RustyCardores

It's a weird one, as the still images work. Open a table with a video topper and press ALT-TAB. Do you see a PinballX Topper Window and is it displaying the topper? Also, I wonder if the refresh rate is mucking things up? ...having different refresh rates on different screens has been known to cause issues in the past. In your VP Exclusive Full Screen settings, have you selected the correct Hz beside your screen res for your hardware? I'm clutching at straws here I know, but as I said, it's a weird one.

Thanks for the update Tom. GREATLY APPRECIATED!

When using the /DMD Images folder for toppers it didn't. The way I got around it was to make animated slideshows and export them as video. It basically achieves the same thing. Works really well for static toppers with lighting effects, as the transitions can be made super smooth. Looping these files meant that the video could be kept small as the clip itself need never be very long at all. This was important for me, as I have a good GPU but just an old quad core system and the hunger of longer vids drained resources far too much.

It just happened like that and to be honest, in these early days of building interest, the Facebook platform is working well for it. perhaps one day it will become more "formal" off of the dreaded 'book. ... also, the toppers are shared at some of the usual Pinball forums and I will collate a collection to upload to the resources here soon.

All good Tom. We will promote it as such. My experience is that I cannot run the full blown video toppers, but others with better systems have no worries. So I'm very aware of the potential for system drain. I can happily run very small videos which are basically static topper images with light changing effects. They only need to be a few second long and loop. Surprisingly, just a little bit of lighting can really bring them alive and this on its own makes the video option well worthwhile. You are more than welcome to flick any topper questions/complaints to the Visual Pinball Addicts Facebook Group and we will look after them there, as it is that group that is largely driving the increased use of toppers.

lol ..... Yeah, plenty of video toppers have been created already. From simple videos from slide show animations to create lighting effects, to full on videos. I gotta admit that they look awesome, although my CPU only has enough poke to run the simple ones. It would be awesome if you could add it. Thanks heaps for your support on this.

Hi Tom, Huge thanks for adding toppers. It works great, but not for video. Is there no video support or have I done something wrong? Cheers, Rusty.

HUGE THANKS for the Topper support Tom It's near midnight here, but I will be updating first thing in the morning. ...and thanks to everyone who has shown support for virtual toppers. It's good to know I'm not the only "nutter" out here. lol EDIT: OK I couldn't wait and just uploaded. Works a treat Tom, but no support for video yet... is that right?

Hi Tom, There are some sample pics of my cab with topper at http://www.aussiearcade.com/showthread.php/83000-Virtual-Pinball-Topper/page3 At present I am using the '/DMD Images' folder and the '/DMD Videos' folder to feed the topper as a 4th screen, but this of course means that my DMD screen is unused when using PBX (Please note that the images in link are prior to the #3 DMD screen being installed). To counter this, I have placed a generic DMD image on screen by making a custom Windows Desktop image, but it would be fantastic if the current DMD system was duplicated and and we had a '/Topper Images' folder, so that the DMD screen could still play an active role. Cheers Rusty EDIT: I just remembered that my Instagram has heaps of pics... https://www.instagram.com/rusty.pinball/

If you are using a different port off the GPU, then you may need to change the screen number in your PBX settings. The order that nvidia activates the display outputs effect screen ordering. Eg: my backglass screen is #2 in Windows, but I have to set it as #3 in PBX & VPX

Yeah the video toppers are pretty basic, just a flashing light here and there. With a few topper builds starting, I just wanted to show the guys that PBX could put a video up there for a bit of animation. I hope that we have a talented animator or two out there (I'm sure we do) that will come on-board and produce something far more advanced than what I'm capable off. Another hope (while I'm here... wink wink) is that one day PBX might duplicate the "DMD Images / DMD Videos" thing and allow "Topper Images / Topper Videos". At present, the toppers steal the ability to display DMD Images on the DMD screen during PBX menu. Not a big deal, as the DMD comes back to life once VP takes control, but it would be nice to be able to have both. At present, I am using a generic DMD image of my cab's name to show on the DMD screen while in PBX menu. I'm doing this by just having it as my Windows desktop image. Re the Kodi graphics: Yeah they are just images I grabbed off the web. I'm happy to pull a copy off the cab if you want them. There is only the one that is associated with Kodi and that's on the backglass obviously. The Jukebox on the playfield in an irfanview slideshow of two images to make the rim lights on the Jukebox glow bright>dull>bright etc (something I need to modify really, as I would like a more obvious change in brightness... I might do that today) I also have a stand alone version of the Jukebox setup that is launched outside of the PBX. It looks the same on the topper and backbox, but the playfield jukebox is replaced by 'Plane9' full screen visualisations. EDIT: I just googled and the image of the glow valves comes up on the first page of results. Heaps of similar images to select from... https://www.google.com.au/search?q=glow+valves+amplifier&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiulMbJx_LSAhWJlJQKHb0fDzMQsAQIHw&biw=1831&bih=1035

True, but thankfully this is a slide show that will never need to change, as it's just to make the neon lights of the jukebox sign light in order and then flash a few times (and then loop)

Yep, I'm good now. It does what I set out to do.... just in a different way Having PinballX launch the just the script was my plan.... and it worked for launching Kodi and one slideshow, but as soon as the second slideshow was added to the script (now a total of 3 exe) it would stuff up. A timing issue perhaps? I tried all manner of delays, but could never find a working setup.

OK I'm running with the "partially working" system as mentioned above, as I have simply exported my 2nd slideshow as a movie file and PBX feeds the movie from the /DMD Videos folder. A very simple solution and I'm kicking myself for not doing it this way to begin with, as I have always been using the /DMD Images folder to feed the static topper images there anyway. Talk about ignoring the obvious! :-/ Der!!

I can make this partially work, if I use Launch After for Kodi.exe (starting last it gets focus) and if I put just a singular slide show exe in the system executable. The result is that I have Kodi operational on my backglass screen and a slide show operation on the playfield. This of course doesn't put the second slideshow up on the topper screen and it is that that I'm trying to achieve. So even when starting Kodi separately, PBX doesn't like the single executable script starting two slideshow.exe's (all Run as Admin) ini & xml files in spoilers...

Yep they were all run as admin. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a working AHK.exe (see spoiler) that I use to launch Kodi and 2 x irfanview slide shows onto separate screens. This works great when launched directly, but I would like to be able to get PBX to launch it for me. If I create an "other" system PBX and try and execute this file though, I can't seem to come up with working config. The best I've achieved in PBX launching the first line slideshow and then dropping back to the menu. Any pointers to a possible "starting point" would be appreciated. Cheers

Don't forget that some users will need to edit the location of PBX as we don't all have it living in the same place.

I'll mark this one as RESOLVED as there is nothing that can be done. As Carny said, it's a Samsung hardware thing.

Finally I can put his one to bed.... I forgot that I had a separate PBX system for PROC and it was running a VPX version created prior to the "window" script addition to VPX. I've got PBX now calling the latest VPX and the focus issue in now gone.

I've now switched to running True Fullscreen full time (works perfectly for all other tables) and I still have focus issues for CCC. Basically it starts with a black playfield and I have to AltTab to regain focus. Tried both as Custom and VP in systems... * Custom: displays Loading Screen * VP: displays black Alt/Tab works for both. Will keep working on it. ps: Scripting ahk's to work around this is beyond me I'm afraid

Bites Pizza>>Swills Beer>>Wipes mouth>>Burps>> yeah that should be about the same time that the OSD is up Seriously though, it looks like I'll be replacing my playfield monitor. Shame really, as this Sammy has an awesome picture and is good in every other way. True full screen is worth it though. I have another 40 inch Sammy on my race sim.... I could possibly swap them, but being an older model I would need to decase it..... hmm too hard.... more beer and pizza please!

I have finally switched to VP's True Fullscreen and am loving the extra quality of the playfield image... but.... (there's always a but ) The Samsung has the annoying habit of placing a large banner OSD (on screen display) across the top of the TV (playfield) each time the resolution changes or when it detects a new signal. Now everything is set to 1920x1080 in VP and also PBX... and this problem never happened when using VP in Full Screen Windowed. So it's associated with True Full Screen... it's as if there is now a break in signal as PBX hands focus to VPX and visa versa, and this promps the stupid OSD. Is there anything in PBX that would allow a constant signal to be maintained during the focus shift? It's not a major problem, as it doesn't effect game play at all, but it is an annoying problem as it disturbs the "flow" of the cabinet by increasing wait times as new tables are selected. Sadly, there is no way to turn off this feature in the TV itself (even in the engineer's menu)

Nice looking site and looks like it eases the effort needed to bring all the pieces together. Good work. I shall watch with interest.

Here you go, Scott should be able to help... http://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=36238