Future Pinball – FAQ and Help Guide (by TerryRed)

[TerryRed]

Future Pinball – FAQ and Help Guide

by TerryRed

Version 1.0, Oct, 2023





This guide has answers to the most commonly asked questions and problems some people may run into with Future Pinball and BAM.

Some answers directed towards other specific topics such as VR, PinEvent, DMDExt will be found in their own guides (included with the FP and BAM Essentials AIO package).



IMPORTANT!

Before using this FAQ and Help Guide, you MUST have installed the latest FP and BAM Essentials AIO package, and used the included Install Guide to setup Future Pinball and BAM.

- I now have all my guides and tutorials in PDF format
- this new guide has been created to be used with the FP and BAM Essentials AIO package
- all my guides and tutorials are now only included with the FP and BAM Essentials AIO package



You can download the FP and BAM Essentials AIO package (and the FAQ and Help Guide) here:

BAM - FP - Future Pinball and BAM Essentials - All in One

FUTURE PINBALL AND BAM ESSENTIALS - ALL IN ONE by TerryRed v2.7 - Dec 2024 BAM version: 1.5-380 BAM-OpenVR version: 1.5-380 DMDExt: 2.3.0.0 AIO Example Table and Tutorial: 3.30.03 The FP and BAM Essentials AIO package includes a complete...

pinballnirvana.com

A video tutorial of the FAQ and Help Guide can be seen here:

Chapters

00:00 Start
02:23 Debug Mode
07:54 Startup Problems
10:01 Startup Errors
15:54 "Unable to load external script "PinEvent_V2_settings.txt"
18:29 DOF errors resulting from updating to 64bit VPX and 64 bit DOF
23:22 DMD / HUD showing in cabinet mode
27:18 FP Watermark
29:18 Cabinet POV looks bad or wrong
33:28 Ball stutter or non smooth gameplay
34:48 RayCast Ball Shadows (how to disable / enable them)
37:20 Disable Reflections
39:55 SSAO and Bloom
42:19 White squares on the table
43:06 EM Reels / DMD / videos play to quickly (vsync)
44:34 Some BAM Plug-ins don't appear in BAM menu
45:58 FP Backbox problems, DISPLAY # issues (the great EVIL!)
53:44 New tables play good, old tables play bad?
54:58 Dual Stage Flippers (2nd flippers)
57:33 How to change physics settings (FizX)
1:02:25 FF_Init error
1:02:58 Do you need special "VR tables" to play in VR?
1:03:47 Pinup Player
1:04:45 PuP-Pack won't start on PinEvent tables (must use the correct pup-pack version!)
1:07:35 PUPDMD problems
1:09:16 PUP SSF
1:10:54 PUP Stream (PinEvent V2 tables only)
1:13:23 DMDExt
1:15:46 BAM OpenVR
1:18:07 Closing - Defender - BAM Settings files - Start FP BAT files

 

[pinhead1]

edit...........

 

[PinPete]

Hi Terry,

not sure this is the right place to ask this question. Point me to another thread if it is wrong here.

I'm playing FP tables almost exclusivly on a 3D TV in interlaced mode and headtracking with a Kinect. Ultimate realism.

But I found I have ever so slight ball stuttering in 3D mode especially if I enable show backglass on separate monitor. It is only barely noticeable, kind like the TV is running at slower but constant fps. I notice it most when a ball is slowly rolling along the inlane towards the flipper.

So currently I just disable the backglass.

I don't think it is a hardware limitation. I run a Ryzen 5600 with a NVIDIA 3080 and performance monitor in FP shows around 180 fps. And TV has only 60 Hz max.

I've already tried the following things:

Set the NVIDA settings according to GeorgeH's guide for stuttering.
Added the 4GB patch to fp and fploader.
Enabled vsync.

As my playfield TV runs at 59,94 Hz and the backglass monitor runs at 60 Hz, I've also tried to run only the backglass in window mode. Didn't help.

If I switch to 2D I I don't see ball stuttering with or without headtracking even without all the changes made. So I think it is neither a hardware limitation nor an issue with the different fps of the monitors.

Any tip what I should try to eliminate the stuttering and have a backglass?


Another problem I have is that lighting in BAM reverts to custom, which is very dark, every time I start a table. I've set it to default or daylight and saved the settings in BAM as default multiple times but it doesn't stick. After next launch again dark custom lighting. Is there a script that changes this back to custom on launching a table?

 

[TerryRed]

Hi Terry,

not sure this is the right place to ask this question. Point me to another thread if it is wrong here.

I'm playing FP tables almost exclusivly on a 3D TV in interlaced mode and headtracking with a Kinect. Ultimate realism.

But I found I have ever so slight ball stuttering in 3D mode especially if I enable show backglass on separate monitor. It is only barely noticeable, kind like the TV is running at slower but constant fps. I notice it most when a ball is slowly rolling along the inlane towards the flipper.

So currently I just disable the backglass.

I don't think it is a hardware limitation. I run a Ryzen 5600 with a NVIDIA 3080 and performance monitor in FP shows around 180 fps. And TV has only 60 Hz max.

I've already tried the following things:

Set the NVIDA settings according to GeorgeH's guide for stuttering.
Added the 4GB patch to fp and fploader.
Enabled vsync.

As my playfield TV runs at 59,94 Hz and the backglass monitor runs at 60 Hz, I've also tried to run only the backglass in window mode. Didn't help.

If I switch to 2D I I don't see ball stuttering with or without headtracking even without all the changes made. So I think it is neither a hardware limitation nor an issue with the different fps of the monitors.

Any tip what I should try to eliminate the stuttering and have a backglass?


Another problem I have is that lighting in BAM reverts to custom, which is very dark, every time I start a table. I've set it to default or daylight and saved the settings in BAM as default multiple times but it doesn't stick. After next launch again dark custom lighting. Is there a script that changes this back to custom on launching a table?

I have never actually used headtracking with a 3D setup.

That said... ravarcade has been working on a new BAM update that fixed MANY synch issues with VR, and these should ideally apply to the other 3D modes as well. So hold out for that next BAM update coming soon, as that may fix your 3d related issues. I'll include this BAM update in my next FP and BAM Essentials AIO package update.

As for BAM Lighting settings that reverts...

If it's a PinEvent table, this is normal, as the table sets the Lighting to what I intended for the table to use. That said, on my most recent PinEvent table updates, I did add a couple of BAM lighting options you can adjust in the table script near the top, in the TABLE OPTIONS section.

 

[PinPete]

Terry thank you for the info about ravarcade's new BAM update. Will you update your BAM essentials when it is released?

I have never actually used headtracking with a 3D setup.

Terry you definitely should try this. Headtracking is the icing on the cake for any 3D setup. A nice 4K 3D TV with passive glasses gives you already 90% realism. But the slightest head movement away from the sweet spot kills the illusion. Everything warps, what should be upright now leans towards you. Not realistic unless you are on drugs regularly. With headtracking things stay upright, playfield doesn't move, you can look behind/under things. Now you have 99% realism.

The table I'm currently playing is TZ. It's not a PinEvent Table but I've just read is has custom lighting built-in either.

And it has custom physics and dynamic flippers so maybe these have an influence on my ball stutter issue as well. Will play with the settings ...

 

[GeorgeH]

My version of TW has 5 lighting modes that are accessed by pressing the Special 2 key on your keyboard before the game starts. There are a number of other options on the menu as well.

Bally - SS - Recreation - BAM - FP - Twilight Zone (Bally, 1993)

Twilight Zone (Bally, 1993) v1.03 BAM Table Developers: Francisco666, ROM, Slamt1lt, GeorgeH, AnonTet IPD No. 2684 Note that BAM (Better Arcade Mode) must be installed for this table to operate properly. This table has a menu that is accessed...

pinballnirvana.com

 

[PinPete]

Thank you George. Yes it is your's. I'll have a look into the menu tomorrow.

Have you had any issues or seen reports from others with ball stuttering when playing your table in 3D?

 

[GeorgeH]

Thank you George. Yes it is your's. I'll have a look into the menu tomorrow.

Have you had any issues or seen reports from others with ball stuttering when playing your table in 3D?

I take it you missed the bold print at the beginning of the posting? You are the only one I know that has a 3D setup. Gimli had one once but got rid of it. They don't make 3D TVs anymore. Where did you get yours?

 

[PinPete]

You can't buy them new but they are still available second hand. I've bought one last month and it quickly replaced my LG C3 OLED.
Walking to the cab and immediately playing in 3D without having to mount a VR headset to my face first is so much more convenient and the 3D experience is comparable.