Startup with a Specific List

[Drybonz]

Is there a way to start PBX with only one list active?  For instance, I would like to be able to see only my VPX tables when I start PBX, then select all tables if I want to play my VP9 or PinballFX, etc... instead of having all tables showing on startup.

Is it possible to do this?  If not, could this option be added, please?  Thanks.

[Carny_Priest]

This is old documentation, but it still applies for what you are asking to do:

Read the section on Custom Groups and Lists. It is doable to arrange VPX on the main wheel (use Visual Pinball.xml for example) and fill out secondary wheels with all the rest of your tables.

[Drybonz]

Thanks, I appreciate the link.  I read over that section of the documenation, and I see that he is saying it can be done, but I'm not really clear on how he is saying to do it.  Is adding the "BAM" to the .xml file supposed to exclude the list?

This seems overly complicated and tedious... the documentation is saying that someone would have to copy these lists over each time they add a VP table?  There has to be a better way to do this.

Anyway, again... thanks for the reply and the link.  I'll look over it some more.

[Carny_Priest]

No, it's just an example using Better Arcade Mode for Future Pinball.

 

I don't know what systems you have installed but suppose you have VPX and some VP9 and PhysMod5. I'm guessing you are setting these up in separate systems and using Game Manager. 

Suppose you don't want VP9 and PhysMod5 to show up on your main wheel when you start up PinballX. Go to ..\PinballX\Databases\VP9.xml. Make a copy of the file and rename it "All VP9.xml". Now go back to VP9.xml and open it up in Notepad for editing. Delete all your game listings and leave 

<menu>
</menu>

Save the file.

Repeat this for PhysMod5.xml.

Now, in the Databases folder there should be a Groups folder. If not you can make one.

You will need to open a New document in Notepad.

Copy and paste this:

Spoiler

<group name="All VP">

     <database>Visual Pinball\Visual Pinball.xml</database>

     <database>VP9\All VP9.xml</database>

     <database>PhysMod5\All PhysMod5.xml</database>

</group>

Save the file as "ALL VP.xml". Your main wheel will now only contain VPX tables. The main menu will have an item called ALL VP Tables. When you select it you will enter a secondary wheel that will have all of the tables across the three databases named in your group xml.

You do this and I don't think it will be any harder to maintain than what you are currently doing. I do something similar around Halloween time when I group all the horror themed tables from FX2, FP, VP, etc. across my entire installation into a Halloween wheel. I don't use Game Manager, but I believe the separate table databases can still be maintained through that tool. I do not find the process onerous or burdensome at all.

 

[Drybonz]

Thanks Carny... I'm going to set this up and play with it as soon as I can.  Appreciate the help.

[RustyCardores]

I use Game Manager rather than edit any xml's manually, as I know that I'll just stuff things up.... I have each version of VP installed as it's own "system" within VPX, so in Game Manager I can create any number of "groups" and in each, place any singular system or combination of systems.

I have one group that is VPX only and if I close PBX on it, that's where it opens back up again.

I don't think Game Manager is able to create a group with selected tables from different systems however. It would be nice to have a Favourites group like that, but I've not seen how to do it in the GM.

[PcTeknic]

I use custon databases.

MAME.xml is empty.

MAME .XML show Mame games.

Allí games don't show MAME games because database is empty.

The same can be apply to other database.

[Draco1962]

I use Notepad++  as it does a better job in managing the text alignments and you can load other xml in tabs within the same session. And it is free.