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158
Radix User's Manual
So if quadruple density looks so great, why not use it all the
time? Let's try an experiment on your printer which will show just
how the different density modes work. Using the first program in
this chapter, change line 50 to try each of the different modes. Just
change the "K" to "L ", "y", and "z" in turn. Your printouts should
look something like this:
(ESC)"L"
_--"
x-__
d_---__I_
(ESC)"y"
(ESC)"z"
As you can see, the different modes seem to condense the
printed image. So, to get the same image in a higher density mode,
you must plot more points. This requires twice as much memory
for your array, twice as much computing time, and twice as much
printing time (but the results may be worth it!).
Star's engineers have given programmers a unique shortcut
for program development though-double density double speed
graphics. Although this mode requires just as much memory and
computing time as double density, it prints at the same speed as
normal density graphics. Amazing, you say? Well, it is-until you
know the secret. Every other column of dots is ignored, so the
output is actually the same as normal density graphics. The
advantage is that you can write and debug your programs at dou-
ble speed, then change to double density graphics for terrific out-
put.
If You Have Problems with BASIC
You may write some graphics programs that look just right in
the listing, but the printouts aren't quite what you expected. A
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