Help Tags, and how they work!

[xenonph]

As you may have noticed recently, (within past year), Tags have been added to every single tables download page. (And matching Tags in Discussion Topic)
These Tags include Manufacturer, Date Manufactured, and the Decade. (example of decade Tag.. 80's)
Also Tags on whether they are Electro-Mechanical, Solid State, or Pure Mechanical.
Also Tags on whether they are Recreations, or Original.
Also Tags for what program they use like VP8, VP9, VPX, Future Pinball, BAM etc.
Also added Tags for Table Specialties like Add A Ball, Flipperless, Widebody, and also Wedgehead and quite a few others.

These Tags are as powerful as the Prefixes, if not more!!
When you click one of these Tags, all tables with that specific Tag will show, as I have added these Tags to every single table!!
You want to see all the tables made in the 80's? Click the 80's Tag!! https://pinballnirvana.com/forums/tags/80s-2/
You want to see all the Add A Ball tables..click the Tag! https://pinballnirvana.com/forums/tags/add-a-ball/
Looking for just Pure Mechanical tables? Look no further!! https://pinballnirvana.com/forums/tags/pure-mechanical/

You get the picture. These Tags were added to each and every tables download page, to help you find what you want quick and easy!!

Well what are you waiting for? Get to searching!!!

 

[JonPurpleHaze]

Thanks @xenonph, it's amazing with what you have accomplished!

The site received a email recently about why filters couldn't be used to search for specific decades, I assumed it was a IRPinball visitor because that's how tables are ordered. I must have deleted the email unintentionally because I can't find it. Hope the User finds this announcement with a solution to a decades tag search.

Tags are very powerful, here's the Tag listing and Search Page:

Search tags

pinballnirvana.com

Any thread starter or Resource uploader can add existing ones or make Tags of their own.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Thanks @xenonph, it's amazing with what you have accomplished!

That is for dad-gummed sure.

I got the ball rolling by updating a few pages-worth of entries, but it was all Charles who finished off the rest of the mammoth project, adding tags to all ~4,600 resource entries. He also polished up the M&R section, adding the "solved" tags and solution credits which display next to a user's name.

So yes, all hail!

As I've said before, I believe that one of PN's strongest assets is the history aspect. So one can jump in to a time machine of sorts and go back almost to the very founding of the VP (and later FP) scene, directly reflected by the resources and threads here.

It may not be everyone's bag, but I'd like to think that it's at least an interesting journey for the curious-minded. Not to mention that there's lots of early tables with unique ideas that can still be borrowed from or even upgraded to FP - BAM or VPX standards.

The last couple years have been especially rocky for me, mainly due to covid complications, but along those lines, I'm hoping to get a couple projects out the door this year. Doom II, Texas Ranger and Commander Cody were some good starts (all still in need of more work), but I have about half a dozen more on the back-burner.

Point is, it's a lot more pleasant being able to throw what energy I have in to that stuff, knowing that the most critical site work is done, knowing that we're giving users a better browsing experience, making it that much easier to find whatever they're looking for.

Thanks again, Chaz.

 

[GeorgeH]

I spent several days uploading screenshots of FP tables until at least all of them had screenshots until I was burned out on it. But Charles is the champ. He went through all of the tables on the site several times with many updates, not only just tags and prefixes but many other changes as well. I think one of the most ingenious things was to add genres of tables on the tags. It is pretty nice to be able to get a list of tables originally built in the 60s, 70s , 80s etc.

Those of us that post tables should examine the tags and prefixes of existing tables and imitate what he had done on our new postings.

Thanks Charles!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

I spent several days uploading screenshots of FP tables until at least all of them had screenshots until I was burned out on it...

Wow, that's news to me.

Personal inspiration can only go so far IME, and almost all of these projects have been a group effort, sometimes led by different 'star players.'

Sometimes a friendly competition works too, as when I challenged myself to surpass the total number of backglasses that the users had uploaded over the years, re-uploaded by Jon last year. But it was a great project for me, as I learned a lot about GIMP in the process.

In any case, the work of curation is never done, so for anyone who wants to help out, feel free to mention it! For example, a simple, fun project would be to tag more sports-themed tables. I did that for soccer and hockey a couple years ago, but I think other major sports like football and golf would be nice to add also.

 

[xenonph]

One thing I did was added matching Tags to the Prefixes.
The reason being that if you try to click one of these Prefixes on the actual download page, you will notice they cannot be clicked.


So clicking the Tag that matches the Prefix will give same search results, as if you had clicked the Prefix.
Jon noticed these Prefixes weren't clickable on download page, and that is the reason why I added the matching Tags to try and get around this particular dilemma.

 

[GeorgeH]

One thing I did was added matching Tags to the Prefixes.
The reason being that if you try to click one of these Prefixes on the actual download page, you will notice they cannot be clicked.
View attachment 24696

So clicking the Tag that matches the Prefix will give same search results, as if you had clicked the Prefix.
Jon noticed these Prefixes weren't clickable on download page, and that is the reason why I added the matching Tags to try and get around this particular dilemma.

I thought that Jon rolled out a website change that fixed the clickable prefixes but now they don't seem to work.

I don't perform many searches for tables so I haven't followed what has been happening. I normally just work on updating tables.

 

[xenonph]

I don't think he found a fix for that particular problem, the Prefixes have never been clickable on the download page. (as far as I know.)
The Prefixes on the Resources pages are all clickable as are the ones in the Discussion topics.

 

[GeorgeH]

I don't think he found a fix for that particular problem, the Prefixes have never been clickable on the download page. (as far as I know.)
The Prefixes on the Resources pages are all clickable as are the ones in the Discussion topics.

My memory is not too clear on it but it seems like the the prefixes are clickable on some screens. ...But obviously not on the Resources page.

 

[JonPurpleHaze]

I don't think he found a fix for that particular problem, the Prefixes have never been clickable on the download page. (as far as I know.)
The Prefixes on the Resources pages are all clickable as are the ones in the Discussion topics.

Yeah, that's correct, Prefixes are clickable everywhere except on a Resource Overview page, this add-on is still being developed and I had a suggestion that I hope they follow through with to make them clickable.

 

[madmrmax]

Any change on getting additional "sub-resource" tags (edit: or prefix?) that highlight individual components like "Model" or "Script" or even things like "FPM" or "FPL" (Future Pinball Model, Future Pinball Library". These would make it easier for folks to find a list of models that have been uploaded and then filter out FP or VP (if so desired).

EDIT - I realize I didn't understand Tags vs Prefix. I was able to use Tags for resources, but I guess having additional Prefixes is what I was thinking more about.

 

[GeorgeH]

Any change on getting additional "sub-resource" tags (edit: or prefix?) that highlight individual components like "Model" or "Script" or even things like "FPM" or "FPL" (Future Pinball Model, Future Pinball Library". These would make it easier for folks to find a list of models that have been uploaded and then filter out FP or VP (if so desired).

EDIT - I realize I didn't understand Tags vs Prefix. I was able to use Tags for resources, but I guess having additional Prefixes is what I was thinking more about.

"FPM" models are really just a standard Milkshape or Blender model that is slightly altered by the FPM editor so it can be assigned to pegs, kickers or other objects.

Future Pinball Libraries are created for specific tables (except for the generic ones that are installed when you install the FP program). You can create them or extract the contents of them using the FP Editor. Click on "File" and then "Resource Library Editor".

 

[madmrmax]

"FPM" models are really just a standard Milkshape or Blender model that is slightly altered by the FPM editor so it can be assigned to pegs, kickers or other objects.

Future Pinball Libraries are created for specific tables (except for the generic ones that are installed when you install the FP program). You can create them or extract the contents of them using the FP Editor. Click on "File" and then "Resource Library Editor".

Thanks George!

 

[xenonph]

I think we are the only Pinball site, that has Tags and Prefixes on every single downloadable item!
Everything has been tagged with relevant topics.
When you click one of these Tags, (for instance "80's"), every single table we have available for download, made in the 80's will be included.
So let the Tags and Prefixes do the work for you.
You will find that they are a powerful tool!

 

[xenonph]

I think we are the only Pinball site, that has Tags and Prefixes on every single downloadable item!
Everything has been tagged with relevant topics.
When you click one of these Tags, (for instance "80's"), every single table we have available for download, made in the 80's will be included.
So let the Tags and Prefixes do the work for you.
You will find that they are a powerful tool!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

I think we are the only Pinball site, that has Tags and Prefixes on every single downloadable item!
Everything has been tagged with relevant topics.
When you click one of these Tags, (for instance "80's"), every single table we have available for download, made in the 80's will be included.
So let the Tags and Prefixes do the work for you.
You will find that they are a powerful tool!

You've kicked absolute booty on that stuff, matey.

So awesome for the pin-sim scene. ^^

 

[JonPurpleHaze]

Still Outstanding with what has been accomplished!

The Multi Prefix add-on has another update available and that will happen in the next few days.

You Guys: