616 replies to this topic

[toxie]

Having a better camera system, like for example BAM (for FP) has, is already on our todo lists, and actually both me and fuzzel should have some rough/unfinished code lying around.  :/

[fuzzel]

Yes but I would add this to VP 11 because adding a free camera will break compatibility

[dark]

Can you also consider adding support for displaying objects below PF level for VP11?  Currently the only way to do realistic scoops and subway systems is to raise the PF which negates PF reflections.

[fuzzel]

Maybe

[cyberpez]

Can you also consider adding support for displaying objects below PF level for VP11?  Currently the only way to do realistic scoops and subway systems is to raise the PF which negates PF reflections.

 

You can put objects under the playfield without raising it.  You just have to set the material opacity to active.  They you have to cut holes into the playfield image.  I'm using this for the subway in AFM and the whole lower playfield in HH.  Only odd thing is reflections still show over the hole..  like the ball rolling over the window in HH.  Fix that and I'd be a happy camper!!

[Shockman]

Related, A light insert (graphic of one) should be fixed. Drawing lights on the playfield image outside of VP works for recreations, but no so well for dynamic creation. The only reason is that turning on reflections doesn't just break their function, it friggen erases them. 

 

Other than a few known issues, 10.3.1 is a wonderful build.

 

It would behoove ya'all to run a plunge at table start, if you can do all the math without graphic output, because the first pull does not work correctly. This, if you can not sort, and properly fix it.

 

Even with these issues, it's still the best IMO.

 

It would be a popular thing, I think if you could allow for example the triggers on a xbox pad to be used for flippers. Analog, but would normally be split into just two zones, first half and second half.

- If <.5 flip (for lowers and some uppers) and If >.5 flip (for some uppers).

This would not only match the function of the other top pinball simulations out there, but be more intuitive because of that. More realistic too. Doesn't any of the vcabs have dual switch buttons on them?

 

Thanks for VP10.

Edited by Shockman, 14 July 2017 - 11:08 PM.

[toxie]

@cyberpez: i'll think about this again, maybe i can come up with a simple fix for the reflections on holes. should not be too difficult though??!

@shockman: if i understand correctly:

1) make reflections work with light inserts

2) the first plunge one does on a newly loaded table is broken

3) add analogue flipper input to distinguish two 'zones' (the rest, e.g. wiring that up to lower/upper flippers, would be up to the script)

[vogliadicane]

no reflections on holes would also be good for drop targets, which atm reflect everywhere also in the hole they are positioned in. You don't realize that soooo much, but that's a detail, which always bothered me a bit.

 

Edit: point 2 above I experience, too. Messed around with park position and calibrating the plunger, but couldn't solve it. As shockman wrote, after the first plunge it's ok again, but not at startup. Seems to not register the actual value from the plunger at startup? Only when it is changed once?

Edited by vogliadicane, 15 July 2017 - 11:03 AM.

[ClarkKent]

Got a lot of crashes with 10.3.1 yesterday. Mainly when opening image manager, sound manager, collection manager.

[bord]

1) make reflections work with light inserts

 

yes yes yes

[Joppnl]

After a holiday break I installed 10.3.1 build 3123

 

When starting camera mode (F6) it still isn't possible for me to scroll through the various options with the magna save buttons as it was with 10.2.

 

What is does is it rotates the table clockwise or anticlockwise, depending on the right/left magnasave button.

 

To be sure I went to the key-menu and redefined the magnasavebuttons by pressing them after the ??? appears for defining but it's the same. 

 

With the flipper buttons I can increase/decrease the current value (inclination) but only that value

 

Any thougts please?

 

Thanks

[gtxjoe]

The official 10.3 should have a check box in Pref Keys to disable the camera flying mode which uses the arrow keys

[Joppnl]

The official 10.3 should have a check box in Pref Keys to disable the camera flying mode which uses the arrow keys

 

 

Thank you ... if I'm right it's called "Enable flying around (Arrow Keys + .....Edit Mode" in the keys-preference menu.

 

However, this IS un-checked but it looks like the camera is still flying around as I can see the camera values change when pressing the nudge buttons (making it look like the playfiels is spinning left/right).

 

As a noob I'd say that although it is unchecked the software still thinks it is checked making it both act like flying aound camera and not possible to go through the various parameters.

 

(For a test I also did activate the fly around checkbox but no change in behaviour).

 

 

Thank you for the support!

[DJRobX]

I'm not sure where feature suggestions should go, since we're in between versions.

 

I sometimes want to understand what's causing a certain table to run slowly.   Some authors will put out tables full of beautifully lit primitives and toys that run smoothly on even my laptop, while other pretty plain-jane tables (usually VP9 ports) make it seem like I'm trying to play Crisis on a 486DX2/66.  

 

I was thinking it would be a cool idea to have a performance profiler that averages the amount of time required to render each object.  Then when you stop playing the table, order them by the slowest objects.   That would make it a lot easier to know where one should focus their efforts in order to fix table performance issues.

[toxie]

Yes, good plan, but not as easy as simply adding timers around function calls unfortunately.. To properly do this one would need something like perfkit SDK (who knows if this still works properly nowadays) as so much is running async on the CPU/GPU nowadays..

[fuzzel]

I'm not sure where feature suggestions should go, since we're in between versions.
 
I sometimes want to understand what's causing a certain table to run slowly.   Some authors will put out tables full of beautifully lit primitives and toys that run smoothly on even my laptop, while other pretty plain-jane tables (usually VP9 ports) make it seem like I'm trying to play Crisis on a 486DX2/66.  
 
I was thinking it would be a cool idea to have a performance profiler that averages the amount of time required to render each object.  Then when you stop playing the table, order them by the slowest objects.   That would make it a lot easier to know where one should focus their efforts in order to fix table performance issues.

As Toxie already said it's quite complicated to add that and imho it shouldn't be part of VP. As a rule of thumb for better performance when building a table is to combine as much meshes as possible into one mesh that also uses one texture/material. Performance will surely drop when you draw a lot of small walls with different and transparent textures/materials. Especially VP9 ports behave like that if the author didn't pay attention.

[toxie]

i quickly looked on how easy it would be and even the standard DX9 performance queries failed on me.. so no low hanging fruit there to get this done easily..

[Thalamus]

Thanks for trying though.

[cyberpez]

ok what am I missing.  I have a shiny primitive, that I want to be not so shiny.  (mirror the environmental image)  I'm running the latest VP that I thought fixed this (10.3.1).  I've played with the material but it still its way to shinny..  any idea on what I'm missing?  Sorry for the low res screenshot..  but you get the idea..

Attached Files

•  shinny metal.png   287.97KB   12 downloads

[toxie]

the clearcoat layer most likely causes this.. set this one to black and that should be it i'd think..