C64 Game Maker v1.5.5

"C64 Game Maker" is a tool that allows you to generate C++ source code for simple video games. Evolution and replacement of the previous tool "C64 Graphics Maker" (with which it's backwards compatible), this new tool allows you to use a simple BASIC language to make the code (whose guide can be found in the .zip file in English and Italian).

The binary (.prg) file must be generated by downloading external C++ compilers (from the respective author's site) and currently only Oscar64 and LLVM-MOS are directly supported.

To install the tool, please watch the following video:

Introduction to C64 Game Maker (English version)
Introduzione al C64 Game Maker (Italian version)

N.B.:

• there is no need to manually run external compilers, the tool automates the invocation.

• If you have already downloaded the two C/C++ compilers, please download them again as some important fixes have recently been released for both.

Please note that the tool has limitations and maybe bugs, it's made for fun and it's free of charge for any use. You are authorized to use it only if you read and fully agree with the license. Please read the guide and especially the "Troubleshooting" section in case of problems.

Please note also that the authors of the external C/C++ compilers are not involved in this project and are obviously not required to fix any bugs in their compilers to make "C64 Game Maker" work. So if you have any issues, please file a bug at https://github.com/AGPX/C64GameMaker/issues and if the issue is related to external compilers, I will try to contact them, but again I can't guarantee anything (see the guide for more details on how to report bugs).

For a full explanation of the tool (including a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a game with it), check out my playlists:

C64 Game Maker (English version)
C64 Game Maker (Italian version)

Inside the 'examples' directory you can find 3 demos: "Space Pong", "Snakes" and "The Runner" (commented in English and Italian).

Note:  the implementation of the LZO algorithm is courtesy of DrMortalWombat, see Oscar64 for details on the decompression algorithm.

Features list of the v1.5.5:

• MDI Application;
• Supported characters mode: Standard Character Mode (SCM), Multi Color Mode (MCM), Extended background Color Mode (ECM) with exporter for assembly and basic;
• Supported sprites mode: monocolor, multicolor with exporter for assembly and basic;
• Supported bitmap cells (named "Blockset") with mode: monocolor, multicolor (you can also use it to import a full screen bitmap, BUT be aware that there is no proper fullscreen bitmap editor inside the software, the blockset are treated just like characters);
• Editing of multiple characters/sprites/blocks displaced in a grid (with ability to mix mono and multicolor characters);
• Editing tool:
  • Up to 4 Layers;
  • transformation: shifting, rotation, resizing, invert, mirror, flip (you can restrict them to the selection);
  • drawing tool: freehand, line, ellipse, rectangle, floodfill (clipped to the selection, if any). Possibility to use two colors dithering.
  • selection: irregular shape, move selected area, copy & paste;
• Import images to characters (SCM, MCM or ECM), sprites (mono or multi) or blocks (mono or multi) with automatic search of the best fitting colors and dithering support (import can take a while, please fix at least the background color to speedup the operation);
• Import/Export of data and project items;
• Animation editor for characters, sprites and blocks with "ghost" functionality;
• Characters/sprites/blocks optimization: remove unused, empty and duplicates (with cascading update);
• Unified clipboard between sprites, characters and blocks ('cut' also updated tiles, screens and animations);
• Drag & Drop (between characters, tiles and blocks);
• Possibility to add a background/foreground image (with adjustable position and size) useful to perform decaling;
• Zoom/Pan;
• 100 levels of undo/redo;
• Tiles editor (characters or blocks based);
• Screens editor (characters, blocks or tiles based);
• RLE and LZO compression;
• Includes a simple BASIC language that is transpiled to C/C++;
• Provides a programming model based on state-machines;
• Supports a sprite abstraction called "Actors";
• Supports the definition of "Levels";
• Supports the definition of "Games";
• Supports sound effects through the SidSFX Editor version 0.1.1 or higher;
• Allows import of external data/routines (like music routines);
• Support multiplexer up to 32 sprites;
• VIC-II Calculator;

LICENSE:

Permission is hereby granted, to any person obtaining a legal, unmodified, copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to use the Software, including for commercial purposes without any obligation to pay fees to the author, but **not** to modify, redistribute and/or sell copies of the Software without explicit written permission from the author, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR  IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,  FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE (INCLUDING THE INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE IN THE PRESENT OR FUTURE).

FURTHERMORE, THE AUTHOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY PROBLEMS ARISING FROM ISSUES IN EXTERNAL TOOLS THAT THE SOFTWARE USES, FROM THE EVENTUAL DISCONTINUATION OF THE SAME, OR FROM ANY OTHER CAUSE THAT MAY AFFECT THE FUNCTIONING OF THE SOFTWARE. THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE IS AT THE SOLE RISK OF THE USER, WHO ASSUMES ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE AND/OR LOSS OF ANY NATURE.

RELEASE NOTES

V1.5.5 (January 17, 2025):

• fixed a bug in the MIRROR instruction when sprites are in reserved memory areas;
• preserved the state of the current window when "cut" is performed;
• fixed rendering of the mirror axis in the Actor editor;

V1.5.4 (January 11, 2025):

• improved multiplexer stability;
• multiplexer bug fixing;

V1.5.3 (December 24, 2024):

• Reduced flickering in multiplexer;
• Bug fix: fixed a bug when the priority multiplexing is enabled (which made the sprites disappear);
• Changed string color in dark mode (it was a too dark red, now it's like the normal text);

V1.5.2 (December 23, 2024):

• Bug fix: removed multiplexer code that was erroneously emitted when multiplexer was not enabled;

V1.5.1 (December 23, 2024):

• Added missing file for the multiplexer (LLVM-MOS);

V1.5.0 (December 22, 2024):

• Added sprite multiplexer (with a demo called "Multiplexer");
• In ScreenEditor you can now select a cell with both the left and right mouse button and use them to draw with pencil or filler;
• In Charset/Spriteset and Blockset:
  • you can now clear the selected slots with the "delete" key;
  • in multicolor mode, you can select the left color with Ctrl+B/1/2/R and the right color with Alt+B/1/2/R;
• In Charset/Spriteset, added the possibility to import and export binary raw data;
• Added auto capitalization of keywords;
• Fixed a bug where when updating a sprite's mono/multicolor mode, the updates were not applied to the Actor(s) in the executable;
• Fixed a bug that highlight keywords inside strings;

v1.0.6 (December 05, 2024):

• Improved tiling of the windows;
• Improved resizing and scaling of the UI;

v1.0.5 (November 30, 2024):

• Added the Actor/background test through the hardware register;

v1.0.4 (November 29, 2024):

• Added ability to open a file from the command line;
• Fixed an issue with the char.rom and the compilers when the current working directory is not the one of the executable (for e.g. when the extension .gmk64 is associated to the executable and a .gmk64 file is double clicked);
• Allow scaling of the UI below 100% and up to 200% (see File > Settings... menu');
• Fixed regression that doesn't show the C++ compiler error messages;

v1.0.3 (November 22, 2024):

• Fixed font scaling on Windows 10;

v1.0.2 (November 17, 2024):

• Added support for the Windows dark mode;
• Added scaling factor in the setting to enlarge the UI;
• Fixed additional issues with VICE 3.6.1, 3.5 and 3.2;

v1.0.1 (November 15, 2024):

• Fixed an issue with VICE 3.7;

v1.0.0 (November 14, 2024):

• FIRST PUBLIC RELEASE.