236 replies to this topic

[DDH69]

TerryRed - Found the bug, it was a maths / string length issue, so not port, RGB or DOF related.  Its purely a fault when reading the DOFFX2.INI to get the parameters.  I've got to clean some other bits before I can compile a version to check for sure.  I'll get something to you soon.

[freezy]

Hi DDH69,

 

Any plans to open source this? Maybe you'd even get some pull requests

[TerryRed]

I'm testing a newer version right now that got rid of the previous bugs.

 

With this newer version, I've found that:

 

You can easily control your flipper solenoids and  activate ANY Led-Wiz output (and I assume sainsmart, mine is non usb) for ANY program via keyboard keys!  

 

Yes, that means we can now finally have feedback for our flippers via software for PFX2, TPA, Future Pinball tables with no LED-Wiz support, zaccaria pinball, or anything else.

 

Future Pinball tables that have Led-Wiz support run along side this program. They just "take turns", but get along fine.

 

Pinball X with DOF plug-in enabled runs fine with this running. Pinball X gets DOF first, then releases it once a table is launched and allows DOFFX2 to take over.

 

This is with the program running in FORCE_ACTIVE=1, which basically has the program active all the time. (for programs other than PFX2)

 

You can just have it "Launch Before" each of your pinball / game systems, and have it close when returning to Pinball X if you want.

 

 

 

I use this with Pinnacle Game Profiler to map my gamepad controls to the keyboard keys I configured in DOFFX2. So far, so good....

 

It is little tricky with TPA for me, because Pinnacle Game Profiler need to set XINPUT overrides for each button / control that you are using. PFX2 was easier.   I try to setup my gamepad controls like normal in PFX2 and TPA, and have DOFFX2 keys set to something different than the keyboard commands that PFX2 and TPA uses. That way when Pinnacle Game Profiler maps my buttons to those keys I configured in DOFFX2, they won't interfere or double click,etc...  they will ONLY fire the solenoids, LEDS, or other Led-Wiz toys.  My gamepad will still control the game directly.

 

 

I'll try to get some kind of video up soon.

Edited by TerryRed, 31 July 2016 - 10:07 PM.

[DDH69]

Hi DDH69,

 

Any plans to open source this? Maybe you'd even get some pull requests

 

Thanks for the suggestion, happy to look at any options going forward.  Currently just seeking to get all the basics running.

[TerryRed]

OK...so here are videos that demo both Pinball FX2 and The Pinball Arcade running with DOFFX2 (1.3 beta).

 

I have the program set to be always on and active the whole time, and you can see it doesn't interfere with Pinball X running the DOF plug-in.

 

I have the flipper buttons triggering my solenoids.

 

I have the center RGB led strip "flasher" set to random flipper triggered RGB lighting.

 

I have the flippers set to turn on a left flasher as green, and a right flasher as blue.

 

I have the beacon, blower fan, and strobes set to go off during certain moments.... including an appearance from Scotty of Star trek!  

 

It's a simple demo of the kind of thing that can be done so far...

 

 

Here's a video demo of Pinball FX2:

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a video demo of The Pinball Arcade:

 

 

 

 

Great job so far!

[DDH69]

TerryRed you're a STAR    The videos look great.  You should grab this new version too.

 

Version 1.3 is now linked in the first post of the thread.

 

A few new things:

- Ability to set a key to trigger any given colour on your RGB output (Thanks TerryRed for the idea).  I've used this to turn my cabinet lighting red when I hit the nudge keys within FX2

- Select a subset of colours for any FX2 game.  I like this because I can keep something like Plants Vs Zombies in the yellow / green range.

- Fixed some bugs

- Allowed for more keys to be setup (ie 20 sets for KEY_TO_OUTPUT)

[TerryRed]

Oh man....... and I thought I was going to get to sleep at a normal time tonight!  

 

Awesome stuff! Getting 1.3....now!

[GInsonic]

Great work DDH69   !

 

Do you see any chance to support PacLed64 boards in a future version (API is available at Ultimarc) ?

[DDH69]

Great work DDH69   !

 

Do you see any chance to support PacLed64 boards in a future version (API is available at Ultimarc) ?

 

About a week ago I didn't see SainSmart support, but thanks to doogie2301's testing, its done.  So I'm quite happy to add PacLed64 via DOF (not directly as this tool works with the excellent DOF).  All I need is a willing volunteer to put up with some pain and test (as I don't have a PacLed64 to work on myself).  This may take anything from 1 to 87 test iterations, so prompt turn-around and patience is a must .... are you a volunteer?  I've looked at the DOF R3 PacLed64 and it seems quite straight forward, but then they are famous last words until reality is discovered!

[GInsonic]

 

Great work DDH69   !

 

Do you see any chance to support PacLed64 boards in a future version (API is available at Ultimarc) ?

 

About a week ago I didn't see SainSmart support, but thanks to doogie2301's testing, its done.  So I'm quite happy to add PacLed64 via DOF (not directly as this tool works with the excellent DOF).  All I need is a willing volunteer to put up with some pain and test (as I don't have a PacLed64 to work on myself).  This may take anything from 1 to 87 test iterations, so prompt turn-around and patience is a must .... are you a volunteer?  I've looked at the DOF R3 PacLed64 and it seems quite straight forward, but then they are famous last words until reality is discovered!

 

 

Volunteer found, I will do my very best  

Currently DOF R3 works great with my two PacLed64 devices.

 

My current cabinet (V2) is not finished yet, but I will speed things up now !

Edited by GInsonic, 01 August 2016 - 08:11 AM.

[DDH69]

 

Volunteer found, I will do my very best  

Currently DOF R3 works great with my two PacLed64 devices.

 

My current cabinet (V2) is not finished yet, but I will speed things up now !

 

 

Excellent!  And two devices, even better.

 

I'll PM you with some stuff in a couple of days.

[senseless]

Wauw, this is really amazing, thanks DDH69 for this great piece of software. This really is a game changer for me and will get me interested to play Pinball Arcade on the pincab in stead of the pS4. I'm really impressed!

[randr]

Thought I would report back my results.....







It works great! Super work to get this working. Thank you


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TerryRed]

Thought I would report back my results.....







It works great! Super work to get this working. Thank you


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

Now you just have to get the blower fan to go off in people's faces everytime they launch a ball!  

 

In all seriousness....its the kind of thing that kids would like, and goes great with the more silly themed tables of PFX2.

 

 

 

 

I currently have my RGB flashers (in my speaker holes and back cabinet lighting) set to randomly change colour on their own every 5 secs without being triggered (RGB OUTPUTS).

 

I also have my flippers (KEY TO OUTPUT) set to to trigger just the red channel of the left flashers and blue on the right flashers.

 

As a result, each time I hit a flipper button it mixes the red / blue colour (KEY TO OUTPUT) with whatever colour is showing at that time in all the RGB OUTPUTS flashers.  Makes for a nice colour show that flashes changing colour with the flipper action.

 

Also nice having the RGB colour themes change for each PFX2 table.

 

I also used DDH69's idea of making all the RGB lighting change to RED whenever a nudge happens. (KEY TO COLOUR) When using KEY TO COLOUR, the colour will stay on screen until it is changed by a RGB OUTPUT. Since mine automatically change, the RED nudge works perfect!

 

I only have digital nudge, but for those who have analogue nudge setup for PFX2 and TPA, you could get creative using mapping software to do animation sequences that match how hard you nudge.  Push a little to the left, and only two lights go off from right to left. Push left real hard and all the lights go off from right to left. Just some crazy ideas...

Edited by TerryRed, 02 August 2016 - 12:35 AM.

[TerryRed]

Important!

 

One thing I have noticed...

 

If you are running DOFFX2 in the FORCE ACTIVE=1 mode (currently required for anything that is not PFX2), don't have DOFFX2 always running in the background for anything that uses Led-Wiz (maybe sainsmart too) via DOF. This includes Pinball X, Future Pinball (tables with Led-Wiz support), and Visual Pinball.

 

The reason is, that this program will "take turns" with other programs that need Led-Wiz through DOF.  If you are running Pinball X or Visual Pinball, they take control of Led-Wiz "MOST" of the time when using DOF. However if at any point they are idle and not accessing Led-Wiz....then DOFFX2 will jump in there and take over until something happens in Pinball X or Visual Pinball that makes it use DOF / Led-Wiz again.  (either a RGB flasher lighting up, or you pushing a button, etc).

 

I didn't notice it at first because my addressable LEDs in Visual Pinball use a Teensy, so it wasn't affected at all.

 

 

It would be a good idea to have DOFFX2 open before running TPA and PFX2, and close when you return to Pinball X.  At least for now if you use FORCE ACTIVE=1

 

 

If you just use it for PFX2 and have it auto-detect and turn on, then this shouldn't affect you.

Edited by TerryRed, 02 August 2016 - 02:52 AM.

[DDH69]

TerryRed .. you are a menace!  Of the best and most helpful kind    Thanks for the PMs with those new ideas.  I will be working through some of them soon.  (Yes I'm programming again in between playing pinball and watching NASCAR .... I really must find a new job soon)  Currently I'm working on the PacLed64 stuff.

 

Anyway, what you say above is true.  DOFFX2 is not designed to be "active" while other software is trying to use DOF.  In essence, one at a time in an orderly fashion or things will get overly complicated.  Using the FORCE_ACTIVE=1 (true) flag to keep DOFFX2 intercepting keys and driving outputs should only be used if you start DOFFX2 as a "run before" program, then kill it after you exit.  So, for example, from your menuing system (PinballX, etc), start DOFFX2 with FORCE_ACTIVE=1 for TPA, then kill the process when TPA returns back to PinballX.

 

As floating some ideas between myself and TerryRed, I will be adding the ability to monitor for processes other than "Pinball FX2" shortly (actually its already there, I've just got to test it ... today I hope).  The idea is, no PROCESSES= line it will default to "Pinball FX2", or you can add a PROCESES=Pinball FX2,TPA,XYZ,ETC up to 10 processes as they appear in Task Manager.  This will ensure that DOFFX2 can be used with more than Pinball FX2 for those who want, but only "wake up" when the nominated processes are running.  Stay tuned ... it will be here in a couple of days (if TerryRed tests it of course  ).

[TerryRed]

Of course I will test it!  This program is awesome and has been running great! I think I've played PFX2 more now than I ever have total!

 

Having PACLED support would be great for people who don't have an LED-Wiz in their cabinet. This would allow them to have some DOF ability (flippers, lights)  in Future Pinball (which only supports LED-Wiz) as well as TPA , PFX2, and others. 

 

 

With the support of PAC-LED, it makes me think that having more than 20 of KEY TO OUTPUT, KEY TO COLOUR, etc might be good. Having one key per output would be ideal....  up to 64 with the PAC LED being introduced. It sounds silly, but believe me, you can use that many easily.   Like if you are using "one keyboard key" to KEY TO COLOUR all 5 of my RGB OUTPUTS to a RED colour (my nudge does this), and then do the same for another keyboard key with GREEN. That's 10 used up there with only two keys on the keyboard being used. Having ALOT of these "KEY TO...." would be awesome and allow for alot of different colour effect possibilities!

 

 

I hope I don't come across as impatient.... I just get excited with new stuff like this.

[DDH69]

Ha ha    Just my Aussie sense of humour.  You come across as enthusiastic, not impatient - I love it.  From my time in your lovely land I found the Canadian sense of humour similar to the Aussie one for the most part.

 

OK, just changed both KEY_TO_COLOUR and KEY_TO_OUTPUT to 50.

 

Anyway, back to testing ..........

[TerryRed]

That's good to hear.

 

I'm an electronics tech in the military, so I get exposure to alot of people from all over the world in military exercises.  I see lots of different types of humor, but yah...on a forum it can be hard to tell sometimes. I have the same issue with people online sometimes not getting my sense of humor.

[DDH69]

Release 1,4 beta now testing .......