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Breakshot (Capcom 1996)

Comprehensive Capcom table build from first scan through near-release, serving as a testbed for multiple VPX engine features. Notable for Tony McMapFace tonemapper development, PinMAME Capcom PWM support, Newton ball mechanics, and detailed flipper bat measurement campaign. Primary developers: niwak, sixtoe, apophis79, clarkkent9917, tastywasps.

Build Story

Development spanned 13+ months (January 2023 through February 2024) with 25+ versions. Niwak handled Blender modeling/rendering and VPX engine work, clarkkent9917 provided vectorized plastics and precise flipper measurements, sixtoe drove VPX scripting and physics, tastywasps built VR room scripting, and apophis79 managed scripting and project coordination. The table served as a testbed for Tony McMapFace tonemapper, PinMAME Capcom PWM, new ball reflections, and render probe roughness control. Requires cutting-edge VPX and VPinMAME nightly builds.

Table-Specific Details

Mechanisms & Hardware

  • Capcom ROM flipper disable: Capcom ROMs never deactivate flipper solenoids when the game is not in play -- flippers remain active in attract mode and after game over. Required custom VPX scripting to disable flippers when not credited/active. Fundamental difference from Williams/Bally ROMs.
  • Newton ball / captive ball: Center mechanism traps a ball behind a pop-up post, transfers force via Newton's cradle effect. VPX implementation: create slightly oversized ball (57 wide) at post position when raised, destroy/move when lowered. The spoofed ball uses VPX ball collision physics naturally. Similar technique used in AC/DC bell and JWPS.
  • PinMAME PWM for Capcom: Niwak rewrote PinMAME's PWM to support hardware-driven GI and lamp fading. Requires UseVPMModSol=6 which provides normalized 0..1 float values instead of legacy byte ranges.
  • Flipper bat measurements: Precise measurement campaign with PDF documentation. Capcom bats manufactured by "North Star" using Williams specs -- mold identical minus star logo. Parts library: github.com/vbousquet/pinball-parts.
  • Drop target script had switch number mismatches in existing VPX versions (lines 225 and 328).
  • SERUM colorization: Coordinated with SERUM team for simultaneous launch. SERUM (not older systems) is required for standalone VPX player compatibility.

Art & Visuals

  • Tony McMapFace tonemapper developed by niwak as an alternative to Blender's Filmic (which produces oversaturated results). Install by replacing files in Blender's datafiles/colormanagement. All toolkit tables benefit.
  • Flupper1's 12-point render review methodology documented detailed areas: saturation, transparent posts, bumper caps, metal rails, drop targets, inserts, denoiser artifacts, dirt/AO, shooter lane, environment light.
  • Ball image should use equirectangular mapping, not the old "spherical map" checkbox. Ideally same image as table's environment image for physically correct reflections.

Physics & Gameplay

  • Playfield scan DPI verification: divide pixels by PPI. 12194x27629 at 600ppi = 20.32"x46.04", confirming 20.25"x46.00" standard dimensions.
  • VR blocker walls technique first implemented here: copy cabinet primitive, make fractionally smaller, flip normals inward.

Known Issues

  • LUT limitations: applied AFTER tonemapping (loses HDR), applied to final composited result rather than object albedo, corrections affect playfield and lights equally.

Techniques Developed Here

See Also