[RESOLVED] Support for Pinball FX2

[jbrodak]

For the complete noob who just wants to be able to start Pinball FX2 within Pinball X, can someone please give a short step by step? I can't get Pinball FX2 to show-up anywhere in Pinball X, Game-Manager or Front-end. I realize that this is the first critical step in getting the whole thing running, but unfortunately this is were I have already stalled out. Thanks.

[Zeiram]

The latest update to Pinball FX2 expanded the width of the selection grid to 7 tables, so AHK scripts will need to be updated accordingly. Four new Star Wars Tables coming soon, and you can move the DMD to a 2nd or 3rd monitor now!

[rockyrocket]

Poking around on the FTP to see if there was an upto date set of files for this, I found someone had uploaded a set with a cleaner layout - its still out of date but easier to update.

Well done to whomever did this .

Anyway I have taken the liberty of updating it to the current menu layout and removed the beeps and some other minor changes, but it works great.

I do not think it has any errors - but you never know.

Anyway the attachment has the exe and two XML`s , I have PBFX2 as a sub menu and not in the main one so that is something to be mindfull of.

PinballFX2 (30-3-14).zip

[BrettAug]

Hi.

I had a friend help build a Pin Cab for me using Hyperpin.

So FYI I am decent at looking and finding issues but still had him build a large chunk of it, so the simpler the help the better (assume I am stupid) when explaining.

I have recently moved to PinX love it so far, but I have few issues at the moment I would like to try to get some help on.

Issue 1 the same time I moved to PinX my main tv screen went out. When I put the new one in, everything works, but on 80% of the tables I have some graphic errors, and the LED's show as a Block graphic and not like it should look. That said there are 1-2 tables that look fine?

Since I did not set everything up on this system I have not been able to figure out why, I have checked some .cfg and .ini to make sure I have the correct resolution set. I just don't know anything about the LED setup to know if there is something there I need to set/change. It just feel like a layering issue?

Issue 2 I love and play the FX2 games the most and have been playing them just with steam, glad to have moved my DMD to 2nd screen. I really like some of the setups I see like Open6I's and such with PinX and the vids/backglass ect.

I just set everything up in PinX followed as much as I could via all the help/topics here.

I was able to get the lists to show just fine add all the images, everything looks great. Just have a issue loading the game (FX2) in PinX. I am able to get steam to load using the -appluanch 2280 or whatever the number is, I hear that helps a lot if you can get it to launch from here.

I have tried all the .ahk files and scripts, but I get either 2 things to happen, game tried to load, then go back to main screen, and I can alt/tab and Steam is at an loading screen waiting for a enter command, or I try the last file in this post and I get an error.

Says something about line #10 subapp not found, I will try to upload my file and a screen shot of the error sometime in the next day or 2. Anyway think I am close to having it work, just a small hiccup.

Issue 3 Thx to Open6I and everyone who has posted art/pic/vids ect it has helped my cap look realy nice, and easy for smaller kids to be able to see and pic what they want when playing. On the share file I have seen some table vids, but I have not found any DMD or Backglass vids. I know there are some kick ass stuff out there as I have seen them in some you tube vids and pic's from here. How come no one is sharing the really nice work on that stuff, or do I just not know where to look for it?

Also The help and docks and everything have been great but like a few others have said for people new with less skill links in the Doc to a few files, and or a page/dock on setups that could be pinged and just updated and such would help a ton. At one point I had a hard time knowing what was the newest files to try to test, and what had been changed/fixed as you just have to read everything a few times and work it all out yourself, just felt like it countered all the hard work some did to answer or update issues files on the way.

[andyco]

the plants v zombies is the 1st one on my list of tables, in ur script u have it at table 12 ?.

[BrettAug]

I just looked and the one that had an error did not have PvsZ list as the first game, like it shows in FX2. But even so shouldn't it atleast just lunch the wrong game? Or does the name and position have to both be correct?

[rockyrocket]

the plants v zombies is the 1st one on my list of tables, in ur script u have it at table 12 ?.

Thats odd?, I thought it was correct.

Can you post a screenshot of the right layout.

I think what happened was I referenced another install without plants ect purchased so the purchased ones were first on the list.

Edit,

So my own cab is now no longer on my network so steam is not on this cab anymore if you can see where I am going with this?

My menu looks like this....

The script for this layout is included as an attachment.

If however your install like mine does not start in the top corner PVS but on the second place (football) then you will need to adjust again - sorry.

fx2.zip

[BrettAug]

This is the current layout I have, looks like I just need to adjust a bit to make it match mine.

[andyco]

thats the right layout i have rockyrocket with pvz the 1st table.

[BrettAug]

Quick question.

I have most itmes working in PinballX for FX2.

I was able to get DMD/Backglass/Wheel etc working just fine, can see how to change things etc.

I have some Backglass Vids i want to use but cant seem to get it to work, what is the process for this?

If i try to put them in the Backglass Vids folder, then in the game manager chose that filr for the backglass, when i luanch the game, the backglass is blank. I have tried to remove the same named file in just the normal backglass, did not change anything. After a while messing about i decided i would just go back to the normal working pic i had before, in the game manager picked those for backglass, then in game still black screen, and it is only like this for the 1-2 games i decided to test with.

What am i missing?

[zeenon]

Is your BG video, in the BG video folder named the same as your BG image in the BG images folder? Lets leave game manager out of this for now. Your table, wheel images, dmd images, table video, table images, BG images, BG video, etc. should all have the exact same filename (with appropriate extensions)

Also post a snippet of your pinballfx2.xml file. My guess is your hidebackground in not set to false.

http://www.gameex.info/forums/topic/13815-backglass-wont-load-with-table/?p=116419

Another reason your videos may not work could be they are the wrong format. Let's try to narrow down the issue first and see if it's a setup issue above. You can always download any working BG video from vpforums and rename it to a pinball fx2 table to test.

Z

[BrettAug]

I am at work and cant upload any files yet, but yes i know the file types are correct for each folder type needed.

Without looking in the XLM file i cant say for sure if that is set to hide or not, but i would assume that are all set to not hide, as in the game manager list i unchecked all the hide backglass and DMD box's. Again this worked fine for just a static picture for BG and DMD just fine, everything worked great till i started to mess with trying to get a vid to work. again cant say for sure i think they are mp4's but i will look once at home.

The game list manager renames the BG png or MP4 to the same name in that file when you import it, so i can for sure say they are named the same in each file folder. What i cant say 100% is that those match the xml file just becuase i have not looked at it in a while, but if it was not correct all my other files would not work either so i do not thing that is the reason. I will take a look once home to verify and if i cant get it tonight il post some files.

What i would like to know is if i have a file in both the BG pic folder and BG vids folder named the same thing how does it know what one to use?

Does the program have a code to use BG pic first, but if it sees a file in BG vids use it instead, or do i have to make sure i only have 1 file in one of the 2? Basicaly if i put a file in the BG vids folder do i need to remove the png named the same from the other folder?

Again thanks for the help like i said before i am decent with PC's and 90% of it makes since i just need a bit of direction to understand how it works, and where things are getting called from the program.

[sliderpoint]

Make sure you install the shark codecs. I don't think the videos will play without it (at least mine didn't, even though I could watch them in say windows media player)

http://www.pinballx.net/codecs.exe

-Mike

[zeenon]

If you have a BG image and a BG video with the same name, it will use the BG video. You do not need to remove the BG image. (Note: it will always default to the video first if you have both so you would need to rename the BG video if you want to use the BG image.

Do you have any BG videos working in PBX? (maybe for VP or FP) This will tell us if you have the shark codecs installed.

Z

[BrettAug]

Thanks for the info, that helped to know how it was calling the backglass.

They are indeed MP4, and no i have not got any working Vids in FX2. I also am left thinking it is the Codecs, yes i installed Shark like the instructions called for, and have messed around with it a bit (though i know less of what i am doing in this) then changed everything back to defualt.

I started to uninstall it and re-install it last night when my cat jumped inside my cab and started biteing and messing with stuff so i quickly shut it down, and did not want to drag him out of it, so i just left it off for the night to let him get out on his own.

So in the event it is only the Codecs program, what settings should i be looking at to test it, last night what little time i had, i had looked through the MP4 tab tried a few settings, then would luanch the game check, exit go back test somthing new! I can open and play the MP4's just fine in the folder so i know Microsoft or Quicktime can play them fine.

Ohyea also the file names, XML everything looks just like it should.

Again thanks for the help, i am sure it is a simple setting, i just dont mess with that type of 2rd party software much so not 100% sure what i am looking for, other than knowing it looks like a long time ago in early release's LAV had some issues.

[tthurman]

PinballX the best frontend.

It's very easy to make backglass and dmd video for PinballX

Thanks at the Team

example :

Backglass video Marvel : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT6j9Vqucec

DMD Video Zen : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZV7dgAcyjU

Man, that looks great!

[BrettAug]

Yes i was able to grab most of what he has done from thier french site, just trying to get it working now. I was suprised that even in French and not able to read much of it, thier site was well done with a ton of easy to follow links for art/vids/instructions, would have been great if i could have read it lol. I love his instruction cards, i have them on my setup, still need to try to overlay them with english at somepoint but still works.

[BrettAug]

re-installed Shark, still cant get the backglass/DMD to work. I did notice the link from the PinX site is 32 bit and I am on win7 64bit is there a 64 bit version I should install, could that be part of the issue? I see there is an advanced components for 64 also?

Can someone with working vid on 64 win confirm if it is needed or not please. Still trying to nail down the issue I am having with a plain black screen for the backglass instead of video.

[nullPointer]

Yes you will need to install the 32 bit codecs and the 64 bit addons for your system. It looks like it's changed a bit since the time that I've installed Shark codecs, but here's the rundown:

• If you opt for the Standard codecs, you must install the 32bit STANDARD Codecs and then the STANDARD x64Components Addon in that order. If you uninstall the codecs you must uninstall in the reverse order (uninstall the STANDARD x64Components and then the 32bit STANDARD Codecs)
  
• If you opt for the Advanced codecs, you must install the 32bit ADVANCED Codecs and then the ADVANCED x64Components Addon in that order. If you uninstall the codecs you must uninstall in the reverse order (uninstall the ADVANCED x64Components and then the 32bit ADVANCED Codecs)

I'm not familiar with the distinctions between the Standard and Advanced packs (It wasn't an option when I installed Shark codecs), but if it were me I'd give it a shot with the standard pack before I tried the advanced.

Good luck man!

[sliderpoint]

I'm running Win 7 64bit and I did not install the 64bit codecs. I just installed the 32bit ones in the link. It's version 4.2.8. Upon launch it ask if I want to go get a newer version. I just said NO. I also didn't change anything in the settings or even check the "suggested settings" box, I just hit exit.

Just to verify, you can go to say the C:\pinballX\media\visual pinball\table videos folder and double click one of the .f4v files and play it? Also double check the file names of the videos are the same as the names you are using for the images that do work.

-Mike

[BrettAug]

I have not used VP in a while but I might still have a file there to test. I am just trying to get a few MP4's to use for FX2 games.

The names are the same ( I know they are correct as when I chose a vid, my normal backglass named the same goes away and it is blank, then when I remove the vid, it comes back.

Everything looks correct best I can tell and test, in the advanced shark codecs it lets you open and test a file, they all opened and looked just fine. I have reinstalled both versions just to play with no difference that I can tell cant get either of them to play.

I have not had time, but I have been wanting to do a fresh install on a different system and try it and see if it works just to see what it might be. The current system has had so many things installed and played with when setup for the original Hyperpin/VP/FP setup I am sure there is something goofing it up. Like most things it is going to be a stupid easily over looked setting or something.

Thanks for the info, once I figure it out il post what I find.

[sliderpoint]

Maybe you can hit the FTP site and to get one of the .f4v files and place it in your FX2 folder and see if it will play that file instead. Maybe PinballX is just having a problem with the mp4 videos only and the rest is already configured properly.

[BrettAug]

OK so after testing some more here is what I have:

I can open both MP4 or F4v files that I have as a playfield and they show up on the main screen and look and play just fine.

If I try to open either in Backglass or DMD I just get a black screen.

I am sure my settings are correct it is just not working, But to make sure here is the part in the .ini and xml.

cabfile.txt

[sliderpoint]

Try setting your Enable file matching to "TRUE".

-Mike

[sliderpoint]

also not sure if you want your game setting to hideDMD to be false. If you are using the seperate DMD from PFX2 you wouldn't want the pinballX one to be on top of it.