65 replies to this topic

[jimmyfingers]

Bram Stoker's Dracula 8-step GI FS Lighting and BMPR Physics MOD



Version: 1.04.2
Category: VP 9.x MOD Cabinet Tables (FULL SCREEN)

Author(s): JPSalas, JimmyFingers (Light MOD, BMPR / Flipper Physics, and B2B)

Description:
Based on Bram Stoker's Dracula VP91x v1.04 FS by JPSalas and myself (B2B collision additions)
-------------------------------------------------------
Update 1.04.2:
- Ball Momentum Physics Routine (BMPR) added
- Variable flipper strength routine added
- Overall physics tweaking and matching to papa.org / pinball.org tutorial video
- Other sound enhancements

For more details on this MOD and specifically the flipper routine / capabilities see the video demo posting here: http://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopi...mp;#entry183408

Update Notes:
- For slightly faster play that appears to still hold the same flipper shot capabilities, change friction from .0037 to .0035 and min / max slope from 4.8 to 5.0 (again disregard the "value" of slope as it no longer means the same "angle" once the BMPR is applied / active)
- For the exact same view as the demo / PAPA video, Use the following settings: Inclination 3, Field of View 30, Layback 30, XY Rotation 360, X Scale .75 (for WS monitors), Y Scale 1, X Offset 1, Y Offset 1
- This will probably be the last time I leave the BMPR status lights on the table; To get rid of them, don't delete them but simply select all (from left side without selecting any other objects / kickers completely), then right click on area not overlaying with a kicker and choose translate (x -600 should do it)
- Thanks again to JPSalas for letting me extensively re-MOD this MOD and for his amazingly well done original BSD table
- I used Noah's / UncleReamus' ball image so thanks / credit to them

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"Light" MOD:
- Similar concept as my first GI8 table (Scared Stiff)
- Added 8 step x 3 zone GI fading / levels utilizing the GICallBack2 function available for WPC tables
- Altered general lighting on PF, lights, plastics, and other objects (somewhat of a night MOD)
- Added additional GI plastic lit levels (4 + off - Scared Stiff only had PF image GI for 8 levels on mostly just on and off for plastics)
- Added all Playfield flashers with alpha ramp technique (about half a dozen)
- Added lit from beneath 8 level ramp using alpha and solid ramp hybrids
- Added new bumper images with same multi-level lighting as other plastics
- Added Bumper base / walls lighting for basic on off GI lighting changes
- Converted colour of bumpers, posts, and some plastics from blue to red as seems to be the default when viewing the majority of pictures, videos, and flyer information (left rubbers at same colour even though the original / factory seemed to be for white ones - some pictures on ipdb.org have a blue plastics / black rubber version which I think may have been a reference for the original VP 91x table by JP)
- And the best news of all is that I've managed to make this version with essentially no impact on performance from the original versions
- As usual, I've left the table unaltered in all non-lighting / MOD unrelated areas to keep it the same as the base versions with respect to things like physics, etc. (everybody has there own preference there so my motto is to change only what I need for the GI8 and visual / performance aspects)

- Huge thanks to JPSalas for giving me permission to post this 2nd GI8 MOD, his continued support, and for also providing me with higher quality images to work with for the project
- Also thanks again to UW, oooplayer1ooo, and the others who push the VP lighting capabilities
- Further thanks to UW and JPsalas for their help, correspondence, and contributions to me and the VP scene in general
- Thanks also to Noah and the other members who have created bits of script for things like the nudging, B2B collisions, rolling sounds, and other tidbits that can be added to help the tables play more realistically
- Lastly thanks to past and future table authors and members who provide me and the community with resources to help make VP and these GI8 / Light MOD versions as good as possible

Wanted to make this a Christmas present for the community but couldn't get it done in time, so Happy New Year instead!

This table has turned into another great light show and I think overall looks even a little better / more real then the Scared Stiff GI8 MOD but does not utilize the 8 level GI quite as much (the flashers came out great I think though and are quite active during game play plus the tone of the blue worked out very nice with the GI lighting changes)

Performance, as I say above, is essentially unaffected, however, you likely will not be able to run it at 1080P without a 1GB graphics card. I use and did most of the testing on Windows 7 systems and it ran great so people with Windows XP set-ups, like most people have witnessed, will likely have even higher FPS.

Notes:
1) The table has been set-up with various elements carefully "stacked", if anything get's changed on or in the table, with respect to drawn in front or drawn in back changes, graphical problems / oddities may be observed
2) Sometimes the table failed to load or yielded a mostly black screen - retrying or restarting VP and retrying would generally resolve

Once again, I've done everything I can with my current knowledge and skill set to make the table as efficient and "runnable" as possible. Some huge things I've learned on alpha ramps are if you can work with ramps with the bare minimum of 2 control points (squares / rectangles only) it is much more preferred for performance as the minute you add a 3rd control point on an alpha ramp, especially when using a series of them for GI lighting, FPS is noticably dropped. So, work with square alphas where you can and turn alphas into solid and you can free up and improve FPS and general fluidity!).

I had some sound issues / hick-ups when running the VP executable on a single core but were resolved when allowing VP to run on multiple cores - could be my set-up, sound card, or windows 7 thing

View File

Submitted by jimmyfingers, on Jan 16 2012, 12:05 AM

Edited by jimmyfingers, 28 June 2012 - 10:35 PM.

[Rawd]

Looks incredible! Thanks a lot. Can't wait to get it onto the cabinet.

[bladexdsl]

aww yeah plays flawlessly on my cab

i vote for totan 8-step GI FS Lighting MOD next

Edited by bladexdsl, 16 January 2012 - 05:46 AM.

[Aaron James]

i just played it and i was pretty impressed. It's hard to improve on a JP table...and i think you did. I like how dark it gets when you get "mystery"...just like the real game!

[gStAv]

Looking great! Hope that it plays just as nice on my cab with the ledwiz in the mix as it did on my stationary pc!
Welll done!

[JAM0]

Wow Jimmy, looks fabulous like you said, perhaps better than SS which is saying a lot as that is a virtual masterpiece. Only had a chance to load it up and take a look -- will give it an extended work-out later today Love BS Dracula.

On another thread you were asking for suggestions for your next table. I watched this tutorial http://pinball.org/v...-pinball-party/ and was blown away by the light show and immediately thought of you It seems like it might be the ultimate canvas for your art.

Edited by JAM0, 16 January 2012 - 08:51 AM.

[lettuce]

Great work Jimmyfingers!!, really adds to an already great table!!.


Shame you wasnt able to include Highlnders/Grizz redraw playfield

[ced]

The tables with light GI8 are AWESOME !!

Thx you very much Jimmyfingers for your MOD !!!

ced.

[chriz]

awesome work! I love it - plays smooth like silk!

[numiah]

Plays as smooth as soft ice cream !
Thank you a million for all your efforts !

Edited by numiah, 16 January 2012 - 05:58 PM.

[jimmyfingers]

Great work Jimmyfingers!!, really adds to an already great table!!.


Shame you wasnt able to include Highlnders/Grizz redraw playfield

They're still finishing the redraw off to my understanding. When talking with Grizz I mentioned that as long as it lines up pretty much the same I would likely be able to do the MODed MOD version without too much repeated work. I wanted to get this one finished off and out there first and verify things were working well and not bugs were introduced with my graphics changes.

The table is / was a pretty solid version already at the 1.04 level and ran fine even with the B2B code added. But sometimes while working to the extent required to get the GI8 / alpha ramps working well and effictiently, some things may get accidetnally altered (last time on SS I changed a ramp to save on some alpha processing and a trigger was surfaced on the one that had deleted control points - leaving a switch never triggered and throwing off the right ramp shot).

In short, nothing I did should affect the core coding / functionality but I want to make sure it's all working well first, then when the modded PF is out, will take a look at throwing that version out there as well

Might have to take a little break first though as this MOD took me almost 2 months to complete and I'd say about 120 hours of actual work. I have some other VP and even real life things I gotta sort out in the immediate future. Just this last push to get the FS version and destkop out the door took two days vacation from work and the better part of the weekend.

I really don't know how the "real" authors in this community actually do it and make such great tables in reasonable or even unbelievably quick time frames. Sure, on the lighting I'm going into a certain extra depth intentionally. That's what's kinda nice about working on an already solid / great table from a fantastic author like JP as it allows me to just play around in the frilly bits of lighting and lighting callback routines being able to spend all sorts of time in those areas because I didn't have to worry about the main build / code. But, I'm amazed still at how much work a VP table can take, what depths certain elements can be explored, and how much time in ones life can get absorbed to complete.

[JAM0]

Well Jimmy, that was time very well spent as the result is incredible!!! There is nothing like having that intricate lighting to create realism during play! And I don't want to forget to thank JP again as well for making it all possible.

One question: every time I got castle multiball, when I would shoot the left ramp the ball would lock again. So I would start out with 3 ball multi-ball and then shoot the left ramp and the be down to 2 and then shoot the ramp, and down to 1,etc.
It didn't matter if this was the only multiball running or if it was in combination with coffin or mist, or all 3 running together -- it happened in all these circumstances. Not sure if this is supposed to happen or not but I don't think it is.

Anyway, great job Jimmy!

Edited by JAM0, 16 January 2012 - 09:36 PM.

[jhoward1082]

Hoping someone can help me out. I am getting a "machine terminated before it initialized" error when trying to run this table. Curiously, I can run the original JPSalas table just fine which is using the same exact rom so I'm pretty sure my rom file isn't corrupt. I also tried downloading a new copy of the rom and replacing it just to make sure that wasn't the issue and had no luck. I also tried changing the rom in the script to a different drac rom just to test and I got the table to load once but every subsequent load since gives the machine terminated error. Anyone have any ideas as to what else I can check and/or try. Thanks in advance. Awesome looking table by the way. Love the 8-step GI lighting.

[JAM0]

The only thing I might suggest is try reducing max textures to 1024 as a test. Make sure you close out VP and restart after changing setting.

Hope this helps

[settingsons]

Many thanks Jimmy (and to JP for the original table) - the effects are very impressive. Plays really smooth with UVP - not a single stutter to be seen. cheers!

[jimmyfingers]

Well Jimmy, that was time very well spent as the result is incredible!!! There is nothing like having that intricate lighting to create realism during play! And I don't want to forget to thank JP again as well for making it all possible.

One question: every time I got castle multiball, when I would shoot the left ramp the ball would lock again. So I would start out with 3 ball multi-ball and then shoot the left ramp and the be down to 2 and then shoot the ramp, and down to 1,etc.
It didn't matter if this was the only multiball running of if it was in combination with coffin or mist, or all 3 running together -- it happened in all these circumstances. Not sure if this is supposed to happen or not but I don't think it is.

Anyway, great job Jimmy!

Can you check this behaviour with the original 1.04 (non-GI8) table and let me know if the same thing happens. I will also look to see if a trigger again was affected on the ramp, however, the area I was adjusting the ramp was at the entrance and it seems that most switches occur after the "point of now return" so that the ball has been confirmed to have made the ramp.

Is it also possible it's by design? It doesn't quite sound like it with capturing more than one ball, but I thought I read somewhere that when it does recapture a ball in one of the modes and a jackpot item then becomes active. I've seen a couple pins (High Speed) comes to mind that capture a ball when in multi-ball mode to elevate to even a higher "level". In any case, do me a favour and check out the scenario you describe on the base version and let me know. Thanks.

Hoping someone can help me out. I am getting a "machine terminated before it initialized" error when trying to run this table. Curiously, I can run the original JPSalas table just fine which is using the same exact rom so I'm pretty sure my rom file isn't corrupt. I also tried downloading a new copy of the rom and replacing it just to make sure that wasn't the issue and had no luck. I also tried changing the rom in the script to a different drac rom just to test and I got the table to load once but every subsequent load since gives the machine terminated error. Anyone have any ideas as to what else I can check and/or try. Thanks in advance. Awesome looking table by the way. Love the 8-step GI lighting.

Definitely try reducing the Max. Texture size to 1024 as JAM0 describes. The ROM message is likely nothing about the ROM but just that the process is crapping out loading the table and at different points in a failed attempt different messages or Program crash types can be observed. Do you have a 1GB video card or higher? If not you are not likely going to be able to run this FS version at 1080P without diminishing the textures. Also, when it crashes while attempting to load (whatever type or message stated), do not try again without first restarting VP assuming it has not also crashed in the process.

[thewool]

Hello JimmyFingers, just got this loaded up and have taken a quick break to say what a great mod you've produced!

I never realised you have to invest so much effort into a mod like this. 120+ hours of anyones free time is a significant chunk, especially when you have to use holidays from work, so it's a big cheers from me. Fantastic work that man...

Off back to play the table now!

[jhoward1082]

Hey Jimmy, I reduced the textures to 1024 per JAM0's advice and the table does load now. I do have a 1GB card (dual GTS450) and haven't run into a table yet that my setup couldn't handle. I may have to think about a graphics card upgrade in the future. Again, awesome job on the table.

Well Jimmy, that was time very well spent as the result is incredible!!! There is nothing like having that intricate lighting to create realism during play! And I don't want to forget to thank JP again as well for making it all possible.

One question: every time I got castle multiball, when I would shoot the left ramp the ball would lock again. So I would start out with 3 ball multi-ball and then shoot the left ramp and the be down to 2 and then shoot the ramp, and down to 1,etc.
It didn't matter if this was the only multiball running of if it was in combination with coffin or mist, or all 3 running together -- it happened in all these circumstances. Not sure if this is supposed to happen or not but I don't think it is.

Anyway, great job Jimmy!

Can you check this behaviour with the original 1.04 (non-GI8) table and let me know if the same thing happens. I will also look to see if a trigger again was affected on the ramp, however, the area I was adjusting the ramp was at the entrance and it seems that most switches occur after the "point of now return" so that the ball has been confirmed to have made the ramp.

Is it also possible it's by design? It doesn't quite sound like it with capturing more than one ball, but I thought I read somewhere that when it does recapture a ball in one of the modes and a jackpot item then becomes active. I've seen a couple pins (High Speed) comes to mind that capture a ball when in multi-ball mode to elevate to even a higher "level". In any case, do me a favour and check out the scenario you describe on the base version and let me know. Thanks.

Hoping someone can help me out. I am getting a "machine terminated before it initialized" error when trying to run this table. Curiously, I can run the original JPSalas table just fine which is using the same exact rom so I'm pretty sure my rom file isn't corrupt. I also tried downloading a new copy of the rom and replacing it just to make sure that wasn't the issue and had no luck. I also tried changing the rom in the script to a different drac rom just to test and I got the table to load once but every subsequent load since gives the machine terminated error. Anyone have any ideas as to what else I can check and/or try. Thanks in advance. Awesome looking table by the way. Love the 8-step GI lighting.

Definitely try reducing the Max. Texture size to 1024 as JAM0 describes. The ROM message is likely nothing about the ROM but just that the process is crapping out loading the table and at different points in a failed attempt different messages or Program crash types can be observed. Do you have a 1GB video card or higher? If not you are not likely going to be able to run this FS version at 1080P without diminishing the textures. Also, when it crashes while attempting to load (whatever type or message stated), do not try again without first restarting VP assuming it has not also crashed in the process.

[jimmyfingers]

Hey Jimmy, I reduced the textures to 1024 per JAM0's advice and the table does load now. I do have a 1GB card (dual GTS450) and haven't run into a table yet that my setup couldn't handle. I may have to think about a graphics card upgrade in the future. Again, awesome job on the table.

In that case, just try to load it 3 or 4 times, or change the setting from 2048 to full or alphas from half to full (mix up the settings and plug away and you should be able to get it to load at 1080p on a clean / optimized system. Also, try it at max textures and 1600x900 or something to also see at what point you start getting the problem. I know on my system with 1 GB I still had troubles occasionally loading and had to throw a couple attempts at it once in a a while (not ideal but I wanted it at 1080p and all textures at 1024 x 2048 if possible). It also seemed from the SS release that I had more problems with this than the average users based on not hearing of really anybody with the same problem so went on the same route where it it still works on mine 2 out of 3 times that it should be good for the masses. I think my Windows 7 vs. most peoples Windos XP for their cabinets plays a role in this being a bit less periodically "loadable" as well.

You could also try exporting a the intermediary plastic 1024x2048 images (levels 1,3 and 5), converting them to 1024x1024 and re-importing so that the PF and it's levels are still crisp and maybe avoid dropping below the 2048 Max Texture setting.

[jimmyfingers]

Hello JimmyFingers, just got this loaded up and have taken a quick break to say what a great mod you've produced!

I never realised you have to invest so much effort into a mod like this. 120+ hours of anyones free time is a significant chunk, especially when you have to use holidays from work, so it's a big cheers from me. Fantastic work that man...

Off back to play the table now!

The 120 hours is partly because of the tangents and techiques used in attempts to keep the table running well / smooth while adding these new components. For example, the 8 level GI left ramp lighting could really only be done with alpha ramps given it's nature (for angle independant at least), but to take 8 copies of that alpha ramp section that had several control points / contours and process them for multi-level lighting calls cut the performance down by about 60 - 70 % (huge amounts). What I did instead was rejigged that ramp so that all the lighting could be done on a smaller straight piece of alpha ramp at the base (still multiplied by 8) then rejoined to the rest of the singular, contoured (non-lit) alpha ramp higher up. That process and mainly the messing around with joining it up to look like nothing was done took an entire evening on it's own. It also implied some extra graphics work to cut and manipulate the ramp decal piece to look split at the right point and properly lit. But, I didn't want to compromise the levels of GI or the system performance attained, so, I arguably got to a fairly deep level of detail on that component.

In the end, I was quite content to spend that time with how that left ramp lighting levels worked out. But it's these nuances on just one element of many for the overall MOD that add up and at times had me wondering if I'm just going into too much detail / or too stuborn on not giving up on something I wanted to include or achieve for the table.

Overall, I definitely plan on future GI8 MODs to take less time building using what I've learned so far regarding how best to go about some concepts for lighting work and VP in general.