How Stern knows about Pinball Browser?

Stern has about the same cognitive abilities you do, how do you know about Pinball Browser?

Pinball browser pretty much fixes what stern couldn't do.

On VPINBALL.COM, I saw somebody asking about musics, and then I saw reply that have "Pinball browser" in. That inspired me to see that program

Does anybody else get this error when trying to open 0xDB or 0xB8 sound scripts for WPT in 6.65 version?

WPT (resized).jpg

Ok. I feel pretty awful at this point. I apologize. Your software is awesome. I think I was just a bit frustrated because pretty much the moment I paid for the license and modified my first firmware with your tool (0.95 JP2) Stern released new firmwares that we couldn't work with.

If there's any way I can help, please let me know. I'm a classically trained software engineer, roughly 8 years as a SWE before I moved into management. It'd be great if there was a way for those of us so excited about being able to make changes to the firmwares could help you somehow. Thank you very much for what you do, I'm sorry Stern is trying to make things so difficult for all of us!

Me too!

I can't believe Stern pinball disabled sound edit feature!

Well technically doesn't fall under reverse engineering laws? I can understand why they might do it, but I do think it is a waste of resources on their part considering how long it takes them to even get code out and since there is minimal monetary loss from it. However, it seems that since you are charging for the product (it seems?), that may also introduce a legal problem. IP holders don't tend to be very flexible.

I'm working on a Pin2Dmd style tweak in lieu of a colorization for Star Trek Pro running the latest v1.62 code. Keeping it simple in pinball browser using one default monochromatic pallet with a color pop I run out of memory doing very limited touch up work. For instance, the work I'm doing would be removing the color pop from a face where it shouldn't be. Is there some trick to reclaiming memory because even using the extend memory button only gives me one more scene at the most. Maybe some other patch..not sure how people do this color work. There must be something I'm missing.

example

oga83 do you have a plan about making PB be compatible with Jersey Jack Pinball firmwares? I'd like to change songs on WOZ or Hobbit

Currently the only way to really save memory is to use the pin2dmd editor for replacement scenes and only colorize the dynamic scenes in pinball browser.
Maybe j_m_ can give you some tips how to save memory within pinball browser.

unfortunately, there is just not a lot of remaining free space in star trek to begin with (372,029 kb). extending the memory only adds an additional 82 kb for a total of 456,871 kb of free memory to work with.

compared with a game like metallica, where you have 1,289,030 kb to start with with before extending the available memory. an additional 1,810 kb is added for a total of 3,143,456 kb free after extending the available memory.

the music-based games have double the static ram on the motherboard and for the most part a lot more available, unused ram to work with. I ran into the same issues with x-men and was only able to color a single animation before running out of the remaining, available memory.

one other thing to consider is to wisely plan your palette changes. I made sure to use the pencil tool to change the extreme edges of areas and then the flood fill tool to reduce the number of commands (and memory used). it takes a good amount of time to carefully plan out the palette changes.

if you change the color of the same [pixel] of an image multiple times in a single frame, pinball browser doesn't optimize and only use the last change to the pixel location (or at least it didn't at the time of the last version that I was using when coloring MET.

olivier can verify if this is still the case

I tried to download your newest version of PB, but I got error when it was about to be saved in folder

Hi Oga83,

just let me tell you i just love pinball Browser. Chaning sounds and now Videos creates so much possibilitys.
I have a Munster Pro with Version 1.02 SD-Card image that i tested with. i was anticipating the Video change, in the Munsters Firmware
are some animations that are just horrible. One in General it's Lily doing Vacuuming or Dusting.
I searched the Video Files with new Version 7.0 Beta3 and i could not find it.
What i did find out is that at the postion Pinball Browser seems to be skipping Videos.
It seems to be happening one Video before the Stern Team Credits 0x42. It's Jumping directly from 0x40 to 0x42.

Thanks for your work and maybe it's something for the future to look at.

Munsters_Team_Credits (resized).JPG

Have you tried using the arrow keys instead of clicking the arrow? Also, be prepared, some of the videos may be cut into pieces.

What AV stands for?

It's alright
When I tried to download PB, I clicked on arrow next to discard button, and google chrome said it may contain viruses, malwares and etc. Can you send me your already downloaded pinball browser 7? My email adress is [email protected]

thanks oga83,

this seems to be working. when i manualy enter the 0x41 it works
now i will play around with it.

To make sure I understand this right, I can now chop up clips from Jurassic Park movie and use them in the code (JP2) replacing the current graphics? Does it play it full screen? Does it play the audio from the video clip too or just video? This is amazing if so. Great job.

I think it's basically up to us, and some of this is unknown until you try it. For example, here are some captures from my new "how to use the machine" video, featuring my dog:

coin_drop (resized).jpg

press_start (resized).jpg

Elvira's House of Horror 0.90.0 raw file is OK, 0.91.0 and 0.92.0 are KO (Unknown firmware!)

Update : It's all OK after unzipping them again.

OK - so this can't change those transition screens in JP2 that have the custom assets stern created (like the TREX screaming at you upon MB, rescue mission cutscenes)? I was initially thinking about including JP video in place for those holders so when you get TREX MB or event, a clip from JP plays....not possible right?

If it's not, still an amazing update and thank you for your time.

It's a little weirder. After unziping the raw file, the first opening is ok, the second :

Sans titre (resized).png

1. Thank you so much for this amazing program and the time you put into it!
2. For Stern Star Wars I was able to export some animations as a silent video clip. I have no interest in changing those but I assume I could? Maybe JP is similar.
3. I was able to export multiple videos as an .mp4 that had sound. I'm not sure, but I think when those clips actually play in the game, the embedded audio is muted and there is a corresponding separate audio file that plays.

I have the problem with Elvira's house of horror 0.91.0 and 0.92.0 raw files. I have tried to close PB in between, without succes.

You should work off the SD images instead of the .SPK upgrade. The SD images are available from Sterns website.

https://sternpinball.com/support/sd-cards/

Hi oga83,

yesterday i changed some video in attract mode, replaced it with an Minions sniplet. Just great.
But in the Munsters Firmaware there seem to not all Videos possible to select? I have seen that the statistics in 6.65 version showed more Videos.
Is this an known restriction or bug?

Pinball_Browser700B4 (resized).JPG

Pinball_Browser_665 (resized).JPG

Hi oga83,

i had now both 665 and 700 open and have gone through all videos. 7.00 stopped at 0xC6 at a rattling trapdoor. But 6.65 Version had a lot longer list after this Video. in 6.65 i am able to view the following Videos, so they are no ghosts or wrong indexes. But i am not 100% sure if the videos are used in Gameplay.

665 (resized).jpg

700 (resized).jpg

yes i know it looks strange, it's realy a lot of videos after the rattling trapdoor. I haven't tried all of them. But at least 10. And some of them i can't remember to have seen before. I will try some more and write back what i can find out.
There is one scene i was looking for it's for munster multiball called hurry up. I will try if i can find it in the 665 version. I was not able to find this video in 700.

Just checked, i made a list with 6.65 version some time ago and yes most of the video seem to be working after the 0xC6 too bad the old version is not showing the names, maybe there is some gab. The old version eg. has an Videos called like this 11 -> 11 -> 11 ->77
three in the row called 11 then one more with 77. The one with 77 i was looking for, they are all after the 0xC6 Video.
I looked on the SD Card and i could find it, with an real bad filename
when i renamed it to mp4 i was able to play it. So it's somehow included.
if you need more information please ask, or if i can help you in some way, i know it's hard work you are doing and every image it's differences

regards,
Peter

Getting exceptions when I try to access any video in Iron Maiden (Pro) 1.6. Sounds work fine. Is Maiden not supported yet or should I share the logs?

oh my god minions took over my machine. i was not able to shake them out.
i am having so much fun.

P1110821 (resized).JPG

P1110826 (resized).JPG

Quick question about working off the SD card. I know it was recommended that you create a new image on a new card, keeping the old one as a backup. However, with the availability of the images directly from Stern, that isn't necessary anymore, correct?

I can just write to the existing card and if anything happens, load the factory image from Stern?

Yes, you can do it that way. But it's nice to just have the modified SD card and Stock SD card loaded and ready to go.

I download the SD image from Stern and duplicate the file on my computer and label one stock and work on the copy version in Pinball Browser.

This is how I do it also and HIGHLY recommend this method. SD cards are cheap and when modifying game code you should ALWAYS have the factory as a backup. Not worth the gamble possibly corrupting the factory SD. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but Stern's updates are just additions to the already written code. I dont think they are the entire game code.