Single Screen and PuP-Packs - PUP Stream and Windowed Guides

[TerryRed]

My PinEvent releases for Future Pinball - BAM allow you to use PUP DMD with a PuP-Pack which gives you a modern DMD and video display instead of the standard Future Pinball DMD.

Pinup Player displays are a separate window, so they are not part of Future Pinball. This presents a problem for single screen users that run FP in fullscreen, as that means FP will cover the Pinup Player window.


Single Screen - Fullscreeen

With each PinEvent V2 table, I added a feature called PUP Stream. This allows Pinup Player's FullDMD / PuP-Pack to be streamed into FP so it can be displayed directly "in" the game itself while still allowing FP to run in FULLSCREEN.

This feature works in all modes (desktop, cabinet, vr), but it's really beneficial to desktop players with only one monitor (who can't normally see the PUP DMD) or VR users who want to see the PUP-Pack in VR.

A video showcasing PinEvent's PUP Stream in action can be seen here:

Single Screen - Windowed

Another option, is to run FP in Windowed mode, and try to have the PuP-Pack display on top of FP, but that doesn’t always work right, and the pup-pack may still get covered (and the FP window borders look ugly).

I’ve added a Single Screen Windowed PuP-Pack option for PinEvent V2 tables (soon to be released) that will force FP into Borderless Windowed mode, and make it so the PuP-Pack will always be visible on top of the FP window.



I have two new written guides in PDF format that will cover how to use both methods.

- Single Screen and PuP-Packs - PUP Stream Guide
- Single Screen and PuP-Packs - Windowed Guide
- these new guides 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 (with both guides included) here:

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

FUTURE PINBALL AND BAM ESSENTIALS - ALL IN ONE - COMPLETE by TerryRed v2.4 - Feb 2024 BAM version: 1.5-373 BAM-OpenVR version: 1.5-373 DMDExt: 2.2.1.0 AIO Example Table and Tutorial: 3.30.03 The FP and BAM Essentials AIO package includes...

pinballnirvana.com

A video tutorial of how to use these guides can be seen here:

Chapters

00:00 Start
01:21 Overview of PinEvent, Pup-Packs and PUP Stream
05:57 Fullscreen with PUP Stream method - Dummy / Fake Monitor
08:36 Installing Pinup Player
10:52 Setup Pinup Player for Fullscreen method
14:48 Setup PinEvent settings
16:48 Install PinEvent table and PuP-Pack
18:55 Choose PuP-Pack Option 5
20:52 Play a PinEvent table with PUP Stream enabled (fullscreen)
26:48 Possible problems
28:39 Test on one screen
30:54 Windowed method
31:41 Setup Pinup Player for Windowed method
32:49 Setup PinEvent settings
34:06 Choose PuP-Pack Option 6
34:50 Edit PuPInit.BAT for Windowed method
37:44 Run FP in Windowed mode
39:39 Make Start FP BAT file to run in Windowed mode
41:48 Test FP and PuP-Pack in Borderless Windowed mode
44:21 Edit PUP Stream options to not use Desktop HUD
49:13 Closing

 

[Gimli]

Thanks Terry
I was muddling around last night and got it to kinda work but I missed a few of these steps.

Quite a system you have. It’s staggering how conversant you are in this stuff . There are a lot of balls in the air to consider

 

[GeorgeH]

Make sure Windows Defender / Anti Virus is DISABLED first. (the name "PUP" sets them off, but PUP is safe to use)

Create a folder name PinUPSystem where you want Pinup player and it's PuP-Packs (videos and other media) to be installed.

Make sure you add EXCEPTIONS (for the entire PinupSystem folder) to Window Defender and any other Anti Virus you use! They may remove PuP files afterward if you don't do this. Pinup Player is safe to use!

I assume that Windows Defender only needs to be disabled during the installation and can be enabled afterwards. Then you add exceptions for the scanner. Is there any problem with the real time scanner?

 

[TerryRed]

I assume that Windows Defender only needs to be disabled during the installation and can be enabled afterwards. Then you add exceptions for the scanner. Is there any problem with the real time scanner?

You only need to disable it while installing and registering Pinup Player, and to give you a chance to add exceptions to the PinupSystem folder. After that you can enable it again if you need to.

The name "PUP" is used for some other malicious app, so that's why Pinup Player might get flagged.

 

[TerryRed]

If you guys get this working well on your desktop or VR setups... let me know how well it runs for you, and what your hardware / setup is.

 

[TerryRed]

Added this tidbit....

Crashes

PUP Stream may not work for everyone. Some hardware / motherboard / GPU combinations may cause PUP Stream to crash which in turn may cause PUP or Future Pinball to crash.

This is why I have PUP Stream disabled by default, and it should only be enabled AFTER you already have PinEvent tables working first.

If you have setup FP-BAM, PUP and PinEvent correctly, and enabling PUP Stream causes PinEvent tables to crash, then it may mean you can't use this feature and you should disable PUP Stream.

 

[Gimli]

@TerryRed
Hi Terry PinEvent for DSA is perfect but I can't get the pup streams to show up in desktop mode with either Junkyard Cats or Sonic.
I double checked and I have followed the above guide. It should work because DSA works for me...

Also in order to download versions with Pupstreams in the zip file I downloaded the files from Pinball Nirvana.

I first tried to download from pinsimdb and I noticed the pupstream directory was absent

 

[Gimli]

@TerryRed
I got them working I had to change this : PUP_DMD_enabled = true

Sub PinEvent_Custom_Table_Settings()
    
    '****** Desktop Settings ******

    if xBAM.Camera.Mode = 0 then
        DOF_enabled        = false
        PUP_DMD_enabled    = true
        PUP_SSF_enabled    = false
    End if

 

[TerryRed]

@TerryRed
Hi Terry PinEvent for DSA is perfect but I can't get the pup streams to show up in desktop mode with either Junkyard Cats or Sonic.
I double checked and I have followed the above guide. It should work because DSA works for me...

Also in order to download versions with Pupstreams in the zip file I downloaded the files from Pinball Nirvana.

I first tried to download from pinsimdb and I noticed the pupstream directory was absent

pinsimsb won't allow files of a large size, so I can't upload the PuP-Pack there. If you read the description for each PinEvent V2 download on there, I have a link to where you can download the pup-pack. Depending on the size, I also need to link to an external download here on pinball nirvanna as well.

New PinEvent V2 tables and pup-packs (Sonic, BvP, JYC so far) have nothing to do with the older PinEvent tables and PuP-Packs or the older PinEvent vbs files. You need to download the PinEvent V2 Guide and install the PinEvent_V2_Settings.txt file (included with the guide) into your "Future Pinball \ Scripts" folder. Then you need to edit that file and enable pupdmd (for desktop) and enable pupstream.

FYI.... I'm currently updating Star Wars DSA for V2, and the table is getting a nice big visual update. It's looking really niiiiiiiiiice.

 

[Gimli]

@TerryRed
I got them working I had to change this : PUP_DMD_enabled = true

Sub PinEvent_Custom_Table_Settings()
   
    '****** Desktop Settings ******

    if xBAM.Camera.Mode = 0 then
        DOF_enabled        = false
        PUP_DMD_enabled    = true
        PUP_SSF_enabled    = false
    End if

 

[TerryRed]

@TerryRed
I got them working I had to change this : PUP_DMD_enabled = true

Sub PinEvent_Custom_Table_Settings()
  
    '****** Desktop Settings ******

    if xBAM.Camera.Mode = 0 then
        DOF_enabled        = false
        PUP_DMD_enabled    = true
        PUP_SSF_enabled    = false
    End if

What you are doing is enabling Custom Settings that are only for the one table. That is not normally what you do. Its only used if you "need" custom settings that are different for that one table.

You want to do things the easy way, that won't require you to edit any PinEvent V2 table. You need to download the PinEvent V2 Guide and install the PinEvent_V2_Settings.txt file (included with the guide) into your "Future Pinball \ Scripts" folder. Then you need to edit that file and enable pupdmd (for desktop) and enable pupstream. You only need to do this once. This will enable pupdmd and pupstream for "all" PinEvent V2 tables automatically, without needing to edit the tables at all.

 

[GeorgeH]

@TerryRed

I finally decided to order a plug but the Amazon link you provided has about 15 different plugs and they don't seem very cheap:

https://www.amazon.ca/Headless-Display-Emulator-Headless-1920x1080-generation/dp/B06XT1Z9TF?th=1

 

[TerryRed]

@TerryRed

I finally decided to order a plug but the Amazon link you provided has about 15 different plugs and they don't seem very cheap:

https://www.amazon.ca/Headless-Display-Emulator-Headless-1920x1080-generation/dp/B06XT1Z9TF?th=1

I'm sure there are plenty of other places to get them on Amazon, etc that you can probably get them for less. you can get just "one" for pretty cheap.

That said, you don't need to use a hardware dongle. You can use a fake monitor driver (software only) that will do the very same thing. After installing it, you just enable it when you need it. The info and link is all on this post, and you can try that today without spending anything.

 

[GeorgeH]

I'm sure there are plenty of other places to get them on Amazon, etc that you can probably get them for less. you can get just "one" for pretty cheap.

That said, you don't need to use a hardware dongle. You can use a fake monitor driver (software only) that will do the very same thing. After installing it, you just enable it when you need it. The info and link is all on this post, and you can try that today without spending anything.

The software version says the default resolution is 1920x1080 pixels. My native resolution is 2560x1440. Can the software go up that high?

Also if you know the answer to this question, let me know. Everyone seems to be gone.

Support File - FizX - The FizX In-Game Tweaker Tool, Release 9

Translate to French or Other Language Click on the link on the left and a new tab will open with this page translated into French. Click on the "To:" pull-down option to select a different language. If you have tried the version of the tweaker on some of TerryRed's tables, this version is...

pinballnirvana.com

 

[TerryRed]

The software version says the default resolution is 1920x1080 pixels. My native resolution is 2560x1440. Can the software go up that high?

Also if you know the answer to this question, let me know. Everyone seems to be gone.

Support File - FizX - The FizX In-Game Tweaker Tool, Release 9

Translate to French or Other Language Click on the link on the left and a new tab will open with this page translated into French. Click on the "To:" pull-down option to select a different language. If you have tried the version of the tweaker on some of TerryRed's tables, this version is...

pinballnirvana.com

Yes, that's fine for it to be 1920x1080. This is a second (fake) monitor and has nothing to do with your main monitor. PuP-Packs are typically created for 1920x1080, but they can run in any resolution. You are just displaying the pup-pack on that fake monitor to be streamed from. You just can't have the fake monitor be anything but landscape for the streaming to work (your real monitor can be portrait or landscape).

As for the Tweaker... I only know what I provided on Jaws, and what I was able to get working with that, as FizX was still in updates at that time. I left out the 3 settings because I didn't want to use more slots, and those 3 settings weren't essential to change for me while testing.

 

[TerryRed]

Do NOT use Windows 8 Compatibility!

In the past, previous Windows updates caused Future Pinball to crash for some people. The easy solution was to set FPLoader.exe to Windows 8 Compatibility. Newer Windows updates and newer BAM updates have long since solved that issue.

In my guides, I have only ever recommended to set this to FPLoader.exe "if having crashing issues". Since that is no longer the case, I no longer recommend that as even an option. If you are having crashing issues, update your Windows, update your GPU drivers, sound drivers, etc. (disable the Nihamic driver / services if you have them installed, as it causes problems)

I have found that enabling Windows 8 compatibility causes FP-BAM to have serious performance issues! (ball stuttering, etc) Make sure you do NOT have this set on either FuturePinball.exe or FPLoader.exe (and in BAM Open VR folder if using that)

 

[TerryRed]

UPDATE!

- new guides are now in PDF
- new windowed method option
- both now included with the new FP and BAM Essentials AIO package
- new video guide

---

Single Screen - Fullscreeen

With each PinEvent V2 table, I added a feature called PUP Stream. This allows Pinup Player's FullDMD / PuP-Pack to be streamed into FP so it can be displayed directly "in" the game itself while still allowing FP to run in FULLSCREEN.

This feature works in all modes (desktop, cabinet, vr), but it's really beneficial to desktop players with only one monitor (who can't normally see the PUP DMD) or VR users who want to see the PUP-Pack in VR.


Single Screen - Windowed

Another option, is to run FP in Windowed mode, and try to have the PuP-Pack display on top of FP, but that doesn’t always work right, and the pup-pack may still get covered (and the FP window borders look ugly).

I’ve added a Single Screen Windowed PuP-Pack option for PinEvent V2 tables (soon to be released) that will force FP into Borderless Windowed mode, and make it so the PuP-Pack will always be visible on top of the FP window.



I have two new written guides in PDF format that will cover how to use both methods.

- Single Screen and PuP-Packs - PUP Stream Guide
- Single Screen and PuP-Packs - Windowed Guide
- these new guides 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 (with both guides included) here:

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

FUTURE PINBALL AND BAM ESSENTIALS - ALL IN ONE - COMPLETE by TerryRed v2.4 - Feb 2024 BAM version: 1.5-373 BAM-OpenVR version: 1.5-373 DMDExt: 2.2.1.0 AIO Example Table and Tutorial: 3.30.03 The FP and BAM Essentials AIO package includes...

pinballnirvana.com

A video tutorial of how to use these guides can be seen here:

Chapters

00:00 Start
01:21 Overview of PinEvent, Pup-Packs and PUP Stream
05:57 Fullscreen with PUP Stream method - Dummy / Fake Monitor
08:36 Installing Pinup Player
10:52 Setup Pinup Player for Fullscreen method
14:48 Setup PinEvent settings
16:48 Install PinEvent table and PuP-Pack
18:55 Choose PuP-Pack Option 5
20:52 Play a PinEvent table with PUP Stream enabled (fullscreen)
26:48 Possible problems
28:39 Test on one screen
30:54 Windowed method
31:41 Setup Pinup Player for Windowed method
32:49 Setup PinEvent settings
34:06 Choose PuP-Pack Option 6
34:50 Edit PuPInit.BAT for Windowed method
37:44 Run FP in Windowed mode
39:39 Make Start FP BAT file to run in Windowed mode
41:48 Test FP and PuP-Pack in Borderless Windowed mode
44:21 Edit PUP Stream options to not use Desktop HUD
49:13 Closing