1031 replies to this topic

[jpsalas]

If I change the material of the two side rails (RailSx and RailDx) from "Plastic with an image" (active) to "Plastic with an image1" (not active), the FPS drops from 188 to 105.

 

RailsTest.rar

 

 

I have seen this kind of weird problem when using older graphic card drivers, or simply Microsoft drivers. Everything is ok until you add some transparency. But in your case is the contrary, so I haven't a clue of what can be wrong.

I have tested the table with 2 computers, and they both work just the same (one with an Nvidia card and the other with an Intel chip)

[toxie]

@kiwi: also please post your video preferences, and i guess you left the table settings the same as in the example table you posted?

[kiwi]

The two upper screenshots have side rails with active materials, the two below with non-active materials.

 

 
In this example, VSync is intentionally deactivated,
usually I have the VSync set to 120 because on Win XP 60 Hz does not work, "Alternative Depth Buffer processing" and "Force Anisotropic Texture Filtering" activated, everything else is turned off for performance issues.

 
If I find some free time, later I will try the example table with the new PC, Win 10 and GTX960 (I seem to have already done these tests and there are no problems, but for safety I will run the tests again).

I think it's not worth wasting time if it's just my problem with OS, drivers or whatever.

 

 
Another story-case about transparencies.

 
I have an original table that works well in the old PC, the table has nothing special has some transparent ramps and very few active objects,

in the PC with Win 10 the table stutters a lot, the FPS are not stable, go up and down,

and remember that in the diagrams are transparent elements that consume a lot of resources.
The other tables I installed work fine, example Demolition Man.
I want to investigate more deeply to understand what could be the cause of the stutter.

 

 

 

[toxie]

Thanks a lot! Unfortunately nothing to gain insight from there. It seems to be really the difference between non-transparent and transparent primitives being rendered.. WTF!!

Does not make sense at all to me at the moment, if at all it should rather be the other way round, like JP pointed out.

 

As for the Win10 table issue: Just take a look at these two stats screens and watch what differs over time (i.e. when it starts to stutter, what is the main difference). Let me know if you spot something.

[fuzzel]

On the topic of import/export images,  I notice that if I export an image and try to type in a new file name during the export, it doesn't take what I typed, it uses the name in the image manager.

-Mike

Fixed in the next version. However if you select more images than the file names in the manager are used. Otherwise you have to enter a new file name or press enter for each selected image. The same fix applies also to the sound manager.

[fuzzel]

Agreed, the ring is moving downward too much. Would love to have a distance adjustment.

Fixed in next version. The animation height was hard coded and not calculated based on the height scale that is fixed now.

[toxie]

Also in next version: All static table elements are now heavily oversampled, so will show less jaggies. So it's now even more worth it to flag elements for 'static rendering'. 

[Drybonz]

Also in next version: All static table elements are now heavily oversampled, so will show less jaggies. So it's now even more worth it to flag elements for 'static rendering'. 

 

This sounds great.   

[toxie]

One of the todos i had on the list since years. Finally thought on the WE that i should try it.

[wrd1972]

Toxie, Fuzzle,

Following up on a recent request to have a global button in video preferences, to turn off playfield reflections on all tables.

This could greatly help those that get PF reflection induced stutter.

 

Thanks

[toxie]

Yeah, i know, is high on my todo list.

[wrd1972]

Sounds good.

[Ben Logan]

So many improvements lately. Awesome.

[fuzzel]

rev3414 is up:

 

- Log a message in the debug window when script attempts to play a sound that's not available in sound manager.  

- static table elements are now over-sampled/better anti-aliased

- fix bumper ring animation based on height scale 

- fix sound export for one sample and the user entered a different file name

- fix image export for one image and the user entered a different file name

[malifica]

Excellent additions and fixes... thanks fuzzel.

 

Edit: The static rendering enhancement makes a HUGE difference on things like wire ramps/habitrails. Fantastic!

 

Edit 2: There seems to be some odd screen and input focus behavior. When minimizing the main editor window, the property/options window remains visible and there doesn't seem to be any method to get the main editor to open again.

 

Also, when clicking on the running program in the taskbar, it opens a new instance of VPX.

 

Regarding input, only the Enter (plunger) and number buttons work, none of the flipper etc. do, but this behavior is inconsistent.

 

And. each new VPX instance opens in a very small vertically oriented window. (this makes me believe it is something on my end regarding a registry entry...)

 

I'm chalking some of this up as possible issues on my end, but wanted to post here just in case, and will edit this post as troubleshooting unfolds.  

 

Update Edit: The only solution I could find was turning off the floating properties window option within VPX (preferences editor options). The behavior of the editor and the key focus while playing a table then work correctly. Also, every new instance opens with the correct (previous closed window) size now too.

 

Correlation and Causation may be at odds here, but thought I'd post my experience.

Edited by malifica, 01 May 2018 - 03:00 PM.

[Drybonz]

Also in next version: All static table elements are now heavily oversampled, so will show less jaggies. So it's now even more worth it to flag elements for 'static rendering'. 

 

Oh yeah... very nice, toxie.  The first thing you notice is the rails, but looks a lot better all around.  Nice one.   

[toxie]

So a reminder to all authors then: For performance AND anti-aliasing reasons, flag as many objects as possible as static.

 

One can check all static rendered objects by flipping through the different statistic/debug modes via F11 (one of them only shows all the static objects).

[toxie]

I again improved the AA for static objects a bit, please re-check with the next build. Should be even less jaggies on very bright objects/highlights now.

[Draifet]

Thanks for your efforts, enjoying a lot the new SSR and now the static oversampling.

[DJRobX]

I again improved the AA for static objects a bit, please re-check with the next build. Should be even less jaggies on very bright objects/highlights now.

I ran the latest-latest from SVN, it looks very nice.  I run 4k on a system that can't handle brute 4x, so it's a pretty significant and noticeable improvement for me.   You can really see it in the shiny spots of the metal wire ramps in CFTBL for example.   Nice work! 

Definitely got me to mark a bunch of metal things in the upcoming Fire! table as static rendering.  

Edited by DJRobX, 03 May 2018 - 02:20 AM.