245 replies to this topic

[monicle]

Ill be posting the vps tonight so everyone can get a taste (bite?).
Its coming along good.

[oldskoolgamer]

very cool

[faralos]

I can't wait to sink my teeth into this wip

[monicle]

ok so apparently Im going to have to drop the sound quality on my wav files a bit. Currently sits at 74MB. I tried to do this with music mp3 files but coulnt get mp3 files to play on anyones tables, not just mine. so I dont think its my code but just my computer or something.
Anyways check it out and see what you think so far.

http://speedy.sh/FnAEX/zombie-r0-8.zip

[faralos]

did you save them at 600 HZ 16 bit stereo? try in that format or let me
I may get them to shrink down a bit more
also try using a mono sound for the not so important sound effects instead of stereo
to shrink the sound clip sizes a bit more
thx for the wip though I'll see about the sound clips soon as I log out

[monicle]

good call on the mono suggestion. yeah the whole music thing was pissing me off, then I downloaded Bobs Beatles machine and gave that a try and the music files werent playing on that machine either. Maybe when I upgraded to 9.12 from 9.8 something happened and its not linked to the music directory anymore or something. Crazy

[maceman]

No, Destruk made a post to the music issue in another thread, but i cannot remember to point you to it....

I think it has to do with which codec you are using to make the MP3's. I use lame encoder for everything with no issues, at any bitrate.

I would stay away from mono and use lame enc or something other than ogg vorbis or whatever in stereo!!...

Cheers,

Maceman


EDIT: Just gave it a whirl.. Plays pretty good. I am seeing a few graphic glitches, especially surrounding certain things, like the tree at bottom right, the armory top right, etc...there is a white outline surrounding the images. Do you see that?

I can maybe help with that when you are done and ready for release...I could maybe help fix some aesthetics... but i cannot promise as summer is difficult for me with 3 kids to watch as well.... Regardless, you have done excellent work and glad i originally bumped the thread to wake you up

Edited by maceman, 17 July 2012 - 03:03 PM.

[monicle]

I dont think the problem is the mp3. I downloaded the Beatles table and loaded those mp3 files into the VP/Music directory and tried to play those from my table and couldnt get them to play. then I just played the Beatles table and they werent playing in there either. I would suspect that theres something wrong with my VP or just my computer in general heh. If anyone wants to take the sound files and try to convert them to mp3 the sounds are "zombie_start" and "zombie_start_continued"

I honestly dont know what the issue is.

No, Destruk made a post to the music issue in another thread, but i cannot remember to point you to it....

I think it has to do with which codec you are using to make the MP3's. I use lame encoder for everything with no issues, at any bitrate.

I would stay away from mono and use lame enc or something other than ogg vorbis or whatever in stereo!!...

Cheers,

Maceman

[maceman]

ok. Understood. That is weird it wont play the wav's for you. Here are 2 mp3's to try:

http://www.mediafire...a12qnf8vrwoqtu0

http://www.mediafire...31k33mn2pcp9hp3

Cheers,

Maceman

[Bob5453]

I have tried VP on quite a few different computer setups and the mp3's have played.

Can you play one of the Beatles mp3 files by just clicking on the file?

The Music folder must be in your Visual Pinball folder and it needs to be named "Music" without quotes obviously. I don't think you can have the mp3 files inside a folder in the music folder, if you have it this way, try to place them directly in the folder.

There is also a setting at the top of the VP editor under Preferences called Audio Options, make sure the Play Music box is checked and the volume is all the up.

Edited by Bob5453, 17 July 2012 - 04:07 PM.

[monicle]

Thanks, Yeah I have, I can play all the mp3 files with no problem outside of VP. I havent changed any of the directories from the initial 9.8 install so its just teh default C:/programfiles/visualpinball/Music/xxxxxxx.mp3 of corse not exactly like that cause I dont recall where all the spaces and upper case letters are but yeah. totally default. Just my mp3s and the Beatles mp3s in there. I played your Beatles table and the mp3s wouldnt play there either.
I did check the Music setting and even stroked it to no restarted and then restroked it to yes, and have the volume slider turned all the way up.

The only thing I can think of is that The original full install was 9.8 and for 9.12 all I did was download the .exe only.

Maybe Ill try pulling a full 9.12 install and see what that does unless anyone has any other ideas?

I have tried VP on quite a few different computer setups and the mp3's have played.

Can you play one of the Beatles mp3 files by just clicking on the file?

The Music folder must be in your Visual Pinball folder and it needs to be named "Music" without quotes obviously. I don't think you can have the mp3 files inside a folder in the music folder, if you have it this way, try to place them directly in the folder.

There is also a setting at the top of the VP editor under Preferences called Audio Options, make sure the Play Music box is checked and the volume is all the up.

[FDSystems]

Set your PC to show the hidden files.
Maybe your files are named xxx.mp3.mp3 ?

Happened to me in the past.

Edited by FDSystems, 17 July 2012 - 04:38 PM.

[lionheart88]

The thread where Destruk talks about the problem with songs not playing is VP Music Template Release Thread

Here is one thing he suggested that fixed the problem.

The problem is that your mp3 has an ID3v2 tag set in the file.
You can play the file in WinAmp - and in WinAmp right click the file and left click view file info. Click on the ID3v2 tab and uncheck the box that says include ID3v2 Tag in file and click ok.
Then VP plays it fine. Much quicker than re-encoding the file when this is the problem. Most likely the converter Shooby used strips the ID3v2 tags out when it 'converts'.

VBR files play fine too (tested) - it's the ID3V2 tags that vp can't handle. At least the fix is simple.

[destruk]

If Bob's beatles mp3s don't play on monicle's pc with visual pinball, but they play on other pc's with visual pinball, then the issue would have to be something else, like VP not finding the correct music folder.
Installing the full vp 9.12 should correct the associations/locations. Obviously VP could use some improvements in the audio filetypes and audio handling subsystem... Something as simple as a response when told to play an mp3 - as to success/failure for finding the specified file would even be an improvement.

[faralos]

I also encountered problems when trying to write code
for mp3's in one of my older pins. I gave up eventually and just stick with wav files
Unfortunately I looked at your sound bites
and going mono at 6000hz 16 bit is the only way to shrink them down
as many of them are already saved that way but in stereo.
I worked on a few and and in doing so found I can drop their file size by at least a third if not half
of what they are now. I am trying to save the start and end game as stereo
for better effect but all sound effects can be dropped to mono to save on size
I'll also tweak those graphical glitches mentioned in the other post a white border
around images may mean that their edges in the pic itself may have to be 'filled' better
pixel by frikkin pixel if I must which is often the case working with jpegs
Nice ball flow around the table though

[monicle]

This is the conclusion I came up with also. Probably try a full install this weekend and I'll let everyone know how it goes.

If Bob's beatles mp3s don't play on monicle's pc with visual pinball, but they play on other pc's with visual pinball, then the issue would have to be something else, like VP not finding the correct music folder.
Installing the full vp 9.12 should correct the associations/locations. Obviously VP could use some improvements in the audio filetypes and audio handling subsystem... Something as simple as a response when told to play an mp3 - as to success/failure for finding the specified file would even be an improvement.

I'm not worried about the white. It's only like that because I haven't finished the images. Once it's done all un drawn portions will be filled with transparent color and itll disappear.

I also encountered problems when trying to write code
for mp3's in one of my older pins. I gave up eventually and just stick with wav files
Unfortunately I looked at your sound bites
and going mono at 6000hz 16 bit is the only way to shrink them down
as many of them are already saved that way but in stereo.
I worked on a few and and in doing so found I can drop their file size by at least a third if not half
of what they are now. I am trying to save the start and end game as stereo
for better effect but all sound effects can be dropped to mono to save on size
I'll also tweak those graphical glitches mentioned in the other post a white border
around images may mean that their edges in the pic itself may have to be 'filled' better
pixel by frikkin pixel if I must which is often the case working with jpegs
Nice ball flow around the table though

[monicle]

Got alpha ramps figured out. Adding a few small finishing touches here and there. Then it's just some finalizing graphics, sound events, and light sequences.

[monicle]

ok so someone please suggest to me what to put in the back left corner of the cabinet. This is all that I have left to do besides light sequences and backdrop.

[Bob5453]

ok so someone please suggest to me what to put in the back left corner of the cabinet.

Looks nice, you can put an image across the whole wall at the back of the cab.

For example, see the image on the back wall of the cab below.... Also, notice how nice the walls look at black (not pure black) and how the apron is this same color of black. The tables seem to look better without a lockbar when using the angle you have selected and the zoom, same as JP has done here, just looks great.

Edited by Bob5453, 20 July 2012 - 12:21 AM.

[monicle]

Thanks. Yeah I'll do that for sure maybe I'll do a hillside image. Itll tie in well with the other corner. I'm glad to be almost done. I can't wait to start my 2nd table and improve even more. Plus I'm looking forward to making a real dmd. I'll need to clean up my rails in order to get rid of the lockdown bar. Should be an easy enough fix.

ok so someone please suggest to me what to put in the back left corner of the cabinet.

Looks nice, you can put an image across the whole wall at the back of the cab.

For example, see the image on the back wall of the cab below.... Also, notice how nice the walls look at black (not pure black) and how the apron is this same color of black. The tables seem to look better without a lockbar when using the angle you have selected and the zoom, same as JP has done here, just looks great.