iScored QRCodes and PinballX

[rtkiii]

Hey guys,

 

Been awhile since I have been on but stumbled across the utility called iscored.  It is essentially a way to track your high scores outside of MAME/VisualPinball.  Anyway there is a cool option that allows you to setup highscore boards and link them to a QR code.  So if someone has the QRcode they can scan it and enter in their High Score for a specific game.  

I am trying to figure out a good way to incorporate these QR codes in PinballX.  I am using the "Flyer" option currently which is fine if someone knows where to go but wanted to see if any of you PinballX pros have a better idea?

I know I downloaded a plugin years ago that displays high scores from the table when browsing games...thought maybe that would be a good place to start.  Maybe have an option to put in the detail box like noted in my screenshot?

Thanks for entertaining this weird post 

[Mike_da_Spike]

Why not using pinemhi ?? Thats fully automated (yes, pinmame based only)

I checked Iscored, but do you need a subscription for that?

I think best way would be a plugin that could display the qr code on a specific place.

[rtkiii]

You have to buy it for $20 one time fee.  Then it sets up a scoreboard "server" for your scores to be hosted. 

Mine is https://iscored.info/theoriginal_frostbyt

Once setup then people who have the QRCODE can just scan it and it will send a high score request to my scoreboard.  Each table has a unique QRcode image file. 

 

So I would think the QRCODES would need to be named like the ROM name and all exist in  a QRCODE folder...then PBX would goto that folder/file when browsing.  But I am not sure how to do that, any guidance on where to start on creating a plugin?

[Mike_da_Spike]

Not sure how iscored can grab the score from a table and make a qr code from it

But if you want to create a plugin, you can use the following :

 

 

Btw. Did you know that vpx 10.8 also have an option to export score?

one can now export a 'tournament score' file via the pause menu (or when keeping the Lockbar-key pressed and then pressing the Start-key, too)
  if playing in the new 'locked' mode, and also not having any unsaved table changes.
  This is currently limited to PinMAME-emulated machines, and the script HAS to enforce a connection to the DMD or alpha-segments display via 'UseVPMDMD = True'
  (if its an emulated DMD machine, 'UseVPMColoredDMD = True' will also work), thus the file contains the encoded content of the display at that point in time.
  The content of this text file can then be posted to the tournament administrators and converted by them via the '-TournamentFile tablename textfilename' command line option to a .png again.
  Note that the VPX version used to play AND to convert must exactly match (incl. same revision/build, same OS, DXvsGL, 32vs64bit)

 

[scutters]

12 hours ago, rtkiii said:

I am trying to figure out a good way to incorporate these QR codes in PinballX.  I am using the "Flyer" option currently which is fine if someone knows where to go but wanted to see if any of you PinballX pros have a better idea?

Not sure how many screens you have or your config but it could be displayed as part of a DMD image (best if you have a virtual DMD that's not 4:1 display ratio), or as a Topper image.

But the easiest way would be if you have a 5inch or similar 'apron' screen (doesn't have to be located on the apron, it could be located anywhere), in PinballX the designated apron screen will display whatever image you have in instruction media for a table all the time. If you use the instructions menu in PinballX regularly and don't rely on the instructions on the table itself that might not be an option though. (some links in my post here https://forums.gameex.com/forums/topic/25368-pincab-scutters-pincab/ for the apron screen type i use)

11 hours ago, rtkiii said:

But I am not sure how to do that, any guidance on where to start on creating a plugin?

See Mikes link for the VB plugin template, or @jejegameex's version if C# is your thing - https://forums.gameex.com/forums/files/file/2541-pinballx-plugin-snap-in-template-c-net-framework-20/

You might find some useful stuff in VB the plugins i've done, see https://ftpbrowse.gameex.com/-PinballX-/Other Uploads/scutters/Plugins/

If you do go that way and get stuck then post back!.

[rtkiii]

On 1/5/2024 at 8:35 PM, Mike_da_Spike said:

Not sure how iscored can grab the score from a table and make a qr code from it

But if you want to create a plugin, you can use the following :

 

It does not...the barcode just gives you a prompt to enter your high score from your phone.  Once you enter that and hit submit the score is sent to my iscore database of scores for me to approve/decline.  It is just a feature that lets you upload scores without going to the website.

[rtkiii]

thanks for the tips...i'll see what i can come up with

[Mike_da_Spike]

1 minute ago, rtkiii said:

It does not...the barcode just gives you a prompt to enter your high score from your phone.  Once you enter that and hit submit the score is sent to my iscore database of scores for me to approve/decline.  It is just a feature that lets you upload scores without going to the website.

Gotcha. Is the barrcode generate per game ? So like @scutters mentioned, can you create the qr code per table and, creat a image from it and set is to topper or a screen that is not in use ?

Did yiu ever looked at pinemhi ? It will upload automatically your s ore to a website and even think pinballx will upload score automatically to gameex as well

[rtkiii]

iscored actually generates a QRcode for each table.  So I can download those files and put in a folder as long as I can tell PinballX where to find the,  I did use the "Instructions" options for my test, but you would need to go to "Instructions" in the PinballX menu for the table itself.  It worked and is fine..it is just not really easy to get to for someone who is a casual pinballx user like the people I have over.  So having it on the table screen when browsing seems ideal to me.  

I only have two screens, backglass and playfield.  I do not use topper but I get what you guys are saying.  Can you put the "Topper" anywhere you want on a two screen setup?

 

[rtkiii]

actually i just found this since you guys have both mentioned toppers...https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=41286

 

this might do the trick...let goof with these settings

[rtkiii]

I did get the topper to work, I need to tweak but this would work - but people are not looking at the backglass most times when picking a game.  Maybe I edit all the wheels to have the code...hmmm.  I tried adding to the playfield monitor to see if I could have it down where people are looking when picking a table but the topper would not show there.  

 

 

[rtkiii]

 

[scutters]

It might be tricky to get it looking good on a 2 screen setup.. and i assume ideally you'd want the QR code visible in game as well so you can see what score to input?

Using the topper and overlaying it on top of playfield or backglass might end up being hit and miss as to which screen ends up on top (not tried it so i'm guessing, if it's consistent then that's probably the way to go, on top of the backglass).

Resizing the backglass in settings and setting the topper to use the unused space on the same screen might look weird too as both would be rectangular areas so you'd probably end up with some unfilled black regions. If you wanted to then do the same 'in game' you'd have to update the visual pinball backglass area too (can be done, just more hassle) and select to keep the Topper showing ingame in PinballX.

Probably the best result would be to add the QR image to the Visual Pinball playfield image over the instruction or price info areas. Editing all the tables exporting and reimporting images, and redoing all your playfield media for PinballX though?.. lots of work / time.

[Draco1962]

Not sure how but could it be done as an overlay? 

[scutters]

On 1/9/2024 at 1:07 AM, Draco1962 said:

Not sure how but could it be done as an overlay? 

Good thought, but in PinballX its native Overlays & Underlays are by system name. Could maybe be changed / renamed on the fly by a plugin, but not sure if PinballX would pick up a change in the system overlay when the selected table changes.

Edit - just tried manually changing overlays with pinballx running, and no, pinballx doesn't pick up the change in overlay when the new table selection is in the same system as the last one.

[rtkiii]

On 1/8/2024 at 5:39 PM, scutters said:

It might be tricky to get it looking good on a 2 screen setup.. and i assume ideally you'd want the QR code visible in game as well so you can see what score to input?

 

Yeah it would be cool to have it maybe down by the ball launch so it is out of the way but I could not see how to get it to work ingame.  I tried Toper on backglass and moving to my playfield screen.  Neither showed once game was launched BUT Backglass did display when browsing games in PBX.  I just found that to be easily over looked as most browsing rarely look up 

So I think the wheel "solution" is a decent way to approach it just requires more upfront work on editing the wheel images initially. Idea is person will see the QR code before going into game, scan and put phone down until they finish their round.  then submit score.  

[scutters]

There is one other option if you happy not seeing the QR code in game... you could use the code as a loading image by table (you'd need to use the loading image plugin). Not sure if that'd be less work than doing wheel images, but you would have more space to work with (all of the playfield) so you could have some text as well. People would only have the 10 or 20 seconds loading time to scan though.

[rtkiii]

like the idea but the time limit would be too stressful    I have been slowly adding new wheels and it is actually working pretty well.  Thanks for the recommendation though