"Predict" filtering is still not as good as it can, I have plans improve it.
I will tell You why i think "predicting" of player position is realy important thing.
When You move and image is adjusted with lag, when You look at screen, You will see small "bending" of table objects. When You stop moving, objects on table will start look normal after moment (=lag).
After setup it with stereoscopic image (anaglyph glasses), i let my brother to try. After few seconds and few moves he take off glasses to check if tracking still work.
I ask him why? He take off glasses, because he did not see changes of image when he moves. Of Course after few next try, he learn how to move to see "bending".
"Prediction" fails, when move is accelerated or decelerated. Here is place for improvement.
Is there nice tutorial for how to configure the various features of BAM? I love using it for it great global table setup and for fine tuning the display, but beyond that I'm kinda lost. I've tried tinkering but usually just end up getting the display in such a mess that I have to delete the CFG and start over. I don't have a 3D setup but I'm trying to get it to look the beset I can in 2D.
- Keep Scale X=Y=Z, If You try to use Scale X to remove gaps on side of screen You will change proportions of all objects.
- You can Translate table and rotate to as You want to fill screen.
2. Camera position.
- Remember to set "display size" and "units" in Reality menu. BAM displays cam/player position in real world units.
- It is easier if You set other CAB params in reality menu (it will look closer than real one)
- In Static Cam mode You have 3 sets of cam postions, one is "in game" coord system and two "in real" world. If You set change "in game" position, BAM will calc "real world" position. If You change "real world" postion BAM will calc "in game". So You need to set only one. I recomend to use "real world" cam position (NEW Camera real world position)
- Look at view on right side of BAM menu, You can see "how to measure" values. So You can just enter values from real world.
- If You enter correct values, BAM will display all table elements correct, If it look for You "incorrect"m it is not BAM fault. You just have to accustom to new look. For years we train our brains to see in "incorrect" pictures displayed on TV screens as "correct". Example: You have 50" tv and You seat 80" away from screen, You FOV should be ~30 deg., but FOV in almost all games is 60 deg or more. (for that games, You seat ~38" away from TV or closer.
- You can use HappyCab mode to "feel" correct 3D: close one eye and set small horizontal (X axis) sway.
- You can use stereo 3D mode! If You don't have 3D display, use anaglyph glasses (red/cyan).
3. Light.
There is no one correct way how to set it. In desktop mode FP set main light position equal to cam position. In arcade mode it will create visible reflection on apron. So You can move light "behind" player (set Light Y > Cam Y for example 100.0 units).
Light settings manual on my site is outdated. All light "attenuation" settings are missing. So i describe here only this "missing" part:
- You have 2 types of lights on table: main light and on table lights. With BAM You can make main light less intensive and make "on table" lights more intensive.
- Constant attenuation - You is used to set how strong is light. If You increase value for main light You will decrease main light. If You decrese "Constant" attenuation for "on table" lights, You will make it brighter.
- Linear and Quadratic attenuation - You can manipulate range of lights. On default all objects recive same amoung of light. It does not matter if that object is close or away from light. Example: "Ramp-VUK-demo" table. You can for "on table" lights set Constant attenuation = 0.05 (it will make it 20x brighter) and set Linear attenuation = 1.0 This way "red" flasher will be very bright, but light from it will cover ~half of table.
- All lights effects work better with "NEW Renderer".
- Skeleton tracking for Kinect. Still not finished.
- Modified sheders for New Renderer. Many changes in colors processing.
- Table presentation for cabs. (press F1)
Details.
Colors processing in New Renderer was "broken". New shaders (with few more options to tweak) should gives better colors on output screen. Bad news: If You already use New Renderer You will get different colors. Good news: colors on screen should look a lot better.
All options to tweek are in: [Lighting model] menu.
In "New Renderer Adv options" params:
- "Src gamma" - All textures/colors in game are stored in RGB textures, 8bit for color. This colors values aren't "linear", probably sRGB. Lighting require "linear" values. This value is used to "linearize" input values. [Default: 2.2]
-"Src specular" - Used increase/decrease reflections angle. [Default: 1.0]
In this menu there are also same params as in "post processing" menu: Brighness, Gamm, Contrast, Saturation. New shaders can now do same things, but it will be done with "float point" input values, so output should be little better. This way one conversion from float to 8bit integer is eliminated.
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Table presentation.
It is only for "arcade mode".
In arcade mode on of missing features is way to look close on table details. Here is my small addition: You can create animation sequence.
Instruction for end user: Press F1, F2, F3 to play stored animation.
Instruction to create animation:
All is in [Config] -> [Animation sequencer].
You can create 3 animations lists. To replay animation press F1, F2 or F3.
Every animations is build from "static" frames. For every frame You can set:
- Table translation in 3 axis
- Table scale in 3 axis (it is better to keep same values for all 3 axis)
- Table rotation in 3 axis
- Frame duration in ms.
BAM will add smooth transition betwen frames.
On default animation list is empty.
To add frame press INSERT.
To remove frame press DELETE.
So You will have to edit table with 10 columns.
To change column use arrows left/right. Because that arrows are used to switch columns all values must be entered with numeric keys (and '-' key).
Editor is simply so try it.
To save animations use "Save tableName.seq". It will create simple text file in "cfg" dir with "seq" extension. If You want, You can edit it in text editor.
BAM on table load will try to load animations from 3 sources: vbs script inside .fpt, "tableName.seq" from "cfg" dir and "default.seq" from "BAM" dir.
Because this "seq" file is plain text fill with "vbs comment char" on every line, You can just add it without any change to script.
In this BAM release is only one short "default" animation.
I installed v1.1-66 and played around with the lighting. I got it where I think I want it, so I saved it as default. Not all settings seem to carry over to the default.cfg, however, since I noticed the "Src specular" and "Out specular lighting" settings were each set to their default values of 1.00 on the next table I tried when I had changed them both to zero prior to saving my default.cfg.
Also, it seems having the new renderer turned on causes the high score entry, high score table, and the FP logo above the plunger to be nothing but grey rectangles.
Love the new animation when starting a table! This thing just keeps getting slicker with every release!
I installed v1.1-66 and played around with the lighting. I got it where I think I want it, so I saved it as default. Not all settings seem to carry over to the default.cfg, however, since I noticed the "Src specular" and "Out specular lighting" settings were each set to their default values of 1.00 on the next table I tried when I had changed them both to zero prior to saving my default.cfg.
I checked again, "default" setting works fine, but BAM loaded defaults if there is not "tableName.cfg". So problem is: when You load table with exiting cfg file without new params, BAM sets missing values to own internal "defaults", not values from "default.cfg".
So there is idea, for "new" params, not stored BAM should use values from "default.cfg" -> this feature will be added.
Also, it seems having the new renderer turned on causes the high score entry, high score table, and the FP logo above the plunger to be nothing but grey rectangles.
Try to set "specular color" = 0.0.
Love the new animation when starting a table! This thing just keeps getting slicker with every release!
- BAM menu flickering. PostFX.dll plugin is updated. Now You don't need to enable PostFX to remove menu flickering.
- In "animation sequencer" sometimes objects "under table" appears above table - fixed.
- In last BAM release few new params was added. Now then You load know tables (with existing cfg files) values are taken from "default.cfg". This way You can set own "default" values for already configured tables only for new params.
For example You can: Load empty table. Set "new params" in [Lighting model] "Src gamma" = 1.0, "Src specular" = 4.0, "Out Diffuse level" = 1.5, "Out Specular level" = 2.0, "Specular color" = 0.0. Save that settings as "default.cfg". With this "default.cfg" all already set tables will look same way in New Renderer.
In this BAM release is "old_default.cfg". You can rename it to "default.cfg". It will give You same result as actions described above.
Notice: Setting described above are in my opinion "broken" and produces "false" colors.
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@tanin: this should resolve problem with "new colors" in New Renderer.
@pocketpal: now "default.cfg" values for new params will be used with "known" tables.
I am currently using BAM 1.0.55 so I thought I was due an update to the latest 1.1-67, I am using ps3 eyes & copied over my calibration data files & table .cfg,I deleted free track plug in as this crashed BAM, whenI tried it again it works but it doesnt come up with ps3 eyes plug in only Happy cab which I use sometimes when I dont use the ps3 cameras.
Any info would be much appreciated & many thanks for your continued excellent work on BAM
I am currently using BAM 1.0.55 so I thought I was due an update to the latest 1.1-67, I am using ps3 eyes & copied over my calibration data files & table .cfg,I deleted free track plug in as this crashed BAM, whenI tried it again it works but it doesnt come up with ps3 eyes plug in only Happy cab which I use sometimes when I dont use the ps3 cameras.
Any info would be much appreciated & many thanks for your continued excellent work on BAM
I repeated my test again and it works fine for me. HT w/PS3Eyes works fine, FreeTrack don't crash BAM. Here is me test procedure:
1. Rename "BAM" folder to "BAM_BACKUP". So in "Future Pinball" dir there is no "BAM" dir,
2. Unpack BAM_v1.1-67.zip.
3. Run FPLoader.exe, load table, switch between plugins.
All works, it means that Kinect wrok (i have image from kinect), HT w/PS3Eyes works (i get image from two cams on screen), FreeTrack works (i can change "start cam position", no crashes).
So i have request:
Repeat my test.
If it work copy from "BAM_BACKUP" all "cfg" folder and check again.
If it work copy config files from "BAM_BACKUP": Reality.dat, bam.cfg,... (all missing files), repeat test.
If it work copy *.cfg / *.dat files from "BAM_BACKUP/plugins" to "BAM/plugins". repeat test.
If it fails, please send me config files for plugins and from BAM folder.
On all my computers i have instaled FaceTrackNoIR. I also do test after uninstaling it. Maybe "somthing" is still left. I will tomorrow do test on clean new windows installation.
Please note, that in BAM_v1.1-67 files in "plugins" folder are updated.
Last time crashes with "FreeTrack" are connected to "buggy" cam positions and delete of "FreeTrack.cfg" may help.
Anyway if You have any config files for BAM or plugins, or table.cfg, please send it to me. It may help me debug problem and find solution.
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