ZeDMD 3.4.0

[mk47]

I spent a lot of time on ZeDMD and finally released version 3.4.0: https://github.com/PPUC/ZeDMD/releases/tag/v3.4.0

 

To leverage it new features it is required to Update DMD Extensions to 2.2.2 which hasn't been released yet. But I prepared a preview which could be downloaded from https://github.com/PPUC/dmd-extensions/releases/tag/v2.2.2-zedmd

 

Beside other improvements, the biggest change is that DMDext now uses the platform independent communication library libzedmd, which was already used by VPX Standanlone on other operating systems like macOS, Linux, Android.
A big advantage will be that we're now able to develop new features and to fix bugs independently from DMDext releases.

Another great improvement is higher speed and better colors for ZeDMD HD via USB.

I also created an alterative WiFi mode which allows to connect your ZeDMD via WiFi instead of USB. (The feature is brand new and not heavily tested, so it should be considered experimental.)

Here're two videos demonstrating a ZeDMD HD and a ZeDMD attached via USB in parallel and a single ZeDMD connected via WiFi.
 

 

 

 

[mk47]

Take a look at Baywatch downscaled from 192x64 to 128x32 on ZeDMD starting at 1:48. I think that it looks better then on some other 128x32 devices.

[lucky1]

Actually it looks quite similar to what I do in native mode on pin2dmd. I must admit that the scaler setting in dmdext is not optimal for that task.

 

[SatanicaInc]

Hi Mk47 

 

Will you release any guide or how-to on using this library so that it can be used in other projects?

 

[mk47]

We already discuss to leverage ZeDMD HD as marquee for arcades using libzedmd.
But we want to get it into DMDext first. Once @freezy accepted it without further changes required, we can document the API.

[Westworld]

thanks for the update. It works fine with VPX, but seems to fail with PinUp Popper.

Popper starts very slow and responds extremly slow, looks frozen.

 

After disabling DMD in PinUp Popper setting, all works fine again (now without DMD usage, of course).

 

PinUp Pooper uses DMDExt, I guess that the code used in the previous version of dMDExt is not compatible with the new firmware?

Would it be possible to compile and upload an updated version of DMDExt.exe as well, or is it better to return to 2.2.1 and 3.2.1, waiting for Freezy?

[Westworld]

Games of Thrones or Blade Runner are also failing (games without ROM but using DMD) - I think those needs a fitting DMDExt as well?

[mk47]

I could prepare a exe, but I recommend to wait for @freezy to accept my changes. I didn't setup the build chain for the exe or the installer and I don't want to make mistakes.

Another thing we need to be aware of is, that my build of the DLL also includes unreleased changes within DMDext itself, because my build bases on the development version. So errors might also be unrelated to ZeDMD.
My DLL is "only" a preview for testers and I only test with VPX and PPUC/libpinmame.
If it works there. it is expected to work with everything as soon as the next version of DMDext is released, because the plugin is the same for all kinds of usages for DMDext and simply implements the API of DMDext.

But thanks for the feedback! Let's test it again as soon as @freezy provides a (beta) build.