131 replies to this topic

[Thalamus]

If you are seeing difference between any previous version and later or equal of 1.8. I think the best method going forward is to report it as a bug on github.

[llyrric]

I am having the issue where I cannot type text into the style text/combobox as well.  The copy and paste doesnt work either.

[DKong]

I have read on a few occasions to set the line in DmdDevice.ini to:

Alphanumeric features [alphanumeric]

enabled = false

 

But when I read the Github page showcasing the alphanumeric features of v1.8, why would we put false for this feature? Couldn't we just put true so it enables this feature on all tables?

Even after reading this thread, I still must be missing something.

 

Any help to understand this is appreciated.

[LynnInDenver]

The trick is that it will enable it on ALL tables when set to True there, even those that don't actually have the appropriate displays. But you CAN set it in an individual table setting in the ini file, like you can set the DMD position for an individual table.

[Outhere]

 

I have read on a few occasions to set the line in DmdDevice.ini to:

Alphanumeric features [alphanumeric]

enabled = false

 

But when I read the Github page showcasing the alphanumeric features of v1.8, why would we put false for this feature? Couldn't we just put true so it enables this feature on all tables?

Even after reading this thread, I still must be missing something.

Any help to understand this is appreciated.

This will give you some idea on how to use it

https://vpinball.com...ck/#post-178391

[wiesshund]

 

I have read on a few occasions to set the line in DmdDevice.ini to:

Alphanumeric features [alphanumeric]

enabled = false

 

But when I read the Github page showcasing the alphanumeric features of v1.8, why would we put false for this feature? Couldn't we just put true so it enables this feature on all tables?

Even after reading this thread, I still must be missing something.

 

Any help to understand this is appreciated.

 

 

set it to global false, and per table entry true

reason, not all of the roms play nice with it

 

and back up your DMDDevice.ini before doing any alpha numeric
because it will apply some of your changes globally, and you will have to manually cut and paste them to be table only.

 

Best to read a lot and actually understand what you are doing, before doing anything with alpha numerics

and always make backups

Edited by wiesshund, 02 February 2021 - 01:56 AM.

[DKong]

Thanks guys. I will play around with this once I figure out the per table thing. Sounds promising!

[wiesshund]

Thanks guys. I will play around with this once I figure out the per table thing. Sounds promising!

 

Open a table with a DMD

running in freezy's of course

right click the DMD and pick to save location for table name

 

exit table and look at DMDDevice.ini

It now has 1 per table entry

 

You can see that, for a ROM table anyways, the header is based on cGamename

 

Ok so let us say i want to do alpha numerics for pathera

 

1st, i backup my real DMDDevice.ini, and when i say back up, i mean entirely outside the vpx folder, so it can not find your backup

Then i can take my existing one, delete it, so i start with a bank ini

 

Using pathera with the 7 digit ROM as an example, i am going to get a panther header, AND an alphanumeric header

 

Panthera's section you need to insert 2 lines at the top so it begins as thus

 

[panther7]

virtualdmd enabled = false

alphanumeric enabled = true

So it should ultimately look like this

 

[panther7]
virtualdmd enabled = false
alphanumeric enabled = true
alphanumeric pos.0.left = 72
alphanumeric pos.0.top = 490
alphanumeric pos.0.height = 120
alphanumeric pos.1.left = 26
alphanumeric pos.1.top = 26
alphanumeric pos.1.height = 120
alphanumeric pos.2.left = 40
alphanumeric pos.2.top = 160
alphanumeric pos.2.height = 120
alphanumeric pos.3.left = 64
alphanumeric pos.3.top = 312
alphanumeric pos.3.height = 120
alphanumeric pos.4.left = 586
alphanumeric pos.4.top = 186
alphanumeric pos.4.height = 120
alphanumeric pos.5.left = 603
alphanumeric pos.5.top = 62
alphanumeric pos.5.height = 120
virtualdmd left = 104
virtualdmd top = 75
virtualdmd width = 108
virtualdmd height = 27
alphanumeric style = panther7

 

This is of course after you arrange and adjust everything to your liking

 

Style will not stay where you move it, do not bother

Best you can do with style is make sure you Name and SAVE them with a meaningful name

so when you click that little gear on the alpha numerics
and go adjusting things
Give it a name in the bottom left dialog, and save the style, before you even adjust it.

If you do not NAME your styles, you will have an absolute cluster F going on later

 

So it at least looks like this after clean up and moved to your real DMDDevice.ini

The ONLY thing you are bringing to the alphanumeric header in your REAL ini, is the style

 

[alphanumeric]
Enabled = False
;panthera style
style.panther7.skewangle = 12
style.panther7.weight = Thin
style.panther7.backgroundcolor = #ff000000
style.panther7.foreground.enabled = true
style.panther7.foreground.color = #fffbe6cb
style.panther7.foreground.blur.enabled = true
style.panther7.foreground.blur.x = 2
style.panther7.foreground.blur.y = 2
style.panther7.foreground.dilate.enabled = false
style.panther7.innerglow.enabled = true
style.panther7.innerglow.color = #ff0000ff
style.panther7.innerglow.blur.enabled = true
style.panther7.innerglow.blur.x = 15
style.panther7.innerglow.blur.y = 13
style.panther7.innerglow.dilate.enabled = true
style.panther7.innerglow.dilate.x = 15
style.panther7.innerglow.dilate.y = 10
style.panther7.outerglow.enabled = true
style.panther7.outerglow.color = #ff0000ff
style.panther7.outerglow.blur.enabled = true
style.panther7.outerglow.blur.x = 50
style.panther7.outerglow.blur.y = 50
style.panther7.outerglow.dilate.enabled = true
style.panther7.outerglow.dilate.x = 9
style.panther7.outerglow.dilate.y = 40
style.panther7.background.enabled = true
style.panther7.background.color = #20ffffff
style.panther7.background.blur.enabled = true
style.panther7.background.blur.x = 7
style.panther7.background.blur.y = 7
style.panther7.background.dilate.enabled = false
; Bugs Bunny Birthday Bash Style
style.bugsbunny.skewangle = 12
style.bugsbunny.weight = Thin
style.bugsbunny.backgroundcolor = #ff000000
style.bugsbunny.foreground.enabled = true
style.bugsbunny.foreground.color = #fffbe6cb
style.bugsbunny.foreground.blur.enabled = true
style.bugsbunny.foreground.blur.x = 2
style.bugsbunny.foreground.blur.y = 2
style.bugsbunny.foreground.dilate.enabled = false
style.bugsbunny.innerglow.enabled = true
style.bugsbunny.innerglow.color = #ff0000ff
style.bugsbunny.innerglow.blur.enabled = true
style.bugsbunny.innerglow.blur.x = 15
style.bugsbunny.innerglow.blur.y = 13
style.bugsbunny.innerglow.dilate.enabled = true
style.bugsbunny.innerglow.dilate.x = 15
style.bugsbunny.innerglow.dilate.y = 10
style.bugsbunny.outerglow.enabled = true
style.bugsbunny.outerglow.color = #ff0000ff
style.bugsbunny.outerglow.blur.enabled = true
style.bugsbunny.outerglow.blur.x = 50
style.bugsbunny.outerglow.blur.y = 50
style.bugsbunny.outerglow.dilate.enabled = true
style.bugsbunny.outerglow.dilate.x = 9
style.bugsbunny.outerglow.dilate.y = 40
style.bugsbunny.background.enabled = true
style.bugsbunny.background.color = #20ffffff
style.bugsbunny.background.blur.enabled = true
style.bugsbunny.background.blur.x = 7
style.bugsbunny.background.blur.y = 7
style.bugsbunny.background.dilate.enabled = false

If the blank ini creates anything else under alphanumeric that is NOT style
it goes with [pather7]

 

Make sense?

COpy your style, ad a comment line under your last style in [alphanumeric] in your real ini, like

 

; my style for some table

 

then paste the style. lines ONLY

 

Then copy the [gamename] header, and ALL of its lines

and paste them under the last entry in your real ini

 

put a space between the last line and the new header

 

I use 1.8.1 freezy's built by Vbousquet
and it seems to do a lot better with not eating the ini, and alphanumeric's in general
and i have 0 issues with it, but it is not something that is supported at this time
You can not ask freezy about it, and you cant really ask vbousquet yet, so i'm not telling you to run and go get it
nor dropping a link to it.
Better to 1st learn how to work with what everyone else has 1st.
Most of what 1.8.1 can do pertains to use on LCD's to look better, and does not apply to a pinDMD or Pin two dmd, or the others anyways

Edited by wiesshund, 02 February 2021 - 05:28 AM.

[DKong]

Thanks for the detailed info. It seems to be somewhat working, but I’m missing something as you can see from my attached photo.

Some observations/questions:

• The customize segment style program keeps loading behind my backglass image so it's difficult to make changes while the backglass/table is running.
• How do I get the new alphanumeric black boxes to be hidden and just see the new alpha numbers and not as it looks in my photo?
• How do I resize the new alpha boxes so they are a similar size as the originals and fit inside the appropriate areas on the backglass? Just dragging the item in the lower right corner doesn’t size it properly and I don’t see anywhere in the customize segment style to do this.
• How can I get the new alpha boxes to show up on table launch? They are hidden behind the backglass image and I need to Alt+Tab for each box before they show on the backglass.

• After I load the Ali table and click the gear to make changes, I was able to save my changes as "Ali" (I believe this is how I see the style info in my DmdDevice.ini). However when I load the same table again and click the gear, it defaults to the DMDExt and shows this on top. Even though I can see "Ali" when I click the drop down to load, it doesn't let me load that profile. So it seems further changes I'm making in the customize segment style program are not saving. 

Am I close and can you give any guidance on some of these items? My DmdDevice ini is also attached in case there is something that doesn't look right there.

 

Thank you!

Attached Files

•  DmdDevice ini.txt   2.16KB   6 downloads
•  IMG_0646.jpg   135.15KB   4 downloads

[wiesshund]

 

 

• The customize segment style program keeps loading behind my backglass image so it's difficult to make changes while the backglass/table is running.

dont customize with the b2s running

Easier to do that with no b2s, and just do the resizing part over the B2s

 

 

 

• How do I get the new alphanumeric black boxes to be hidden and just see the new alpha numbers and not as it looks in my photo?

 

You do not
LED segmented displays were not transparent

 

 

 

How do I resize the new alpha boxes so they are a similar size as the originals and fit inside the appropriate areas on the backglass?

 

You grab the bottom right corner
You can not size an LED out of square (out of aspect) if that is what you are trying to do

 

 

 

• How can I get the new alpha boxes to show up on table launch? They are hidden behind the backglass image and I need to Alt+Tab for each box before they show on the backglass.

 

disable bring to front on the backglasses in question

 

 

 

So it seems further changes I'm making in the customize segment style program are not saving. 

 

Not sure, i only edit a style once, i dont save it until it is what i want

[Outhere]

DKong  --- You will have to use the Backglass Designer to remove the current scores - https://www.vpforums...=40927&p=414013
 

To have something be transparent --- (In standard colors the bottom left is for transparent)

 DMDext.jpg   105.36KB   6 downloads

[wiesshund]

DKong  --- You will have to use the Backglass Designer to remove the current scores - https://www.vpforums...=40927&p=414013
 

To have something be transparent --- (In standard colors the bottom left is for transparent)

DMDext.jpg

 

Holy hell!
Why does mine not have the transparent color?

Granted i have all of one table i use the alphanumerics on, but i would have really liked if it had offered transparent

[BrandonLaw]

I have no clue what is being talked about in this thread, but I'll ask...

 

FX3 Vol 6 mirroring still busted, huh?

[freezy]

FX3 should still work, apart from games with segmented display, which we'll have to read and process in a different manner.

[DKong]

 

• The customize segment style program keeps loading behind my backglass image so it's difficult to make changes while the backglass/table is running.

dont customize with the b2s running

Easier to do that with no b2s, and just do the resizing part over the B2s

 

How do I move and size to a specific backglass if b2s is not running (each backglass is different)?

 

How do I resize the new alpha boxes so they are a similar size as the originals and fit inside the appropriate areas on the backglass?

 

You grab the bottom right corner
You can not size an LED out of square (out of aspect) if that is what you are trying to do

 

I can grab the bottom right corner to resize, but if we don't have the ability to change the aspect, how do others make the alpha displays look right...since the point of this new alphanumeric option is the replace the existing score displays with this new technique?

 

• How can I get the new alpha boxes to show up on table launch? They are hidden behind the backglass image and I need to Alt+Tab for each box before they show on the backglass.

 

disable bring to front on the backglasses in question

 

Where do I disable bring to front on the backglass?

DKong  --- You will have to use the Backglass Designer to remove the current scores - https://www.vpforums...=40927&p=414013
 

To have something be transparent --- (In standard colors the bottom left is for transparent)

DMDext.jpg

 

If I can figure out some of my issues above, I'll give this transparency a go.

As for using the Backglass designer, that looks beyond my ability but I may have a look around.

Thanks.

[wiesshund]

 

 

How do I move and size to a specific backglass if b2s is not running (each backglass is different)?

moving you can do with B2S running
No dialog boxes for that to content with

Im talking about customizing colors and glow etc

 

 

 

I can grab the bottom right corner to resize, but if we don't have the ability to change the aspect, how do others make the alpha displays look right...since the point of this new alphanumeric option is the replace the existing score displays with this new technique?

 

I think very few others actually use alphanumerics

And and a segmented LED can not change aspect ratios
It is a physical assembly, and a pretty standardized one at that.
It is not the intention of freezy's to create custom does not exist items
only to provide an alternate means of displaying that which already exists

If you wan some super custom stuff, create your own reel and LED graphics and build them into a B2S file

 

 

 

Where do I disable bring to front on the backglass?

 

right click the backglass itself

 

 

 

 that looks beyond my ability

 

If you want to make things beyond what the table/backglass author has done, then these words can not exist in your vocabulary

[DKong]

I'm having fun messing with this and now with transparencies. I'm not sure if I will end up using the alpha feature on many tables, but I appreciate the help and of course everyone who creates these fun and useful tools.

[mrjcrane]

How about a dumb question from me, after being live on UltraDMD/XDMD for several years and with all the iterations that have followed via Freezy and Flex, I wanting to get a feel for the best folder path on my PC to place and run this latest revision 1.8.x from. Do I call it Freezy or Flex? I know the answer is put it where the other stuff is. But I am wanting a clean install of things and wondering where is the best logical place for it? As a subfolder under 1)Visual Pinball, 2)VpinMame or 3) the Tables Folder. 

 

Part two of the question is where really the best location/path for the corresponding custom DMD folders/files to live (like Minions, Slimer, Woz, America's Most Haunted, and so on that don't use the native DMD)? 

 

I think my current active path is C:\Games\Visual Pinball\XDMD but seem to have had so many different installs I can't really tell where it is running from now. Any help always appreciated.

[wiesshund]

How about a dumb question from me, after being live on UltraDMD/XDMD for several years and with all the iterations that have followed via Freezy and Flex, I wanting to get a feel for the best folder path on my PC to place and run this latest revision 1.8.x from. Do I call it Freezy or Flex? I know the answer is put it where the other stuff is. But I am wanting a clean install of things and wondering where is the best logical place for it? As a subfolder under 1)Visual Pinball, 2)VpinMame or 3) the Tables Folder. 

 

Part two of the question is where really the best location/path for the corresponding custom DMD folders/files to live (like Minions, Slimer, Woz, America's Most Haunted, and so on that don't use the native DMD)? 

 

I think my current active path is C:\Games\Visual Pinball\XDMD but seem to have had so many different installs I can't really tell where it is running from now. Any help always appreciated.

best location for Freezy and FlexDMD in VPX as far as installation?

[Path to VPX]\VpinMAME\

My XDMD folder is gone entirely, along with UltraDMD
So i only have one single set of dmddevice.dll's and ini's

As VPX does not use freezy's executables, i do not have the dmdext.exe's installed at all, just the zip file unzipped into my pinmame folder
I have the 64bit there, we dont use it, but i keep the 64bit just in case at some point we wind up using it.

 

I do not have FX3, it uses those (The dmdext.exe's), VPX uses DLL's

 

As far as DMD asset folders, like AMH etc, those go in VPX\Tables\

that is where the tables script will look for them by default

to the table, it basically equates to [Table File Location]\DMD folder Name
and the author picks the DMD folder name when (s)he makes the table.

 

You could change the DMD folder name, you just have to update the table script so that it knows

I have had no luck pushing it outside the Tables folder though except by junction (symbolic link)
If you make a symbolic link in the tables folder to like c:\vpx\DMD, then you can tell the table's DMD path is DMD\AMH.dmd\
but thats a bit out of scope for most i think?

 

Freezy is the general software renderer for displaying VPM displays, or anything else capable of using it

FlexDMD is a means to display USER created DMD content, through Freezy's renderer, For tables that are original, or enhanced and have no factory DMD

Maybe that helps a bit to know which one to refer to in a given situation

 

FlexDMD was written with Freezy's code extremely close to heart, and vbousquet has even written an enhanced version of freezy's renderer (unofficial version 1.8.1 which is on freezy's github in the pull requests) which really enhances what you can do with freezy's
Even as far as simulating a broken clouded DMD

 

[mrjcrane]

Fantastic answer thanks Wies, clear and complete; I'll go for it as you have described it, much appreciated.

Decided to stay on the rails so ...

1) Relocated all the DMD presentation stuff (Freezy & Flex) in my VpinMame root folder.

2) Custom non-native DMD creations (as sub folders (Minions, AMH, Van Halen and so on) under the VP Tables Folder) decided I did not wan to start messing with the table scrips.

3) Removed residual XDMD/ULTRADMD that was lingering around (but want to say thanks to the authors of both of those apps they served well).

 

I like clear, clean and easy installations so the few small suggestions you gave really cleaned up my setup.

Edited by mrjcrane, 12 February 2021 - 03:31 AM.