I am doing animation of algorithms using VHDL on Altera DE1. In this project, I have to display text to make it more informative. I am new to FPGA. But, I learned how text display works (all about allocating memory to each character and then display it). I tried to search some programs to test and see how the text display actually works. But most of them are on different boards. I wan't to understand how the actual flow is. As in, understanding just the memory and how it works is not helping me to write a complete code. Can anyone point me to right direction or explain in DEPTH how it actually works?
Thanks in advance!
If you haven't checked it out already, make sure to browse OpenCores. It looks like there are several VGA cores, some with text only and some with both text and custom graphics. You may need to register to view/download but it's free and simple.
Also many of the projects there are manufacturer-independent, making it very straightforward to integrate into your code.
What you said here is true, but the VGA controller is made out of several parts, one that creates the correct timing for the VGA signals, a memory from which the controller takes the data from and shows on the screen, a character map (the font) and a controller to read the mapping of each character and place them on the right position on the screen.
And here you have a higher level of block diagram, the previous block will replace the block markes as "Algorithm Test Pattern Generator"
You can take a look at the example on Digilinet's web site:
VGA controller reference design
Download it and modify it so it fits your need. This is just to give you an idea of the blocks necessary for what you want to do. It can be made simpler if you just want to show the same characters, or more complicated if you want to create a character based graphic controller for your design.
Related
I am trying to write a ray tracer and want to render my image in real time in a GUI window. Basically, I have a buffer: Vec<u8> that is constantly updating. The question is how do I display it on the screen after completing each row. I was thinking about using iced or egui, but couldn't figure out how to output changing image without copying it each time. Solutions that are using other toolkits are also welcome.
egui asks for TextureId:
ui.image(my_texture_id, [640.0, 480.0]);
but doesn't say where to get it
For egui there's some example here and a note here if you want to go 3D (with an example too).
For iced there's a bunch of examples, and some of them are using image/image_viewer (e.g. pokedex).
A way to go would be to copy their code, make it compile/run, and then tweak it with your logic. If something goes wrong - you'd have more input for a more concrete SO question.
Also I don't think that there's anything wrong per se in copying the data for the purpose of buffering (see this).
Before I get shot down on this one, I realize that the 'how' answer for this question might be slightly debatable, however I'm more interested in the 'what'.
In a nut shell I want to know which methods I can use to interact with a PC video game interface. I want to create a program that can extract data from a video game market interface.
My first initial thought was that I would need to programmatically take screen shots and then use some Optical Character Recognition software to extract the text. Then run whatever operation on the extracted text to derive my incites.
Then I was thinking it might just be easier to have a bunch of mini screen shots that I just use to find matches on certain sections of the screen. When a match is found, I would then know what the text is on the screen, without having to actually 'extract' it.
For those out there whom have done this, can you point me in one direction or the other? Perhaps there is a method that I am completely unaware of.
If its the case that this question is not suitable for this forum. It would be much appreciated if you could direct me elsewhere.
Edit: I should probably add that I'm not looking to spend a fortune on this project... so any free software would be the best. Perhaps that's a tall order.
I'm starting to think Sikuli is the direction I'm going to go. Open Source image recognition software, integrates with Python, Ruby, Java, JDBC, JavaScript and more.
-- Expanding on the question --
There are basically 3 categories of tools:
Recorder while you manually work along your workflow, a recorder tracks your mouse and keyboard actions. After stopping the recording, you might playback (autorun your worflow). The recordings can usually be edited and augmented with additional features.
GUI aware the tool allows to programmatically operate on GUI elements like buttons. This is based on the knowledge of internal structures and names of the GUI elements and their features. Some of these tools also have a recording feature.
Visually the tool “sees” images (usually retangular pixel areas) on the screen and allows to act on these images using mouse and keyboard simulation. There might be some recorder feture as well with such a tool.
SikuliX belongs to the 3rd category and currently does not have a recorder feature.
Answer in progress...
In games with moddable UIs, like many MMOs, you could create a mod that streams data through a series of black and white squares that could be read with optical sensors. From there, a microcontroller could deliver the data back to the PC via USB or wifi.
My approach as a noob. First determine if OCR 100% needed, I think this plays a role in speed.
if possible:
-run game in window (allows for trouble shooting and easy troubleshooting)
-is there a high contrast option for game? Will help Sikuli find things
then you plan out your scenarios:
You have to create different functions for different situations. A lot of gaming is "do you see this?" Then "do this" until that is gone.
Start with small parts you want to automate then build on them. Making sure your parts can scale in case small change need to happen, they will. For instance you want to open the menu if you see an object, lets say a tree.
Assume you have some sort of walking algorithm.
setROI(region1) #focus here for tree
if exists(tRee):
click(loCation) #you could hit the shortcut key to opening the menu
click(iTem) #if the item moves in the menu then you may need to scroll to find it first or you can change the ROI and start seeing if sikuli can differentiate your item from one you dont want to click.
You would get that to loop into other actions and proceed. Goodluck.
Does anyone know of macro or custom command I can make to quickly annotate the area of a polyline in autocad?
I'm doing a project where I need to measure the lot and house size of several city blocks. I've got a drawing going but I don't want to measure and write out the area of each site, that will take to long. I've seen custom commands in the past that quickly do this kind of thing but I don't know how to make my own.
And I'm desperately avoiding doing it by hand one at a time as most likely I will need to make adjustments to my design later on.
The best method I can think of is to utilize the MTEXT command and use a FIELD to link the Area of the Polyline to the MTEXT box.
Type FIELD at the command line, choose Object, select your Polyline and you will see the Area property.
Here is a link on the CADTutor site that covers it a bit more in depth along with a link to a forum post that has this automated via a Lisp routine.
http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-46628.html
I'm trying to add an image to MKMapView using SWIFT and I have ZERO coding experience. Could someone provide me with ALL the sample code necessary to do this? If there are any placeholder words (like overlay.yourimage.mapView) could you put the place where I need to add my information IN CAPS? I can't even tell the parts where I'm supposed to add my own information.
I appreciate any responses, I'm a first time poster.
Welcome to Stack Overflow.
The short answer is no.
This is not a site where people write your code for you. It's a site where you come when you have specific problems with code you've written and need help.
Be warned that MKMapView is a pretty complex framework. If you have zero programming experience it is way, way, WAAAAAAY over your head. You need to start with "Hello World" type stuff and work your way up.
Starting your programming career with trying to customize a map view is like going down a black diamond ski trail the first time you put skis on. You will fail dramatically, and won't be ready for black diamond trails (advanced APIs like map kit) until you do a lot of groundwork.
You can probably find sample code online that deals with adding an image to a map view, but it's not going to make much sense to you at this point, just like a ski instructor explaining how to get through a difficult mogul field won't make much sense to a beginning skier.
I'm going to be going to be meeting with a number of programmers and custom software companies to get bids on creating a website for a company that I'm involved with. My question is this: What should I prepare for the programmers so that they can give me an accurate bid, timetable, etc. for the development of the website? I have a clear picture of how I would like the site to work and the features that I would like to have included.
I'd suggest using something like balsamiq to put some simple sketches together as suggested elsewhere.
Quite often the act of putting your requirements down on paper in a way that represents the actual site will flush out all manner of issues you hadn't considered before, and will give you a much clearer understanding of what you're after.
Also consider the sources of the data you're displaying. From a functional spec aspect, simply saying something like 'show this figure here' is easy. From a programming point of view, coming up with the figure in the first place is often the hard bit.
The best you can do is to put the end-user's hat on and describe what you'd like the system to look like / work.
Imagine all pages and create a new frame for each one. Make as many annotations as you can so all bidders know exactly what you are expecting.
I'd also add at the end if it's likely the site's requirements to change during development, so everybody's warned in advance.
Details Details Details.
You might think you have a clear picture, you don't. You need to write every single step down no matter how trivial. You will see there are things you haven't thought of.
Try to write down as much information as you can think of. Go through all the scenarios a user would when using your site. Use steps such as
1) User clicks on Buy Button
2) Screen shows up with 4 items, Link to details, price, quantity and a 32x32 thumbnail.
2a) If User clicks on thumbnail full resolution image i s displayed
etc etc.
Don't try to gloss over the "simple" stuff and you will get the most accurate bid possible!
Basically draw out what you want (ie textboxes, drop down lists, controls, etc) in very simple manner. Then add little numbers around each area that has some functionality. In the margins or on another sheet, describe each point you numbered on the controls with simple instructions on how that functionality should work.
Think of it as a skeleton to describe the application you want.
Not a complete list, but here a couple of thoughts:
Do not forget the back button.
Back button behaviour is an issue on every site I've ever worked on. Specify exactly what you want to happen on every page if the user gets to that page by hitting the back button. Often it's easy, but sometimes it is not at all trivial.
Security:
Do people need to log on, how, how do you create accounts, reset passwords etc. What pages need you to be logged on, what happens if you hit those pages without being logged on.
You could read Joel Spolsky's Painless Functional Specifications for ideas, but I've just tried to summarise what that means for web software too.
I usually do this in 3 stages:
a list of contents, under the headings they'll appear on the site. Get this firmly agreed by all parties before doing any wireframes;
a greyscale functional wireframe in plain HTML/CSS, using examples of real-world content and dummy static pages for dymanic content, with everything where it should be. This is the first thing programmers want to see;
a purely visual graphic mockup of each type of page - this is the next thing programmers like to see, as in 'show me how you want it to look and I'll make it happen'.