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Bags of components for the Ocelot ordered from bitsbox.co.uk.
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Components for the TBA820M amplifier board.
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Completed amplifier board (standard usage from TBA820M datasheet).
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Completed amplifier board (standard usage from TBA820M datasheet).
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dsPIC33FJ128GP802 sample in tube.
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Oscilloscope in my bedroom.
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Ocelot prototype front panel laser cut from MDF at DoES Liverpool - It was originally going to be a panel mounted into a case.
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Oscilloscope turned on for the first time for testing.
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Original attempt at Ocelot veroboard layout, showing the power bus, PICkit header and Joystick panel bus.
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Initial layout of Ocelot soldered into veroboard; notice the DAC resistors on the right for use with the internal dsPIC33 DAC.
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Testing the Joystick interface by plugging in a Zipstik and looking for continuity through the empty DIP socket.
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Testing the Joystick interface by plugging in a Zipstik and looking for continuity through the empty DIP socket.
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PICkit in original packaging.
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Programming and debugging the dsPIC33 code through MPLAB on my laptop.
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Programming and debugging the dsPIC33 code through MPLAB on my laptop; at this point the regulator was still installed backwards!
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Ocelot boards fully assembled, mounted into prototype plastic front panel and attached to front panel and amplifier board with ribbons. Notice the TI DAC isn't used yet.
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Ocelot boards fully assembled, mounted into prototype plastic front panel and attached to front panel and amplifier board with ribbons.
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In this riveting video, the Ocelot is instructed to play ascending tones through the audio subsystem while blinking the Status LED at the same rate.
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Ocelot boards fully assembled, mounted into prototype plastic front panel and attached to front panel and amplifier board with ribbons.
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Ocelot boards fully assembled, mounted into prototype plastic front panel and attached to front panel and amplifier board with ribbons.
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Ocelot Arcade System Sings: Gravity Beam Ingame Theme!
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Ocelot Arcade System Sings: Gravity Beam Title Theme!
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Ocelot boards fully assembled, top view.
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The Ocelot is alive! Here it is playing a converted MIDI of Ode to Joy while displaying a 3D cube.
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A very clear and stable image showing dots in an ellipse.
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First test program using the TI DAC! A very clear and stable image showing dots in an ellipse.
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Design of modification to right side of Ocelot board to introduce TI DAC in place of protection resistors.
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Completed Ocelot boards with TI DAC. Shown on squared paper for size, also heavily suggests a rectangular book-sized case.
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Ocelot case laser cut and engraved at DoES Liverpool.
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Ocelot case laser cut and engraved at DoES Liverpool.
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Use adhesive paper prior to burning to prevent scorchmarks on wood.
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Ocelot instrumentation installed into front panel. Notice my super long potentiometer.
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Ocelot case interior before case assembly.
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Testing Ocelot with Mega Drive pad.
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Fully glued Ocelot wooden case with new potentiometer.
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Fully glued Ocelot wooden case with new potentiometer.
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Fully glued Ocelot wooden case with new potentiometer.
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Fully glued Ocelot wooden case with new potentiometer.
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Fully glued Ocelot wooden case with new potentiometer.
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3D objects testing!
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Programming Ocelot using my laptop.
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Ocelot sanding.
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Ocelot sanding.
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Ocelot sanding.
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Ocelot sanding.
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Ocelot sanding.
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Ocelot sanding.
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Woodworking stuff used to finish the Ocelot case. Remove the innards first!
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Sanded Ocelot with varnish drying.
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Ocelot case completely sanded and finished.
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Ocelot displaying multiple opaque triangles simultaneously! See the next video for how this effect is applied into 3D.
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This is a test of the convex hull system I prototyped for removing lines from the screen when they were overlaid by new lines. The objective was to be able to draw opaque objects onto the screen, but it was pretty glitchy and slow, so I got rid of it in the end. It would have barely been visible on the tiny screen in the end anyway.
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Complete Ocelot design.
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Margay image!
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Self-adhesive velcro strips used within the case to keep the boards and battery housing in place.
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View of interior of Ocelot showing board and battery holder mounted on interior wall.
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First render of the Lynxwing model on the Ocelot itself. This means I have the 3D engine working (to some extent at least), and the model exporter and model interpreter all working.
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Multiple 3D opaque Lynxwing spaceship objects running in Windows simulator.
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3D rendering test on Ocelot.
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Sketch of Star Lynx himself!
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Star Lynx face traced in Blender to create the animated face used in-game.
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Animated Star Lynx face displayed using tweening within the Windows simulator.
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Variations of Star Lynx's face to be used as animation keyframes.
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Variations of Star Lynx's face to be used as animation keyframes.
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Star Lynx face animation test.
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Star Lynx face animation test.
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Star Lynx face animation test.
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Star Lynx face animation test.
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Test of cutscene system showing scripting, animated face and text.
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Very silly test of cutscene system showing ability to display multiple, scaled animated objects.
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Commander face.
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Commander face traced in Blender for use in game.
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More cutscene testing between Star Lynx and the Commander. Notice this is the original script already at this point!
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Tweening at different speeds with the Commander's smug face sequence.
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Tweening at different speeds with the Commander's smug face sequence.
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Ocelot in the spare bedroom for recording the cutscene sequence.
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Ocelot in the spare bedroom for recording the cutscene sequence.
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The cutscene between the Commander and Starlynx as shown on the oscilloscope display. Notice he says 'lynxy' stuff instead of 'furry' stuff. Which is worse is a matter of debate.
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First tests of Starlynx Lynxwing flying within the Windows simulator. Aiming reticule is working too. Ship is clamped to a rectangular region.
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First tests of Starlynx Lynxwing flying within the Windows simulator.
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First tests of Starlynx Lynxwing flying within the Windows simulator.
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3D view of Lynxwing.
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Lynxwing flying through a starfield with 3D building objects in the background.
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The Lynxwing ship with flight controls and a starfield and some randomly-placed background objects as shown on the real oscilloscope screen. The flightschedule system hadn't been written yet.
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Design of the 'butterfly' air enemy, AIR1.
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Wireframe and polygon views of the 'moth' air enemy, AIR2.
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Wireframe and polygon views of the 'moth' air enemy, AIR2.
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Design of the 'mantis' ground enemy, GROUND1.
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Design of the 'spider' ground enemy, GROUND2.
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Ship flying through a scripted level with various 3D backgruond furniture heading towards the camera. Enemy formations are in! Look at 'em all go! Enemy behaviour seems to be in as well, the enemies are correctly banking and tilting up.
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Enemies in the air and on the ground, appearing in formations and heading towards the player and tilting according to their behaviour.
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Bonus objects are in - the points ring model is in the game, but there's no collision detection yet.
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Enemy formations again, the second bonus ring (powerup) is here.
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The enemies can now fire at the player (complicated 3D math!) and the player can be hit by enemy projectiles, 'causing the ship to be forced to one side, the model to change, and the ship to flash.
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There is a third ship model with even more prongs snapped off for critical damage.
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The Menace Mantis' head has basic wobbling behaviour and can be shot at! The ending cutscene part of the flightschedule system is implemented - notice the 'Return to base' dialogue is as it is in the final game.
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The Mentace Mantis now has behaviour to fire at the player!
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I have modelled and positioned the Menace Mantis' hands, so it can now enter this super awesome looking menacing animation while all of its components are idle.
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I have programmed in a series of attacks for the Menace Mantis to execute: lower swipes, upper swipes, vertical swipes. Both hands can execute any combination of these independently.
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Here the player is fighting the Menace Mantis! The hands have collision detection and the hands can now fire rows of projectiles at the player. These are the same as the enemy projectiles so they collide with the player as expected. When the hands run out of hit points, they twitch and fly into the distance Master Hand style. The 'protect the head' behaviour of the hands when the head is attacked directly is also here. All the stages of the Menace Mantis boss fight are present, in fact! The game can be won! The damaged Lynxwing being shown in the ending cutscene was a happy coincidence, it wasn't intentional, but it looks great!
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This is Menace Mantis' vertical attack.
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Taking pictures of the boss sequence in the spare bedroom.
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Showing the ingame sequence on the oscilloscope screen.
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Catsden City level inroduction sequence.
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Menace Mantis' introduction shown on the oscilloscope screen.
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Menace Mantis boss fight shown on the oscilloscope screen.
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A full run-through of the Star Lynx level sequence filmed on my Canon camera. This is why I got the camcorder out to do the advert!
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Ocelot playing the Final Fantasy 1 battle music! This is a test of the MIDI conversion code.
