PBA : Free Camera Mod

[DornoDios]

I'm hoping that the OP is planning to release it when the DX11 update comes out. Thereby having a chance to fix any issues that might arise from the update.

That is the false hope that I'm clinging too! Reminds me of the time my best friend died many years ago & I lived in the false hope that it was all some big misunderstanding.

If this mod never comes out... I don't think it'll take me as long to pass through the 5 stages of grief. I'm betting I'd reach stage 5 within a year. I'm still in stage 1 right now... Denial.

 

[Shaneus]

This should be released, it's no different to how post-processing mods like SweetFX work. It doesn't change the game itself and won't give any obvious advantage, just allow for people to play it with camera angles that work for them, not just what FS chooses to implement.

I had a bugged camera view the other day on iOS where the camera was out a little more than usual (you could see the apron and more of the machine overall). It was a wonderful experience, but of course there's no way to replicate it. If I could do that on PC I'd be over the moon!

 

[JPelter]

This should be released, it's no different to how post-processing mods like SweetFX work. It doesn't change the game itself and won't give any obvious advantage, just allow for people to play it with camera angles that work for them, not just what FS chooses to implement.

I had a bugged camera view the other day on iOS where the camera was out a little more than usual (you could see the apron and more of the machine overall). It was a wonderful experience, but of course there's no way to replicate it. If I could do that on PC I'd be over the moon!

It is functionally different because it probably causes the program runtime to make the calls instead of fiddling with it after the program is finished rendering (which is what SweetFX does). That could be legally a big deal, so it's worth being careful about.

I guess what I mean is that SweetFX simply applies filters on the output from the program, while whatever this is seems to be changing what the output is, so it has to be somewhere in the chain before TPA is finished with it. This is by my very limited understanding anyway.

 

[SilverBalls]

Well the original poster can answer these questions, but he hasn't posted anything since the first post, so let's see what he decides.

 

[lettuce]

See this is the **** im on about!!!, NoEx has managed to knock this up with probably very little time and not much hassle yet i (and many others) have asked FS to add a free camera mode and they have always come back with some bull**** excuses that its not that easy to do. Well this just goes to show that yet again FS are talking out of their arse!!!. This is one of the main reasons why we dont have cab support after almost 3 yrs of TPA being released, complete bull****!!

Good job NoEx, any chance you might be able to add high res environmental textures as well, namely that damn floor...this is another thing thats been asked yet farsight complain that there are more important things to concentrate on, which there is, but its like a 30 minute job for a artist not 30 days like they seem to act!!

 

[NoEx]

First of all thanks for all your feedbacks! I'm happy to see that a lot of people are really enthusiastic about this mod!

Yes i'll release it, before or after DX11 patch i don't know, it depends on when it will be released, if it's really soon, i'll probably wait to adapt my mod to the new engine modifications, if it's not i'll release my mod soon and make an update once the DX11 patch is out. However, my app is not 100% ready yet for a public release, as it was originally made for a personal usage, i must adjust some things to make it more user friendly, it shouldn't be long.

To be honest i don't really care about legal issues, i didn't modified any part of the code, all the modifications are made at DirectX level, my app hooks graphics call made by the game to d3dx9_43.dll, all the magic is done internally to take control of the camera parameters.

To answer shutyertrap's question about DMD and backglass, no i didn't figure out a way to display it on a second screen yet, same thing for the DMD, that's doable but it requires to create an extra DirectX device, on the 3rd screenshot i've simply hidden it.

A public beta version should be coming soon, if you have new questions, feel free to ask!

 

[Jeff Strong]

Sounds good man. Keep up the great work!

 

[lettuce]

NoEx could this be combined with the Oculus Rift mod thats out?. The main problem with that was the camera couldnt be altered and as a result was to high and too far back but with your mod the camera would be able to be altered?

 

[NoEx]

NoEx could this be combined with the Oculus Rift mod thats out?. The main problem with that was the camera couldnt be altered and as a result was to high and too far back but with your mod the camera would be able to be altered?

It depends on how the Oculus Rift mod communicates with the game but it should work fine with my mod.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

Is it compatible with SweetFX? A bunch of people are using that for lighting effects. See this thread: http://digitalpinballfans.com/showt...lightness-control-bloom-etc?highlight=sweetfx

 

[Jeff Strong]

Is it compatible with SweetFX? A bunch of people are using that for lighting effects. See this thread: http://digitalpinballfans.com/showt...lightness-control-bloom-etc?highlight=sweetfx

That should hopefully be obselete when DX11 drops (supposedly this month), but it might still be useful if the DX11 version is still lacking.

 

[NoEx]

Is it compatible with SweetFX? A bunch of people are using that for lighting effects. See this thread: http://digitalpinballfans.com/showt...lightness-control-bloom-etc?highlight=sweetfx

Yes it is compatible with SweetFX. SweetFX works by injecting dlls in the game process, then my mod attachs itself on the game process.

 

[SilverBalls]

That is excellent news about the planned release - looking forward to seeing it. This will make some TPA tables playable again, because the portrait view on some is pretty poor at the moment. Also it will be nice to be able to see the Apron on some tables because on my cabinet the tables are so close to the bottom of my screen it kills my neck looking down .

 

[Nomorestalker]

Add me to the camp excited about this.

 

[Robert Misner]

I don't' know if this would be doable but I would love the ability to hot key a secondary backglass view that you could use to glance up at the black glass.
Basically when you've caught a ball on a flipper and just want to look up. You would hold a key to pan up till you release.Then back to the game.

More for immersion then for function..but I'll be honest You barely get to see the back glasses on any of these tables the way it is and it would be cool.

 

[Tann]

It's not FarSight I think would have an issue (although this mod would compete with one of the features of the Pro mode)

This hack appears to allow the player to have a free camera mode to view the entire table, which is an enhanced option as part of the Pro purchase. That might be a problem.

Right. One of the most attracting features of the Pro Mode is the (bad) free camera control (remember, it was free, as an unlockable stuff, in the early stage of TPA). But FS makes pay 3 bucks per table for this now. Let be honest: the table exploration is the main reason for which people want to go for Pro Mode (except those who want to have fun with ROM settings, but it disables leaderboards, so...), and FS understood this. Money, Money.

And purchasers get this lousy control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4VpUdqnSnc&t=10m00s

A talented guy writes a mod that allows you to have a faaaaaar better camera control (you can even fly around the table!).

So what's the point of Pro Mode now?

FS won't allow this, even if it's not altering the code.

Whatever, what a great work. Congrats.

 

[mpad]

If FS releases the dx11 engine and noex the cam control mod I will be a happy camper, as this will make TPA a joy to play on my cab.
I'll shut up until official cab support arrives and just post very nice comments on how nicely done the latest table release is.

 

[SilverBalls]

FS won't allow this, even if it's not altering the code.

They can't stop it if it isn't touching their code. This re-ignites my interest and a lot of people interest in TPA. I haven't bought the last 2 PC seasons as don't play TPA much nowadays. I was holding out for Cab support, but if this tool gets released I won't wait and will buy the two seasons, so Farsight will benefit. It is like a lot of things - sometimes there is an indirect benefit.

 

[Tann]

They can't stop it if it isn't touching their code.

The question is to know if FS will accept to see their incomes drop. Because today, the only way to have a (poor) free camera control in TPA, is to pay 3 bucks more per table (and FS knows that, oh yeah, they know that...).

And this mod seems to offer a far better camera control... for free.

 

[SilverBalls]

The question is to know if FS will accept to see their incomes drop. Because today, the only way to have a (poor) free camera control in TPA, is to pay 3 bucks more per table (and FS knows that, oh yeah, they know that...).

And this mod seems to offer a far better camera control... for free.

I did buy Pro for the seasons I have but it was never for that feature. I always think the Fly by camera which is free is more impressive that the Pro table zooming feature which as you say is pretty poor.