Visual Pinball -> How do I use it?

[hansolo77]

I've been looking at pictures people have submitted of their arcade machines, and I really liked the ones showing pinball games. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about, so I went and checked into it. The first thing I did was just search for a torrent on 'pinball' and started to download one for Visual Pinball which included some tables with it. I was reading in the comments that I can get this stuff for free via another site (web forum). I went there, and started downloading. I got the files called "visualpinballtb61", "vpinmame_152", "vpvbs3_23", "pinmame" (samples), and the fonts file. I installed them pretty much according to the instructions, but I can't make it work. I downloaded the first rom, Addams Family, and tried to run it. It loads the table, and all the options seem to work. I press the keys to insert coins, but when I press the key to START it just sits there. I get a sound for the coins but nothing for start. Can somebody help me? I'd really like to play some tables but can't figure it out! I figure if I can get it to at least load and play a table, I shouldn't have any problem front-ending it with GameEx. Thanks!

[Cratermass]

Did you get the roms as well as the table files? You need to have the tables in the tables folder and roms in the roms folder under your pinball directory. It sounds like you're loading the tables ok but it's stalling when loading the roms?

Mike.

[hansolo77]

Yeah I got it working. It was like 3 in the morning when I first tried, but I spent some more time yesterday during the day and figured it all out. Now I just need to get it working through GameEx. Any suggestions or tips?

[Shiek Yerbouti]

I'm having a bit of trouble setting it up with GameEx as well, it keeps getting hung up after it launches the VPauto script.

[hansolo77]

Make sure everything is installed correctly. If it is, import the pre-customized script. Then just point it to your own folders for the tables. The trick is that you have to have all of the files for Visual Pinball and VPinMAME installed correctly for it to work. Also you need to make sure that you have the ROMS (heh that was my problem).

Here's a side question for everybody else:

When I exit GameEx and go back to the desktop, I notice a whole BUNCH of VPauto's still running in my taskbar. Something like 30 of them since I was trying to make snapshots. Is there any reason why VPauto isn't closing when it goes back to the GameEx screen?

[hansolo77]

[bUMP]

Does anybody know why vpauto is locking up and remains running after exiting the tables?

[night]

you sure its still running in the taskbar ?

mine are not its still shown after i exit GameEx but when i scroll my mouse point over it, it disapers

so i guess for my sake its just windows there dont refresh dont not a bug ....

is it that same with you ?

[hansolo77]

No mine are still running, and when I alt+ctrl+del they're all listed. When I End Task them, they take a few moments then say they are no longer responding.

One thing I noticed though while trying to make screenshots... If I had it auto make the screens, thats when would stay on, unresponsive. If I go the route of using ESC to take the snap, then the vpauto takes over and goes up to 'QUIT' and closes the program. Vpauto doesn't remain this way. I think the program needs tweaked a little. If I use my MCE remote, and hit the [bACK] button to stop playing (as associated with the option to assign keys) thats when the program locks up. GameEx takes over, but vpauto still runs.

Kinda bummer way to do it. I can't take my screenshots. If I do the ESC option, GameEx takes the snapshot of the menu that comes up (with exit, debug, resume). If I do the 20-sec timer, the vpauto crashes and stays running.