Beginner Retro Graphics Programming with the LayerOne Demo Board

A "Demo" is a combination of programming challenge, artwork, and music. You’re given specific hardware with any number of restrictions – code size, available memory, processor speed. Your goal is to output audio and video that pushes the limits of what is considered possible with such limited hardware. Here’s some examples of award-winning demos on the Commodore 64 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW5v93P-gBw), Atari XL/XE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EAG_811b4o), and an 8-bit Atmega88 microcontroller (http://youtu.be/sNCqrylNY-0?t=1m1s). Not enough? What about a full, three and a half minute 1080p HD demo written in just 4kb of code? Check out elevated by Rgba & TBC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWcbj7ksqwE).

This class will cover the LAYERONE DEMO BOARD, a small piece of hardware designed by Arko & Davo of Null Space Labs. It's the board being used for the LayerOne 2018 Demo Party (http://l1demo.org). If you have any interest in C programming, assembly programming, graphics programming, or embedded systems programming, this is the class for you!

We'll cover setup and usage of the graphics and character (text) GPU, basic graphics and text output, and basic sound output.

We recommend brushing up on your C programming before attending, but even beginners should be able to follow along. By the end of this class you will have made some graphics bounce around on the screen and output some funky beats to your audio port. This might not sound like much but trust me - it'll take some doing : )

Please bring a Demo Board OR buy one at the class for $60 (cash). You must have a demo board to interact with all of the hands-on portions of this class! There will NOT be loaner boards!

Hope to see you all there!
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First time visiting NSL?

10717 West Chandler Boulevard
North Hollywood, CA

Entrance in REAR of complex in the alley off Denny. Look for the NSL logo!

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How do I get a demoboard?

You can buy a board online OR in person at the class ($60 cash):

http://l1demo.org/getaboard.htm

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Prepare your computer before the class:

Follow the getting started guide here:

http://l1demo.org/wiki/demoboard_getting_started

Linux/Mac users: You'll need to install Mono to run the bootloader OR have a Pickit3 PIC programmer.

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Prepare your brain before the class:

• C Programming (http://www.cprogramming.com/)
• L1 Demo Support Forum (http://l1demo.org/forum/viewforum.php?id=5)
• Hackaday IO L1 Demoscene Board Project Page (http://hackaday.io/project/3877-layerone-demoscene-board)