Roadmap

This is not really a Roadmap since I can't guarantee any delivery date, but here are the new features planned as of 2025/01/05.

⏳: work in progress features

Audio

• Add support for new audio format:
  • TriloTracker FM replayer (and update of the new SCC replayer).
  • Realfun 3 replayer.
  • Re-Play replayer (from Grauw).
  • Voice synthesis on the ISR replayer (from ARTRAG).
  • Moonblaster replayer.
  • Lovely Composer replayer.
  • ADX replayer.
  • KSS replayer.
  • MGSP2 replayer.
  • MML replayer.
  • MIDI replayer (through PSG, MSX-Music and MSX-Audio).
• Add support for new chip:
  • ⏳ MoonSound (OPL4) audio chip.
    • Play sound effect using PCM (?)

Display

• Add replayer for Animecha data and/or for an original 2D animation format.
• Add video replayer(s) (Easy SCREEN3 Animation Converter).
• Add bitmap scrolling feature to scroll module.
• Add bitmap sprite upscsaler (cf. NOP).
• ⏳ Add 3D module (generic 3d data format, transformation and rendering).
• ⏳ Add Raycaster module (using DDA).
• ⏳ Add Movie module (rewrite MGLV exporter from MSXimg and update MSX replayer)
• Add support for 32x212 screen mode.
• Add pseudo-bitmap support for Print module for tile-based screen mode and sprite (draw on consecutive 16x16).
• Add loader for more common MSX picture formats (SCx, MIF, PCX, BMP, etc.).
• Add support for Yamaha V9938/58 copy commands.
• Add support for Yamaha V9990 copy commands.
  • Improve V9990 sample to allow testing of all color mode.
• Add support for V9968 cartridge.
• Add support for MSX2's 1-color-per-line sprite feature in Pawn module.

Misc.

• Add support for SRAM cartridge: Game Master 2.
• ⏳ Add support for Network cartridge (Gr8net, DenYoNet & Obsonet).
• Add support for Network cable (Konami JE-700 & JoyNet).
• Add support for MSX turbo R specific features.
  • Add support for R800 assembler (SDCC now support R800 natively).
• Compress
  • Add support for ZX0 unpacker to VRAM
  • Add support for LZ48 unpacker to RAM and VRAM [1][2]
• Improve Game module with an option to force 50 Hz main loop update on all machines.
• Add support for variable-width fonts.
• Add support for ISR in page 3 using IM2 (so page 0 is free to switch).

Build tool

• ⏳ Add native support for SDCC 4.6.0
• Check advantage of using C17, C23 or C2y.
• Check use of --const-stringlit and --nolabelopt SDCC options.
• Add an option to compile the source files in parallel.
• Add IPS generator (to create a Patch for a given binary).
• Add build option to convert 16 KB ROM-mapper to RAM segment switch and RAM loader.
• Use SDCC's -M option to generate file dependency list and allow skip old file option to check all depedecies (Make like).
• Generate RCP file.

Optimization

Optimize, optimize and optimize!

• Rewrite update function in assembler for game_pawn and scroll modules.
• Create optional fast copy/fill/read functions using unrolled outi/ini for vdp module (for supported screen mode).
• Add assembler optimization option to the Build tool (using SDCC peep-hole and/or MDL).
• Continue to set the __preserves_regs directive for all remaining assembly functions to help the compiler optimize register usage. (already done for VDP and V9990 modules)
• Add fast multiplication function ([3])

Want to contribute to MSXgl? Check this article.