Serum files on a real PIN2DMD

[lucky1]

To make Serum files usable on real PIN2DMDs I just uploaded the new version of the pin2dmd editor which supports the import of cRom/cRP Project files as well as cRZ export files. Just select File->Import Project and select either Project CROM/CRP or Project CRZ.

Since Serum is based on the Layered Replace Mode (LRM) concept I introduced to the editor, the firmware and the dmdext code a while ago.  I simply had to cut the serum colorization into scenes based on palette changes. If you import a CROM/CRP project it also takes over the sections as bookmarks, the triggering frames into recordings and automatically generates the necessary keyframes, which makes the project (kind of) running directly after  import. Unfortunatelly the Colormask palette in Serum is handled a little bit different. Instead of grouping the colors in 4 for e.g. wpc in which the first color is almost always black, it uses a specific lookup table for each frame to map that black color to the first color of the palette to avoid multiple black colors in the palette. So you might have to fix the palette of some of the dynamic scenes, but it should be far less time consuming than converting from vni/pal to serum.

If you use the LivePreview feature together with a real PIN2DMD (with pal/fsq on the SD) in the editor the frames which are not working correctly are easy to identify. Just scroll through the recording and if you found a frame press check keyframe to identify the keyframe/scene you need to fix for it.

Sometimes after import frames get triggered by multiple keyframes which use different masks. Just remove the wrong keyframe from the list and the correct keyframe should trigger fine.

 

If you import from a cRZ (which is a zip file containing the CROM file from the project) you only get the scenes due to the fact that the triggering frames are stored in the cRP file. Just ask the author if he could share the cRP file and since the Serum format is all about openly sharing you should also share the work you create out of those files with the pin2dmd editor with the community.

 

I talked to different coloring authors and users about the new features in serum which are color rotation and sprite(s).

They did not like the first because it adds a "funfair" aspect to the original art which is not intended by the original authors. They mostly want to stick as close as possible to the original art and just add color without new effects or dots unless they make a retheme. For such a case a artist can have such an effect with a pin2dmd by using the ColorMask Loop or ReplaceNoRetrigger mode to display a single ColorMask/Replace frame with color rotation (and of course import new graphics using gif import or even videos using avi import of scenes)

The second, sprites, may be easier to use for the author but IMHO is too time consuming to check on real pinball machines . Just think about the getaway video mode with a minimum of 5 sprites active at a time, checking for those sprites would make that mode unplayable on a real pinball machine. SprudelDudel had to use a lot of tricks with LCM mode to make it work with his PIN2DMD. Remember, we are talking about a realtime application here. It is not only about colored frames, it is also about having them displayed without delay. What does FastFlips help if the display frame comes to late ?

 

If you have any problems or ideas, just let me know by posting them here

 

The latest version of the editor as always can be found here

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18wNl_JbPW4XbvLkJQbT_s_DhHZqwq9CI

 

P.S. Thanks to @dtatane for sharing his project files here for testing https://vpuniverse.com/forums/topic/8137-scared-stiff-64-colors-released/

 

 

[ebor]

For information, i refuse that my Serum colorization for the Tron Legacy (Stern 2012) rom is converted into Pin2DMD colorization for vpin or real pin without my explicit agreement.

[dtatane]

I was curious and gave it a try with Champion Pub serum project files...  
You can have a look here.. : 

 

As you said it needs adjustement of the palettes, keyframes and triggers before beeing able to use it.

 

To be honest, I see very little interest in importing my Serum project in PIN2DMD Editor as it lacks the tools and features that I find very useful on ColorizingDMD, so it wouldn't be to improve the quality of the colorization. The RPIN support is not my main concern, and I guess that if a RPIN owner is considering a colorization, he'll buy the appropriate material whether it is zeDMD for Serum or Pin2DMD for FSQ files. 

 

But other authors (not @ebor it seems ) might be interested in converting their project in order to provide files to RPIN Pin2DMD owners, so they have a way to do it now !

 

What I don't understand, is why did you create the cRz import feature ? and the cRP file generator ?

If I'm the author of the SERUM project, I have the cRP file, so no need for this ?

 

[lucky1]

8 hours ago, dtatane said:

What I don't understand, is why did you create the cRz import feature ? and the cRP file generator ?

 

The first is a relict of the first tries to read the file structure back in january when I did not have the project files available. The second is to check the triggering of a cRZ with different dump files to add those dumps to the pin2dmd editor to e.g. add missing transition frames to a published serum project. If you for example check your project with the ScaredStiff dump in the download area you can see that the majority of the frames don´t get identified by your cRZ file. With my tool and by comparing in the Serum Editor I found out that it is due to missing Freeplay triggering. That took me a little time since I thought I had an issue in the import routine.

[lucky1]

10 hours ago, ebor said:

For information, i refuse that my Serum colorization for the Tron Legacy (Stern 2012) rom is converted into Pin2DMD colorization for vpin or real pin without my explicit agreement.

 

I respect your point to protect the work and time you invested into that colorization, but as far as I have understood the whole serum concept it includes the sharing of the colorizations no matter where and what for they are used for. Did I understand something wrong here ? One of the main point of criticism on pin2dmd colorizations was that other authors can´t add or change scenes / triggers without the project files beeing shared by the author. Is it the same with Serum ?

[lucky1]

9 hours ago, dtatane said:

it lacks the tools and features that I find very useful on ColorizingDMD, so it wouldn't be to improve the quality of the colorization.

 

What are those tools and features ?

[dtatane]

5 hours ago, lucky1 said:

 

The first is a relict of the first tries to read the file structure back in january when I did not have the project files available. The second is to check the triggering of a cRZ with different dump files to add those dumps to the pin2dmd editor to e.g. add missing transition frames to a published serum project. If you for example check your project with the ScaredStiff dump in the download area you can see that the majority of the frames don´t get identified by your cRZ file. With my tool and by comparing in the Serum Editor I found out that it is due to missing Freeplay triggering. That took me a little time since I thought I had an issue in the import routine.

 

So, if I understand correctly, this new cRp file could be imported on top of an already imported serum project to complete the raw frame list ?

 

5 hours ago, lucky1 said:

 

I respect your point to protect the work and time you invested into that colorization, but as far as I have understood the whole serum concept it includes the sharing of the colorizations no matter where and what for they are used for. Did I understand something wrong here ? One of the main point of criticism on pin2dmd colorizations was that other authors can´t add or change scenes / triggers without the project files beeing shared by the author. Is it the same with Serum ?

 

Funny, I was not aware of this point of criticism. From my readings and understanding, the main concern was the misusage of PAL/VNI files being distributed without the will of "the authors" or being used on Realpin, which led to PAC and ultimately to SERUM. Am I wrong ?

 

As far as I'm concerned, I care for my work and would like to offer the colorization to the wider audience possible, and/or share my projects files, if I'd like to. It goes both for PAL/VNI projects (LAH projects files are available and were modded by others) or SERUM projects. 

What I wouldn't like is to have anyone take some advantage like making money out of my job.. and this is exactly the opportunity you are bringing with Serum importation in Pin2DMD Editor, the possibility to add DRM (and so monetization) to serum projects... I don't know what the whole serum project concept is, but I'm pretty sure that it is NOT monetization.

 

In my opinion, it would have been a lot better to have cRz files run direclty on PIN2DMD Device for Real Pin without going throught Pin2DMD Editor. Preventing the risk of monetization of the file, widening the audience and respecting the work from the authors. 

 

 

5 hours ago, lucky1 said:

 

What are those tools and features ?

 

Numerous... I detail that in the video tutorials I made for newcomers, you can check them out for ideas and test them on the software... I would mention multi-frame colorization, mixing fixed and dynamic colors, handling of the palette, smart copying options, sprite detection, gradiant effect, or very recently easy image and video importation.. 

[lucky1]

48 minutes ago, dtatane said:

So, if I understand correctly, this new cRp file could be imported on top of an already imported serum project to complete the raw frame list ?

 

No I opened the project with the new cRp file in a second instance of the Serum editor to compare which frames did not get triggered by the dump.

Frames which are not triggered are left blank in that generated cRp file. That way I found out that it were the frames with freeplay instead of credits.

 

55 minutes ago, dtatane said:

From my readings and understanding, the main concern was the misusage of PAL/VNI files being distributed without the will of "the authors" or being used on Realpin

 

The main reason which lead to pac was a letter from the license- and US patent- holders Dazz received. 

This legal threat to the forum was never discussed or commented in public until this post
https://vpuniverse.com/forums/topic/8416-beginning-of-a-new-era/?do=findComment&comment=69781

 

1 hour ago, dtatane said:

I would mention multi-frame colorization, mixing fixed and dynamic colors, handling of the palette, smart copying options, sprite detection, gradiant effect, or very recently easy image and video importation.. 

 

In the pin2dmd editor we have

- multiframe colorization based on opticalFlow in OpenCV

- mixing fixed and dynamic colors is used in Layered Replacement (LRM) scenes

- gif image and avi video import

- gradient drawing is also implemented

but you may be right, maybe the user interface for those features is not the best.

I will have a closer look at those features.

 

1 hour ago, dtatane said:

I don't know what the whole serum project concept is, but I'm pretty sure that it is NOT monetization.

 

Just like PIN2DMD when it started. All VPIN colorizations done with the pin2dmd editor have always been and will be for free. 

 

1 hour ago, dtatane said:

What I wouldn't like is to have anyone take some advantage like making money out of my job.

 

The discussion about protection of the authors work (DRM) came up with the real pin world where every screw or cheap 3D printed mod is sold for way too much money. I can wait for the day when your colorizations are sold multiple times bundled with a display for an overpriced amount of extra money, just for the "service" to copy the files to a SD card. Without DRM there is nothing you can do about this.

 

 

[freezy]

Well, it's almost full moon, so...

 

Unless I'm misunderstanding something here, isn't this exactly what you've accused me of being my master plan? Converting PIN2DMD colorizations to Serum? Now you're offering a Serum -> PIN2DMD conversion tool that opens up monetization to Serum colorizations, and you're surprised why Serum authors get angry?

 

I don't get it.

[zedrummer]

7 hours ago, lucky1 said:

as far as I have understood the whole serum concept it includes the sharing of the colorizations no matter where and what for they are used for. Did I understand something wrong here ?

 

You don't understand something: everything created in the Serum system must remain in the open-source side.

[lucky1]

19 minutes ago, freezy said:

isn't this exactly what you've accused me of being my master plan? Converting PIN2DMD colorizations to Serum?

 

Isn´t that what is offered here 

 

Why choose the VNI/PAL as source which are widely available and not the project files which are only available to the author ?

 

 

 

[freezy]

I don't see any angry PIN2DMD authors there - maybe because the tool isn't publicly available?

 

Did it occur to you that authors might prefer Serum because of its open source nature? And that they might don't want their colorizations converted to PAC and monetized? Even if it means that some pirates might abuse it? You know, the same as VPX tables get packaged and monetized?

[usul27]

1 hour ago, lucky1 said:

The main reason which lead to pac was a letter from the license- and US patent- holders Dazz received. 

This legal threat to the forum was never discussed or commented in public until this post
https://vpuniverse.com/forums/topic/8416-beginning-of-a-new-era/?do=findComment&comment=69781

 

And knowing the "legal threat"  - as you call it, you decided it's a good thing to announce your tool specifically on this platform? Maybe you really don't get the irony of this.

[lucky1]

Just like you with your tool, I wanted to give Serum authors the option to offer their colorizations into the pin2dmd editor as easy as possible. Since I don´t have time to offer that as a service, I implemented it into the open source pin2dmd editor. That's it !

 

Quote

 so any concept from my code (like colour rotations or sprites) CAN NOT be used in encrypted/protected /closed-source code/file format but freely for any open-source project

 

Additionally, since I did not implement any of @zedrummer concepts, but instead only imported data based on my concept, there should be no problem.

 

 

[lucky1]

This is getting repetitive. I close the thread