Last Action Hero¶

Last Action Hero (Data East 1993) is a detailed full table build using the Blender toolkit workflow, built from photo-stitched blueprints without a proper playfield scan. Features complex plastic ramp refraction rendering, a three-position crane with animated lightmaps, and stacked wire ramps.

Build Notes¶

Starting from Blueprints (No Scan)¶

Tomate80 built LAH without a proper playfield scan:

Created photo stitch from high-quality web resources
AI upscaled to improve resolution
Overlaid blueprints from manual for accuracy verification
Got plastic scans from ClarkKent, upscaled others with AI
Built "from Blender first" rather than starting from a functional VPX table

When old VPX table playfield is inaccurate ("fat playfield" problem), start from blueprints for the Blender model and build clean VPX from scratch.

Physical Inserts vs Baked¶

Decision: Use physical 3D inserts for better VR experience, but bake insert text as part of the playfield. This gives best of both worlds -- depth for VR, clarity for text.

Scoop Construction¶

Original LAH scoops do NOT have metal edges above the playfield -- those are aftermarket cliffy protectors. Original construction is just a hole in the playfield wood with scoop metal flush/slightly below.

Stacked Wire Ramps¶

LAH has two wire ramps running directly above each other on the left side. This is unusual but correct per reference photos and blueprints.

Data East Flasher Assignments¶

Data East uses switching relays for dual function. "L side" = high voltage solenoids (kickers, flippers). "R side" = flashers (lamps). Example: "9L" and "9R" = same number, different functions.

Complete LAH flasher breakdown:

f1/f7 - Backbox Beacons (ignore for playfield)
f2/f2a/f2b - Under left ramp inserts
f3 - Blue Dome on Top Left Ramp
f3a - Red Dome on Upper Left Plastics
f4 - Red Dome on Upper Right Plastics
f5/f5a - Above Pop Bumpers inserts
f6 - Blue Dome Bottom Left
f6a/f6b - Center Middle inserts
f8 - Upper Mid Left flasher
f9 - Crane Cab flasher (2 bulbs + 2 in "Crane Ready" insert)

Data East Trough Setup¶

Roadblocks in getting DE trough working:

ModSol line must be commented out -- it screws everything up in this context
Trough update speed: ROM prefers 100ms instead of 300ms
Must investigate launch sequence for proper ball feeding

Playfield Size in Toolkit¶

When re-exporting after time away, ensure playfield size is set in the Blender file. Toolkit won't export properly without it.

Scripting¶

Crane Lightmap Blending¶

Three crane positions (left, middle, right) with flasher in crane cab. In VPX, weight lightmaps by position -- left lightmaps at 100% when left, 0% when middle, etc. The toolkit doesn't natively handle positional lightmapping; requires custom script.

Split GI Assignment¶

When toolkit split GI light names don't match VPX names, manually link lightmaps in script. Process: scripter asks table author to map which Blender lights go where, author provides labeled diagram, scripter manually assigns arrays.

VPX 10.8 Upgrade¶

Script changes needed: eliminate Lampz (use native PWM), update animation subs, add refraction to ramps, rework crane lightmap blending. VPX 10.8 improvements finally allowed stutter-free play on lower-spec machines.

3D & Art¶

Plastic Ramp Refraction¶

Dual material technique for realistic plastic ramps:

Glass refraction shader on 2mm outside edges
Glossy transparency on inside/flat surfaces
Set transparency light bounces to 1+
Bake from camera POV (Cycles, Blender 3.0+)
Set whole table to "indirect only" except the ramp being rendered
Edges light up with GI color, flat areas stay transparent

Separating Ramps from Toolkit Batch¶

Plastic ramps with refraction need independent rendering:

Make ramp "indirect only" during toolkit batch
After batch, delete GI/Room bakes for ramp
Do manual GION/GIOFF bake with traditional unwrapped UVs
Import manual textures alongside toolkit results

Depth Bias

Ramp primitive must have less negative depth bias than lightmap layer, or lightmaps won't show.

Crane Flasher Blocking¶

When crane is "hide from others," F9 incorrectly lights the entire backwall. Solution: create invisible blocker geometry inside the crane's intersecting volume (where all 3 positions overlap).

Transparent Bounce Settings¶

For clear plastic posts, increase "transparent bounce" to 16 or 32. Low values cause incorrect hard shadow borders. Transparent bounces don't cost much render time.

Lane Guide Materials¶

Use solidify modifier material index: index 1 for guide surface (ball guide with wear), index 2 for borders (polished aluminum). Prevents ball wear appearing on wrong side.

Data East Pop Bumpers¶

Unusual construction: blue/yellow plastic brackets (not standard metal), white disc sits 2-5mm above playfield (higher than typical). The elevated skirt makes them trigger less easily.

Troubleshooting¶

Toolkit AOI Camera Bug¶

When a light's AOI radius exceeds the distance from light to camera, projected coordinates end up BEHIND the camera, causing "no influence" for that light. Fix: Flux patched toolkit to clamp projected coordinates. May need full re-batch after toolkit update.

Nestmap/Batch UV Issues¶

Symptoms: inserts appear black, UnderPF doesn't render, file size decreases unexpectedly. Cause: UV map corruption after toolkit update. Fix UV maps, sometimes regenerate group masks.

Two Balls in Scoop¶

When two balls enter simultaneously, the kicker ejects with extreme force. Fixable in kicker physics settings.

Ball Escaping Over Apron¶

Ball jumped over 200-unit apron wall during multiball. Fix: raise wall to 300, lower glass from 400 to 350, add stuck-ball check to Narnia catcher.

Drop Targets After Toolkit Update¶

Some primitives need rotation to function properly after batch import.

LED Conversions Ruining References¶

LED conversions make GI as bright as flashers, losing contrast. PWM/fading practically non-existent. Seek incandescent bulb videos for proper reference.

Game Knowledge¶

LAH 6-Ball Multiball Scoring¶

Original ROM had massively overpowered LAH mode: keeping 1-2 balls through spinner into pops could run 10+ minutes, scoring 4B+ points. Smart Missile extended mode by crediting 50 hits immediately (nerfed in unofficial ROM 1.13).

Magnet Behavior¶

Magnet near center scoop can throw ball SDTM during multiball. Confirmed accurate to real machine behavior by Primetime5k.

Resources¶

Reference for original scoops: afpinball.com/restorations/last-action-hero
Schematics: ipdb.org (Data East 1993 schematics)
Edge Masks (Blender procedural smart masks): free on Gumroad