FPx Engine Template v1

shiva

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We all hate scripting. In fact most people (like 99.99 % of the entire planet) when they look at a bunch of code, find it so intimidating and complex that they won't even try. Others just don't even have the time to learn how to script, it's months of study and learning. The biggest problem with Future Pinball (and especially VPX now) is the scripting, it was always the scripting, and will be the scripting in the future.

The FPx template is designed to replace the stock New Table template in Future Pinball. This one will be aimed right at beginners, in fact, with luck, it may work exactly like the Pinball Construction set. This not only fixes the bugs and incompleteness of the New_table template, it also adds more features that every beginner would want, and then presents it in such a way to make it as easy to use as possible.

It is so easy to mess up a script, especially the high level code of a scoring and logic template. Even advanced coders can mess up pretty easily, because all the code is MIXED IN together. FPx divides the script in to 2 parts, with the first part a user section, and the second portion the actual engine. The engine contains "Hooks" to the user section, this allows just about everyone to make simple changes without needing to touch the engine at all, and yet be able to use one of the most powerful, full featured engines available for Future Pinball.

The FPx template is designed for those who want to get their feet wet with scripting, and yet has all the power and features for Intermediate coders to use.

Here's a list of features:

' 4 players support
' Bonus count up to 159, bonus multiplier up to 15x
' Replaced tilt system with a custom plumb bob tilt setup
' Added Variables for easy settings. balls per game, bonus, replay scoring etc
' 2 ball multiball
' Player memory system that requires typing in one line of code per light
' ball save, extra ball, special and jackpot support
' Complete routines included for all aspects of arcade tables, from power up, light Attract mode to a match feature
' Initialization, Light Attract, Match routines all ready included
' easy control of lights for Light Attract and game play, no typing required
' Pause key plays tune
' 9 element x4 translight display, Hud display x2 A.N.D. (Alpha Numeric Display) to support up to Williams System 11
' HUD display can be hidden or shown using the default HUD key set in the editor (Usually the tithe key, just below the esc key)
' Pre-set unified Bally type scoring
' Debug system variable for code testing in place. press F9 key at editor. Also writes to text file during debug mode to track code
' Special HUD displays for debug mode, shows bonus etc
' Multiple sound system capability with background music support
' Solid State and A.N.D. support HUD display
' Preset feature scoring Extra ball/Special etc with just one line of code
' Easy Beginners Fail safe system. All access needed for easy modification of the engine in ONE place without needing to touch the engine code
' You can add/remove/replace lights, sounds, change the display, adjust timers etc through this one setup
' Code is heavily remarked, and teachs you new methods as you work your way down the hit code
' Engine is fully automated as possible, so no need to touch the engine code, no rocket science degree needed.
' A brief tutorial is included in the script, at the very bottom

The FPx template is now available at Pinball Nirvana, and will be uploaded to other sites. Screenshot at the download page
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

http://www.pinballnirvana.com/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=5344
 

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Build 1.1

fpxEngine has gone through a very radical change. I have rethought the entire concept of template engines, and come up with a way that is totally different than anything else. I will be updating as I go along, but there are so many changes that a lot of things are disabled or still need to be written, so I will release a preview down the road once the Engine is more complete.

Build 1.1 is being worked on. Here's what is done so far

NOTE: THIS is still being worked on.
- fpxEngine is now so simple even a person with no coding experience can use it (scriptwise that is)
- fpxEngine has been completely restructured and rewritten. It is now the easiest template engine to use since Pinball Construction Kit
- fpxEngine now has a manual, that describes a lot more than you would think
- Preset section added. all accessed with one line of code to multiple scoring routines. Just point and shoot
- Bug fixes etc
- Light Attract routine expanded, now displays high score list, table name. This is now fully automated, so no need to add light bulb interval/on/off code
- BAM support added with a simple system for the user to select among multiple xml physics files and a up to 10 different flipper bounce settings.
- Select-able Debug mode (press f9 key in editor) now shows general table info including physics package or engine debug information
- New Display and Light Seq routines added
- New Control routine added, which adds multiple soundset support, with the ability to customize all displays/lightSeq/music per soundset.
- Users should be able to play any soundset/company style with any fpx table
- All display and lightseq code is also usable in code as well (e.g. AddDisplay "BlinkMessageFast":AddLightFX "BlinkFast")
- HUD displays expanded from 2 to 4 displays, to match the backglass displays. This is for possible future support of williams/bally system11 and Data East tables
- all music/sound code has been (or will be by the time the next build is released) moved to the main control routine (AddMusicSet) so we can have multiple styles without the user having to do anything.
- There are about 15 display routines now coded, with 6 new routines added. (More will come)
- AddEvent has been stripped of any code completely. Now it is just for typing in messages for the display to use, and your custom code hooks like what to do with a new ball etc.
 
Things are progressing with the last 2 weeks spent learning new software and starting the manual. This is very incomplete, but the section for the beginners template is done, and since I need all the help I can get in spelling, grammar, and even explaining things, I'm just putting up what I have done so far with the manual.

Shouldn't be hard to figure out, I suspect a lot of people who don't even know how to code should be able to use fpx, and in writing this, I assumed that most people don't even know what a Remark is, let alone subd/cases etc, so I explained that as best as I could.

Hopefully some of you guys can look at it and tell me if it's as easy to understand as possible, (I really miss John for this) and if you think my concept of giving people who have no scripting experience the ability to make their own tables is workable or not.
 

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