b2s server directb2s not 'on-top' when using Small Button Option? *Solution* New B2S Server update!

[Tikimaster]

1 hour ago, jarr3 said:

As stable as can be... I can press on the VPX window, backglass, Full-DMD or DMD. No window jumps anywhere.

Not completely true. Full DMD and DMD switches back and fourth.

can you please post your res? thankyou

[jarr3]

8 hours ago, Retsamikit said:

can you please post your res? thankyou

I took your "with wildmans full dmd backglass"

[jarr3]

11 hours ago, jarr3 said:

 

I also tested your res file, and got a similar effect. VPX stays behind. Only Backglass background and DMD compete each other.

 

 

 

Thanks for giving me the Idea... will make a try to be able to force NoFocus similar to the FormToBack option. It means when you say FormToFront + NoFocus, the B2S Server windows "forms" should not react when you press them... this is what we are waiting for...

[Tikimaster]

I had trouble moving the Full DMD Pos . At beginning, the backglass was shown on the upper left, where it should be. wildmans full dmd was sitting on top of it. Height (y-pos) was exact what I want, but I had to move it to the right side.
 

# X/Y position of the DMD area relative to the upper left corner of the backglass screen - For 3 screen setup
-1368

With small button the orig backglass is sitting on the left and the background png picture is sitting on the upper right
The position 0 in this case (small button on) is relative to the original position of the backglass in screenres, (not to the pos the background is shown in small button mode) so I had to increase -1368 to bring it to the right side.
I tried to set it to "0" to get it to the original backglass place. It was not shown. Instead, I had the backglass-picture i set in the path at the bottom. I disabled the pic. Next try: Had a black window, it disappeared. No wildmanfulldmd. did not understand why.
Original backglass pos is:
 

# x position for the backglass relative to the upper left corner of the Playfield screen
1274

Set the dmd x to zero does not work, but -1368 does work. Why?? Does not make sense..
So I had the idea to set it to 10, just for testing. So I found out - after many many tries that wildmans full dmd is only shown, when DMD area x pos is not set to 0

-1368 to -1 - its shown
0 - no wildman full dmd
1 to 300 - its shown

So it seems that I am not allowed to place the DMD at the original backglass pos.
At the end it worked.. but it was a long way to Tipperary ...
Can you still follow me?
Its complicated... 🙂

The code, wildman backglas for It is working for me:
 

# HD Example for 1920x1080 working one for wildman IT
# Playfield Screen resolution width/height
1920
1080
# Backglass Screen resolution width/height
650
382
# Backglass Display Devicename screen number (\\.\DISPLAY)x for the Playfield or screen on position (@x) or screen index (=x)
1
# x position for the backglass relative to the upper left corner of the Playfield screen
1274
# y position for the backglass on the selected display (Normally left at 0)
0
# width/height of the DMD area in pixels - For 3 screen setup
552
310
# X/Y position of the DMD area relative to the upper left corner of the backglass screen - For 3 screen setup
100
0
# Y-flip, flips the LED display upside down
0
# X/Y position pos when StartBackground is active, relative to upper left corner of Playfield ("Small" Button in the Options)
0
0
# width/height of the backglass when StartBackground is active 
552
310
# C:\path\Frame = The path to the location where you have the background image, it is called "small" button in the settings. 
D:\Visual Pinball\Tables\nopath.png 

 

Edited November 1, 2022 by Retsamikit

[jarr3]

I understand what you are after, but you use something which it wasn't at all meant for.

I am not saying you shouldn't, though this is the reason DMD area x pos = 0 means you do not want any DMD. Great you got it going!

[jarr3]

11 hours ago, jarr3 said:

 

Thanks for giving me the Idea... will make a try to be able to force NoFocus similar to the FormToBack option. It means when you say FormToFront + NoFocus, the B2S Server windows "forms" should not react when you press them... this is what we are waiting for...

It doesn't work. Even if I set the windows to not react on mouse press, when you press VPX window, it makes the B2S form jump before the DMD.

So only chance is to make everything just work when started and not touch anything. I still have some ideas in the back of my mind though... never give up

[Cliffy]

I'm not using the small button option nor adding a frame. I modified the dmd overlay from one b2s and dropped it into another so I have a backglass I like and a dmd frame that I like. I did have to do a lot of tweakage to the dmd frame image to get it sized correctly for the best resolution of the flexdmd image. On the first run of the game the flexdmd was behind the dmd frame but alt-tabbing to get it in focus, positioning and then saving was all it needed to get it to stay on top afterwards

[Tikimaster]

3 hours ago, jarr3 said:

I understand what you are after, but you use something which it wasn't at all meant for.

Yes. I am good in that. Means "hacking". When I was working in an agency the admin said: This is a Mac. It doesn't crash all the time like a Windows Computer.
It only took me 45 minutes to ask him how a reset works. Crashed - hehe 😂

Edited November 1, 2022 by Retsamikit

[Tikimaster]

Just to explain how it works, here are two examples of the same table with the same backglass. The Machine with this backglass:

The first setting places the backglass on the upper right and the dmd on the upper left side.
 

 

This is the srcreenres.res file I used:
 

#Screenres for Bride of Pinbot VPW 1.0.1 - 1920x1080 One Screen - Desktop by Retsamikit
# Playfield Screen resolution width/height
1920
1080
# Backglass Screen resolution width/height - 16:9
570
321
# Define Backglass using Display Devicename screen number (\\.\DISPLAY)x or screen coordinates (@x) or screen index (=x)
1
# x position for the backglass relative To the upper left corner Of the Playfield screen. Its 1920 minus 570
1350
# y position for the backglass On the selected display (Normally left at 0)
0
# width/height Of the DMD area In pixels - For 3 screen setup/1 Screen Setup
570
321
# X/Y position Of the DMD area relative To the upper left corner of the backglass screen - For 3 screen setup/1 Screen Setup. DMD is left of Backglass so it has to be negative.
-1350
0
# Y-flip, flips the LED display upside down
0
# X/Y position pos When StartBackground Is active, relative To upper left corner Of Playfield ('Small' Button In the Options)
0
0
# width/height Of the backglass When StartBackground Is active
0
0
# C:\path\Frame (The path To the location where you have the background image)

 

There is another way to display it, but this is a bit a hack  - Backglass on the left and dmd on the right. I made it just for testing but you may see, how it works.
The windows are not proper 16:9, I just wanted to test how to position them, have a look into the lower part of the code..

 

 

Here is the code:

 

# HD Example for 1920x1080 HD The Machine - reverse 
# Playfield Screen resolution width/height
1920
1080
# Backglass Screen resolution width/height
650
500
# Backglass Display Devicename screen number (\\.\DISPLAY)x for the Playfield or screen on position (@x) or screen index (=x)
1
# x position for the backglass relative to the upper left corner of the Playfield screen
1274
# y position for the backglass on the selected display (Normally left at 0)
0
# width/height of the DMD area in pixels - For 3 screen setup
450
450
# X/Y position of the DMD area relative to the upper left corner of the backglass screen - For 3 screen setup - Attention! When activating small button, the backglass is shown somewhere else, but the DMD is orientented to the ORIGINAL Position. 
150
0
# Y-flip, flips the LED display upside down
0
# X/Y position pos when StartBackground is active, relative to upper left corner of Playfield ("Small" Button in the Options) This moves the backglass to the right side
50
0
# width/height of the backglass when StartBackground is active 
500
430
# C:\path\Frame = The path to the location where you have the background image, it is called "small" button in the settings.
D:\Visual Pinball\Tables\IT Pinball Madness (JP Salas,Joe Picasso)x.png

 

If you want to activate this setting you will have to right click on the backglass for the settings, activate the small button, save and reload. It may not work.
You can copy the code and create a new textfile, copy the code into and name the file "The Machine-Bride Of Pinbot (Williams 1991)_VPW_1.0.1.res", put it beside your table file.

Have Fun! And thankyou for Server Version 1.4.0

Edited November 3, 2022 by Retsamikit