[RESOLVED] Future Pinball loses focus

[Krakerman]

I have read on other forums about when running a future pinball table that it loses focus and you have to click the left mouse button for any key to respond. Is there a fix for this to use with GameEx at all or script. I saw the one FPLaunch but it's for Hyperpin.

Thanks

[Adultery]

Wonder if you could just send a VKey to it? Does it have to be a mouse click?

[Stu1983]

I know this definitely used to be an issue but I set this up again over Christmas and currently I'm just using the following command line:

"Future Pinball.exe" /open "[ROMPATH]\[ROMFILE]" /play /exit

I launch a bat files before and after but all that does is launch an xpadder profile to remap my joystick buttons

[Adultery]

"Future Pinball.exe" /open "[ROMPATH]\[ROMFILE]" /play /exit

Good lookin Stu! I didn't use the /exit switch before, but I'll add it in. Thanks!

[Krakerman]

Yeah I'm already using that command line and still have to click the left mouse button for it to work as the keyboard does nothing until you click the mouse.

[wahoo]

I have read on other forums about when running a future pinball table that it loses focus and you have to click the left mouse button for any key to respond. Is there a fix for this to use with GameEx at all or script. I saw the one FPLaunch but it's for Hyperpin.

Thanks

I have noticed this issue occasionally as well

[Krakerman]

Glad to hear it's not just me. Hopefully someone will come thru with a fix for it. I saw Hyperpin has one but not sure how to make it work with GameEx.

[Draco1962]

@Krake - a few questions:

Are you still using Xpadder? Possible solutions to be found here and here. You indicated that you uninstalled Display Fusion which you felt was the culprit, but did not answer Adultery's question of whether or not you tried installing a blank profile in Xpadder, which leads to my next question -

Did you reinstall Display Fusion?If so, try uninstalling and see if it is the problem, if not, then knowing how you have Xpadder setup to load and what it is loading might help the pros to help you better.

[rockyrocket]

Not sure of how much of a help this is but I once solved this on a win7 box by changing a setting that I can not remember in the shortcut properties.

Vague answer I know!.

[Draco1962]

LOL! I have once changed a setting that I could not recall a few too many times. Sadly, I was sober doing so!

[rockyrocket]

Ok, I think the change was to swap the "Normal window" value in the run box to "Maximized".

Infact make that almost maybe positive!.

[Krakerman]

Well I really don 't like xpadder (just me I suppose) as I like PGP much better and the latest beta of Display Fusion fixed the problem with PGP so I went back to PGP from Xpadder. Will try later tonight and take out display fusion from auto starting at runtime and see if the beta is causing the conflict with Future Pinball.

[uPDATE]

Nope that didn't fix it still does it. So it's not Display Fusion.

[rockyrocket]

I am new to ahk so forgive me if this fails but the code below should send two left clicks then close itself if set to launch after in the emu set up.

#IfWinActive ahk_class FuturePinballOpenGL
MouseClick, Left
Sleep, 150
MouseClick, left
Exit

If not maybe another with more skill can help, anyway its available Here as a compiled exe, please let me know if it works as I do not have this issue.

[rockyrocket]

Thinking about it that wont work with exit at the end unless you wait abour 20 seconds before launching it, as it will open then close after not seeing the correct screen right?.

Without exit then it should just keep running and need to be closed externally, I know its the correct window class as I use it to remap some keys on fp start up, its the mouse click syntax that I am unsure of.

Anyway here`s my second go leftclick.exe

[Draco1962]

Hey Rocky - I know you posted this about a month ago, but can you confirm that your AHK script resolves the issue and, if so, give us an example of what the GameEx config looks like to invoke the script and FP? Thanks!

[rockyrocket]

Hi, sorry I can not confirm it works as I do not have the focus issue, was hoping someone with the issue could test it?, I use a similar script that watches for the window class then reassigns some keys, but its the mouse click stuff that is unknown.

As its a compiled exe you could use the launch after option in gameex maybe with a 5 or 10 second delay.

Probably wont work but I was hoping another would jump on the band wagon and sort it.

One thing that is worth trying as mentioned earlier is the tweak to the fp shortcut properties, this solved it for me once when I had the issue.

[Draco1962]

As its a compiled exe you could use the launch after option in gameex maybe with a 5 or 10 second delay.

Probably wont work but I was hoping another would jump on the band wagon and sort it.

One thing that is worth trying as mentioned earlier is the tweak to the fp shortcut properties, this solved it for me once when I had the issue.

Perfect! That is more or less what I was looking for! Hansolo77 apparently had the same issue and I believe he used your compiled script! Thanks!

[hansolo77]

Yeah it works, but I did some more tests, and it's only about 80% reliable. For some reason, it's timing for when to do the left click is off. Sometimes the program isn't loaded yet, and the click registers to the desktop, causing FP to be 'out of focus'. Other times, the click will happen when FP is loading the table but before it starts rendering, and the click will adjust some setting or something before the table begins to render, causing it to some adverse issues. Most of the time though, it seems to work great.

[Draco1962]

My guess is the problem is within the table being loaded than the program. Can't you set the # of seconds in the load before/after in the advanced emulator settings? You may need to tinker a bit to get an "averaged" setting that works for all.

[rockyrocket]

Ok, um what version is working?, can put some waits in it.

But as draco said if you delay its start then that should solve it.

Its best to run a command to kill the script when the emu closes so something like TASKKILL /F /IM "leftclick.exe" in the launch after box of adv emu settings using whatever the app name is ofcourse.

one thing I am wondering is if ahk could just remap one of your cp buttons to a mouse button?, below is the ahk script i use to remap two of my buttons (a and s) to F2 and F11 so as to change the viewing angle...

#IfWinActive ahk_class FuturePinballOpenGL
a::F2
s::F11
#IfWinActive

So if we added c::LButton this would remap c to left click only when future pinball was active, is that a better way?.

If you want me to make you an exe with your own choice of keys then let me know.

[rockyrocket]

Just wondering if this is a win7 only issue as when it affected me that cab was a win7 box? maybe this is really a gameex issue for tom to look at.

I have been following blurs work on fplaunch HERE and he has wrote lines and line of code to sort focus stuff with win 7.

Not meaning to harp on but those of you with this issue you have set the screen res to the same as your desktop in the FP config and then changed the properties of the FP shortcut to run as admin and then set it to run in a normal window and if that not working then try running it as a maximised window.

Thats what fixed it for me.

[rockyrocket]

Lastly if you google around enough you might just find some unofficial builds of future pinball.exe with some improvements made.

[Tom Speirs]

Ive just been setting up Future Pinball myself and noticed this issue so I added the abilitiy to send a left mouse click when using sendkeys.

I attach an updated GameEx.exe and this will also be in the next release.

Use:

{LEFTMOUSECLICK}

GameEx.zip

[Krakerman]

Thanks Tom! Will test it out l8tr tonight.

[Tom Speirs]

No problem. It works well for me.