Karetag's Backglass Skins (for 3D Arcade Pinball Models)
Date: 6/23/2006
TOTAL BG SKINS (Emulated):		896* 
TOTAL BG SKINS (NOT Emulated yet):	46* 

TOTAL NEW/IMPROVED since last release (15-12-04):  146*

* file totals are broken up in (5) seperate zip files.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
-- Introduction
-- Why a generic name?
-- Installation of backglass (.JPG) files
-- Troubleshooting
-- General Notes
-- Backglass "Most Wanted" List
-- Credits
-------------------------------

Introduction
-----------------
The frontend handles pinball skins (i.e backglass.jpg) on pinball models more or less the same
way that it handles the marquee and screenshot images for MAME games. It will first look
for an image with the name of the .vpt file in the second entry of a games gamelist entry and if 
that is not found, it will then search the 5 and 6 entries that correspond to MAME's clone 
of and rom of. If still not found it will search for the dummy files. The frontend can use 
these extra positions for any gamelist. This means we can use them also for visual pinball 
to have only one image for all revisions for a table. Therefore when you create a vp 
gamelist using the internal parser and vplauncher.dat file it will put the first entry of 
vplauncher.dat file which is the generic table name in the 5th position of a gamelist entry. 
The frontend will then find backglasses, playfields, flyers, rules etc. with this name for 
this game!

Why a generic name?
----------------------------------------------------
These image files are named with a generic name (i.e. wizard!.png).
and not non-generic names (i.e "wizard_1.5_karetag.png)

These images should correlate with the 5th entry of your pinball gamelist which is taken from the first entry (common name) from the VPLauncher.dat.
Gamelists should be created using the latest VPLauncher dat file.


Installation of backglass (. JPG) files
----------------------------------------------------
1) I recommend backing up existing backglass files before installing these new ones.

2) Copy these files to a folder named "backglasses".

3) Extract the files contained in this zip to your 'backglasses" directory.

4) Make sure you set the "marquees" path in the "fepinball.cfg" file to point to the folder 
that contain these backglasses pics/skins. 

Optional >>>>  Create new gamelist using VPLauncher.dat file.  

Get the latest VPlauncher.dat file here >     http://vplauncher.rolandscholz.de/


Troubleshooting
-----------------------
1) Make sure you set the "marquees" path in the "fepinball.cfg" file that resides in the 
/cfg/emulators folder to point to the folder that has these backglass pictures.  

2) If a picture doesn't appear on particular pinball model's backglass, it is due to one of 
two reasons:

---- A) Your pinball gamelist's 5th entry does NOT match the image name.  Revise the image name so it correlates with the 5th entry of your pinball gamelist.

-----B) The picture for that particular machine does not exist in the 'backglass" folder.


General Notes
--------------------
Files saved in 256x256 or 512x512 pixel formats.

You can find the backglass archive on the 3D Arcade support site at 

http://3darcade.mameworld.net


Backglass "Most Wanted" List (as of 5/24/06)
----------------------------------------------------------------
Master Stroke (Recel 1977)
Mexico 86 (Zaccaria 1986)
Sharp Shooter II (Gameplan 1983)
Snake Machine (Taito 1982)
Sure Shot (Taito 1981)
Vegas (Taito 19??)
Shock (Taito 1980)
Sultan (Taito 1978)
Verspiel Dein Wasser Nicht! (German Regional Water Co. 1978)
Paratrooper (Williams 1952)


Credits
----------
KARETAG, STEVERICK, JBMUMS, PIZZA SUB, SCOOBY, BANDITT, Mr Arcade, Deniro, & Scapino

--- "Unknowing" contributors of virgin backglass pics prior to getting cropped, skewed, touched up, renamed, and organized to work better with 3D Arcade:

www.IPDB.ORG
www.PINSIDE.COM
www.Mrhide.pinnesota.org
http://www.pinball.com
www.pinballart.com.au


Personal thanks and gratitude goes to Peter for his 3D Arcade which adds a lot of “dimension” to a
hobby that I find to be both fun and truly rewarding.

(c) free for personal non-commercial and non public use

