here's another thing for you to gnaw on...

[faralos]

I know I can import and plaster a pic onto a table, but is there any way to make it smaller so it's NOT covering the entire surface? I'd like to import a pic but ojnly for the middle of the table. Is this where 'decal' comes in? I thought that 'decal' only covers small pics! (Not that I can find any info on it) like lane markers and sign for them...

 

[Shockman]

It could be a decal. with that you can resize it to exactly what you want. It could be a fullsize pic as well that is blank, other than a small pic inside it, but you will be stuck with it as it renders.

The pics can be put on the play surface and decals as you said, but also walls and reels too.

Think of world map as always a full size pic, and wrap map as a small but complete picture.

The play surface is always a world map, as is a wall top. A decal is always wrap map, and a wall side and reel can be wrap map. A ramp can be either.

 

[faralos]

So ramps can have pics too?

IS that what you mean? and just for the heck of it, how do the pin guys get those great table graphix, do they redraw all of them or are they scanned into their programs. Much as I would love to be able to just draw, my pics all must be prefabricated, even some of the originals are damn good, but the recreations are exact! I really suck at drawing, but being a DM for 30 yrs, and owning mapmaking programs, I can create with given tools just about anything, I just can't draw w/ any paint programs. So I've been scouring the net for pics to use. and although pics look great don't they chew up memory to use? Others nay have great computers, but mine is a Pentium 3 about 4 yrs. old (sigh) and it chugs with the more graphix-oriented pins. sometimes the ball flashes (like the old Nintendo NES screen flashing). Not that it matters, really, I can always just build them and let others worry about their own frame rates themselves. Well, I just answered my own question., But I haven't even built 1 pin yet, I don't want to get in over my head at first. Scripting will be daunting enough.
Oh, on an upnote, I figured out how to input the 'flipper code' for my gravis pad. I d/loaded two VP pins and went thru the script and found the correct coding. I input the numerical values for my flippers and it worked!
So, thanks for helping me thru that, and that was my first piece of coding learnt! I am on my way...only 8 million more...
Thanks for all the help btw
Faralos

 

[Shockman]

Glad you got the gamepad working.

Ramps can have pictures mapped to them yes, just no transparency.

How do we get the graphics? Any way we can. Some are scans, some are photographs, some are drawn, some are given, some are stolen, and some are a mix of those and other ways. The biggest source of pictures, you have found it, it's the 'net.

Actually the best way to learn is to just jump in. Look for an original that you like, and play it. Then look at the script. There is really a lot less programming needed than you think to script a complete game. The real answer to the programming techniques absolutely needed to program all the elements of a pinball table is much closer to 8 than it is to 8,000,000 or even 800.

Nobody I think, that has felt inclined to make a pinball game in VP has ever abandoned that effort due to not getting the help they need from this community and it's various forums. Quite the opposite is true, this community has guided many unique table builders to produce many unique pinball tables. A few authors have built templates, that are tables that have the redundant and basic structure of the workings built in. With those it's more dressing them up and laying them out than it is programming.

You said you have some unique ideas. For many that would be the biggest stumbling block. It takes no programming at all to shape walls, put elements onto your table, and paste graphics. It takes very little to create sound events and score tracking.

Start by shaping the main wall and making walls for guides and lanes and drop in some standard bumpers, lights, and things. It will be more playable than you may think as is. Bumpers and slings for example don't need any scripting to function, only for sound, scoring, and grouping, etc.

Have fun.