Archives of Genesis8 Amstrad Page from 1999 to 2025 about utility, page 10 / 18





Pixel Polizei by Markku Reunanen, a windows graphic utility

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You are a graphist on PC but you want that your pixel art to be on one of the following platform quoted below. Pixel Polizei will check the conformity of the color limits and save the result in the native format :

  • Amstrad CPC
  • ColecoVision
  • Commodore 64
  • Commodore Plus/4
  • MSX
  • Oric
  • Panasonic JR-200
  • Sharp MZ-700
  • Sharp MZ-800
  • ZX Spectrum


iMPdraw v2 by AST/Imp4ct is released

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The draw utility by AST/Imp4act Impdraw v2 is out since the 8th November, coming also with the release of iMPdos 512 (a FAT16 ROM for your xMass, M4 or Symbiface 3, it doesnt need Amsdos so an CPC 464 can use it). Click on the source link below for download (at the end of the first message).

La précédente version (v1.2) date d'avril 2016, les améliorations sont les suivantes :

  • a huge zoom zone
  • using he 4096 palette of the Amstrad Plus
  • fullscreen support for the 3 graphical modes of the CPC (0, 1 et 2)
  • possibility of creating plugins with OrgAms or any other assembler
  • adds Undo/Redo
  • 100% compatible xMass with iMPdos, M4 wifi board and Symbiface 3 (thanks to @Kris for testing it)
  • in case of basic return or reset, you can get back your file
  • an included utility to create frames
  • Load/Save .win
  • Load .scr 17 kb files
  • integrated help

Beware, Impdraw uses more than 128 Kb, if you use WinApe please choose 4 Mb of RAM. Also a new version will be out in a few days


Youtube video






Z80 BBC Basic by Richard Russell is now open source

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David Given who is the author of CP/Mish (CP/M for Notepad NC200 using disk drive) did obtain from Richard Russell author of the Z80 BBC Basic that this version becames open source (Zlib license) and so available on CP/MIsh's github.

You can read the history of the BBC Basic on Richard Russell's web site.



CP/M on Amstrad Notepad NC200, ZCN or CP/Mish by David Given ?

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To use the CP/M operating system on an Amstrad notepad NC200, you needed before ZCN by Russell Marks with a SRAM card.

But now it is also possible to use a rewrite of CP/M without any original Digital Research's code by starting from a disk with CP/Mish by David Given (see a youtube video).

All CP/MIsh sources are on Github for Linux.

The available memory is 60 Kb by using all the memory available (128 Kb) but please check the NC200 readme for more informations especially the warnings about files in RAM (lost after notepad is off), the disk cache (chance disk only at CP/M prompt, and switch off the notepad only at prompt or you may loose write disk accesses).


Youtube video



Disark by Targhan (Arkos), a disassembler/source converter

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After the release of Arkos Tracker alpha 5 andt 6 by Targhan, it's the turn for the Disark utility.

Disark is a new cross-platform software (for Windows/Linux/MacOsX) developed because it was needed for Arkos Tracker 2, it is a Z80 disassembler/source converter.

Besides the disassembling part, the main goal of Disark is to convert a source into any other assembler's source. For example, AT2 Z80 sources heavily rely on RASM macros, which are not understood by other assemblers. So the trick is:

  • Assemble the player/music with Rasm (this gives a binary and a symbol file)
  • Use Disark on the binary to recreate the source, without all the bothersome macros!



5th alpha of the soundtrakker for PC Arkos Tracker by Targhan (Arkos)

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Targhan has released Arkos Tracker v2.0.0a5 for linux, windows and mac.

  • Many graphics improvement, including even more space for the pattern viewer.
  • Midi in: plug your keyboard and have fun!
  • Midi import: import your Midi songs.
  • New AKM (minimalist) player: more compact and powerful than the Lightweight!
  • Source converter: convert the music and player source to any assembler (winape, sdcc, pasmo, vasm, etc.) automatically, thanks to Disark, a new tool (for which I'll create a new thread...)!
  • ROM players: by setting a flag, the players will not use auto-modification anymore, but a small buffer to put in RAM, whereas the player itself can be put in ROM.
  • Support for specific hardware:
    • PlayCity (9 channels)
    • Spectrum Turbosound (6 channels)
    • SpectrumNext (9 channels)
    • MSX Darky (6 channels)
    • MSX FPGA (6 channels)
  • ... and many other improvements

Youtube video



Creation of Rouleau de printemps by Roudoudou, a small GX-4000 and CPC+ invitro for Alchimie 1

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Roudoudou did two videos about the creation of his non official invitro on Amstrad GX4000 and CPC+ for the demo party Alchimie 13 where Amstrad users will be present :


Youtube video



Rouleau de printemps by Roudoudou, a small GX-4000 and CPC+ invitro for Alchimie 13

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Alchimie 13 will take place on the 1st to 3rd November 2019. Roudoudou has written a small Amstrad GX4000 and CPC+ invitro not official Rouleau de printemps for this demo party where Amstrad users will be present.


Youtube video



Creating an adventure game with Adventuron on PCs, tablets, mobile phones

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Adventuron (on Twitter) lets you create an adventure game on PC, tablet and mobile phone (and more later).

Excalibur: Sword of Kings is a game created with Adventuron. Original version was by Ian Smith and Shaun McClure, the Adventuron remake is by Chris Ainsley.


Youtube video



PawMac for windows, an utility about creating adventure games by Jason McHale

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Following my article about a bit of history about creation of adventure games, PawMac by Jason McHale is a windows utility to create maps of adventure games using The Quill or PAW (to be used with Trizbort) and to convert a game created with The Quill to use it with PAW.



RASM v0.113 by Roudoudou, a multi platform assembler for Amstrad CPC

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The last version of RASM is v0.113 (26th April 2019). This multi platform assembler (linux, windows, but not only like MorphOS on Amiga) let you program for Amstrad CPC.

The online documentation is available.

  • trigger an error when dynamic LZ section cannot crunch
  • bugfix when trying to crunch an empty section
  • dynamic debug options removed
  • snapshot & cartridge summary by default
  • embedded rasm export all labels and EQU in the info struct
  • new math function CEIL
  • rasm may handle generated name with INCBIN directive


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