General Illumination

[SKILL_SHOT]

I would like to see the ability to play during day lights on or even an real time SUN lighting as iff you went to an arcade during the day with glare on the glass and NOGLASS option, then as the sun sets you really get that cave effect the room gets dark and the lights reflect off the glass or no glass. Just by changing the lighting would add replay.

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

What is the "optional downloadable update" that Mike mentioned? I thought I found a post about that a while back, but I cannot find it now.

Since Microsoft limits our Title Update size, fixes to the original 4 tables are a separate "optional" download. Although I believe any pinball fan would download them, cause it improves visuals and fixes bugs. We weren't allowed to make this download mandatory.

After downloading the title update, when you get to the main menu you will see a dialog suggesting to download the optional update. Choose yes, download and after it finishes the table lighting will look better on the launch tables.

 

[PiN WiZ]

Since Microsoft limits our Title Update size, fixes to the original 4 tables are a separate "optional" download. Although I believe any pinball fan would download them, cause it improves visuals and fixes bugs. We weren't allowed to make this download mandatory.

After downloading the title update, when you get to the main menu you will see a dialog suggesting to download the optional update. Choose yes, download and after it finishes the table lighting will look better on the launch tables.

Were there any physics tweaks on the four launch tables that you know of?

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

Were there any physics tweaks on the four launch tables that you know of?

I can't remember now.

The flipper physics update with live catch and other special moves hasn't been put in for any tables yet.

 

[Franky]

so is it possible to just download the titleupdate and the new tables or do i have to download the optional update as well? Because i would like to go with the titleupdate and the tables only.

 

[PiN WiZ]

so is it possible to just download the titleupdate and the new tables or do i have to download the optional update as well? Because i would like to go with the titleupdate and the tables only.

You should be able to download the title update and new tables by themselves if you like since the optional update isn't mandatory.

 

[Franky]

ok, alright - thanks

 

[PinHead4Life]

Since Microsoft limits our Title Update size, fixes to the original 4 tables are a separate "optional" download. Although I believe any pinball fan would download them, cause it improves visuals and fixes bugs. We weren't allowed to make this download mandatory.

After downloading the title update, when you get to the main menu you will see a dialog suggesting to download the optional update. Choose yes, download and after it finishes the table lighting will look better on the launch tables.

Thanks again, Mike.

 

[Wadey]

Since Microsoft limits our Title Update size, fixes to the original 4 tables are a separate "optional" download. Although I believe any pinball fan would download them, cause it improves visuals and fixes bugs. We weren't allowed to make this download mandatory.

After downloading the title update, when you get to the main menu you will see a dialog suggesting to download the optional update. Choose yes, download and after it finishes the table lighting will look better on the launch tables.

Many thanks mike, I would never have thought to look in there if not for this forum. Awesome news

 

[Wadey]

Just loaded it up, I assumed the title update was already up but wasn't offered anything when I just tried.

 

[PiN WiZ]

Just loaded it up, I assumed the title update was already up but wasn't offered anything when I just tried.

The title update is currently in submission with Microsoft and awaiting approval.

 

[sacha]

I registered on the forum only to reply in this thread. I really agree with Fuseball's request for general illumination support. Some tables would benefit more from it than others though, especially those designed by Popadiuk such as circus voltaire, theatre of magic, tales of the arabian nights. Keeping in mind that implementing dynamic light rendering comes at a performance cost (possibly mitigated by using deferred renderer), I expect that even if you implement some carefully chosen GI lights, while omitting others, it would already improve the experience drastically. You could select to implement those bulbs that on the real machine contribute to the overall lighting the most. Another way to fake the implementation, which would be less costly with regards to GPU performance at the expense of memory, is to bake the GI into several pre-rendered playfield+plastics textures (say, 5 textures each with a level of GI). It certainly is possible, but I assume the real challenge is to do it in a cross-platform way. I used the latter approach in some of the visual pinball tables I created (ToM, MM) long ago.

 

[Rhandos]

Bumping this because it would be a great addition. I don't know if the iPhone 4S is powerful enough for it, but for the Mac (when it becomes a real branch and not an iOs port) and PC version it would be amazing. Two examples from featured tables: When multiball starts on No Good Gofers, the entire table goes completely dark for a few seconds while the lights build up; in Twilight Zone, the illumination for the right loop flashes when the table wants you to put the Powerball back.

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

This is something that is still on my todo list. The phones just don't have the power to do dynamic lighting.