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johnparker007

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11 hours ago, cja272 said:

I've got it working!!!!

If i open up the arcade simulator and run as administrator it works 😀

Ah interesting!  - thanks very much for that update mate :) I will look into this, I can create a non-admin account on one of my PCs and hopefully recreate the problem... I'll keep you posted if I can find a fix - I guess everyone else has admin level Windows user accounts or something like that...

Edited by johnparker007
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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: http://arcadesimulator.net  |  Known Issues: https://tinyurl.com/yz4uom2e  |  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
[ 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 got it going too! When I press enter, the machine does not initialise still. BUT, when I do the alt-tab thing you suggested a few pages back, I no longer get the errors. So, when I pressed esc whilst on this page MFME suddenly showed up. I then alt-tab back to ARSI, sorry AS, then machine then runs for me. Sometimes the displays are backwards but mate, this is F'ing awesome. Thanks so much for this! :mess_462:

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On 17/07/2021 at 19:11, Big J said:

Just played Big Bucks and it spat £3 out in 20p's.

 

Zippy🤐

If it did it on startup and was a bug, that may be leftover from my RAM when playing it over here then doing a patch.  I've still quite a bit more to do on RAM management, but once all that's done, these sort of things won't happen any more (my updated local RAMs won't overwrite RAMs already out there).

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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: http://arcadesimulator.net  |  Known Issues: https://tinyurl.com/yz4uom2e  |  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
[ 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 17/07/2021 at 19:20, wearecity said:

An update.

After pressing enter, the machine appears as though it's going to boot up, like the reels move slightly and the alpha light. EDIT....The alpha changes to all ????????? and the 7 segs show 888

Then nothing.

If I then alt/tab, MFME is running with the machine loaded, but only with the very top of the cabinet in the layout showing.

Attached a picture, which I've reduce the quality of to save mb's

as.png

Ah bugger - I thought I'd fixed this one!  Looks like it'll need more work.  It's due to the 'data layout' starting up without the meter panel.  I may have to detect when it's booted glitched like this and adjust the scraping/reenable the panel... I'll add it to my list :) 

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[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ 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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1 hour ago, davep180 said:

I got it going too! When I press enter, the machine does not initialise still. BUT, when I do the alt-tab thing you suggested a few pages back, I no longer get the errors. So, when I pressed esc whilst on this page MFME suddenly showed up. I then alt-tab back to ARSI, sorry AS, then machine then runs for me. Sometimes the displays are backwards but mate, this is F'ing awesome. Thanks so much for this! :mess_462:

Thanks for the update :) 

From this and other posts, I can see I've still got quite a few kinks to iron out with the MFME stuff... we'll get there! :) 

(The displays being backwards is the same for everyone at the mo, I can't work on the fix for those yet).

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[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ 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 17/07/2021 at 08:36, johnparker007 said:

There will be support for 'props' in the Arcade Editor.  These will be things like potted plants, fire extinguishers, free-standing ash trays, partition walls etc... and could indeed include an 'over 18s sign' prop :) ...should be fairly easy to create, something like this one on the left:

DSC_0094.jpg

(also shows a good example of a wood/glass partition wall - these will make for good props too)

played your alpha and honestly its awesome, i can see only great things coming from you, keep up the hard work

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For info:
I have uploaded another patch - however this is just for backend work I'm doing, so it won't provide any new features (except for an internal testing feature).

Tech update for the technically curious :) :
The current R&D work is on dll injection.  This has already been working on my machine (for achieving the 'turbo start up' in MFME), but in a very debug way that won't distribute to other PCs.  So the recent patch is an update to the patching system, so now on the server there is a 'staging' path and a 'live' path, and I can locally test the next update without breaking what's already on the server.

This new dll injection approach, I am hoping (though this is not written or tested yet, just a plan!) will allow me to 'hook' MFME's requests to read/write from the Windows Registry (only when running under ArcadeSim, will have no effect on running MFME normally).

That will then allow me to tell the launched MFME instance that it has all default settings, even the user has it set up in their MFME options to run 'Borderless', or hide the 'Meters Panel' etc... as I believe this is what's behind most of the remaining MFME scraping issues some users are having.

Another benefit is that it will avoid the MFME recently played layouts list being 'polluted' from ArcadeSim's 'data layouts' (as I will drop the requests from MFME to update values in the registry).

I should then also be able to get MFME's turbo start working within ArcadeSim, so that everyone has that feature.

There may be a one-time pop-up needing to be OK'd in order for this to all work (Windows with it's damn 'Unknown Publisher' popups when you first run an exe)...

So a lot of ifs and buts though, we'll have to see how it goes ;) 

Oh another idea, again not even tried this so no clue if it's possible yet, is that I might be able to 'trap' the audio output from MFME... so for instance where some modern machines have the bug where they only output from the right speaker, I might then be able to pull that audio stream into ArcadeSim and make it mono, so the sound comes out of both left and right speakers at same volume.

Edited by johnparker007
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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: http://arcadesimulator.net  |  Known Issues: https://tinyurl.com/yz4uom2e  |  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
[ 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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Great work as ever @johnparker007 !

I still have not had a chance to look into what we spoke about as per available time etc, combined with the heat...

...fat people and heat don't do well - just ask me...

I cannot possibly see how you're doing your day job and then doing this development stuff while the world melts !

shutterstock_98702825__1_.thumb.jpg.f96def416891ec58d6aa765ffe98cf3a.jpg

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12 minutes ago, Reg said:

Great work as ever @johnparker007 !

I still have not had a chance to look into what we spoke about as per available time etc, combined with the heat...

...fat people and heat don't do well - just ask me...

I cannot possibly see how you're doing your day job and then doing this development stuff while the world melts !

shutterstock_98702825__1_.thumb.jpg.f96def416891ec58d6aa765ffe98cf3a.jpg

Honestly no rush on what we spoke about :)  I've got tons to keep me busy with all the MFME dll/converter stuff... though yeah, everything would be easier if I wasn't bloody melting every day! 🥵

Edited by johnparker007
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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: http://arcadesimulator.net  |  Known Issues: https://tinyurl.com/yz4uom2e  |  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
[ 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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A little tech-update video on the work-in-progress with the new MFME Dll portable injection stuff.  Shows the turbo start on/off (via new 'Experimental' settings menu) - tested on machines that benefit most (older techs) first... :) 

 

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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: http://arcadesimulator.net  |  Known Issues: https://tinyurl.com/yz4uom2e  |  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
[ 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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1 hour ago, slasher said:

Would be interesting if you could enable some sort of "turbo play" mode as well... not that it isn't already interesting of course and this would go at the very bottom of any list but it just crossed my mind

It could go in as a setting somewhere perhaps in Machine Settings, although my dll currently can only 'turbo', then 'unturbo' (and correct for lost time) once per run of a machine.  So the machine would have to be restarted for continuous turbo (and restarted again to disable).

I'll stick it on the 'maybe to do' list, but low priority... :) 

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[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ 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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@serene02 I have encountered the blank grey square display issue you were having :)

For a quick hacky fix on your machine, this may work (it worked for me) - run RegEdit, search for 'GyroxGames', when you find the folder under SOFTWARE, right click and delete the folder.  Then run ArcadeSim again... it may now work.

image.thumb.png.730b5b7580c9f3a40b59f7d9611fbe78.png

For me the issue was after I tried Alt+Enter to switch away from full screen (don't try this people, or you'll likely break your install too!!).  This then ends up storing corrupted screen settings in the registry. 

I've made a change to hopefully prevent it that'll be in the next patch, plus added a bug to look into in more detail later.

Edited by johnparker007
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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: http://arcadesimulator.net  |  Known Issues: https://tinyurl.com/yz4uom2e  |  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
[ 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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A new patch is uploaded with the first pass of the experimental portable dll injection in: it should start up the older machines (JPM Vogues, MPU4s etc) significantly faster.  Only users with faster PCs will see the difference.

On one of my test PCs here that is older, while it can just about run ArcadeSim, it is hammering the CPU, so I don't see any difference in speed, but I believe it's just because there's no power left to accelerate MFME.

This first attempt should hopefully not trigger any anti-virus false positives, nor any popups asking for permission to run.

I am noticing a lot more 'Off/On alarms' happening in recent testing, I suspect I'm somehow not saving the RAM properly... unless these also happen in MFME..?  I think they probably started when I did the update so it actually saves the RAM at all.

If this latest update is causing issues, the turbo-startup magic can be disabled from the in-arcade menu (press Escape when not playing a machine) - then SETTINGS > EXPERIMENTAL > Disable 'MFME DLL CONTROL' slider.

(also, this has a fix in to stop a key combination that can corrupt the screen setup in the registry).


Edit - done a quick vid showing latest patch running on my (fast) PC with some fast startup machines):
 

 

Edited by johnparker007
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[ Arcade Simulator ] Pre-alpha installer: http://arcadesimulator.net  |  Known Issues: https://tinyurl.com/yz4uom2e  |  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
[ 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 note re latest patch: avoid using Smash n Grab if you have the Experimental DLL Control feature enabled.  It will probably freeze up! 

Smash N Grab currently frequently crashes on exit when using the experimental DLL control, freezing the MFME instance and in turn ArcadeSim.  I've looked into it, and a proper solution can be done in the future when I'm at the stage of generating the data layouts from scratch, but that's probably months away since it works ok for all the other machines, so not a high priority.

For now as a workaround until later when I can fix properly, I've added an internal flag, so that Smash n Grab doesn't use the DLL control, and then everything is stable again - it will be in the next patch update when that goes live. :) 

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[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ 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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A tech update on the continuing dll injection work, as after about 10 hours on this one bit, I've actually made some progress  :) 

So it's a basic start, but I can now block MFME's attempts to write data to the Windows Registry.  Among other things such as global settings, this is where it stores the list of recently played layouts for example:

image.png.f444cac3df55f3c8cc016163eb11a3d0.png

So what I've managed so far is that when ArcadeSim launches MFME, in addition to the turbo startup, I can now block the writes.  So this will mean that in future ArcadeSim won't be 'polluting' your recently played layout list with 'AndyCapp_DATA_LAYOUT' etc.

The next more detailed part of this work will be attempting to selectively return fixed values for registry keys.  There's a bit more to this, but I think it will be doable with perseverance :)   So then when MFME starts up, it will check for instance if it should run in Borderless mode (by reading the registry)... this mode currently breaks ArcadeSim's ability to scrape the lamps/reels etc from the data layout.

Instead, my injected dll will tell MFME not to run in Borderless mode (even if that is what it is set to in your MFME settings).

Quick demo of ArcadeSim preventing MFME from updating the 'history' entries in the windows registry:

 

Edited by johnparker007
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[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ 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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Another small tech update for those interested in that side of things :) 

I'm still plugging away at this never-ending task of trying to get 'full' control of MFME's access to the Windows Registry.  It's very slow work!  I already have a way of blocking the writes, but altering the reads is proving more elusive... I was actually considering putting this task to one side which would be a shame as it's by far the cleanest way, and will give fixes for issues such as when users have settings like meter panels disabled, or running in borderless, or if they last used an older version of MFME etc.

Anyway, while I've still got a ways to go, I've finally got a glimmer of hope!  So I'll keep going for a couple more nights and maybe be able to crack it.  Here I got my dll to pick up the names of the keys as part of a RegCreateKeyTransactedW call to the kernel, I've been searching for a few nights for these buggers :)  

image.thumb.png.d99f364e4a3c72ce041e6a712f8ea7a6.png

Filenames I've written out from intercepted dll calls in the left folder matching the MFME keys on the right.  It's not the solution yet, but hope is renewed I may be able to (literally) crack it given more time...

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[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ 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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Finally - after carrying on for another late night and again tonight, I've got it to work :) 

So last night I got the patching of values such as 'MeterPanelOff' to work... but... it didn't have any effect!  So rather than continue trying to hook that, I realised today I could do it the other way around...

So now, ArcadeSim has it's own 'parallel' MFME registry (ASIM shown below):


image.png.f8785a3e65c5f7e8b4a7399acd95709c.png

And I'm intercepting where MFME.exe asks for 'MFME' registry key, and switching it to 'ASIM'.  

And here you can see that the ArcadeSim launched MFME has its Meter Panel hidden, then the manually launched standard MFME has its Meter Panel showing.  Two completely independent registries :) 

Another night or two on this, and it should be cleaned up, mixed with some code in ArcadeSim for setting up 'safe' values, and made as a patch... so hopefully early next week... 

Edited by johnparker007
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[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ 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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No pressure bud seriously but percentage wise how far would you say you have come?

Still impressed as per with your little minion here watching on.

Said it a few times and will say it again computer shite can be seriously draining so hope you are getting good kip and vitality through you, sounds a bit soppy but it is true and sure Chris went through it multiple times that when you have a major task ahead of you you kind of forget about any and everything else, dedication is off the scales but sometimes you have to have a breather.

Much love for your continuous updates and thriveness on this project my friend.

Take care.

Zippy🤐

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1 hour ago, Zippy said:

No pressure bud seriously but percentage wise how far would you say you have come?

Still impressed as per with your little minion here watching on.

Said it a few times and will say it again computer shite can be seriously draining so hope you are getting good kip and vitality through you, sounds a bit soppy but it is true and sure Chris went through it multiple times that when you have a major task ahead of you you kind of forget about any and everything else, dedication is off the scales but sometimes you have to have a breather.

Much love for your continuous updates and thriveness on this project my friend.

Take care.

Zippy🤐

Thanks bud  :)  It's all good, I'm steering clear of the burnout for now - I am keeping an eye on it though, this last 10+ months have been an intense run of work lol 

I've had a look back, and I think this was the earliest video where I first got some 3D rendering working with MFME - about 10 months ago:

Not sure if it's possible to say a percentage, as it's a project that can continue to develop and improve in many directions, no plans to stop improving/expanding it for the foreseeable future... :) 

Edited by johnparker007
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[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ 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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9 minutes ago, john888 said:

scratch that got it working

Glad to hear you got it working :) 

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[ Community Drive ] The drive: http://tinyurl.com/yckze665
[ Fruit Machine Database ] Initial google sheets (WIP): https://tinyurl.com/2c5znxzz
[ 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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