2 of my 6 VPX tables won't start when initiated in pinballX...any ideas?

[drumguy777]

Hi guys! First, thanks so much to the devs. Your contribution is so appreciated!

I'm having a nagging issue: two of my 6 tables, tales arabian nights and star trek:the next generation, will not start through pinballx. In other words, I can start the table just by opening it with the normal visual pinball x method but when I start it via pinballx, the table loading screen comes up but after a few seconds it goes right back to the table select menu.

I thought it might be a weird filename for the vpx, so i changed that to a simple one. No luck. I checked the command line launch myself in a command prompt and it worked fine, ie VPinballx.exe -play "path\file.vpx" etc

log.txt attached...but doesnt seem to show me much. Maybe I am checking the wrong log file, though. 

 

I searched for this but I can't seem to find this situation from anyone else. Again, maybe I am just missing it. But I appreciate ALL help. 

 

Thanks!

log.txt

Edited June 8, 2020 by drumguy777
wrong table name

[Mike_da_Spike]

The log file doesn't contain a launch table.

Please recreate the issue (launch a good and a 'bad' table), quit pinballx and post the log.

Also post your pinballx.ini please

[drumguy777]

Mike, thanks much for your reply. Attached the log...I ran attack from mars, and it was successful as always. I then tried playing ST:TNG (star trek) table and it did not open. 

Also attached the ini file. I have a three monitor setup. Playfield, a LCD DMD screen and then a backglass screen. I use DMDext for a clearer-looking DMD image. Other than that, I dont really know much about the pinballx settings -- so you might see something wacky that I maybe should change(?)

log.txt PinballX.ini

[scutters]

It might be the colon in ST:TNG (i seem to remember some sort of issue with colons)

Try removing that from the table description in game manager or database manager

[Mike_da_Spike]

your log only shows the launch of AFM, not ST TNG.

[drumguy777]

Mike, tried that and no go. Also, arabian nights does not have a colon either and thats the other table with the issue.

And yes, I also notice it doesn't even appear to start in the log -- I don't know why, but I assure you I did. And I checked multiple times after replicating the issue and every time, it shows the same thing. A few lines seem to be the same as when a table starts normally....it just doesn't ever send the command to the EXE to actually start the table. 

Ever seen this behavior before? And to mention again, the tables both work fine if started outside of pinballX. They even work in the game manager using "launch."

[Mike_da_Spike]

Never seen this behavibefore. Normally a launch of a table should be logged.

Can you post your database file, so I can try to reproduce your issue on my test machine ?

[drumguy777]

Mike, I didnt know which file would be the one you wanted so I just zipped the Databases directory and attached here. I think its only like 40 kb.

Thanks again for your help, even if you come up blank. 

Databases.zip

[scutters]

Not tried the database xml, but it looks ok to me at a glance... no rogue characters or anything.

You are using the B2S backglass in the front end, not sure if that is a factor here or not, but worth ruling out. In Pinballx\settings.exe go to Display Settings and set Use DirectB2S in front end to No. This will mean that in pinballx the backglass shown will be a video or image file rather than opening the actual backglass file (which can make navigation in pinballx a bit smoother). If you don't have any backglass images or videos don't worry about that now, can be sorted out later.

Post a new log and ini file after trying to launch a good table and a table with the problem after changing that setting.

Please also post a screenshot of your visual pinball\tables folder (just so we can see how table files and B2S files are named so just include them in the screenshot don't worry about the folders)

Thanks

 

[drumguy777]

Did the change as you said...unfortunately its still not playing the table. Attached the log. I first ran attack from mars, then arabian nights, then star trek. Then closed pinballX. Still doesn't seem to even try the command line execution.

Since this is a rare problem, I will probably just keep adding other tables and playing around with it myself -- id hate to keep taking up more of your time supporting for this, considering you are already offering it for free. When/if I get the solution I will certainly come back to report it. It could be due to an issue in adding those two tables to the tables list. When I first was adding tables, I didnt know the exact process, ie do I let the auto-discovery let it do it, and then click "import" for the vpx file, etc. So I may have corrupted something in the DB or something. 

Worse case I will reinstall it all clean, now that I know more how to do the table adding.

log.txt

[scutters]

Don't worry about it. This is interesting!..

I use VPX under 'other' systems, when i use your database xml there it works without issue. But when i try the same xml under the inbuilt Visual Pinball system it doesn't launch the table.

As logged, no launch under visual pinball system (no cmd line logged) and then successful launch using other system VPX for the same table using the same xml file;

17:34:55.18  11/06/2020:  Launch System
17:34:55.18  11/06/2020:  Hide DMD
17:34:55.18  11/06/2020:  Hide Topper
17:34:55.18  11/06/2020:  Not Hide Backglass!
17:34:55.18  11/06/2020:  Waiting for threads
17:34:55.18  11/06/2020:  Disposing display
17:34:58.59  11/06/2020:  Created DirectX BackGlass Window
17:34:58.63  11/06/2020:  Created DirectX DMD Window
17:34:58.68  11/06/2020:  Created DirectX Topper Window
17:35:18.50  11/06/2020:  Launch System
17:35:18.50  11/06/2020:  Hide DMD
17:35:18.50  11/06/2020:  Hide Topper
17:35:18.50  11/06/2020:  Not Hide Backglass!
17:35:18.50  11/06/2020:  Waiting for threads
17:35:18.50  11/06/2020:  Disposing display
17:35:18.93  11/06/2020:  C:\Visual Pinball\VPinballX.exe -minimized /play -"C:\Visual Pinball\Tables\Star Trek The Next Gen"

 

@Tom Speirs Any idea what's happening?

[Tom Speirs]

Looks like its because of missing file extensions in the xml. (.vpx/.vpt/.zip/.fpt)

It should work I suppose so will look at it but that is why.

Attack from mars works because there is a period (full stop) in the filename so although there is no extension it thinks there is.

Add the extensions and it should work and ill look at it too.

Its not right so don't worry. You helped me make a better product

[Mike_da_Spike]

Should there be an extension in the xml ? Never noticed it

[drumguy777]

Awesome! I can fix those two, star trek TNG and tales of arabian by adjusting the xml and adding the full file name with extension into the name there. Thank you guys for your detective work! And even though I edited the xml, I assume this could be done in the games manager as well, but ill let you confirm that for future users.

[scutters]

5 hours ago, Tom Speirs said:

Looks like its because of missing file extensions in the xml. (.vpx/.vpt/.zip/.fpt)

Hi Tom, is this a new thing?

I don't think i've seen file extensions in VP database xml before either, and i'm pretty sure they're not there in the sample databases you get with a fresh install. And why does the xml work if used under 'other systems'. Might be because of my mild hangover, but i'm a little confused.. 

[Tom Speirs]

My deduction is that will fix it but why this is happening is definitely another issue and I don't know. Basically PinballX checks if a valid file exists and wont launch it if it cant find it. however this validation is overridden with custom systems.

Its probably really that the files are not in the tables folder or have the wrong file name and we all got carried away!

[scutters]

5 hours ago, Tom Speirs said:

Basically PinballX checks if a valid file exists and wont launch it if it cant find it. however this validation is overridden with custom systems.

Ahh, didn't know 'other' systems bypassed some checks. That'd explain why the xml worked in my VPX system but not in the standard VP system. Thanks for the info. All makes more sense now