15 replies to this topic

[xzotic]

Great work on the release and updates of DOFLinx - Thanks for all your continued hard work. 

 

I'm trying to work out if I'm experiencing all the intended DOF effects via DOFLinx (8.05) with PinballFX or if there is something up with my config. I understand there is a base set of effects and then specific FX table files (for those that are done). 

 

So a few things I just want to check if it's normal or not:

1. I don't get any SSF for pop bumpers, ball movement or rail ramps on the base config or the specific tables that have FX files.  I do get ball drops, flippers and sling SSF.

 

2. My shaker motor gets triggered for some events however I don't think I've heard my wiper motor or knocker on any of the tables that have been done
 

3. I get a low amount of lighting effects on the williams tables that have specific table files. For 8.05 for example Attack From Mars has some lighting flashers but it's missing a lot of flashes that you would get in VPX/DOF. Killing the saucer for example has no flashing effects for the entire explosion sequence. 

 

4. For ZEN originals with FX files I have found (eg BIO Labs and Xena) that flashers are often held on for long periods rather than just flashing on and off. None appear to get completely stuck on but many stay on for long periods. 

 

That's all for now - I just want to check what the normal behaviour is at this stage of development and if the above is normal then that's all good. I'm likely to release a video about DOFlinx with DOF/SSF and PinballFX in the near future so want to make sure that what I am showing is what is available in terms of the effects to-date.
 

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

 

 

[DDH69]

You probably don't have anything wrong with your config.  Effects are currently limited and I've only looked at about 20 out of 120 tables, those I've looked a bit harder at have a table.FX file.  There are also a couple of odd bits that I'm chasing down with the team from Zen.  While the base integration is running, there is a lot of configuration to go and probably a few unknown issues yet to be found.

 

To answer your questions;

1. Each table has events with different names.  There are a number of semi-common names across the range of tables, but no guarantee of commonality.  To get most tables running the most common event names are in All_Pre.FX that applies to all tables.  In this file you will see BUMPER01, BUMPER02, BUMPER03, the most common names for the pop / jet bumpers.  If you look in Xena.FX you will notice COLL_BUMPER01 / 2 / 3, so a different name.  Without the Xena.FX file linking via an alias COLL_BUMPER01 to BUMPER01 there would be no action, SSF or otherwise for the bumper.  So, in short, All_Pre.FX will make bumpers including SSF work on most tables, but not all.

 

2. No FX files are yet referencing the knocker or gear motor

 

3. The Williams tables are currently not generating a lot of events, this is being looked into.  There is not intended to be, and never really will be a parallel between the FX series and VPX.  I know I managed to get FX3 to do a saucer effect.  At present there is no event being sent for the saucer, more to come on this.

 

4.  In Xena it should be 2 seconds per triggering by loop and 1.5 seconds for the bumpers and slings.  When looking to answer this I noticed the slings were only set for 10mS not 1.5 sec, I'll fix that with an updated FX file.

[DDH69]

Looking further I think I've stuffed up the flashers, try this Xena.FX and let me know if it seems better.  It's late Sunday for me, I'll catch up on this tomorrow.

Attached Files

•  Xena.zip   838bytes   11 downloads

[Garyl38]

Must say Xena is amazing with lights, feedback and ssf. Well done and thank you to all working on these! Cant wait for more! Only played for 3 minutes after updating before work and you can tell the difference. Now cant wait to get home.

[xzotic]

Great, thanks for that information.

 

However, I downloaded the updated Xena FX file and it still behaves strangely for me. I have taken a video of it so you can see it in action. I've included both Xena and Attack From Mars FYI.

 

https://youtu.be/qxa967I0UeM (I turned the table sound volume down so you can just hear the SSF sounds)

 

I noticed in this version I can hear my gear motor trigger. It also appears that the red flasher and shaker motor effect that I get when using the nudge button also gets triggered on a table event without nudge. The bumpers cause lights to fire but no corresponding SSF effect. As you can see certain flashes stay on and one bottom left has an extremely short flash event. Only three of the CREE lights get enabled (two don't light up at all) and no back flasher effects. Overall it doesn't seem right so I suspect my configuration is incorrect in some way as others are reporting great results (as per Garyl38 above).
 

Outside of the above I can understand that the limitation between VPX and PinballFX is the way the programs operate with respect to table events and DOF. With VPX it is of course using vPinmame and all the lights/toys etc are mapped via DOF to each of the specific switches and components of the table which automatically get triggered when hit. So you get a rich and 'complete' DOF experience.

 

It sounds like in PinballFX they are only sending certain 'events' per table with some being inconsistent in naming and certainly not attached to the lower level table elements. Are they looking to expand the table events over time or adjust their programming logic to provide lower level triggers? I guess they won't be able to if they didn't build their table framework on actual named switches and elements on the table? If you have further insight on this it would be interesting to know. 

 

Any assistance with my configuration will also be welcome as I don't think my experience as per the video is correct.

Edited by xzotic, 20 May 2024 - 09:09 AM.

[DDH69]

Thanks for the detail feedback and video, it does help a lot.

 

(edit) thought I had it, but no, still working on it.

 

Regarding nudge, Zen do have a number of tables that self-trigger nudge.  Sorcerer's Lair was the first one I discovered this on.  Every ball launch triggers left nudge.  I even went so far as to have it on my bug list when we were developing the DOFLinx integration for PinballFX.  This is when I got the answer that its by design - cool now we know!  I did notice that Xena uses nudge.  For this reason I turned down the default run time for nudge in the All_Pre.FX file.

Edited by DDH69, 20 May 2024 - 11:14 PM.

[DDH69]

Could you give this one a try and let me know.

 

FYI - I'm chasing those flashers staying on.  If any stay on, let me know the colour.

Attached Files

•  Xena.zip   837bytes   4 downloads

[xzotic]

OK results are:

 

Working:

1. No more stuck lights. The ones that trigger, flash on and off quickly - all good 

2. Wiper and shaker motor working with shaker motor working on the nudge effect that you indicated they use on some table triggers. So same as before.

 

Not working?

a. Left middle light isn't operational on Xena however it does trigger in AFM - so I gather you are just not using it in Xena? (Previously I said two lights weren't working however it was just the one on Xena)

b. No Strobe effects (again not sure if there should be any?)

c. I get lighting on the pop bumpers as before but no SSF on them, they are silent.

 

Also I saw that other post about someone saying the processor use of DOFLINX v8.05 was high. I noticed some stutter on the table so checked my performance. While 'alt-tabbed' to windows performance monitor (i.e. PinballFX not in focus and not playing a table) it is showing DOFLinx at around 22% and PinballFX at 27%

[DDH69]

OK results are:

 

Working:

1. No more stuck lights. The ones that trigger, flash on and off quickly - all good 

2. Wiper and shaker motor working with shaker motor working on the nudge effect that you indicated they use on some table triggers. So same as before.

 

Not working?

a. Left middle light isn't operational on Xena however it does trigger in AFM - so I gather you are just not using it in Xena? (Previously I said two lights weren't working however it was just the one on Xena)

b. No Strobe effects (again not sure if there should be any?)

c. I get lighting on the pop bumpers as before but no SSF on them, they are silent.

 

Also I saw that other post about someone saying the processor use of DOFLINX v8.05 was high. I noticed some stutter on the table so checked my performance. While 'alt-tabbed' to windows performance monitor (i.e. PinballFX not in focus and not playing a table) it is showing DOFLinx at around 22% and PinballFX at 27%

 

Thank you.  Sounds like good progress.

 

a) Correct

b) Not yet, not enough events coming from the table.  If you think there is somewhere that logically should trigger it let me know where (provided it already does something else) and how long it should come on for,

c) Damn, can't see why not.  Are you getting slingshot and flipper SSF?  Any chance you can clear your DOFLinx.LOG, set DEBUG=2, do a run and post the DOFLinx.LOG file?

[xzotic]

OK thanks for that. I didn't have a specific idea for the flashers on xena - it was more of an observation that I didn't see any. Perhaps if you add them to the AFM saucer explosion along with the table lights and shaker motor I can check if they work in that sequence. That's if you have a AFM trigger event to bind to for that.

 

For the SSF sounds I am indeed getting flipper and slings but just no bumpers. I have attached the log file as requested. I also checked the sounds file directory and all the bumper sound files are in there (Bumpers_Bottom_1.wav 2/3/4/5 Bottom/Middle/Top etc) along with the flippers etc...I played the bumper wavs in media player and they all produce sound there but no sound in-game as SSF.

 

 

 

 

 

Attached Files

•  DOFLinx - Copy.log.txt   99.38KB   7 downloads

[DDH69]

Hmm, your log says that its firing this SSF.  Late here now, let me think on it overnight.

 

Are any other tables working / not working for bumpers?

[xzotic]

Yep I saw that in the logs too. Seems to be firing SSF for bumpers but I'm not getting any. 

 

The bumpers SSF don't work for any PinballFX table for me. It is indeed very strange as flippers and slings SSF work fine and the lights are triggered on bumper events - just no SSF. 

[DDH69]

Yep I saw that in the logs too. Seems to be firing SSF for bumpers but I'm not getting any. 

 

The bumpers SSF don't work for any PinballFX table for me. It is indeed very strange as flippers and slings SSF work fine and the lights are triggered on bumper events - just no SSF. 

 

Bumpers are set to side speakers whereas the rest are set to rear.  What is your SSF setup?  5.1, 7.1?  What channels do you have the exciters on?

 

You can edit the All_pre.FX file and move the speaker output in the various LOAD_SOUND= lines.  This will at least determine what's going on.

[xzotic]

I have 7.1 sound setup with the center speaker disabled.
 

I amended the All_pre.FX file and changed the bumpers to be RIGHT_REAR, REAR and LEFT_REAR. Which is the same as the flippers & Drain.  The bumpers work when using the same rear exciters. But of course the sound is incorrectly coming from the front of the machine rather than the back. So it's a workaround to make them work. 

 

So it would appear that RIGHT_SIDE, SIDE and LEFT_SIDE is not being recognised on my system via DOFLinx. 

 

In Pinvol my channel gains are referred to as Backglass gain, Rear Exciters Gain and Front Exciters Gain.  So I tried using RIGHT_FRONT, FRONT and LEFT_FRONT but that didn't produce any sound either so I gather using FRONT is not a valid name. 
 

If I load a table up in VPX I hear all SSF including the bumpers and I can tell it is correctly triggering those bumpers for the exciters at the back of my machine and the flippers are triggering the front exciters. 
I additionally had done a sound channel test and all four exciters work correctly individually. 

Edited by xzotic, 22 May 2024 - 12:53 PM.

[DDH69]

I have 7.1 sound setup with the center speaker disabled.
 

I amended the All_pre.FX file and changed the bumpers to be RIGHT_REAR, REAR and LEFT_REAR. Which is the same as the flippers & Drain.  The bumpers work when using the same rear exciters. But of course the sound is incorrectly coming from the front of the machine rather than the back. So it's a workaround to make them work. 

 

So it would appear that RIGHT_SIDE, SIDE and LEFT_SIDE is not being recognised on my system via DOFLinx. 

 

In Pinvol my channel gains are referred to as Backglass gain, Rear Exciters Gain and Front Exciters Gain.  So I tried using RIGHT_FRONT, FRONT and LEFT_FRONT but that didn't produce any sound either so I gather using FRONT is not a valid name. 
 

If I load a table up in VPX I hear all SSF including the bumpers and I can tell it is correctly triggering those bumpers for the exciters at the back of my machine and the flippers are triggering the front exciters. 
I additionally had done a sound channel test and all four exciters work correctly individually. 

 

 

There is a table in the guide that explains the various names to use speakers / speaker combinations.  They translate directly to the Bass.dll standard settings.  I don't have a 7.1 setup so can not test this.  There are 10+ people that I've heard from with confirmation of all working, so not sure what to suggest to you.

[xzotic]

Great, thanks - that was just the information I needed to focus in on my speaker configuration in Windows. 

 

Checked and found my speakers were set to quadraphonic and not 7.1. Switched to 7.1, rebooted and voila - REAR and SIDE now working as it should!

 

This isn't the first time my speaker configuration has changed from 7.1 to quadraphonic. I highly suspect Windows Update is the cause of the occasional speaker configuration reset. 

 

Not sure why the bumpers were working in VPX previously. Checked and VPX was set to 7.1 Surround Sound Feedback (Enhanced). It must have been outputting to both rear and side together. Not sure, but that originally threw me in terms of the possible root cause. 
 

Anyway, pleased to report that everything is now working as it should and I have a much better understanding of the current state of DOFLinx 8.x with PinballFX, the constraints imposed by ZEN and the possible improvement pathway going forward. 

 

I'll hold off doing a video to explain the effects until DOFLinx 8.x matures a little more and you have had the chance to work out with Zen any further possible improvements in terms of extended triggers, support for table ball rolling sounds etc. 

 

Thanks again for all your hard work developing DOFLinx and for all your insights and assistance with solving my bumper(side exciters) issue. 

Edited by xzotic, 23 May 2024 - 04:18 AM.