<< Back to contents.

CharPad 2.8 User Manual - Subchrist Software, 2021.

Exporting Data To Files.

CharPad can export data in a variety of ways...

Binary files...

These are plain (raw) binary files with no specific file-formatting and will only contain the data that has been exported.

Character Sets : 8 bytes per character image (byte 0 = top pixel row of image 0 etc) for however many character images.

Character Set Attributes : 1 byte per image (upper nybble = Material, lower nybble = Colour).

Tile Sets : TileWidth x TileHeight bytes per tile (byte 0 = top/left corner of tile 0) for however many tiles.

Tile Set Attributes : 1 byte per tile (upper nybble = unused (0), lower nybble = Colour).

Map : MapWidth x MapHeight bytes (byte 0 = top/left corner).

Text files...

CharPad can output a human-readble ASCII text file containing all the data for a project, it will be given the extension 'asm' as it can also be assembled (into machine code) by feeding it to a suitable 65XX CPU assembler program such as 64TASS.

Image files...

These can be either Microsoft Windows Bitmap (BMP) or Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format.

Shoot 'em Up Construction Kit (background) files...

Commonly referred to as SEUCK, the Shoot 'em Up Construction Kit was (and remains) a popular tool for making games on the Commodore 64.

CharPad can output a background file in a format that is compatible with the Shoot 'em Up Construction Kit, it will contain a character set, a tile set and a map.

nb. To be eligible for export as a SEUCK background, a CharPad project MUST have these properties...

254 character images.

128 (5x5) tiles.

1 map (8 x 512).

Colouring Method : Per Tile.

To successfully import the background file into the SEUCK, you will have to add the file to a D64 disk image and make sure that the file name has exactly 16 characters and ends in ".B"

ie. "BLUEBACKGROUND.B"

The D64 disk image may then be used with the SEUCK, either using a Commodore 64 emulator or by transferring the D64 to a real floppy disk for use on a real machine.