Couple of issues

[THX11]

Hi all,

I have a new build going on and and I've got both hyperpin and pinball x functioning. I really prefer the multimedia capability of pinball x but a couple of things are stopping me moving forward.

Video performance is clearly less than when the same table is launched either directly in Visual Pinball or via hyperpin.

Movie playback when scrolling through tables is also really bad, but the same 3 videos can play ok outside of pinballx all at the same time.

After playing a table and returning to the frontend only the main table video plays, the backglass and dmd images/video are missing and never return in that instance of pinballx.

Anyone got any tips?

I'm running windows 7 64 bit with 4 gig of ram and an older core 2 duo E6750

[nullPointer]

Hi THX11 and Welcome to the PinballX forums!

When reporting problematic behavior with PinballX please submit a copy of your log and your PinballX settings. These files are often very helpful in identifying any errors or erratic behavior you may be experiencing. Please refer to this thread for some instructions on how to access those files. Thanks a lot!

[Draco1962]

Not sure what your mobo or CPU will support, but doubling that RAM to 8GB would be a definite performance boost for a 64-bit OS. You did not mention whether or not you are using onboard GPU or an add-on GPU. If onboard, you may see an increase in performance switching to an add-on GPU with a GB RAM or better.

[Censored]

Some specs of your machine would be helpful.

Do you use the DirectX9 Version (9.9.0) of VP?

[THX11]

Ok, thanks for the replies all. Let me be clear though, there's no issue with VP when I launch it directly and I am running the latest version. To me it looks like the load on the GPU when using the video preview function isn't working. The load is all on the CPU and it can't do it all. That's not the main issue thouugh, the performance of VP when launched from Pinball X is.

I will pull the ram out of my mame machine and give that a test. I am running an ATI R7 260x 2gig card.

Here is the config file...

[Display]
Monitor=0
Rotate=270
Windowed=False
WindowWidth=480
WindowHeight=720
WindowX=0
WindowY=65
PlayFieldBrightness=230
WheelTextColor=ffffffff
WheelTextOutlineColor=ff000000
InfoTextColor=ffffffff
InfoTextOutlineColor=ff000000
FilterTextColor=ffffffff
FilterTextOutlineColor=ff000000
MenuColor=ffffa500
[backGlass]
monitor=1
x=0
y=0
width=1280
height=1024
[DMD]
Enabled=True
monitor=1
x=0
y=0
width=900
height=300
[FileSystem]
EnableFileMatching=True
[interface]
DesktopModeEnabled=False
EnableAdditionalDetail=False
ShowSystem=True
ShowRatings=True
[Audio]
StreamVolume=90
SampleVolume=90
PlaySoundInVideos=True
[startup]
playsound=True
playvideo=True
StartWithWindows=No
[KeyCodes]
quit=69
left=37
right=39
select=13
rotate=82
pageleft=33
pageright=34
exitemulator=27
ingame=80
screenshot=83
screenshotbackglass=66
instructions=73
[JoyCodes]
quit=10
left=0
right=1
select=2
rotate=3
pageleft=4
pageright=5
exitemulator=6
ingame=13
instructions=14
[Text]
Line1=Free Play
Line2=Press Start
[FuturePinball]
Enabled=False
WorkingPath=C:\Games\Future Pinball
TablePath=C:\Games\Future Pinball\Tables
Executable=Future Pinball.exe
Parameters=/open "[TABLEPATH]\[TABLEFILE]" /play /exit /arcaderender
LaunchBeforeEnabled=false
LaunchBeforeWorkingPath=
LaunchBeforeExecutable=notepad.exe
LaunchBeforeHideWindow=False
LaunchBeforeWaitForExit=True
LaunchAfterEnabled=False
LaunchAfterWorkingPath=
LaunchAfterExecutable=notepad.exe
LaunchAfterHideWindow=False
LaunchAfterWaitForExit=True
MouseClickFocus=True
[VisualPinball]
Enabled=True
WorkingPath=C:\Program Files (x86)\Visual Pinball
TablePath=C:\Program Files (x86)\Visual Pinball\Tables
Executable=VPinball.exe
Parameters=/play -"[TABLEPATH]\[TABLEFILE]"
LaunchBeforeEnabled=false
LaunchBeforeWorkingPath=
LaunchBeforeExecutable=notepad.exe
LaunchBeforeHideWindow=False
LaunchBeforeWaitForExit=True
LaunchAfterEnabled=False
LaunchAfterWorkingPath=
LaunchAfterExecutable=notepad.exe
LaunchAfterHideWindow=False
LaunchAfterWaitForExit=True
[ExitScreen]
Enabled=False
EnableExit=True
EnableShutdown=True
[startupProgram]
Enabled=false
WorkingPath=
Executable=notepad.exe
Paramaters=
HideWindow=true
WaitForExit=false
[ExitProgram]
Enabled=false
WorkingPath=
Executable=notepad.exe
Paramaters=
HideWindow=False
WaitForExit=
[AttractMode]
Enabled=True
Timer=1
ShowFor=15
[system_1]
Name=Pinball FX2
Enabled=False
WorkingPath=C:\Steam
TablePath=C:\Steam\Tables
Executable=PinballFX.exe
Parameters=
[system_2]
Name=MAME
Enabled=False
WorkingPath=C:\- EMULATORS -\- MAME -
TablePath=C:\
Executable=mamep64.exe
Parameters=[TABLEFILE]
[AutoExit]
Enabled=False
Minutes=10
[Login]
Enabled=False
[internal]
lastselected=Tron LegacyTron LegacyVisualPinball
filter_year=
filter_company=
filter_custom=
filtername=Tables
[setupWizard]
EmuPath1=C:\Emulators
AssetPath1=C:\Assets
RomPath1=C:\Roms
DefaultPathPrompt=True
DownloadDatabasePrompt=True
DownloadEmulatorPrompt=True
WizardMode=2
CustomArray=General Settings|Display Settings|Audio Settings|GameEx Online|Startup Settings|Keyboard Input Settings|Joystick Input Settings|Text|Future Pinball|Visual Pinball|Other Systems|Attract Mode|Auto Exit|Exit Screen|Exit Program
SearchArray=
SavePosition=False
SectionIndex=5
SearchText=
EmulatorIndex=0
EmulatorGroupIndex=0
DaphneIndex=0
HTMLAppsIndex=0
ExternalAppsIndex=0
RadioStationsIndex=0
NewsFeedsIndex=0
MappedDrivesIndex=0
SystemIndex=0
ShowPanel=False
FontSize=1
WindowState=0
WindowSize=650,478
WindowLocation=315,106
[Plugin_1]
Enabled=True
Name=FutureDMDStats.dll
[Plugin_2]
Enabled=False
Name=PlugInSpeech.dll
[Plugin_3]
Enabled=False
Name=QuickLaunch (PinballX Edition).dll
[Plugin_4]
Enabled=False
Name=Xpadder Plugin.dll

And here is the log...

16:02:16.3 14/06/2014: PinballX - Version 1.85
16:02:16.3 14/06/2014: Loading Settings
16:02:16.3 14/06/2014: Initialize Component
16:02:16.3 14/06/2014: Initialize Display
16:02:16.3 14/06/2014: Loading PlugIns
16:02:16.3 14/06/2014: Loaded Plugin:"FutureDMD PinballX Stats" Version 1 By GauntletLover
16:02:17.8 14/06/2014: PlugIn: "FutureDMD PinballX Stats" Initialized OK
16:02:17.8 14/06/2014: Using Plugin System Version: 1
16:02:18.0 14/06/2014: Created DirectX BackGlass Window
16:02:18.0 14/06/2014: Created DirectX DMD Window
16:02:18.0 14/06/2014: Hiding Cursor
16:02:18.0 14/06/2014: Hiding Taskbar
16:02:18.1 14/06/2014: Load Game List
16:02:18.1 14/06/2014: Loading Database: Visual Pinball
16:02:18.1 14/06/2014: Finding and matching artwork and videos
16:02:18.1 14/06/2014: Loading Game Statistics and Scores
16:02:19.5 14/06/2014: Initialize Audio
16:02:19.6 14/06/2014: Set Keyboard Controls
16:02:19.6 14/06/2014: Initialize Joystick
16:02:19.6 14/06/2014: No Joysticks Attached
16:02:19.6 14/06/2014: Load Startup Video: C:\PinballX\Media\Startup Videos\Intro.mp4
16:02:19.9 14/06/2014: Started
16:02:54.1 14/06/2014: Exiting
16:02:56.1 14/06/2014: Showing Taskbar
16:02:56.2 14/06/2014: Unhiding Mouse Cursor
16:02:56.2 14/06/2014: Disposing Plugins
16:02:56.2 14/06/2014: Saving Settings

[THX11]

Also the preview videos don't play sound despite the flag saying to do so. They play with sound outside of the front end.

[nullPointer]

Just out of curiosity, are you using the recommended codecs (i.e. Shark007) for PinballX? A lot of the reported video playback problems I've seen have been resolved by installing the recommended codec pack.

[THX11]

Just out of curiosity, are you using the recommended codecs (i.e. Shark007) for PinballX? A lot of the reported video playback problems I've seen have been resolved by installing the recommended codec pack.

Yep sure am, latest version is on all my pcs. Been using them all over for ages now. Is anyone running 3 video previews smoothly? Table, backglass and dmd?

[THX11]

OK, I threw some dollars into the machine and have resolved everything except for sound in videos. I have no sound in any videos? They all play fine outside of pinball x? Any ideas?

[THX11]

Oh, and DMD videos play upon opening pinball x but don't reappear after playing a table. So confused.

[randr]

Still sounds like a codec issue. When you play videos outside of pinballx they don't use same ones as pinballx uses. Do a full uninstall, reboot and install from link on pinballx.org page with defUlt settings and should work just fine

[THX11]

Ok, I'll give that a go. Do you mean uninstall codec? Pinballx or the whole os? Either way is easy and I sure how you're right.

Any idea on the dmd disappearing after exiting a table? It all works until a table is launched and then doesn't return.

Really appreciate the help so far. Getting there.

[Draco1962]

I think he means uninstall and reinstall the codecs.

[THX11]

Yeah I re read. Thanks I'll try that tonight. Then I just need to solve the disappearing dmd and I'm set. Performance is perfect otherwise.

[THX11]

So very stupid of me. Derp, I really wanted the sound from my back glass video to play. I had assumed (stupidly) that audio would play if it existed. Only the audio from the table video plays. I can work with that. Just need to solve the disappearing dmd now.

[THX11]

Is there a way to have a default table always be the one on screen upon startup? It seems that the default setting is to display the last table that was onscreen from the last shutdown. I'd like to have my cabinet themes table displayed by default.