1622 replies to this topic

[hlr53]

Regarding FX3 again. We know you can pull tables from the PBX XML but it contains tables that maybe TS owns? Dunno?

 

A new user without PBX has no initial XML. Maybe search the users FX3 tables directory which Steam installs as: : C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Pinball FX3\data\steam

 

and search tables which are Table_Name.pxp. This captures only the tables the user owns and skips non-existent unowned.

 

 

 

and create <menu>
 <game name="Alien_Isolation">
  <description>Alien_Isolation</description>
  <rom></rom>
  <manufacturer>Zen</manufacturer>
  <year>2017</year>
  <type>Original</type>
  <hidedmd>False</hidedmd>
  <hidetopper>True</hidetopper>
  <hidebackglass>False</hidebackglass>
  <enabled>True</enabled>
  <rating>4</rating>
  <gridposition>1x1</gridposition>
 </game>

 

……

</menu>
 

[mjr]

Regarding FX3 again. We know you can pull tables from the PBX XML but it contains tables that maybe TS owns? Dunno?

 

A new user without PBX has no initial XML. Maybe search the users FX3 tables directory which Steam installs as: : C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Pinball FX3\data\steam

 

and search tables which are Table_Name.pxp. This captures only the tables the user owns and skips non-existent unowned

 

Actually, that just fits into what PinballY already does in terms of searching for unconfigured tables.  Try setting up the FX3 system settings with these items:

 

- table folder path to the folder with the .pxp files

- default extension .pxp

 

That should find all of your tables and show them in the wheel as unconfigured.  And it has the advantage over a one-time install process that it will automatically find any new tables you buy later on.

[mjr]

Alpha 18 is now available.  No batch capture yet, but a couple of significant changes:

 

- Improved drag-and-drop UI for dropping media files, now with the ability to drop wheel images and audio files

 

- A two-phase Run Before and Run After scheme, along the lines proposed by Tempest43528 to allow for smoother visual transitions for commands that change the monitor layout (see https://www.vpforums...40679&p=412902)

 

- Improvements for DmdDevice.dll loading for the 64-bit version, including the ability to have the 32-bit and 64-bit DLLs installed side by side

 

There are also a bunch of bug fixes.  A few of the new features and bug fixes involved some not insubstantial changes, which always creates a risk of regressions and new bugs, so this release could destabilize things a bit; hopefully not, but just wanted to give fair warning.

[hlr53]

 

Regarding FX3 again. We know you can pull tables from the PBX XML but it contains tables that maybe TS owns? Dunno?

 

A new user without PBX has no initial XML. Maybe search the users FX3 tables directory which Steam installs as: : C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Pinball FX3\data\steam

 

and search tables which are Table_Name.pxp. This captures only the tables the user owns and skips non-existent unowned

 

Actually, that just fits into what PinballY already does in terms of searching for unconfigured tables.  Try setting up the FX3 system settings with these items:

 

- table folder path to the folder with the .pxp files

- default extension .pxp

 

That should find all of your tables and show them in the wheel as unconfigured.  And it has the advantage over a one-time install process that it will automatically find any new tables you buy later on.

 

 

Oh. I am behind the power curve. Thanks!

 

A17 build. I was doing some FX3 media capture and PBY was stating it couldn't find dmddevice.dll but the capture worked fine. I put a copy in the PBY directory and no more complaints. A long time ago I put dmdext.exe w/associated files in my D drive along with PBA and FX3 batch files. I guess I can copy everything over to the PBY folder, unless there is a better place to put everything and PBY can find it? 

Edited by hlr53, 31 August 2018 - 10:46 PM.

[mjr]

A17 build. I was doing some FX3 media capture and PBY was stating it couldn't find dmddevice.dll but the capture worked fine. I put a copy in the PBY directory and no more complaints. A long time ago I put dmdext.exe w/associated files in my D drive along with PBA and FX3 batch files. I guess I can copy everything over to the PBY folder, unless there is a better place to put everything and PBY can find it? 

 

The program looks for DmdDevice.dll as follows:

 

- In the PinballY program folder first

 

- Then in the VPinMAME folder

 

You'd usually keep it in the VPinMAME folder, because that's where VPinMAME itself looks for it - you need it there if you want it to work with VP. 

 

I hadn't really considered the use case where you might have dmd-extensions installed in yet a third folder.  I figured you'd either have it installed with VPinMAME or not have it installed at all, since I figured PinballY would never be used on a system without VP/VPinMAME installed.  If you think it would be useful, I could easily enough add an option setting that lets you explicitly set the DmdDevice.dll location.  But I'd want to understand the use case and make sure that there's not some simpler way to deal with it - more options always have the downside of creating more complexity for everyone.

[hlr53]

 

A17 build. I was doing some FX3 media capture and PBY was stating it couldn't find dmddevice.dll but the capture worked fine. I put a copy in the PBY directory and no more complaints. A long time ago I put dmdext.exe w/associated files in my D drive along with PBA and FX3 batch files. I guess I can copy everything over to the PBY folder, unless there is a better place to put everything and PBY can find it? 

 

The program looks for DmdDevice.dll as follows:

 

- In the PinballY program folder first

 

- Then in the VPinMAME folder

 

You'd usually keep it in the VPinMAME folder, because that's where VPinMAME itself looks for it - you need it there if you want it to work with VP. 

 

I hadn't really considered the use case where you might have dmd-extensions installed in yet a third folder.  I figured you'd either have it installed with VPinMAME or not have it installed at all, since I figured PinballY would never be used on a system without VP/VPinMAME installed.  If you think it would be useful, I could easily enough add an option setting that lets you explicitly set the DmdDevice.dll location.  But I'd want to understand the use case and make sure that there's not some simpler way to deal with it - more options always have the downside of creating more complexity for everyone.

 

 

When I first tried virtual pinball I started with FX3, PBA and Zacarria on Steam. VP and FP came later, thus the different folder. Come to think of it, I never used the real DMD with VP yet. I'll just move it all over to VpinMAME.

 

I'll play with A18 tomorrow.

Edited by hlr53, 01 September 2018 - 12:40 AM.

[Tempest43528]

@mjr 

 

Thanks for getting those requests implemented so fast.     I have played around with the Run Before 1 and 2 but still not quite able to get things working the way I want..  I have added my compiled ahk scripts that rotates the display 90 degrees and then fires up DMDExt.  I have also tried adding the [HIDE] and [MINIMIZE] flags as well.     Once FX3 kicks in everything is good but I stil get that awkward rotation of the loading image until PBY goes to the background and FX3 takes over.

 

From the PinballY main screen everything is good.  

 

After launching the table and the script running.    The loading image is rotated

Edited by Tempest43528, 01 September 2018 - 02:05 AM.

[mjr]

Once FX3 kicks in everything is good but I stil get that awkward rotation of the loading image until PBY goes to the background and FX3 takes over.

 

Yeah, I figured that would probably be the case.  The point of the "loading game" screen is, after all, to show something other than a blank screen while waiting for the game to put up its UI, so it's inherently going to be visible for however long it takes for the game to load.  And your script that changes the monitor layout necessarily has to run before the game starts loading.  What you *really* want is for FX3 to give you a scripting hook for "I'm going to show my UI window the instant this script returns", because that's the actual point where you want the monitor layout change to kick in.  But I assume they don't give you such a hook, so we have to do this on the launcher side, which has no way of knowing when "I'm going to show my UI window in .0001 seconds" is.  The points in time that we can exploit on the launcher side are:

 

- User selects Play Game command

- PinballY creates child process for game

- PinballY window loses activation (probably meaning game just opened its first window)

 

I don't see any point in there where you can do the rotation without having something rotated wrong, at least briefly.  If you do it at the "user selects Play game command" point, which is effectively what you're doing with Run Before (1), you're going to change the layout while PinballY is still the active UI window, so PinballY is going to appear rotated.  I.e., the current problem.  If you do it at "PinballY loses activation", the "loading" message will stay correct, but FX3 will already have briefly appeared at the wrong rotation, so you'll get a glitchy moment where FX3 is screwy and then rights itself.  So I don't see any way to time it exactly right.

 

Two possibilities come mind:

 

- Give you an option to remove the "loading" message entirely.  Nothing appears rotated wrong because it's just a blank screen.  Solves the problem but at the expense of losing the feature.

 

- Add a way to tell PinballY to rotate its layout when the script runs.  Maybe a new command flag like [rotate(playfield,90)] .  That way you could compensate for the display rotation by counter-rotating the PBY display.  I think this would be easy to implement and seems like it might do the trick for this situation.

Before going down that road, do you suppose there's any way to bypass this whole issue by just getting FX3 to work in the same monitor rotation that you're using for other programs?  Or, failing that, maybe everything else can work in the monitor rotation FX3 is forcing on you?  PinballY will let you rotate any window in any orientation you want, and VP will let you show the playfield with any desired rotation..

[Tempest43528]

VPX is really the only reason I haven't switched to just running my playfield in Portrait mode.   All my other pinball system are already in portrait.    Since VPX defaults to landscape it seems like even when I start VPX, set video options to 1080X1920 and uncheck "Use always FS backdrop settings" the table displays wrong.  I have tried to go to Backdrop and change XY rotation but table doesn't display properly.   Might be missing something easy/obvious but I haven't spent a lot of time goofing with VPX display rotation settings and it seems like it would require modifying all the tables rotations manually if I am reading correctly
 
Totally agree that the missing hook there is no way to know when the FX3 UI is going to take over.     The command flag to rotate playfield in PBY does sound like it would do exactly what I am looking to do though.  At the point where the loading message is displayed the script has already run and the screen is rotated.   Turning off the loading screen would be an ok second option as well but I do the loading image  is a great feature.
 
 Apprecate all your support and being so open to new feature requests.   

Edited by Tempest43528, 01 September 2018 - 03:51 AM.

[gtxjoe]

Or use
a loading screen with no words like these
http://flrngif.tumblr.com

[hlr53]

VPX is really the only reason I haven't switched to just running my playfield in Portrait mode.   All my other pinball system are already in portrait.    Since VPX defaults to landscape it seems like even when I start VPX, set video options to 1080X1920 and uncheck "Use always FS backdrop settings" the table displays wrong.  I have tried to go to Backdrop and change XY rotation but table doesn't display properly.   Might be missing something easy/obvious but I haven't spent a lot of time goofing with VPX display rotation settings and it seems like it would require modifying all the tables rotations manually if I am reading correctly
 
Totally agree that the missing hook there is no way to know when the FX3 UI is going to take over.     The command flag to rotate playfield in PBY does sound like it would do exactly what I am looking to do though.  At the point where the loading message is displayed the script has already run and the screen is rotated.   Turning off the loading screen would be an ok second option as well but I do the loading image  is a great feature.
 
 Apprecate all your support and being so open to new feature requests.   

 

Good morning Tempest43528,

 

You can keep your playfield in portrait mode for VPX tables. Before configuring a new VPX table (One I haven't run previously) in PBY I first run the table, and if ROM based agree to whatever legally invalid nonsense they are asking, and run the table. I hit Q and go back to the VP editor. I then press F6 to change the default desktop laid back table orientation using either the Shift keys or flipper keys and rotate it into the full screen cabinet position. Then save the table.

 

I have the Display settings in VP at 1920*1080 (Windowed Fullscreen) and leave "Use always FS...…" unchecked.

Edited by hlr53, 01 September 2018 - 02:17 PM.

[Tempest43528]

@hlr53 

 

Thanks for the suggestion.  I took a look but was hoping for more one setting handles them all.  To go back and update nearly 300 tables to get the playfield "right" and  how it looked in landscape seems like a tedious task.

Edited by Tempest43528, 01 September 2018 - 02:55 PM.

[hlr53]

Not seeing any issues with A18 build. 
 
Question. I'm moving the Pinscape controller over to a VR mini cabinet for one of my sons. Also using Pinscape CCD for that plunger.
 
Will PBY automatically recognize Zeb's plunger/button kit once I hook up all the buttons from it? KL25 based. I know the buttons would have to be reassigned.
 

Edited by hlr53, 04 September 2018 - 10:45 PM.

[mjr]

Question. I'm moving the Pinscape controller over to a VR mini cabinet for one of my sons. Also using Pinscape CCD for that plunger.
 Will PBY automatically recognize Zeb's plunger/button kit once I hook up all the buttons from it? KL25 based. I know the buttons would have to be reassigned.

 

Yes, it should.  I think Zeb's plunger uses a combination of keyboard and joystick inputs for the buttons, and both of those should be recognized automatically.

[mjr]

A new Alpha 19 version is available:

 

- DOF now works in the 64-bit build.  You'll need the new experimental DOF R3++ (dated 2018-09-04 or later) - see my DOF page at http://mjrnet.org/pi...ll-updates.html for downloads.

 

- Farsight's "The Pinball Arcade" now has a way to discover tables that fits in with the way all of the other systems work.  TPA doesn't use table files like the other systems, so I added a collection of dummy files for it to take the place of normal table files.  They're in the new Farsight folder that you'll find in the main PinballY folder, and they all have names like "ACDC (Stern 2012).pinballArcade".  Set the following in the Pinball Arcade system settings to include them in the table discovery scan:

 

  Table Folder = [PinballY]\Farsight

  Default Extension = .pinballArcade

 

Those are in the default settings now, but if you have an existing installation you'll already have your own settings file (which is always kept during an update), so you'll need to add those settings manually.  Note that you should enter the text [PinballY] literally as shown.  That's a special substitution variable that PinballY will automatically replace with its own install folder path on each load, so just enter that text exactly as you see it above to insulate your settings file from any changes you make to folder locations in the future.

 

- The ROTATE commands for the Run Before/After commands that Tempest43528 proposed are now implemented

And batch capture is the next thing on my list.  I wanted to get the details above nailed down first, especially the DOF-64 issue, since that was a pretty serious omission.

[hlr53]

A new Alpha 19 version is available:

 

- DOF now works in the 64-bit build.  You'll need the new experimental DOF R3++ (dated 2018-09-04 or later) - see my DOF page at http://mjrnet.org/pi...ll-updates.html for downloads.

 

 

 

- Farsight's "The Pinball Arcade" now has a way to discover tables that fits in with the way all of the other systems work.  TPA doesn't use table files like the other systems, so I added a collection of dummy files for it to take the place of normal table files.  They're in the new Farsight folder that you'll find in the main PinballY folder, and they all have names like "ACDC (Stern 2012).pinballArcade".  Set the following in the Pinball Arcade system settings to include them in the table discovery scan:

 

  Table Folder = [PinballY]\Farsight

  Default Extension = .pinballArcade

 

Those are in the default settings now, but if you have an existing installation you'll already have your own settings file (which is always kept during an update), so you'll need to add those settings manually.  Note that you should enter the text [PinballY] literally as shown.  That's a special substitution variable that PinballY will automatically replace with its own install folder path on each load, so just enter that text exactly as you see it above to insulate your settings file from any changes you make to folder locations in the future.

 

- The ROTATE commands for the Run Before/After commands that Tempest43528 proposed are now implemented

And batch capture is the next thing on my list.  I wanted to get the details above nailed down first, especially the DOF-64 issue, since that was a pretty serious omission.

 

Hopefully, I can wire up the Sainsmart 8 relay board this weekend and test. Do I use your Grand Unifier?  Sorry, I haven't done much reading yet on DOF other than knowing there is a website to add the boards.

 

I forgot if I asked this before but does PBY launch the DX11 version? Many (most/some?) of us use NoEx's Free Camera Mod to launch PBA and others launch the Arcooda executable. Both require DX11.  I can play with the FCM launch. It may require an add to Process but I'm not sure yet? Same menu system at the PBA end.

Edited by hlr53, 05 September 2018 - 11:07 AM.

[mjr]

Hopefully, I can wire up the Sainsmart 8 relay board this weekend and test. Do I use your Grand Unifier?  

 

Yes, that would be my recommendation.  It's the most up-to-date as far as I know, and it's been out long enough that I think it can be considered stable.

 

R3++ downloads:  http://mjrnet.org/pi...ll-updates.html

 

DOF Setup:  http://mjrnet.org/pi...ide.php?sid=DOF

 

Sainsmart: http://mjrnet.org/pi...p?sid=sainsmart

 

 

I forgot if I asked this before but does PBY launch the DX11 version? 

 

Of The Pinball Arcade, you mean?  I'm afraid I don't know...  I'm not sure if that launches as a separate Steam App ID (in the steam.exe -applaunch parameter) or if it's just a matter of how your TPA settings are configured.  If anyone knows, please let us know!

[Tempest43528]

A new Alpha 19 version is available:

 

- The ROTATE commands for the Run Before/After commands that Tempest43528 proposed are now implemented

 

 

@mjr I will be sure to check this out tonight!  Thank you!

 

Can you confirm the syntax of how to use.    Do I need to put the monitor number in the to replace the replace the parameter named window.   

 

Ie [ROTATE(window,90)] -> [ROTATE(2,90)]        (My playfield is display 2)

 

How do I use the rotate and then call the script?   

 

Run Before 1 :  [ROTATE(window,90)]  C:\Pinball\Scripts\Run_Pinball_FX3.exe       (Compiled AHK script to rotate screen and then start DMDExt).  

 

or 

 

Run before 1:   [ROTATE(window,90)]

Run Befoer 2:  C:\Pinball\Scripts\Run_Pinball_FX3.exe

Edited by Tempest43528, 05 September 2018 - 08:25 PM.

[hlr53]

 

I forgot if I asked this before but does PBY launch the DX11 version? 

 

Of The Pinball Arcade, you mean?  I'm afraid I don't know...  I'm not sure if that launches as a separate Steam App ID (in the steam.exe -applaunch parameter) or if it's just a matter of how your TPA settings are configured.  If anyone knows, please let us know!

 

 

It launches the DX9 version. I setup pointing to tables per above instructions but it launches to Pinball Arcade main menu and not individual tables.

 

When I set the executable to (directory on my system) to C:\TPAFreeCamMod\TPAFreeCamMod.exe it launches the DX11 version. To the main menu again. I'm getting some exit problems after playing which I will report back on.

 

There has never been a different app ID for the DX11 version. If you launch inside Steam they have a drop down box to select which version. We have complained for years to FarSight to no avail. People have tried some command line switches in Steam which I think didn't work. I will have to research. I know it can be done because FCM launches into DX11.

Edited by hlr53, 05 September 2018 - 09:14 PM.

[mjr]

Can you confirm the syntax of how to use.    Do I need to put the monitor number in the to replace the replace the parameter named window.   

 

Run before 1:   [ROTATE(window,90)]

Run Befoer 2:  C:\Pinball\Scripts\Run_Pinball_FX3.exe

 

It's explained in the help for the System Settings page - just click the "?" icon at the top of the dialog.  I think what you'll want to do is:

 

Run before 1:  [ROTATE(PLAYFIELD,90)] C:\Pinball\Scripts\Run_Pinball_FX3.exe

 

ROTATE() is just one more flag, alongside HIDE, MINIMIZE, etc.  You can combine them, too:

 

[ROTATE(PLAYFIELD,90) HIDE] C:\Pinball\Scripts\Run_Pinball_FX3.exe

 

 

There has never been a different app ID for the DX11 version. If you launch inside Steam they have a drop down box to select which version. We have complained for years to FarSight to no avail. People have tried some command line switches in Steam which I think didn't work. I will have to research. I know it can be done because FCM launches into DX11.

 

Good luck figuring it out - hopefully a little digging around in the system will turn up the answer.  Is FCM open-source?  You could always look at its source to see what it's doing if so.  If not, you might figure out what command options it's sending to Steam by looking at the command line with Task Manager - enable "Command Line" in the column list under the Process tab (right-click in the column header area and check-mark Command Line to show it).

Hopefully it's just a command-line option and not some horrible hack they're doing in the registry or something. 

If you do track it down, definitely let me know so I can add it to the help page for future reference.

Edited by mjr, 05 September 2018 - 09:28 PM.