Tutorial FP Guide for Stuttering

[GeorgeH]

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I use Windows 10 and once had a serious stuttering problem of the video when playing a table. If you don't know what stuttering is, it is a jerky movement of the ball on the table. Basically, it looks like a movie being shot so that you can only see occasional frames and results in jerky ball movement. This is the fix that worked for me.

I annotated some screenshots below with directions on how to do this. You need to open your "Nvidia Control Panel" which should be located on your "Windows Control Panel". You may have an option for it when you right click on your desktop. The steps are numbered and need to be performed in sequence. You should be aware that there are multiple settings for many of the parameters. My video card is an Nvidia GeForce GTX670 with 2GB of VRam and I set most of the parameters to their highest setting. If you have an earlier graphics card model, you may need to use some of the lower settings.

Even after I made the changes to the set up of my Nvidia graphics card, I still had problems occasionally with stuttering on some tables using Windows 10. I ended up changing the "Hardware Lights to Use" on the "Preferences" > "Video / Rendering Options" screen to 0. About about a year or 2 after upgrading to Windows 10, I was able to set "Hardware Lights to Use" back to 7. I am guessing Nvidia sent out a firmware update.

One of the guys on the forum says that the Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO) option in BAM can decrease your frame rate. He suggests turning it off. I like the effect myself but if you have a problem with stuttering, it may be worth experimenting with it turned off. To turn it off, go to the "Config" menu and select "PlugIns" and turn off "PostFX" by changing "Enabled" to NO>.

The most demanding table I have found for my video card is "Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". If you can get this table to display properly, you probably won't have trouble with the other tables. If you get the Nvidia Control Panel settings right, you will have a sharper, cleaner and nicer looking image. There will be fewer jagged lines, better image contrast, and pending some factors smoother game play.

Note: I use a single monitor on my PC. If you have a monitor set to the backglass, you need to change the setting on Step 10 below. The "Mutli-dsiplay/mixed-GPU acceleration" option on "Multi display performance mode" in Nvida Control panel instead of "Single display performance mode".

If you don't have an Nvidia graphics card, hopefully your graphics card has a control panel similar to Nvidia where you can make adjustments.







George

 

[Rheginald]

It's impossible to explain it better...thanks

 

[pinhead1]

been doin' this for a long time.
Goerge is really good.
this is just my opinion.
stutter was discussed way back as far as 09 in VP9 when i first started.
i don't use any frontends...it just creates frustration....VP launchers for VP9 and VPX.
1. sometimes if i made changes or several changes to a table(s) in the VP launcher or
2. going table to table without closing after done with that table was discussed.....
try closing the launcher back to desktop when done with that table and restart a new table.
3. if i could not get it to stop stuttering i would close it, do a general cleanout then restart the PC usually worked.
4. disableing antivirus and windows defender then enable after done with PB was discussed because possibly these
programs slow down the OS.

 

[pinhead1]

from #3
well, its been well over 24hrs.... nobody has any comments.
i didn't make this up.
i have been in VP for 15yrs.
these suggestions in #3 are from the forum posted way back because of all the problems with stutter.
of course you will need a decent GFX card.
the graphics chip on the factory board is not designed for gaming.
myself, i found if i make changes in the VP desktop launcher/editor program without a restart it might stutter or do some funny things....when i say restart, close the VP launcher back to desktop then start it up again and try the new changes....
if it still stutters you might need to shut the PC down and restart in the desktop menu..
if you make changes in the PC itself most programs will require a restart or you will get an error and/or the program did not respond..
EX: making changes in component services will require a restart of the PC.
making changes to flippers or anything in the VP program (VP9, VPX, and FP) will probably require a restart just like any computer program.... VP has been the same.
it's a computer program...it's dumber than a box of rocks.
try it...if you don't want to, stay broken with all problems.
just trying to help with all the frustration...BTDT back in 2010.

BTW, stay of the web with your PB PC....the web is scrambling your PB settings.
i don't have a full cab...just one 48class screen.
my pinmame paths were always getting errors.
i was constantly redoing pinmame paths.
i stopped going online with my PB PC and the problems stopped.
the web is scrambling your PB.
ask any of the full cab gamers.
they will tell you the same.

 

[pinhead1]

well, george, in the 15yrs i have been doing this, i think i found A reason for stutter and a fairly easy way to fix it.
i have had several PCs with this program on and they all seemed to get stutter the same way every time.....
it took some time to see a pattern of how it starts stuttering..
i started catching on that everytime i made some changes to tables in the VP desktop launcher it sometimes start stuttering depending on what i did....not always...hhhmmmmm....
changes to flippers strength, slings, plunger, etc.... would sometimes create a stutter......i might restart the VP launcher 2 or 3x......
as long as i didn't make changes to anything it was ok....i could play on, close the VP launcher and restart another table with no stutter.....
if it would not stop, it is fairly easy to clean out and a restart usually worked to clear the stutter out of the program.
at least for me it works.

 

[GeorgeH]

I don't have any experience with VP. The guide was written with FP in mind. I used to have problems when I wrote this guide. After I got a new graphics card, I stopped having problems with stuttering. I can't actually revise this guide because I don't have a stuttering problem anymore. Someone might still find it useful.

 

[pinhead1]

I don't have any experience with VP. The guide was written with FP in mind. I used to have problems when I wrote this guide. After I got a new graphics card, I stopped having problems with stuttering. I can't actually revise this guide because I don't have a stuttering problem anymore. Someone might still find it useful

you got a new card....how old was the one you replaced and what did you get for the new one and is it still
available new?
if it plays FP with no problems with no more stutter it should work for VPX.

 

[GeorgeH]

you got a new card....how old was the one you replaced and what did you get for the new one and is it still
available new?
if it plays FP with no problems with no more stutter it should work for VPX.

I think the old one is the one referenced in the write up, Nvidia GeForce GTX670. I currently have an Intel i5-3570K CPU @ 3.40 Hz and an NVidea GeForce RTX 2060.

 

[pinhead1]

I think the old one is the one referenced in the write up, Nvidia GeForce GTX670. I currently have an Intel i5-3570K CPU @ 3.40 Hz and an NVidea GeForce RTX 2060.

can i still buy a RTX new?
i have an FX 8core from(2013) and an intel i5 4th gen 4core(2014).
they are going to have to do for now.
if you were to do it again and buy something else new what would you recommend?
thanks G....

 

[GeorgeH]

can i still buy a RTX new?
i have an FX 8core from(2013) and an intel i5 4th gen 4core(2014).
they are going to have to do for now.
if you were to do it again and buy something else new what would you recommend?
thanks G....

I don't know much about hardware. There is a computer store where I live where they build their own PCs. I bought my PC there and have it repaired there also. My old card failed and had to get a new one. I simply got what they suggested.