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FM Towns
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FM Towns
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==Graphics== The FM Towns featured video modes ranging from 320×200 to 720×512 resolutions,<ref name=mess/> with 16 to 32,768 simultaneous colours out of a possible 4096 to 16.777 million (depending on the video mode); most of these video modes had two [[Computer memory|memory]] [[Paging|pages]], and it allowed the use of up to 1024 [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] of 16×16 pixels each. It also had a built-in font [[Read-only memory|ROM]] for the display of [[kanji]] characters. One unique feature of the FM Towns system was the ability to overlay different video modes; for example, the 320×200 video mode with 32,768 colours could be overlaid with a 640×480 mode using 16 colours, which allowed games to combine high-colour graphics with high-resolution kanji text. It uses 640 [[Kibibyte|KB]] of [[Video memory|video RAM]], including 512 KB [[VRAM]] and 128 KB [[Texture memory|sprite RAM]].<ref>http://archive.org/stream/ace-magazine-27/ACE_Issue_27_1989_Dec#page/n27/mode/2up</ref> FM Towns supports the following graphics modes: [[Bitmap]] modes:<ref name=modes>http://www.old-computers.com/museum/doc.asp?c=968&st=1</ref> # 640×819 [[Framebuffer|virtual]] (640×400 [[Display resolution|display]]) @ 16 out of [[List of monochrome and RGB palettes#12-bit RGB|4096 colors]] - overlay support with mode 2 # 640×819 virtual (640×200 display) @ 16 out of 4096 colors - overlay support with mode 1 # 1024×512 virtual ([[480p|640×480]] display) @ 16 out of 4096 colors - overlay support with modes 5 or 10 # 1024×512 virtual (640×400 display) @ 16 out of 4096 colors - overlay support with mode 6 # 256×512 virtual (256×256 display, [[Interlaced video|interlaced]]) @ [[High color|32,768 colors]] - overlay support with modes 3 or 10 # 256×512 virtual (256×256 display, [[Progressive scan|progressive]]) @ 32,768 colors - overlay support with mode 4 # 256×512 virtual (256×240 display, interlaced) @ 32,768 colors - overlay support with mode 9 # 256×512 virtual (256×240 display, progressive) @ 32,768 colors - overlay support with mode 11 # 512×256 virtual ([[WQVGA|360×240]] display) @ 32,768 colors - overlay support with mode 7 # 512×256 virtual ([[QVGA|320×240]] display, [[Horizontal scan rate|31 kHz]]) @ 32,768 colors - overlay support with modes 3 or 5 # 512×256 virtual (320×240 display, [[Horizontal scan rate|15 kHz]]) @ 32,768 colors - overlay support with mode 8 # 1024×512 virtual ([[480p|640×480]] display) @ [[8-bit color|256]] out of [[True Color|16,777,216 colors]] - overlay not supported # 1024×512 virtual (640×400 display) @ 256 out of 16,777,216 colors - overlay not supported # 1024×512 virtual ([[480p|720×480]] display) @ 256 out of 16,777,216 colors - overlay not supported # 512×512 virtual ([[480p|320×480]] display, progressive) @ 32,768 colors - overlay not supported # 512×512 virtual ([[480i|320×480]] display, interlaced) @ 32,768 colors - overlay not supported # 512×512 virtual ([[480p|512×480]] display, progressive) @ 32,768 colors - overlay not supported # 512×512 virtual ([[480i|512×480]] display, interlaced) @ 32,768 colors - overlay not supported [[Sprite (computer graphics)|Sprite]] layer:<ref name=modes/> * [[Display resolution|Resolution]]: 256×240 [[pixel]]s<ref name=modes/> * [[Color depth|Colors]]: [[8-bit color|256]] on screen out of 32,768 [[Palette (computing)|palette]]<ref>http://www.jcec.co.uk/fmtowns_sys.htm</ref> * [[Texture memory|Sprite RAM]]: 128 [[Kibibyte|KB]] (8 KB attributes, 120 KB pattern/colour data)<ref name=mess/> * Maximum sprite count: Up to 1024 on screen<ref name=museum>http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=968</ref> * Sprite size: 16×16 pixels<ref name=museum/> * Colors per sprite: 16<ref name=mess>https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/src/mess/video/fmtowns.c</ref> * Overlay support: Bitmap modes 1-11<ref name=modes/> Up to two graphical layers can be overlaid, whether it is two bitmap layers, or the sprite layer with a bitmap background layer. The latter is useful for [[action games]], though the sprite function is not as advanced as that of rival [[16-bit]] computer, the [[X68000|Sharp X68000]].<ref name=modes/> When the sprite layer is used, it is rendered to VRAM layer 1 on top, with the bitmap background as VRAM layer 0 below. When two bitmap layers are used, then both are rendered to VRAM layers 0 and 1.<ref name=mess/>
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