vpinball/README.md

# vpinball

Play real `.vpx` pinball tables in your browser. Drop in your own table or try the bundled demo —
no plugins, no native install. Powered by [`@valknar/vpinball-wasm`](https://dev.pivoine.art/valknar/vpinball-wasm),
a WebAssembly build of the real [Visual Pinball](https://github.com/vpinball/vpinball) engine
(real physics, real VBScript table scripting, real WebGL2 rendering).

## Features

- **Play any self-contained `.vpx` table** — drag a file onto the landing page, or click to browse.
- **ROM support for real-hardware ("SS") tables** — attach the table's PinMAME ROM `.zip` alongside
  the `.vpx` upload; most tables don't need this.
- **A local table library** — uploads are saved in the browser (IndexedDB) so you don't have to
  re-upload the same table (and its ROM) on your next visit. Nothing leaves your browser; there's
  no server-side storage.
- **Demo mode** — a bundled table plays instantly with no upload required.
- **Fullscreen**, a live **FPS/stats** readout, and a **game info** panel (table name, size, load
  time) in an in-game HUD styled after a pinball cabinet's coin door.
- **Installable as a PWA** — add it to your home screen or desktop; the engine is cached after
  your first game so it's available offline afterward.
- **Deployable as a static site** via Docker Compose — no Node server at runtime, just nginx
  serving prebuilt files.

## Prerequisites

- Node.js ≥ 20, [pnpm](https://pnpm.io) ≥ 11
- Docker + Docker Compose, for the containerized deploy

## Install

```bash
pnpm install --frozen-lockfile --trust-lockfile
```

`vpinball-wasm` is published to a private Gitea npm registry
(`https://dev.pivoine.art/api/packages/valknar/npm/`) under the `@valknar` scope. `.npmrc` maps
that scope to the registry; the package is publicly readable, so no auth token is needed to
install it.

To bump the engine to a newer published version:

```bash
pnpm add @valknar/vpinball-wasm@<version>
```

## Development

```bash
pnpm dev
```

`pnpm dev` copies the engine's build output into `public/vendor/vpinball-wasm/` first (via the
`predev` script) — it's gitignored and regenerated from `node_modules`, so this only needs
`pnpm install` to have completed. Re-run `pnpm run copy-engine-assets` by hand if you update the
dependency without restarting the dev server.

The dev server runs at `http://localhost:3000`.

## Build

```bash
pnpm build
```

Produces a fully static export in `out/` (`next.config.ts` sets `output: "export"`) — no Node
server needed to serve it.

## Docker deploy

```bash
docker compose build
docker compose up -d
```

Serves the static build via nginx on `http://localhost:8080`. No secrets or registry
authentication are required to build the image.

## PWA

The app can be installed from the browser's install prompt. A hand-rolled service worker
(`public/sw.js`) precaches the app shell; the engine's `.wasm`/`.data` files (~34 MB) are cached
on first visit to `/play`, not upfront, so installing the app doesn't force a large download
before anyone has actually played. After that first visit, offline reloads work.

When you ship a release that changes the app shell or updates the vendored engine build, bump the
cache version so returning visitors actually get the update:

```bash
pnpm run sw:bump
```

## Controls

| Key            | Action        |
| -------------- | ------------- |
| 4              | Insert coin   |
| 1              | Start game    |
| Enter          | Launch ball   |
| Left Shift     | Left flipper  |
| Right Shift    | Right flipper |

On touch devices, an on-screen control overlay appears automatically once a table is running.

## Limitations

Inherited from the underlying engine:

- Only self-contained `.vpx` tables are supported — tables that reference an external `.vbs`
  script override or a `Music/` folder won't load correctly.
- PinMAME (`VPinMAME.Controller`) ROM-driven emulation runs, but on-screen DMD/backglass output
  and hands-on switch/solenoid/scoring behavior aren't yet confirmed end-to-end — see the engine's
  own README for the current state. No DOF, FlexDMD, or backglass (`.directb2s`) plugin support.
  ROM files are copyrighted; only supply ones you're legally entitled to use.
- The ROM `gameName` PinMAME needs is derived from the uploaded zip's filename (e.g.
  `hvymetal.zip` → `hvymetal`) — rename the zip to match if a table doesn't recognize its ROM.
- Single-threaded (no `SharedArrayBuffer`) — performance depends on your device's single-core
  WebGL2 throughput.
- Initial engine download is ~34 MB (cached after the first visit).
- Gamepad input and DMD rendering are implemented but not yet confirmed on real hardware/tables.
- Raw cabinet hardware input (real nudge/plunger boards) has no browser equivalent.
- The table library lives in the browser's IndexedDB storage — clearing site data removes it, and
  it doesn't sync across browsers/devices.

## License

This app's own source has no license file yet — add one before distributing it. Separately, the
built output bundles the `@valknar/vpinball-wasm` engine and its default table, which redistribute
Visual Pinball source under a **mixed legacy/GPLv3+ license** (migrating file-by-file to GPLv3+
since October 2020) — see that package's own `LICENSE` for the authoritative terms before
distributing a build.