37 replies to this topic

[jimmyfingers]

File Name: Sorcerer UR/NF VP9.1.x High Res. and BMPR Physics MOD FS
File Submitter: jimmyfingers
File Submitted: 08 Oct 2012
File Category: VP 9.x MOD Cabinet Tables (FULL SCREEN)
Author(s): UncleReamus
Noah Fentz
JimmyFingers
Manufacturer: Williams
Year: 1985
ROM: Link to ROM
Media Pack: Link to Media Pack
Permission to MOD?: No

High Res. and Ball Momentum Physics Routine (BMPR) MOD:

- High Resoltuion textures (from original but defunct link with original table posting - had them saved)
- Added B.M.P.R. routine, tuned all table physics / rubbers, and matched / compared extensively with PAPA.org video for various components
- Added B2B collision script / sounds
- Added Enhanced Rolling Sounds
- Added variable volume / strength based sounds for rubbers, flippers, and other table objects
- Variable flipper strength / tap routine added and enhanced (10 levels of strength) with also new drop catch assistance / momentary recoil adjustmentsz
- New Flipper dampening routine to allow for better straight up table shots
- New bumper halos and base animations for GI
- New Flasher halos
- New side reflections (GI and flasher enabled)
- New ball shader routine for realtime ball image altering when GI is off
- Enhanced / optimzed alpha plunger routine
- Modified Noah's Ball image for choice of transparent or regular ball images
- Huge thanks to Noah for giving me permission to post this B.M.P.R. MOD as well as for updating and forwarding me a nice WS backdrop .psd

Notes:
1) Table looks absolutely amazing with AA and anisotropic filtering enabled (screen capture was taken with it on)
2) If changing the ball image make sure you also add a darker ball image with the same name but append the word "dark" at the end (or disable the BallShaded function calls in the GI section)
3) To compare with PAPA.org video (best for assessing physics and overall game play) set the view as 3,30,30,360,1(.75 fof WS),1,0,0)
4) Flipper catch extra coding included but is harder to execute / time on a slower moving table (see general post on the the additions to the flipper routine here: http://www.vpforums....wtopic=21431=)

Click here to download this file

Edited by jimmyfingers, 13 October 2012 - 02:51 PM.

[maceman]

Wonderful job Jimmy!! Plays and looks spectacular.

I dropped the flippers down 1 notch, and set the slope to 6.1/5.1 and it runs wonderfully on my cab!

Thanx so much for your work here!

Maceman

[jimmyfingers]

Wonderful job Jimmy!! Plays and looks spectacular.

I dropped the flippers down 1 notch, and set the slope to 6.1/5.1 and it runs wonderfully on my cab!

Thanx so much for your work here!

Maceman

Hey Maceman,

The looks of this table all are from UR/NF and I just incorporated the high res. textures that were originally available as an add-on but for which the link has since been broken. The only thing looks wise that I added is the reflections, which I think do add a little icing if i do say so myself , and the extra GI aspects for the bumpers and flasher halos for the two main flashers.

As for the physics, I would highly recommend that you check out the PAPA.org video as you'll find that the slower speed that I released this MOD with is much closer to the real thing than when you switch the slope to 5.1/6.1 (assuming you are referring to the min / max.). Of course, if you just prefer the table faster, it's all up to you, but as far as how an example of a real life version of this table goes, check out the video first as you'll see it's fairly floaty in actuality - for a really good comparison between the two, temporarily change the MOD to an overhead view using the settings I posted in the download notes.

If you want to speed it up more, I have different suggestions other than using slope, which if too much higher than the original MOD configured settings will look unnatural with the B.M.P.R. fabricating its own pull / gravity. One thing that I recommend first to try before altering table slope or any other settings and affecting the blend with the momentum MOD is to decrease friction slightly (from .0037 down to .0035 or even .0033 - I've tried .0033 and it's a very good method for simply and effectively speeding up the game play and actually enhances all directions / vectors simultaneously - apex / up table, accelleration down table, and lateral travel). Alternatively, you can alter the momentum variable called "const MYDLevel" from the current value of .06 to something around .07 or .08 which will pull the ball down just the Y axis faster (but not affect up table / the apex of the ball). I wouldn’t change the slope on it’s own much past about 4.4 or 4.5 total on this table in any case (either average of min max or both values set the same). Firepower was a similar build and I used 4.3 for it but its table dimensions were slightly different and why this one despite being more modern was a lower VP slope setting.

I tried your settings before posting this and the ball is really being pulled down hard and loses a lot of lateral action. Again, this table appears to have a reasonable amount of float and slower speed so the choices of the physics were not a personal preference but an attempt to best match the pretty decent video from PAPA

Edited by jimmyfingers, 09 October 2012 - 04:12 AM.

[htamas]

One word: awesome.
Thanks a lot, this is a great update and makes an already very good table excellent.

What are the recommended settings in the nVidia control panel?
Can you please post your values for:
Anisotropic filtering
Antialiasing - gamma correction
Antialiasing - Mode
Antialiasing - Setting
Antialiasing - Transparency

Or a screenshot showing all 3D values would be even better...

[maceman]

Thanx Jimmy,

I appreciate your comments. I will try the settings you suggest for sure!

Is it possible however that different systems/cards play different, even with similar settings. I say this because i have always found that i have my slope needs to be set much higher than most. I almost never use the settings authors set as their default, and not because i don't think there settings are valid, but i just wonder if it plays different on my system. And this goes for FP as well... Almost every table author seems to be set at less than 8 in FP (there are exceptions), and i always need to go to 9.2- 9.4 as the slope.
VP varies....

Regardless, excellenty job. I don't want to sidetrack you with my possible system issues, but i am happy to try your suggestions while having fun in doing so
Cheers,
Maceman

[jimmyfingers]

One word: awesome.
Thanks a lot, this is a great update and makes an already very good table excellent.

What are the recommended settings in the nVidia control panel?
Can you please post your values for:
Anisotropic filtering
Antialiasing - gamma correction
Antialiasing - Mode
Antialiasing - Setting
Antialiasing - Transparency

Or a screenshot showing all 3D values would be even better...

See this thread and the first post for recommended traditional AA settings. If you're using Windows XP then try the settings and the link in one of the last posts by thewool regarding FXAA (you would still use the same anisotropic filtering settings for both):

http://www.vpforums....topic=20801&hl=

Thanx Jimmy,

I appreciate your comments. I will try the settings you suggest for sure!

Is it possible however that different systems/cards play different, even with similar settings. I say this because i have always found that i have my slope needs to be set much higher than most. I almost never use the settings authors set as their default, and not because i don't think there settings are valid, but i just wonder if it plays different on my system. And this goes for FP as well... Almost every table author seems to be set at less than 8 in FP (there are exceptions), and i always need to go to 9.2- 9.4 as the slope.
VP varies....

Regardless, excellenty job. I don't want to sidetrack you with my possible system issues, but i am happy to try your suggestions while having fun in doing so
Cheers,
Maceman

Yes, it is possible but really only if you have an accelerometer or another analog joystick device connected to your computer / cab on which you are running VP. Might also depend on the VP build version too as to which devices would be supported / recognized.

One time after temporarily moving my mini-cab and confusingly actually bad timing wise as I was developing the BMPR system, I went back to play another (normal vs. BMPR WIP) table and the ball looked way to fast and is if the drain was partially made out of a black hole like substance. I had to rub my eyes and thought for a moment that I had just become too adjusted to the hours of fiddling on extending the ball apex and what not with the BMPR. Luckily, I have two systems and can compare between them in certain instances (in IT as well, which is my living, the aspect of comparison is at the root of a lot of problem solving and troubleshooting and I've always valued the ability to compare when trying to figure things out). It turned out that my accellerometer needed to be re-calibrated and afterwards thiings returned to normal - it must have got out of whack either between the moving and position in my car or the temperature maybe even as it was winter time.

So, by the sounds of things I would almost hazard a guess that if you're constantly having to increase slope in both VP and FP that something is out of alignment on your system. You should try unchecking PBW accellerometer in the table settings and see if things play different but definitely try on another rig.

One other thing that you could do to test and which would provide actual objective / quantitative data is to download and use my BMPR test table as it has a built in statistics gathering / measuring mechanism, and the video I posted about it has the values updating on what should result on a normal / non-misaligned table. A increase or decrease to the slope of the table via accellerometer manipulation (intentional or otherwise) would change the results and numbers. Heck, even just looking at how far above the line the ball travels in the video vs. runng the demo table on system with the BMPR enabled or disabled will give you a visual cue as to whether your system may be light on the gravity / pull down side.

You should download that demo and try it on your system as well as hopefully another spare PC you can find and see if the values for ball speeds at the various markers and drop times match. As I say, if you only have one system to work with, you may be able to just watch my video in that BMPR topic and compare as it should match on any given system with the demo table running at least excluding having an accellerometer in the mix.

Here is the link to that topic:

http://www.vpforums....topic=19388&hl=

Edited by jimmyfingers, 09 October 2012 - 06:35 AM.

[bolt]

Thank you Jimmy, great mod.

[unclewilly]

Awesome jimmy. Keep em coming

[maceman]

Thanx Jimmy, that is a very good idea! I will download the demo later today and see what i can determine. Maybe this will inadvertantly solve the slope issue i am having!!
I wish i had another system side by side to test as well.... I don't even think anyone lives near me to compare Anyways, thanx for those tips!!

Cheers,
Maceman

[numiah]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate these mods.
Real candy !

[T-800]

Awesome! Can't wait to get home tonight to load this on my cab and see how it plays compared to my real Sorcerer!! The high res looks really cool, from what I've seen so far on my other system the physics look really well done.

[ArcadiusMaximus]

Hi, Sorry still fairly new. Is there a way to adjust the volume on table like this? Can it be done via the rom? Awesome table but hot damn is it loud !

[jimmyfingers]

Hi, Sorry still fairly new. Is there a way to adjust the volume on table like this? Can it be done via the rom? Awesome table but hot damn is it loud !

With these generation tables, it seems there is really only two ways to control the ROM volume settings. One is within the emulation and as far as I understand you would have to unhide the DMD, click on it while playing, and set the volume using I believe the ~ key (there are topics on this site that describe that better). However, I do not believe that those settings stay from one launch to the next.

Second option is what I do and that is using UVP to force the UVP / pinmame process to become autonomous and independent in the Windows 7 volume mixer options (it will show Visual Pinball Player and also either the ROM name of the table or Ultra VP as the 2nd process). Using windows 7 mixer I set VP about 2 or 3 times louder than the UVP / pinmame process and then adjust in game my Visual Pinball volume levels down or up and lastly blend with the external speaker volume. I have a volume knob my external speakers which further helps control, however, the same could also be done using your main device out levels from windows which affect all sources equally.

If you’re on Windows XP I think there is an app out there to help with independent sound control but it wasn't an easy find and took a fair bit of searching. This sound aspect is actually one of the 2nd or 3rd top reasons I decided to keep Windows 7 as my pin mini-cab base OS.

Hope this helps and is explained decently enough. Oh yah, and yes indeed the table is pretty loud without that independent control and at times made me wonder why I spent so much time on all the table noises and ball rolling sounds as they're essentially inaudible without volume adjustments to the ROM emulation only.

Edited by jimmyfingers, 10 October 2012 - 01:50 AM.

[koadic]

Using the newest version of the Core.vbs, use F12 to set the volume, 0 being loud and -32 being quiet

[CaptainNeo]

plays great. Great job. I used my F12 and set it to -12 and that was about perfect for being in line with everything else I have.

[ArcadiusMaximus]

Using the newest version of the Core.vbs, use F12 to set the volume, 0 being loud and -32 being quiet

@JF: As always thanks for your detailed responses
@koadic: If I use F12 to adjust the volume, is it a global setting or does it only affect the table being played? Does the setting remain after exiting the table or do I have to reset it every time I load the table? Thanks !

[koadic]

@koadic: If I use F12 to adjust the volume, is it a global setting or does it only affect the table being played? Does the setting remain after exiting the table or do I have to reset it every time I load the table? Thanks !

The F12 setting is a per table adjustment, created as a workaround for the volume not being saved when adjusted via the menu brought up in pinmame with the tilde/accent key (~). This is because it is adjusted to a negative value and the registry doesn't like negative numbers. This is just like any other setting saved in the registry key for that rom, and will stay set for that rom/table until you adjust it or delete the registry key. If you delete that key, the volume settings along with all the other settings like dmd position will be erased along with it.

[ArcadiusMaximus]

@koadic: If I use F12 to adjust the volume, is it a global setting or does it only affect the table being played? Does the setting remain after exiting the table or do I have to reset it every time I load the table? Thanks !

The F12 setting is a per table adjustment, created as a workaround for the volume not being saved when adjusted via the menu brought up in pinmame with the tilde/accent key (~). This is because it is adjusted to a negative value and the registry doesn't like negative numbers. This is just like any other setting saved in the registry key for that rom, and will stay set for that rom/table until you adjust it or delete the registry key. If you delete that key, the volume settings along with all the other settings like dmd position will be erased along with it.

Oh wow this is awesome ! Literally like number 3 on my vp pet peeves list. Thanks !

[dyopp21]

Why do I have to see this when I'm stuck at work? Can't wait to get home and download this. Love this table!

Thanks for all the hard work, Jimmy!

[ArcadiusMaximus]

@koadic: If I use F12 to adjust the volume, is it a global setting or does it only affect the table being played? Does the setting remain after exiting the table or do I have to reset it every time I load the table? Thanks !

The F12 setting is a per table adjustment, created as a workaround for the volume not being saved when adjusted via the menu brought up in pinmame with the tilde/accent key (~). This is because it is adjusted to a negative value and the registry doesn't like negative numbers. This is just like any other setting saved in the registry key for that rom, and will stay set for that rom/table until you adjust it or delete the registry key. If you delete that key, the volume settings along with all the other settings like dmd position will be erased along with it.

Oh wow this is awesome ! Literally like number 3 on my vp pet peeves list. Thanks !

I tried using 'F12', but nothing pops up to let me change the volume levels. I'm using this core Better Nudging core 3.33 for use with my pbw controller. Does this core include that 'F12' option? Could I manually set it in the volume in the registry instead?