152 replies to this topic

[wiesshund]

Yes thank you! I also keep it this way, 2 ini files for vpx and fp. If i run into problems i will let it know. Its really nice to have a active community for this hobby, to share the knowledge, i just run into this hobby when i was planning to build an arcade but found out that vp has so much more challenges

 

That is partially because VPX is not so much a boxed product so to speak.
VPX is more an erector set, for a person to design and assemble their own products.
Think of it as a developer tool, that you also wind up using to run the game itself.

And said games also use other 3rd party applications that work with said developer tool.

 

MAME is a lot simpler, aside from optional artwork, no one builds anything, and there isn't much in the line of 3rd party apps, just to play pac-man.
So you simply run MAME romname, and it works 99% of the time

But you cant build and design mander-man
 

[mandermannen77]

Yes i found out that first i have to make all the software work together. Then let al the toys work with the software and tables. Maybe in the far future design/update tables but i didn't find alot of info about that yet, except the terry reds updating FP tables. But i didn't even started/ install DOF yet, i want to do it step by step. This forums and youtube give so much help. Do you make/ update pinball tables?

[wiesshund]

maybe one or two, nothing special

 

wiesshund's Content - VPForums.org

[mandermannen77]

I downloaded your time machine, it looks really great! So much questions i have on where did you find the graphics to make it look authentic? is there some sort of manual to build a table in vpx or only google/ youtube? Why do you need a rom for recreated tables? But i have to take things slow i quess. Tomorrow i get my cnc-ed plywood of my cabinetdesign and finally i can start building, hopefully my design was correct    

[wiesshund]

I downloaded your time machine, it looks really great! So much questions i have on where did you find the graphics to make it look authentic? is there some sort of manual to build a table in vpx or only google/ youtube? Why do you need a rom for recreated tables? But i have to take things slow i quess. Tomorrow i get my cnc-ed plywood of my cabinetdesign and finally i can start building, hopefully my design was correct    

 

I did not make the graphics for time machine, i think Halen did.
They were most likely hand drawn from very poor pictures of a real table in terribly poor condition as it is a south american pinball machine, and most of those are in terrible shape.

 

Is there a manual?

No, not exactly.
Using the VPX docs and looking at other tables to see how a given thing was done is probably the best resource
and then dont try making a complete table right away

 

Just make a table that does one function.
once you get it perfected, save that table as reference material.

 

Why do you need a ROM?
Well, you do not, you never need a ROM, but using the ROM is as close to authentic as possible.

You could script all the logic out, it just wont be authentic, and your logic may possibly differ from the real machine slightly.

 

Using the ROM is as close as you can get to preserving or recreating the real machine, short of grabbing some plywood and pinball parts.
 

[mandermannen77]

Thank you for all your answers! So i have to think with a ROM of a replica of the ' commands' from a original table. But the working and visuals of a table are created in vpx. You have to create a link between both in the script? Here in the Netherlands there are not much people who have this hobby. Nice to have some connection in de States!  

[wiesshund]

Thank you for all your answers! So i have to think with a ROM of a replica of the ' commands' from a original table. But the working and visuals of a table are created in vpx. You have to create a link between both in the script? Here in the Netherlands there are not much people who have this hobby. Nice to have some connection in de States!  

 

to put it simply, in the script you tell vpx that it is going to be a rom table
so load vpinmame as the controller

 

and then you script the table to talk or or listen to vpinmame

 

like it you knock down a drop target, then you might tell vpinmame
controller.switch(27) = 1 (1 meaning closed)

 

or you might listen to vpinmame, for things like solenoids
 

or lamps

[mandermannen77]

I was reading the txt's of vpinmame but its to much to digest right now. I think for now i'll keep it at how to find out to adjust existing tables to my cabinet, so that all things work. With things i mean all the solenoids, plunger, ssf, adressable leds i'm going to install and maybe will not be available in/ working with existing tables. Or are the majority of existing tables just already working with these things or need minor adjustments to let them work? i got my plywood today and it looks really good!  

[wiesshund]

That is all determined by DOFConfigTool

 

Most ROM tables just work, if there is a DOF config for them already (Provided you set your config up properly, declare your toys etc)
If it is a Hybrid table, then you would need a custom config, but DOFTool has a lot of those already.

Heavy Metal is a hybrid table, and dofconfigtool has a config for it, so i imagine most others do as well.

 

and anyone can create a personal config for any table that isnt in the tool yet, provided the table has DOF in it
if it does not, you can of course add it.

Basic DOF is not hard, but i could not tell you how to do custom patterns on addressable LEDs and that kind of thing.
Terry Red could tell you how to do that i think.

[TerryRed]

DMDExt v2.2.0-BETA1 update

 

(dmdext-v2.2.0-x86-beta1.zip) on 32 bit Windows only!

(dmdext-v2.2.0-x64-beta1.zip) on 64 bit Windows only!

• download the x86 (32 bit) version at the DMDExt site if you have 32 bit Windows (DO NOT use the 64 bit version with FP)
• download the x64 (64 bit) version at the DMDExt site if you have 64 bit Windows (DO NOT use the 32 bit version with FP)

You may need to click on Assets to see the file downloads for v2.2.0-BETA1

 

I have seen some problems running 32 bit dmdext.exe on 64 bit Windows. This normally should work, but some users (and myself) have reported crashing issues using the 32 bit (x86) version with FP. Everyone using a 64 bit Windows (should be mostly everyone by now).... try using the 64 bit dmdext.exe with FP

 

 

I have also updated the first post / guide to reflect changes of how best to use DMDExt with FP.

 

- use the newest 64 bit version of DMDExt on 64 bit Windows (don't use 32 bit x86 version)

- install dmdext.exe, DmdDevice.ini, OpenGL32.dll in the main Future Pinball folder

- change your drive letter and path to where your FP folder is (where we now have dmdext.exe installed for FP)

- use a simple dmdext.exe command that will use DmdDevice.ini in the FP folder

- all dmdext settings for FP are now configured in DmdDevice.ini (this includes virtual dmd, and real dmds)

 

 

FP and BAM Essentials AIO

 

I have also included DMDExt 2.2.0-Beta1 files (only those used for FP) in the "FP and BAM Essentials AIO.zip" file

 

https://www.vpforums...showtopic=51600

 

 

 

 

Everyone, please try to keep the topic focused on using DMDExt with FP.

Edited by TerryRed, 28 June 2023 - 09:16 PM.

[TerryRed]

I updated my DMDExt page!

 

• all DMDExt files needed are now included with the new FP and BAM Essentials AIO package (1.2 or higher)
• this includes a new DMDExt_FP.BAT file that makes it easy to setup and use DMDExt with FP!
• DMDExt_FP.BAT can be used to manually run DMDExt on its own (without a front-end)
• use DMDExt_FP.BAT to run DMDExt to setup the global settings for size / position of the DMD window (if using virtual DMD)
• Popper examples have been updated
• Baller Installer examples (recommended for Popper users) has been updated on my Baller Installer FP Tips page

 

Everyone, PLEASE make sure you are using the updated DMDExt files I include with the FP and BAM Essentials AIO 1.2 package and use the updated Popper examples for FP on the Baller Installer FP tips page if you don't already have a working setup with DMDExt and FP!

Edited by TerryRed, 01 July 2023 - 12:35 PM.

[mandermannen77]

This is great!! Does it also works with colorized dmd's with the colorationfiles in the altcolor map inside vpMAME?    

[wiesshund]

This is great!! Does it also works with colorized dmd's with the colorationfiles in the altcolor map inside vpMAME?    

 

Freezys does but this is pertaining to FP, which does not use ROMs, so no colorization files to reference.
There are no frames to reference for colorizing.

 

Ask Terry but i think FP's internal DMD only outputs monochrome?

FP would sort of be akin to having an internal built in flexDMD, sort of

[TerryRed]

This is great!! Does it also works with colorized dmd's with the colorationfiles in the altcolor map inside vpMAME?    

 

 

This is FP... not VPX. There ain't no Roms in FP.

 

(why do I sound like Tom Hanks in a baseball outfit)

 

 

That means... no. FP doesn't have anything to do with all that, which is the entire point of this post and tutorial. FP uses its own standalone version of DMDExt (dmdext.exe) in the FP folder.

Edited by TerryRed, 01 July 2023 - 07:50 PM.

[wiesshund]

 

 

 

 

This is FP... not VPX. There ain't no Roms in FP.

 

(why do I sound like Tom Hanks in a baseball outfit)

 

 

That means... no. FP doesn't have anything to do with all that, which is the entire point of this post and tutorial. FP uses its own standalone version of DMDExt (dmdext.exe) in the FP folder.

 

 

In theory though
cant you actually call up pinmame in FP?

Never seen it done though

[mandermannen77]

Thank you for your fast answers!! i really like FP because of the superior tables of Slam and updates of Terry. With subtile head tracking settings i keep coming back to them. I'm just starting with this hobby, totally blank with it and maybe have stupid questions, but the DMD's are just fine how they are for now. i was just thinking maybe you can create a 'fake' rom for FP tables and start making colorized dmd's. But my time and knowledge is to short to figure that out. But i think that FP tables have their own dmd coding inside the table?   

[wiesshund]

Thank you for your fast answers!! i really like FP because of the superior tables of Slam and updates of Terry. With subtile head tracking settings i keep coming back to them. I'm just starting with this hobby, totally blank with it and maybe have stupid questions, but the DMD's are just fine how they are for now. i was just thinking maybe you can create a 'fake' rom for FP tables and start making colorized dmd's. But my time and knowledge is to short to figure that out. But i think that FP tables have their own dmd coding inside the table?   

 

you can tint the DMD in freezy's using styles
but FP is going to output monochrome i am pretty sure.
Take a table and randomly color some of the DMD frames
think they come out monochrome

 

FP has other things it can do, that are in color
but they are not DMD's and wont be played by freezys.

Look at what the pink floyd table does

[TerryRed]

You can change the Styles / colours per table in FP if using a front-end with DMDext.

[TerryRed]

DMDExt with Future Pinball mega video and tutorial

 

Seeing all the struggles some people are having trying to understand how to use DMDExt with FP, how BAT files work, how command line apps work, and how Popper's launch script works... I had to do something.

 

This video covers:

 

- what a PinEvent Lite table is

- what DMDExt is

- what DMDExt's features are

- why you need DMDExt for PinEvent Lite tables on a cabinet (or for normal FP tables)

- what is needed to use DMDExt with FP easily

- how to get it working with a front-end easily

- how to change settings / position "per table" (using a front-end)

- how annoyed I get when I make the same dumb mistake in a video over and over

- how "I'm doing it LIVE!" because the power kept going out!

 

https://youtu.be/koEDk0xEp2M

 

[mandermannen77]

Thank you for all your hard work, this helps so much!!

Are you also planning to update the star trek bally 1979 table from slam? This is my favorite. I will even paint my cabinet with this theme