Coding Challenge: 3D on Apple II
2 min read
6 months ago
Published on Apr 24, 2024
This response is partially generated with the help of AI. It may contain inaccuracies.
Table of Contents
Step-by-Step Tutorial: Creating a 3D Rotating Cube on Apple II
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Understanding Variable Naming in Apple BASIC
- Variable names in Apple BASIC are limited to two characters.
- Demonstration: Creating variables
startX
andstartY
and printing their values.
-
Exploring Beagle Brothers BASIC Enhancements
- Beagle Brothers BASIC was an enhancement utility for Apple II.
- Highlighting the swap command for variables.
-
Navigating and Editing in Apple II BASIC
- Using the escape key and arrow keys to navigate and edit code lines.
- Utilizing shortcuts to move the cursor efficiently.
-
Implementing Double Buffering for Animation
- Explaining the concept of double buffering for smoother animation.
- Setting up two high-resolution graphics pages for off-screen drawing.
-
Animating a Moving Line
- Writing a program to animate a line moving across the screen.
- Implementing a subroutine to switch between drawing pages.
-
Drawing a 3D Cube
- Planning the coordinates for a 3D cube on a 2D screen.
- Creating arrays for points and lines to construct the cube.
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Applying 3D Rotations
- Understanding the math behind 2D rotation transformations.
- Implementing rotation matrices for X, Y, and Z axes in the code.
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Completing the 3D Cube Rendering
- Updating the program to rotate and draw the 3D cube.
- Connecting all points to form the complete cube shape.
-
Optimizing the Code
- Discussing optimization techniques like pre-computing values and erasing lines individually for faster performance.
- Encouraging experimentation and feedback for further improvements.
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Exploring Further Challenges
- Hinting at future challenges like perspective projection for advanced 3D rendering.
- Providing links to the emulator and code for hands-on exploration.
By following these steps, you can recreate the process of rendering a 3D rotating cube on an Apple II using BASIC programming. Feel free to experiment, optimize, and expand upon the provided code to enhance your understanding of computer graphics and programming concepts.