jejegameex

OK I added the feature request here : https://forums.gameex.com/forums/topic/22259-pinballx-enhancementsfeatures-requests/page/35/#findComment-227550

Hi everyone, so here is my feature request for displaying medias in PinballX and keep their aspect ratios. This is the first post : https://forums.gameex.com/forums/topic/31753-aspect-ratio-of-images-and-videos-on-the-screens-dmd-and-topper/ Why keep aspect ratios of medias ? This would eliminate the need to manually resize images and videos to fit our screens. It's much more pleasant to view an image or video in the correct aspect ratio, rather than a stretched, too-wide, or too-tall version. In the future, if we change our screen configuration (e.g., switching from a 4:3 to a 16:9 screen), media files won't need to be manually resized again. This is also better for file sharing. This is an example of my request : at left we can see my third screen now, it's divided in half to display the DMD and the Topper. For the moment PinballX expands the media to the resolution of the screens: the proportions of the media are therefore not preserved. What I would like is an option to allow PinballX to maintain the aspect ratios of the medias (see the result at right). Many softwares allow us to choose how medias will be displayed: enlarged on the screen, centered... Thank you. I think this is a useful and essential function for everyone in a front-end.

Yes I setup the screen to 1600x450 and it's ok. My first question was whether there was a way to preserve the aspect ratio of the medias. But that doesn't seem to be the case. So yes, it's a feature request. All users have the same problem, regardless of their screen size : if you have a 4:3 video and a 16:9 screen, the video aspect ratio will not be preserved. Currently, I'm trimming my videos. But if I ever get a Full DMD, all my videos will be useless. We shouldn't have to resize media, media should be compatible with all configurations. If Tom feels up to improving the software... Thank you.

I'm not sure if my problem has been understood correctly, but it seems simple: I've configured the Topper screen in PinballX on my third monitor (1600x900). It's set to display at the top of the screen at 1600x450. My problem is that for each pinball game/table, I have to resize the image or video to 1600x450 for it to display correctly. If my original image is 1000x450, it would be ideal if PinballX displayed it in the center of the screen. Instead, PinballX stretches the image to 1600x450, which ruins the aspect ratio. MyPinballXConfig.zip

Example of display options :

Yes. That's been my setup for a long time. But the problem is that PinballX doesn't maintain the aspect ratio of images and videos. It would be nice not to have to resize all the media every time. Especially since if my setup changes in the future, my images and videos won't be the same anymore. Many software programs allow you to choose how medias will be displayed: enlarged on the screen, centered... See my first post.

I tried DisplayFusion, but it doesn't work: you can indeed split a screen to get several taskbars, but it doesn't create "virtual screens" that PinballX can recognize as unique screens.

I'm going to test DisplayFusion. But will it change anything? Will my videos keep their aspect ratio? If so, thank you for this solution ! FYI : I use Actual Multiple Monitors for my PC, this does not create multiple virtual screens. We can have multi task-bars. It can launch a program on the second screen, which will remain on the second screen (it's why I use this software).

Sometimes I take the time to resize my videos, but I think that should be handled by the front-end software. Because the day my screen setup changes, all my videos will be unusable.

Is there already a way to conserv the aspect ratio of images and videos on the screens DMD and Topper ? For example, you can see on the screenshot my setup to the left : I have a monitor divided by two for the DMD and the topper. But when images and videos are viewed, they do not retain their aspect ratio; they expand to the size of the screen. What I would like is visible on the right.

the .ini file inside the installation folder of PinballX Recorder is created by the application for save the configuration steps (ex : the second parameter is the path of PinballX installation). The .ini file contains, but not information about screens and their sizes. The application read config files of PinballX for get the path of the Visual Pinball tables, and get screenres.txt. Before, we installed B2SServer inside the tables path. Now we can install outside, but PinballX Recorder don't manage that. Maybe in the future release, we can indicates the path where is the screenres.txt.

NOTE: PBX Recorder uses the DirectB2S screenres.txt to figure out how to record the Playfield, Backglass and DMD. (If the DMD portion of screenres.txt is not filled in correctly, you will have trouble with DMD video or screenshot capture. Try ScreenResCheck utility, to see exactly what PBX Recorder will record). Where is your screenres.txt ? The program search TABLEPATH (where all VPX tables are) from PinballX config file. The program uses by default the screenres.txt in this TABLEPATH.

OK. Glad I could help.

It works with the version 6.18 ! Thank you. When you say maybe I have a 'bad video', what do you mean ? Can I change something for a better compatibility in the future ?

Thank you, but the result is the same with 6.17 : no DMD, no backglass.

I can update DirectX or my graphic card drivers if this is the problem. I'm on Windows 10 and I avoid update for the virtual cabinet.

the log file is in the ZIP archive in the LOG folder

Hi, When I update to 6.16 : I can't see the DMD and the backglass windows when I navigate to tables. Other thing : the software seems to be slower. Remark : the topper is displayed while it's in the same screen of the DMD. If I reinstall the version 6.11 : it's ok I see DMD and backglass. PinballX.zip

Hi, you have error on images or videos ? With all 3 in one configuration, what the screenshots or videos look like ? Are they black or unreadable? Are the tables fully loaded before recording? Direct to mp4 is an option for encode directly during recording : it saves time, but the quality is slightly worse. I created this version of PBXRecorder for that (for save time). I don't use yuv420p. The version of FFMPEG I use : N-76648 (2015)

Yes the code is in the folder AHK scripts : install AutoHotKey for edit and compile. It's an easy language. What is the size (width/height) of your full DMD in the modified screenres.txt ? And the size of the result video (play video outside PinballX) ? Maybe the config of PinballX must be changed too.

The encoding in the XML file is set to "Windows-1252" : by default .Net read the file with this encoding. If you remove this info from the file I assume that it works. But I also change my code for force the reading of the file in UTF-8. I forgot the filter "All tables" : I will check the behavior, but I think it's similar to choose a specific system : I can't load all tables of all systems because I can only replace parameters of the current executable used by the table selected in PinballX. Example : if we are in PinballX on a old table on VisualPinball 9.9.5, and we select in search dialog a recent table in VisualPinballX : the new table will be launched with the old executable 9.9.5 !!!

Hi, Thank you for testing. I use it on my cabinet but I use Joy2Key for all programs. I will try to be compatible with joysticks buttons. Screen rotation : I did not think about that ! My playfield screen is not rotated on my cabinet. No results : can you check with a system like Visual Pinball ? I haven't tested Pinball FX.

Hi, thank you for testing. I get the name of the system in the PinballX.ini file and I expect a property like 'Name' but in your file it's 'NAME'. I will change the code for a 'case-insensitive' process. Can you check if the plugin load tables in the search dialog, after correction of the .ini file ?

PinballX Plugin Snap-In Template (C# .Net Framework 2.0) View File Template plugin for PinballX front-end, by 7he S4ge Language : C# .Net Framework 2.0 Version 1.0 - 2022-05 Debug : - Check Properties of the project : the output folder for the .dll is "..\" : if you add this folder project to plugins folder of PinballX, it's directly copy the .dll generated into the plugins folder. Ex : C:\Games\PinballX\Plugins\MyPlugin - Check Properties of the project : choose or not to launch PinballXLite.exe directly Installation : Copy .dll into the plugins folder of installation of PinballX. Ex : C:\Games\PinballX\Plugins Configure : Launch PluginManager.exe and active the plugin. Click on Configure button. Plugin Help : http://www.gameex.info/wiki/index.php/Category:PlugIn_Development Submitter jejegameex Submitted 05/22/22 Category Apps, Configs, Map Files, Wrappers, and Plugins  

'Search Game' plugin for PinballX front-end, by 7he S4ge Version 1.0.1 - 2022-05 Installation : Copy PinballXSearchGame.dll and INIFileParser.dll into the plugins folder of installation of PinballX. Ex : C:\Games\PinballX\Plugins Configure : Launch PluginManager.exe and active the plugin. Click on Configure button for configure keys to open the plugin and navigate into it. Remarks : - API of PinballX does not allow to launch a game, but you can modify the parameters to the executable software. So this plugin attempt to add good parameters for each situation (with systems like Visual Pinball, MAME...), but it's not perfect. - When you select a game in the Search dialog, the game is not launched automatically (API does not allow that), you must open the menu of PinballX and select 'Play Game'. Remark : if your key for select a game in 'Search Game' plugin is similar to the key of PinballX for select a game, when you choose a game in the search dialog, the dialog is closed and the key is given to PinballX too. So I like the behavior : you choose a game and the menu of PinballX also opens. - Because the API does not to launch directly a table, the executable of the current system is used. So the plugin displays only the list of games in the current system. Bugs : - When we launch a game, topper and DMD medias of the current game stay in the screens (if the new game has no topper and dmd medias) - If you use plugins with dialogs like PBXStatsDisplay, when you open the 'Search game' dialog, the others dialogs disappear. --> This is a first version, it's works for me, but maybe not for all users, and certainly not for specific systems configurations. Tell me the errors/bugs you find, and I will try to fix. The code source can help developers for debugging the problem. --> This plugin show how a search function will be cool in the front-end, so maybe the API of plugins will be improved ! Changes Log : 1.0 First version 1.0.1 Corrections : name of the system was not always found in PinballX.ini, force reading XML databases files in UTF-8 encoding PinballXSearchGame_1.0.1.zip PinballXSearchGame_1.0.1_SourceCode.zip