Auto Resizing Bulb Placement?

[wowter]

Hi,

 

I am giving my favourite tables' backglasses a 'tipoto' style makeover: meaning correct AR and resolution specific image (in my case 1920x1080). Images i modify from Chris's amazing Hi-Res backglass archive:

 

http://www.mediafire.com/backglasses

 

I start by importing a db2s file, and then a new backglass image. I then manually re-place all illumination frames, which is a lot of work and requires a steady hand&patience, both of which i seem to lack.

 

Is there an easier way of (auto) resizing the bulb placements when changing backglass image resolutions?

[Herweh]

Didn't you get this message box?

[wowter]

Hi Herweh,

 

Thanks for answering!

 

Yes, i did get that box.   I tried both yes and no, but did not get the results i expected.

 

Now that i think about it:  the issue is the DMD area.  It is my own fault for trying to make something for myself (without DMD area), and not for the community..............

 

I loaded Wildmans  Flintstones db2s, which is great, apart from the horrible backglass image he used.  I took the awesome photo from chris'  backglass foto folder, and imported that (resized/cropped to 1920x1080).  It DOES resize the placements, but it keeps the bottom area free for the non-existing DMD area.  I then tried starting anew,  first setting the grill height to 1 pixel, and then importing the picture , but that did not change the outcome. I also tried the 'third monitor' setting in 'settings', before changing the picture, but this also does not change the outcome of auto replacement.

 

 

Oh, btw:   your Designer is the most user friendly piece of software in the whole world of virtual pinball!  Looks and feels commercial grade.

[Herweh]

Thanks for the kind words. I'll try to reproduce it ...

[Wildman]

I loaded Wildmans  Flintstones db2s, which is great, apart from the horrible backglass image he used. 

LOL that where that bg image came from chriz.. and just for fun makin the bg image bigger will make no diff you will still end up with the same result..bigger pic will slow things down abit too i notice..

and bulb placment  does work but only if you use the same pic or add dmd to same pic..I always say no..when i say yes they never line up..

it wont work if not same rez ,size...  ......just things I have noticed....

[wowter]

LOL that where that bg image came from chriz..

 

Sorry Wildman, but you are mistaken. I dont think your BG image is taken from chris'  archive, but from the old Flintstones UVP (thats what it looks like, and that is also what the resource info in the editor says).   Your image is a color saturated 1280x1024 image with major compression artifacts, while chris has a sharp 2556x1440 photo in his folder. They look like night and day.

 

 

 

 and just for fun makin the bg image bigger will make no diff you will still end up with the same result..bigger pic will slow things down abit too i notice..

 

a 1280x1024 picture scaled to 1920x1080 will never look as good as a real 1920x1080 picture, that is why Tipoto released all these different versions of his backglasses, and that is why i am changing the images.

[Wildman]

LOL wowter you right about the pic, been so long since i did it.....it was from UVP pic

[wowter]

Yeah it was one of your first backglasses i think, probably from before you discovered chris' stash. 

 

I am not surprised that you could not recall the details 100 backglasses later

 

But back on topic:   are you also saying that the Backglass Designers resizing behaviour does not do what you expect it to do?  Next question is, if it is a bug, or that our expectations are wrong....

[Herweh]

Well, this feature is aligning all frames to locations and sizes matching the new backglass image. Of course it's difficult to match correctly when the current image is with grill area and the new one is without. Maybe I have to ask a second question to point to the grill seperator of the new image or to answer "no, this image is without grill area". I've to think about this.

 

To get sure: Is this the problem, an old backglass image with or without grill area and a new one vice versa?

[wowter]

To get sure: Is this the problem, an old backglass image with or without grill area and a new one vice versa?

 

That is what i believe (but it is not what Wildman is saying: in his post he says 'they never line up.. it wont work if not same rez ,size..').   I think it DOES work, but:

 

The Designer respects the height of the DMD area which was set in the original, even if you tell it that there no longer is a DMD area (by setting the height to 1 pixel, or using the 'third monitor' setting).  I expected it to fill out the newly available space up and until the new height of the DMD area (which would be 0), so no need for another checkbox.  another option: You could also give checkbox for auto replacing the bulbs when moving the DMD area line: move it all the way down, and the Designer fills out the newly availabe space automatically.

 

But in a lot of cases, the new image will have a slightly different AR, or some other difference, messing up the bulb alingment, even if the designer does everything right.

 

So dont spend too much time on this on my account,  the Designer is already much better than we could have even hoped for.