New version! Pin2Dmd dmddevice.dll with DmdExt as plugin

[lucky1]

35 minutes ago, sllerts said:

I've got .pac files working fine with the new dmddevice.dll and other files.  However, I was playing the Tommy VPW table (which does not have a colorization that I've seen) and noticed that the DMD was not displaying correctly.  One of the levels (4 I believe) was not displaying at all, so things like the video mode all had a black background.  I replaced the dmddevice.dll from this with the freezy one and the Tommy DMD displayed correctly again.  This is on an LCD, not a real DMD.  Any ideas or need more info?

 

Just tested it and worked. I recognized that freezy calculates the colors for tables with 4 shades differently then 16 shades which leads to a different experience on pin2dmd and virtual. Maybe try choosing a different main color like 255,0,0 or chose the colors individually by checking the colorize checkbox.

[sllerts]

1 hour ago, lucky1 said:

 

Just tested it and worked. I recognized that freezy calculates the colors for tables with 4 shades differently then 16 shades which leads to a different experience on pin2dmd and virtual. Maybe try choosing a different main color like 255,0,0 or chose the colors individually by checking the colorize checkbox.

So it appears that the "intensity" options don't do anything with the new DLL, no matter what main color is selected.  As you suggest, enabling "Colorize DMD" does work, though I have to figure out the RGB values for the 4 levels of the "main" color if I don't want pink and blue for the other levels.

 

EDIT: the intensity options don't do anything for the old or new DLLs.  It's just that if you don't enable "Colorize DMD" with the new DLL, the 3rd level is basically black for some reason.  Hmm.

Edited May 15, 2022 by sllerts

[lucky1]

7 hours ago, sllerts said:

"Colorize DMD" with the new DLL, the 3rd level is basically black for some reason.  Hmm.

It is not black it is 17,0,0 if the max value is 255,0,0 . So maybe it is hardly visible on your monitor depending on your brightness settings but not black. In Freezy it is 85 when only 4 shades are displayed and 17 when 16 shades are used. On a real pin2dmd, the 4 shades are simply mapped to color 0,1,4,15. Like I said the goal of this dll was to have the experience as close as possible to a real pin2dmd to make it as easy as possible for the colorization authors and to get rid of such differences.

[howlingmad]

14 hours ago, lucky1 said:

 

Seems that was a hidden treasure in Freezy . 

 

 

That was related to the testing version. Should not happen in the version I uploaded to github

https://github.com/lucky01/PIN2DMD/tree/master/integration/pinmame

Thank  you so much. everything is working fine and absolutely stables !!

No crashes anymore also with my problem tables in the past.

 

Very great work !!

[timhobbs]

On 5/11/2022 at 1:17 AM, lucky1 said:

Accusations like this make me really angry !! Do you really think I take sick children as an excuse to fill my bank account ? If I needed the money why not just take it.

Ask hauntfreaks ! I sent him the latest bank transfers as a "proof of greed" You are in good company there !!

 I never accused you of anything. If you actually read what I wrote I said I realize why you do it. But feel free to blow things out of proportion I guess...

[timhobbs]

On 5/11/2022 at 3:28 AM, sudsy7 said:

You've been a member of this forum for about a month.  Making a statement like this kinda makes you look like a dope.  Proceeds for his work go to charity.  Listen more - spout off less.

 

These 2 guys are pillars of this community - let them work it out themselves and meantime be happy you have a 64-color DMD.

As does your comment, considering I said that I understand why he charges and I also know it goes to charity. It doesn't matter how long I have been a member though - if anyone that comes in (say someone who has only been a member for 2 months) sees what is happening here it can look bad. It doesn't matter if money goes to charity or what happens with it.

 

I think perhaps a PUBLIC forum is not the best place top try to hash something out and expect no one else to chime in. It is unfortunate that you feel like you need to attack me for participating. Thanks for the welcome to community. I guess I can only hope you are in the minority...

[lucky1]

15 minutes ago, timhobbs said:

 I never accused you of anything. If you actually read what I wrote I said I realize why you do it. But feel free to blow things out of proportion I guess...

 

O.K. maybe your wording did not make that perfectly clear and you should make sure about that next time.

Choosing formulations like "I´m not saying that but someone could get the impression" is not the best choice if that is not your own opinion.

I´m currently working out the next steps with other devs and so far it looks like we found a solution that covers all concerns and needs, but it will take some time until the final solution comes out. Until then the current solution seems to be doing the job just fine.

 

[timhobbs]

1 minute ago, lucky1 said:

I´m currently working out the next steps with other devs and so far it looks like we found a solution that covers all concerns and needs, but it will take some time until the final solution comes out. Until then the current solution seems to be doing the job just fine.

 

Glad to hear it. Good luck, I hope it works out well for everyone. Thanks for creating some really cool software...

[Thalamus]

That is really good news. I have the utmost respect for both parties here and I really hate to see any quarrel between devs. You guys are so valuable to this community. Thanks to you both for putting your heads together to try to come up with a solution that both are happy with.

[VPGamer75]

I need help I download Monopoly.pac but doesn’t show up on virtual DMD screen. Maybe tell me how to do it teach me baby step. *.pac goes inside altcolor folder thank you

[lucky1]

6 hours ago, VPGamer75 said:

I need help I download Monopoly.pac but doesn’t show up on virtual DMD screen. Maybe tell me how to do it teach me baby step. *.pac goes inside altcolor folder thank you

 

Just copy the pac file into altcolor/monopoly/ if you use ROM version 3.20 in english

[VPGamer75]

Thank you for helping I forgot apply all your file .dll and dmddevice.ini

[Energetics]

Thank you 4 instructions but I still only see orange DMD colour on my full lcd dmd

 

upgraded to VPinMAME-sc-3. (https://github.com/vpinball/pinmame/suites/3204766411/artifacts/74105581)5

downloaded freezy latest v1.10.2 (https://github.com/freezy/dmd-extensions/releases/tag/v1.10.2)

and set DmdDevice and DmxExt at Pin 2 Dmd to true

 

got afm_113b and pac file from vpuniverse  put into new folder  altcolor/afm_113b

 

set mame to use dll

 

and still frustration.....Please help!

[lucky1]

2 hours ago, Energetics said:

downloaded freezy latest v1.10.2

 

As stated in the first post you need this version

 

https://github.com/lucky01/PIN2DMD/tree/master/integration/pinmame

 

[Energetics]

 yes i do have that as well

[lucky1]

19 hours ago, Energetics said:

DmdDevice and DmxExt at Pin 2 Dmd to true

Try setting it to native

[slydog43]

wow, left for a bit and I come back to this, A little scary, but that is what makes VP so much fun.  Can someone sum it up for me, was trouble people stealing IP?  (fucking hate it as the community is so fukking nice)  Not sure it has anything to do with it, but I see that company selling cabs in Australia with tables included, sucks bad.

 

I'm sure it will be easy to move over to pac

 

I'm close, but I have a white screen on my dmd screen??

 

I think I got FishTales working, but how does it know to load ft_1.1.pac??

 

I can't seem to be able to save settings after hitting "f1"

[lucky1]

2 hours ago, slydog43 said:

I think I got FishTales working, but how does it know to load ft_1.1.pac??

 

The pac file needs to be in the correct altcolor folder. It is the only file needed in there. Remove all others.

[Energetics]

I started all over. reinstalled mame and mame 64...installed them

put into color mode and use external ddl

then I installed freezy.

used msi and have a DMD Extensions folder under programms (86) now and also copied from zip directly to mame Folder

then dmddevice.zip and copied both versions into mame (also tried to copy corsponding 32 and 64 files into MAME/PIN2DMD (lateron because I got no results)

 

set DMDExt pin2dmd and vitual dmd to true and tried native

 

nothing changes

 

altcolor folder with rom name folder and pin2dmd.pac for Attack from mars and pirates o C downloaded from vpu

 

I am out of ideas

 

When I test like in your descrition luky1 i get the coloured dmd picture showing

When I rightclick the still orange dmd and play around in the "customize dmd style" it's 32x8 and going to 128x32 colour doesn't do a thing....

 

whaT am I missing?

 

Regards guys for your help

 

 

 

 

 

[MikeDASpike]

57 minutes ago, Energetics said:

I started all over. reinstalled mame and mame 64...installed them

put into color mode and use external ddl

then I installed freezy.

used msi and have a DMD Extensions folder under programms (86) now and also copied from zip directly to mame Folder

then dmddevice.zip and copied both versions into mame (also tried to copy corsponding 32 and 64 files into MAME/PIN2DMD (lateron because I got no results)

 

set DMDExt pin2dmd and vitual dmd to true and tried native

 

nothing changes

 

altcolor folder with rom name folder and pin2dmd.pac for Attack from mars and pirates o C downloaded from vpu

 

I am out of ideas

 

When I test like in your descrition luky1 i get the coloured dmd picture showing

When I rightclick the still orange dmd and play around in the "customize dmd style" it's 32x8 and going to 128x32 colour doesn't do a thing....

 

whaT am I missing?

 

Regards guys for your help

 

 

 

 

 

You should only use pinmame32.exe (and register this via setup.exe from the vpinmame directory under your visual pinball folder.

You should not copy any files to vpinmame/pin2dmd.

Try first dmdext. I never used the msi, I just copy the dmddevice.dll and dmddevice.ini to the vpinmame folder. I edited dmddevice.ini, so it will use my pindmd3.

If you launch a game, press f1 to bring up pinmame. Make sure that externall dmddevice is checked and use colors.

That should fo yhe trick. I even think that @outhere has some nice threads about it

 

[Energetics]

i finally got some result...changed nothing..just opened setup of mame and Test...in the Rom it was set to no color...checked that and there is colour now.  but the general setting has color and each new table needs me to go into test and set that rom to use color

[lucky1]

41 minutes ago, Energetics said:

i finally got some result...changed nothing..just opened setup of mame and Test...in the Rom it was set to no color...checked that and there is colour now.  but the general setting has color and each new table needs me to go into test and set that rom to use color

 

The is normal that you have to activate color for the rom in pinmame. You can change the default settings of pinmame to use color , then at least every ROM you never started has color already activated.

[gtxjoe]

16 hours ago, slydog43 said:

wow, left for a bit and I come back to this, A little scary, but that is what makes VP so much fun.  Can someone sum it up for me, was trouble people stealing IP?  (fucking hate it as the community is so fukking nice)  Not sure it has anything to do with it, but I see that company selling cabs in Australia with tables included, sucks bad.

 

I'm sure it will be easy to move over to pac

 

I'm close, but I have a white screen on my dmd screen??

 

I think I got FishTales working, but how does it know to load ft_1.1.pac??

 

I can't seem to be able to save settings after hitting "f1"

 

https://vpuniverse.com/forums/topic/7318-end-of-an-era/

 

[VPGamer75]

I remove it

[lucky1]

On 5/26/2022 at 6:34 AM, slydog43 said:

wow, left for a bit and I come back to this, A little scary, but that is what makes VP so much fun.  Can someone sum it up for me, was trouble people stealing IP?  (fucking hate it as the community is so fukking nice)  Not sure it has anything to do with it, but I see that company selling cabs in Australia with tables included, sucks bad.

 

There were attempts to use the vpin colorizations on devices the authors of the colorizations never gave the approval for. They published their colorizations with the intention that these exports are used on VPIN only either with a pin2dmd or on the devices the current release of freezy supports (pin2dmd, pindmdV3, pixelcade, PC monitor).

 

The other discussion in short is about wether this protection is needed or not, the technical drawbacks of the way I implemented it and a possible violation of the GPL license because I packed my dmddevice.dll and dmdext.dll in one zip. In accordance with the GPL all the changes I made to the freezy code are publicly available. Meanwhile Funkyman and I have started working on an API implementation like Freezy recommended to get rid of the technical drawbacks and the distribution discussion.