The Addams Family (Bally 1992)

[rothbauerw]

I’ve been playing with the Thing Flips.  Reading up on how it works, it looks like it calculates the speed of the ball to improve accuracy.  The script uses:

Sub SW57_Hit

vpmTimer.PulseSw 57    ‘Bumper Lane Opto

End Sub

I don’t think PulseSw would properly simulate the open/closing of the switch for the ROM to calculate the speed.  Would something like the following do the trick?

Sub SW57_Hit

Controller.Switch(57)=1

End Sub

Sub SW57_UnHit

Controller.Switch(57)=0

End Sub

On another note, there appears to be a script error on line 798.

Sub SW25_HitB

should be:

Sub SW25_Hit

 

Current Project: Perpetual updates of VPX physics.

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[Ben Logan2]

After lots of testing I finally figured out running TAF without a backglass solves the stutter (which knocks FPS down to 13 frames per second) after locking two balls for GREED multiball.

I tried commenting this line out (since it refers to a “backbox”):  SolCallback(22)=”ThePowerFlasher”   ‘The Power/Backbox Cloud(3) – flasher

But that didn’t have any affect. I also tried downloading and running a few different B2S. Also didn’t stop the stutter. Finally tried running in exe vs. standard. Still no affect.

Would love to be able to run a B2S with this badboy.

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[Drybonz]

Hey Ben, are you running true full screen?  Do you have backglass in .exe?  I can’t remember if there are any animations listed on the backglass, but if so try setting them to disabled/off.  On that same dialog crank the solenoids and lamps settings up a few digits.

*edit*  Sorry, just noticed you had answered the .exe question already.  I just looked at my version and there are no animations to turn off.  The solenoids and lamps will help, but probably not enough to fix the extreme lag you are getting.  Oddly, I don’t have any trouble with that backglass at all or lag.

I guess you are talking about the part where all the lights go crazy?  Maybe check for intervals set under 10 in the script… Toxie has been talking about that causing problems.  Other than that, I think they may just be a bit more of an intense display… I can’t remember what system specs you are running.

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[Ben Logan2]

Totally appreciate the help, DryBonz. The stutter happens after locking two balls — which is one locked ball before the lights go crazy.

My graphics card is a GTX750ti — not the best, but usually stutter free altogether.

I tried all the various backglass tricks and settings. Totally stumped!

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[Sliderpoint]

@Rothbauerw  – Thanks for finding the script problem with 25.  For the Thing Flips, I’m not sure the hit/unhit will be any different than pulsesw but it’s worth a shot it won’t break anything.  I’ll throw that in.

@Ben Logan2 – Does the same thing happen in VP 10.1 or do you still have the previous version of this table to test to see if it was a change?

-Mike

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[Drybonz]

Ben Logan2 wrote:

Totally appreciate the help, DryBonz. The stutter happens after locking two balls — which is one locked ball before the lights go crazy. My graphics card is a GTX750ti — not the best, but usually stutter free altogether. I tried all the various backglass tricks and settings. Totally stumped!

Hey Ben… I figured you knew all the backglass tricks, but thought it was worth a shot.  Let me play my copy and see what happens, but I don’t remember seeing that kind of lag.

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[Ben Logan2]

Thanks so much for asking, sliderpoint. I deleted my 10.1 installation. I’m running all tables in 10.2. Maybe a dumb move on my part!

But – I do remember playing your beta version of this table in 10.1, and I never got the massive stutter after locking two balls. Smooth gameplay throughout.

it happens consistently on my 10.2 machine. I’ve tried it about a hundred times at this point. It’s actually been pretty fun — lots of practice working up to GREED multiball!

The only thing that fixes the problem on my setup is turning B2S all the way off. I’m running true fullscreen mode, if that makes a difference.

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[Drybonz]

So, I just tested.  I do see some increase in stutter after even the first ball is locked… not as much as you are describing, Ben, but definitely enough to affect gameplay at that point.

One thing I notice is that immediately after the first ball locks is when the “light show” starts… not the full light show that you get right before the multiballs drop, but look at the flashers and some of the insert lights… they do start going crazy after the first ball is locked… so it seems like it is definitely related to lights.

I get the same thing in ToM, for instance, right when the flashers go crazy, there is slightly more stutter… like those effects are using more resources or something.

I’m guessing that turning off the backglass eliminates some of the resource drain enough to allow the light show to do its thing.  We may be able to get the same benefit by just turning down the details slider.

Of course, this is all amateur rambling.  Mike will probably have better advice for us than I can come up with.

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[Ben Logan2]

Here’s the strange thing: After locking two balls there’s not much going on flasher wise when the third ball is sitting in the trough waiting to plunged, but the stutter is already there. The red LED on the chair and one other are flashing. “The Power” is turned on and ready to magna-push the ball all over the table. But that’s it resource drain wise.

Doesnt seem like a resource issue — I think my graphics card can handle it. It’s something else. The reason I say this is that when I get multiball going and all three balls are on the table, and The Power is doing its thing, and lights are firing like mad, NO stutter at all. It’s just directly after locking the second ball, and plunging the third that FPS drops to 13 or 15.

 

 

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[Drybonz]

Yeah, I have a 960 video card and I’m still getting stutter during that whole multiball scenario.  I have stutter pretty much weeded out on most tables, like I’m sure you do, so I’m not really sure what to say… except that you are right, there’s something going on there that I can reproduce.

*edit*  Oh, I am on the latest 10.2 beta if that helps.

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[rothbauerw]

I can confirm I am also getting stutter.  I’ve tested both the new and old version of the table and I’m seeing it on both.  I’m also using 10.2 beta.  If I  have time tomorrow, I’ll go back and test with 10.1.

During my testing on the new version, I’ve also experienced the balls getting stuck/lost in the trough under fester and in the book case as well as behind the G target near the upper left flipper.  It looks like it’s somehow passing through the orange bumper.

Current Project: Perpetual updates of VPX physics.

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[Ben Logan2]

Nice confirmation, rothbauerw. Thanks!

As far as stutter goes, to make it easier on sliderpoint I want to reiterate that the only time I experience stutter on his wonderful TAF is after locking two balls for GREED multiball. Otherwise gameplay is butter smooth throughout — even during three ball multiball.

There’s simply something strange going on with the backglass and the table during that point in gameplay. Turning the backglass off altogether completely eliminates the stutter problem.

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[rotrax]

Nice table but in cabinet mode, the scale is a bit strange and the flipper physics are to bouncy.  Further notice the hand in the upper right corner seems to rotate in a circle instead of picking up the ball and then turn back in the box. .. this is not very realistic and looks odd.

With a few tweaks this could be a real fine table because it looks Awsome. ..thanks keep up the good work!

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[rothbauerw]

Tested with 10.1 final and I’m seeing the same stutter.  My gut tells me it’s not the backglass, it’s something on the playfield.  Running the backglass just makes the lag more apparent.

Current Project: Perpetual updates of VPX physics.

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[ICPjuggla]

Where is the stutter happening?

I’d bet there’s a colidable primitive or two in that area that’s causing it. Colidable primitives in 10.1 and 10.2 seem to be more taxing on VP than in 10.0

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[Ben Logan2]

The “when” it’s happening is the consistent / reproducable thing: FPS drops from 60 to 13 directly after locking two balls for GREED multiball, every time. As soon as ball three enters trough, waiting to be plunged, stutter begins: flippers get supper laggy and choppy, ball moves about two inches per frame when plunged.

As for the “where,” stutter is consistent all over table (from top to bottom) at this point until third ball is locked. Once ball three is locked, stutter totally stops and FPS returns to 60.

With backglass turned off I don’t notice any stutter at all throughout game.

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[rothbauerw]

I have confirmed the lag without the backglass, it’s just less noticeable.  The additional resources used by the backglass makes the lag more pronounced.  So far, all my troubleshooting is leaving me empty handed.

Current Project: Perpetual updates of VPX physics.

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[rothbauerw]

ICPjuggla wrote:

Where is the stutter happening? I’d bet there’s a colidable primitive or two in that area that’s causing it. Colidable primitives in 10.1 and 10.2 seem to be more taxing on VP than in 10.0

This was my thought too.  I tried deleting or making all the primitives toys around the area where the second ball locks with no luck.  I even tried this with primitives on other parts of the table.  No luck as of yet.  I’m going to go back to version 10 and see if the lag exists there for the old table.  I don’t remember any, but maybe it just wasn’t very noticeable.

Current Project: Perpetual updates of VPX physics.

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[rothbauerw]

Ok, 10.0 final with version 1 of the table also has lag.  In minimal testing I saw the FPS drop from 60 to the low 50’s.  It’s much less noticeable and I could see how most wouldn’t have even made a note of it.

Using 10.2 beta and version 1.2, FPS goes from 60 to a low in the high 30’s.

Current Project: Perpetual updates of VPX physics.

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[Sliderpoint]

I get the same FPS drop as you guys are mentioning.  Although only on my cab,  not on my laptop.  And I agree it is very odd that it is only when the second ball is locked and nothing else is happening, it’s just locked.  I’ll dig in and see what I can find.

-Mike

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