mfuegemann

[mfuegemann]

Hi,

the lonely pin at the left is confirmed from my real Pin. It is strange, though.

Michael

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GuruChoc

[mfuegemann]

Hi,

thank You for the mod! The table is playing really nice and the music is awesome.
Please check Pin1, Pin2, Pin3 and Pin4 (hit height should be 25) and Wall78 (friction should be 0.3) – these are still faulty in my last version.
The old “P_GameOver” and the corresponding code lines 573-579 should be removed too.

Regards
Michael

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[mfuegemann]

Hi BillyBob,

You got PM

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[mfuegemann]

Hi Mike,

if I add the “lights: fadecandy” line to my hardware section, MPF is not starting well. Maybe I would have to install the server, but without any of the hardware this seems to be no good approach.

Could You comment out the “lights: fadecandy” line in Your Lights.yaml, just for the VPX test? It would be interesting, if the table is starting up normally that way.

Michael

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[mfuegemann]

Hi Mike,

the lights.yaml is looking fine. The rgb LEDs should behave as matrix lights. I am not processing the Colors at the moment.

I will play a bit with the fadecandy setting and Your example.

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[mfuegemann]

Oh, and You can use string type numbers for lights and solenoids now.

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[mfuegemann]

Hi Mike,

I added some new methods to the VPX platform and the bridge. Jabdoa2 merged the platform changes into the dev version 0.53 and the extended bridge is availiable at GitHub. There You can find a new VPX demo table too.

We can now use Controller.PulseSW to pulse a target switch, normally closed switches are handled correctly, the light types led and flasher are handled and I am monitoring hardware rules to enable/disable autofire coils.

Maybe You can send me Your MPF machine folder, so I can have a look. The long term goal for me is to provide a solution, that lets You develop the MPF files for the real hardware platforms using VPX.

Michael

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[mfuegemann]

Hi Borgdog,

on my local MPF dev install I changed the virtual_pinball hardware platform and extended the bridge. Now I can use string type numbers for all objects.
The code is not as lean as the existing “GetchangedSolenoids” call but I will try to improve it.

Michael

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[mfuegemann]

Hi Borgdog,

I am in touch with jabdoa. If things go well, we can add the string type numbers for lamps and solenoids. I will post the updates here.

Michael

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[mfuegemann]

So here is the updated Readme text and the demo archive. I tried to upload it to the Tutorial section, but I seem to have no permissions to do that.

Mission Pinball Framework:
https://missionpinball.org/

MPF_VPX_Bridge by jabdoa2:
https://github.com/missionpinball/mpf-vpcom-bridge

Installation:

1. Register mpf-visual-pinball bridge (run cmd shell as Administrator):
python register_vpcom.py –register

2. Create Your MPF table folder. In Your config.yaml enter:
hardware:
platform: virtual_pinball

3. In VPX edit script and replace the controller with:
Set Controller = CreateObject(“MPF.Controller”)

To run a game:

1. start MPF (mpf both), wait until the display has been initialized
2. start VPX (as Administrator).
3. Run VPX table.

Remarks:
The setting of cGamename in VPX is not used to establish or check the connection.
The VPX Bridge connects to the running MPF.

Switch numbers can be of type integer or string. (use quotation marks for strings in VPX: “0-1” od “sf1”)
Numbers of Lamps and Solenoids must be of type integer for the moment.

To code a pulse event (Standup Targets, Bumpers, Slingshots) set the switch to True on the Hit event and add a timer (150 or 200ms)
to set the switch back to False. Be careful with Drop Targets and Slingshots, here the built-in timer cannot be used as it is used for the animation.

Autofire Solenoids (Bumpers, Slingshots) need some special care. In VPX use the built-in functionality (Bumper_Hit, Slingshot_slingshot) and ignore the solenoid calls from MPF. Enabling/disabling such autofire_coils depending on a specific game mode will perhaps require an artifical lamp to tell VPX what to do.
To receive readable solenoid calls in VPX I had to add a coil_player section in MPF for the autofire_coils.

The flippers needed an entry in the coil_player too. In VPX the flippers will be held up while the main flipper coil or the hold coil is energized.

Have fun
Michael

 

Attachments:

1. MPF_VPX_Bridge_Demo.zip

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Scottacus, Sliderpoint

[mfuegemann]

Hi BorgDog,

the String values for object numbers are working only for switches. The function definitions inside the VPX Hardware Definition in MPF are set to expect integer values for the ChangedLamps and ChangedSolenoids functions.

This is necessary to work with the normally used code, I added in VPX too. If possible, I will ask the devs if we can add two new funtions ChangedLamps2 and ChangedSolenoids2 (or so) that can deal with string parameters. The code to work with this in VPX I have ready.

Michael

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[mfuegemann]

Hi Cadelle32,

I am not sure about the way the Spike System is installed on Stern’s machines and what part the SD card is playing.
For me MPF is a cool way to build me a “real” machine one day. I think it will be “The Web”, as I can use the media files, I collected for the VisualPinball version.

If You want to proceed with the Spike Emulation, good luck. I cannot help You there, unfortunately.

Regards

Michael

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[mfuegemann]

Hi BorgDog,

this is cool, as we can use the switch, light and solenoid numbers for the real hardware in MPF and have not to change the code after testing/developing with VPX.
I am fighting my way through modes and shots to port my Fast Draw to MPF as a VPX test table.

For me it is just a convinient way to code table features and even decide if a table is possible even before I start with real hardware.

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[mfuegemann]

Hi Cadelle32,

the Spike bridges are a way to control a real Spike pin via MPF. All the rules and shows have to be coded/configured in MPF. As far as I know it is not possible to extract game logic or media from a Spike game.

Michael

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[mfuegemann]

Hi BorgDog,

VPX must be run as Admin. MPF has to be started with normal permissions, though.
The file locations do not matter. I have the VPX table in the MPF root folder with a subdirectory for the MPF machine.

The current P-ROC bridge starts MPF using the cGameName Directory on Controller.run. Maybe I will try to implement that in the VPX bridge too.

Michael

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[mfuegemann]

Here is the first draft. The file inculdes the Bridge, the MPF machine and the VPX table.

Attachments:

1. VPX_MPF_Demo.zip

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Sliderpoint, BorgDog

[mfuegemann]

Hi,
the bridge is on GitHub, but without any documentation.

https://github.com/missionpinball/mpf-vpcom-bridge

The Skeleton game was set up by me, meaning it is a VPX table with only basic functionality. Trough, Autoplunger, Bumper, Slingshots, Flippers and some Lights.
Just to test the communication. No P-ROC necessary.

I will code a real EM pin and upload it here.

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[mfuegemann]

Hi Guys,

is anyone still interested in the topic? I got a Skeleton table running using the VPX bridge provided by jabdoa2 and MPF 0.52.2.
I can get switch hits across to MPF as well as reading solenoid and lamp changes back in VPX. There is some tweaking necessary to utilize the autofire_coils (bumpers, slingshots).
Enabling/disabling such autofire_coils depending on a specific game mode will perhaps require an artifical switch or lamp to tell VPX what to do. (Hey, that sounds like lamp driven solenoids on some Gottlieb games…) But for now I am confident that I can use VPX to build the MPF game code for a later real pin.

Regards
Michael

 

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[mfuegemann]

Hi Randr,

there must be some some effort involved. One does not simply “go” Bowling, Dude. . .

By the way, there is a cheat to enter the alley directly. Press left MagnaSave during launch to activate the hidden kicker in the plunger lane.

If the bowling is too easy, You may want to decrease the timer interval of timer MoveBowlStart (the bottom one on the right hand side). 25ms is good for desktop/keyboard use.

Regards
Michael

 

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