14 replies to this topic

[freyazelda]

Hello everyone,

 

I am currently working on creating an iOS app which plays a .vpx table. I have everything working, but I would like to adjust the view to see more of the table, getting rid of most of the physical elements like the legs and front of the cabinet. I would also like to get the DMD to be at the top of the screen somehow. How can I do this? Is it all from a custom ini file somehow, or do I need to edit the table in the editor and/or the script?

 

I would attach an image of what it looks like, but I do not know how.

 

Thank you!

[Fusionwerks]

I can be wrong, but i believe VPX already has a standalone app that plays vpx tables. No need to recreate the wheel.
At the top of the forum page(not mobile version) there is a "vpf image host" link. Upload your Pic, and copy and paste the link it gives you

Edited by Fusionwerks, 03 November 2025 - 07:35 PM.

[freyazelda]

Hey Fusionwerks, thank you for the response and instructions on uploading images. I have attached the images of the standalone app. I started with the Visual Pinball iOS code to create this! It made it very easy to do so.

 

Edited by freyazelda, 03 November 2025 - 08:42 PM.

[Fusionwerks]

I didn't put any legs or front of the cabinet in this table, so you should be good.?
On this table you can get rid of the side rails by disabling them in the f12 tweak menu
And I've never used the ios version, so I don't know if it is compatible with flexDMD, but you can select to use flexdmd instead of the desktop dmd in the f12 tweak menu as well. Just make the adjustments, save the adjustments by pressing the 1 key (that saves the tables ini (defaults) then save the table and try it on your app
I would also wait for the table to be published for a few days/weeks before you go live with the app in case the actual table needs to be fixed.

Edited by Fusionwerks, 03 November 2025 - 08:59 PM.

[freyazelda]

Will do, that all sounds good.

[freyazelda]

Alright, I've got a top view working, but the FlexDMD component does not work (even on desktop). I have attached an image of the top view, I think it looks pretty good.

 

Edited by freyazelda, 04 November 2025 - 03:10 AM.

[freyazelda]

I rearranged the existing DMD a bit and got it to look ok. I think one of the problems is that the DMD is at a 50 degree angle, but the back panel is at 90 degrees, so if I try to move the DMD back further, it clips into the back panel. Here is an image of the game with the DMD, using the window view, which looks even better.

 

[Fusionwerks]

That dmd is supposed to be at a 50 degree angle because it is meant to be used on a desktop arrangement. How does every other tables dmd work with the standalone vpx? You might need to start asking in the Visual pinball discord. There is plenty of people there that can probably help. I still don't know why your not just using what the devs have created. Is there a special purpose?

[freyazelda]

This is what the devs created, I just modified it to play a single game. I can't really find any documentation on the DMD with standalone tables. The special purpose is to release an app along with the album and storybook and make it easy for people to play. I'll check in on the discord, I think this solution works though, even though it's a bit hacky.

The documentation I did find for DMDs indicated to me it is meant to work with external DMDs, and maybe the standalone app is meant to work as the compute for a pinball cabinet with other hardware around it. But for software DMDs builtin to the table, I think it needs to be the desktop one you are using.

[Fusionwerks]

Try this? https://www.vpforums...l=&fromsearch=1
Is this any help?

[freyazelda]

That is the standalone app that let's you download and play lots of tables, it is great, and I used it as the basis for this app.

 

The reason to make an app dedicated to one game is so that you can have someone download the app, and without any other instructions, start playing the game. We will link to the app store on the website. The other reason to create a standalone app like this is to promote the album and storybook that go along with the pinball game, so we will include links to Bandcamp and the self-published e-book. It's not possible to do that with the published applications.

Ooooooooh, is that a DMD in the game on top of the pinball machine? I have no idea how to do that.

I think the desktop DMD is fine. If I could figure out how to angle it differently, I might be able to get it to look better, but when I change the angle, the text becomes misaligned for some reason. Having it be flat against the back panel I think could look alright, but my issue is changing the angle and then positioning it properly.

[freyazelda]

I tried the solution you linked to for using VPMDMD, but I couldn't get it to work. Honestly, I don't understand very well how Visual Pinball and DMDs are meant to work in the first place, so this is just my best attempt to get something that looks decent. I think the monocolor DMD at the bottom of the screen would be ok. I also think the existing DMD on the backpanel would look probably nicer. Anyways, would appreciate any insight/help you can offer for how to change the angle of the desktop DMD so I can make an iOS version of the vpx that doesn't have any clipping.

[Fusionwerks]

All that makes sense now, i just couldnt figure out why you were trying to make something new. Tomorrow, I can show you how to change it, or I can change it to whatever angle you want and put a copy of the table in the shared dropbox we have. We can also continue via PM

Edited by Fusionwerks, 04 November 2025 - 04:41 AM.

[freyazelda]

Check it out, I think I got it working. Wasn't understanding some things I was seeing because I'm a bit new to the editor, but this works on iPhones and keeps the DMD clear of the playfield and the borders of the iPhone:

 

I will adjust a bit more to make sure the whole playfield is in view, but I think this will work.

[freyazelda]

Last one for the night, full playfield in view with the DMD not clipping or getting cut off by the iPhone borders: