918 replies to this topic

[freneticamnesic]

 

 

 

 

Just found out about BAM and am pretty amazed.

 

I tried 3 tables and for some reason all of them are a lot darker than usual.

 

Am I missing something?

 

Go to Table & Lighting > Lights > and enable New Lighting System

 

 

10x times better, but now, the small boxes on the table surface that lit (lenses they are called?) look washed out.

 

 

I haven't noticed that, which table(s) specifically?

 

 

I'm trying the twilight zone 20th.

 

zedpinball or 2.5?

 

Twilight Zone 20th 1.10.fpt doesn't wash out the colors for me. The only thing I changed on this table for BAM was the lighting setting

Edited by freneticamnesic, 11 January 2014 - 09:11 AM.

[tanin]

 

 

 

 

 

Just found out about BAM and am pretty amazed.

 

I tried 3 tables and for some reason all of them are a lot darker than usual.

 

Am I missing something?

 

Go to Table & Lighting > Lights > and enable New Lighting System

 

 

10x times better, but now, the small boxes on the table surface that lit (lenses they are called?) look washed out.

 

 

I haven't noticed that, which table(s) specifically?

 

 

I'm trying the twilight zone 20th.

 

zedpinball or 2.5?

 

Twilight Zone 20th 1.10.fpt doesn't wash out the colors for me. The only thing I changed on this table for BAM was the lighting setting

 

 

1.10 zedpinball. I just tried another pinball that seems to work fine.

I can upload a picture of TZ if this will help.

[freneticamnesic]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just found out about BAM and am pretty amazed.

 

I tried 3 tables and for some reason all of them are a lot darker than usual.

 

Am I missing something?

 

Go to Table & Lighting > Lights > and enable New Lighting System

 

 

10x times better, but now, the small boxes on the table surface that lit (lenses they are called?) look washed out.

 

 

I haven't noticed that, which table(s) specifically?

 

 

I'm trying the twilight zone 20th.

 

zedpinball or 2.5?

 

Twilight Zone 20th 1.10.fpt doesn't wash out the colors for me. The only thing I changed on this table for BAM was the lighting setting

 

 

1.10 zedpinball. I just tried another pinball that seems to work fine.

I can upload a picture of TZ if this will help.

 

Yea I am using zed version, upload a picture let's compare

Edited by freneticamnesic, 11 January 2014 - 09:37 AM.

[tanin]

with BAM:

 

 

without:

[freneticamnesic]

Here's how my regular FP looks, no BAM

 

Is this similar to what you're seeing? I can't tell from your pictures, but I don't think my BAM looks washed out in comparison, I can't see anything that would cause that, either

[tanin]

In my pictures, compare the lit "Lock 1" lens from the BAM pic with the lit "Lock 2" lens from the second picture (it should be red, not yellowish).

 

It looks very different.

Edited by tanin, 11 January 2014 - 10:45 AM.

[freneticamnesic]

In my pictures, compare the lit "Lock 1" lens from the BAM pic with the lit "Lock 2" lens from the second picture (it should be red, not yellowish).

 

It looks very different.

 

I think there's a setting that's been changed that you've missed, here's my side by side, FP on the left, BAM on the right

[pinballrockstar]

that first one, kinda looks like a night mod, right?

[Slammer]

I tried searching, but could not find a post related to this topic. If there is, I would appreciate if someone could direct me to it. I cannot install Kinect SDK, since I am running Windows XP. I've done a lot of searching and found this website (http://www.greenfoot...ct/windows.html). I tried what they have to offer, and actually got the Kinect recognized and the viewer to work where I can see myself. I just can't get Kinect to work with BAM in my FP. Anyone have any recommendations (aside from upgrading to a different Windows OS)? Anyone out there have any luck running BAM without the Kinect SDK drivers? Like using Openkinect or something?

[ravarcade]

There is no way to use Kinect+XP+BAM.

There are 3 elements:

1. drivers

2. sdk (face detection software)

3. BAM/plugin

 

Kinect SDK = 1 + 2.

If You use other Kinect software, You will get only 1 element. So to use Kinect + XP + BAM we need diffrent BAM/plugin with own face detection code.

 

----------

 

If You still want to use XP try to use web cam (or PS3Eye toy cam).

In week or two i will add FreeTrack support and there will be few good Kinect alternatives.

[Slammer]

Dziekuje Rav for the quick response. I appreciate your passion for this program you created. It is very admirable. I look forward to your next update. I owe you a paczki and a piwo! 

[SPARKY70]

trying to get bam to work with hyperpin. i edited the FPLaunch4-7.ahk file, now how/ what do i recompile to get it running?  thanks/sparky

[ravarcade]

trying to get bam to work with hyperpin. i edited the FPLaunch4-7.ahk file, now how/ what do i recompile to get it running?  thanks/sparky

http://ahkscript.org/download/

1. Download "Installer"

 

2. Install

 

3. right click on script (.ahk) file -> select "compile"

[SPARKY70]

WOW, SOOOO fast .........thanks, ill give it a try/sparky

[ravarcade]

BAM Update.

 

http://www.ravarcade...BAM_v1.1-59.ZIP

 

This will be another very long post, so at begin is short list of changes without description.

 

- Added light model very close to oryginal FP. This model is now default. All stored table configurations will work normaly.

- New "reality view", new Player position coords system, new "desktop" mode in [Reality] menu

- New camer position filtering used to remove jittering of cam position.

- Kinect plugin: improved [Easy "3 points" low / high] - work faster, new [Smart "3 points"]

- "FREE TRACK". Support for new tracking methods with this protocol. You can get near Kinect 3D position tracking with ordinary web cam. Tracking in 3D work for Cabs and DESKTOPS!

- Removed plugins: "Simple CAM" , "Simple PS3Eye", "Destop Cam", "Destop PS3Eye". They still works, but "FREE TRACK" work a lot better.

 

Now long boring descriptions:

 

 

 

New (old) light model.

-------------------------------------------

BAM uses "asymmetric frustum". My geometry model breaks how light behave in game. I try one more time to fix it.

Now You have 4 light models:

1. "BAM initial release" - Two probmes: (1) objects on table looks little difrent than in normal FP, (2) when camera is in move, light "moves" sometimes in oposite direction.

2. "New Light system" - my first try to resolve problem (2).

3. "FP Oryginal" (NEW) - objects on table now look almost the same as in FP arcade mode (only geomethry is diffrent). This model have only one "small" problem with reflected light on table. 

  In oryginal FP arcade mode vector to "camera" from every pixel on screen is exacly same. I reproduce this behave to get same look as oryginal, but now i can set main light position and camera to expose how "unrealistic" is it. I bet You will never find this error.

4. "New Renderer" - it is only math-correct model. All lighting is done in pixel shader programs.

 

"FP oryginal" is now set as default.

In [Lights] menu was option "New Light System", now in same place You have switch with 3 options "BAM initial release"/"New Light system"/"FP oryginal".

(to use "New Renderer" You have to enable it few other places, see my manual: http://www.ravarcade...new-renderer,63).

 

In BAM You have a lot of loght related options.

 

I should make video with exaple how this 4 light models works, but not today.

 

 

 

New "Reality View", camera coords system & "desktop" mode

--------------------------------------------

Sometimes BAM have to know player head position in real world in realtion to screen surface. This is neaded in Static Cam mode and in new Free Track plugin.

So i have to define new coords system, easy to use for users.

Center of this new coords system is at center of Your display edge closes to player (or above this point if You have glass over Your display).

Axis X is in same direction as in FP.

Axis Y is vertical UP.

Axis Z is horizontal backward/forward.

All is cleary displayed in "reality view" in "simple cam" mode. Look at white arrow.

Please don't try to understand this based on this description. You will get this in 1 min when You try.

 

In "Reality" menu now You can switch from "CAB" to "DESKTOP". In "DESKTOP" mode You have only on option: angle of display.

New Coords system works same way as in "CAB" mode, but coord (0,0,0) is on bottom edge of display.

This "Desktop" mode alows use "Free Track" in "desktop" (for example notebook camera - it works very well) 

 

 

New camer position filtering

---------------------------------------------

You can choose in [Config]->[Player Tracking] filtering mode. You have 3 options: "none" / "Latency" / "Accel".

- "Latency" is old method

- "Accel" is method based on camera move speed.

Now You can also disable filtering. You may want to do this for tests or "HT w/PS3Eyes" or for "Free Track". 

 

 

Kinect

c

Now [Easy "3 Points" Low/High] commands works a lot faster and are more reliable.

I added new [Smart "3 Points"] command. This is other automated "3 points" setup. I works when Kinect is not on vertical axis of display.

NOTICE. To use any of  automated "3 points" methods, You nead to set in [Reality] menu to ZERO: Shift-Y, Front Glass Height & Rear Glass Height.

 

 

FREE TRACK

---------------------------------------------

Free Track protocol is used by few tracking devices. Now BAM support it. But this protocol have one important flaw. Every time You start tracking new coord system is set. Example: when You start tracking program second time point (0,0,0) reported with this protocol may be in diffrent place than after first start of tracking program. So for example after restart of computer BAM calibration done in "3 point" setup is not valid.

To avoid repetition of calibration BAM uses different approach of setup. 

Here is exaple how to setup it with FaceTrackNoIR and FaceAPI.

 

1. setup of FaceTrackNoIR.

- Go to this site, download program and install it: 

- Select Tracker Source : faceAPI

- Click "Curves" (left/bottom), switch tab to "Translations" and press Reset buttons for all 3 axis. It is required, because faceAPI returns coords in cm and any scale of move 

- Select Game protocol to "FreeTrack 2.0"

- press Start and test how it works.

- look at "Shortcut keys", here are 2 important keys: Center (default set to "Home" key) and Start/stop (default set to END key)

During setup in BAM You will have to use "Center" key.

You will have to start tracking befor You start BAM/FP.

 

[optional]

You can disable cam move filtering in BAM and use filtering in this program

- In Global Setting set Smoothing to 1 to 4 samples

- Select Filter: Accela filter mk2. You can modify filter settings

... or You can disable in program filtering:

- set Smoothing samples = 1

- Select Filter: none

 

2. Start BAM/FP and set in [Reality] menu how looks You setup.

- Set display size

- Select units: inch or cm

- Select mode: Cab or Desktop

- Set Cab dimmensions or display angle in Desktop mode (angle =0 is good easy choice).

 

3. Select Free Track plugins.

- Set base camera position. You will have to put Your head exacly in this place and press "Center" key for FaceTrackNoIR. Easy way for Cab is to set "X=0, Z=0, and Y=know distance above CAM edge" of cab. For desktop do somthing similiary: X=0, Z=known distance from display, Y=half of display height if You sit exacly at front of display.

- If You don't forgot to start tracking in FaceTrackNoIR 

- Put You have on "base" cam position and press "Center" key.

 

Tracking should work now.

 

4. Set filtering in BAM:

- go to [Config]->[Player Tracking] and try to find right filtering 

 

NOTICE.

I tested this method with my "apple in-sight" cam in my notebook and with not modded PS3Eye cam on my "pseudo" cam. Results are very close to Kinect. Please note, that diffrent cams have diffrent FOV. My PS3Eye cam works perfect in "narrow" lens setting. With "wide" lens setting my move in real world was ~20% bigger in game. To eliminate this You can change "curves" for translations in FaceTrackNoIR.

 

5. In Free Track plugin You can set rotation of tracked axis. For example in my "cab" test, i put camera few inches below my head level and camera "looks" little UP. To compensate it i set X axis rotation to: -10 deg.

 

This was example of Free Track for FaceAPI (face detection). You can use this plugin to trace IR leds same way as any Free Track game.

Alse there is way to use Augment Reality (AR) marker (see open track project: https://github.com/opentrack/opentrack).

 

Because Free Track works realy great, old Simple Cam/PS3Eye, Desktop Cam/PS3Eye plugins. They still work.

 

I did not test OpenTrack. But it can trace AR marker. I may work better than face detection.

 

------------------------------------

CONGRATULATIONS. You are almost at end of this looong post

------------------------------------

 

Please rememeber, FaceTrackNoIR and OpenTrack are realy good usefull projects. They have own authors. You can find "donate" buttons on that two site:

http://sourceforge.n.../facetracknoir/

https://github.com/opentrack/opentrack

 

------------------------------------

 

Thanks to JTenebrous for good info about Free Track and very helpfull links

Thanks to Gravy for info about "Cachya". AR marker may work almost same way. Try OpenTrack.

 

------------------------------------

END of post

[randr]

Thanks RAV! will check this out tonight

[tanin]

Just tried the new version, and scrolled between the different Modes to see which are available, but when I scrolled back to Static cam, the tables was all messed up.

How can I revert it back?

[ravarcade]

Just tried the new version, and scrolled between the different Modes to see which are available, but when I scrolled back to Static cam, the tables was all messed up.

How can I revert it back?

There may 2 things happend:

1. If You keeps one "desktop cam"/"desktop ps3eye".. and You switch to it, that plugins can change table scale, rotation and cam position in Static CAM, So You will have to manualy set this new values.

2. If You in "plugin" folder have only plugins from current release  Free Track plugin probably changed Cam position in Static CAM and You have to restore it manualy. Default values of FreeTrack are set for "destop", when display vertical.

 

Warrining about cam position filtering.

When You entere in few setting wild values, cam position may "jump" to some wired place, Next you finish entering of new value and cam position is correct, filtering algorithm may not find correct way to smooth adjust cam position and You end with black screen. In this case You can restart BAM/FP.

 

So here is bug list:

- Fix Cam filtering algorithm to avoid cam position locks and black screen

[tanin]

Well, it's probably what happened since the values are not the same when I scroll back to Static.

 

is there a defaults option or I have to do it manually? (if manually, how can I get the correct values?)

 

Thanks mate

[SPARKY70]

thanks

Edited by SPARKY70, 24 February 2014 - 05:59 PM.