Color DMD Images when browsing tables - Ongoing Thread

[bent98]

 

Color DMD Images when browsing tables

In the spirit of gStAv cool sound project I’d like to start a thread that compiles color dmd images when browsing your pinball X wheels. I will to give a special thanks to 32Assassin, freneticamnesic,  and Jannek. A lot of the images where based off their work. I cleaned up some of the existing ones  and also created new ones that were missing from my collection.

The files is uploaded on the FTP - Other Uploads > bent98 > Color DMD Images
These images should be placed in your PinballX>Media>System Name>Read DMD Color Images directory

If you wish to have your dmd Image stay after the table is loaded you need to do the following: Keep in mind this will only work for tables that do not display a DMD like EM tables and SS tables that use the backglass to display alpha numberic.

ALL tables need the following Setting:
Make sure you have this entry in your database xml associated with the table you wish to display a image after loaded.
<hidedmd>False</hidedmd>
EM Tables
After launching the table make sure you right click on the direct B2s backglass server setting for the specific table to Hidden for both B2SDMD and DMD.

SS Tables that don’t use a DMD ie Xenon
1)    After launching the table, Hover over the Backglass with your mouse. Next right click on the direct B2s backglass image so you get the B2s  server setting menu to appear. Change the two dropdowns to Hidden for both B2SDMD and DMD.
2)    Since solid State tables use pinmame to emulate them, they will display on your dmd and therefore block your color dmd image from displaying once the table is launched. To disable you must go into regedit. Becareful if you accidently chance or delete something related to Windows OS you can render your computer useless. I do not take any responsibility if you do. First hit the start button on your keyboard. Type regedit. Scroll to the following entry HKEY_Current_User\Software\Freeware\Visual PinMame\The rom name of the table you want to reactivate the DMD\showpindmd  ----Change setting from 1 to 0

The wheels still disappear when launching even after I used your settings.
If you are using the latest XDMD.dll’s from lucky that incorporate the new command line feature it will automatically send a clear command thus not allowing the frontend to keep the image up after launching the table. Revert back to the old XDMD.xll files that came with pinball install. Hopefully lucky and Tom can find a workaround.

*update*
 If you wish to run the latest XDMD.dll's - Lucky  created a hacked version of the devicedmd.dll in this thread until there is an official fix.

http://vpuniverse.com/forums/forums/topic/2728-sam-build-with-modular-dmd-drivers-for-pindmd123-and-pin2dmd/?page=6

 

How do I create my own compliant wheel images?
This can be done in most photo editing program. I will tell you how to do it in Gimp since it’s free to use.
1)    First download gimp at https://www.gimp.org/downloads/
2)    Next select File>Open and browse to a existing wheel image.
3)    Select Image>Scale Image
4)    In the upper boxes where you see Width and Height. Uncheck the chain link next to the px drop down so the link images looks like the chain is broken. This doesn’t keep aspect ratio
5)    Insert 128 for Width and 32 for Height. This will scale the image down to the correct DMD aspect ratio
6)    Select Layer>New Layer
7)    Change Layer Fill Type to Foreground Color
8)    Select Layer>Stack>Reverse Layer Order
9)    Select Image>Flatten Image
10)    Select File>Export As>save filename and location of your choosing.

Why do some images looked squished?
If you have very tall wheel images and you stretched them out they will look that way. Wheel images that look more like a banner (long and wide) will display nicely vs. ones that are tall and narrow.
Who do some of the colors like washed out or off?
The Pin2dmd or Pindmd3 only have a limited number of colors they can display. Also when you change the pixel display intensity it can also affect how colors are represent and in turn throw off color mappings from what you seen on your screen. It would be great if someone came up with a color pallet for these screens so you can adjust images in your photo editing software to give a more optimized and vibrant look as they get translated to you pindmd screen. I am not a photo editing Guru so I will leave that to the experts. I think these set of images are a good starting point and it would be great if we can people from the community to tweak them further so ALL of them look sharp on our Color DMD displays.

[bent98]

I screwed up and uploaded the FX2 images outside the FX2 directory. It would be great if the admins can give me delete access to my own directory on the ftp. If not could they please remove those files outside the FX2 directory? I'd like to keep things tidy. We may also want to sticky this thread.

 

[Thalamus]

Very nice - thank you so much for sharing !!

[bent98]

anyone have an image for starware rouge one I can use for a color dmd logo?