19 replies to this topic

[wrd1972]

Okay I am still searching for a way to reduce all "egg ball" for the various tables on the cab.

 

Currently, all of my tables fall into 1 of 2 categories:

• 0 degree inclination
• 10 degree inclination

And of course, I cant have a perfectly round ball with both of these at the same time, using the same VP10 executable. BUT, if I tweak on the "aspect ratio offset - AOR", I can make the ball perfectly round, but for only one of my categories. The other one, will still be "egg balled".

 

So I made a copy of the VP---.exe with the hopes that I can have oneexecutable, with 0 degree ARO settings. And the second executable,  with 10 degree ARO settings. But it appears that any change to one executable, changes the other one as well. So I am gonna assume that both of the exectutables that I would prefer to use, are connected to the same setting in the registry.

 

So is there a way, that I can have two active executables, that would have different ARO settings? This would fix my eggball issue once and for all.

Thanks

 

 

[STV]

Maybe two batch files.  Each sets the required registry bits then launches vpinballx.exe  ?   

[wrd1972]

Thanks for the reply. Can anybody elaborate on this? I am not very fluent in this area. Is there something I can maybe manually change in the registry.

[gtxjoe]

You could have someone compile you a version of VPX which stores its setting in a different registry area.

Or you can download, install Visual Sudio and do it yourself if comfortable with it

[wrd1972]

That sounds like maybe the best solution. As long as someone can point me to the specific parameter to change, and its a simple change.

DJRobx would certainly know.

[Carny_Priest]

I would just code an AutoHotkey script to do the registry overwrite conditional to the table file name. Can then have the script switch the registry keys back when VPPlayer closes. Have PinballX launch the compiled script prior to table launch. I pulled this same trick a few years ago to switch nudge settings between VP9 and physmod5 before they got separate registries. Not difficult.

[wrd1972]

I would just code an AutoHotkey script to do the registry overwrite conditional to the table file name. Can then have the script switch the registry keys back when VPPlayer closes. Have PinballX launch the compiled script prior to table launch. I pulled this same trick a few years ago to switch nudge settings between VP9 and physmod5 before they got separate registries. Not difficult.

Hey thanks for replying to my issue with egg-ball.

Could you or anybody else, help me a bit more with the auto hot-key function you were referring to? Im really not very good at this kind of custom stuff.

Ultimately, all of the cab tables launched through PBX, will use 1 of 3 different ball aspect ratios, to ensure a round ball.
- 0 degree
- 10 degree
- Stretched ball

I would greatly appreciate any additional help you may be able to provide.

 

Thanks
 

[Carny_Priest]

The AutoHotkey function is RegWrite

 

https://autohotkey.c...ds/RegWrite.htm

 

If I'm not mistaken about the registry key this would enable ball stretch. I think it is enabled by default. I'm not sure what the other keys are but you can use regedit to view changes you make to Video Preferences.

 

Then the script simply launches the editor. You can set up a shortcut on your desktop and give the shortcut a meaningful name.

#NoEnv  
#SingleInstance force

; Default (Stretch Ball with Table enabled)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU, Software\Visual Pinball, BallStretchMode, 0
 
Run, "C:\Games\Visual Pinball\VPinballX.exe"

ExitApp

You have to install AutoHotkey, of course.

Edited by Carny_Priest, 07 December 2018 - 12:11 AM.

[gtxjoe]

I still had Visual Studio set up on my pincab, so here are 2 additional versions of VPX10.5 exe with unique registry settings (VP10A and VP10B).

 

https://drive.google...ckOWAiUUjTHz5MP

[Slydog43]

I'm on it.  I have that exact ahk script statement.  I think wrd1972 wants more than just a few registry entries changed though.

 

  RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Visual Pinball\VP10\Player, BallStretchMode, 1

[Carny_Priest]

Right, I don't know what those keys are because I just use the default. I think everything OP is asking for can be controlled by overwriting the registry. No need to compile separate exe. That's fine if someone wants to do that but would have to build again and again for each beta/change in source. Can probably edit the table scripts too, but would have to do it perhaps for every table installed. AHK is the way to go. Incorporating into a front-end is another layer of complexity, but no one is talking about that at the moment. I have a list of these sorts of custom configurations happening on my cab, so I have a separate launch script for VP that I use within PinballX that bypasses PinballX's integrated support.

[gtxjoe]

If you stick with official exe, you only build custom exe once per Official VPX release

Beta release registry can be used for one class of table that you use the most, like 10 degree tables. Others can use the official exe

[Carny_Priest]

Some of the recently released tables specifically require the 10.6 beta.

[wrd1972]

Wanted to give GtxJoe some big time props for helping me fix a major annoyance I had with the pincab. He provided a very well made tutorial on how to create the custom executables, that  I needed. The process was fairly quick, and they did precisely what I needed.

 

No more egg-ball on any of the different formatted tables, on the cab. 

[Thalamus]

Thanks for the setup @gtxjoe. One thing that I find confusing though. Game difficulty level, or at least, that is what I believe I read in the code - why would that belong together with flipper. Seems like there are some confusion to what this does. https://www.vpforums...=37750&p=377615

Or, well, it was explained later on, so, it is a gravity thing then ? Anyone can explain ? All I know is that if you apply high game difficulty the kickers becomes more random, so I'm just asking.

Edited by Thalamus, 02 November 2020 - 09:49 PM.

[wiesshund]

Best i can tell from trying to use it, it ramps up the table slope, increasing ball speed on the downslope, and lowering it on the up
and also making shots harder due to more fighting with gravity.

it also seems to add an increasing amount of scatter angle to kickers flippers and bumpers, but ive no idea by what math it decides the amount of increase.

And yea, we really could use an up to date and in depth VPX wiki of a lot of things

[wrd1972]

I would like a newer more thorough explanation on difficulty too.

[Mitchell]

I think the reason why the ball shape like a egg because of the backdrop options isn't right. Have nothing to do with the ball itself. Whole table with the ball is doing that. My old VP tables from 2012 isn't set up right for my new computer and screen. lol

 

But on this new table the screen and VP settings good for my screen. More rounded ball. Screenshot

 

You will have to change the settings on the backdrop screen to fix that issue.

Attached Files

•  Screenshot (43).png   512.92KB   1 downloads

Edited by Mitchell, 04 November 2020 - 02:21 AM.

[wrd1972]

As the layback is increased usually above 60, the ball starts getting progressively more egg-shaped. The backdrop settings I prefer that give me the best looking to scale playfield results in me having egg-ball. I then remove the egg-ball by tweaking the aspect-ratio offset in the video/graphics options settings. Ideally it would be best if the ball could maintain a perfectly round shape and not be affected by layback.

[Mitchell]

I had to redo the cabinet table. I deleted it without thinking when I was trying to get the VPM work yesterday. lol

 

Anyway I gotten the ball round on the cabinet version. Here is my cabinet settings. I don't use layback at all.

Attached Files

•  Screenshot (48).png   478.31KB   2 downloads
•  Screenshot (48).png   152.26KB   2 downloads

Edited by Mitchell, 04 November 2020 - 11:20 PM.