Randomizing PUT: efficiency problem
Randomizing PUT: efficiency problem
(OP)
Yeah, I know, it's a dead language, but I have a craving to learn more! 
I have 3 BSAVEd graphics that are BLOADed into a file. I'm using PUT statements to display them. The problem is the fact that each graphic is stored in a different array, which means 3 different arrays, and I'm using a random number to call a set of IF...THEN...ELSE statements which call a certain PUT statement based on the number. I was wondering if there was a way to call a single PUT statement, with a certain array as the target array based on the random number. I'm only using 3 graphics (which will eventually grow larger over time), so I'm basically just asking for code optimization, if that's possible.
Here is the code (note the redundancies when you look at the PUT statements):
Okay, the idea I'm having is to do something like this:
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), arrayName(char%)
where arrayName is an array that can be referenced to fetch one of the arrays that hold graphics, based on the value of "char%".
For example:
I hope somebody can help. I also hope I explained it well enough...
I have 3 BSAVEd graphics that are BLOADed into a file. I'm using PUT statements to display them. The problem is the fact that each graphic is stored in a different array, which means 3 different arrays, and I'm using a random number to call a set of IF...THEN...ELSE statements which call a certain PUT statement based on the number. I was wondering if there was a way to call a single PUT statement, with a certain array as the target array based on the random number. I'm only using 3 graphics (which will eventually grow larger over time), so I'm basically just asking for code optimization, if that's possible.
Here is the code (note the redundancies when you look at the PUT statements):
CODE
SCREEN 13
CLS
DIM blbelt(901) AS INTEGER, blmage(937) AS INTEGER, fighter(937) AS INTEGER
' "Fast Palette Swapping" technique
'$INCLUDE: 'colors.bi'
DEF SEG = VARSEG(blbelt(0))
BLOAD "bl_belt.bsv", 0
DEF SEG
DEF SEG = VARSEG(blmage(0))
BLOAD "bl_mage.bsv", 0
DEF SEG
DEF SEG = VARSEG(fighter(0))
BLOAD "fighter.bsv", 0
DEF SEG
FOR drawcharsY% = 0 TO 140 STEP 70
FOR drawcharsX% = 0 TO 280 STEP 40
RANDOMIZE TIMER
char% = INT(RND * 3) + 1
IF char% = 1 THEN
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), blbelt
ELSEIF char% = 2 THEN
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), blmage
ELSEIF char% = 3 THEN
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), fighter
END IF
NEXT drawcharsX%
NEXT drawcharsY%
CLS
DIM blbelt(901) AS INTEGER, blmage(937) AS INTEGER, fighter(937) AS INTEGER
' "Fast Palette Swapping" technique
'$INCLUDE: 'colors.bi'
DEF SEG = VARSEG(blbelt(0))
BLOAD "bl_belt.bsv", 0
DEF SEG
DEF SEG = VARSEG(blmage(0))
BLOAD "bl_mage.bsv", 0
DEF SEG
DEF SEG = VARSEG(fighter(0))
BLOAD "fighter.bsv", 0
DEF SEG
FOR drawcharsY% = 0 TO 140 STEP 70
FOR drawcharsX% = 0 TO 280 STEP 40
RANDOMIZE TIMER
char% = INT(RND * 3) + 1
IF char% = 1 THEN
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), blbelt
ELSEIF char% = 2 THEN
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), blmage
ELSEIF char% = 3 THEN
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), fighter
END IF
NEXT drawcharsX%
NEXT drawcharsY%
Okay, the idea I'm having is to do something like this:
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), arrayName(char%)
where arrayName is an array that can be referenced to fetch one of the arrays that hold graphics, based on the value of "char%".
For example:
CODE
char% = 1
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), arrayName(char%) ' fetches the "blbelt" array
char% = 2
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), arrayName(char%) ' fetches the "blmage" array
char% = 3
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), arrayName(char%) ' fetches the "fighter" array
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), arrayName(char%) ' fetches the "blbelt" array
char% = 2
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), arrayName(char%) ' fetches the "blmage" array
char% = 3
PUT (drawcharsX%, drawcharsY%), arrayName(char%) ' fetches the "fighter" array
I hope somebody can help. I also hope I explained it well enough...
Talk To Other Members
RE: Randomizing PUT: efficiency problem
First you want to declare a two-dimensional array containing the tiles size and number of tiles:
size% = ((height * width) / 2) + 1
numOfGfx% = 3
DIM GfxArray(size%, numOfGfx% - 1)
then you can use the array to call-up the right graphic variable based on a random number:
PUT (x, y), GfxArray (size%, char%)
.........................................
In terms of optimizing...
First, put "RANDOMIZE TIMER" at the top of the code, this way you don't call it over and over again as it only needs to be called once.
Second, with this array, you don't need IF..THEN statements..(and if you were to use them, I'd recommend replacing them with SELECT..CASE. SELECT is MUCH faster because the condition is evaluated once, unlike ELSEIF)
OPTIMIZED CODE
----------------
'Define all variables as integers unless specified otherwise
DEFINT A-Z
'Randomize seed
RANDOMIZE TIMER
'Define Graphics array with 20x20 tiles (201 bytes)
DIM GfxArray(201, 2)
FOR drawcharsY = 0 TO 140 STEP 70
FOR drawcharsX = 0 TO 280 STEP 40
PUT (drawcharsX, drawcharsY), GfxArray(201, INT(RND * 3) + 1)
NEXT drawcharsX
NEXT drawcharsY