Portrait mode on PC? (Update: Now Available)

[priested]

Some views are better than others - it's a pity the selected camera is not saved per table as we need to keep changing it when we play.

Although some may say they want a more top down view, actually some of the layed-back views are pretty good. This way the ball appears more lifesize. Personally I think these views are better than those in PB FX.

I am not sure of the feasibility but could we be able to set a custom view with static camera. All that would need to be saved is the camera position per table. Also if this facility could show the saved view coordinates then people could share the views. This way the community can do all the tweaking. Just an idea.

Need to play some more. Cheers

Why aren't the views consistent from table to table? I have always wondered this since playing the iOS version. It seems to me that if you select say View #4, it should be the same view no matter what the table. In iOS I found myself always flipping between 4 and 1 depending on the table. If the views were consistent I would not have to map one of my cab buttons to the camera. I could set it once with the keyboard and forget it.

 

[superballs]

Why aren't the views consistent from table to table? I have always wondered this since playing the iOS version. It seems to me that if you select say View #4, it should be the same view no matter what the table. In iOS I found myself always flipping between 4 and 1 depending on the table. If the views were consistent I would not have to map one of my cab buttons to the camera. I could set it once with the keyboard and forget it.

Full on cab mode will probably be a laid back top down view of the full cab.
As it is, view 3 is pretty close to what it should be. Straight down on the flippers but a slight angle on the back of the table.

 

[seattlemark]

In either case, set the monitor u want rotated to portrait not landscape in Windows control panel THEN run the tpa config and select the now correctly rotated resolution.

Thanks Larry, that worked great for me with just one monitor. I could not get two monitors to both display at the same time, even after trying various combinations.

But with one flipped monitor it was really nice. I used what I had described in my post here to set up the Windows rotation settings for my AMD graphics card:
http://digitalpinballfans.com/showt...ature-with-TPA?p=110967&viewfull=1#post110967

And I physically flipped my monitor on its side as I had described here:
http://digitalpinballfans.com/showt...ature-with-TPA?p=111416&viewfull=1#post111416

 

[Rainman]

The portrait mode works great on my 16:9 monitor. One thing that is a real bummer, in order to play TPA in portrait you have to manually rotate the screen in windows options every time you start TPA. Is Farsight thinking about implementing in-game software rotation?

 

[Dan]

Wait a minute, how come my TPA crashes / won't start when i rotate the screen first? What do you do?

 

[hammr25]

The portrait mode works great on my 16:9 monitor. One thing that is a real bummer, in order to play TPA in portrait you have to manually rotate the screen in windows options every time you start TPA. Is Farsight thinking about implementing in-game software rotation?

Yeah that's kind of annoying about changing it in windows first. As for 16:9 there are still some tables that need fixes such as Funhouse. Right now the view is too close to the table.

 

[Lobotomy]

Wait a minute, how come my TPA crashes / won't start when i rotate the screen first? What do you do?

Did you launch the "configuration utility" after you rotated? If i rotated my desktop and did not run the utility to configure the new screen resolution to 1080x1920 (Portrait) instead of the 1920x1080 (landscape) TPA would try to start and fail because of the screen resolution.

 

[DrainoBraino]

All I can say is..WOW

TPA on PC in portrait mode is amazing. This is the best there is for virtual pinball. I hope that being on steam, it will be easy to update and keep getting better.

So I guess it's party time.

 

[SilverBalls]

Full on cab mode will probably be a laid back top down view of the full cab.
As it is, view 3 is pretty close to what it should be. Straight down on the flippers but a slight angle on the back of the table.

I also find view 3 to mostly be what best suit a cab, although some tables vary. For example Class of 1812 and Champion Pub view 2 is best from me. I guess a few views will be offered but even better as I mentioned earlier an ability to set the static camera position ourselves saved per table would be perfecto.

 

[Dan]

Did you launch the "configuration utility" after you rotated? If i rotated my desktop and did not run the utility to configure the new screen resolution to 1080x1920 (Portrait) instead of the 1920x1080 (landscape) TPA would try to start and fail because of the screen resolution.

Thanks!

 

[priested]

Well, I bit the bullet and bought both seasons. Got tired of waiting on word about the cabinet plans. I guess I am taking a risk but I cannot believe that Farsight would charge for the tables twice on the same platform. I guess if they do, I'm screwed. At least I can enjoy portrait now on the cab.

 

[Loadedweapon]

I will hold out cause even this portrait mode dont look right and I dont want to have to change my screen settings on my cab every time I want to play. I will would like to see menu options to rotate screen and I dont want to see the table scrolling in and out like to launch the ball or see a backglass at the top of my screen. Maybe cab support will come sometime this year. Lets just hope its not like fx2's dmd support has been.

 

[seattlemark]

You should be able to pull off a "spanned" window if you're attempting to run it across both monitors. Use "Windowed mode", then resize it onto the other monitor. You need to have windows set to "extend desktop" for the 2nd monitor for it to work properly. TPA config will only show the resolution of which display is set afaik.

In the monitor config of Windows you can drag around the pictures of monitors to represent their actual physical positions relative to each other.

Thanks for that tip, Larry. Anyone, are you seeing any use at all to yet to using two monitors?

 

[Larry]

I wrote simple c# quickies to load the backglass image on 2nd monitor. Cheesy because I have to manually (unless I want to fight Windows thinking I have infections) click the shortcut per table but still adds a nifty touch. I use 2 video cards so spanning makes it run at the speed of my crummy onboard ati x1400

I'm working on a dmd solution but that gets much messier.

Direct answer: I goof around but haven't gotten any "live" data there yet.
Visual studio express versions are free if your handy at making your own eye candy
Remote/2nd monitor dmd is confirmed as a cab mode option.

 

[SpiffyRob]

Finally got this running on my cabinet last night. It ain't perfect, but it's a hell of a start. I'd be hard-pressed to justify spending more money on a "true" cabinet mode if that's the direction Farsight goes in (and praying they don't!) but honestly, even if this is all I get, I'll be satisfied.

But feel free to give me custom lockable cameras configurable/saveable per table, active backglasses and movable DMD.

 

[imagamejunky]

Why are the tables rotated clockwise in portrait view? It's not a lot of rotation, but it's very noticeable. Maybe 10-15 degrees. The tables should be "squared" IMO.
junky

I started another thread.. The tables are actually shifted. I measured.

 

[Stuart Webster]

Why are the tables rotated clockwise in portrait view? It's not a lot of rotation, but it's very noticeable. Maybe 10-15 degrees. The tables should be "squared" IMO.
junky

It might be an illusion caused by centering the camera between the flippers rather than the table's physical center.

 

[Ark Malmeida]

Really great job on this Mike and Stuart! Was able to run this in portrait on my 17' laptop screen and it looks fantastic. Can't wait to finish my cabinet build and see what it looks like on a bigger screen!

 

[Brian C Hayes]

Farsight ... please take all my monies ..... Just perfect .. you nailed it ... cant wait to own every single pinball table ever made !! You Guys dereve a noble prize for fun

 

[open6l]

Comparison screenshot between PA Portrait "Centaur" and FP+BAM FullScreen Arcade "Centaur". Looks very similiar