The following graphic samples are all software, programmed in MS-DOS. They all run real-time, even on a 486/66Mhz class machine (on which most of these were programmed). Each real time computer graphic engine is similar to those required for interactive video games and simulation software. None of the following effects are created via 3D graphic accelerators. Each of these effects is 100% responsible for the display of every individual pixel, manually computed by CPU directly from my software. Also, none of the programs use a graphics API (such as DirectX or OpenGL) which would perform most of the calculations for you. Any 3D program uses the basic 3D formula for converting a 3D point into a 2D screen position which I developed myself in grade VIII without the aid of textbooks or any other graphic / art sources. All the effects included tweaked VGA modes, hi-color modes, and other video card tricks are 100% software.

All code is original and self-taught. Pictures are shrunk down from the actual screen shots. All effects, including hi-color effects, run under standard VGA. Some run under any non-standard Mode-X resolution (up to 360x480, 376x564, and 640x400).

It should be noted that standard VGA does not have a hi-color mode. In its standard mode 13h, the screen has a resolution of 320x200. The pixels have an anisotropic ratio of 6:5. It has a maximum of 256 colors on the screen at any given time. It only has one frame buffer, which implies a 64,000-byte memory copy from a virtual screen buffer for each frame.

In the non-standard Mode-X modes, there are several screen resolutions available. The initial problem is to tweak the registers in an unpublished, non-standard way to achieve these modes. They also have a 256 color limit. Their pixel aspect ratios vary with the modes (320x240 has perfectly square pixels, where as most of the other resolutions do not). If the screen buffer is sufficiently small (131,072 bytes or less), Mode-X offers more than a single screen buffer. However, unlike mode 13h, is it non-linear. It exists in four planes, in which each plane accesses one fourth of the screen. Each plane skips three intermediate screen pixels, making it very difficult for drawing procedures - even for a virtual screen buffer copy, which is necessary for modes with only one screen buffer.

Some of these graphic engines have been used in projects I have on display in my Projects/Games page.

My brother, Matthew Doucette, also has a page which showcases his talents in Real Time DOS Graphics. He also has a page that displays his Real Time 3Dfx Graphics.