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OASIS (working title)


johnparker007
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1 hour ago, Mrbeanstreak said:

will this arcade sim be available for download soon ?

No, there is an insane amount of work before the Oasis project will be at the stage of the previous Arcade Sim.  Hoever when it is, it will allow users to build the 3d cabinets themselves, extract/import/build MFME layouts into 3d cabinets, design custom arcade layouts, run on other targets like android phones, iphones, games consoles like Xbox One... all kinds of very new things that are currently impossible :) 

It's a different beast!  But we are looking at easily 1-2 years of work to get to that point, potentially (probably) even more, depending on whether I have to work on emulation after we have the community project to build internal MAME layouts with labelled reels etc.

TLDR: It's a couple of years before this will be in a form where you can play in whole 3d arcades, though playing individual 3d machines will probably come sooner.

Edited by johnparker007
  • Like 6

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Back on this now, just quick update on the current task being looked at :) 

So we have the 'MFME' fonts working, that are installed with MFME... now it is the 'OS' fonts, which are proving to be a little trickier to correctly map.  I've had some success though, so I think it should be doable :)  It's not a pixel perfect rendition, as Oasis is using a different system for font rendering (signed distance fields), gives Vector art style upscaling (so fonts don't pixelate when zoomed in), but does mean the sizes and text wrapping can be very slightly out.

This is the current test layout I'm working on, the idea is to be able to import this and see the same fonts/style/sizes/wrapping (for the most part on the wrapping) in Oasis from the MFME source layout:

image.thumb.png.b5424a7e9e14fdfe8b7be2d8c1619d40.png

  • Like 4

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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Making a bit more progress with this whole importing MFME Windows fonts to use the OS fonts in Oasis.  As it's properly open source, I can't simply include the Windows fonts themselves, I have to pull them from the end user's (of the Layout Editor) Windows Fonts directory at runtime.  The names aren't an exact match either, but I think I can get around most of this by some search/replace and manually text lookup tables.

The new strategy is reading the Registry, to get the font name -> font filename mapping, once I've converted the MFME font name to be usable (e.g: 'Oblique' ==  'Italics' etc).

Since MFME importing seems like it would only really happen on Windows PCs, I'll not worry too much that the fonts may be missing on Mac/Linux at this stage, as later we can have an option on those platforms to install any missing fonts, if someone did want to continue work on an MFME classic, and visa versa, if someone built a classic on Linux, using a font that Windows doesn't have... that or I'll perhaps be able to save out the fonts used at runtime as part of the Layout Editor Project itself (as then I wouldn't be distributing the fonts with Oasis installer itself, so that would be ok I think).

I think once a machine is built to be playable in the machine player/arcade sim, perhaps these text strings get converted to images, so then that built (classic) machine will be playable on any platform including android etc... as then the font won't be needed, it'll just be a graphic of the text in the original font... maybe, not 100% on this, or doing some form of the end user autosaving fonts with the layout/built layout.

All a bit more complicated that I initially thought, but definitely can see a route through :)

image.thumb.png.1949c6259231cc39a956f59045f8e005.png

Edited by johnparker007
  • Like 4

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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Still having various issues, but finally have at least some of the OS runtime fonts displaying :) 

image.thumb.png.e5219e68639e7cfd85912f91b7c40d25.png

  • Like 4

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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Still messing with fonts - definitely some issues, but I think sticking with the SDF Text Mesh Pro renderer is the way to go, as it allows for some 'text effects' too:

image.thumb.png.c0209b384ba278e3291c9818ef209feb.png 

Edited by johnparker007
  • Like 3

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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I've been continuing with font investigations, as while I want to use the new system (Text Mesh Pro), it is not correctly importing kerning (the space between certain pairs of characters) information from some fonts, an example of this is here:
image.png.11c6c29dda764f21e3a17d70ad840f2a.png

It almost looks as if there is a space character between 'Uni' and 'space'.  This is due to how the kerning data is stored in some fonts.

After some battling trying to fix this, and concluding there was no good fix to be had (there was one, but it wouldn't be good for users wanting to use their own custom fonts when building classic layouts), I decided to try the actual very latest version of Unity (2024), as there seemed to be some suggestions this had been fixed since Unity 2021 which is the version Oasis is currently running on... and, it is :) 

Here we can see both the legacy text rendering and the new TMP rendering on Unity 2024, using that same 'Unispace' Windows system font, and it is now correctly supporting the kerning (so there is no longer an apparent space between Uni and space😞

image.png.26c5f3bce289eb58a9c0b8278f901c26.png

So, the plan now is to migrate the entire Oasis Layout Editor Unity project from 2021 -> 2024.  This will fix this issue with TMP font importing/rendering, and also, it will remove the 'Unity splash screen' that pops up when starting an app (the same one you see when launching Arcade Sim).

Wasn't planning to update Unity versions, as it usually throws up a bunch of other errors to solve, but I do really want that kerning working properly, so updating it is! :) 

At some later stage, I will also implement a font browser, and include most of the standard (Latin) fonts from google's open source fonts collection... so the layouts will no longer be limited to the fonts installed on a user's PC/phone, as Oasis will have its own collection:

https://fonts.google.com/

Edited by johnparker007
  • Like 3

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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Now running in Unity 2024, more work continues on the font system, here's the latest side by side :) 

image.thumb.png.c1ff3b13915d7129634989758868f313.png

  • Like 5

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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OK I've done enough on the basic font stuff for now, it's never going to be a perfect match, as they are utterly different font rendering systems between how MFME does it and how Oasis does it, but it's close enough I think, plus I'm getting a bit fonted out lol :)   Final side by side since I'm moving onto something new:

image.thumb.png.2b11632e14add956eb1e86b9f260daa1.png

I think the next area to look at is doing the proper per-component 'Inspector'.  This is essentially the same as the 'Properties' window in MFME.  The current system was just a place holder where it lists public variables, rather than a UI I have crafted per-component type.  I'll also start on some rudimentary 'click to select' functionality, so I can click on a lamp to select it, and have its editable stuff shown in the Inspector:

image.thumb.png.c1aa2981b48e3a7cdf49be659e1d5181.png

  • Like 2

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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Started on the basic Lamp Inspector first, with a few fields - added also basic 'click to select component'.  Next will be adding more fields, getting the color clickable/adjustable, then adding other component inspectors...

 

  • Like 1

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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Inspector work continues, have set up system for different inspectors for component type, currently done very minimal version of Lamp and Seven Segment, next up will be minimal Segment Alpha and Reel.

Lamp component selected:
image.thumb.png.babfcc5c59710d7a6cb6872ca6b6085d.png

7 Segment component selected:
image.thumb.png.684c8747f3bca53458e1c94fc153e951.png

No component selected:
image.thumb.png.4ba85a8e7a5d799380829fd200e55cf0.png 

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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Work has been continuing on the Layout Editor, but not had chance to do an update for a bit, so here's the latest, give @Mort something to check out :) 

Video shows editing text on a lamp, and also the new color picker I'm working on - quite a lot of progress really! :) 
 

 

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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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Not new coding dev, but man I swear the newer AI chat models are freakishly good! :)  

Just been brainstorming with ChatGPT-4o how to best tackle the future system for our Oasis online layout hosting/management - here's a snip from later in the convo where we're comparing Amazon S3 vs Backblaze:

 

JP: Why did you recommend Backblaze over Amazon S3?
 
ChatGPT: I recommended Backblaze B2 over Amazon S3 primarily because of cost-efficiency. Here's a detailed comparison to clarify why:

1. Pricing

  • Backblaze B2 is one of the most affordable cloud storage services available:
    • Storage: $0.005/GB per month, so 200GB would cost around $1/month.
    • Download bandwidth: $0.01/GB, which would be about $1 per 100GB downloaded.
    • Free uploads and free listing operations (like browsing your storage).
  • Amazon S3, while widely used and feature-rich, has higher costs:
    • Storage: $0.023/GB per month for standard storage, which makes 200GB cost about $4.60/month.
    • Download bandwidth: $0.09/GB, which makes it roughly $9 per 100GB downloaded.

Why Backblaze Wins: For 200GB of storage, Backblaze is significantly cheaper, costing $1/month compared to $4.60/month on Amazon S3, and its download bandwidth cost is far lower ($0.01 vs. $0.09 per GB).

2. Simplicity of Pricing Structure

  • Backblaze B2 offers a more straightforward pricing model with fewer confusing tiers or added fees. You simply pay for storage and bandwidth.
  • Amazon S3 has a more complex pricing model with different classes of storage (Standard, Infrequent Access, Glacier), which can make pricing less predictable and harder to manage for long-term projects, especially when download bandwidth is factored in.

Why Backblaze Wins: If simplicity and predictability in cost management are important, Backblaze B2 makes things much easier to estimate.

3. Features & Usability

  • Amazon S3 is known for its robust ecosystem and a broad array of features like versioning, replication, complex permission settings, and integrations with other AWS services. It’s incredibly powerful, but many of these features might be overkill for your use case.
  • Backblaze B2, while more limited in some advanced features, offers the essentials for storing and serving large files. For hosting assets like PNGs, WAV files, and project data, it provides everything you need with an easy-to-use API, making it more lightweight and less overwhelming than AWS.

Why Backblaze Wins: If you don’t need advanced cloud infrastructure features (e.g., machine learning integration, automated scaling, etc.), Backblaze provides a simpler experience, and for your project, it seems sufficient.

4. Performance and Reliability

  • Amazon S3: It has a global network of data centers, meaning it offers better performance and redundancy for global users, with high uptime and excellent reliability.
  • Backblaze B2: While Backblaze operates fewer data centers (mainly in the U.S.), its reliability and performance are generally strong, especially for non-critical, large-scale storage needs like your project. For an open-source project focused on collaboration, Backblaze should offer enough reliability unless your contributors are highly distributed globally and need faster, low-latency access.

Why Backblaze Still Wins for You: Given the open-source nature of your project, where occasional latency may be acceptable, Backblaze provides reliable enough storage without the added cost of Amazon’s global performance features.

Conclusion:

  • Backblaze B2 is a far more cost-effective solution for your specific use case of hosting 200GB of data-heavy files (PNGs, WAVs, TTFs, etc.). It delivers simpler pricing and an adequate feature set without the complexities and higher cost of Amazon S3.
  • Amazon S3 is more suited for projects that require advanced cloud services, distributed global access, or heavy integration with other cloud-based systems, which doesn’t seem necessary for your layout editor project.

Given that you're focused on hosting large assets for a public project and keeping costs low, Backblaze B2 seems like the better fit. Let me know if you'd like more details on how to set it up!

Edited by johnparker007
  • Like 4

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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  • 4 weeks later...

A lot of work has been going on with Oasis... but none of it lends itself to screenshots!  But it's been a while, and I realised this hasn't been seen yet, so this is an example of a 'View'.

image.thumb.png.d815c3a1d891e4082250ef3f67dad4eb.png

...you are not seeing double :)  On the left is the 'Base' view, and on the right (for this early testing) is the MAME view.  Later these will also be the 'perspective-corrected' views, that are part of the process of making the 2d MFME layouts into 3d Arcade Sim machines... but just dealing with the fundamentals for the moment...

The commits can be seen live here, though they're all fairly technical at the moment: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis/commits/main/

  • Like 3

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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On 01/10/2024 at 22:01, johnparker007 said:

Not new coding dev, but man I swear the newer AI chat models are freakishly good! :)  

Just been brainstorming with ChatGPT-4o how to best tackle the future system for our Oasis online layout hosting/management - here's a snip from later in the convo where we're comparing Amazon S3 vs Backblaze:

 

JP: Why did you recommend Backblaze over Amazon S3?
 
ChatGPT: I recommended Backblaze B2 over Amazon S3 primarily because of cost-efficiency. Here's a detailed comparison to clarify why:

1. Pricing

  • Backblaze B2 is one of the most affordable cloud storage services available:
    • Storage: $0.005/GB per month, so 200GB would cost around $1/month.
    • Download bandwidth: $0.01/GB, which would be about $1 per 100GB downloaded.
    • Free uploads and free listing operations (like browsing your storage).
  • Amazon S3, while widely used and feature-rich, has higher costs:
    • Storage: $0.023/GB per month for standard storage, which makes 200GB cost about $4.60/month.
    • Download bandwidth: $0.09/GB, which makes it roughly $9 per 100GB downloaded.

Why Backblaze Wins: For 200GB of storage, Backblaze is significantly cheaper, costing $1/month compared to $4.60/month on Amazon S3, and its download bandwidth cost is far lower ($0.01 vs. $0.09 per GB).

2. Simplicity of Pricing Structure

  • Backblaze B2 offers a more straightforward pricing model with fewer confusing tiers or added fees. You simply pay for storage and bandwidth.
  • Amazon S3 has a more complex pricing model with different classes of storage (Standard, Infrequent Access, Glacier), which can make pricing less predictable and harder to manage for long-term projects, especially when download bandwidth is factored in.

Why Backblaze Wins: If simplicity and predictability in cost management are important, Backblaze B2 makes things much easier to estimate.

3. Features & Usability

  • Amazon S3 is known for its robust ecosystem and a broad array of features like versioning, replication, complex permission settings, and integrations with other AWS services. It’s incredibly powerful, but many of these features might be overkill for your use case.
  • Backblaze B2, while more limited in some advanced features, offers the essentials for storing and serving large files. For hosting assets like PNGs, WAV files, and project data, it provides everything you need with an easy-to-use API, making it more lightweight and less overwhelming than AWS.

Why Backblaze Wins: If you don’t need advanced cloud infrastructure features (e.g., machine learning integration, automated scaling, etc.), Backblaze provides a simpler experience, and for your project, it seems sufficient.

4. Performance and Reliability

  • Amazon S3: It has a global network of data centers, meaning it offers better performance and redundancy for global users, with high uptime and excellent reliability.
  • Backblaze B2: While Backblaze operates fewer data centers (mainly in the U.S.), its reliability and performance are generally strong, especially for non-critical, large-scale storage needs like your project. For an open-source project focused on collaboration, Backblaze should offer enough reliability unless your contributors are highly distributed globally and need faster, low-latency access.

Why Backblaze Still Wins for You: Given the open-source nature of your project, where occasional latency may be acceptable, Backblaze provides reliable enough storage without the added cost of Amazon’s global performance features.

Conclusion:

  • Backblaze B2 is a far more cost-effective solution for your specific use case of hosting 200GB of data-heavy files (PNGs, WAVs, TTFs, etc.). It delivers simpler pricing and an adequate feature set without the complexities and higher cost of Amazon S3.
  • Amazon S3 is more suited for projects that require advanced cloud services, distributed global access, or heavy integration with other cloud-based systems, which doesn’t seem necessary for your layout editor project.

Given that you're focused on hosting large assets for a public project and keeping costs low, Backblaze B2 seems like the better fit. Let me know if you'd like more details on how to set it up!

I've been using ChatGPT to explain lifted dissembly code snippets to me and it's incredible. I also use it to port code from one language to another and, again, it's crazy good.

Maybe in 5 yrs time it'll be good enough to take all the dissembly as a single payload. We can hope.

Great work on the project btw and I find the updates very interesting. The end product will be something quite amazing.

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1 hour ago, redbags said:

I've been using ChatGPT to explain lifted dissembly code snippets to me and it's incredible. I also use it to port code from one language to another and, again, it's crazy good.

Maybe in 5 yrs time it'll be good enough to take all the dissembly as a single payload. We can hope.

Great work on the project btw and I find the updates very interesting. The end product will be something quite amazing.

I've tried it on some 'retro' asm (the latest Claude 3.5 / o1 mini preview which are SOTA coding models) and it is ok but it does hallucinate. A lot... a very long way off a skilled (human) disassembler right now, but maybe one day I could see some usefulness :) 

[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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Quick summary of Dif by our robot friend :) 
 

Desert Island Fruits is a community-driven website focused on the emulation and appreciation of vintage fruit machines. It caters to enthusiasts of fruit machine emulation, particularly those using the Multiple Fruit Machine Emulator (MFME). The site offers forums, layout reviews, video tutorials, and a gallery of user-created layouts for various machines. Members actively contribute by sharing ROMs, layouts, and technical advice on recreating or modifying old fruit machines digitally.

New members can access a "Newbies Help Area" for guidance on setting up MFME, downloading files, and contributing through donations or by uploading resources. While some downloads are available freely, there are limits on downloads for basic members, which can be increased with contributions or active community involvement.

The community aspect is a significant part of the platform, where users share nostalgic stories about their favorite fruit machines, discuss cabinet building projects, and even honor the memory of Chris Wren ("Wizard"), who was instrumental in developing MFME.

Overall, Desert Island Fruits serves as a hub for enthusiasts to relive and preserve the legacy of classic fruit machines through emulation.



Totally gives itself away with its weird AI phrasing, though one day I'm sure that'll be solved so it won't do a final summary sentence starting with the word 'Overall' which makes it sound utterly mental by British writing standards.  Nice to see a shout out to Chris, though I'm sure he wouldn't be best pleased with occupying the same sentence as the American spelling of 'favorite' and 'honor' :) 

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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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3 hours ago, johnparker007 said:

Quick summary of Dif by our robot friend :) 
 

Desert Island Fruits is a community-driven website focused on the emulation and appreciation of vintage fruit machines. It caters to enthusiasts of fruit machine emulation, particularly those using the Multiple Fruit Machine Emulator (MFME). The site offers forums, layout reviews, video tutorials, and a gallery of user-created layouts for various machines. Members actively contribute by sharing ROMs, layouts, and technical advice on recreating or modifying old fruit machines digitally.

New members can access a "Newbies Help Area" for guidance on setting up MFME, downloading files, and contributing through donations or by uploading resources. While some downloads are available freely, there are limits on downloads for basic members, which can be increased with contributions or active community involvement.

The community aspect is a significant part of the platform, where users share nostalgic stories about their favorite fruit machines, discuss cabinet building projects, and even honor the memory of Chris Wren ("Wizard"), who was instrumental in developing MFME.

Overall, Desert Island Fruits serves as a hub for enthusiasts to relive and preserve the legacy of classic fruit machines through emulation.



Totally gives itself away with its weird AI phrasing, though one day I'm sure that'll be solved so it won't do a final summary sentence starting with the word 'Overall' which makes it sound utterly mental by British writing standards.  Nice to see a shout out to Chris, though I'm sure he wouldn't be best pleased with occupying the same sentence as the American spelling of 'favorite' and 'honor' :) 

Yes reasonably obvious it's AI but not a bad description. You could just change it around a bit manually, 90 % of the work done for you.

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Your box will be CASHPOT

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  • 3 months later...
Just now, niallquinn said:

4 months on, how's this going?  Any further forward?

Left everything for dead in arcade sim, even the clubbers.  Could just start again I suppose.  :)

Thanks.

I'm still dabbling in the occasional bit of light FME stuff, hacking the odd ROM etc, but with life and work as it is as the moment, I'm needing to take a break from the big push developing the new software (which is another multi-year project). 

It is of course all open source and 100% of the Oasis code so far is on github for other programmers to get involved, but it seems like fruit machine software is just too niche to tempt anyone else capable of this kind of work!

If I was retired it'd be a breeze, get up, have a coffee, code some Oasis... one day lol :) 

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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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38 minutes ago, thealteredemu said:

That’s the thing bud, work and life get in the way of these hefty projects.  In a perfect world this would be a paid gig.  I wonder how long this project would take if this was your sole day job?

Real shame it’s such a niche market, I imagine people with coding skills are looking for the money :)

J

If it was my sole day job it would go insanely faster :)  But I need to pay the bills and not have a big burnout... so I'm just back to a bit of casual tinkering for now.  On the plus side, we are getting a little progress on the ROM decompilation front, which people have often wondered about before ;) 

image.png.f47e0d3572b3bab962a3172311fcfe0d.png

Edited by johnparker007
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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: https://tinyurl.com/2kcrkprh | Donation info: https://tinyurl.com/yzvgl4xo
[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ Fruit Machine ROM  Archive ] The archive: https://tinyurl.com/3jhzbueb
[ Fruit Machine Settings/Tests Guide ] https://tinyurl.com/yuebw8b5
[ MAME (fixes/improvements) ] Commits: https://github.com/johnparker007/mame/commits/master/?author=johnparker007

[ MFME Launch ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/MFMELaunch
[ Oasis ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/Oasis
[ Sound ROM Editor ] Source code: https://github.com/johnparker007/SoundRomEditor

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