366 replies to this topic

[Bob5453]

Thanks again Bob for the template! I saw exactly how to do it and can implement the bonus routine with ease.

Cool, if you get your table to this point, then we will add an AdvanceBonus routine. This will advance the bonus by 1 every time you hit an object that you want to advance the Bonus, like a target or a lane trigger or whatever..... This will be the number that will be multiplied by the Bonus Multipier (2X, 3X, etc.) when the ball drains. We will just put the bonus in a text box, this is the easiest way for now to display the bonus as you are building it. Then when the ball drains it will be multiplied by the bonus multiplier and then added to your total score.

I used the target1's timer, that is why there is no timer clock visible in the editor, I'm hoping you notice that when you try to implement it into your table. I really am not a very good teacher.

[Wizards_Hat]

Hi Bob,
I'm not dismissing your efforts (in fact I've not even looked at what you've offerred up), but I already have a bonus tutorial here: http://www.vpforums....u...l&f_id=3619

...might save you both a bit of time.

Regards,
Dan.

[faralos]

he offered a basic 3 target drop with advancing bonus lights per each time they dropped

[Wizards_Hat]

Erm..yeah...I meant I hadn't downloaded the table & therefore looked at the code he put up...obviously I read the post!
Nevermind.

Regards,
Dan.

[Bob5453]

Thanks Dan.

Practicedummy, try downloading Dan's demo and see if you get your table adding bonus with it....

Let us know your progress.

Faralos, these demos are for learning how to do it, 3 targets, 10 targets, it doesn't matter, the process is the same. Somehow, we need to get you to a learning how to do it point, rather than your current copy and paste point. I think you would like it better that way too.

[faralos]

with the learning problems I have, believe me, I have tried to learn it but it still does not 'come to me' as it does to you guys. i must still do cut and paste for everything except the most basic routines. thanks anyhow but I just can't. I have tried for the past year but still it looks so confusing to me. so, unfortunately I will stay with the tried and true cut and paste method as it is the only way I know.

[PainkillerAlice]

Got the bonus lights routing scripted and now ready for a little help on the bonus points tally thing.

[Bob5453]

Cool, did you completely understand what you added to the script when you were finished?

Here is the Bonus displaying in a textbox and then added to the score when the ball drains.

It's not a pretty countdown, but then if I put all of that in this table, I don't think you would be able to follow it.

I tried to put a 'XX behind the lines of script I added this time, so you can find the new code easier.

Attached Files

•  3_Targets_and_5xBonus_2.vpt   67.5KB   5 downloads

[Rockin and Rollin']

OK......played the latest update of the table. Nothing really much has changed playwise, but this table is really coming along. Like the other versions, you CAN NOT blink on this table, it will zip right by. And...that is NOT a bad thing! You need something to keep your TOTAL attention. Once rolling, the ball moves really fast.

Get the multiplier and mission box done and this is set to roll. Just wondering, are you planning any sounds when the ball goes into the underground field?

Just wish I hadn't lost my programming books in Katrina. This sure looks a LOT like stuff I took in class back in the mid 90's.

[Bob5453]

Just wish I hadn't lost my programming books in Katrina. This sure looks a LOT like stuff I took in class back in the mid 90's.

You really don't need a book. You can find Visual Basic examples all over the internet. There are also some nice turorial files for Visual Pinball and Visual Basic on the page at PN. You can also ask questions here and someone will usually help.

http://www.pinballni...a...leA&show=20

[Rockin and Rollin']

Just wish I hadn't lost my programming books in Katrina. This sure looks a LOT like stuff I took in class back in the mid 90's.

You really don't need a book. You can find Visual Basic examples all over the internet. There are also some nice turorial files for Visual Pinball and Visual Basic on the page at PN. You can also ask questions here and someone will usually help.

http://www.pinballni...a...leA&show=20

Thanks Bob. I remember those days. Was between jobs and went back to a technical school to broden my horizons, so I took programming and strangely, my introduction to computers! Back then, it was only DOS based stuff. By the time I got out, was in a classroom from 8 - 3 taking D-Base, Pascal, Basic and COBOL. Pascal was the worst for me. One comma, dash, etc. out of place, the program blew up. And my instructor was a vindictive "witch".

Edited by Rockin and Rollin', 12 November 2010 - 12:05 AM.

[PainkillerAlice]

Just wish I hadn't lost my programming books in Katrina. This sure looks a LOT like stuff I took in class back in the mid 90's.

You really don't need a book. You can find Visual Basic examples all over the internet. There are also some nice turorial files for Visual Pinball and Visual Basic on the page at PN. You can also ask questions here and someone will usually help.

http://www.pinballni...a...leA&show=20

Thanks Bob. I remember those days. Was between jobs and went back to a technical school to broden my horizons, so I took programming and strangely, my introduction to computers! Back then, it was only DOS based stuff. By the time I got out, was in a classroom from 8 - 3 taking D-Base, Pascal, Basic and COBOL. Pascal was the worst for me. One comma, dash, etc. out of place, the program blew up. And my instructor was a vindictive "witch".

That's when you bring a squirt gun to class and tell her what's what.

[faralos]

in the late 80's I took a course for COBOL. man what a pain that is, even worse than HEX imo anyways... back then we only had a screen with the printouts coming off the mainframe in the basement. ah the good old days when you had to run down three flights of stairs to see your printed out results only to find it crashed due to something stupid! COBOL sucks! who still uses it anyways? 'Common' my ass!
but vp if I can, well I can't really say I learned it, but if I can understand it enough to get by you should be able to breeze right through the manuals on it! just look at a new table see how the coding works on basic things.

[Rockin and Rollin']

in the late 80's I took a course for COBOL. man what a pain that is, even worse than HEX imo anyways... back then we only had a screen with the printouts coming off the mainframe in the basement. ah the good old days when you had to run down three flights of stairs to see your printed out results only to find it crashed due to something stupid! COBOL sucks! who still uses it anyways? 'Common' my ass!
but vp if I can, well I can't really say I learned it, but if I can understand it enough to get by you should be able to breeze right through the manuals on it! just look at a new table see how the coding works on basic things.

What I can remember......COBOL - write pages upon pages of text and when you input, maybe half a page would compute into a program. Despite that, very "forgiving" program. Pascal - ROYAL B*TCH! Like I said previously, one thing out of place - period, comma....would knock 30-40 lines out. Back then, was learning DOS 5.0 and the associated programs with it(COBOL, Pascal, D-Base and Basic). My instructor at the time was a student trying to "update" herself and the stuff we took back then is not ancient, but she took something even more primitave - FORTRAN(remember that one?)!

I remember when I first joined this community, I downloaded a table and after reading some of the posts, clicked on the script. When I did, I said...damn, I worked on this stuff before. A long time ago, but I did.

Honestly, I miss "old" computers. DOS based, Windows - yes used to be "buggy", but when you had an error, it would show you a code and you knew where to go and fix it. Sometimes I wish Mac would have had the software PC's had when I bought my first computer in 1994. Hell, the way the system looks, we're using an alternate Mac with all the point and shoot!And I felt that way when Microsoft went from Windows 3X to Win9X.

Edited by Rockin and Rollin', 12 November 2010 - 04:33 AM.

[PainkillerAlice]

Sub BonusLights() 'Turn ON Bonus Lights
If 8XBonusLight.State=1 Then End Sub 'We already have 8X bonus, so we are leaving <----<----<----<----Error code pops up and this line is in red!

Else BonusLightsAdvance
End If

End Sub


Sub BonusLightsAdvance()
BonusX=BonusX+1 ' A counter to let us know where we are in bonus
If BonusX=2 Then 2XBonusLight.State=1
If BonusX=3 Then 4XBonusLight.State=1
If BonusX=4 Then 6XBonusLight.State=1
If BonusX=5 Then 8XBonusLight.State=1

End If

End Sub

Having a problem on the bonus code, get the error "expected Then" and highlights the second line of code.

On a side note I cleaned up and organized the code better so I can implement features better.

[Bob5453]

The script I sent you didn't say "End Sub"

It said, "Exit Sub"

These are 2 different things. Look below.

If Times5.State=1 Then Exit Sub ' We already have 5X bonus, so we are leaving

[faralos]

"Honestly, I miss "old" computers. DOS based, Windows - yes used to be "buggy", but when you had an error, it would show you a code and you knew where to go and fix it"

Well if you write " Option Explicit " at the top of any script when it crashes it'll tell you exactly where and outline it in red (98% on the time) but I also remember Fortran, what it was was a course in 1980 on comp. programming. we started with Basic, touched on Binary, went straight into Hex, then from there had *in an 8 month course full time; 7am-3:30pm) Fortran for about 1 month, then went into C.O.B.O.L. For those of you who don't know it stands for COmmon Business Oriented L anguage. which is a pain to program in... Yes he is right, I recall thousands of lines for an easy ten pages of numbers to crunch (usually crunching at that time meant to re write it in an easier language for the computer mainframe you were using could understand and read quicker. it could be anything from fortran, basic, binary, or that infamous Cobol/ Our starter book on Cobol was over 600 pages long and that was just the tip of it we were informed by our instructors!
i am glad that vp is a much easier language to understand, I am just beginning to be able to write my own stuff, but it's a long process for me,. cut and paste comes much easier, but the language itself for the most part I can understand by looking at it, not like hex where I had to sit down and decipher it by hand much like an old- time Morse code wireless telegrapher! Long live progress, let's just hope we don't trip over it...

Edited by faralos, 14 November 2010 - 02:40 AM.

[PainkillerAlice]

I was a little sleepy when I did this.

I'll make the correction.

[PainkillerAlice]

Still getting the error. Went over the script and can't find anything that would cause the error, may be overlooking something. Here's the current table:Hogan's Heroes

[faralos]

ooh a free test of a wip and i love this table is it still lightning fast? man I went thru many games that lasted under 2 minutes total due to that speed it had on the older wip you had sent me.