Hover Strike

Additional Credits:
Producer:
Tramiel, Leonard

Developer's weekly reports


Progress Report for Eric Smith
Weeks ending: 11/11/94

HoverStrike
-----------
Downloaded and compiled speech compression
and synthesis programs for the TT, for
evaluation for use in the game.

Integrated general font routine into the game
and provided a scrolling text "puppet show"
while decompression is in progress.

Converted existing font blit code to use the
new font mechanism, and to properly center
proportional text.

General Jaguar
--------------
Added 1, 4, and 8 bit output options to tga2cry,
including palette construction code.

Updated tgainfo program to display info about
the number of colors used by a file.

Wrote a general font routine using the blitter
to do bit to pixel expansion.

Wrote font converters and downloaded public domain
fonts for use with the font routine.

Compared compression speeds of Brainstorm's JPEG
implementation and Atari's.

Merged Mike's MS-DOS version of tga2cry with my new
one, and gave the new version back to him.


Progress Report for Eric Smith
Weeks ending: 11/25/94

HoverStrike
-----------
Improved compression of bitmaps and cockpit.

Sped up font output by using phrase mode.


General Jaguar
--------------
Fixed bit-to-pixel expansion in the font code
for 1, 2, and 4 bit per pixel modes.

Implemented phrase mode blits for "direct copy"
fonts, and figured out the mysteries of the STEP
variables and the SRCENX bit.

Began work on a general C library for the Jaguar;
ported various routines from the MiNT library for
the ST to the Jaguar, and tested the new Brainstorm
tools.

Wrote test program to test blitter speed when blitting
from DRAM, GPU RAM, DSP RAM, and the CLUT.

Added File Access Table code to the NVRAM BIOS code.


Miscellaneous
-------------
Released a new version of MiNT.


Progress Report for Eric Smith
Weeks ending: 12/10/94

HoverStrike
-----------
Wrote tools to unpad and stretch Targa files (to
clean up art so that it's properly aligned for JPEG).

Revised puppet show code and credits display.

Added code to display an introductory message overlaid
on a spinning globe at start up time.

Fixed the fonts.


General Jaguar
--------------
Began work on Jaguar II texture mapping library.

Tracked down a blitter bug.

Fixed some bugs in the font generator program.

Translated NVM BIOS into assembly language to make
it fit into 2K.


Progress Report for Eric Smith
Weeks ending: 12/24/94

HoverStrike
-----------
Worked to find ways of speeding up the game, including
trying different blitting strategies, optimizing
the xgrid package, and sorting polygons.

General Jaguar
--------------
Fixed some bugs in the assembly version of
the NVM Bios.

Revised documentation for the NVM Bios.

Produced a ROMULATOR based NVM Bios emulator.


Weekly Report for Eric Smith
Week ending: 1/20/95

HoverStrike
-----------
Implemented shading of texture maps, by doing a
double blit (from DRAM to GPU RAM, and then from
GPU RAM to the screen). Experimented
with several shading strategies using both the
blitter ADDDSEL and SRCSHADE flags to find which
would work best for different texture maps and
worlds.

Assisted with some debugging of the code.


General Jaguar
--------------
Tested relative speeds of matrix multiplication
using the GPU MMULT and IMULTN/IMACN instructions.

Implemented a 68000 wireframe polygon renderer,
to test different clipping and transformation
strategies. The algorithms used here will later be
ported to the GPU for use in the Jaguar II polygon
renderer and demos.


Work Planned for Next Week

HoverStrike
-----------
I plan to convert the JPEG decompression code in
HoverStrike to use Brainstorm's new JPEG code. This
should result in an improvement in speed and ROM
space available.

Jaguar II Library
-----------------
I plan to add Gouraud shading to the 68000 renderer
and test different lighting algorithms.


WEEKLY REPORT for Eric Smith
Week ending: 1/27/95

HoverStrike
-----------
Added Brainstorm's JPEG code, and tested it by
compressing the title screens. The main texture
maps are still in a state of flux, so it has
been decided to leave them compressed the old
way until final texture selection has been made.

Found some more room in ROM (we were running
out, now we're not).

Jaguar II Library
-----------------
Added Gouraud shading (with in-scene and
out of scene (sunlight) light sources), plain
texture mapping, and Z buffering to the 68000
polygon renderer, and tested and debugged
these and the clipping algorithms.



WORK PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

HoverStrike
-----------
If the art is ready, I will convert all remaining
JPEG files to Brainstorm's format.

Jaguar II Library
-----------------
I plan to add (simple) shading to the texture
mapping code, and then to begin porting the renderer
to the GPU (which should result in a very large
speed improvement).



PROBLEMS

I've been running low on hard disk space, and periodically
have to spend time hunting through and backing up older
files. That has worked so far (at some cost in productive
time), but there aren't many "old" files left on my disk!


WEEKLY REPORT for Eric Smith
Week ending: 2/03/95

HoverStrike
-----------
Assisted in debugging.

Revised my font display program and assisted
in searching for new fonts for title screen/etc.
Downloaded Postscript font conversion utilities.

Downloaded Hubble Space Telescope images for use
as backgrounds.

Finished Brainstorm JPEG code.


General Jaguar
--------------
Added -crop option to the tga2cry and tgastretch
utilities (to allow selection of a smaller window
from a large picture).


Jaguar II Library (3D renderer)
-------------------------------
Fixed bugs in perspective mapping and clipping.

Began translation to GPU assembly.


WORK PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

HoverStrike
-----------
Assist in debugging and tweaking, as necessary.


Jaguar II Library
-----------------
Continue translation of 68000 polygon renderer to
GPU assembly language.


PROBLEMS

Nothing noteworthy.


WEEKLY REPORT for Eric Smith
Week ending: 2/10/95

HoverStrike
-----------
Wrote multicolored font code.

Added two player cooperative mode.

Worked on end-game sequence and between-level
sequences, adding fades and animations.

Wrote starfield animation for high score
display.


Jaguar II Library (general)
-------------------------------
Revised the startup code to match
the latest example code given to developers.


Jaguar II Library (3D)
-------------------------------
Continued translation to GPU assembly.



WORK PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

HoverStrike
-----------
Assist in debugging and tweaking, as necessary.


CD-ROM
------
The save cartridge hardware is expected in next
week; if it arrives, I will complete the NVRAM
BIOS by adding drivers for the hardware and
testing it; I will also write a small application
for managing contents of the save cartridge.

Jaguar II Library
-----------------
Continue translation of 68000 polygon renderer to
GPU assembly language.


WEEKLY REPORT for Eric Smith
Week ending: 2/17/95

HoverStrike
-----------
Assisted with debugging.


Jaguar II Library (general)
-------------------------------
Fixed bugs in video and joystick
code.


CD-ROM
------
Wrote save cartridge manager program.

Wrote NVRAM BIOS drivers for AMD and AMTEL
flash ROMs.

Debugged BIOS.

Integrated the manager program & NVRAM BIOS
with the CD-ROM boot code.



WORK PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

HoverStrike
-----------
Assist in debugging and tweaking, as necessary.


Jaguar II Library
-----------------
Continue translation of 68000 polygon renderer to
GPU assembly language.


PROBLEMS

Debugging of the NVRAM BIOS was made slightly harder
by the small number of PAL machines in the building.
We could certainly use a PAL machine+TV dedicated
to software development.


WEEKLY REPORT for Eric Smith
Week ending: 2/24/95

HoverStrike
-----------
Assisted with debugging.


Jaguar II Library
-----------------
Completed translation of polygon
draw and 3D transformation code
to GPU assembly.


CD-ROM
------
Met with technical review committee to
review CD-ROM save cartridge software.
Revised user interface in accordance with
their suggestions.


WORK PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

HoverStrike
-----------
Assist in debugging if necessary.


Jaguar II Library
-----------------
Translate polygon clipping code and outer
loop to GPU assembly language. Test and
optimize polygon renderer.


WEEKLY REPORT for Eric Smith
Week ending: 4/07/95


Jaguar 3D Library
-----------------
Debugged Gouraud shading for texture maps,
and produced some demos.

Fixed some bugs in the camera handling code.

Wrote a new front end for the renderer so
that it could be used with Hoverstrike CD.
Tested Gouraud shaded texture maps on the
Hoverstrike map screen and in the game.

Downloaded and examined some public
domain interpreters for possible use in
an object motion library.


General Jaguar
--------------
Evaluated Brainstorm's GPU C compiler.


WORK PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

Jaguar 3D Library
-----------------
Further optimize the Hoverstrike
version of the renderer.


Jaguar II Hardware
------------------
Write software to simulate hardware
antialiasing.


WEEKLY REPORT for Eric Smith
Week ending: 4/14/95


Jaguar 3D Library
-----------------
Produced a demo of the 3D Library
for Sean Patton to give to Eclipse.

Plugged new versions of renderer into
Hoverstrike, and continued to optimize
it.

Updated library versions of files that
had been modified for Hoverstrike.

Obtained source code for 3DS4JAG,
and began converting it to use the new
library format. The new format will probably
allow further speed improvements in
Hoverstrike.


General Jaguar
--------------
Met with Ringler & Co. to discuss
Brett Hull Hockey.



WORK PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

Jaguar 3D Library
-----------------
Continue work on format conversion
tool.

Jaguar II Hardware
------------------
Write software to simulate hardware
antialiasing.


WEEKLY REPORT for Eric Smith
Week ending: 4/28/95


Jaguar 3D Library
-----------------
Continued documenting and debugging
the library.

Added support for the old .J3D
file format (used in Hoverstrike)
to the 3D Studio file converter.

Obtained MS-DOS version of gcc,
installed it on my 386SX, and ported
the 3D Studio converter to DOS.

Made sure that all files compiled using
PC versions of tools, and corrected
some small portability problems.

Prepared a preliminary release version
and gave this to developer support.


Miscellaneous
-------------
Attended the Windows 95 Game Developer
Seminar.


WORK PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

Hoverstrike
-----------
Examine difficulty of changing
rendering formats to use the
new, improved data structures.

Jaguar 3D Library
-----------------
Continue documenting, debugging, and
optimizing the library.

Jaguar II Hardware
------------------
If time permits, write software to
simulate hardware antialiasing.


WEEKLY REPORT for Eric Smith
Week ending: 5/5/95


Jaguar 3D Library
-----------------
Checked everything into RCS.

Added profiling code to allow
more exact timing and to determine
"hot spots" for optimizing.

Continued to optimize and
document the library.

Implemented a phrase mode version of
the non-textured polygon renderer.

Miscellaneous
-------------
Wrote a report on the Windows 95
Game Developer Conference.



WORK PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

Hoverstrike
-----------
Begin integrating the new renderer
with the game code.

Jaguar 3D Library
-----------------
Continue documenting, debugging, and
optimizing the library.

Jaguar II Hardware
------------------
If time permits, write software to
simulate hardware antialiasing.