Virtual Pinball Backup Manager (VPBM)

[malibu]

This thread is to annouce the release of  a tool Ive been working on over the past few months called Virtual Pinball Backup Manager, or VPBM to help me manage my collection of pinball games by allowing me to back them up/restore them "individually" by identifying files related to individual games.
Individual game backups can be stored anywhere on the file system. The tool also allows users to delete all content related to individual games (while checking for other dependencies).

Following some feedback from the user base the tool has been reworked to enforce locking of backup files to individual host machines. The result is version 1.3 of the application. 

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VPBM is a backup manager aimed at generating and managing individual game backups for Virtual Pinball systems using the Pinup System. These backups can be browsed and compared to the live system, and restored/updated as needed.

 

 

Virtual Pinball Backup Manager (VPBM) processes a variety of game content including:

1. Game scripts/files
2. Backglass files, POV files, ROM and NVRAM files as well as alt colour/sound files (VPX)
3. Game libraries required by game scripts (Future Pinball)
4. Game specific Pinup Player Pup Packs
5. Game specific Pinup Popper front end media files
6. Copies of all stored game database settings
7. Copies of any game specific registry settings (VPX)
    

Strict locking of backup files to host machines is enforced. This means that backups generated by VPBM are encrypted and only able to be decrypted on the machine for which they are intended. Generally this will be the machine for which they were created on, however it is possible to specific a specific target machine to create backup files for. This caters for the situation where a user downloads tables and media on an internet connected machine and then transfers this to a standalone cabinet. The screenshot below shows a portion of the settings page where users are able to specfy a target machine to export games to. VPBM MUST be installed on both machines, and the This Host Identifier must be copied from the target machine and entered into the Export Host Identifier field on the machine generating the backups.
Backups can ONLY be restored on the machine for which they were built for to prevent the use of these backups for sharing of games.

 

This is done by specifying external host details on the settings panel, and then pressing the Export button (which is only enabled if export has correctly been setup) on the main panel for games already backed up. See setup panel below.

 

Integrated help is available via the Help menu at the top of the application, or via the ? button on specific panels.

 

[malibu]

[Sticky] Current Pending Feature List:

• support for FX3/FX etc
• support for game DOF settings
• support for user LUT file backup/restore (potentially optional)
• support for VPREG.STG (in fact VPREG.STG entries in general) and EM highscore backup/restore (potentially optional)
• allow user to set lookup codes (ie gamecode) for games which cannot be parsed. (often this value is parsed form game scritps, but scripts could obfuscate the value unintentionally)
• command line version to allow simple game list, backup, restore

[malibu]

THis tool has been reuploaded at version 1.3 with integrated locking of backups to host machines and is pending review. A link will be posted here when approved.

[malibu]

THe application is now approved for download: 

Feel free to reach out via this thread or DMs with any questions/suggestions.

[malibu]

Version 1.9 is now uploaded and pending approval. 
Visit the download link above. 
A wiki is alos now available to view online: https://github.com/mmattner/vPinBackupManagerApp/wiki

 

[Vecna]

I don't understand why somebody would need to enceypt a setup? This would only be good for commercial and all these are for community. Nothing here is commercial. Other than the gifts in the store to support the site.

 

If your pc breaks and you need a fresh install how can you copy that over if it's encrypted to that machine. 

 

The better idea would be a pinupopper that does a 1 register per computer. At a time. And you need to eject your setup to use elsewhere. Encrypting a whole setup and using keys is asking for some headaches. Nice idea tho

[malibu]

On 5/25/2023 at 2:56 AM, Vecna said:

I don't understand why somebody would need to enceypt a setup? This would only be good for commercial and all these are for community. Nothing here is commercial. Other than the gifts in the store to support the site.

 

If your pc breaks and you need a fresh install how can you copy that over if it's encrypted to that machine. 

 

The better idea would be a pinupopper that does a 1 register per computer. At a time. And you need to eject your setup to use elsewhere. Encrypting a whole setup and using keys is asking for some headaches. Nice idea tho

 

Sorry for the delay replying as I've been busy with other things - including an new version of the tool which addresses a few outsatanding issues.

The encryption was a requirement placed on me by the VPIN community to prevent the tool being used for mass export of games and requested by content creators to allow the tool to be published. It is not just commerical IP people are trying to protect, they are also trying to protect their opensource content from those that are packaging them up and selling as bulk game packs.

The explicit case you cite where your PC breaks (while rare) can be worked around by exporting all games to a second PC for packup (effectively having two copies). The difference here, once again is that the game is exported to a specific second machine. In my case I maintain two backups - one on my cabinet, and one on my media/download machine.

With all of that said, your suggestion re somehow tying to a Pinup setup is interesting and something to ponder - of course it would involve multiple parties and changes to Pinup etc, and of course if the Piunup Registration code was compromised it could be distributed with bulk game packs with no attribution back to the source of the compromise.

[Vecna]

Well the only way around this would be assigning everybody a unique code that you use for vpuniverse and vpforums each with the own code. When a table boots first time you enter your user I'd code from your account here to unlock the table

 

Only way to stop mass producing tables without verification

[Vecna]

Goodluck on your tool

[malibu]

On 7/28/2023 at 10:03 AM, Vecna said:

Well the only way around this would be assigning everybody a unique code that you use for vpuniverse and vpforums each with the own code. When a table boots first time you enter your user I'd code from your account here to unlock the table

 

Only way to stop mass producing tables without verification

Interestingly that approach is something I am considering, but for a different purpose.
The problem with that apporoach is people can create accounts, get the unique code, create the mass backups, and then publish the codes ... 

My consideration would be for content creators, to be able to release their own games signed withtheir "Developer token" and in these cases games wouldnt be tied to individual machines, but until there is a use case for itI have decided not to proceed and for now focussing on the new version of the current app;lication as I find time (which has been difficult the last month and a bit).

[Vecna]

You could do a licence file that comes with every table download. When you download a table it embeds in your user name and vpforum ID

 

VIP members automatically unlocks the table with there licence file

 

Contributing members get 30 days to test and upgrade

 

Non contributors can't download

 

The only way it will get publicly released is by a VIP

 

and that will have the user name and ID embedded in the licence file you could drag into visualpinball to activate

 

No more mass packs simple..

[malibu]

Hi all. Version 2.1 of this tool is now available for download.

This release has been a massive user interface uplift to take advantage of the WPF framework. This has made support for various display scaling setting more achievable. Along with this there have been other features added, including progress reporting (of large backup/restore operations), several bug fixes, the most notable being a fix to support backups of games exceeding 5GB, as well as some new features aimed at time saving including the ability to backup/restore individual files with differences within games.



Please contact me for any questions.