PinUP Popper FrontEnd Feature 'Suggestions'

[monsterkenny]

Led Blinky Support please! 😃 

[moeser]

Firstly, thanks for all the hard work on Pinup Popper.

* In media manager, I can add multiple images/videos/mp3s to the list, but Pinup Popper only seems to use the first one. For example, I have 5 different backglass images set up for Dark Princess, but it only ever shows the first one. Can we have Pinup Popper make use of those extra files in some way? Maybe select a random one when displaying the table? This would also solve CalimeroOeuf's previous suggestion about having multiple music files. TL;DR: do something with extra local file matches for media

* In media manager, Web Download search sometimes finds f4v files but won't preview/download them. Maybe that's something buggy on my side, but if not f4v support would be nice.

Thanks again for this great software.

[sho]

Hi, I have been using Popper since I started working on my cab a few years back and am liking it immensely. It is miles ahead of any front-end I have used previously. But as anything made by man, it can be improved upon.

 

First off a couple of potential bugs:

1. When auto renaming all table files in the import section, it seems to leave out the secondary loading media, i.e. (Screen 3)

2. When you have both animated playlist images and for the game (apng), the game animated image overrides the "exit to system" image when exiting.

 

Then a couple of suggestions:

1. Import table date in pinuplookup.csv, it exists at VPS and would assist greatly in identifying new/updated tables in popper.

2. The media on the media server is getting rather old in the tooth, why not somehow allow download of VPS media/assets from popper (even if only to open the web link)

 

 

Ps does @NailBuster ever come around here? Are there better ways of communicating these?

[PanteraZombie]

Not too sure how practical or possible this would be... but it would be a game-changer if there was a way to have PinUP Popper communicate with the more popular websites (primarily the main 2) to show you when a table has an update available, and could update it through Popper. I would imagine there would need to be some internal updates made on the back-end of the websites, maybe an API connection between Popper and VPU for example. Popper could have a new accounts panel in the settings where you could login with your API info for any particular site that supports this feature. I could see hitting a table update refresh button in Popper where it would check the table download location of the source site, and would return an update available icon in your list of tables. Then I would imagine it opening that table's page externally in a browser window, while downloading in the background. Once it downloads... it would prompt you with a window of your current table's filename, and give you the option below to edit your new table's name with your preferred naming convention. Or the default could just keep the filename the same, and replace the new version number at the end.

 

I think adding a sort of streamlining process to updating tables would help so much with spending more time playing, and less time working. It's been a few months since I've added and updated tables due to being busy with other things... and it's kind of daunting to play catch up to get the tables up to date.

 

On a side note, I also wouldn't mind if Popper could also implement an updating system for the other stuff (vpinmame, vpx, b2s server, etc.).

 

These ideas might be a stretch, but would be very cool if any of these could be done at some point in the future.

[Maniv]

First of all, thank you for all you are doing to the virtual pinball community 🙏

 

Here is a list of what I think could be great to have part of the next version of Pinup Popper:

 

- A “Start with Windows” checkbox

- Remember the location of Pinup Popper window so we don’t have to bring it close to where we stand each time we open it. (With all child windows relative to the parent).

- Add “Default” to the Media manager to easily drop the default media.

 

- An “Export/Import” settings where we can select between All/Media/Playlist/Scripts/Registry/… (already exist but kind of all separated) Maybe also a box for VPX stuff!

 

- A “Record HighScore” option where we import the background picture (I am already using this feature but it would be great to have it part of the UI) That means include the 3rd party apps needed to Pinup Popper install 🤔 …maybe not…

 

- “Control through network” checkbox that will insert the script and generate the html address (http:// … .index.html), maybe QR code generated. Maybe also a simple html editor embedded to edit…

 

-Maniv-

[lyzanxia]

Start Pinup Popper game selection on the last played table instead of the first available one?

[jestermgee]

On 3/15/2023 at 7:03 PM, moeser said:

Firstly, thanks for all the hard work on Pinup Popper.

* In media manager, I can add multiple images/videos/mp3s to the list, but Pinup Popper only seems to use the first one. For example, I have 5 different backglass images set up for Dark Princess, but it only ever shows the first one. Can we have Pinup Popper make use of those extra files in some way? Maybe select a random one when displaying the table? This would also solve CalimeroOeuf's previous suggestion about having multiple music files. TL;DR: do something with extra local file matches for media

Thanks again for this great software.

 

Just stumbled over this thread and this is the first feature that came to my mind. 

What would be great is a few options around this if it was at all possible. Like mentioned, have an option to either random select or sequentially select files and maybe also an option for a "pause" between selections so it could be possible to setup a proper "attract" mode so the machine isnt constantly making noise but plays a small music file or sample, silent for 1 minute then plays another and of course that would be per table. 

I have to do this manually by creating 5 minute table play throughs or 5 minute mixes with silence gaps which is fine, i'm impressed with what PUP can do already but would be great to see this kind of thing just to help keep the browser feeling a bit more fresh since especially when testing and setting things up for weeks on end, the same sounds do get stale after some time. 

[jestermgee]

On 11/8/2023 at 7:03 PM, lyzanxia said:

Start Pinup Popper game selection on the last played table instead of the first available one?

 

That is possible to do already, You just setup a SQL query playlist so if you wanted the last table played you would create a query of latest played tables and set it to list the recent one first.

 

Optionally, what I prefer to do is have a list of say 40 tables randomly selected from my collection that display on the home screen and this is randomly generated every time I start PUP so the home screen is always a different 40 tables and then I have a "playlist" menu with all tables listed in A-h, I-R, S-Z groups.... There is so much you can do with the SQL query playlists and it is automatic meaning you never have to add anything to any playlists manually, just utilise the metadata tagging to easily create playlist collections. Anyway, it's possible to do what you are asking.  

[jestermgee]

On 8/22/2023 at 5:15 PM, PanteraZombie said:

Not too sure how practical or possible this would be... but it would be a game-changer if there was a way to have PinUP Popper communicate with the more popular websites (primarily the main 2) to show you when a table has an update available, and could update it through Popper. I would imagine there would need to be some internal updates made on the back-end of the websites, maybe an API connection between Popper and VPU for example. Popper could have a new accounts panel in the settings where you could login with your API info for any particular site that supports this feature. I could see hitting a table update refresh button in Popper where it would check the table download location of the source site, and would return an update available icon in your list of tables. Then I would imagine it opening that table's page externally in a browser window, while downloading in the background. Once it downloads... it would prompt you with a window of your current table's filename, and give you the option below to edit your new table's name with your preferred naming convention. Or the default could just keep the filename the same, and replace the new version number at the end.

 

I think adding a sort of streamlining process to updating tables would help so much with spending more time playing, and less time working. It's been a few months since I've added and updated tables due to being busy with other things... and it's kind of daunting to play catch up to get the tables up to date.

 

On a side note, I also wouldn't mind if Popper could also implement an updating system for the other stuff (vpinmame, vpx, b2s server, etc.).

 

These ideas might be a stretch, but would be very cool if any of these could be done at some point in the future.

 

 

Literally the very first line posted by Nailbuster in this thread reads: 

 

Quote

"Popper should auto-download tables/roms/media/packs/updates"  no.  dont suggest it as its against community 'etiquette'.. no need to discuss. 

 

If it was supposed to be simple, easy and convenient everyone would be doing it and would make all the illegal resellers jobs just that much easier. 

So unlikely to ever happen, the onus to keep up to date is on the user. Also, if it ain't broke, dont fux it. Just because there are updates does not mean you need them and then there is the case if an update causes problems and breaks your system, where you gonna vent your frustrations at? I can see exactly why this will never be a thing.

[lyzanxia]

3 hours ago, jestermgee said:

 

That is possible to do already, You just setup a SQL query playlist so if you wanted the last table played you would create a query of latest played tables and set it to list the recent one first.

 

Optionally, what I prefer to do is have a list of say 40 tables randomly selected from my collection that display on the home screen and this is randomly generated every time I start PUP so the home screen is always a different 40 tables and then I have a "playlist" menu with all tables listed in A-h, I-R, S-Z groups.... There is so much you can do with the SQL query playlists and it is automatic meaning you never have to add anything to any playlists manually, just utilise the metadata tagging to easily create playlist collections. Anyway, it's possible to do what you are asking.  

That's great news.. but unfortunately I am not proficient enough to get it done (no sql knowledge).
Could you help me ?

I have  this as my home playlist at the moment (but ofcourse this always starts at the first table beginning with A , again at startup): Select * from Games where (EMUID=1 OR EMUID=5) AND visible=1 Order BY GameDisplay asc

Would love to get the home playlist to start at  the last played table (but keep the order BY GameDisplay asc) .

Thanks!

[PanteraZombie]

On 11/14/2023 at 11:35 PM, jestermgee said:

 

 

Literally the very first line posted by Nailbuster in this thread reads: 

 

 

If it was supposed to be simple, easy and convenient everyone would be doing it and would make all the illegal resellers jobs just that much easier. 

So unlikely to ever happen, the onus to keep up to date is on the user. Also, if it ain't broke, dont fux it. Just because there are updates does not mean you need them and then there is the case if an update causes problems and breaks your system, where you gonna vent your frustrations at? I can see exactly why this will never be a thing.

Nowhere did I suggest to auto-update anything. In short, I suggested that it would be a useful feature if Popper could communicate between a table entry and it's original download page to alert you if there's an update. It seems like the ground work is actually being made to do something like that for future releases in the current beta.

[clemon79]

The option that I really SUPER need is for either:

 

1. the System menu (with Exit / Shutdown / Restart etc.)  be selectable off of the Main menu, or
2. When a Menu Return command is issued at the top level, for it to act as a System Menu command

 

I can see where some people would not want this available, so setting this as a checkbox (probably on Game/Wheel Toolbar) would make sense. Either way, and maybe I just haven’t figured out the right sauce of keys and buttons, but right now between all of the assignments with a KL25Z, XPadder, and PinVol, I can’t figure out anywhere to tuck a button combo to launch the System menu when I need it in an aesthetically satisfying fashion. To be able to go Back One More Step makes sense.

[PacketNarc]

Good morning;

 

id like to have a feature where a single game listing could have multiple ‘alt’ versions listed under the same button. So, for tables like AC/DC that have like 5 versions I’d like to nest them under the same main Game button. 
 

Yea, I know it sounds like a ‘playlist’ but I think there’s additional logic needed for this to be seamless. I’m trying to avoid having 5 buttons in a row for AC/DC LE, AC/DC Pro, AC/DC Christmas editions LOL, etc. 

 

maybe a bool under each game media that says ‘alt tables available ?’ And then they can just point to other fully configured tables but offer sort of a ‘mini t-arc’ when you select the main table. 

There’s also many times i like the older version of a table, then someone like VPW comes along and blows my mind. I may want both tables in my Cab, but the wheel gets really busy after a while. 
 

eg-

 

i am scrolling along and see AC/DC. And it has an asterisk or some identifier on the wheel icon that denotes ‘multiple vwrsions’

 

 

then when I select that wheel, I get an additional wheel with the 4-5 different varieties of ACDC 

[dsync89]

Hey guys, long time Launchbox/Big Box user here and here's my personal review on using PinUp Popper for three weeks when compariing with BigBox front end.

 

All in all, it would be awesome if the next release of PinUp Popper could feature:

- Different media art fallback/priority if one is not found. e.g. fallback to Game Screenshot if Game Video is not found for BackGlass screen

- Support aspect ratio locking when displaying media on screen.

- Solve the issue where sometimes a screen will just shows 'blank screen' for unknown reason. This happens when I have more than 3 videos playing at the same time.

 

 

 

 

[Kongedam]

@NailBuster 
Thanks for PinUp Popper, it an awesome program.

I have a suggestion to reduce the space used on the HDD for PinUP Popper Media.

Could you make it possible to add YouTube links to it?
Then "Loading Videos", "Playfield Videos" and "Help Videos" could be streamed directly from YouTube, and not take up any space on the cabinet

I have started to create Video Instructions for the "help" menu and thees videos are quite big
https://www.youtube.com/@kongedam
 
Again, thanks for all your hard work

Best regards
Kongedam