34 replies to this topic

[gtxjoe]

This is the support topic for the tutorial How to install DirectB2S backglass. Please post here if you have any questions or feedback.

[JohnnyDoe]

Some DirectB2S backglasses uses a logo on the 3rd screen instead of the dmd, but I have never gotten any of these to work or even show up anywhere.

Is there some kind of trick to this?

My screenRes looks correct and all my dmds show up correctly.

[gtxjoe]

It is probably screenres.txt related.  Post your settings and also post the screen resolution of playfield, backglass and dmd monitor and whether you have your dmd rotated sideways or not

[ElRato]

I have a question, probably in the newb category:  Most of the Direct2BS files I've gotten have the "grill" image at the bottom, with speakers and DMD.  I have a 3 screen cab build and would like to know if there is a way to edit out the grill portion of the backglass so that only the actual backglass image shows up on screen 2.  Is this possible?  Thanks in advance for any help.

[freneticamnesic]

I have a question, probably in the newb category:  Most of the Direct2BS files I've gotten have the "grill" image at the bottom, with speakers and DMD.  I have a 3 screen cab build and would like to know if there is a way to edit out the grill portion of the backglass so that only the actual backglass image shows up on screen 2.  Is this possible?  Thanks in advance for any help.

 

When the b2s is open, right click on it and change grill to "hidden", save and exit the options menu then f3 to restart VPM

Edited by freneticamnesic, 03 March 2014 - 01:11 AM.

[ElRato]

Well, it helps to fully search the forums before asking a question, just to make sure it wasn't already answered.  After doing some reading it looks like pressing "S" top get into the backglass options lets me remove the grill from most games.  Thanks again for this amazing tool, it really helps complete the pinball cabinet, I'm so grateful to everyone on these forums that has put so much effort into helping people like me relive these amazing machines!

[gtxjoe]

If you have your screenres.txt defined correctly, this should happen automatically. I have a 3 monitor setup with about 150 tables, and I have only had to go into the db2s menu a few times to tweak the settings.

Most dB2S author releases have support for 2 screen or 3 screen layout. If can not get rid of the grill on a table, see if another db2s release is available for it.

[kruuth]

I'm having trouble with my 3-screen setup. It looks like everything is on the same screen,  How do I put the table on my 44-inch screen, the dmd on the 19 and the backglass on the 32?  Here's my screenres:

 

1280
1024
1280
1024
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

[freneticamnesic]

You need to set an x/y offset and size for your dmd. Currently, that says:

lines 1 and 2: your playfield is 1280x1024 

lines 3 and 4: your backglass is 1280x1024

line 5: your backglass is on monitor 3

line 6 and 7: I don't remember what these are, they're 0 on my setup as well

line 8: dmd width is set to 0

line 9: dmd height is set to 0

line 10: dmd x offset is set to 0 (iirc this means your DMD will be on monitor one, at the very far left)

line 11: dmd y offset is set to 0, this means your dmd will be at the top of the display

line 12: I don't remember

[Outhere]

My setup

 

Attached Files

•  B2S_SetUp.jpg   38.31KB   14 downloads
•  Displays.jpg   69.76KB   11 downloads

[Brer Frog]

I downloaded “B2S Backglass Server (v1.3.0.1) 1.3.0.1” as mentioned & unzipped. The 4 files were already included with the All-In-One VP installer VP. However the All-In-One VP installer also included “B2S_SetUp.exe”. Is that something that I should run?

As mentioned, all the above “B2Sxxx” files came with the All-In-One VP installer & were placed in the Tables folder, and I started out by placing my DT tables in that default folder.

When I proceeded to download some FS tables I created a separate folder for them. This means the “B2Sxxx” files will have to be copied to the FS table folder. No big deal. But will the DT tables ever need to use the “B2Sxxx” files? IOW should I delete them from the DT table folder in order to keep things lean & clean?

[Outhere]

The B2S_SetUp.exe is used to adjusting your screen text file leave all the b2s files in the tables folder...

in your other folders that you make just copy your screen text file into them and that should be it

[Brer Frog]

This is my first attempt using 2 monitors & I’m trying to get “AFM_vp914_v2.4FS.vpt” working.

I have .NET Framework 4.6 installed.
I created a screen text file & used the parameters from both monitors.
I have the B2S files in the Tables folder.
I clicked on  B2SBackglassServerRegisterApp.exe and registered it.
In the AFM table script I changed Set Controller = CreateObject("VPinMAME.Controller") to Set Controller = CreateObject("B2S.Server").

So far the FS table comes up & plays as usual. It also displays a small DMD type display at the top of the playfield which it also previously did. The table script had DMD size & position lines but they were already commented out. I changed the Hidden = 0 to Hidden = 1 in order to get rid of the DMD display on the playfield.

But I still don’t get anything on the second monitor.

Somewhere I read about changing the directB2S filename to match the .vpt filename. Somewhere else I thought it said to change the .vpt to match the directb2S filename.
But I don’t see any mention in this thread about changing names. Are they supposed to match?

One last question, hopefully. When setting up multiple displays in Windows 7 there are several options such as “Extend these displays” and “Show desktop only on 1”. What’s the correct setting for VP? Since I don’t get the backglass showing I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.
 

[Outhere]

Yes the game and back glass files have  to be the same

AFM_vp914_v2.4FS.vpt

AFM_vp914_v2.4FS.directb2s

-

Windows 7 there are several options  --> See post 10

The bottom half of the B2S_SetUp is for 3 screen setups - leave at 0

Edited by Outhere, 28 May 2016 - 02:50 AM.

[gtxjoe]

Also try changing the backglass monitor value from 1-9 until it shows up on the 2nd monitor

 

For the DMD, don't hide it, you want it visible and you will drag it to the 2nd monitor and resize it over the backglass once you have that working

Edited by gtxjoe, 28 May 2016 - 03:13 AM.

[Brer Frog]

Thank you Outhere & gtxjoe.

I changed the table script for the DMD back to its original Hidden = 0 and also changed the rotation. Then changed the directB2S filename to match the .vpt filename. And finally dragged the DMD from monitor 1 to monitor 2.
Yay! - it works!

However the DMD won’t stay within the backglass grill area when I close the table & reopen to play. The vertical position stays the same but horizontally it gets shifted to the left side is partially off the left side of monitor 2.

“How to install DirectB2S backglass” & other postings all show similar info. I’m using the same figures but my playfield is slightly smaller.

1920 <-- Playfield screen X resolution (width)
1080 <-- Playfield screen Y resolution (height)
1280 <-- Backglass screen X resolution (width)
1024 <-- Backglass screen Y resolution(height)
2    <-- Display number for the backglass monitor
0    <-- offset for the backglass on the selected display (normally left at 0)
0    <-- offset for the backglass on the selected display (normally left at 0)
600  <-- Width of the DMD area in pixels
200  <-- Height of the DMD area in pixels
1280 <-- X position of the DMD area relative to the upper left corner of the backglass screen
0    <-- Y position of the DMD area relative to the upper left corner of the backglass screen
0    <-- Y-flip, flips the LED display upside down

 

I always see the monitor 2 “X position” the same as its width. Wouldn’t that push the DMD all the way off to the right side? And why is “Y position” always 0? Wouldn't that mean the DMD should be at the top of the screen? But mine is properly located vertically inside the backglass grill.

 

I've tried different values for the “X position” but nothing seems to make a difference. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks again.

 

Note: I did try leaving the bottom half of B2S_SetUp at 0 but it made no difference.

Edited by Brer Frog, 28 May 2016 - 01:09 PM.

[allknowing2012]

In your windows screen display settings the windows 1/2/3 need to be left to right top aligned. PF+bg+dmd

Perhaps that is the issue?

If they are not then the x/y pos that vp sends is invalid and wont be saved.

[Outhere]

The top four numbers should match the screen resolutions have in Windows
-

In your screen text file all the numbers below the backglass Display number leave at 0 for now they have nothing to do with the DMD location ... They are used if you put a image in that Location...
After you move the DMD and get it the size you want make sure you shake it around some first and see if that helps

-

http://www.vpforums....364#entry214341

-

 DMD Size and Location
---------------------
1) Right click on DMD and enable Border
2) Click and drag DMD to new location.  Click and drag on edges to resize
3) Right click and hide the border (If the DMD moves back or changes to orig size, try moving it to desired location, shake it a little before hiding the border)
 
DMD still wont save location
-----------------------------
1) Make sure you are using VPinMame Cabinet version found here: http://www.vpforums....s&showfile=6429.  You can also use the latest VpinMame beta here: http://www.vpforums.....27063&p=256944
Open the zipfile and copy just the VpinMAME.dll file to the VPinMAME subfolder in your VP folder. Overwrite the file by the same name
2) Check Windows monitor setup.  Playfield should be on Left as primary display.  DMD and Backglass monitors should be to the right of the playfield and not higher than the playfield
3) Check if table script is forcing specific DMD location.  Open the script of the table and search for these terms
1) dmd_pos_x
2) dmd_pos_y
3) SetDisplayPosition 
If you find these in the script, make sure they are commented out so they will be ignored.  Just add a ' character at the start of the line to comment it out.

Post some screenshots or take pictures with your camera sometimes that helps other people solve your problems
 

[Brer Frog]

I downloaded the VPinMame Cabinet version.
The VpinMAME.dll is dated 6-10-2012 and is 5,560 KB.

However the VpinMAME.dll that came with the VP All-In-One installer is dated 12-21-2015, 6:27AM and is 1,250 KB. It is newer than the Cabinet version, so wouldn’t it be better than the Cabinet version?

I noticed the All-In-One installer also installed VpinMAME_pinDMD1.dll and is dated 12-21-2015,  6:29 AM and is 1,251 KB. How does that differ from the VpinMAME.dll?

Here’s what I downloaded from the beta site:

“VPinMAME26_Minimal_PinDMD1.zip”.
It contains VpinMAME.dll dated 12-21-2015, 12:29 PM and is 1,251 KB.
It did NOT contain a “pinDMD1.dll” as the name implied. I have no idea if that’s significant or not.

“Visual PinMAME 2.6 (Standalone DLL) 2.6”.
It contains VpinMAME.dll dated 12-21-2015, 12:27 PM and is 1,250 KB.

The beta site listed 5 other files & said “If you do not know which download to pick, then you most likely only need the VPinMAME.zip and nothing else.” So I also got that one.
It contains VpinMAME.dll dated 5-18-2016, 8:41 AM and is 1,255 KB.

Since my current VpinMAME.dll is dated 12-21-2015 it appears it would be the latest final version (2.6) & newer than the Cabinet version. Other than being a tester for beta 2.7, do you think I’m OK using what I have?

What I came across a couple times when recently searching was to click on F1 on the open table & check the box “Cabinet Mode”. I did that on the 2 tables I’m working on and it locked in the DMD location. Does that sound like something I should have done all along?

 

The DMD positions & sizes were already commented out in the table scripts.

Here's what my Windows monitor setup looks like.

 Monitor_2.jpg   24.38KB   5 downloads

[allknowing2012]

Yes you want cabinet mode. If you run setup.exe you can make that your default.