73 replies to this topic

[Tesla]

Tables are working, but not as 3-screen cabinet or proper view. This is on Windows-10 .

 

Looks like the installer placed the five B2S*.* files in C:\Visual Pinball\ instead of in C:\Visual Pinball\Tables\ 

 

In \Tables I did find the test-tables, the default ScreenRes.txt, and the ReadMe.txt .

 

Do I just move all five B2S*.* files into \Tables and then run double-click B2SBackglassServer.dll to "register" it?

[wiesshund]

B2S technically does not care where it lives at.

 

please provide more information on what is not working

[Tesla]

 

please provide more information on what is not working

 

The Last Action Hero table is displaying portrait-like (but it's like the wrong view) ... toward the middle of my cabinet's main PlayField screen #1 (portrait of course) . The DMD is displaying in the upper left corner and the BackGlass image is small in the upper right corner. Nothing on actual LCD screens 2-BackGlass or 3-DMD.

 

It's barely playable. It's like it doesn't know it's a 3-screen cabinet.

Edited by Tesla, 16 February 2023 - 02:15 AM.

[Tesla]

B2S technically does not care where it lives at.

 

 

 

OK, thanks. However, ReadMe.txt (and other sources) say it should be in \Tables . So, I did this:

 

I moved the three B2SBackglass*.* files

and B2SServerPluginInterface.dll file

and B2S_SetUp.exe file

to \Tables\

 

I checked the B2SBackglassServer.dll file and it was already Un-Blocked.

 

I'm on Windows-10, so I just tried to just click/run B2SBackglassServerRegisterApp.exe but it said it could not add the Active-X Control unless I ran as Admin. So, I did that. I ran it again and it said B2SBackglassServer.dll was successfully registered.

 

I've programmed ScreenRes.txt the best way I know how (used same resolutions and coordinates that I use in programs like TPA and FX3).

 

If all the above looks good ... maybe you could show me your ScreenRes.txt or point me to a 3-screen cabinet one? Or, it there a tutorial on changing a basic-install into a 3-screen cabinet one ?

Edited by Tesla, 16 February 2023 - 02:13 AM.

[Tesla]

B2S technically does not care where it lives at.

 

 

Yeah, I saw what it said in the B2S Backglass Server v1.4.1 readme about that.

 

This is what I tried, but none of this helped either .

 

- I downloaded and installed B2S v1.4.1 into a C:\Visual Pinball\B2S\ folder.

- I deleted all the old B2S files from \Tables.

 

- In \B2S folder, I did the DLL registration process (and it said it was ready to go)

- I then edited my screenres.txt file.

 

No change with Last Action Hero table. I also downloaded and installed Apollo-13 VPX table just in case it was a table-issue ... same "not right" look there also. I can see too much of the floor and the room with nothing on BackGlass or DMD monitors.

 

I tried changing some obvious numbers and next run of VPX/Tables reveals no visual changes. It's like it's not even looking at screenres.txt file. 

Or maybe the B2S-Server isn't really running? Since I'm new to VPX, maybe there is some secret settings menu ... that helps with changing cabinet monitor stuff or can change to various table Views?

 

Also, not sure if I'm suppose to have a B2STableSettings.XML file, but if I am ... it never gets created.

[Thalamus]

I recommend. Get an older installer. Manually updating vpx and db2s.

[Tesla]

I recommend. Get an older installer. Manually updating vpx and db2s.

 

Like v10.7.0 ?

 

So, how do you know is B2S-Server is actually installed properly and working/running? Is it just that you can get the B2S Settings screen to pop-up. Yeah, I've never seen that screen on my machine yet.

Edited by Tesla, 16 February 2023 - 06:14 AM.

[allknowing2012]

If you have moved things around that may cause you some grief .. there is a b2sbackglassserverregisterapp.exe that needs to run and it will verify if it is working.

There is also b2s_debug.exe and b2s_setup.exe to both use

[digitalarts]

Open (not start) your LAH table in VPX, click on backglass icon, on right side set XY Rotation 270.
This solves first problem... Then be sure you installed B2S server correctly...

[Tesla]

1. . there is a b2sbackglassserverregisterapp.exe that needs to run and it will verify if it is working.

 

2. There is also b2s_debug.exe and b2s_setup.exe to both use

 

1. Yes, that initial part early-on seems to work.

 

2. Looks like you can only get B2S_Debug at VPUniverse. I'll look into getting an account there.

 

Yeah, B2S_Setup.exe is not included in the B2S stand-alone installer, but it is included in the full-install of VPX v10.7.2 . However, whenever I run it, it just crashes and erases/replaces my screenres.txt with a default one.

Open (not start) your LAH table in VPX, click on backglass icon, on right side set XY Rotation 270.
This solves first problem... 

 

I'll try it, thanks.

 

Yeah, I was wondering if VPX was cool with me running Windows and VPX itself from a portrait primary monitor.

[Tesla]

Open (not start) your LAH table in VPX, click on backglass icon, on right side set XY Rotation 270.
This solves first problem... 

 

So, you seem to maybe know/have this table?

 

https://www.vpforums...&showfile=12378

 

Actually, that table's thumbnail there ... that's pretty-much how it looks on my cabinet's main (portrait) PlayField screen (and nothing on BackGlass or DMD monitors). Also, shows a lot of the front of the virtual-machine (like where you stand). 

Edited by Tesla, 17 February 2023 - 02:52 AM.

[Tiki]

 

B2S technically does not care where it lives at.

 

 
- In \B2S folder, I did the DLL registration process (and it said it was ready to go)

 

 
If you had the server in your tables folder and want to move it to a folder you should check for your old dll and deregister it with regdllview.
I guess you have two registered dll´s now. I had to deregister the old one before registering the server in its own folder.
https://www.nirsoft....d_dll_view.html
Open the programm scroll down a lot to find the dll or use find "b2s" and check for one or two dlls and the path of them. If you find only one dll at the right place (where your server is been installed). -> everthing ok.


 
I made a little video:

How to de-register a Backglass-DLL

https://youtu.be/QZ8VG_1IJZw

Edited by Tiki, 17 February 2023 - 12:13 PM.

[Tesla]

 
If you had the server in your tables folder and want to move it to a folder you should check for your old dll and deregister it with regdllview.
I guess you have two registered dll´s now. I had to deregister the old one before registering the server in its own folder.
https://www.nirsoft....d_dll_view.html
Open the programm scroll down a lot to find the dll and check for one or two dlls and the path of them.

 

 

Good thinking.

 

So this is on Windows-10 Pro 64-bit, but I think Visual Pinball is just 32-bit/x86.

 

Do I use RegDLLview 32bit or the 64bit one?

[Tiki]

32 Bit programms do run on 64Bit Systems. Its normal. :-) No Parts of my visual pinball are 64bit
As I have a 64 bit System I use the 64 bit version which shows all registered dll´s.
If you find two registered dlls, you will see on which path they are and you will be able to deregister the "wrong" one. But: Be careful what you do.
You can mark the dll and directly deregister it, or write a reg file (F9), which you can open with a text editor to control what it will do before you use It to deregister.
I used it once to do it. It worked. So I moved my Backglass Server to its own folder. All I had to do was to register the dll at the new path after using regDLLView.
 

Edited by Tiki, 17 February 2023 - 01:03 AM.

[Tesla]

32 Bit programms do run on 64Bit Systems. Its normal. :-) No Parts of my visual pinball are 64bit
As I have a 64 bit System I use the 64 bit version which shows all registered dll´s.
If you find two registered dlls, you will see on which path they are and you will be able to deregister the "wrong" one. But: Be careful what you do.
You can mark the dll and directly deregister it, or write a reg file (F9), which you can open with a text editor to control what it will do before you use It to deregister.
I used it once to do it. It worked. So I moved my Backglass Server to its own folder. All I had to do was to register the dll at the new path after using regDLLView.
 

 

It looked fine (there was only one entry shown for it after all), but I went ahead and Deleted the existing entries, (which un-Registers it). Also, double-checked it was gone.

Re-register it with the EXE from the Visual Pinball folder (as Admin), and even double-checked it was there properly with RegDLLview again. It looks pretty-much like yours, except I think there is only suppose to be 28 System Entries. Also, mine is v1.4.1, while yours appears to be v2.0.0

 

No change on problem really.

 

The problem seems to be that I don't know how to invoke it for the first time. I think that is when it starts actually looking at the screenres.txt file.

 

Really appreciate your help.

Edited by Tesla, 17 February 2023 - 02:24 AM.

[Tesla]

Ok, I'm making some progress. It's not 100% but I finally got something to barely appear on Backglass Monitor #2, and got the B2S Options to appear for the first time. 

 

Remember, I'm basically a newbie ... I haven't installed or ran Visual-Pinball since around 2014.

 

I think my main problems were: 

1. screenres.txt thinks my BackGlass Monitor is #1, when it is clearly #2 in Windows.

2. You have to temporarily turn off "Force Exclusive FullScreen Mode" ... so you can move the mouse onto BackGlass screen to bring up the B2S options screen.

 

Now, I plan to work on:

a. my BackGlass coordinates

b. How to get more of a real "cabinet view" of main Playfield.

 

Thanks guys.

Edited by Tesla, 17 February 2023 - 03:20 AM.

[Tesla]

If it's OK with you guys, I will continue using this thread to get these 2 VPX tables setup properly (Last Action Hero and Apollo-13).

 

So, am I suppose to be able to drag the actual animated vPinMame DMD onto it's proper screen-and-location, or is it suppose to be reading screenres.txt or a setting somewhere and place it for me?

Edited by Tesla, 17 February 2023 - 05:34 AM.

[Tesla]

Open (not start) your LAH table in VPX, click on backglass icon, on right side set XY Rotation 270.
This solves first problem... 

 

OK, I now finally see what you were trying to tell me there.

 

So, in Prefs/Video, I discovered (for Cabinets) we are supposed to have "Always use FS (FullScreen) Backdrop Settings" Enabled. That removed the BackDrop (the floor, the room, etc.) Perfect, thanks.

 

Yes, both tables were already set at XY-Rotation = 270. Thing is, since my Primary Windows-10 monitor is set to Portrait, I need 0 there. OK, looking much better now.

 

However, it seems some of those other Camera settings there are making it too narrow, and "over-scanned" off the monitor at the top and bottom. Is this indeed where we fix that, and are there some common fixes here to make the Playfield look more normal on a cabinet?

Edited by Tesla, 17 February 2023 - 06:08 AM.

[wiesshund]

 

 

 

However, it seems some of those other Camera settings there are making it too narrow, and "over-scanned" off the monitor at the top and bottom. Is this indeed where we fix that, and are there some common fixes here to make the Playfield look more normal on a cabinet?

 

 

Personal recommendation 
in the editor in the backglass view

with test desktop UNCHECKED
and FS view selected (you are using a cab yes?)
set X Y and Z scale to 1 (in fact NEVER EVER change Z Scale from 1)

now hit F6 to open table in interactive camera mode
control keys change funtion
shift keys change values

 

1st, control key to X and Y offsets (OFFSET not SCALE)

use these to center the table
Use Z OFFSET to zoom in or out of table

layback for cab mode, in general try using around 60

FOV around 17
now, give just enough inclination so that table has 3D depth and doesnt look absolutely flat.

recenter the X and Y offset as needed
readjust Z offset as needed

RESIST the urge to go grabbing X or Y scale to artificially stretch a table to the screen
at an X and Y scale of 1, the table will be exactly as it was designed.
When adjusting Z offset if the table hits the sides of the screen in one dimension, that is simply as big as the table goes without distorting it out of scale.

 

I know some people will tell you to do different, but i think you will be happier if you at least start out this way.
Stretching on X or Y scale does exactly that, and in turn stretches all the graphics
circles become ovals, balls become eggs etc.

And just FYI, stretching on the Z scale physically rips the table apart or crushes it flat, and it is a physical change, not just visual, hence NEVR EVER do it.
 

[Tesla]

So, everything is looking pretty good on my two initial tables ... Last Action Hero and Apollo-13. Main problem now is vPinMame's display of DMD on my cabinet's small-LCD 3rd monitor.

 

In Last Action Hero the DMD is missing or hidden somewhere. Is there a proven-way to make it re-appear so I can drag it into position?

 

In Apollo-13, I was able to drag DMD to DMD-monitor, but it is very small. If I mouse-button click it, an options-menu appears, but I didn't see anything relevant (other than "scale" which made it disappear temporarily). It doesn't help that the menu ends-up being very small and hard to read.

 

So, do we change/fine-tune all this vPinMame/DMD stuff from VPX, or do I need find the real vPinMame Control-Panel and change/define proper setting there?

Edited by Tesla, 17 February 2023 - 05:47 PM.