What Future Pinball download hacks can handle external like PinMame?

[HorsePin]

It's not something I've followed for a long time, I literally have no idea, but I think I recall seeing that you could run the PinMame controller. If that's the case then my controller should work and would like to test it at some point if someone can point in the right direction.

I gather most games, up to 99% of them don't use the PinMame controller anyway so this would be just to pull scores from the script and not via pinmame.

 

[GeorgeH]

It is my understanding that FP is now able to use ROMs although I am pretty sure there are no tables currently that do. I don't know how it works but presume it uses PinMame somehow. @TerryRed might know how to code it. It seems that ROMs are getting more and more difficult to find from what I have read on the forums. So I am not sure it is worth it plus the options seem more limited when you have to use a ROM.

 

[HorsePin]

Perhaps I need to rephrase what I'm looking to do, I'm not really looking for PinMame games in FP.

You probably know by default you could never load external scripts or a custom "Controller".

But I seem to remember seeing that someone hacked it, so it was possible so which version of FP is this.

Did BAM tools make this possible? That's the only one that springs to mind.

I'm not in any rush to test it, I have quite a bit more to do yet, but the Future Pinball script needs to be able to load my controller like it does in VP.

 

[HorsePin]

ravarcade - Repositories

ravarcade has 14 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.

github.com

I see, rava makes plugins for them. Maybe I was seeing things about COM but that's all I would want is a wrapper. I will have to enquire about it.

BAM_GetCOM function

 

[GeorgeH]

Rav is working on the Unity program and some of the postings on the web site you found appear to be related to that and even VP. There is a BAM plugin called iCom that I am pretty sure that TerryRed uses. You need to talk to him.

 

[HorsePin]

Rav is working on the Unity program and some of the postings on the web site you found appear to be related to that and even VP. There is a BAM plugin called iCom that I am pretty sure that TerryRed uses. You need to talk to him.

iCom was on his GitHub but that's dead, removed.

 

[TerryRed]

No one uses any hack of the FP exe anymore.

BAM includes an iCOM plug-in that allows for COM access now. This means that DOF, PUP, "Controllers", B2S Server, PROC (if using COM somehow), and yes PinMAME can be accessed / controlled from FP (but someone would need to adapt scripts, etc to work with PinMAME... not gonna be me)..

Just use the vanilla FP install (no hacks)... and the latest BAM. It's easiest is to just use ravarcade's 2 in 1 installer:

ravarcade.pl - Download

Better Arcade Mode for Future Pinball Cabinet

www.ravarcade.pl

... and only use FPLoader.exe from the BAM folder to run FP (never use FuturePinball.exe).

Use these settings:






For me, I use this to initiate the iCOM plug-in that allows for COM access. This allows me to directly access and use DOF and PUP on my PinEvent V2 releases the exact same as you would on VPX.

'############## iCOM BAM PLUG-IN - USE COM OBJECTS #############

' By Nailbuster and Ravarcade
' Version: 2.0
' April - 2022

' The iCOM plug-in for BAM must be installed and enabled in the BAM Plug-ins menu!

' This will allow programs such as DOF, Pinup Player, and more to work directly with Future Pinball.

Dim icom : Set icom = xBAM.Get("icom") ' "icom" is name of "icom.dll" in BAM\Plugins dir

Function CreateObject(className)
   Set CreateObject = icom.CreateObject(className)
End Function

...and the basic code I use to startup the DOF COM object...

'#################### PINEVENT - DOF: STARTUP & CONTROL ###################

' By Nailbuster and TerryRed
' Version: 2.0
' April - 2022

' This is used for the startup and control of DOF (Direct Output Framework)

Dim DOF_Status:DOF_Status=false
Dim DOFObject
Dim DOF_romname
Dim DOF_Debug_enabled: DOF_Debug_enabled = false

Sub DOFStart(DOF_RomConfig)  'Start DOF Session
    if DOF_Status=true then Exit Sub
    if DOF_enabled=true Then
        Set DOFObject = CreateObject("DirectOutput.ComObject")
            If DOFObject is Nothing Then
                AddDebugText "DOF is not installed or is not accessable"
                DOF_enabled=false
                DOF_Status=false
            else
                DOFObject.Init "B2SServer","",DOF_RomConfig
                DOF_Status=true
                AddDebugText "Start DOF with config: " & DOF_RomConfig
            end if
    End if
end sub

Sub DOFClose()  'PinEvent - Close out DOF session. Add this to FuturePinball_EndPlay()
    if DOF_Status=false then Exit Sub
    DOF_Status=false
    DOFObject.Finish()
    Set DOFObject=nothing
end sub

Sub dof(dID,dValue)
    if DOF_Status=false then Exit Sub
    if dValue=0 Then DOFObject.UpdateNamedTableElement "E"&dID,0: if DOF_Debug_enabled = true then AddDebugText "DOF E"&dID&" 0"
    if dValue=1 Then DOFObject.UpdateNamedTableElement "E"&dID,1: if DOF_Debug_enabled = true then AddDebugText "DOF E"&dID&" 1"
    if dValue=2 Then
        DOFObject.UpdateNamedTableElement "E"&dID,1
        DOFObject.UpdateNamedTableElement "E"&dID,0
        if DOF_Debug_enabled = true then AddDebugText "DOF E"&dID&" 2"
    End If
end Sub

' Usage: dof(dID,dValue)

' dID = DOF Exxx trigger
' dValue = trigger action. 0 = off, 1 = on, 2 = pulse

' Example:

' dof 103,1

' The above example will trigger DOF event E103 as ON


'############### PINEVENT - DOF: STARTUP & CONTROL - END #################

MUCH has changed with FP thanks to BAM. nFozzy physics have been adapted to FP (FizX) to dramatically change how FP tables play now. When added properly to a table, you really can't believe it's FP... and the physics can be changed to how you like fairly easily.

BAM has added many many new features for lighting, shadowmaps, ray cast shadows... and so much more. Just check out any of my PinEvent releases to get an idea of DOF and PUP usage with FP. Silent Hill and RetroFlair 2 will give you an idea of how crazy you can go using FP-BAM now. You can see some of that on my channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TerryRed/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=0

 

[HorsePin]

BAM includes an iCOM plug-in that allows for COM access now. This means that DOF, PUP, "Controllers", B2S Server, and yes PinMAME can be accessed / controlled from FP.

Yeah perfect, that's what I was after, should work same as it does in VP, thanks and I'm sure those setting will come in handy it's been so long.

I can see the file in the download now which I must have skimmed past even spotting it in the plugins folder earlier.

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You won't get me playing it lol, the physics still look jank from here. I don't really care much for graphics I need it semi playing like a real pin.

I looked at someones Avatar video of a game yesterday, can't remember without looking but ball was dead. You can make shots better, I can see that, but ball looked dead. Also the flippers are set up bad angles which I guess is because how bad it was on vanilla FP. You had to make the angle lower for the flippers to make shots.

A couple of those Bigus VP mods are nasty I grabbed earlier too, it's like I want to do work on those and am refraining from doing that. Especially that Dracula I added earlier. Too slow, too easy, nothing like the real thing. I'm sure he is modding them to make them easier but I just needed a latest version of a couple of games.

 

[TerryRed]

I don't expect you to play it (I know you better)... but as you said, how one person has a table setup for physics (to their liking) doesn't equal how other tables are created / setup (including VP tables). On my newer releases you can easily change whatever you want for physics to your liking. I've had JP Salsas and many other VP guys test them, and they were very surprised, and they easily adjusted it to their liking to make it more realistic compared to how I had it / prefer. That's the point here. You don't have to settle on what you see in a video. You can make it more the way you want easily (harder, easier, more bouncy, harder live catches, etc). This isn't the old days of FP, and not the older DF1 physics. It's not perfect.... but it's damn close to VP compared to before, and I can make it play better (more realistic) than many VP tables did before nFozzy came along.

I don't ever expect to convert anyone.... just inform.

 

[HorsePin]

I don't expect you to play it (I know you better)... but as you said, how one person has a table setup for physics (to their liking) doesn't equal how other tables are created / setup (including VP tables). On my newer releases you can easily change whatever you want for physics to your liking. I've had JP Salsas and many other VP guys test them, and they were very surprised, and they easily adjusted it to their liking to make it more realistic compared to how I had it / prefer. That's the point here. You don't have to settle on what you see in a video. You can make it more the way you want easily. This isn't the old days of FP, and not the older DF1 physics. It's not perfect.... but it's damn close to VP compared to before, and I can make it play better (more realistic) than many VP tables did before nFozzy came along.

I don't ever expect to convert anyone.... just inform.

Got to remember many don't actually play real games, so it's always an improvement over what they had before. For sure it is an improvement over the original FP releases but most of them compare sims to sims. You probably can get FP playing better than TPA which is a milestone in itself. People used to love TPA though but it all boils down to them being able to play the games in the arcades years ago, nostalgia, they're not fussy over it.

I wouldn't say you were trying to convert me. I used to spend a long time trying to get them right and at the end of the day it takes a lot of your time up, I've been burnt a thousand times tweaking for hours and days on end lol and it's like I can't trust anyone when it comes to that.

No idea on nfozzy, I haven't played them, I don't collect them or have a cabinet, it's not something I do often anymore, I don't play any of the simulators enough to warrant it and it's been since I did PInGod, which must've been a good 8 months ago. I was making real Evil Dead but that's been so long ago now, it's collecting dust, I should get a cover for it and the p-roc boards just all in a box. Got bored of it but seems always at the end of the year I come back to pinball stuff and I'm on a mission now to get this system built.

I am just about to fire up Future Pinball so I will be testing it somewhat over coming days anyway. I wanted to get this done by xmas but it's like feature creep and the Web UI is quite a bit of work.

 

[HorsePin]

Awesome, well done, I owe you one.

 

[GeorgeH]

You got me curious as to what you plan to do with it?

 

[HorsePin]

You got me curious as to what you plan to do with it?

It's a High score keeping API and site, but the good thing about it is create players inside VP, select players, so you don't really need the site.

I would have to make slightly different UI for FP though. It's been so long since I've used FP but in Visual Pinball it is just text boxes. The text boxes in VP are no good for cabinets but the player selection would be fine. The controller is done though and you have all the information from the API to access in game so anyone can take that job off my hands no problem. It works is the main thing so it pretty much covers all the simulators. With PinGod I would build it into the actual game and no need for any special UIs there.

It's made for just using the flipper buttons and start, with hardly any setup.

Up to the author to add game to database then provide a patch for an original download link. I try and make it less hassle as possible without having to configure anything.

Not worried about it being a high score leaderboard but you can with people you trust.

 

[HorsePin]

You got me curious as to what you plan to do with it?

 

[GeorgeH]

Looks cool. You might want to know that multiplayer doesn't always work so hot on FP. Say a player locks a ball. When the next player starts, the ball might still be locked from the previous player. It is that sort of problem. Gimli has worked on some tables where he got multiplayer to work correctly but it takes a huge amount of coding.

 

[AnonTet]

My personal experience means it is a lot of work depending on the table to get MP to work as intended.
But it works as good as you program it. Nothing to do with FP itself.

 

[HorsePin]

Looks cool. You might want to know that multiplayer doesn't always work so hot on FP. Say a player locks a ball. When the next player starts, the ball might still be locked from the previous player. It is that sort of problem. Gimli has worked on some tables where he got multiplayer to work correctly but it takes a huge amount of coding.

Yes, that's down to whoever made the script to support multiplayers, single player is fine. I was well aware from my early days most FP games were like this. It doesn't make a difference. To make a FP game compatible then you have to update the script anyway then make a patch. Patching is best way because we're talking not even 100kb, which also means you're only providing your changes and not the full table. I want this automated somewhat too. Like dragging the original download, then it grabs the patch and spits you out a compatible game.

I can't remember why most were single player, but that's maybe because a default multiplayer script was never provided and people just mainly used that as a template, wasn't the Sci Fi classic multiplayer? I remade that game in VP/PinGod but haven't put it out yet, so I've actually been through that script when I rewrote it but that was a year or so ago now.

---------------------------------------------------------

If I selected 4 players in the VP menu, but only played with 2 credits (2 players) then only 2 will be saved online.

Original games for VP and FP are the same, you have to start a game in progress and send the scores manually in script anyway, pinmame is different where I take the NvRam to get the scores. I've written small guides how to do this, I just finished up the PinMame one yesterday, that is a bit more work to make compatible but it's not that bad.

It maybe worth looking at the FPRam to do it anyway but still, doing it in the script yourself is only a few lines.