25 replies to this topic

[Steve Paradis]

So.

Everyone thought that it vanish..it was gone forever. Somehow, for a brief period of time, life grant us with unexpected gifts..and I am going to share one with you.

Remember that "so lovely" feature that everyone thought was gone from the last FP executable? it was just registry parameter right? ArcadeLight X,Y,Z...

By a fortunate turn of event I was able to make them all reappear, ready to bring back all the joy into my life

Cut the crap you say ...give us the good...so here it is
I was going trough my HDD backup and found a lot of previous FP install from the past years..Nostalgic as I am, I simply decided to click on the executable build 1.9.2008.1225.

Of course, it gave me that nasty message..."FP as expire for your own good...please download a new version". Ahhh that time when everything was less complicated...

But wait..I went through some strange reasoning, and remembered that sometime, the registry instantiate when a program start...validating all the precious parameter before even you can see the splash screen or in that case the warning message.

I then typed "regedit", excited like a virgin shopping for her prom night dress. To my absolute dismay...Here they were in all of their former glory LIGHT PARAMETER XYZ

No hack, no patch, no nasty trick from an obscure website...just a plain beam of light


So here it goes...

even if it says that it is expired, put the exe 1.9.2008.1225 build in the same folder as your regular executable. launch it one single time then close the warning message...now go in the registry and have fun moving your lights.

Simply use the regular exe to launch your table as usual.
I don't see anything in the EULA about the inability of sharing past archives of outdated version of FP so I am pretty sure that the process is legit.


Now that's what I call a nice view, look how the Apron is proportional to the rest of the table. all the lights are round too. Everything is well lit to my taste too!

[open6l]

hi Steve,

unfortunately this has been discussed / debated many many times... There are other aspects of the newest build that were removed. Let me show you a comparison done within 30 secs of each other (launching the old one first followed by the new one). The older one has much better blacks even with the same registry entries.

Old.exe one on the left - new.exe one on the right

So.

Everyone thought that it vanish..it was gone forever. Somehow, for a brief period of time, life grant us with unexpected gifts..and I am going to share one with you.

Remember that "so lovely" feature that everyone thought was gone from the last FP executable? it was just registry parameter right? ArcadeLight X,Y,Z...

By a fortunate turn of event I was able to make them all reappear, ready to bring back all the joy into my life

Cut the crap you say ...give us the good...so here it is
I was going trough my HDD backup and found a lot of previous FP install from the past years..Nostalgic as I am, I simply decided to click on the executable build 1.9.2008.1225.

Of course, it gave me that nasty message..."FP as expire for your own good...please download a new version". Ahhh that time when everything was less complicated...

But wait..I went through some strange reasoning, and remembered that sometime, the registry instantiate when a program start...validating all the precious parameter before even you can see the splash screen or in that case the warning message.

I then typed "regedit", excited like a virgin shopping for her prom night dress. To my absolute dismay...Here they were in all of their former glory LIGHT PARAMETER XYZ

No hack, no patch, no nasty trick from an obscure website...just a plain beam of light


So here it goes...

even if it says that it is expired, put the exe 1.9.2008.1225 build in the same folder as your regular executable. launch it one single time then close the warning message...now go in the registry and have fun moving your lights.

Simply use the regular exe to launch your table as usual.
I don't see anything in the EULA about the inability of sharing past archives of outdated version of FP so I am pretty sure that the process is legit.


Now that's what I call a nice view, look how the Apron is proportional to the rest of the table. all the lights are round too. Everything is well lit to my taste too!

new one

Edited by open6l, 25 August 2012 - 07:45 PM.

[Steve Paradis]

What you did is a printscreen of the old one
AND a printscreen of the new one

RIght?

I repeat : I use only the NEW one but strangely, the Parameter are all there.
Since the old one is in the same folder as the new one, I have all of the ability of the old one without It's weaknesses.
I am playing with the New one, legally, but I can change the lighting XYX position like we use to do with the old one...

I can easily make it pitch black by putting all the light to 0,0,0 so I guess I don't understand what you say
the effect you show me is just because your z light is not place properly BTW.

or Would you care to explain?

What new feature am I missing ?
-It doesn't expire, since I use only the Legit NEW version of FP
-I have arcade render
-I can play with the XYZ camera in the registry
-I can play with the XYZ target in the registry
-I can play with the XYZ light in the registry (my darks appear what I want them to look like)
-It plays all the new table

I am either very confused or I have lived under a rock for the last 2 years, while new features were implemented in FP.

Edited by Steve Paradis, 25 August 2012 - 09:37 PM.

[Steve Paradis]

Here is a test. Same Table. NEW exe only
Z light position was change to 800







Before that ..the Flare on the PF looked like YOUR new one.
Z light position was back to 0

Edited by Steve Paradis, 25 August 2012 - 09:52 PM.

[JonBaker]

Steve's right. The registry is only written when FP is first installed and launched. Simply using a new .exe to start the game will use the existing registry information, so the settings will be there for the tweaking. Most interesting.

[Steve Paradis]

Steve's right. The registry is only written when FP is first installed and launched. Simply using a new .exe to start the game will use the existing registry information, so the settings will be there for the tweaking. Most interesting.

Thank god! I am not totally crazy!

[open6l]

But this is weird... both on my cab AND my test machine it doesn't maintain the settings. If I launch the new exe with the old settings in place beforehand it creates that faded black look. If I relaunch the old exe its black again (without changing anything in the registry).

Bottom line - I can launch the old and new and old and new (without changing anything in the registry) and the lighting is different between the old and new exe.

Edit: Looking in the registry it never resets to 0 - it always stays at my setting (600) yet the new exe creates the faded look while the old exe creates the proper blacks.

Edited by open6l, 26 August 2012 - 12:55 AM.

[maceman]

"... put the exe 1.9.2008.1225 build in the same folder as your regular executable..."

...can someone let me know where to get this older build? or pm it to me please. I would like to try what Steve has found on my cab!! This would be awesome for me since i have complained of the lighted apron in FP so many times.

cheers,
Maceman

[Steve Paradis]

Open6L..

I think the problem is that you don't do MY steps.
I NEVER open the old since I don't use an hack or change the date or whatever, which is clearly your case.

Steps I did :

- I put the old exe in the /Games/Future Pinball folder
- Clicked on it to launch it
- the old FP exe tried to launch but failed of course because it is expired.
- I then go to the registry to do my stuff and never touch again the old FP exe.
- launch any table in arcade mode..no more flare because my zlight is at +800

That's all

Also I am on winxp sp3, if it can help

[open6l]

hmm still no go... I launched an old untouched EXE with the expiration message. I closed that - went into the registry and saw that my LightZ was reset to 0 so I changed it to 800. I launched the new EXE but still get faded aprons. I will keep at it.

Note: my cab is XP-SP3 and my test machine is Win7

Open6L..

I think the problem is that you don't do MY steps.
I NEVER open the old since I don't use an hack or change the date or whatever, which is clearly your case.

Steps I did :

- I put the old exe in the /Games/Future Pinball folder
- Clicked on it to launch it
- the old FP exe tried to launch but failed of course because it is expired.
- I then go to the registry to do my stuff and never touch again the old FP exe.
- launch any table in arcade mode..no more flare because my zlight is at +800

That's all

Also I am on winxp sp3, if it can help

Edited by open6l, 26 August 2012 - 02:12 AM.

[open6l]

Update1:

hmm ok - interesting... I deleted my GAMEPLAYER settings - reran the old exe to recreate all the entries. I then set my LightZ to 800 and launched the new exe and guess what? It kept the proper blacks this time. Something in the old reg was preventing it from working. Going to run some more tests but if this works then great... Awesome find Steve

Update 2:

ok - the minute I change the default setting of CameraZ from 650 to 266 (for a better angle) the blacks all go faded (even with the LightZ set to 800) - and this is where the problem lies with the new exe.

Edited by open6l, 26 August 2012 - 02:45 AM.

[Rawd]

Very cool!

[open6l]

I can go as low as 400 on the ArcadeCameraZ before it starts fading... The angle is still off (from the 266 that I normally run for my cabinet). If I change it back to 650 the blacks are fine. Anything below 400 and it starts to fade. It's back to the older .exe for me

[Steve Paradis]

I can go as low as 400 on the ArcadeCameraZ before it starts fading... The angle is still off (from the 266 that I normally run for my cabinet). If I change it back to 650 the blacks are fine. Anything below 400 and it starts to fade. It's back to the older .exe for me

then move the light furter more...oh by the way...my Ylight is also at 1000 instead of 1500...big difference

[Steve Paradis]

I tested it with win7 and it work also, but Yes you have to delete the previous Gameplay registry

[CPSNine]

I tested it with win7 and it work also, but Yes you have to delete the previous Gameplay registry

Does not work for me, ran the old exe got the expired message but no additional registry key added.
Deleted the GamePlayer folder tried again did not add the GamePlayer folder back in the registry.
running as administrator on Windows 7.

@maceman Google is your friend to find fp build 1.9.2008.1225.

Edit: tried to add manually the regestrey keys
ArcadeLightX
ArcadeLightY
ArcadeLightZ
ArcadeTargetX
ArcadeTargetY
ArcadeTargetZ

But no effect on arcaderender...

Edit2: seems to work with physics 2.4 version though. But not with the official exe.

Edited by CPSNine, 26 August 2012 - 07:06 PM.

[Steve Paradis]

I tested it with win7 and it work also, but Yes you have to delete the previous Gameplay registry

Does not work for me, ran the old exe got the expired message but no additional registry key added.
Deleted the GamePlayer folder tried again did not add the GamePlayer folder back in the registry.
running as administrator on Windows 7.

@maceman Google is your friend to find fp build 1.9.2008.1225.

Edit: tried to add manually the regestrey keys
ArcadeLightX
ArcadeLightY
ArcadeLightZ
ArcadeTargetX
ArcadeTargetY
ArcadeTargetZ

But no effect on arcaderender...

Did you reboot? I also run as compatibility with XP sp3
But on Win 7, the changes did not happen until I rebooted.

It is simply not possible that I am the only human with that new found blessing..you guys must do something I don't know.
There is surely a tiny information missing. Feel free to ask .

Edited by Steve Paradis, 26 August 2012 - 07:10 PM.

[slykittycat]

Still watching this thread for definitive answer to steps needed to make this work
for everyone.
running xp pro SP3 32 bit here

Edited by slykittycat, 28 August 2012 - 12:08 AM.

[Steve Paradis]

Still watching this thread for definitive answer to steps needed to make this work
for everyone.
running xp pro SP3 32 bit here

It's no rocket science... like i said first post :
-even if it says that it is expired, put the exe 1.9.2008.1225 build in the same folder as your regular executable.
-Make sure your PC clock date is today date
-launch it one single time then close the warning message...now go in the registry and have fun moving your lights.
-Now use the regular exe to launch your table as usual (make sure it is the right one).

[unclewilly]

Hey steve.
Would you mind sharing your settings for each registry entry for these.
I like the look of your table ss and it would give me a nice stadting point.
Im finally setting up my cabinet and this would save me a lot of time