Pinball FX2 - DMD capture script

[Carny_Priest]

I finally got around to purchasing the Aliens tables. I rely on the community for wheel, table and backglass media, but it does not appear to be anyone keeping up with DMD videos. so I wrote an AutoHotkey script. It's only semi-automatic in that the attract mode loops vary in length by table. If you want to do it right, you must take the output and edit it so that the loops are at least fairly seamless.

The script captures two minutes duration losslessly to an mkv container. This requires ffmpeg, but if you are using PBXRecorder than you already have an ffmpeg install. Open the output file, dmd.mkv,  in a video editor. I use the open-source freeware option, Avidemux. Make your cuts and then encode with the built-in x264 codec using constant rate factor 10 for really good quality.

I have a p2k-style cab so I have some instructions that call the separate, open-source dmd-extensions app to render a mirror of the DMD that is flipped for projection onto my playfield. But this script should be easily adaptable for use with the native FX2 DMD renderer. It just may require some trial and error to determine the right capture parameters so that you don't cut off part of the image.

I've also attached example output for Alien: Isolation. Again this is capturing from dmdext which renders as dots. The vast majority will just comment out the call to run dmdext and just capture from the native DMD window.

Good luck and happy new year! 

 

CapFX2.ahk

dmd.mp4

[koolywiz]

Thanks for the script.  Just wondering if anyone had all the FX2 DMD videos that are in English anywhere.  I found one set but they are in spanish.

[Paul Stevens]

Carny_Priest, thanks for the info.  I have a further question.  I have a PinDMDv3 working properly with PinballX showing attract mode videos for Virtual Pinball as well as Pinball FX2.  The FX2 videos I have are the black/white set from the ftp site, but I am hoping to learn how to capture them in color from the games themselves so I can display color attract mode DMD videos on the PinDMDv3.

 

The sample file you shared, dmd.mp4, does not display on my PinDMDv3 through PinballX in attract mode - the screen is blank.  I have the file properly named to match the entry in my .xml database and placed in the Real Color DMD Videos folder == no pindmdv3 output.  Nor does PinballX display anything if the file is in Real DMD Videos or DMD Videos.

 

What sort of conversion should I do to make the file (and the output of your script) playable through PinballX attract mode output onto a PinDMDv3?

 

I hope to be able to learn how to use your script to capture the FX2 videos in color and display them on the PinDMDv3, but first I need to understand what I need to do to get your sample output file to display properly on the PinDMDv3.

 

Thanks!

[Carny_Priest]

Sorry, I don't have a real DMD. I'm capturing for a virtual DMD to display on a monitor.

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[Paul Stevens]

Okay thank you...

[Paul Stevens]

Carny_Priest, when you run your script capture for FX2, are your FX2 Cabinet settings as described in freeyz's doc for DMDExt, namely

Resize DMD to:  Width 1040, Height 272

 

I presume you move your offset in your setup to x=5760, y=400 and grab from there.

Thanks.

[Carny_Priest]

Correct

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