17 replies to this topic

[Guitar]

In its very early stages at present.

 

Likely wont be seen until at least Christmas, and which year is up for debate.

 

Is being written with DirectX11 and C++12. (No windows XP support) I'll post updates with progress.

 

Will be fully 3D and will allow for a whole host of options. The cores will be written as self contained dll's allowing them to be used in Project Amber 1, or KC's emu when it gets released. The front end will be a heavily improved version of PA1, with the ability to render up to 3 glasses (top, bottom, marquee) to either a 3D cabinet, or separate screens to allow for FME cabinet support.

 

I'm not going to go into all the plans right now as some parts are still in testing stages, I will enthuse further as the project progresses.

 

Here's an early shot of the reel graphics.

Attached Files

•  Day 4 - 2.png   425.6KB   5 downloads
•  Day 4.png   451.49KB   4 downloads

Edited by Guitar, 23 April 2014 - 06:06 PM.

[Bencrest]

Oooh, that's looking good. Time for everyone to upgrade to at least 1920x1080p monitors in my opinion (although all mine, apart from my big old plasma are now 1080p)

 

Interesting about FME cabinet support too. I've got 3 machines at the moment and I'd have no qualms about turning one into an FME cabinet (since they are such a ballache to sell on as whole machines these days). 

[Guitar]

I bought a nexus 7 tablet and that has a 2560*1600 screen, same as my Apple Cinema 30". I'm hoping that becomes the standard as 1600 height allows for really high quality artwork. 4K could well be right round the corner too.

 

The difficult bit with a cabinet would be either using large touch screens (expensive) or having LCD display buttons so you can change button artwork.

[Bencrest]

I bought a nexus 7 tablet and that has a 2560*1600 screen, same as my Apple Cinema 30". I'm hoping that becomes the standard as 1600 height allows for really high quality artwork. 4K could well be right round the corner too.

 

The difficult bit with a cabinet would be either using large touch screens (expensive) or having LCD display buttons so you can change button artwork.

 

Hmm, never really thought about using touch-screens (I was toying with the idea of just having 12>16 or so buttons mounted to the normal button panel on a machine cabinet, probably a simpler cabinet like the Bell Fruit Eclipse cabinet)

 

Touchscreens aren't *that* dear any more. I'd be thinking about a single 24>27" mounted portrait in the top glass, and probably converting the bottom glass area into something else. Turn it in to a shelf for drinks or something

 

27" 1080p multi-touch here is £252 :

 

http://www.ebuyer.co...CFZShtAoduB0AxA

 

I've used Hanns-G screens before and always been happy with them. In portrait mode, 1080x1920 would give a HUGE amount of resolution for a machine. Even a normal 1366x768, mounted in portrait, giving 768x1366 gives a large increase in resolution over a normal 1080p monitor in landscape mode. 

 

I'd need to make sure 27" monitors would fit first though. I'm sure several of the video-based machines in the local club ran 24" monitors in the past but I didn't know if that was just a cost issue rather than larger screens not fitting.

 

In any case, that's a rainy day project for when I get bored, just chucking ideas about.

Edited by Bencrest, 23 April 2014 - 06:43 PM.

[brucegeorge]

Looks good nice to see your still working on your next challenge FME is still alive alive alive

 

 

[Guitar]

XP might be supported, as DirectX supposedly just drops back to DX9, but unless its only a short job I don't want to bother with it.

 

It will be much easier to concentrate on Windows Vista / 7 / 8.

 

Just make sure you get as good a graphics card as you can afford. Even if you can only afford the cheapest separate card, it will usually trounce on-board graphics. Also stick to a desktop, yes they take up more space, but Desktops are cheaper to buy, fix, and upgrade. They also come with power cables that don't break every year.

[GreyNight]

Sounds like this is going to be great, i'll download the first version which ever year it gets released.

[fuzion]

It really is time to start focussing on our present good fortune with the two emulator coders we have.  Guitar has done absolutely fantastic with amber, it's taken him a while but it really is coming into it's own. We also have KC's emulator to look forward to.

 

J

[Deathclaw]

It really is time to start focussing on our present good fortune with the two emulator coders we have.  Guitar has done absolutely fantastic with amber, it's taken him a while but it really is coming into it's own. We also have KC's emulator to look forward to.

 

J

 

We need big layouts that show off what Amber can do. The techs are coming, now we need the designers to do it justice.

 

I will have at least two MPU3 machines ready for the launch of the revised emu

[fuzion]

I need to get a 27" monitor. Any recommendations? I'd be looking at a cheaper solution if possible as long as it's decent enough.

J

[Deathclaw]

I need to get a 27" monitor. Any recommendations? I'd be looking at a cheaper solution if possible as long as it's decent enough.

J

 

What do you have now?

 

I'm running several monitors and TVs but my gaming rig has a 1080p display and my design rig (that I built recently especially for the cause) only has a 19" 1280x1024. I found that 1280 is a good width because any more and you're going wide screen which doesn't help out given the height restraints of a 1080p monitor. What I do is design my layouts so that the machine (the area to lamp) fits in the 1280* height so I can rotate my monitor. *my 19" ultrasharp rotates...

 

I still use MFME to cut and export lamps, but do so with my monitor rotated so I get 1280 viewable height (the rest is the floor, skirting and so on and bottom of the cabinet which I don't need to reach for lamping).

 

So a good 4:3 is ideal for Amber really and can be had for £30 or so. My 19" Ultrasharp sells for about £50......

 

If you want a 1440 or 1600p though I hear AOC ? make the best one. It's around £300 or so and OCUK sell it.

[Guitar]

I need to get a 27" monitor. Any recommendations? I'd be looking at a cheaper solution if possible as long as it's decent enough.

J

 

Monitor Size is irrelevant, Monitor resolution is king.

 

2560 * 1600 is about the best res without spending hyper money, otherwise 1920 * 1080 should suffice (you can always turn it round to play at 1080 * 1920).

[Deathclaw]

 

Monitor Size is irrelevant, Monitor resolution is king.

 

2560 * 1600 is about the best res without spending hyper money, otherwise 1920 * 1080 should suffice (you can always turn it round to play at 1080 * 1920).

 

Hmm. Not sure on that. Size is size. I'd rather be playing a layout 27" wide than 19" wide

 

It doesn't really matter with Amber. So long as the bottom glass and buttons fit on the screen and the top glass and so on fit above it's not important. PG up PG down (or scroll) FTW

[fuzion]

So I guess an optimal layout should be 1920x1280 portrait.  Not everyone can spin their monitors 90o though.  I'd hate to create a layout that cannot be enjoyed by the majority of users.  I'd hate to be scrolling a layout to play it, it just wouldn't have the same effect.  The only trouble is without stretching the image machines I've created won't natively fit into 1920deep, the closest I can get is around 1500 deep by 1280wide at 90 rotation.  I guess could fill with some bottom art or but more machine depth.

 

 

 

J

Attached Files

•  HappyDaylarge.bmp   7.55MB   18 downloads

Edited by fuzion, 08 May 2014 - 03:22 PM.

[Deathclaw]

If you go 1080p then you need to just make sure the entire bottom glass fills one screen and the entire top glass is there when you PG up.

 

As I said though, the extra width to me is useless. 1280x1024 is nearly as deep as 1080, so you're not really gaining any height, and the 1280 width is about perfect for a machine (as I found out doing Line Up) because any more and you start losing the scale of the machine.

 

I guess I'm lucky having a workstation dedicated to art and etc, but I know that if I make a layout on my 4:3 it will most certainly work and look right (without being stretched or squashed) on a 1080p monitor. That's basically why I picked up the Ultrasharp because it's perfect for Amber.

 

Ed. A good 4:3 monitor that will rotate (most if not all Dells do) cost around £40, and IMO I don't really need any more than that. Sure I'd like it bigger, but an entire 19" monitor (it may even be 20") is enough for one fruit machine glass, if that makes any sense. It's more than big enough to have one glass on it and for the whole glass to be fully legible, even the small print.

 

I rotate to cut my lamps

Edited by Deathclaw, 08 May 2014 - 06:06 PM.

[GreyNight]

My monitor is 24" at 1920 x 1200, I either spin it around to portrait at 1200 x 1920 or keep it in landscape and use the scroll when in the feature on some layouts. Works great for me.