Williams Pinball and performance (Zen enhancements)

[MadScience2006]

Just an observation but playing the Williams tables (I play on macOS on a MacBook Pro, Late 2011 under Zen Pinball 2 and also iOS) with the Zen enhancements (ZE) either on or off seems to make no difference at all in performance. Under Zen Pinball 2, one can easily switch the ZE on/off via the Q key. The ZE are pretty much instantaneously drawn in a swipe on/off animation. This leads me to believe that the ZE are always being drawn & processed and are merely hidden from view when the ZE are off. As I mentioned, there is zero performance gain or loss with the ZE on or off.

I'd love to run the Enhanced detail (this is a setting on Zen Pinball 2 & is totally different from the ZE) but the performance hit is not worth it. Maybe if Zen actually didn't process the ZE 100% of the time, those with lower-end devices could run higher detail or get some of the detail losses back. The Drama Masks & their reflections in the mirror on Theatre Of Magic come to mind as their reflections are merely yellow polygons/blobs. Enabling Enhanced Detail correctly draws the Drama Masks and their reflections, but again, the performance hit is not worth it. The Drama Masks detail loss also exists on the iOS version but there is no Enhanced detail level setting (nor any other detail performance settings).

Has anyone noticed this on any other formats/devices?

 

[shutyertrap]

Those yellow polygon blobs are also present on the mobile version.

 

[MadScience2006]

I wonder if this particular issue with the Drama Mask polygon blobs is simply a texture assignment mistake on Zen’s part because it seemingly (according to some reports I’ve read) affects even the higher end iPad Pro devices. Mine is only a meager iPad mini 4.

I’ve personally seen no *other* instance on any other Williams Pinball table (either on macOS or iOS) where such obvious textures are missing or incorrect.

 

[MBeeching]

Here's a heavily zoomed shot of the ToM masks on Android. If they appear differently on iOS it could be one for the bug list.

I haven't tried the Williams tables on Mac, does Zen Pinball 2 run on the FX2 engine?
On FX3 (PC) enabling the Zen effects increases performance by 10-20%, it removes complex reflections in the sideblades.

 

[MadScience2006]

Here's a heavily zoomed shot of the ToM masks on Android. If they appear differently on iOS it could be one for the bug list.

The mask inserts directly on the table surface have the mask image but they also have a semi-transparent polygon halo, covering and extending a bit around the mask.
The reflected inserts in the mirror are simply polygon blobs with no mask detail in them at all.

Screenshot from iOS (iPad mini 4)

This also looks exactly the same on Zen Pinball 2 on macOS High Sierra unless the video detail is set to Enhanced (which is *too* enhanced for my Mac to handle)

I reported this Drama Mask anomaly earlier but it was never added to the bug list.

I haven't tried the Williams tables on Mac, does Zen Pinball 2 run on the FX2 engine?

I personally don't know...the macOS version is simply Zen Pinball 2. What engine is used is beyond my knowledge.

 

[lio]

Looks the same on iPad Air 2... ugly yellow blobs.

 

[switch3flip]

For me on my asus laptop if I use the Zen enhancements, I get better performance. If I turn them off I get more stuttering.