Would it look stupid if the whole top row was off? I'm not techie but thought I'd offer the idea. Sure it's been thought of already.
(Topic ID: 109704)
Linked Games
AC/DC (LE)
Stern, 2012-
AC/DC (Premium)
Stern, 2012
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AC/DC (Pro)
Stern, 2012
-
Metallica (Premium)
Stern, 2013
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Metallica (Pro)
Stern, 2013
Topic Gallery
Saint Paul, MN
Quoted from Aurich:No, that yellow is the "transparent" color, you can see that in the palette. Not the actual background color, you won't see that yellow. I haven't used the software, but presumably you set a color that the program marks as transparent, and if there are other backgrounds or whatever the snake would appear over them.
Oh I see.
Call me crazy but:
Colorized DMD >>>>>>>>> top left 8 dots missing
It's not like it's in the middle of the screen or something. My wallet is still ready for Avengers.
While the missing dots will bother me, the product is so cool that it will not stop a purchase.
Hopefully it gets resolved to everyone's satisfaction.
Aurich,
I appreciate your constructive criticism. I’m sure your buddies at ColorDMD do as well.
If you are truly interested in making SmartDMD a better product, I’d like to propose the following:
I’d be happy to provide you, at cost, the necessary hardware and software needed to colorize a Stern SAM game of your choice. In exchange for your time and effort, I’ll pay you $25 for every unit we sell of said title. For example, let’s say you chose to colorize Tron and PMD sells 200 SmartDMDs for that title. Then I’ll pay you $5,000 for your work. Actually, I think 200 units is a conservative number for that title, so it could be quite lucrative for you. It would cetainly pay better than posting on Pinside all day.
FYI – this offer goes to anyone that wants to join the PMD team. We'll take all the help we can get 
Quoted from PinballMikeD:In exchange for your time and effort, I’ll pay you $25 for every unit we sell of said title. For example, let’s say you chose to colorize Tron and PMD sells 200 SmartDMDs for that title. Then I’ll pay you $5,000 for your work. Actually, I think 200 units is a conservative number for that title, so it could be quite lucrative for you. It would cetainly pay better than posting on Pinside all day.
FYI – this offer goes to anyone that wants to join the PMD team
DAM! someone could potentially earn a NIB Stern for colorizing a game, now that's incentive!
What's the process to color dots again?
Also referring those 8 missing dots, I'm assuming that's just bad code? Because it doesn't always happen. This screenshot shows those dots filled:
no_missing_dots_smartdmd.jpg
Quoted from Grinder901:Call me crazy but:
Colorized DMD >>>>>>>>> top left 8 dots missing
It's not like it's in the middle of the screen or something. My wallet is still ready for Avengers.
Quoted from Arcade:While the missing dots will bother me, the product is so cool that it will not stop a purchase.Hopefully it gets resolved to everyone's satisfaction.
Thanks for the support. You guys make colorizing dots until one in the morning worth the effort. I appreciate your positivity, so I’m going to pay it forward. I’ll personally make sure you guys get the first available SmartDMDs (just specify the title) when we go to market. Oh and I’ll wave the $30 colorization fee, so you’ll get yours for $300.
Quoted from PinballMikeD:Thanks for the support. You guys make colorizing dots until one in the morning worth the effort. I appreciate your positivity, so I’m going to pay it forward. I’ll personally make sure you guys get the first available SmartDMDs (just specify the title) when we go to market. Oh and I’ll wave the $30 colorization fee, so you’ll get yours for $300.
Dude! Mike, that is very nice of you. I very much appreciate that. I'm all over Avengers when it's ready for purchase. Thank you for all the work you've done to bring these Stern titles to our homes. Good Karma!
Linz
Quoted from toyotaboy:DAM! someone could potentially earn a NIB Stern for colorizing a game, now that's incentive!What's the process to color dots again?
Believe it or not pinball is a hobby for me and everyone else at PMD. We all have jobs outside of pinball – makes it easier to pay the bills 
Most of us work 50 to 60+ hours a week or more. Hell, Rusty lives out of a suitcase traveling all over the US from one job to the next. Bottom line, we’d all starve if we relied on pinball MODs to feed our families. As long as I can pay Uncle Sam his 30% then I’m happy, makes this a self-sustaining hobby at least. I take my profit and reinvest them it my hobby. This is how we can afford to engineer and design new MODs like CFTBL, ACDC, Smart Audio, etc.
Anyway, here’s what you need to colorize a game:
1) PC running either windows 7 or 8
2) Licensed copy of Pinball Browser (I’ll get you a free licensed version of the software)
To test your colorization on an actual pinball machine you’d need the following:
1) RPi B+ with 8 GB micro SD card
2) Our interface board
3) 15” LG laptop LCD screen and driver board
Or you can colorize a game I own and I’ll test everything for you, so zero investment on your part. FYI – I have a SM ready to go. I was planning on doing it after Metallica, but I can always do a different title next.
Quoted from Grinder901:Call me crazy but:
Colorized DMD >>>>>>>>> top left 8 dots missing
It's not like it's in the middle of the screen or something. My wallet is still ready for Avengers.
I might have missed it, but I haven't seen anyone suggest that it's a showstopper, but it IS a bit of a bummer.
Quoted from PinballMikeD:I appreciate your constructive criticism. I’m sure your buddies at ColorDMD do as well.
...
Yes, Aurich has made it clear that he speaks to the ColorDMD guys and sees them at leagues, etc. That said, he hasn't exposed some super-secret flaw in a combative manner. You weren't just hoping it would never be mentioned, were you? If you don't fix this, your customers will notice it, and they will ask you about it. We pinheads, especially the ones that would buy a colorized DMD, are a picky group.
Quoted from kapsreiter:a smartdmd Looks always better then this ugly led Display from Stern
already the smartdmd with only 1 Palette and no individual game Framesis 100 x better then the original one
» YouTube video
» YouTube video
Yup, and our base kits are only $300. Or, you can build your own (for a few buck less).
Quoted from toyotaboy:Also referring those 8 missing dots, I'm assuming that's just bad code? Because it doesn't always happen. This screenshot shows those dots filled:
no_missing_dots_smartdmd.jpg 33 KB
It depends on how you approach the colorization process. I made a decision that those 8 dots in the upper left corner of the screen where not as important (too me anyway) as the rest of the dots on the screen. So, I can re-colorize ACDC or I can continue colorizing Metallica. Right now I’m enjoying Metallica
If the 8 dots make or break it for some folks, I understand.
Quoted from herg:Yes, Aurich has made it clear that he speaks to the ColorDMD guys and sees them at leagues, etc. That said, he hasn't exposed some super-secret flaw in a combative manner. You weren't just hoping it would never be mentioned, were you? If you don't fix this, your customers will notice it, and they will ask you about it. We pinheads, especially the ones that would buy a colorized DMD, are a picky group.
First of all, I don’t see a huge flaw here.
Secondly, how am I hiding anything; I posted an actual video of the game in action? If you don’t like it, that’s cool – seriously, nothing personal. I certainly want all my customers to be happy with their purchases. Again, if that makes or breaks it for you I understand.
I still cant wait to get my hands on one for AC/DC as soon as they become available please let me know Thanks Mike!!
Mike - Sucks about the pixels, but I'm going to one up all these nay-sayers and offer to prepay mine right now. Awesome... and forget all this crap about pricing. When did capitalism become a bad thing? Make some money... see what the market will bear. Genius offer to anyone that wants to make $25/sale. How many hours do you estimate it takes to (1) learn the software and then (2) color it? Take your Tron example... I think 400 sounds more like it. What is the per hour labor cost for $10,000?
Serious... prepay ready. Tell me what to do and put me at the top of the list! Thanks for doing your side job.
Quoted from herg:I might have missed it, but I haven't seen anyone suggest that it's a showstopper, but it IS a bit of a bummer.
I have never met Mike. Don't know him from Adam. They are making a sweet ass mod for my pins so I'll support it. A bummer? It IS a bummer it's not available right now. I never even noticed the whatever at the top left.
Quoted from PinballMikeD:<snip>I’d be happy to provide you, at cost, the necessary hardware and software needed to colorize a Stern SAM game of your choice.
<snip>
FYI – this offer goes to anyone that wants to join the PMD team. We'll take all the help we can get
pm sent!
I will say that you've done some great work and i love your product and the price point, but those missing pixels do matter.....to me at least. Can't wait to see Metallica when it is done.
Quoted from PinballMikeD:Thanks for the support. You guys make colorizing dots until one in the morning worth the effort. I appreciate your positivity, so I’m going to pay it forward. I’ll personally make sure you guys get the first available SmartDMDs (just specify the title) when we go to market. Oh and I’ll wave the $30 colorization fee, so you’ll get yours for $300.
Thanks a bunch Mike.
I'm in for AC/DC. Just waiting for the store to get stocked.
It is a great offer and I appreciate it very much.
Leon.
Quoted from dmilo:+1 for TSPP
WhiteStar systems are in the works. FYI - TSPP is one of my personal favorites. It’s the only machine I’ve ever bought twice (other than ACDC).
Quoted from daveispinball:Mike - Sucks about the pixels, but I'm going to one up all these nay-sayers and offer to prepay mine right now. Awesome... and forget all this crap about pricing. When did capitalism become a bad thing? Make some money... see what the market will bear. Genius offer to anyone that wants to make $25/sale. How many hours do you estimate it takes to (1) learn the software and then (2) color it? Take your Tron example... I think 400 sounds more like it. What is the per hour labor cost for $10,000?
Serious... prepay ready. Tell me what to do and put me at the top of the list! Thanks for doing your side job.
I don’t like to prepay for stuff, so I won’t ask other people to.
I’ll post when they’re ready. As long as people buy them we’ll continue to make more (and other MODs). The 25$ per MOD has always been our policy. Depending on the level of coloration it can take hours to fully colorize a game. I’m colorizing a few titles myself, so I know the level of commitment required. Bottom line, it’s work and that’s why I’m willing to pay accordingly. Besides, why would I ask someone to work their butt off just for me to make all the money, not much incentive there.
Ok, so I saw this get brought up, but it was comparing to another product, so I still don't know the answer (or at least I didn't get it from reading)..... If I changed the songs in ACDC, will those text changes be present using the color ROMs or will the names go back to the original default names? I'd be cool if the names were just one color, but I want to make sure the new song text appears
Quoted from Max_Badazz:Ok, so I saw this get brought up, but it was comparing to another product, so I still don't know the answer (or at least I didn't get it from reading)..... If I changed the songs in ACDC, will those text changes be present using the color ROMs or will the names go back to the original default names? I'd be cool if the names were just one color, but I want to make sure the new song text appears
The color changes are applied as a save set of macros via pinball browser and they only change the images, not the text. Any text edits you make would work as is and adapt to the color palette of the frame they're drawn over.
Quoted from epthegeek:The color changes are applied as a save set of macros via pinball browser and they only change the images, not the text. Any text edits you make would work as is and adapt to the color palette of the frame they're drawn over.
And this is one of the main reasons I am purchasing this product.
Quoted from epthegeek:Any text edits you make would work as is
that's good news...... looks like my Luci is going color
Quoted from herg:Yes, Aurich has made it clear that he speaks to the ColorDMD guys and sees them at leagues, etc. That said, he hasn't exposed some super-secret flaw in a combative manner. You weren't just hoping it would never be mentioned, were you? If you don't fix this, your customers will notice it, and they will ask you about it. We pinheads, especially the ones that would buy a colorized DMD, are a picky group.
Just to be clear, yes I know the ColorDMD guys, but it's not like I get a discount on their product (or a kickback on their sales!). I buy whatever makes sense for my machines, because I'm the one who looks at them and plays them, not Chris and Randy.
It's just natural that SmartDMD and ColorDMD are going to get compared. They have different prices, different number of colors they can show at once, and apparently different numbers of pixels they light up. I had a question about the video. That's all. I'll bow out now, because as Herg said, not trying to be combative.
Color on MET is gunna be sick!
Berne
Mike,
Smart DMD looks really cool! Excited by the idea of finally seeing my XMen in color!
One quick question though;
If the software or code needs 8 dots to be uncolored for registry or whatever, would it be possible to spread them around? What I was thinking was instead of having the full 8 pixel line, distribute them so that 2 were in each corner. It think it might make them much less noticeable....
Anyways, look forard to seeing more!
Thanks,
EV
Quoted from EchoVictor:Mike,
Smart DMD looks really cool! Excited by the idea of finally seeing my XMen in color!
One quick question though;
If the software or code needs 8 dots to be uncolored for registry or whatever, would it be possible to spread them around? What I was thinking was instead of having the full 8 pixel line, distribute them so that 2 were in each corner. It think it might make them much less noticeable....
Anyways, look forard to seeing more!
Thanks,
EV
Any adjustment to how the game looks for palette information, and/or covers up the rendering by replicating other dots would be a change OGA would have to make with pinball browser, I think.
Quoted from PinballMikeD:Believe it or not pinball is a hobby for me and everyone else at PMD. We all have jobs outside of pinball – makes it easier to pay the bills Most of us work 50 to 60+ hours a week or more. Hell, Rusty lives out of a suitcase traveling all over the US from one job to the next. Bottom line, we’d all starve if we relied on pinball MODs to feed our families. As long as I can pay Uncle Sam his 30% then I’m happy, makes this a self-sustaining hobby at least. I take my profit and reinvest them it my hobby. This is how we can afford to engineer and design new MODs like CFTBL, ACDC, Smart Audio, etc.
Anyway, here’s what you need to colorize a game:
1) PC running either windows 7 or 8
2) Licensed copy of Pinball Browser (I’ll get you a free licensed version of the software)
To test your colorization on an actual pinball machine you’d need the following:
1) RPi B+ with 8 GB micro SD card
2) Our interface board
3) 15” LG laptop LCD screen and driver board
Or you can colorize a game I own and I’ll test everything for you, so zero investment on your part. FYI – I have a SM ready to go. I was planning on doing it after Metallica, but I can always do a different title next.
8 missing pixels or not, I want this bad boy for ACDC. Looks great Mike, keep up the great work.
Quoted from Concretehardt:Color on MET is gunna be sick!
Here's a look at Metallica:
1.png2.png3.png4-586.png5.png6.png7.png8.png9.png10.png11.png12.png13.png14.png15.png16.png
Quoted from PinballMikeD:Here's a look at Metallica:
Hell Yeahah!
Quoted from Mudflaps:ACDC Pro?... (says the weird kid eating paste in the corner)
We'll have to test the color file on a pro, maybe some minor rework - no worries though. We'll make it happen.
Quoted from Rarehero:I will definitely buy Stones SmartDMD, so please make it compatible with the LE code
Me too LE please
Will have to see one in person colorized and animated to know if the eight dots are critical or not, and it might even depend on the specific game, but the attitude around this already is rubbing me the wrong way. Love the implication that Aurich is here trolling on CDMD's behalf, just for asking a legitimate reason why 8 dots are missing. Stay classy.
This project has so much upside with LCD backglass, Color DMD's and better sound that there is no way I would let 8 dots get in the way.
These missing pixels can be minimized (to the point where they will not be noticed) by doing the colorization properly. See Oga's post here:
Quoted from Arcade:This project has so much upside with LCD backglass, Color DMD's and better sound that there is no way I would let 8 dots get in the way.
I agree the LCD backglass is a VERY strong point. I am concerned about price on that specific project, as well as backbox glare, but the short clip shown for AC/DC looked pretty awesome.
Quoted from Frax:Will have to see one in person colorized and animated to know if the eight dots are critical or not, and it might even depend on the specific game, but the attitude around this already is rubbing me the wrong way. Love the implication that Aurich is here trolling on CDMD's behalf, just for asking a legitimate reason why 8 dots are missing. Stay classy.
I appreciate the lesson in "class", but I'm not the guy hijacking my competitor's thread in order to advertise my product.
I have no doubt I’ll get a few “thumbs down” votes for pointing out the fact that my own thread was hijacked by a competitor. Ironically, the guy that actually did the threadjacking will get nothing but “thumbs up” votes – it’s kind of funny when you think about it
Anyway, what I find really interesting isn’t CDMD’s attempt to dissuade people from buying an ACDC SmartDMD; it’s the people that gave them a thumbs up for do it (take a look at that). I think it’s safe to assume those folks probably aren’t too interested in buying a SmartDMD in the first place. As consumers we’re all entitled to spend our money how we want. CDMD makes a great product, so I understand if some folks choose to buy their system instead of ours.
With that said, why would any of those people bother to post in this thread? What do they have to gain; it isn’t like they’re going to purchase a SmartDMD right? I just find it odd that somebody would post a ton of questions (or even a link to CDMD’s IJ product – which looks great by the way; kudos to the artists that worked on that one) in a SmartDMD thread when it’s pretty obvious that individual isn’t really interested in buying a SmartDMD.
As far as your implication that I lack “class”, well you’re entitled to your own opinion. Obviously, I think differently. I sincerely wish you nothing but the best and hope you have a great day. When you’re ready to buy a SmartDMD we’ll be here.
Almost forgot - I’m happy to announce that we now have four more dot artist on the PMD team. They’ve graciously offered to dedicate their time in the efforts to colorize Xmen, Transformers, and Star Trek. Thanks for the help – you guys know how you are
Let's all try and enjoy pinball. At least we all share that passion.
Quoted from PinballMikeD:I appreciate the lesson in "class", but I'm not the guy hijacking my competitor's thread in order to advertise my product.
Damn, you get a lot of PM's Mike!
Quoted from PinballMikeD:I
With that said, why would any of those people bother to post in this thread? What do they have to gain; it isn’t like they’re going to purchase a SmartDMD right? I just find it odd that somebody would post a ton of questions (or even a link to CDMD’s IJ product – which looks great by the way; kudos to the artists that worked on that one) in a SmartDMD thread when it’s pretty obvious that individual isn’t really interested in buying a SmartDMD.
It's a community discussion forum... Not each businesses' own sandbox. Respect each other obviously... But the whole 'these aren't customers' spiel has no legs when you are in a communal space.
Yes, PinSide is a communal forum and people can post (or not post) whatever they want as long as they follow the moderators guide lines. That seems reasonable to me.
Hey Mike, no one signed up to do Avatar? How would Smart DMD work when only 2/3 of the dmd is actual animations and the score is on the other 1/3? Also a few animations actually go full screen over the score part with the score still showing. I'd really like to get one for my LE.
Quoted from PinballMikeD:Ironically, the guy that actually did the threadjacking will get nothing but “thumbs up” votes
Whew! I had to look to remind myself, but I'm not one of the people who thumbed-up that particular post. That said, there are multiple reasons to do so. All of those people are not ColorDMD minions.
Sorry to single you out, Hwawonyu, but I'd put money on him buying whichever is available first. My point being that just thumbing-up that post does not mean they're taking sides.
I WAS on the fence about which display would be going in my Metallica, but I have made my choice. It wasn't based on price, patents, advertising, first to market, etc. What finally helped me decide was seeing how things were handled when a legitimate concern was brought up.
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