help with visual pinball please

[ranzo]

I am just trying to use Tempests loader, but with no success...I think that some information are missing :

Information is :

=> Visual Pinball Loader:

=> This is a loader to hide the windows that open when VPinball is executed. Inside the .7z, you will find:

=> [Mapping Off] Exit (ESC+Q).ini - Advanced config (Copy to: GameEx\CONFIG\EMULATORS)

OK, I copied this file into my correct folder

=> VPinball.ini - Emulator Config (Use the 'Import' Button - Make sure to check your paths)

1. Where is the "IMPORT" Button and where must this file be located ?

=> VPinball.png - Image used to hide VPinball (You can use your own image, make sure it's named VPinBall.png)

2. Again, where must this file be located ?

=> VpinBallLoader.exe - Loader Program

3. Again, where must this file be located ?

4. Where must all other files be located, e.g. i_view32.exe and all other files in that package ??

5. Where can I say which picture he should load ?

6. Where can I say which Pinball executable he should start ? e.g. VPinball909.exe

Here is my gameex.ini file :

[Emulator_1]

Enabled=True

System=Pinball

Category=Pinball

Emulator=Visual Pinball

Version=9.0.9

Rating=

DownloadUrl=http://www.gamesdbase.com/setupwizard/emulators/download/Visual%20Pinball.7z

RequiredFiles=

Website=http://www.randydavis.com/vp/intro.htm

Info=Visual Pinball offers real time Pinball Development System. It allows you to design and play

your very own pinball simulation

TitleText=Pinball

StartPageName=[Pinball] Visual Pinball

StartPageLogo=Pinball

Command=VPinballLoader.exe "[ROMFILE]" "[WORKINGPATH]"

RomFilter=*.vpt

Database=[Pinball] Visual Pinball

ConfigFile=Visual Pinball V6

MapFile=

RomPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Tables

SnapPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Snaps

TitlePath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Titles

BoxPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Boxes

CartPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Cartridges

ManualPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Manuals

ControlPanelPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Controls

WorkingPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball

MapKeys=True

WaitBeforeKeys=

SendKeys=

ReplaceDash=True

ReplaceUnder=True

Capitals=True

RemoveBrackets=False

ShowDesktop=True

Debug=False

AlsoLaunch=[APPPATH]\vpauto.exe

OLDatZip=

LaunchBefore=

LaunchAfter=

ExcludedFiles=

CustomBackground=

PlayMusic=

DontShowInfo=

PlaySelectionMusic=

SelectionMusicFolder=

PCGame=

GamesIn7Zips=

PlayInScreenSaver=False

ShowMostPlayed=True

RandomMostPlayed=True

CDCheck=

CDCheckFile=

lastgame=

--------------------

...and in the batch file runitgame.bat, its written :

D:

CD "D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball"

vpinballloader.exe "Attack from Mars.vpt" "D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball"

-------------------

I managed it so that the Boot logo will appear but after that, nothing will happen. I think the problem could be that he is not starting my executable VPinball909.exe. Could that be the reason ?

Any help would be very nice to run that baby

André

[fRequEnCy]

I managed it so that the Boot logo will appear but after that, nothing will happen. I think the problem could be that he is not starting mz executable VPinball909.exe. Could that be the reason ?

Any help would be very nice to run that baby

André

That very well could be the reason. Tempest could be calling a different version which in turn would make it not work with that version. I've never used the loader so don't know what's required of it. If it's not included in his submission or notes than only he would know and unfortunately Tempest hasn't been around lately. Maybe someone who actually uses this loader would be of more help but your suggestion very well could be the culprit.

[ranzo]

OK, i found the answer : the executable must be named VPinball.exe....

Hopefully tonight I can finish the guide...

André

[ranzo]

OK, I think I found a bug in gameex and this is why I spent now 1 hour with that programm !!

I was never able to start the wrapper because gameex did not generate the "-sign to start the whole command, meaning that when I looked at the runitgame.batthe "-signs where missing : the first one and the last one !! So I had to put in 2 " signs and now its working...ggrrrrr....what a stupid mistake !! :

Command=""D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\VPinballLoader.exe" "[ROMFILE]" "[WORKINGPATH]"

OK, have a good night !!

André

[ranzo]

Dam, today I made more test and saw, that everything will start perfectly the first time, but when I again start a Pinball Table, I got again the loading sequences an not the Pinball picture, so I reinstalled again my system. Now everything is working fine : Selecting a Table, starting the table, wrapper is loading the table, I see the Pinball picture....but when I hit the []ESC] key to return to gameex, I will get the normal small window and I have to click on "Exit"...grrrrr...and the system does not do that for me automatically...so what problem do I have again ? What I want is that when I hit [ESC] in Visual Pinball, he should himself automatically return to gameex...

[Adultery]

You don't have Tom's VPLoader script enabled?

[ranzo]

Maybe I have tomatoes on my eyes.. ....here is my ini file:

[Emulator_1]

Enabled=False

STARTPAGENAME=Visual PinMAME

TITLETEXT=Visual PinMAME

StartPageLogo=Visual Pinball

ROMFilter=*.vpt

RomPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Tables

RomsInFolders=False

SnapPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Snaps

TitlePath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Titles

BoxPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Boxes

CartPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Cartridges

ManualPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Manuals

ControlPanelPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Controls

InstructionsPath=

WorkingPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Tables

MapKeys=False

WaitBeforeKeys=

SendKeys=

ReplaceDash=True

ReplaceUnder=True

Capitals=True

RemoveBrackets=True

ShowDesktop=True

Debug=False

MAPFile=C:\Program Files\GameEx\MAP FILES\Pinmame

AlsoLaunch=

Command=""D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\VPinballLoader.exe" "[ROMFILE]" "[WORKINGPATH]""

LaunchBefore=

LaunchAfter=

configFile=[Mapping Off] Exit (ESC+Q)

ExcludedFiles=

CustomBackground=

PlayMusic=False

DontShowInfo=

PlaySelectionMusic=False

SelectionMusicFolder=

PCGame=False

DATABASE=[Pinball] Visual Pinball

UseDbName=False

GamesIn7Zips=False

PlayInScreenSaver=False

ShowMostPlayed=True

RandomMostPlayed=True

CDCheck=False

CDCheckFile=

CustomArtName1=

CustomArtPath1=

CustomArtName2=

CustomArtPath2=

CustomArtName3=

CustomArtPath3=

[GENERAL]

DumbyValue=

Did I miss something ?

[ranzo]

OK, next problem was that the config file which I downloaded here has not the ini-extension...its a txt extension and this was the reason why it did not work....very tricky !!

Last question : In Gameex, for some pinballs, I get a screenshot and not for others, but I copied in the snaps folder all screenshots. So whta must be the name for each pinball so thta gameex will show me the picture ?

Maybe I have tomatoes on my eyes.. ....here is my ini file:

[Emulator_1]

Enabled=False

STARTPAGENAME=Visual PinMAME

TITLETEXT=Visual PinMAME

StartPageLogo=Visual Pinball

ROMFilter=*.vpt

RomPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Tables

RomsInFolders=False

SnapPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Snaps

TitlePath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Titles

BoxPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Boxes

CartPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Cartridges

ManualPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Manuals

ControlPanelPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Controls

InstructionsPath=

WorkingPath=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\Tables

MapKeys=False

WaitBeforeKeys=

SendKeys=

ReplaceDash=True

ReplaceUnder=True

Capitals=True

RemoveBrackets=True

ShowDesktop=True

Debug=False

MAPFile=C:\Program Files\GameEx\MAP FILES\Pinmame

AlsoLaunch=

Command=""D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\VPinballLoader.exe" "[ROMFILE]" "[WORKINGPATH]""

LaunchBefore=

LaunchAfter=

configFile=[Mapping Off] Exit (ESC+Q)

ExcludedFiles=

CustomBackground=

PlayMusic=False

DontShowInfo=

PlaySelectionMusic=False

SelectionMusicFolder=

PCGame=False

DATABASE=[Pinball] Visual Pinball

UseDbName=False

GamesIn7Zips=False

PlayInScreenSaver=False

ShowMostPlayed=True

RandomMostPlayed=True

CDCheck=False

CDCheckFile=

CustomArtName1=

CustomArtPath1=

CustomArtName2=

CustomArtPath2=

CustomArtName3=

CustomArtPath3=

[GENERAL]

DumbyValue=

Did I miss something ?

[Draco1962]

I'm not certain of this so anyone else that is please chime in. I know that there were some issues with VP8 vs VP9 tables where VP8 tables may not load properly in VP9 unless upgraded. Could this be an issue or am I just hallucinating?

[Adultery]

OK, next problem was that the config file which I downloaded here has not the ini-extension...its a txt extension and this was the reason why it did not work....very tricky !!

Last question : In Gameex, for some pinballs, I get a screenshot and not for others, but I copied in the snaps folder all screenshots. So whta must be the name for each pinball so thta gameex will show me the picture ?

your snaps must be in JPEG or PNG format and must match the name of the table. Do you maybe have some GIF snaps mixed in there?

[rockyrocket]

Hi,

I also had a hell of a time with tempests loader.

Following the directions worked first time in win7 64bit, but no matter what i tried to emulate those succesfull steps on a xp 32bit box it just would not work.

However in desperation i put a copy of my VPinball.exe (needs that exact spelling) and the loader and its png image then the supplied i_view32.exe and its ini file into my tables folder.

Then for some reason it then works! before the loader would display the image then hang trying to find the vp executable.

Hope this helps anyone else baffled by this.

Also heres a nice image if you fancy swapping out the included one for anouther more colourfull one

http://www.ipdb.org/images/4446/image-17.jpg

Oh and thanks for the loader tempest.

[Adultery]

Cool! Thanks for the advice! I'm still waiting on the new video card to bind my pinball setup to GameEx, so this will be a nice touch (not to mention a huge time saver).

[rockyrocket]

Yeah it (the loader) seems to need everything in one spot the tables folder in my case to work.

If you have vp set up the traditional gameex way ie a different path for roms(tables)thenn one for the working directory ect it fails, no matter how you change the paths in advance config.

So to sum up have all vp in the same directory and point adv config to the tables folder for both rom path and working path.