zx-special-screen-modeslisted

Deep dive on the special / advanced graphics display modes of the ZX Spectrum 128/+2/+3 and the Timex TC2048 / TS2068 — everything beyond the plain 256×192 screen with 8×8 attributes. Use this WHENEVER the user wants Timex hi-res 512×192 monochrome, Timex hi-colour 8×1 attributes (one attribute per pixel row, no vertical colour clash), the Timex second display file, the ZX Spectrum 128K shadow / second screen and double-buffering via the 0x7FFD paging port, software multicolour (raster-synced attribute changes, Bifrost* / Nirvana / Nirvana+ engines), gigascreen / flicker colour mixing, interlacing for extra vertical resolution, or ULAplus 64-colour palette enhancement — including how to enable and screenshot each in ZEsarUX. Also trigger on Polish phrasings like "tryb hi-res 512x192 timex", "tryb hi-colour 8x1", "shadow screen na 128", "drugi ekran / double buffering na spectrum", "multicolour na spectrum", "gigascreen", "ulaplus paleta". Prefer this skill for any question about non-standard or extra Spectrum
dtz-labs/zx-skills · ★ 0 · Testing & QA · score 72

Install: claude install-skill dtz-labs/zx-skills

# ZX Spectrum & Timex special / advanced screen modes This is the **deep dive** on the display modes that go beyond the standard ULA screen. For writing the BASIC around them use `zx-spectrum-basic`; for converting art into these (non-standard) layouts see `zx-graphics-assets`; for the raster-timing and interrupt code behind multicolour see `z80-assembly`; for the ready-made multicolour engines see `z88dk`; and to actually enable and capture a mode in the emulator use `zesarux-control`. ## What "standard" means (the baseline we beat) The normal Spectrum screen is **256×192 pixels** with a **non-linear bitmap at 0x4000** (0x1800 bytes) and a separate **attribute file at 0x5800** (0x300 bytes) holding **one ink+paper+bright+flash byte per 8×8 cell**. That one-attribute-per- cell rule is "colour clash". Every mode here exists to dodge a limit of that layout — more colour resolution, more pixel resolution, a second buffer, or more colours on screen. The base layout itself lives in `zx-spectrum-basic` (`references/graphics.md`); this skill assumes you know it and focuses on the extras. ## The modes at a glance | Mode | Machine | Beats | Cost | |---|---|---|---| | **128K shadow screen** (bank 7) | 128/+2/+3 | flicker (double-buffer) | uses RAM bank 7; paging care | | **Timex second display file** | TC2048 / TS2068 | flicker (page-flip via port 255) | Timex only | | **Timex hi-colour 8×1** | TC2048 / TS2068 | *vertical* colour clash | Timex only; uses 0x6000 region | | **Timex