185 replies to this topic

[Tim E. Real]

I need to join another Open-Source project like I need another hole in my head, but I have a feeling I might be getting my hands dirty on a Linux port.

A Linux port would be fan-tas-tic! VP it the only reason I still have one PC with Windows on it and it would make VP available for all kind of devices...

Hi! New member here but long-time PB fanatic. Favs were late 70s 80s Williams or Bally.
Would skip school to see new games delivered and set up.
Not to be a delinquent, but was fascinated by the technology and the game.
Loved to faithfully recreate sounds from games on home computers of the time.

I just wanted to ask, was it not mentioned that Linux's Emilia Pinball is related to VP?
If so, would that be a good common re-starting point? Or has that been shot down?

I've been unable to try VP because I run Linux. Darn, no Playboy or Black Knight or Gorgar...
Soon I'll try it, though.
When I found FP last year and got it to run, I was in sheer, complete Heaven! Utter bliss !

Have not coded for DirectX for about 8 years, but when I last left it, it was at version 7.
I had completed about 90% of a 3D drawing app I called 'DirectX explorer' that allowed you to explore
all the facets of DirectX, all the rendering state options, import models, add animation scripting and a lot more.
I learned a LOT about DirectX, 3D programming and along the way COM and writing COM
classes and stuff. The app was pretty big and broad in its scope.

I had a quick look at the VP source a while ago and I couldn't really figure out how to build it,
let alone modify it. I'll try again though.

Challenging tasks and choices ahead for you. Looking forward to possibly helping in some way.
Well, thanks for all the really amazing work I've seen. Uncle Willy that Bad Cats is insane !
Cheers. Tim.

[destruk]

The relation between visual pinball and emilia is solely related to the subject matter - they both are pinball editors. Emilia hasn't been touched since 2003.
http://pinball.sourceforge.net/

So you can still work on either of them, if you like. Or start a third one of your own.
AFAIK VP only compiles on a windows platform.

[rehab]

I think playing FS tables (top-down) scrolling like the old pinball games on pc will be a nice addition.

[Tim E. Real]

I need to join another Open-Source project like I need another hole in my head, but I have a feeling I might be getting my hands dirty on a Linux port.

A Linux port would be fan-tas-tic! VP it the only reason I still have one PC with Windows on it and it would make VP available for all kind of devices...

I've been unable to try VP because I run Linux. Darn, no Playboy or Black Knight or Gorgar...

OMG! No way! FP Black Knight AND Gorgar !
WildAmnesia if you're out there, thank you so much. Awesome.
You're not going to tell me you made them in two weeks, are you ?

Oh for the good, good times all of these games were a part of !
Tim.

[DJRobX]

I had a quick look at the VP source a while ago and I couldn't really figure out how to build it,
let alone modify it. I'll try again though.

Pretty easy to build. You just need to have the August 2007 DirectX library installed. Then you open the VBATest.net2008.sln file and build.

I would love for someone to prove me wrong, but I think the chances of porting this to linux are close to zero. It was not written to be portable and makes heavy use of Windows specific technologies. Even if you got the pinball engine and table format ported, you'd still need to do something about the Visual Basic table scripts. Then there's the matter of VPM tables depending on the VPM COM component.

You could replace these things with portable replacements - I'd love to see PinMame built directly in, a Javascript table engine, and maybe OpenGL graphics, but the result will be totally different and incompatible with what we have today. If it's not compatible - there's not much to preserve, and we'd probably be better off writing something new from scratch.

[Mitchell]

I would like to see someone get VP to where it can run two tables. Table 1 is the main table (Main screen) and table 2 is the bonus mode table (2nd screen). Not talking about on the same screen. Else have it to where tables are switching on loading without losing the players score and balls. Would be cool though.