Jump to content

Development Updates


johnparker007

Recommended Posts

Just checking in :) - had some time away from this project, been working on cracking Mpu4 machines so they can run without their 'characteriser' Pal chip!

I'm back on Arcade Sim now, this will be the next batch of machines I'll attempt to convert:

image.png.a7898d5e8fbabbcfe033776cb5b531e2.png

... if we're lucky half may make it through, with my conversion process as it currently stands :) 

The ones that don't work, I am putting to one side, and will get picked up later as I fix/improve the conversion process.  It's more about getting the number of unique machines up for the moment, as that will open up work to do with virtual texture streaming/mip map streaming...

  • Like 7
  • Awesome 1

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, vectra666 said:

I see club cops platinum making an entrance I have art prepped for the £500 version but so far not been able to source the roms to fit

anyways  look forward to seeing them in all their glory

Awesome - thanks for all the layouts man; when I'm typing in the Layout Artist Name to be shown up in the top-left of the screen... it's usually "Vectra666" !  :)  You really have made an absolute ton of layouts, amazing work :) 

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, slasher said:

Ooo finally a good Reflex lol

Trails of the Unexpected?  I don't know about the gameplay but I like the spooky look and theme of that one 👻🦇 

  • Like 2

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Mrbeanstreak said:

Can this app play in windowed instead of fullscreen 

No it is full screen only (due to things it has to do to keep MFME/MAME active enough to draw but hidden).

Edited by johnparker007

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A new patch is live :)  It has 6 new machines, they are:

- DOND Cops 'n' Robbers
- Club Take Note
- Club Pink Panther
- Ant 'n' Dec Saturday Night Takeaway
- DOND Feeling Lucky
- DOND East & West Wing


image.thumb.png.fe42c45f09c55940850bbacd6ffe22e3.png



Tech update: 

There were to be more machines before the next patch, but I'm having to break this up, as I've hit an issue with scaling up the machine library.  Currently, there is an issue with how Unity handles its internal 'Asset Database', that means one of the stages of the process is now taking increasingly longer per machine.  It used to be ~30 mins per machine on this stage, now it's around 90 mins.

So - I have to rework it, so that intermediate individual perspective-corrected lamps are stored outside of the project folder - as that's what's slowing it down (there can often be multiple lamps in just one MFME component, so now we have so many machines everything is slowing to a crawl for every single lamp I make, as Unity trawls through everything in the project).  (I can't queue processing until the end, due to how I'm currently reading things back from written pngs via textures during the conversion process itself), it all needs a fair bit of changing.

I reckon that stage will go from 90 minutes and ever-increasing, down to around 5-10 minutes (and not increasing as I add more machines) - so a very necessary step, and a false time economy for me to put it off any longer :) 

I've also identified some other smaller things where I can streamline a little more time in the conversion process, so I'm going to try sort all these time improvements out in this next phase - so future conversions will be a bit less time-heavy.

  • Like 9
  • Thanks 1
  • Awesome 1

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, slasher said:

Hell no. Top o the jackpots

Not got to that one yet, so there's a chance it'll convert ok - and will be in the next batch if so :) 

5 hours ago, mbyte69 said:

dont know if its been mentioned but the sonic one wont let me do out with the 2nd reel 

It has, I've added a bug to the sheet.  It's to do with 'doubled up' button images on the source layouts, I haven't sorted that properly yet.  Once I have, I'll rerun the conversions and the machines will be fixed in the following patch after that work :) 

  • Like 3

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just playing with an idea before work... can you spot the odd one out? ;) 

image.thumb.png.d6e22dc35798cf77b0b69a00984cea71.png

Edited by johnparker007
  • Like 1

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, vectra666 said:

Noo, ok it is on a fiver but it also has that art stuff they stick on the bottom door 

That's the fella!  :) 

I've seen some eBay auctions have the full picture of the cab, so these photos could slowly be collected over time, and I could set up a system for updating them into existing machines as we get photos... at the moment I guess people haven't been saving these full cab photos for layouts, since MFME layout only needs to show the top/bottom glass.

Something for the future anyway, they'll look nicer when they all have their full art :) 

  • Like 1

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, Mort said:

don't forget the crouch key then and maybe even prone ! haha

great to see the simulator getting better and better

imagine we can crouch and see £s pumping out into the payout tray! and a virtual pint glass to put 'em in :D

There'll be something so you can lean in to peer through the reel windows and look around for when you have nudges etc :)  Crouching to look in the payout tray with coins synced to the meters would be doable, but I'll be honest, a low priority! :) 

  • Like 3

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, johnparker007 said:

That's the fella!  :) 

I've seen some eBay auctions have the full picture of the cab, so these photos could slowly be collected over time, and I could set up a system for updating them into existing machines as we get photos... at the moment I guess people haven't been saving these full cab photos for layouts, since MFME layout only needs to show the top/bottom glass.

Something for the future anyway, they'll look nicer when they all have their full art :) 

I or should I say @Playeruploaded a few of the clubber ones pink panther n gladiator I also used some in the “front art” didn’t keep all as no point due to not needed the cash door in mfme

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, vectra666 said:

I or should I say @Playeruploaded a few of the clubber ones pink panther n gladiator I also used some in the “front art” didn’t keep all as no point due to not needed the cash door in mfme

This ebay seller takes good photos that show the whole bottom front bit :)  I'll probably grab all those to start with - it's not for straightaway, just something I've had in mind to make the Eclipse cabs better

https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/diamondleisuresales/

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A quick follow up to the last tech update :) 

I had a problem where one stage of the conversion process was taking around 90 minutes per machine... and it used to be about 30 minutes per machine - it's been growing longer and longer as I add more machines.

So, I've just completed and tested successfully a refactoring that's got it down to around 2 minutes per machine for that step (and that 2 minutes won't grow as I add machines), a very welcome improvement!

Regenerating that step for the entire library of machines before I go to bed tonight in hopefully around an hour (that would have taken over 50 straight hours before this optimisation), so hopefully on Sunday I can get back to converting new machines again (more quickly) for the next patch update :)

Edited by johnparker007
  • Like 3

[ 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...