How do you manipulate graphics without a graphics api?

Question

Is there a way to do basic graphics manipulation in any existing language without relying on a graphics api such as opengl or directx? What I want to do essentially is do something similar to the way classical machine languages manipulated graphics, i.e. by dumping the macros into the PPU. Basically what I'm ultimately trying to do is to create an emulator for a new computing system I'm designing, but I want it to be able to display graphics so that I can eventually build an OS on top of it. However, since I'm doing everything in this system from scratch from machine level up, I want to do this from scratch too.

Answer 1

I would recommend you first write an emulator for an existing machine, to get a feel for the territory. If you're designing at the same time as writing code and learning from various sources on the internet, you can easily run yourself in circles of confusion. I've done this.

By starting with an emulator for a real machine, you get several advantages:

• a clear, consistent design to follow, likely with many internet resources.
• an achievable sub-goal that can be done in less time than the whole project.
• a proof-of-concept, or first-draft. Because you always have to throw away the first draft (well, don't throw it away, but use it to design the second system).

There's even a challenge right now over on codegolf.se: Emulate a MOS 6502 CPU. You could then model your graphics on one of several video game systems: Nintendo, Atari, etc.