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Socoder -> Off Topic -> Light Pens |
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| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 03:01 | |
steve_ancell
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I had one of those on my Amstrad CPC464, it had a clumsy oaf of a box that was attached to the back of the computer and a pen with a long wire plugged into the box. The software was crap and it wasn't as expeceted as in drawing on the screen, you had to hold the pen on the screen, press the button and an expanding retangle would travel from the left of the screen to where ever the pen was. That had to be done over and over again until the required amount of pixels were created.
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| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 03:01 | |
Jayenkai
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Go on.. Make me feel old... ’’WTF is a light pen?’’
-=-=- ''Load, Next List!'' 
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| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 03:03 | |
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steve_ancell
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Good thing it was thrown in when I got the computer second hand coz I would have been mighty pissed-off if I actually paid money for that piece of jank. 
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| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 03:04 | |
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Jayenkai
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Yup! Pretty sure I had exactly the same one! The disk had a French label on it!! Useless. Absolutely bloody useless! But awesome!!!! -=-=- ''Load, Next List!''
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| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 03:10 | |
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steve_ancell
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The way that some of those interface boxes used to require extra space between the monitor got on my tits too, that's why I ended-up making an extension out of a couple of old ribbon cables and four connectors. I had to make it from two cables coz I couldn't get hold of wide enough connectors at the time, I also had to make cut-outs at each end so it could be slid onto the edge connector.
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| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 08:29 | |
9572AD
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I used to use a light pen in Fantavision (an animation drawing tool) on an Apple ][ --- Oh, and the drawing on the Apple worked as expected...that Amstrad one sounds mental -=-=- All the raw, animal magnetism of a rutabaga.
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| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 09:13 | |
rockford
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 I had one of those on my Amstrad CPC464, it had a clumsy oaf of a box that was attached to the back of the computer and a pen with a long wire plugged into the box. The software was crap and it wasn't as expeceted as in drawing on the screen, you had to hold the pen on the screen, press the button and an expanding retangle would travel from the left of the screen to where ever the pen was. That had to be done over and over again until the required amount of pixels were created. I actually bought the DK'Tronics one for my CPC. I can't think why now, but I did. It was indeed shit, but it did work better than your version and didn't need a button to be pressed IIRC. The only problem it had was that it couldn't draw on a black screen due to lack of light given off by the monitor. It wasn't comfy to use though (drawing on a vertical monitor lead to sore elbows and cramp if you used it for more than 3 minutes). |
| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 09:38 | |
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steve_ancell
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I think mine may have been DK'Tronics come to think of it. |edit| Although I played around with it a few times it never actually got used for anything, it was about as much use as a solar-powered lightbulb. |edit| |
| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 09:47 | |
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Jayenkai
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Indeed.. What the hell was the point of that thing?! We bought ours at a Car Boot Sale, so obviously the previous owners also figured it was a pile of crap, too. I ended up using Advanced OCP Art Studio for all my CPC artsy farting about. .. not that I ever actually did anything productive with the results, mind! Just faffing about! -=-=- ''Load, Next List!''
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| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 10:31 | |
rockford
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I used OCP too 
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| Wed, 06 Feb 2013, 23:54 | |
Dabz
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I ended up using Advanced OCP Art Studio for all my CPC artsy farting about. Mostly, I used graph paper, mountains of the bugger... I bet the newsagent's 3 holidays a year went out of the window as soon as I got rid of my CPC!  Dabz -=-=- Intel Core i5 6400 2.7GHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB), 8Gig DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD, Windows 10 64bit
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| Thu, 07 Feb 2013, 00:22 | |
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rockford
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I too used forests worth of graph paper for UDGs and basic ideas for sprites. I've still got a folder (somewhere) full of images I drew way back in 1984 onwards (for CPC and Amiga).
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| Thu, 07 Feb 2013, 13:18 | |
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Dabz
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Yeah, graph paper was an actual tool back in the day, also as well as sprites, I used to flesh out code via flow charts on the stuff too, basically set out the idea, and box the main elements of the program where I wanted it to go, what it had to do and highlight important bits, and use that as a sorta design doc... Totally different then what I do today, where I just roll with it now! Really, I should get some more graph paper, it was indeed, a better way! I know you can get software for such a thing nowadays, but, I never really got on with them, they make stuff look too pretty, I like scribbles, jotting notes, tea stains, crumbs... Basically, total disorder but underneath you could look and go "Yeah, that's it... auto 10" and your off! Dabz -=-=- Intel Core i5 6400 2.7GHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB), 8Gig DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD, Windows 10 64bit
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| Thu, 07 Feb 2013, 13:50 | |
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Jayenkai
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I feel left out. I think I might've used graph paper maybe once or twice, but most of my art->binary "Symbol" stuff was done in my head. Numbers all 'round, baby!!! .. God, I used to be good at that stuff. I'm shit at simple maths, nowadays! -=-=- ''Load, Next List!''
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| Thu, 07 Feb 2013, 13:58 | |
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steve_ancell
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I used to swag my graph paper from school. |edit| Used to get hold of perforated DMP paper sometimes too, the stuff that had tractor feeds up the sides. |edit| |
| Thu, 07 Feb 2013, 14:26 | |
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rockford
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"Mr Ancell, that's the third Maths exercise book I've given you this week, are you eating them?"
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| Thu, 07 Feb 2013, 16:20 | |
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steve_ancell
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In the words of the teacher it was more like "I'm sure there was more in this store cupboard!".
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| Fri, 08 Feb 2013, 00:54 | |
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rockford
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LOL.
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