SourceCoder 3 Adds Casio Prizm g3p Picture Support
Published by KermMartian
9 years, 8 months ago (2014-08-03T19:44:59+00:00)
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Although never officially unveiled, the graphing calculator programming and data management IDE SourceCoder 3 has been one of Cemetech's most popular tools. While it focuses on tools for TI graphing calculator programmers and users, it includes a program editor for Casio Prizm programmers. Thanks to a recent project by Cemetech administrator TIFreak8x, this program editor has recently been improved with a more accurate and complete list of Prizm programming tokens, a process which will continue as my users create Prizm programs with SourceCoder 3 and discover missing or inaccurate tokens. A reverse-engineering effort is underway to also add .g1m support to SourceCoder 3 to allow it to import and export fx-9750 and fx-9860 programs. Perhaps most significantly, SourceCoder 3 now includes support for the Prizm image format, .g3p.
The .g3p format has been the root of significant contention and disagreement in the graphing calculator enthusiast community over the roughly three years since the Prizm was first released. This image format is primarily used to store 384x192-pixel 3-bit and 16-bit color images on the Casio Prizm calculator. Unlike the TI image formats .8xi, .8ci, and .8ca, it includes security and obfuscation features. The body of every image is compressed, obfuscated, and signed with a cryptographic signature. A header is then added, and the header is signed with "security" values based on the file size. Throughout the years, the community leaders have largely pursuaded the community to use that obfuscation as evidence that Casio does not want the format opened, and more specifically, to not produce tools that allow users to put arbitrary pictures on their Casio Prizm (fx-CG10/fx-CG20) graphing calculators. Moreover, the method of generating and verifying the cryptographic signature at tbe end of the image data was not known. However, recent handhelds like the HP Prime, the TI-84+CSE, and the TI-Nspire CX can allow load arbitrary images created by users. Therefore, after an extensive discussion with Cemetech staff and members about the ethics of .g3p support in SourceCoder 3, I have decided to unveil the feature for all Cemetech users. You can now upload .g3p files to SourceCoder 3 to get the equivalent .PNG image. You can also upload .GIF, .BMP, and .PNG images and export 3-bit or 16-bit .g3p files that you can then transfer directly to your Casio Prizm and use in your Casio BASIC programs. In fact, well-known progammer of RPGs DJ_O has already started experimenting with the tool for his games.
TI and Casio Program and Data Editor
SourceCoder 3
Original image (left), exported from SourceCoder as 3-bit g3p (center), exported as 16-bit g3p (right).
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Although never officially unveiled, the graphing calculator programming and data management IDE SourceCoder 3 has been one of Cemetech's most popular tools. While it focuses on tools for TI graphing calculator programmers and users, it includes a program editor for Casio Prizm programmers. Thanks to a recent project by Cemetech administrator TIFreak8x, this program editor has recently been improved with a more accurate and complete list of Prizm programming tokens, a process which will continue as my users create Prizm programs with SourceCoder 3 and discover missing or inaccurate tokens. A reverse-engineering effort is underway to also add .g1m support to SourceCoder 3 to allow it to import and export fx-9750 and fx-9860 programs. Perhaps most significantly, SourceCoder 3 now includes support for the Prizm image format, .g3p.
The .g3p format has been the root of significant contention and disagreement in the graphing calculator enthusiast community over the roughly three years since the Prizm was first released. This image format is primarily used to store 384x192-pixel 3-bit and 16-bit color images on the Casio Prizm calculator. Unlike the TI image formats .8xi, .8ci, and .8ca, it includes security and obfuscation features. The body of every image is compressed, obfuscated, and signed with a cryptographic signature. A header is then added, and the header is signed with "security" values based on the file size. Throughout the years, the community leaders have largely pursuaded the community to use that obfuscation as evidence that Casio does not want the format opened, and more specifically, to not produce tools that allow users to put arbitrary pictures on their Casio Prizm (fx-CG10/fx-CG20) graphing calculators. Moreover, the method of generating and verifying the cryptographic signature at tbe end of the image data was not known. However, recent handhelds like the HP Prime, the TI-84+CSE, and the TI-Nspire CX can allow load arbitrary images created by users. Therefore, after an extensive discussion with Cemetech staff and members about the ethics of .g3p support in SourceCoder 3, I have decided to unveil the feature for all Cemetech users. You can now upload .g3p files to SourceCoder 3 to get the equivalent .PNG image. You can also upload .GIF, .BMP, and .PNG images and export 3-bit or 16-bit .g3p files that you can then transfer directly to your Casio Prizm and use in your Casio BASIC programs. In fact, well-known progammer of RPGs DJ_O has already started experimenting with the tool for his games.
TI and Casio Program and Data Editor
SourceCoder 3
Original image (left), exported from SourceCoder as 3-bit g3p (center), exported as 16-bit g3p (right).
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