BAM BAM Update v351 - bug fixes

[ravarcade]

https://www.ravarcade.pl/files/BAM_v1.5-351.zip

https://www.ravarcade.pl/files/bam-setup.exe

https://www.ravarcade.pl/files/BAM-OpenVR.zip

4 bug fixes:

1. Freez during table loading.
Bug introducend in v234.
Table loading freez with white window. Very rare software problem. I'm not sure what have to be installed.
All you have to know: if last working BAM version for you is v233 when new version 351 may work.

2. No or black DMD on AMD 22.7.1 drivers.
Just to be cleare. This is not driver bug. It's just that AMD drivers are more scrupulous in following the rules for glsl shaders.

3. Black surface on AMD 22.7.1 drivers.
Screen looks like this:

A lot of table objects are just black.
Problem occurs only when 2 (or more) flashers on table are turned on.
IMO this is driver bug.
In glsl there are params for light attenuation, like this:
gl_LightSource[i].constantAttenuation/linearAttenuation/quadraticAttenuation
For lights 0 and 1 it works correct, but for 2..7 all that values are 0.
I have to modify shaders and pass needed params different way.

4. Limit to 800 objects on table.
Some time ago i removed that limit.
But it occurs that i did it only for adding new objects. There was same limit for copy&paste operation.
New version removes that limit too.

 

[GeorgeH]

I never experienced #1 and have Intel chip but thank you so much for fixing the 800 limit. I was still using the alternate FP exe when I worked on tables with more than 800 objects.

By the way guys, there is a bug on FP that makes FP crash if you completely fill the "Table Author" field with spaces and text. Rav says he cannot fix this. ...So be aware. Definitely don't save a table with the field completely filled or the table cannot be recovered from crashing.

 

[TerryRed]

I never experienced #1 and have Intel chip but thank you so much for fixing the 800 limit. I was still using the alternate FP exe when I worked on tables with more than 800 objects.

By the way guys, there is a bug on FP that makes FP crash if you completely fill the "Table Author" field with spaces and text. Rav says he cannot fix this. ...So be aware. Definitely don't save a table with the field completely filled or the table cannot be recovered from crashing.

Yah, I noticed it a long while ago... so I was always careful when adding text there.

No more 800 copy / paste limits! UNLIMITED TOYS!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks @ravarcade

 

[GeorgeH]

Yah, I noticed it a long while ago... so I was always careful when adding text there.

Thanks @ravarcade

It helps to turn on FP's automatic backup. That way you won't loose everything if it happens if you save with the author filled up. I found it useful at other times also. When I work on tables, I usually add a copy of the table to a backup folder after adding a new feature that I have verified works.

 

[TerryRed]

On all my releases.... I have 100s of copies of the table as I add each new update :)

 

[xenonph]

I do the same on all of the tables I work on.
Add something to table, make copy and up the beta number at end of file name with small description of what was added also.

 

[JLou5641]

Can we hope you make the same thing for hardware lighting in the future ? ( more than 7 flasher in same time ) @ravarcade ?

 

[Popotte]

Can we hope you make the same thing for hardware lighting in the future ? ( more than 7 flasher in same time ) @ravarcade ?

For about all... A lot of limitations was due to the CPU-GPU performances. And it was not silly when FP was released (soon 17 years ago...).

 

[TerryRed]

I think because FP uses an older forward renderer, this is part of why FP is limited to 8 dynamic lights being rendered at one time (main/global light = 1, table/flashers = 7). We can have more than that... just not all on at the same time (they convert down to a normal bulb / halo).

That said... some of us are now using RTX 3080 GPUs today compared to 3DFX cards many years ago :)

 

[JLou5641]

Yep, but today we have much powerfull pc.. It's time to get better things.. Like FizX, if it was 17years ago, cpu/gpu were struggled

 

[freebird1963]

This sound more like needed if running AMD GPU and creating tables than if just playing ?

 

[Gimli]

Thanks rav for the update!!

 

[ronald71]

You are truly a Pinball Wizard.. what a great programm you made. wow BAM

 

[Liteuser.]

BAM seems to work fine here. But not all FP tables play correctly with BAM as far as I can tell.

 

[Gimli]

BAM seems to work fine here. But not all FP tables play correctly with BAM as far as I can tell.

Greetings !
Welcome to BAM
When you run a generic table in with BAM you immediately assign to that table whatever default config you are using ….this will assign many things to that table such as table and backglass size and lighting.

What it won’t do is alter the physics. That requires at minimum a simple copy and paste of new code to that tables script

Don’t be discouraged that is easy to do….look up TerryRed and GeorgeH tutorials or reach out to one of us

We are on the verge of a new era

 

[DanLShane]

Greetings !
Welcome to BAM
When you run a generic table in with BAM you immediately assign to that table whatever default config you are using ….this will assign many things to that table such as table and backglass size and lighting.

What it won’t do is alter the physics. That requires at minimum a simple copy and paste of new code to that tables script

Don’t be discouraged that is easy to do….look up TerryRed and GeorgeH tutorials or reach out to one of us

We are on the verge of a new era

O Stunted One,

Please allow me to ask for clarification for my feeble mind -- Are you saying that we can add the new FizX capabilities ourselves to any existing FP table by simply pasting in a few lines of code in the original FP script?

Or is this something we should wait for experienced coders to do, updating existing tables to add the feature?

 

[Gimli]

O Stunted One,

Please allow me to ask for clarification for my feeble mind -- Are you saying that we can add the new FizX capabilities ourselves to any existing FP table by simply pasting in a few lines of code in the original FP script?

Or is this something we should wait for experienced coders to do, updating existing tables to add the feature?

I think a tutorial is pending that will help all of our feeble minds

Cosmic Princess is available to review

But my feeble mind believes that everyone can easily learn the process and it will probably involve:

1. Copy and paste of the magic code
2. Addition of some modified table collision items in table editor
3. Some prescribed settings in table editor for bounce, table angle etc …

 

[AnonTet]

Code is just "C&P" unless you simply load from external files and call them. The "default" options to make everything work should be a good starting point with the *must be looked at" option beeing swing angle that has to be the same in the options AND editor.

points .2 and .3 seemed like a lot of work (even to me that keep up with the whole process since the beginning) but a package with resources is being prepared so it'll be mostly importing them and replace the objects on the table with the new models.

After that is basically renaming stuff so... while it seems dull job, it is so because it is easy :)

Finetuning comes with experience as one gets acquainted with the options but i'm confident not much is needed unless special cases.

 

[TerryRed]

O Stunted One,

Please allow me to ask for clarification for my feeble mind -- Are you saying that we can add the new FizX capabilities ourselves to any existing FP table by simply pasting in a few lines of code in the original FP script?

Or is this something we should wait for experienced coders to do, updating existing tables to add the feature?

Gimli was referring to adding the older DF1 physics (which is mostly copy and paste of code) and the tutorials me and George already have here on PN.

Some older tables were meant to run with hacked FP exes that used specific xml physics settings (before the days of BAM)... so when they are run on a proper install today (no hacked exe).... they run very poorly. So they need an update to their physics and the table to run correctly again.


FizX will require more (as mentioned above), and a better understanding of it's settings. I can add it to a table easily enough now, but I still need JLou / AnonTet's help for understanding the different settings and how to adjust everything. It's still being refined almost daily as we speak.

 

[digitalarts]

belong to "old" tables witch needs specific old physics... you just need to put the right "physics-file" beside the table, for example 2.4/2.5/2.6/2.7 as xml, or zed as zip (and rename the "physics-file" the same name as the table... -> "whatever_name.fpt" + "whatever_name.xml" or "whatever_name.zip"

 

[TerryRed]

belong to "old" tables witch needs specific old physics... you just need to put the right "physics-file" beside the table, for example 2.4/2.5/2.6/2.7 as xml, or zed as zip (and rename the "physics-file" the same name as the table... -> "whatever_name.fpt" + "whatever_name.xml" or "whatever_name.zip"

Yup. I outline that in my FP and BAM Mega guide in the physics section... and even include a set of xml zips named for a bunch of older tables that "may" work best with them. Not as good as adding DF1 or FizX, etc... but at least they will run closer to what the author intended all those years ago.

 

[freebird1963]

belong to "old" tables witch needs specific old physics... you just need to put the right "physics-file" beside the table, for example 2.4/2.5/2.6/2.7 as xml, or zed as zip (and rename the "physics-file" the same name as the table... -> "whatever_name.fpt" + "whatever_name.xml" or "whatever_name.zip"

And how or were do we find which physics to put with a "old" table. I looked in a couple of scripts but didn't see anything that said what I would need to know. But not sure what I'm actually looking to find.

 

[AnonTet]

Usually the older tables have something either in the script or table info or some .txt file about the physics they need.

Other than that is usually mean just load fp and play. In <drive_letter>:\<path_to>\Future Pinball\BAM\XML you have the .xml files. Copy the one to the same folder of the table and name it exactly as the table name so only the extension differs. FP should load that automatically.

 

[TerryRed]

And how or were do we find which physics to put with a "old" table. I looked in a couple of scripts but didn't see anything that said what I would need to know. But not sure what I'm actually looking to find.

That's the thing... you won't find something specific indicated most of the time. Most authors never explained what they used. Some of them inidicated physics 2.5, 2.6, etc on the DMD or in the table filename.... or when it was on pinsimdb, they tagged it there. That's why I included a collections of xmls in my FP and BAM Mega Guide to try to match up some older tables as best as I knew. Beyond that... you can just try each 2.5, 2.6, 2.7 xml zip until you find one that plays best for you.

The only other option is to add DF1 to the table using George's guide or my guide for now.

 

[Runner]

I think because FP uses an older forward renderer, this is part of why FP is limited to 8 dynamic lights being rendered at one time (main/global light = 1, table/flashers = 7). We can have more than that... just not all on at the same time (they convert down to a normal bulb / halo).

That said... some of us are now using RTX 3080 GPUs today compared to 3DFX cards many years ago :)

Kinda scared me there until I read your post Terry. Cause the POTC table I'm updating has A LOT of flashers. I've changed all of the back wall lights to flashers as an example. Didn't notice any changes but I guess I'll do some testing to see which ones convert down.