iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Oh, yeah, the edge pixels - I can fix those easily. What was annoying me is that the masked out area is black, whereas I'm sure some of the other images that fall through to here also have transparencies, but get a white background. Unless I'm wrong about them having any transparency. 🤷‍♂️

armbytes.bsky.social @armbytes.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Reposted by VinceMH

A huge shout-out to everyone who made it! The next meetup is on the 14th November. 🚀🛸🕹️ #OpenSource #RISC_OS #ARM #Code4Fun #Community #Meetup

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Off by one error. 😂

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We'll see. Right now I hunger for some dead flesh. The kitchen calls!

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I've gone through the code to identify the calls to whatever libs came with the compiler and I therefore used. It's only fifteen functions that I'd have to roll myself (or modify the code and calls to use my library). Perhaps plan A (modify the original code) would be easier than redoing it?

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Nope. The code sets up variables for where it is on the map, and preps them to read its position when initially plotting a screen - but then doesn't actually look for it to update them. So that's six unnecessary tiles, and a few lines of code that can be ignored.

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Also, I must have just used the system font for scores etc. This one contains no badly hand drawn alphanumeric tiles - other than the few needed for the title screen animation.

2. I think I mentioned somewhere recently a reference in the code to a gun as part of the map tiles - which I can't remember implementing. The tiles are there for it (and the projectile). It's also possible it was implemented and used on higher levels, and I just can't rememember. 🤷‍♂️

A couple of interesting observations (to me, anyway). 1. The graphics file contains some buttons/labels that must be left over from the level designer I'd have written. There doesn't appear to be anything in the code relating to that so it was probably a separate program.

It does require me fitting in the time, though - always a challenge these days. 🤷‍♂️ Can my clients stop expecting actual work from me, please? Ta. (Just kidding, work takes priority. I like £££s).

Instead, with fresh eyes, I think it'd be better to make it a rewrite of sorts. That hopefully shouldn't be as bad as it sounds, because I can probably (!) just follow the code through and rewrite it on a function by function basis - unlike Drop Rock where I'm doing it more or less from scratch.

Looking in more detail at the Floopy source code than previously, I think the best/most sensible approach isn't going to be to try to modify this code to match my current system (and update long lost library function calls to my own libs). I did actually make a light start down that road.

It would bloody well help Bluesky could show me when I upload the image what it will look like when posted, instead of showing me the image how I *want* it to look like when posted, then seeing it with the black background when I *actually* post it. Bah.

That'll be a no, then.

I have absolutely no idea how to unmultiply an alpha, let alone do that in GIMP. Anyway, now that I'm back home and before I do other - more important - things, I've attempted to remask the image. So let's see if *this* worked...

Nope. It'll have to wait, then. (And hope I remember)

Right, I've done a quick and dirty conversion to by loading the gif into GIMP and exporting it as a PNG - so let's quickly bung that in here to see if it looks okay (if not, I have to go out and I'm running later, so it'll have to be dealt with another time.)

And I still didn't update that image!

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A mission statement from RISC OS Technologies

RISC OS Technologies published a mission statement, but due to the reasons behind some of its content, it's worth looking at the use of AI in developing RISC OS software. www.riscository.com/2026/risc-os...

riscository.com

And a look at the use of AI in programming. About a week ago Martin Eastwood, who is using the name RISC OS Technologies for his efforts with the operating s

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I'd forgotten about Zoar - last I knew about it he was still working on it, but "deserves wider play" sounds like it's a done thing?

Gammitin (Ben) 💾 @gammitin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

If it's purely BASIC, have you considered trying to get it running on a RISC OS machine?

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Reposted by VinceMH

FLASHBACK on an Acorn A4000 running RISC OS

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I sense #3 is rapidly approaching.

"we" and "ourselves" says the pretend intelligence. 🙄

VinceMH @vinceh.com · 24/09/2026

Haha, true - especially clothes, I suspect. (This was a picture frame.)

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Is this supposed to reassure me about the quality of this item? Or make me doubtful about the quality of every item that doesn't say this? (Amazon).

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Reposted by VinceMH

Kevin Edwards ( Retro game developer ) @kevedwardsretro.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

41 years ago Mike Cook ( Technical Editor of The Micro User ) made this video at the Manchester Micro User Show at UMIST. It captures the passion of that time for all things relating to the BBC Micro and Acorn. I was at the show and you'll see me, aged 19, having a great time. vimeo.com/23537869

vimeo.com

Micro User Show 1985

Held at UMIST (Manchester) in September 1985, the show was arranged by The Micro User magazine and based around the BBC micro computer. To the people who say they used to read my articles when they we...

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VinceMH @vinceh.com · 24/09/2026

And why did I instinctively think it was my mistake, without noticing it's that other mob? 🤣

VinceMH @vinceh.com · 24/09/2026

Er, yeah. WTF did I get 'tomorrow night' from!?

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Reposted by VinceMH

Liam Proven @lproven.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"I feel the same way he does. We don't realise what killing off amateur computing will mean."

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VinceMH @vinceh.com · 23/09/2026

The next #RISC_OS developers' fire side chat is Saturday, 26th September. Join in, and maybe seek or offer advice! Perhaps even just listen - you might catch some useful tips anyway! www.riscository.com/2026/develop...

riscository.com

Developers' fireside chat - 26th September

If you are interested in software development on RISC OS, the time has come again to gather around the fire, and meet up with other people with a similar intere

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VinceMH @vinceh.com · 23/09/2026

Wait, why did I 'like' that? I'VE NEVER WANTED KIDS! 🤣

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Reposted by VinceMH

MadAsHell-NeverTrumper 🌊💙🌈 @janl99.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

it's what we deserve after all ;)

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VinceMH @vinceh.com · 23/09/2026

How dissapointing. I've just spotted a text message from my son from March informing me of his new number - but filtered out as spam. I'd have replied to that. That could have been entertaining. I don't have a son. Bog standard phish, but a potential larf.

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VinceMH @vinceh.com · 21/09/2026

Did they miss out the words "front of"?

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Reposted by VinceMH

MadDamo (Ye olde dev) @damiensturdy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Has anyone mixed a RasPi and Riscos and a Acorn BBC Master yet? Pondering on how feasible RiscOS on Master would be (Even if that means via piVDU) - Doesn't seem entirely impossible.

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Reposted by VinceMH

Stephen Scott @sassquad.net · 21/09/2026

Polymer Picker 2.01 released. The litter now drifts on later levels, sea currents vary in difficulty. Bugfixes aside, memory is full so am calling it a day on this game. Enjoy! (Claude.ai was used to help in creating this version) #bbcmicro #8bit #acorn #retrogames github.com/sassquad/pol...

github.com

GitHub - sassquad/polymer-picker-6502: BBC Basic and Assembler version of Polymer Picker game.

BBC Basic and Assembler version of Polymer Picker game. - sassquad/polymer-picker-6502

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VinceMH @vinceh.com · 20/09/2026

Unexpectedly, so do I now, even though I'll have forgotten it again by tomorrow. 🤣