Feature Request: the ability to copy from screen/buffer to current bitmap

[prgp]

Currently we can copy an image into the current bitmap using:

VDU 23, 27, 1, w; h; b1, b2 ... bn

Then copy from current bitmap to screen / buffer:

VDU 23, 27, 3, x; y;

The Request

It would be really useful to be able take a generated image from the screen (or from the buffered screen if in a double buffered mode) and copy into a bitmap so that it could be redrawn quickly later or easily duplicated on screen (like a tile).

For Example:

VDU 23, 27, 32, x; y; w; h;

(It would have been nice if there was a space between the bitmap and sprite operations to allow for possible expansion - I have picked 32 above as it does not clash with an existing command, but ideally it would probably be 4 with sprites operations starting at either 16 or 32 ...)

Additional Related "nice to have" Features

Also potentially useful would be:

• the ability to read a rectangle of screen pixels - the bulk equivalent to VDU 23, 0, &84, x; y;
• the ability to read a bitmap back onto ez80- a companion for VDU 23, 27, 1, w; h; b1, b2 ... bn - probably could use the same serial packet as above
• the ability to clear a single bitmap
• the ability to use flipped bitmaps in sprites