Cabinet Features

[sliderpoint]

I know Terry posted about tactile feedback things that he thought would be nice, but I wanted to trim it down a bit. I'm just speaking to more basic cabinet hardware supported features specifically. Zen has always provided great support for this (and I would guess it's not going away as they have their own branded cabinets for sale). Things like multi-screen support for DMD and Backglass and direct table launch from cammand line options are awesome!

Camera views:
I think most people considered previous Zen FX2/3 releases to be more "games" and less "simulations". However looking to recreate actual pins changes that expectation. People are different heights and that has a pretty significant change on their 'perspective' when looking at a pinball machine. So what would be nice would be a couple options to pan around and save a couple custom camera viewpoints. More importantly is the ability to lock these down when playing, this especially includes not panning down to the plunger lane. This takes a player out of the immersion of a simulation.

Backbox support:
More of a question of if there will be plans to create some kind of animated/ROM controlled backglass support? If there was a title like Scared Stiff where part of the game is to "look up, stop the spider" with Cab support enabled, it would be nice if it could actually be displayed/working in a second window/screen (again because of losing immersion if the camera was to pan to the backbox on the main screen).

Audio:
Is there any way to support splitting the audio been "ROM" sounds and "hardware" sounds? Preferred would be supporting multiple sound devices with some surround support on each. But even something as simple as surround options with ROM sounds in the REAR and Hardware sounds in the FRONT would be a big improvement.

Controllers:
It would be great if there could be more support for the built in windows controllers interfaces. Having to run through third party software to get analog plunger and accelerometer nudging support is a bit of a pain and the x360ce software is tricky to 'dial in'.

-Mike

[Ben Logan]

Great suggestions, Mike. Plus one! Totally agree about ability to lock down camera. Absolute necessity in a cab. Animated second screen backbox support for Cirqus Voltaire, Bug Guns, etc. would be super!

[TerryRez]

It seems that Zen already has a working Backglass "in game" (look up) with lighting that reacts to the rom just like the real tables would. Sweet.

If you could display that in a separate window on any screen, just like you do with the DMD, that would be perfect!


I agree with everything sliderpoint said as well.

You are so close Zen... these suggestions are coming from those of us with loads of experience running virtual pinball in cabinets, with various hardware, controllers, etc. Take advantage of our experience!

If you give me the chance Zen...I would give these tables an amazing light show in a cabinet, and would gladly show it off!

[Moosebox]

It seems that Zen already has a working Backglass "in game" (look up) with lighting that reacts to the rom just like the real tables would. Sweet.

If you could display that in a separate window on any screen, just like you do with the DMD, that would be perfect!

Yes, please do this Zen! Then we wouldn't have to worry about running 3rd party software like b2s to acheive this, that would be awesome. And if they could do animated/active backglasses for all their previous tables that would be an even bigger bonus.... but that might be asking too much.

[ImperiousStout]

Camera views:
I think most people considered previous Zen FX2/3 releases to be more "games" and less "simulations". However looking to recreate actual pins changes that expectation. People are different heights and that has a pretty significant change on their 'perspective' when looking at a pinball machine. So what would be nice would be a couple options to pan around and save a couple custom camera viewpoints. More importantly is the ability to lock these down when playing, this especially includes not panning down to the plunger lane. This takes a player out of the immersion of a simulation.

-Mike

Made an account here to request a custom camera option in FX3, very glad to see someone else already did so!

More than anything, you should be able to play pinball with an angle and view that looks best and most natural for your personal setup and display. The preset views just cannot do that, really need to be able to fine tune the camera positioning, zoom, angle, fov, etc. And lock it down, especially in Portrait Mode. The Cabinet Mode menu is the perfect place to tuck away some more advanced settings like that. A few custom camera slots to configure and save would be great, but I'd be fine with just one. Anything would be better than nothing!


Tangent here - Speaking of perspective, check out the funky view of Camera 8 in Landscape vs Portrait (cropped for better comparison). The perspective feels totally off in Portrait, the whole table appears squashed, approaching an orthographic view. Feels very strange to play that way, it's quite unnatural in action.

[ImperiousStout]

Here's another comparison for View #8 in Portrait orientation, this time it's the real deal against the game's funky perspective: https://i.imgur.com/UKwzBsk.jpg

Really needs to be reworked!

[Ben Logan]

I really like the depth of the sidewalls in those two images you linked to above, imperiouStout

[Baron shadow]

Yep those are the things missing.
I have taken part in the BETA and must say that they have allready come a long way with the cabinet mode.
But sure there are somethings missing and i would love to see support for nudging and plunger for cabinet users.
I have a cabinet and allready love to play it with Doflinx for the feedback but i still can't get Plunger & Nudging to work.

So now i must have a keyboard at the cabinet to plunge and nudge

The views are not totally what you want in a cabinet so i love to have screens better suited for cabinet.
Or a tool like in Visual Pinball so that you can set it to youre liking

[mrsnipey]

Hi, I have two feature requests.

1. I would like to be able to have a proper top-down view of the table as others have mentioned, not the squished at the top view that we currently have.
I notice this most with Theatre of Magic - not sure why.

2. Disable game saves.
I like that there is an option to save a game - if you want to.
But I would like to be able to disable this feature.


Thanks.
D.