Windows Terminal client that supports graphics - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: mdijkens
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2019, 11:25:28 am
content: Hi,I am trying to build a simple small Z80 computer based on Grant Searle's SBC.For keyboard/screen I specifically want to use a serial interface with a terminal client, so I don't have to get/use a separate monitor and keyboard.From the programs running on the Z80 I can use colors and cursor-control via ANSI escape commands which are supported by terminal clients like PuTTy.But I also want to be able to use (simple) graphics like drawing a graph.I have been googling for days now to find ANSI standards for this and support in existing terminal clients, but haven't found an existing protocol/standard yet supported by any of these clients...Of course I can program my own terminal client, but it seems like an overkill for 99% of all ANSI escape commands that I will also have to program then myself :-(So my question is: Are there existing windows terminal clients that already support some simple ANSI escape commands for setting/clearing pixels in a terminal screen?I am looking for full ANSI support with additional Escape commands for things like setPixel(x,y,color)

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2019, 11:42:35 am
content: You're in for a world of fun there. There's no ANSI standards as such for this. You have a few options which can be emulated (you will have to google for software):Tektronix 4010 - storage CRT based. Chuck on lots of 70s and early 80s electronic music for this:VT340 - way more advanced:There are more out there of course.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2019, 11:52:21 am
content: Maybe a VT240/VT241 compatible terminal?Quotehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VT220

author: mdijkens
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2019, 12:10:18 pm
content: Yep, I ran into these standards. Some lack the 'standard' ANSI color/font stuff and others like VT241 seem very nice and complete.But then, finding a terminal client for Windows that support these seems very difficultI might develop something myself in Visual Basic (sorry that's what I know) but I'm not looking forward to program 99% of what is already standard in most terminal clients. The graphics functions I am looking for are not that difficult (just setting pixel color) but all the rest of the ANSI codes are so many and some much harder to develop myself...

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2019, 02:35:55 pm
content: Try this onehttps://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/download.html

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2019, 02:50:34 pm
content: Quote from: mdijkens on March 10, 2019, 12:10:18 pmYou need to google about ReGIS. A random result:https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/1dsjyj/i_wrote_an_open_source_terminal_emulator_which/Also, judging by the name only (GIS), ReGIS is probably the ancestor of today's "GIS vector graphic", a standard supported by many programs and libraries.

author: legacy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2019, 03:15:24 pm
content: For a similar project, I preferred ASCII-art. This can be compatible with VT100, which is fully documented and easy to be implementedp.s.I have recently bought a DEC VT220, and it's damn relaxing when you want to use text tools and editors. Probably it's also a good interface for your project.

author: mdijkens
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2019, 04:09:47 pm
content: @ebclr:Looking at it but don't see anything related to graphics via ansi commands?Very Linux-oriented (no problem but not needed)Support for graphical user interfaces but that is way beyond my interest@RoGeorge:That seems to be a Linux program?@legacy:That would be my fallback scenario, but prefer some simple graphics feature