584 replies to this topic

[UltraPeepi]

 

http://youtu.be/xbk5aZ3cQ-Q

 

http://ultradmd.wordpress.com

 

I did not want to create UltraDMD.  I just wanted to create an original table with some DMD animations.  I have spent quite a bit of time trying to find the best solution.  Since I wasn't happy with anything available, I decided to build UltraDMD.

 

UltraDMD is an ActiveX control that is built around XDMD.  Most of the rocket science is in XDMD.  I am just adding a layer to make it trivial to incorporate DMD support (including support for pinDMD).

 

I do not plan to make this system capable of doing "everything".  I am going to start basic and add capabilities as needed.

 

If you are an original table author, and would like to add DMD support, please PM me to get a pre-alpha version.  I am interested in feedback as I am trying to scope out the feature set and object model.

 

If you are an original table author, and don't want to hassle with creating DMD animations, consider using UltraDMD.  This will be the easiest way to add a scoreboard (with up to 4 players, a field for "credits" and one for "ball number" / "game over").

 

 

EDIT (July 8, 2015):

See post #146 for detailed install instructions (thanks to RYSr).

 

There used to be a dependency on the Fonts folder - but that requirement was remove in the April 23, 2014 build.

 

Here are the minimum files required to launch UltraDMD.exe

 

atl90.dll

Flash.dll

libusb0.dll

UltraDMD.exe

XDMD.dll

XDMDNative.dll

 

Other files may be needed to do cools stuff like playing videos etc:

Flash.ocx

Microsoft.DirectX.DirectDraw.dll

 

And YES UltraDMD.exe needs to be in the same folder as the rest of the files.

 

Edited by UltraPeepi, 08 July 2015 - 11:54 PM.

[randr]

Wow! This is great!


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[javier1515]

looks amazing!

[boogies2]

Sounds really awesome!  On the vid @ 2:49 - I can see two completely different images of the scoring.  I'm assuming that's an example of what can be done using the utility.

[randr]

Could this "active x control" be used while in frontend? Like to scroll through directions of how run frontend or demos of dmd images while at each game in frontend?


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[arngrim]

Finally a decent solution for original tables and frontend with pindmd?
Can you integrate videos like in scarface? Sorry i couldn't check all the video from where i am now

[UltraPeepi]

Can you integrate videos like in scarface?

 

 

There will definitely be video support.  That's one of the ways I'm going to be able to keep the interface simple.  If UltraDMD doesn't quite do what you want, make your animation into a video.

 

pindmd?

 

pindmd support for sure.

 

while in frontend?

 

I think most front ends have their own solution.  XDMD support is built into PinballX, and HyperDMD was designed for HyperPin.  I am really focusing on the VP scenario.  But it will be easy, to add a command line parameter to allow passing in a video or image.

 

On the vid @ 2:49 - I can see two completely different images of the scoring

 

 

Right.  I had the two completely in sync, but I started tweaking how I wanted it to behave in UltraDMD, and I didn't go back and make the same tweak to the HyperDMD scene.

[unclewilly]

This is awesome. I'll be starting some originals in the coming weeks.

So does xdmd convert the images to dots and do the images/fonts
And videos need to be sized for the dmd or does it scale them automatically

Great work, vp has needed this for years

[Xendo]

So whats the difference between this and Hyperdmd from the Hyperpin guys?  From what I understand original games can be done in VP using Hyperdmd calls.

[sigma415]

.....  But it will be easy, to add a command line parameter to allow passing in a video or image.

 

 

 

Command line parameter for standalone .exe would be great

[UltraPeepi]

So does xdmd convert the images to dots and do the images/fonts
And videos need to be sized for the dmd or does it scale them automatically

 

XDMD does convert to dots.  So you should be able to just grab existing artwork and use it without much tweaking.

Videos should be resized.  XDMD allows the ability to pan over a video and display a "windowed" view into video; but I don't plan to expose this in v1.

 

whats the difference between this and Hyperdmd

From what I understand original games can be done in VP using Hyperdmd

 

 

If you look at the video, there are two virtual DMDs: the top one is UltraDMD, the bottom one is HyperDMD.  So, yes, you can author original tables using HyperDMD.  However, if you will notice in the video, the startup time for UltraDMD is less than 1 second (the table appears at 0:06 and the UltraDMD animation start a fraction of a second later).  The HyperDMD appears at 0:08 (two seconds after the table appears), but there is supposed to be a title screen.  It doesn't appear, so I gave up waiting for it and started pressing the coin key; and the scoreboard appears (at 0:22).  Also notice the animations when the ball drains at 1:26, 1:58, and 2:44.  The animations are much smoother with UltraDMD than with HyperDMD.  The ball drain at 1:58 looks pretty good on both; but the other two show dropped animation frames.  FYI - the timing is slightly off - I didn't feel the need to perfectly synchronize them.

 

Also, I am focused on providing a good solution for table authors.  I will have some built in scoreboard along with some stock scenes common to pinball.

 

Believe me, I would only be doing this if I couldn't get where I wanted to be with HyperDMD.

[tspeirs]

Great job and great to see XDMD being used. This is the kind of thing I hoped for with it. XDMD is still on the first release so if you need any changes or bug fixes let me know. Seems to be working very well though.

[tspeirs]

PS: I added a link from http://xdmd.info to this page.

 

Keep up the good work.

[UltraPeepi]

I added a link from http://xdmd.info to this page

 

Sweet.

[UltraPeepi]

UltraDMD now has video support.

 

In creating this, however, I realize that many people authoring DMD animations will not want to build videos.  They probably want to create an animation out of a series of images.  I want this too.  So I will be adding this capability.

[chepas]

Believe me, I would only be doing this if I couldn't get where I wanted to be with HyperDMD.

 

You pm'd me a while back and asked me about this?

 

I did tell you it wasn't cutting it, especially after you get half way - 3/4 through making a game you realize, It really wasted my time and had to scrap the VP version too. So hopefully you took my advice then, but obviously not lol.

 

I would use this to finish the VP game but I'm hanging on for table editing with Pinball Unit3d. Should be able to implement something similar into that when it comes, if Lou or Billbox don't add it in anyway.

 

Not much going on in that table at all , can you spam it up a bit , give it a stress test?

Edited by chepas, 21 January 2014 - 01:11 AM.

[UltraPeepi]

I'm hanging on for table editing with Pinball Unit3d

 

 

I PM'd BilboX and louizou about incorporating UltraDMD (or variant) as their DMD solution for original tables.  They have enough work.  If this can take a load off them, and provide a capability they otherwise would not be able to provide, then great.  Hopefully, by the time they are ready for a DMD solution, I will have v1 of UltraDMD available.

 

 

after you get half way - 3/4 through making a game you realize, It really wasted my time

 

Amen.  HyperDMD has some great features.  But there are reasons there are no original VP tables using HyperDMD (AFAIK).

[unclewilly]

Can't wait for this ultrap

[Zablon]

Awesome. Looking forward to seeing how this comes along. I really like HyperDMD, and it isn't difficult to use (hell "I" figured it out), and it really is kind of odd that no one uses it... (aside from the lack of pindmd2 support currently). Any less resource intensive/faster responding solution is always welcomed.

[UltraPeepi]

Added outline / fill font capabilities.  This will help some kinds of text stand out.  This is especially useful when displaying text in front of a video.

Added image list animation.  So you can build up a series of images and have them displayed in sequence at a specified interval.  My guess is, most original table animations will be of this type.

 

I am creating a sample table that will show off many of the capabilities.  Now I just need to create nice looking art to maximize the impact of the DMD display/animations.

 

BTW.  The video rendering can optionally play the audio.  I was planning to do all my audio in VP.  Audio that is part of a video clip, often needs to be well synchronized with the video.  I don't expect that image list animations require this level of audio/video synchronization.  Does anyone think that UltraDMD should be handling audio (other than as part of video playback)?