[RESOLVED] command to load VP tables?

[druadic]

I'm sure somewhere I've missed this, but where exactly in the Game Ex setup (from the start menu) would I fix this problem and what command would I use?

I've been told once you have VP that loads through Game Ex (I'm using the folder VPinball) and it loads the VPinball.exe file. After that, no tables load. So, the command is -tables or something like that?

I'm lost here. I've got the snaps working perfectly and the tables do run through the editor once I choose what game I want to run, but I would like the tables to load automatically.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[fRequEnCy]

vpinball905.exe -play -"[ROMPATH]\[ROMFILE]"

Depending on what version you're running. But that's the command-line needed to run. Also can be found on the link on my signature for many other systems as well. I'll try to add some more there soon.

[druadic]

vpinball905.exe -play -"[ROMPATH]\[ROMFILE]"

Depending on what version you're running. But that's the command-line needed to run. Also can be found on the link on my signature for many other systems as well. I'll try to add some more there soon.

Thanks! I gather this has to be done with each and every table you want to load from Game Ex as well? This is extremely helpful, thank you again!

[Adultery]

No... as long as your rom path is the path to your tables.

[druadic]

Thanks guys! I already have the "snaps" in place in the "assets" folder and they work perfect as long as they are the same name as the VP table file. Learned that fast. This is great. Now I can purchase the program. Hope I can register it WITHOUT going online though with a password. I won't go online with my MAME / VP system. Thanks again guys!

[hansolo77]

May I ask where you got your snaps? The place I got my tables from only had the VPT files, with no artwork.

[Adultery]

@druadic: Yep, you can order GameEx from anywhere and just run the key on the machine that uses it.

[druadic]

May I ask where you got your snaps? The place I got my tables from only had the VPT files, with no artwork.

Go to VPForums.org and at EACH TABLE is an image. Click on it and save it. That's all. I've got mostly my tables I've made in VP9 but plan on adding a few of the other authors as well.

At the top of the main page, click on "Visual Pinball Desktop", scroll down the list. You'll find each table there. Click on one and at the left side is the image of the table. Click it. Click it again to expand it and save the image. Do this for each table. That's all there is to it. I'm a flipperless author and have updated quite a few VP6 - VP8 tables to VP9 so I don't have many images to get. I don't play many flippered tables so my quest was an easy one to fulfill.

You can grab snaps at anytime and there is no block for them, but if you require table downloads at VPForums.org there IS A LIMIT. Pinball Nirvana (below is link) has no limit to any amount of downloads but the tables are very rarely updated as they are at VPForums.org. Just FYI. I am one of a few authors that updates my tables and puts them at both sites.

Here is where Pinball Nirvana is located:

http://www.pinballni...orums/index.php

Click on downloads at the top of the page. You'll find the tables and images.

Hope this helps you.

[druadic]

@druadic: Yep, you can order GameEx from anywhere and just run the key on the machine that uses it.

Great to know, thanks. There's quite a few folks that are dumping Hyper Spin AND Hyper Pin and going over to Game Ex from the VP side of the spectrum. Many players and authors are quite interested in Game Ex so this is extremely helpful information. Thanks again.

Here is a small movie I put up of my PowerSpec N670 playing Gyruss (greatest shooter in the world) in MAME on Game Ex. I'm loving Game Ex very much. Enjoy! The CPU itself is underneath the two speakers. It's VERY VERY SMALL but it's lightning fast.

[Draco1962]

Good to have a VP guru in our midsts! Any tips on how best to migrate earlier tables to version 9 or is it pretty much up to the original author or someone with the experience to make the conversion?

[Adultery]

Well, I'm pleased to hear it! HyperSpin is a great front-end, don't get me wrong. At the risk of sounding like a GameEx fanboy, it's been my choice since day one.

We have a pretty devout following here, and an active group of developers and designers, as well as a great user support system. If you need anything at all (or you can even suggest ways to make it better), input is always welcome here... Especially in the case of VPinball (it's kind of a bear to set up TBH).

[druadic]

Good to have a VP guru in our midsts! Any tips on how best to migrate earlier tables to version 9 or is it pretty much up to the original author or someone with the experience to make the conversion?

The only way to make tables run in VP9 from older versions is to remake them. Yep, that's right. Many folks still use the older VP6 or VP8 to play the older tables as updates don't come fast enough. I don't know the whole story behind it, but I find that VP 9.12 (newest version) is not as stable as 9.09 - it's what I use and have ran many VP6 through VP8 tables with it with no issues. But, many of the authors are trying to play "catch up" with the newest version so this has spawned new authors. This is awesome, but the conversions are extremely time consuming. I believe it has to do with the numerous enhancements that have been integrated into VP9.12.

I'll stick with VP 9.09 (9.10 in the info area in the actual program) as it seems to like my graphics better than the newer version. Like I said before, I'm a flipperless author (tables from 1901 to 1940) so updates are much easier for me to deal with I'm sure. I've done two flippered tables (Pro Pool and Skykings) to VP9 but find flippered tables are not fun to mess with as for updates.

If an author has made a version, they have first dibs on if they want to update it or not. If someone else wants to update the table to a newer version they MUST GET PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR BEFORE they can do this UNLESS they're going to start from scratch. It's the way it works. I don't have much of a problem since I don't make them and very few folks don't care for tables that have no flippers. So you'll never see someone asking to update one of the tables I've made in the past.

Any other info you can post to me. Let me know what you want to know.

Will

aka druadic

PS: I'm far from being a VP guru; I'm just an author that has been around since the beginning of VP and love the old flipperless skill tables. I know VERY LITTLE about VP itself but love to make the machines (skill machines) and tables that I do. You can always find what I've made in VP in download areas. Just follow my name: druadic.

As for playing older version tables, your best bet is to get the OLDER VERSIONS of VP (like 6 or 8) and install them separately and place the tables in the proper locations to their versions. It works for most folks.

If anyone requires the VP8 zip file, I have it somewhere on a disc. Let me know and I'll send it to someone so others can have it.

[druadic]

Well, I'm pleased to hear it! HyperSpin is a great front-end, don't get me wrong. At the risk of sounding like a GameEx fanboy, it's been my choice since day one.

We have a pretty devout following here, and an active group of developers and designers, as well as a great user support system. If you need anything at all (or you can even suggest ways to make it better), input is always welcome here... Especially in the case of VPinball (it's kind of a bear to set up TBH).

The reason I went to Game Ex is the size for one. At 30 some megs it's small and compact. The second reason is that it's very easy to navigate the menus. I haven't had a single problem figuring out where to go next. I like that.

There's a lot of talk about Game Ex at the forums and another chatroom that many of us frequent. The chat is located in another part of cyberworld, but I've already got one guy flipping out over Game Ex and a friend who is very interested in making a MAME / VP machine like I am. I hope to get many other folks over here to see what the buzz is all about.

[Adultery]

So the loose translation:

Hey Adultery! I understand your favorite VP table is JPSalas's "Millionaire", but no one else is into it because it really was a basic table and no one shares your nostalgia, and since the physics are shot you should use an older version of VP. *LOL*

/side note: You can easily use different builds and put them into the same "emulator list" by using GameEx's group feature.

[druadic]

So the loose translation:

Hey Adultery! I understand your favorite VP table is JPSalas's "Millionaire", but no one else is into it because it really was a basic table and no one shares your nostalgia, and since the physics are shot you should use an older version of VP. *LOL*

/side note: You can easily use different builds and put them into the same "emulator list" by using GameEx's group feature.

Not quite, but I'm having problems with the statement: vpinball.exe - play "[ROMPATH]\[ROMFILE]"

Here is what I have in the setup for Game Ex and am still trying to figure out where to put or place the correct command:

WORKING PATH = C:\Emulators\Visual Pinball

ROM PATH = C:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Tables

ROM FILTER = *.vpt

COMMAND LINE = VPinball.exe - play [ROMPATH]

So far I am stuck. VP loads just fine but I always get error messages telling me tables are not found. Any other ideas? Maybe I'm just not using my brain right. Please help. Thanks.

[Adultery]

Unfortunately I'm away from my machine right now and cant look at my setup, but isn't it:

VPinball.exe - play "[ROMPATH]/[ROMFILE]"

I'm confused as to wether or not you have that or VPinball.exe - play [ROMPATH] in your command line.

[Draco1962]

Also, there is a loader along with the command line you can find here. Let me know if that works for you.

[Adultery]

Also, have a look at this. I suspect it's the loader I'll be using after following Han's thread.

[fRequEnCy]

The command-line is incorrect. I already posted it at beginning of topic. The only thing that might change is the executable name which I also said.

Again for those too lazy to look up:

vpinball.exe -play -"[ROMPATH]\[ROMFILE]"

This executable name based on what was posted above by OP.

[druadic]

Also, there is a loader along with the command line you can find here. Let me know if that works for you.

Nothing with this. I'm trying NOT to run PinMAME - just straight VP. I can get VP to load with no issues. That screen comes up but the handling of the .vpt rom file is throwing me for a loop. Tables refuse to load no matter what I've done. I'm sure it has to do with the Command Line but what else I can come up with I draw a blank.

[fRequEnCy]

Nothing with this. I'm trying NOT to run PinMAME - just straight VP. I can get VP to load with no issues. That screen comes up but the handling of the .vpt rom file is throwing me for a loop. Tables refuse to load no matter what I've done. I'm sure it has to do with the Command Line but what else I can come up with I draw a blank.

Please export your config so that we can see exactly what you have in that setup. Also please let us know what the name of the exe is for your VP.

[druadic]

Also, have a look at this. I suspect it's the loader I'll be using after following Han's thread.

Tried this one too to no avail. I'm baffled.

FREQUENCY:

I have Visual Pinball 9.09 (9.10 in the info); I won't use 9.12 as it's too unstable. The file is VPinball.exe

As for the config info, I'll have to find the file somewhere on the other machine that is not linked online. Once I find it, I can post it up for you.

[fRequEnCy]

Tried this one too to no avail. I'm baffled.

FREQUENCY:

I have Visual Pinball 9.09 (9.10 in the info); I won't use 9.12 as it's too unstable. The file is VPinball.exe

As for the config info, I'll have to find the file somewhere on the other machine that is not linked online. Once I find it, I can post it up for you.

Can you post the command-line exactly as you have it please? And I do mean exactly.

[druadic]

Can you post the command-line exactly as you have it please? And I do mean exactly.

Here is what it is RIGHT NOW:

VPinball.exe - play "[ROMPATH]\[ROMFILE]"

I've been trying to use both launchers so it's changed a bit and the above is what it is right now.

Appreciate the help.

[fRequEnCy]

Here is what it is RIGHT NOW:

VPinball.exe - play "[ROMPATH]\[ROMFILE]"

I've been trying to use both launchers so it's changed a bit and the above is what it is right now.

Appreciate the help.

I've posted the command-line twice for you. So now I'll be more specific with what's wrong with yours. Remove the space between the dash and play. Also add a dash before "[ROMPATH]\[ROMFILE]". Here it is one more time. After that I can no longer help if you don't try what I suggest.

VPinball.exe -play -"[ROMPATH]\[ROMFILE]"