Future Pinball MDB?

[greatflash]

Was talking to HK about a DB for Future Pinball, so decided to start one as a test.

I have uploaded a test DB for both HK and Tom to look at. The Descriptions are not complete as I cannot put End-of-line and para breaks in easily in Access (how I missed your code HK).

This db is really to show the need for an option to use the "NAME" field of the db as a display of the game/pintables name in the Gameex displayed list. Future pinball has no syntax to keep all names of .fpt's neat and tidy, though there is usually only one or 2 names for a single table. An example is "FPCE3kv1_1.ftp" this is "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". There is only one file to download currently with this name (though there are 2 blank fields in the db for others), so; by retaining the original downloaded filenames of the Future Pinball tables the DB will match them and show Publisher, Year, etc.

I have used the "Category" field to relate to whether the table is Recreated or Original.

At the moment, selecting Close Encounters in a Gameex list will only display "FPCE3kv1_1.ftp" unless Tom can give us the option to use the DB's Name field as a display name. Both I and HK would love to see this option added to the already great features of GameEx. In fact we have started a petition and after only 2 weeks of getting signatures - we have already got 2

Anyway, please feel free to take a look at the DB. Download a few FPT's (IRPinball a-f) and see what you think?

The DB covers IRPINBAL A-F, Rooneys tables, and a few others.

All the best!

(PS. See Tom, I take these DB's VERY seriously :) )

Future_Pinball_FLASH__beta_.1_.rar

[greatflash]

HK - Have edited the editor to add future pinball to the list. Can't get the MDB to convert for some reason? So have started a nice clean XML one with proper descriptions retyped from the original flyers (when found).

[greatflash]

Here is a post of an early XML version of the database.

This is missing quite a few descriptions, but has all known years and publishers entered. That is all, just a starter for a FP db set.

_PC__Future_Pinball_v1.005__Flash_.zip

[headkaze]

Thats a nice start Flash, as I said in PM perhaps we could get a program to extract info from the fpt files. I don't know if there is info saved in the actual file but if there is it would be a great way to get a database started and save some time. I had a quick look at an fpt in a hex editor and couldn't see anything but maybe I wasn't looking in the right place.

[greatflash]

Thats a nice start Flash, as I said in PM perhaps we could get a program to extract info from the fpt files. I don't know if there is info saved in the actual file but if there is it would be a great way to get a database started and save some time. I had a quick look at an fpt in a hex editor and couldn't see anything but maybe I wasn't looking in the right place.

The FPT file contains

Table name (not always helpful)

Version

Author

Rule Set

And Short Description

This is in the header along with settings for high scores, balls, fpram etc.

I really don't think there is anything to be gained by writing a program to do this as a lot table creators dont fill all this in correctly. It is not too hard to enter them manually. It took me an hour or so to enter the data into the xml for 60 or so tables. But, this is all pointless without the mighty TOM allowing us to use the name field. At the moment my FP setup looks a real mess because of the FPT default filenames. The NAME field contains them all written nice and tidy..

[greatflash]

Tom,

Is there any chance of a Beta GameEx executable release like you did before for the original change for the PUBLISHER field in the new DB's.

I could really do with a release that can use the DB's Name as a display option.

The modification should be really easy to implement. All it needs is an option in the EMU ini to enable "GameEx naming convention" (functional only when a DB is used). When set to true (off by default) instead of displaying the filename found in the list, display the NAME field from the DB cache. If there is no match found in the DB for the file - use the filename as before.

The Snaps would need to still use the standard matching format (goodtools, Tosec, No-intro, File) just as before, so no change there.

The only other modifications needed is to disregard "Remove text in brackets", "Emulator - Game sorting" to NO CHANGE, and to sort the list using the NAME field.

So, can I please ask "Pretty Please", I have no cherries to put on top, would a prune be ok?

I will of course post before and after images to show the improvement it makes to a host of emulators, and am confident this would be a feature that would be much used.

[GeorgeT]

where do I copy the XML file to in GameEx?

[headkaze]

where do I copy the XML file to in GameEx?

You can't. They are the exchange format we use here. When the database is finished it will be released with GameEx, so no need to download the files.

[Tom Speirs]

Tom,

Is there any chance of a Beta GameEx executable release like you did before for the original change for the PUBLISHER field in the new DB's.

I could really do with a release that can use the DB's Name as a display option.

The modification should be really easy to implement. All it needs is an option in the EMU ini to enable "GameEx naming convention" (functional only when a DB is used). When set to true (off by default) instead of displaying the filename found in the list, display the NAME field from the DB cache. If there is no match found in the DB for the file - use the filename as before.

The Snaps would need to still use the standard matching format (goodtools, Tosec, No-intro, File) just as before, so no change there.

The only other modifications needed is to disregard "Remove text in brackets", "Emulator - Game sorting" to NO CHANGE, and to sort the list using the NAME field.

So, can I please ask "Pretty Please", I have no cherries to put on top, would a prune be ok?

I will of course post before and after images to show the improvement it makes to a host of emulators, and am confident this would be a feature that would be much used.

Yes, ok will do. Please dont take my lack of action as lack of interest.

[greatflash]

Yes, ok will do. Please dont take my lack of action as lack of interest.

I didn't...

Not really...

Well, perhaps a little...

A little fraction, a smidgeon, a wee bit...

[Tom Speirs]

Just wanted to mention, for my FP setup I use zip support, and I may have different files to you, but the zip names in my sets are actually quite descriptive and not like you have mentioned as far as I have seen.

[greatflash]

Just wanted to mention, for my FP setup I use zip support, and I may have different files to you, but the zip names in my sets are actually quite descriptive and not like you have mentioned as far as I have seen.

I am just playing at the moment.

The DB will contain both the name of the FPT table within the archive and also the name of the zip that is downloaded. I tend to extract the FPT to tables and the scripts and libs to their respective directory.

[greatflash]

Just wanted to mention, for my FP setup I use zip support, and I may have different files to you, but the zip names in my sets are actually quite descriptive and not like you have mentioned as far as I have seen.

Tom ol' bean,

Can you please give me some examples of how your FP tables are named as archives, it may help finishing the DB.

Cheers me ol' china

[Tom Speirs]

Here you go.

[greatflash]

Here you go.

Thnks Tom, this has helped me to get a DAT that contains all the names that you are using (cheesy poofs [original] - need that one ).

Great, what i will do is have one name for unzipped FPT names, one for the FPT zip set, and the other for?? hm, a general naming convention that people would use to rename roms themselves. This should then cover all bases with any luck??

Will be having a better look at the Beta when I get home, have prepped a C64 Mdb containing 200 Goobase64 entries that include multiple names... Will let you know the results. I think all will be great from this mornings play..

Thanks again..

[greatflash]

Hi Tom,

Hope you have read the main DB editor sticky thingy?

Anyway, thanks for your input regarding the names of the Future pinball tables in 7z format.

As mentioned, have edited the DB to contain (what I believe to be) all FP tables as of last month.

The DB does not contain all years, publishers and descriptions, but has a selection of data on several of them.

I have not got the set like you, though i will get round to doing the same after I have entered all names as extracted files (quite a bit of downloading to do ), so please can you be a dear and just test this for me?

ANY feedback good or bad would be most welcome (i don't think any tables end with ... )

Thanks Tom.

_Pinball__Future_Pinball.zip

[greatflash]

Most data is now in the DB!!! Hurrah, except....

Descriptions for Recreated tables (and Originals really). Does anyone know anywhere to get any information? Have typed the info from flyers but that is mostly it!

Any suggestions would be great! (not IPDB - no info there)

Cheers.