100 replies to this topic

[wiesshund]

 I think that all seems way over my pay grade. 

 

 

No such thing

[Gravy]

I'm thinking that maybe try creating some saucers to go under the cups, and that can become the top of the pop bumper rather than the standard top. A bit like how the cooling towers in Simpsons pinball party replace the top of the bumper completely.

[Fusionwerks]

ok, so heres todays challenge:

i want to recreate this kind of effect

 

 

1. hit a target

2. turn on flasher visibility

3. make flasher move (animate) from original x,y to a new x,y and grow in size like the example above

4. make flasher fade out to off

 

i know all the basic first steps, but i dont know the method for the other steps with a flasher. ie. moving, fading out

maybe somebody knows where a good example table i can look at the code?

Edited by Fusionwerks, 20 September 2023 - 03:53 PM.

[wiesshund]

flasher fade out

simple way

turn on an unseen lamp (link flasher to lamp) i am assuming you are creating in 10.8?

 

If not, you can fade a flasher by decreasing its opacticy

flanername.opacity = ## i think it is

 

in 10,8 you can tier to a lamp and just turn on the lamp for a given duration
and set the lamps fade duration, and the flasher will follow

 

flasher moving?

from memory, i think its flasher.tranzX Y or Z to slide it around without rotating

Not sure you can change size

but you could stack a few sizes together and flip them visible = 0/1

[kiwi]

flasher moving?

flasher.X Y or Z
 

[wiesshund]

 

flasher moving?

flasher.X Y or Z
 

 

that short?

dont have to do the flashername.transX(y, Z)

 

cool that saves typing

[Fusionwerks]

flasher fade out

simple way

turn on an unseen lamp (link flasher to lamp) i am assuming you are creating in 10.8?

 

in 10,8 you can tier to a lamp and just turn on the lamp for a given duration
and set the lamps fade duration, and the flasher will follow

 

 

yes im in 10.8

i did not know how to do the light linking till now. This will work a treat. I got it coming on when the target is hit and fades in and out, now onto moving it. I feel like thats going to be the hard part.

 

 

flasher moving?

flasher.X Y or Z
 

 

that short?

dont have to do the flashername.transX(y, Z)

 

cool that saves typing

 

yes, its a bit vague for a newb like me, but a little hacking and maybe ill figure out the correct parameters.

[Fusionwerks]

ok i seem to be really close. I just dont know how to reset the flasher (SmokeA1) back to its original start point (x551, y15).

im moving it by using a timer set to 10ms, and stepping the X/Y like this:

SmokeA1.y = SmokeA1.y + 3

SmokeA1.x = SmokeA1.x - 1

One iteration makes it move in a downward left trajectory toward the flippers. However, the next time the sub runs the flasher starts again from the last position it stopped when the timer did.

I have tried to reset these coordinates in a "reset" sub by doing this:

SmokeA1.X = 551

SmokeA1.y = 15

But it just offsets the next iteration by that number. What is the proper way to tell it to go back to that position?

 

[wiesshund]

Run a 2nd timer, that runs fast 

that is enabled at the end of the visible motion

have it reverse what the 1st timer did

 

SmokeA1.y = SmokeA1.y - 3

SmokeA1.x = SmokeA1.x + 1

 

If you dont want the reset seen, do flashername.visible=0

and when reset timer hits the end, of course have it to me.disabled=0

 

I am pretty sure that there is a literal way to put the flasher at a specific position, but i cant think of it off hand

not at a machine with any vpx stuff right now

maybe take a peek at JP's slimer, he uses a flasher hologram

he may be calling fixed positions in it?

[Gravy]

Also maybe have a look at Bladerunner 2049 by wpilot for some interesting hologram effects. Anyone know of any other tables using similar effects?

 

https://www.vpforums...&showfile=14820
 

 

Edited by Gravy, 20 September 2023 - 10:54 PM.

[gtxjoe]

nFozzy did a table with floating scores displayed like in Pinbal FX

https://www.vpforums...&showfile=12717

 

Works in desktop mode.  You can try it in cab mode also but you need to change the script to use it

FloatingScores = Table1.ShowDT

 

to

 

FloatingScores = 1

 

 

[Gravy]

nFozzy did a table with floating scores displayed like in Pinbal FX

https://www.vpforums...&showfile=12717

 

Works in desktop mode.  You can try it in cab mode also but you need to change the script to use it

FloatingScores = Table1.ShowDT

 

to

 

FloatingScores = 1

 

 

Oh yes that was a very clever addon, surprised no-one else really took up the idea as far as I remember. I actually found that table a while back when I was researching if anyone had actually mimicked the floating scoring of Pinball FX.  

[Fusionwerks]

Also maybe have a look at Bladerunner 2049 by wpilot for some interesting hologram effects. Anyone know of any other tables using similar effects?

 

https://www.vpforums...&showfile=14820
 

 

this is interesting! my next mission was to try to create hologram type effects for the Cheshire cat mode. What's even more strange is that the blade runner table is the Pokémon tables layout and so is my table, mixed with the code from serious sam2.

 

nFozzy did a table with floating scores displayed like in Pinbal FX

https://www.vpforums...&showfile=12717

 

Works in desktop mode.  You can try it in cab mode also but you need to change the script to use it

FloatingScores = Table1.ShowDT

 

to

 

FloatingScores = 1

 

 

Oh yes that was a very clever addon, surprised no-one else really took up the idea as far as I remember. I actually found that table a while back when I was researching if anyone had actually mimicked the floating scoring of Pinball FX.  

 

And I think the reason it hasn't been copied is because JP hasn't done it... lol

[wiesshund]

 

ok i seem to be really close. I just dont know how to reset the flasher (SmokeA1) back to its original start point (x551, y15).

im moving it by using a timer set to 10ms, and stepping the X/Y like this:

SmokeA1.y = SmokeA1.y + 3

SmokeA1.x = SmokeA1.x - 1

One iteration makes it move in a downward left trajectory toward the flippers. However, the next time the sub runs the flasher starts again from the last position it stopped when the timer did.

I have tried to reset these coordinates in a "reset" sub by doing this:

SmokeA1.X = 551

SmokeA1.y = 15

But it just offsets the next iteration by that number. What is the proper way to tell it to go back to that position?

 

 

odd

 

i did this in an example table

 

sub timer001_timer

scoretext.text = test.x & " " & test.y

end sub

 

ok now i can see beginning coordinate of flasher 389  949

 

then

 

if keycode = rightmagnasave then

test.x = test.x+10

test.y = test.y - 10

end if

 

if keycode - leftmagnasave then

test.x = 389

test.y=949

end if

 

 

flasher moves up and right on screen with right magnasave

left magnasave shoots it back to start, exact location

Reason floating scores not been done?

 

because most older people turn those off in FX
i think it is mostly younger people that play FX in the arcade mode that use them?

 

VPX wise, a hologram is simply a flasher, with image that is transparent, except the parts you want to display

and you adjust the opacity and amount is needed

 

You can also apply an overall transparency to the image used to kind of get an ethereal look even when overdriving the flasher

nothing much to look at here yet, but these are flashers

 

[Fusionwerks]

looks like i just had some numbers mixed up. i cant explain what i changed, it just started working... ill try to dial it in tomorrow

 

Thank you for your help today

Edited by Fusionwerks, 21 September 2023 - 02:30 AM.

[Gravy]

 

Reason floating scores not been done?

 

because most older people turn those off in FX
i think it is mostly younger people that play FX in the arcade mode that use them?

 

 

Quite possibly, although seeing a visual indicator of what action created a particular point value can be useful. I tend to concentrate my eye on the table rather than the backglass, so it often takes me a while to actually figure out even the basic rules of a game, if ever. Yeah popup scores are not true to the pinball that old timers know and love though (maybe pinball 2000 had some??). I also tend to like to see effects that mimic mechanical effects in pinball games, rather than animations, a simulated hologram is ok though, provided it is done in a way could be a real world pinball feature.

[wiesshund]

I just project the DMD or LED on the apron

[Fusionwerks]

 I also tend to like to see effects that mimic mechanical effects in pinball games, rather than animations, a simulated hologram is ok though, provided it is done in a way could be a real world pinball feature.

 

Normally I totally agree with that, however, this table is going to have a lot of non real pinball effects. Mostly because I'm making it for my wife and family members who actually prefer the PBfx type stuff. It is fun to learn how to make all this stuff work too

[wiesshund]

It's for the wife, make it what she would like, regardless of what that might be and how unrealistic it is.

 

When you run across something cool you figure out or invent, but then decide not to use it

put it into a new blank table and save it

then you have it for future reference.

 

If you build any LED segment backdrop lamps
definitely do that with those, pain in ass to remake those constantly

[Fusionwerks]

Finally got the flashers working how i like and all the timers worked out. Here is the preliminary images for the letters that will appear as you hit the captive ball target (the caterpillar)