14 replies to this topic

[fripounet]

qui connait personnellement Christopher Leathley ?

pour savoir s'il n'y avait pas la possibilité , qu'il recompile son logiciel avec la prise en charge de la dernière dll de Newton (3.14) et non actuellement 1.5.

 

trag. google

 

who knows Christopher Leathley personally?

to know if there was not the possibility, that he recompile his software with the support of the last dll of Newton (3.14) and not currently 1.5.

[destruk]

You could ask him - [email protected]

I wouldn't say I know him personally as we haven't talked at all in years and didn't get along well back then either.  The last I heard though was that he deleted all of his source code and everything related to pinball except what is on the website - futurepinball.com

Edited by destruk, 09 December 2018 - 02:09 PM.

[fripounet]

ah ((( sad news

you also like cats ; like christopher )))

3 years of work ,destroy ,I can not believe him   !!!

I will try to ask him the question

thank you for the answer

Edited by fripounet, 09 December 2018 - 10:46 PM.

[destruk]

Yes, I wouldn't believe that he would willingly destroy all his source code copies, as even I have backed up nearly everything I worked on here.  The words were spoken in anger and frustration, so maybe he kept a copy.

[TerryRed]

I always wondered if this was what may have happened back then. I wasn't part of these communities until the last few years.

 

I would hope that is not the case. If he really does still have the source code....I think he should know there are others that would love to continue his work of passion... Ravarcade's BAM being an excellent example of what can be done. 

 

That last time I think Chris (Black) spoke up was to commend Ravarcade for his work on BAM (on Youtube and at GoPinball) and how he thought that it looked really cool.

Edited by TerryRed, 11 December 2018 - 06:50 AM.

[The Loafer]

I can't speak for Chris but I think he's in a really happy place right now (recently married) and I think the FP stuff represents darker times.  Whether or not people feel that is valid, I think he should be left alone with anything VP/FP.  Won't lie, would love to see FP go open source.

[Ben Logan]

FP tables look so great. I’d love to see an opportunity for the physics engine to evolve via open source. Doubt it will happen, but it’d be awesome.

[Gravy]

Bumping this old thread as also wondered where Chris ended up, last I heard he was coding for the Australian government but that was back 10 year ago now I think. I also remember seeing him commenting on BAM a few years back and was pleased to see his name pop back up. I was pretty sad the day he decided to shutter the FP forums as I spent a lot of time chatting there and it was somewhat like watching your favourite pub burn to the ground. I also dropped off the radar around that time as that was when I started a family.

[TerryRed]

Bumping this old thread as also wondered where Chris ended up, last I heard he was coding for the Australian government but that was back 10 year ago now I think. I also remember seeing him commenting on BAM a few years back and was pleased to see his name pop back up. I was pretty sad the day he decided to shutter the FP forums as I spent a lot of time chatting there and it was somewhat like watching your favourite pub burn to the ground. I also dropped off the radar around that time as that was when I started a family.

 

 

I don't think much has changed with him.

 

 

I'd for love Chris to take at least one look at my Youtube channel and give his opinion of the new stuff I've done using BAM.

 

 

https://www.youtube....w_as=subscriber

 

 

 

Today, BAM is WAY more than just head tracking. In fact that is the smallest feature of BAM. FP with BAM is capable of so much more today than even a couple years ago.

 

 

Some of BAM's new features:

 

- new dynamic physics that allows for “new” updated FP tables to play MUCH better than older FP tables! (this is not the old xml files, those are no longer used / needed)

- allows for a new Better Arcade Mode (for cabinet views)head tracking features using Kinect, PS3 Eye and more

- plugins capability

- stereoscopic 3D

- adds a New Renderer that renders lighting on a per-pixel basis

- bump / normal mapping

- Ball Shadows and Flipper Shadows for all tables

- Ambient Occlusion

- Post Processing effects

- new High Score Display

- COM Extensions

- total control over all lighting in table script

- rgb lighting

- mini playfields

- texture swapping on any object / surface

- Virtual Reality for all tables

- custom balls and rendering settings per table

- option to hide HUD Overlays

- numerous tools and features that table authors can use

- numerous FP bug fixes 

- new "real" spotlights and beacons

- custom and FBX animated models

- shadow maps that are created using the table's geometry... super easy!

- real magnets

- attach anything to a ball

- stream any window (such as PuP) into FP as a texture to be used almost anywhere

 

...and much more that is too big to list here

 

Many "old" methods for authoring tables are no longer needed. We can do many things in a more modern way, with modern visuals to match.

 

To answer the big question... yes a "new" properly updated table that uses BAM's new dynamic physics plays much much better than old FP and BAM xml files. Does it play as good as VPX? No. Does that matter to many people who have played the newer tables? No. For many people the new updated tables are "close enough" for casual fun, and not super serious simulation.

 

 

Examples of new BAM features in action.

 

 

Real spot lights and FBX model animation (and me at my dorkiest in VR)

 

https://youtu.be/UDCej0gMXX0

 

 

My Epic Space Battles mod for Star Wars DSA, that shows off so much... my PinEvent updates for pup and dof and ssf... and many uses of mini playfields, spot light / beacons, FBX animation... and so much more:

 

https://youtu.be/guw4sgRCn1I

 

 

FBX character animation in a Thriller dance off with Horror movie characters:

 

https://youtu.be/iJ8bbgXFz2o

 

 

More "real" spotlights and Beacon demos... including a flashlight and beacon ball

 

https://youtu.be/6Uvvmrx3Kj4

 

 

RGB Lighting and PinEvent PuP-Pack (before the "real spotlights feature was added to BAM)

 

https://youtu.be/boekJFtniwE

 

 

PinEvent

 

https://youtu.be/j9k37VCbQXI

 

 

PuP Stream demo using BAM pup plug-in

 

https://youtu.be/PjtfGE5p5Pg

 

 

 

So much has changed with FP thanks to BAM and I would love for Chris to see what his program is able to do today. 

 

 

If anyone does ever chat with him... please direct him to my channel.

Edited by TerryRed, 17 November 2020 - 09:19 PM.

[GeorgeH]

I doubt that ravarcade would even need the source code.  I suspect all he really needs is permission from Chris to hack it. 

 

From what I have read, the company to whom Chris sold the rights never used the code and evidently the company is OK with Chis or others developing FP again (at least from what I read from other posts on this forum). 

[TerryRed]

I doubt that ravarcade would even need the source code.  I suspect all he really needs is permission from Chris to hack it. 

 

From what I have read, the company to whom Chris sold the rights never used the code and evidently the company is OK with Chis or others developing FP again (at least from what I read from other posts on this forum). 

 

 

I think FP was licensed to them to use it for their cabinet back then. I don't think Chris outright sold FP completely to them.

[Mitchell]

Black got into trouble making the F1 for Visual Pinball while back. He had to take it down from his website. He didn't get permission on something. I don't know what. They contact him. Made him to take it down. He pretty upset about it. Really hurt his feeling.

 

I hope he let it go and then move on. I don't want him stay upset about it.

 

It kind of like lose someone and then that feeling never go away.

Edited by Mitchell, 24 November 2020 - 01:16 PM.

[kramer73]

I do know Chris personally.. admittedly it was a lifetime ago when we were both service technicians for Timezone (arcade chain) in Western Australia. Chris was so switch on with his programming even back then. I am sure he would be checking in from time to time to see how his "baby" has evolved and grown. If I remember correctly and I could be wrong. One of the big issues he had was people hacking the .exe to remove the Fututre Pinball Logo from the tables. The other was that people were selling his intelectal property without permision. But this was hear say so I could be completley off base. Future Pinball was revaluationry at the time and still stands up very well today. What ever he is doing I hope he is happy and knows how much joy he has brought into countless peoples lives giving us the platform to preserve and enjoy such a iconic pastime.

[TerryRed]

Today there is no reason to use a hacked FP EXE anymore.

 

The "watermark" is a real issue as it can cause burn-in for some screens.. so I get why many wanted it gone... but I also get why Chris would be pissed when ppl hacked his exe,etc.

 

Today, BAM lets you choose to have the watermark fade away after that table starts up.... and the logo is still on the loading screen, and also on the editor startup. It also has fixed many bugs / leaks, and of course added a ton of new features. (without modifying the FP exe)

 

Chris did chime in many years ago to say he thought BAM was awesome (the headtracking).., but nothing heard from him since.

 

I didn't get heavy into FP until about 2015 and on (but did dabble back in 2007).... so I was never around during the "dark times".

 

 

I hope Chris takes a look ay my Youtube channel, and sees just how far its come with BAM and the stuff I've been doing with it,

 

https://www.youtube....TerryRed/videos

Edited by TerryRed, 13 February 2022 - 03:11 AM.

[simbamame]

Might be wrong but im sure i read somewhere that he was coding for ZEN Pinball ?