February 2006, 12:43	#2
Codetapper 2 contact me: email only! Join Date: May 2001 Location: Auckland / New Zealand Posts: 3,182	I have only had a very quick look but it seems to be a ripoff of the Stardust tunnel. The screen is made up of a reasonably sized graphic, maybe something like 272 x 128 pixels, and that is mirrored in the X and Y planes to create a screen more like 544 x 256 (these numbers are just guesses). I would guess the frames are pre-mirrored at the start while the picture is being displayed. The 9 or 10 frames are cycled giving the effect of a huge number of smooth frames. You can see the individual frames using the FPS adjustment feature in WinUAE, setting the speed to 1 fps. The perspective changes by simply moving the display area around with a sine wave motion both horizontally and vertically. I don't believe there is any tilt and panning as you put it, simply moving the display window around.

09 February 2006, 16:55	#5
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,602	Got it from Planet Emulation, nice intro. Hmm, a Blasteroids clone. Had a go at it, finished a level. Guess you have to complete all the sectors to see the tunnel?

09 February 2006, 17:46	#6
kriz Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: No(R)Way Age: 41 Posts: 3,187	Complete one section and get the tunnel section There is also some passwords you can use to quicky access the tunnel

10 February 2006, 23:10	#9
Ironclaw Banned Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: ... Age: 45 Posts: 3,313	To see a tunnel lvl of Stardust in action, goto www.retrogaming4ever.com and click on "Recorded games" and press the tunnel link there.

11 February 2006, 13:08	#10
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,602	That movie really shows Stardust off and how there is more to it than you might first think! All that smooth animation... Unfortunately I couldn't see much of the tunnels, blue blocks swooshing by due to the compression of the movie I guess. :s

11 February 2006, 14:27	#11
Ironclaw Banned Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: ... Age: 45 Posts: 3,313	Yeah, it's in low quality but should be fully viewable.

11 February 2006, 14:36	#12
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,602	Well the tunnel graphic itself is pretty much un-viewable but the movie gave a good overview of the game and what you can do in it.

11 February 2006, 14:48	#13
Ironclaw Banned Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: ... Age: 45 Posts: 3,313	That's why I recorded it in the first place to show the cool stuff on the Amiga. Cool music too. For a better look on a tunnel, check my attachement above.

14 February 2006, 00:31	#14
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,602	That's the same tunnel as in the Accession demo. So they ripped it from Stardust? Huh. Thought it was a 'ripoff' in the sense of borrowed idea, didn't think they nicked the complete graphics. Huh again. :s

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