Help configuring plunger for FX2 in my cabinet

[jevansoh]

I have a custom made plunger (VPCabs) that uses the freescale board and looks like a normal game controller axis and have no clue how to set it up.

 

I bought my cabinet from VPCabs and they license and install all the Pinball FX2 tables so I have no experience with setting up the controller at all.

 

They didn't set up the plunger, only a launch ball button, and I've been doing some reading/research that says to use a program called x360ce but I am quickly getting overwhelmed because I don't know how to set it up or how to plug in the settings to Pinball FX2.  Since I didn't set up FX2 I don't even know where the controller settings are or how they are accessed.  I do know it's the Steam version, if that makes a difference.

 

I could really use some guidance here.  I don't mind doing further research and reading and will continue to do so, but I'm not finding anything on how to set up cabinet controls and a plunger for first time users.  It's all advanced and assumes you know where the controller setup is and how to use it within FX2.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

--J

[Carny_Priest]

Been a long time since I installed. At that time there was a profile available to download through the x360ce config menu which provides plunger and analog nudging support. 

[jevansoh]

I'm familiar with Joy2Key and use it on my HyperSpin setup for my desktop config and also believe I could figure out x360ce, but since I didn't install the Steam/Pinball FX2 myself, I don't even know where the controller settings are to begin with.

Can you (or someone) tell me where the controller setup is for FX2? 

Thanks,

--J

[Carny_Priest]

You configure for an X360 controller within Pinball FX2's settings. You navigate to the Settings menu through PinballX's in-game menu.

 

The x360ce executable goes in the same folder as the PinballFX2 executable. Run it and download the FX2 profile. You can change buttons and adjust axes in the config menu. 

You will have to play around and do trial and error to figure things out. I have no idea how VPCabs currently maps buttons to the controller. They used U-Hid boards when I got my cabinet from them years ago. I'd be surprised if they didn't give you a map or an app.

In any case, keep searching and reading through the forums for x360ce, the posts would be pretty old but should still be useful. 

 

[32assassin]

edit

sorry but I have not tested an analog plunger on FX2 so I don't know if it will work

 

-

 

[vogliadicane]

IIRC PinballFX does not support an anlogue plunger (or any anolgue input)...

[Carny_Priest]

Analog plunger support works for VirtuaPin plunger kits in combination with x360ce. It's a fact.

I don't know why it would not work with other solutions.

[vogliadicane]

I was only referring to PinballFX2, which does not work with my analogue plunger. Maybe I'm wrong, but a solution for my system would interest me, too. I use a Pincontrol 1, but there is no setting in PBFX2, where I coud use this.

[Draco1962]

I have one on my Virtuapin Mini and it works with Pinball FX2 using the default PinballX settings and x360ce with not much fuss.

[32assassin]

thats why I edited my post before

by default Pinball FX2 is configured to use a xbox 360 controller

 

if you can map your analog plunger to the RS (using x360ce)   you should be able to use your analog plunger.

[jevansoh]

Ok, I've downloaded x360ce and placed it in the proper games folder and I see where to set the controls in Pinball FX2.  My plunger is set to the enter key.  I don't know where to go from here, though.  Setting up x360ce looks daunting as there are so many settings and things to change but I only want this one function.

How would I go about setting the plunger to work with x360ce to use the enter key since that's what Pinball FX2 is looking for?

[Carny_Priest]

x360ce is an X-box 360 controller emulator. You would map your inputs as if you had an X-Box 360 controller connected to the game. As seem in the image in the post directly above your last post. This does not involve mapping keys on a keyboard (Enter key).

And I'm assuming that you are wanting to launch balls with the plunger and not the Launch Ball button.

As I recall, the profile and default settings in PinballFX2 have the plunger set to the right stick controller. There is actually very little that needs to be done if you are just looking to connect plunger. It works out of the box. This was with a VirtuaPin kit. Not sure why a freescale kit would necessarily behave differently.

I thought VPCabs had a licensing arrangement with Zen. And they didn't have this all set up at the factory?

[32assassin]

On 8/24/2017 at 0:44 AM, jevansoh said:

Ok, I've downloaded x360ce and placed it in the proper games folder and I see where to set the controls in Pinball FX2.  My plunger is set to the enter key.  I don't know where to go from here, though.  Setting up x360ce looks daunting as there are so many settings and things to change but I only want this one function.

How would I go about setting the plunger to work with x360ce to use the enter key since that's what Pinball FX2 is looking for?

Your Plunger BUTTON is set to the "enter" key, 

Plunger BUTTON -->  Ball  launch (keyboard)  Auto Ball Launch (joystick)

their is NO!!! keyboard settings for an analog plunger  aka "Manual Ball Launch"

you cannot map your analog plunger to ANY keyboard key. (using joy2key or Xpadder)

 

 

X360ce is not a key mapper similar to Xpadder or Joy2key

X360ce is a xbox 360 emulator  its only job is  tricking your PC in to thinking that you have an xbox 360 controller connected to your PC

the button and analog inputs from your custom VPcabs controller built with the freescale  board will be seen as an Xbox controller by your PC

 

 Pinball FX2 is pre configured  to work WITH!!! an Xbox 360 controller

Pinball FX2 is  automatically LOOKING FOR AN XBOX 360 controller. you DO NOT!!!!! modify ANYTHING in the Pinball FX2 menu.

 

when you map your analog plunger to the Right Stick (iX360ce );  Pinball Fx2  will think that an xbox 360 controller is connected to your  PC

and your plunger will be seen as the Right Stick on the emulated Xbox 360 controller.

 

edit 

you are basically doing this but with software

Analog plunger =  analog stick

XBoxce =  Xbox 360 controller connected to your PC

if you connect an actual 360 controller to your PC,  the RS will be configured as  the analog plunger;  You do not need to make any key mappings or

key changes in Pinball FX2

 

[hlr53]

THAT is one way to do it! 

[Pike13]

I have a Virtuapin Mini as well and it took me a while to figure out X360ce and the right settings to get both the plunger and nudging working to my satisfaction.

As others mentioned above I use X360ce, nothing else.

Here are my settings, not sure if this will translate into your particular cabinet since I'm assuming the button mappings aren't quite the same with your hardware.  But if you can figure that out, this might work for you.  I did something similar with slightly different buttons mappings for TPA.

I first started off with what this gentlemen did in this post (in the comments section):

https://blog.codinghorror.com/your-digital-pinball-machine/

I just mention it as he goes into a decent explanation around how on the Virtuapin the controller is only 'half' an axis (which leads to some different behavior when in the menu part of PBFX2, more below).  Not sure if that is the case with your setup.

But he didn't have the manual plunger piece working and his nudging settings were way too sensitive I felt so I modified it.

I have attached some screenshots of my X360ce settings.  It's been a while so I don't quite remember all of the details, but I believe these were the sections in X360ce that I modified.

Within PBFX2 itself, my XBox 360 controller settings are:

Flippers: LB-RB

Manual Ball Launch: RS

Auto Ball Launch: A

View Mode: LT

Nudge Table: LS

So with the Right Stick and Left Stick being selected and configured in X360ce, plunging and nudging work respectively.  The only oddity I have is that when my plunger is at rest it is actually registering as 'engaged' with PBFX2 so if you are at the main menu it acts like you are rapidly selecting through the different options.  But in terms of actually playing a table this doesn't happen.  Since I play PBFX2 from PBX that is set up to directly launch the table, it isn't an issue.  The rare times I have to go into the menu is when I have to launch PBFX2 manually because I want to play multiple players (a big oversight IMHO that cabinet support doesn't, er, support this).  All I have to do then is just pull the plunger back enough to be centered and hold it there while I use my mouse to select multi-player and what table I want to play.