Loose Ends

I managed to build both an IZ2S and a z2lite rockbox 3.9 release over the weekend.  You can find them in the Zipit Z2 goodie bag (link on the right).  I also built a common plugin package that works on both.  Well... Ok, I tested the rockblox plugin on both userlands and it seemed to work.  I'm extrapolating that success onto the rest of the plugins.  Actual mileage may vary.

Meanwhile the new ldraw forum is still active, and so the bug reports keep rolling in.  Maybe it's just that the programs simply need more documentation.  I've wondered for a while now how to best handle lsynth parts in ldglite, and how best to push them through lpub.  Others have apparently been thinking the same thing.  Fortunately I just got a new Windows 7 PC.  Just in time to shake out some of these issues, and to try the new All In One Installer for ldraw.  The result is I've gotta put out a new ldglite release with some updated search path support, in addition to the new color support I did a little while ago.  Also, I think I finally see how to incorporate synthesized parts in lpub.  The result should look something like this.

What worked for me was to break out the synthesized part(s) into separate files and make sure to tag them as part files with this meta-command in the header:

  "0 !LDRAW_ORG Unofficial_Part".  

This technique also works in one big mpd file if you don't want a bunch of separate files.

Basically Nothing to See Here

I finally made some progress on the software backlog.  I built the r3.9 rockbox for z2lite, with a complete set of plugins that should hopefully also work on IZ2S.  But I have yet to test it and package it all up.  Oh well.  Maybe this weekend.

Meanwhile, this tiny basic interpreter caught my eye.  Yeah I know, there are plenty of basic interpreters out there, some with the same name even.  SmallBASIC even looks useful with it's FLTK widgets and all, but I have a weakness for shiny things and a colorful screenshot pulled me in.  So I patched it for the zipit keyboard and applied this patch (except for the font doubler).  It seems to work ok with the example files.

SDL_basic-1.0.2-iz2s.zip (executable and source code)

Poor Man's GPS

Yeah, I know.  I really gotta go back and finish up some of the stuff I started.  But hey, sometimes you just gotta take the easy pickins.  My setup at home is still a mess, but I finally got a PC with Windows 7 on it at work.  So I naturally  wanted to test some things.  One of those things was VirtualBox, so I figured maybe I could start that up with quickie test of the IZ2S builder VM.  And coincidentally I'd just stumbled upon a picture of the PSP-Maps program running in glorious 320x240 pixels on the Caanoo.  Turned out all I needed was a few makefile tweaks to get it built for IZ2S.  And it seems to run ok too.  Woo-hoo!  Google maps on the zipit!

I tweaked the button mappings a bit so you can press the Zipit key and type a location with the keyboard. The arrow keys pan.  The +- volume keys zoom.  The <> keys toggle various map display modes.  And the Escape key brings up the menu. 

I was able to pan and zoom into NYC without any trouble, so I'd say it's useful already.  Here it is.

pspmaps-iz2s.zip
iz2s_libs.zip
IZ2S Makefile.

Source code
Tutorial

Summer Break

Wow, it's been quite a while since my last post.  In the meantime the Rockbox folks released version 3.9.  I built a test release of that for IZ2S and the sound quality has apparently returned to satisfactory levels.  So now I just need to build it (and the plugins) for z2lite and package up some releases to be back on track with the mainline Rockbox code.  However summer's in full swing here which means vacations, gardening, lawn work, and kids home from school are altogether too distracting to get much of anything done.  In fact the kids got a new dual band wifi router and relocated it into the living room, leaving my ancient wired network with all my zipit dev tools disconnected and out in the cold until I get motivated to crawl around the attic and connect them to the new setup.  Not likely under the oppressive summer sun...

So I gotta do something to keep busy until things cool off a bit.  Turns out things have picked up a bit in the ldraw world lately.  They got themselves a new forum, released a new batch of parts, and put out a new all-in-one installer which apparently installs ldglite as an optional component.  So now I've gotta deal with a burst of new bug reports rolling in all of a sudden.   Mostly about supporting all the shiny new colors folks are building with these days.  Here's the old ldglite color table.

And here's what they wanted, based on the latest ldraw package.

As you can see, I was missing quite a few of the new colors spread about the grey area.  Also some of the basic colors were redefined, which I've been resisting, but I finally gave in and implemented most of the "official" changes.  I only kept a few of the brighter candy colors from the original code.  It's all updated in CVS on the sourceforge.  I just need to do some releases...