20 replies to this topic

[jobusrum]

Hi Everyone, 

 

Big day today!  Picked up a new machine for rebuilding the Vertigo VPCabs cabinet that is no longer working or supported. 

 

I downloaded and printed out a number of recommended guides here and getting ready to build. 

 

In the Visual Pinball for Dummies guide by by Tweegster, he suggests starting by downloading the core files in VPForums (most of which are listed in the Getting Started section).  

 

Really silly/basic question... 

 

For each of the downloads.... do I need to download and install ALL versions of each program/file... or just the latest/newest one? 

 

I am not sure if they build on each other or if they are each standalone.   

 

Thank you for your time!

[wiesshund]

 

Really silly/basic question... 

 

For each of the downloads.... do I need to download and install ALL versions of each program/file... or just the latest/newest one? 

 

I am not sure if they build on each other or if they are each standalone.   

 

Thank you for your time!

 

No

 

If hand installing VPX

Download highest version of the all in one installer

Install it

 

Then get highest version of the stand alone, which is just a zip file

extract it over top of your installed VPX

 

I would do things this order

 

OS, updates, hardware drivers.

When that is done

 

Install this

Latest Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes All-in-One May 2023 Download | TechPowerUp

 

And this

Download DirectX Redist (June 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center

 

Ok now for VPX

VPX installer - VPForums.org

Get the VPX72setup zip

 

Install that, to like c;\vpx or c:\Visual Pinball

Install to a folder that was not created by windows, so you wont have ownership/permissions issues

 

Now get this

Visual Pinball X (Standalone EXE) - VPForums.org

get the VpinballX73_Minimal zip

Unzip that right into the existing install, allow to replace all files

 

Ok now go here

Releases · freezy/dmd-extensions (github.com)

grab the latest zip, grab both 32 and 64 bit, just incase you run vpx64 bit later

Just unzip those into the visual pinball\vpinmame folder, allow replacement

 

Lastly go here

Releases · vbousquet/flexdmd (github.com)

grab latest zip and also unzip into the vpinmame folder

then run flexdmdUI.exe as admin, and poke the 2 register buttons

 

Ok, now you have vpx 10.7.3 that is ready for some tables, backglasses and some ROM's

 

 

This does not of course include a front end
But ALL front ends can be installed later, and they can ALL be installed manually, even PinUP

Edited by wiesshund, 30 September 2023 - 05:10 PM.

[jobusrum]

Thank you so much.  This is turning into a way bigger project than I had anticipated haha... but I sense a lot of cool learning ahead.  

 

I will follow the above and report back.   Thank you for the quick reply.  Very much appreciated. 

[wiesshund]

Thank you so much.  This is turning into a way bigger project than I had anticipated haha... but I sense a lot of cool learning ahead.  

 

I will follow the above and report back.   Thank you for the quick reply.  Very much appreciated. 

 

Nah, the computer setup, as far as being able to play a table, will go fast.

 

It's all the other things that become bigger LOL

 

But when you can actually play something while you are doing all the other crap, you dont care as much

[jobusrum]

Ok.... all of the above should now be done!

 

Progress!  :-)  

 

What would be the next set of steps that you would recommend?

 

Additional Context: 

 

From what I have gathered from looking at the old machine... when I purchased the Vertigo machine originally (7 years ago) it had a mix of the following: 

 

- Visual Pinball Tables 

- Pinball FX/FX3 tables - I had to re-buy all of these tables which I have done on my own account. 

- Arcade Games (Pacman, Galaga, Donkey Kong, 100 or so others.... no idea where or how those were added... but they would get played alot) 

- Pinball X - which I believe was/is the wheel menu system that allowed me to flip through all my pinball tables and video games.   

 

Problems that killed the machine: 

- Steam decided Windows 7 would no longer be supported as of Nov of this year, so windows had to be updated 

- The box that was purchased apparently had its own paid steam account and custom email address 

- The email service that it was built on is now dead - the guy from VPCabs sold his business and the company torched the email server 

- Long story short - had to set up a new steam account, re-buy everything, and update windows and steam.  So i went ahead and did that stuff. 

- Pinball X menu, the arcade cabinet buttons all started to break with various problems (no background images on games in the menu, flippers not working in some games AND the pinballx menu wheel selector itself, some games would not load at all, the pinball fx3 games load... but... it goes into a full menu system instead of just letting me play and leave the table... it has a whole video game menu that is part of pinballfx 3 itself).  Not sure how to fix that.   

- I received a cabinet code for Pinball FX3 which worked for the visual... but not the ingame functionality that I used to have.   Again.. when I finish a game.. I want to go exit and go back to PinballX.... not stay inside of PinballFX3's gaming system and menus. 

- System itself started to be very slow after the win 10 upgrade.  

 

- So... I decided to pick up a new box and start from scratch and see if I could replicate it.   And here I am... haha. 

Current Specs of New Box: 

 

Win 11 - 64 bit 

Intel Core i5 @ 2.6GHZ

16 Gigs of RAM DDR5 I think 

Motherboard: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. G10CES (LGA1200)

Graphics: 27GL650F (1920x1080@144Hz) - 2047MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (ASUStek Computer Inc)

1tb SSD Storage

[jobusrum]

Can VP 8/9 tables be downloaded with VPX installed? 

Edited by jobusrum, 30 September 2023 - 07:21 PM.

[jobusrum]

Well.... still figuring this stuff out...but... followed this little tutorial and both tables installed and seemed to work just fine.  

 

 

So that is a good start.   

 

One issue.... right now I am installing everything in my office on a single monitor.   I have yet to move the machine into the cabinet... so buttons and all that stuff will be done later.  

 

So..... when I played the two tables... I noticed that the tables played fine... but there was no scoring or anything.   I assume that is because the setup now (which is set for cabinet mode)... is simply looking for the second monitor for the DMD... which is not there yet.... so scoring and what not is therefore hidden.   

 

Next... gonna try and grab a second monitor somewhere in the house and connect some audio and see if that works.   

 

Then... start downloading more tables.   

 

Quick question on the linked tutorial:  

 

The Attack from Mars download had TWO files I was asked to download.  The tables file that lives in Visual Pinball > Tables ..... and a rom file that lives in VPinMame > roms  

 

The first table had no rom file.  

 

Can someone explain what the difference between the two filetypes are... and do I need to find and download BOTH for all tables I want to install?

 

Thank you as always.  Learning and having fun already. 

[xenonph]

Well.... still figuring this stuff out...but... followed this little tutorial and both tables installed and seemed to work just fine.  

 

 

 

So that is a good start.   

 

One issue.... right now I am installing everything in my office on a single monitor.   I have yet to move the machine into the cabinet... so buttons and all that stuff will be done later.  

 

So..... when I played the two tables... I noticed that the tables played fine... but there was no scoring or anything.   I assume that is because the setup now (which is set for cabinet mode)... is simply looking for the second monitor for the DMD... which is not there yet.... so scoring and what not is therefore hidden.   

 

Next... gonna try and grab a second monitor somewhere in the house and connect some audio and see if that works.   

 

Then... start downloading more tables.   

 

Quick question on the linked tutorial:  

 

The Attack from Mars download had TWO files I was asked to download.  The tables file that lives in Visual Pinball > Tables ..... and a rom file that lives in VPinMame > roms  

 

The first table had no rom file.  

 

Can someone explain what the difference between the two filetypes are... and do I need to find and download BOTH for all tables I want to install?

 

Thank you as always.  Learning and having fun already. 

There are 2 main types of tables. (3 if you count Pure Mechanical)

You have Electro-Mechanical tables (or EM) that only used scoring reels.

Then you have the Solid State tables (or SS) that use scoring LED's or a DMD.

Solid State tables will require a rom.

So basically any tables before 1976 will be EM tables that require no rom.

Look at the pics on download page. If you see reels for scoring, it is an EM table.

 

Hope this helps you.

[wiesshund]

What would be the next set of steps that you would recommend?

 

Download tables backglasses and ROMs that you want.

 

 

 

Can VP 8/9 tables be downloaded with VPX installed? 

 

They can.

You may be displeased with them compared to VPX but yes you can play them

VPX comes with VP9 and VP9

 

 

The Attack from Mars download had TWO files I was asked to download.  The tables file that lives in Visual Pinball > Tables ..... and a rom file that lives in VPinMame > roms  

 

The first table had no rom file.  

 

Can someone explain what the difference between the two filetypes are... and do I need to find and download BOTH for all tables I want to install?

.VPX / .VPT are visual pinball tables

VPT is VP8 and 9 format

 

.DirectB2S are backglasses

 

tables and backglasses go in same folder, usually tables, but you can have more than 1 tables folder
You could have tables_vpx, tables_vp9 etc

But table and backglass go together, and they MUST have the same name

if they do not, rename one of them

 

ROMS remain zipped and the entire zip goes in vpinmame\ROMs

 

EM tables do not use ROMS, same with Originals.

ROMs are exactly like MAME.

It is the program code from the solid state controller of the original machine, and vpinmame emulates the hardware that said code would have expected to see.

 

So if the real machine did not have a solid state controller and was electro mechanical, VPX will not need any ROM

EM is all done through switches, relays, cams gears, springs etc, no computer.

 

If a table comes with a .NV file (some do)
That is a preset state for the ROM, it would go in the vpinmame\nvram folder

 

Go let all that sink in for a bit before deciding to mess with front ends, or other pinball apps like FP and pinballFX etc.

 

if you try messing with everything at once, you will spend all your time asking questions, not really understanding the answers, and not making headway but getting extremely frustrated

cause nothing got time to sink in and make sense.

 

 

There a number of "brain free" installers out there, i did not point you at any, or say go watch this video, cause later if when something breaks
you wont have known how it went together, so you wont even know where to begin looking for an issue

or how to upgrade parts of the software etc.

 

Later when you choose a front end, if you choose PinUP, it is NOT hard to install manually by hand, so dont feel as if you screwed yourself over by not using the baller installer.

 

PinballX and PinballY are also easy to install

 

PinballX is probably the easiet.
Not fanciest perhaps, but it is pretty customizable and it works well

[jobusrum]

This is super helpful... you guys are truly amazing for offering your time like this.  

 

Also... I do appreciate the step by step installing each file and learning on the fly vs. things breaking and me having no clue why.  

 

While looking through some tables I noticed this a few times already:

 

JP Ghostbusters Slimer v4.zip 

JP Ghostbusters Slimer v5_VPX8.zip 

 

So... the newest file has a note saying it was updated for VPX8.... and the file name tends to reflect that. 

 

Should I be downloading v4 or v5 in these instances? 

 

 

[jobusrum]

It looks like my Visual Pinball I installed today is 10.7.3  when I go to the about section of the program. 

 

So when a table says updated for VPX8 ... I assume that means Visual Pinball 10.8.x ... and NOT VP8 or VP9?

 

Sorry for the basic questions... just mapping my brain around the terminology in the menus and download sections.  

 

Update:  Downloaded a few more tables and all seem to be functioning without errors!  Exciting!  

 

I am downloading the table... and then on the right side of the download page there seems to be the ROM link as well in a side menu... so I download both.  

[wiesshund]

 

This is super helpful... you guys are truly amazing for offering your time like this.  

 

Also... I do appreciate the step by step installing each file and learning on the fly vs. things breaking and me having no clue why.  

 

While looking through some tables I noticed this a few times already:

 

JP Ghostbusters Slimer v4.zip 

JP Ghostbusters Slimer v5_VPX8.zip 

 

So... the newest file has a note saying it was updated for VPX8.... and the file name tends to reflect that. 

 

Should I be downloading v4 or v5 in these instances? 

 

 

 

 

JP's V5 slimer is for VPX 10.8, it will not work in 10.7.X

 

10.8 is available to everyone but is still in beta, so is only on github.

 

While I run it exclusively, i am not going to suggest a new person rush off the be an unwilling beta tester

So for now, use V4

 

Most of us doing tables that use 10.8 will say some where 10.8 REQUIRED

 

Now that being said, IF you want to expend a small amount of time

and set yourself up to be able to run the beta, WITHOUT causing harm to your 10.7.3 VPX install, and booting it out of being the default, let me know, i will walk you through it.

 

It is not anything difficult, just a few things to follow with strictly and no harm will result

 

I will let you know ahead of time, you would have to make a login on github.com

they don't email you or anything, but you have to log in to see "Actions", which are software builds that have not been tagged as "Release"

 

10.8 again is still in active beta, so just keep that in mind.
But the fact that we make tables in it is an indication that the beta is very mature and stable.

 

Have some fun with 10.7.3 for a bit maybe and decide that later?

 

 

I am downloading the table... and then on the right side of the download page there seems to be the ROM link as well in a side menu... so I download both.  

 

If a table uses a ROM yes

dont unzip the ROM though

just drop the entire zip file in VPX FOLDER\Vpinmame\roms

 

Only machines that had solid state computerized logic boards use ROMS

 

Originals or recreations of electro mechanical (EM) tables need no ROMs

Some ROMs you will have to google hunt, due to copyright issues, like Gottlieb ROMs

 

Easiest way to google is look in table script

what does cGamename = "something" say?

 

copy "something"

 

then google search for "something.zip" 

 

Yes with quotes

[jobusrum]

Thank you.   So far the downloading of tables is going quite well.  

 

Ran into my first error set downloading the addams family table and I am having a little trouble finding the area to try and fix it.  

 

First error:  Scripting error at line 160... I managed to fix that based on some comments on the table download page!  So I did my first script update and the table launched! 

 

However, it launched and it wasn't in cabinet mode... it showed up as landscape.  

 

Someone mentioned this:  

 

Back in Editor click "Backglass/POF" and "Options"
Make sure "FULLSCREEN" is set selected as Mode
Enter the following settings shown in previous post (in Brackets the original values):

Inclination: 2  (orig. 8)
Field of View: 30  (orig. 75)
Layback: 45  (orig. 61)
XY rotation: 270  (orig. 0)
X scale: 1.1 (this is the length of the playfield)  (orig. 1,1)
Y Scale: 1.4 (width of playfield   (orig. 0,9400001)
Z Scale 1 (orig. -40)
X Offset: -40 (up and down position)   (orig. 0)
Y Offset: 0 (side to side)   (orig. -63)
Z Offset: 100    (orig. -264)

However, I am not able to actually find where the options are to go in and try to fix this.  

 

I click on View from top menu  "backglass/POV" but I can't seem to find where the "options" are to see the numbers in the table above.   

 

I must be missing something obvious in the UI ... but I am stuck.  

Found it!  Haha i feel silly!  

 

He meant click the backglass icon, then go into camera settings on the right.   

 

It worked!  

[jobusrum]

Continuing to learn a ton through trial and error and reading through comments and guides.  

 

Update: Have about 40 working VPX tables so far.   

 

Some things I have learned/am learning:

 

- Basic download requirements (vpx, roms, music, ultradmd folders, B2SServer, renaming roms in some cases to meet VPX naming expectations)

- Volume (End key and/or 8/9 keys) 

- F1 for options, DMD settings, etc. 

- Unchecking FS mode so I can use the mouse to move the DMD to monitor 2.  

- Finding roms online and making sure they are the right ones (found a cool site that for a $25 donation has 1000s of roms and easy to download at theoldcomputer.com )

- Editing scripts once in a while to resolve errors (usually based on comment section) 

 

Overall, I feel like I am much further ahead than I was just a few days ago.   

 

Thank you @wiesshund for getting me started the right way.   

 

Next steps in my plan: 

 

1) Download and test some more tables that i have always wanted to try / own 

2) Figure out proper cabinet setup of Pinball FX3 / Pinball Arcade on Steam

3) Install, download and test tables from Future Pinball and get familiar with that system

4) Learn how to download Arcade games to go with the system (Pacman, Galaga, Asteroids, etc) - no idea how to do that yet

5) Pick a nice front end (something that allows me to group tables by theme/fav/etc hopefully)

6) Download all the wheel images / etc for all tables to go with the front end.

7) Take the new PC setup and move it directly into the cabinet - replacing the old machine. 

8) Map the cabinet buttons to the keyboard... and learn how to actually install the cabinet buttons haha    

6) Test all of the above from end to end to make sure it works. 

Edited by jobusrum, 03 October 2023 - 05:04 PM.

[wiesshund]

Arcade games?

 

1) download a MAME distro
MAME | Latest MAME Release (mamedev.org)

 

2) Unzip it to like c:\MAME

 

3) run MAME.exe -createconfig once from a command prompt

 

4) procure roms and place in ROM folder

 

5) run MAME.exe, pick Available on left side and double click an available ROM

 

that is the short and simple version

[jobusrum]

Awesome!  Just did the above and grabbed Pacman as a test and worked great! 

 

When I add a front end wheel menu system... I assume I can add the Arcade games in a similar way?  

 

Get some art work / XML data and then somewhere in each listing locate the direct rom file or something like that?

[wiesshund]

Awesome!  Just did the above and grabbed Pacman as a test and worked great! 

 

When I add a front end wheel menu system... I assume I can add the Arcade games in a similar way?  

 

Get some art work / XML data and then somewhere in each listing locate the direct rom file or something like that?

 

That varies by front end.

I wont claim that pinball front ends make the most wonderful arcade front ends

i know pinballX can do it, but it is a bit of a pain

 

What some people do is have one front end launch the other front end

For example, i can have a cab boot into pinballX as its default thing

 

Then in PinballX i can add a kind of fake system

and point it at launchbox's exe
make a dummy file in the launchbox folder named Launchbox.vpx (cause PinballX knows what vpx files are)

leave the launch args blank.

 

Then run game manager, pick the launchbox system, it will show one table

make a wheel image to use and have game manager use it by unchecking to retrieve online, then having it get a wheel and pointing it at your image

 

Now pinballX will have a system for launchbox with one table named launchbox

when you run it, it will fire up the other front end, which you could put on the backglass or what not, up to you

 

then when you exit that front end, it returns to pinballX

 

Like i said, it can be done directly in the pinball front ends, but i dont know the process for pinballY or PinUP

i know the process for PinballX, which entails making a MAME xml file or having GamEX generate one

 

here is a thread on it

Setting up MAME in Pinballx - General - Spesoft Forums (gameex.com)

 

MAME allows you to dictate what screen a thing goes on

You may like vertical(rotated) games on playfield and Horizontal games on backglass.

Though if playfield is 43" horizontal games tend to seem fine on it due to the large screen size

 

Which ever way you choose to setup front ends is totally up to you
no right or wrong to it, some people prefer to flip to an arcade front end due to their ability to display extended information about the arcade machine

i don't personally really care as if i really wanted to know, i could look it up in mame directly.

 

I have gotten PinballX to launch MAME stuff, a NES emulator and some regular PC games that are not remotely pinball related, so it can be done

[jobusrum]

Thank this helps.   Right now on the actual cabinet old setup.... PinballX simply rotates through all tables in a basic A-Z format... and seems to not care which pinball system it is.  Their are VP tables, Future tables, Arcade games, Pinball FX3, etc.  And before the machine went dead after the win 10 upgrade.... all games would launch easily and exit easily with the launch button on the cabinet.   I am hoping to have a similar setup.  Most of my buddies just like to pick a game and play... they have no idea how to open various menus and what not.  

 

PinballX would load on startup... and it acted like an arcade machine and not a PC.

[wiesshund]

 PinballX simply rotates through all tables in a basic A-Z format... and seems to not care which pinball system it is.  

 

You have the simple menu option checked then, forget name of it but you will find it in the settings app.

You can also enable the one click launch, making it pretty much 0 menus

 

to start on boot put a shortcut to pinballX in

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Edited by wiesshund, 05 October 2023 - 11:43 PM.

[jobusrum]

Thanks again.  Will definitely check that out.  

 

There is a game that I noticed you commented on that I am really hoping to add to the system.  

 

I downloaded Evil Dead 3 (big fan of that movie) 

 

But I am not able to bring up the DMD at all.... and when I click F1.... which usually lets me add the external DMD ... the F1 menu does not show up/work.  First table where the F1 has not worked.  

 

Any idea on how I can get the DMD to show up for scoring and effects?   

 

Also noticed that table has no ROM download.  Normally i play the table and I get an error that gives me the rom to go find.

 

But the sound and music is all there and working.... I just can't get the DMD to show on my second monitor.

 

Update:  Downloaded the backglass file to test that out and the DMD was in there.  Unfortunately my setup does not have a backglass.   So wondering if its possible to get the DMD out of there.

Edited by jobusrum, 06 October 2023 - 02:09 AM.