32 replies to this topic

[scampa123]

@DDH69 have you found a way to handled the plunger in Zaccaria Steam tables?

 

thank you!!

[DDH69]

@DDH69 have you found a way to handled the plunger in Zaccaria Steam tables?

 

thank you!!

 

I have done no specific work for Zaccaria pinball.  A few of us have tried to contact them to setup a conversation, but so far nothing.  Feel free to give them a poke and point them in my direction.

[scampa123]

I sent them a request on FB Messenger and pointed them to this thread.  They’ve responded to me on backglass questions, so I’m hopeful they will look and respond.  

[DDH69]

I sent them a request on FB Messenger and pointed them to this thread.  They’ve responded to me on backglass questions, so I’m hopeful they will look and respond.  

 

Great.  Well if they do have a look here, please PM me, I would love to setup cabinet toys via DOFLinx with Zaccaria Pinball.  All the heavy lifting has been done by the community with DOF and DOFLinx.  With a little work by both parties we could have another great fully functioning cabinet emulator. 

[scampa123]

Zaccaria team responded to me saying January to March they are focused on IOS and AtGames Cabinet version.  They don’t have much time to focus on cabinet features.  I mentioned again that initially it might just be a conversation to understand what might be possible.  I’m not sure if they’ll take the time to discuss.

[scampa123]

@DDH69 I was thinking about the plunger support and wanted to understand something...

 

The DOFLinx right-click test can test an attached plunger, which tells me you can read the connected device regardless of game system.... If I am correct in this, then couldn’t you read the plunger and when it reaches a point send a key press?  The key press being the button used to launch the ball...  Would this work?

 

if so, maybe it could be specified in something like the Sup.ini file or the doflinx.ini?  So maybe there could be a Sup.ini for Zaccaria that defines that tells DOFLinx to use the plunger to trigger the key press...I guess there would need to be code in DOFLinx to handle this and to be mapped in the Sup.ini...

 

what do you think? Am I way off here?  

thanks!

Edited by scampa123, 14 January 2021 - 03:05 AM.

[DDH69]

@DDH69 I was thinking about the plunger support and wanted to understand something...

 

The DOFLinx right-click test can test an attached plunger, which tells me you can read the connected device regardless of game system.... If I am correct in this, then couldn’t you read the plunger and when it reaches a point send a key press?  The key press being the button used to launch the ball...  Would this work?

 

if so, maybe it could be specified in something like the Sup.ini file or the doflinx.ini?  So maybe there could be a Sup.ini for Zaccaria that defines that tells DOFLinx to use the plunger to trigger the key press...I guess there would need to be code in DOFLinx to handle this and to be mapped in the Sup.ini...

 

what do you think? Am I way off here?  

thanks!

 

I think you've got it.  Check out the parameter for DOFLinx NUDGE_CHECK_BASIC_KEYBOARD=

If you set that to 1, then when DOFLinx is activated by a PROCESSES= process name that is not special, ie FX2, FX3, FP, etc, so like Zaccaria, then the plunger check will be performed and send the configured key to the keyboard buffer.  Of course if you need to adjust the output plunger key from [ENTER] for FX3 to something else for Zaccaria you can do that with a message to DOFLinx before the emulator starts.

[scampa123]

Oh neat I’ll have to try this.  This should work for Pinball Wicked too then..

 

thanks again!

[scampa123]

Okay I took a look at some posts, and your guide on this....So I wouldn't need to do anything with a SUP.ini (unless I want to do MX stuff I guess)...This will go directly in my doflinx.ini file..

 

Reading the guide on this led me down a rabbit hole a bit.....I was looking at the NUDGE_LEFT_KEY and the NUDGE_LEFT_INPUT and the guide confused me a bit:

 

NUDGE_LEFT_KEY - These keys setup within FX3 to trigger keyboard nudge.  Defaults keys are L-CTRL, R-CTRL and SPACE...Sadly L-CTRL and R-CTRL do not work and will need to be changed....

 

THEN I read:

 

NUDGE_LEFT_INPUT - ...but if you don't want to reprogram your nudge buttons away from L-CTRL and R-CTRL....then setup these parameters and DOFLinx will parse the CTRL presses to new FX3 nudge keys...

 

I'm likely misreading these statements, but if you can parse the L-CTRL and R-CTRL (per the NUDGE_???_INPUT), then why would we need to change the nudge keys in FX3 to begin with? 

 

What am I misunderstanding?  Sorry, I know this branched off from just the plunger but all the posts I saw also included these settings and I may not be taking advantage of things properly..

 

Thanks again!

[DDH69]

Button (Keyboard) L & R Ctrl ----> DOFLinx sends "L" and "R" key -----> Emulator (FX3)

                                                           ^

                                                           |

                                                           |

                                            Accelerometer on Pinscape

 

 

So DOFLinx gathers two possible inputs, the L & R Ctl keys and the Accellerometer trigger points from the Pinscape.  Regardless of the input source for nudge to DOFLinx it sends keys "L" and "R" to FX3.  The technical issue was that Windows stoppped the sending of specific Ctrl keys by a third program.  So the NUDGE_XX_INPUT is your cabinet nudge button mapped key and the NUDGE_XX_KEY is the key setup in FX3.

[scampa123]

Okay so if I do not have nudge buttons in my cabinet then I shouldn't worry about that?

 

I just tried the NUDGE_CHECK_BASIC_KEYBOARD and it didn't work for Zaccaria.  I must be missing something.

 

Would you mind looking at my ini file?  Thank you!!

 

 

 

Edited by scampa123, 15 January 2021 - 02:46 AM.

[DDH69]

Visual check looks good to me.  What keys are set to do the plunger and nudge in the emulator?

 

You can test the sending of the keys reasonably easily ....

- Add NotePad to your PROCESSES= line

- Start notepad have it in focus

- Nudge and plunger away, you should see the key strokes, ie [ENTER]

[scampa123]

Thanks for looking

 

i did your test with Notepad

 

plunger button is Enter or carriage return?  It went to a new line.  It didn’t print [Enter] but simply went to next line...

nudge left = l (lowercase L)

nudge right = r

pushing forward or back seems to be a long line of spaces I guess

 

*Also, should I always have to restart DOFLinx when changing the ini?  I’ve been killing and restarting..

Edited by scampa123, 15 January 2021 - 02:02 AM.

[DDH69]

Sounds like its working then.  As you can see from Notepad, DOFLinx is definitely sending the keys.  Perhaps check what you have setup as the plunger and nudge keys in the emulator.  Do you need uppercase L for example.

 

You can just kill DOFLinx and restart to pick up the new INI.  The neatest easiest way is "DOFLinxMsg QUIT" (without the quotes)

[scampa123]

Thx DDH69...just to be clear...

 

the Notepad test was only for processes such as Pinball Wicked and Zaccaria?  So the l/r nudge is what I use in those programs for nudge ...maybe FX3 too but not FP and VPX??

 

also, my plunger button does work for these games.  I was trying to get my analog plunger to trigger the event.  Maybe I should have done the Notepad test pulling the analog plunger??  Would that be a separate key?  The analog plunger works in FX2/3, VPX and FP today...

 

Thx again

[scampa123]

I tried the Notepad test again and when I pull the analog plunger I see that it sends a bunch of "enter" or carriage returns vs the plunger button which only sends one at a time...

 

So maybe that is why the applications like Zaccaria and Pinball Wicked do not pick it up, because its sending too many keys....(guessing here)...

 

So is the NUDGE_CHECK_BASIC_KEYBOARD supposed to compensate for that?  If so, it isn't working for me....but alas, I may be just misunderstand!

 

Thanks again!

[DDH69]

Thx DDH69...just to be clear...

 

the Notepad test was only for processes such as Pinball Wicked and Zaccaria?  So the l/r nudge is what I use in those programs for nudge ...maybe FX3 too but not FP and VPX??

 

 

Yes

 

also, my plunger button does work for these games.  I was trying to get my analog plunger to trigger the event.  Maybe I should have done the Notepad test pulling the analog plunger??  Would that be a separate key?  The analog plunger works in FX2/3, VPX and FP today...

 

 

DOFLinx will send whatever key you setup for the PLUNGER_KEY= when the PLUNGER_RELEASE_POINT= is passed after first triggering beyond the PLUNGER_PULL_POINT=

You should not have NUDGE_CHECK_BASIC_KEYBOARD=1 when using an emulator that recognises you analogue plunger on its own otherwise you have two systems trying to determine what to do with the analogue plunger.

 

I tried the Notepad test again and when I pull the analog plunger I see that it sends a bunch of "enter" or carriage returns vs the plunger button which only sends one at a time...

 

So maybe that is why the applications like Zaccaria and Pinball Wicked do not pick it up, because its sending too many keys....(guessing here)...

 

So is the NUDGE_CHECK_BASIC_KEYBOARD supposed to compensate for that?  If so, it isn't working for me....but alas, I may be just misunderstand!

 

Thanks again!

If you are getting "a bunch" of [ENTER] key presses then you are pulling beyond the plunger trigger point and releasing back through the plunger release point multiple times.  What have you got these two items set to?

DOFLinx does nothing particularly tricky here, just the simple logic of the two points.

[scampa123]

The PLUNGER_KEY= setting must be whats missing since I do not have it in my file...I'll add that and report back.  Thank you!!

[scampa123]

Okay this worked for Pinball Wicked....but not for Zaccaria...Any ideas on how to figure out why?

 

Also, since I was staring at my ini file tonight, I have a side question...Can you have more than one beacon listed?  My guess is no...So do most people tie all their beacons to the same output?  I'm thinking I'd have 2

 

Thanks again! and again! ;-)

[DDH69]

Okay this worked for Pinball Wicked....but not for Zaccaria...Any ideas on how to figure out why?

 

Also, since I was staring at my ini file tonight, I have a side question...Can you have more than one beacon listed?  My guess is no...So do most people tie all their beacons to the same output?  I'm thinking I'd have 2

 

Thanks again! and again! ;-)

 

In DOFLinx you can have as many instances of any device you want.  Check the guide 

LINK_xx=DOOO,MODE,TTTT,III[,DOOO,MODE,TTTT,III]

 

Just keep listing devices on the same line (or you can have LINK_BK= multiple times.

 

It is possible (but odd) for an application to ignore the keystroke if its written that way.  TO ask the obvious, is your Zaccaria launch ball key [ENTER] ?

Edited by DDH69, 16 January 2021 - 04:34 AM.