Won't launch cmd for dmdext after upgrade of PinballX

**chadman** · April 18, 2023

Today I updated to the latest PinballX. I'm not sure of my older version, but it was just about 1 year old. The upgrade went as normal and the fx3 tables launch fine, the dmdext just never starts. It kept all the same script options after the upgrade and if I launch a cmd window and run dmdext before I start an fx3 table with the same parameter's, it works fine. Any ideas what I might be missing? I have tried to disable the launch before and then turn it back on without any luck.

**Mike_da_Spike** · April 18, 2023

Can you please post your pinballx.ini and the log.txt where you launch a fx3 table?

**chadman** · April 18, 2023

Thanks Mike!

It looks ok in the logs file, but does not work. I can run a cmd windows and enter "C:\Pinball\vPinball\VisualPinball\VPinMAME\dmdext.exe mirror --source=pinballfx3 --no-virtual --destination pindmdv3 --quit-when-done" into it. This is a copy/paste from the log file and this will work when I start an fx3 table from PinballX. Not sure why PinballX is not launching this.

log.txt PinballX.ini

**Mike_da_Spike** · April 18, 2023

Thanks!

I'm not at the cab now, but i have fx3 with a pindmd3 as well, so will check it tomorrow morning if I have the same.

To be continued...

**chadman** · April 18, 2023

Thank you sir! I just restored my system to the time just before I did the PinballX update. I was able to confirm that cmd's do run fine and the dmd works as expected in FX3. So I can try another update anytime if you see anything that might fix that issue. Really, my system runs fine with the older version of PinballX, but figured I would checkout the update. As always, thanks for the help.

**Mike_da_Spike** · April 18, 2023

You can upgrade pinballx, but also downgrade it as well.

In the pinballx documentation that is shipped with pinballx, it will be explained.

So curious if you can pinpoint which updat it broke (or is it working with 5.85 and did 5.86 break it?)

**chadman** · April 18, 2023

My last update is PinballX Core - Version 5.41 x64 which has everything working. The most recent update is the only one I have tried. Happy to try another version if that helps.

**Tom Speirs** · April 18, 2023

If you can narrow it down it would help me and others if you have time. What type of DMD are you running? There were some changes to real dmds version before last.

**chadman** · April 18, 2023

1 hour ago, Tom Speirs said:

If you can narrow it down it would help me and others if you have time. What type of DMD are you running? There were some changes to real dmds version before last.

Tom, I'm happy to help, but not sure what install you want me to test. I really don't think it's the dmd not working because if I run the command before I launch PinballX it works on my pindmd3. Also the dmd displays video's fine in PinballX, but when I start an FX3 table, pinballx hides the display dmd, then it should launch the cmd for dmdext. Once I exit out of FX3, the dmd comes back on for PinballX.

**Tom Speirs** · April 18, 2023

I mean the last version that works for you. The XDMD changes were in 5.83. So I need to confirm I broke it.

**chadman** · April 18, 2023

14 minutes ago, Tom Speirs said:

I mean the last version that works for you. The XDMD changes were in 5.83. So I need to confirm I broke it.

Is there a way for me to access older versions to download and test? The working version I got is 5.41. I can try something newer that is less than 5.83, but not sure where to download it from.

**Tom Speirs** · April 18, 2023

Yeah, all the old versions are there. You just click the changelog then download.

**chadman** · April 18, 2023

44 minutes ago, Tom Speirs said:

Yeah, all the old versions are there. You just click the changelog then download.

Thanks for that! So I installed 5.81 and it worked fine. Then I installed 5.83 and the dmd breaks for FX3 again.

**Tom Speirs** · April 19, 2023

hmm.

Im not sure right now. Please try the attached though and post the log.

PS: Blame Mike!

PinballX.zip

**chadman** · April 19, 2023

33 minutes ago, Tom Speirs said:

hmm.

Im not sure right now. Please try the attached though and post the log.

PS: Blame Mike!

PinballX.zip 818.71 kB · 0 downloads

Here you go. I just backed up the orig dll and put this in the same dir. Hope that is what you wanted. Still didn't see the dmd start. And of coarse, ABM=Always Blame Mike.

log.txt

**Mike_da_Spike** · April 19, 2023

12 minutes ago, chadman said:

And of coarse, ABM=Always Blame Mike.

At least I'm not the only one with pindmd3 issues now ...

**Tom Speirs** · April 19, 2023

Thank you. Can you post your log and pinballx.ini

Are you using extdmd in PinballX or just the default install?

18 minutes ago, chadman said:

Here you go. I just backed up the orig dll and put this in the same dir. Hope that is what you wanted. Still didn't see the dmd start. And of coarse, ABM=Always Blame Mike.

log.txt 3.05 kB · 0 downloads

You appear to be using the wrong file. Should be 5.87.

**chadman** · April 19, 2023

Sorry about that. Think I got it right this time. I use the default install method. Thinking about this, I do see it launch my .exe file at startup and guess I could have a launch a .bat file instead that includes the .exe and the cmd line for dmdext.

log.txt PinballX.ini

**chadman** · April 19, 2023

I just created a simple batch file and tested it manually. It works fine, but PinballX does not launch it at game start. I also wanted to let you know that I call an app that lets you select the player number vs FX3 initially and that app makes the call to FX3 to load the table vs PinballX. I have been using this for well over a year without an issue. I can try to call FX3 directly to see if that helps.

**chadman** · April 19, 2023

I just tried to call the steam table directly this time and skip that .exe I started first to choose player number. I could not even get a table to launch doing that. Sorry for all the post, but wanted to let you know what I have tried so far. I attached the log of when I try to start a table directly and it only shows a black screen. If I alt/tab I do not see a steam window showing the table ever started. Hopfully I'm not makeing this more confusing. Good news is version 5.81 works perfect for me:)

log.txt

**Mike_da_Spike** · April 19, 2023

Is dmdext.exe starting when launching your fx3 table?

Tom was busy to fix an issue that I (and properly other have) that the real dmd was not closing down properly and causes that it was in use.

This normally happen with vpinmame, but same could happen with dmdext or flexdmd.

I could see in de dmddevice.log (for pinmame), that it gets an access denied when using the device, maybe dmdext will show something in the window as well

**chadman** · April 19, 2023

1 hour ago, Mike_da_Spike said:

Is dmdext.exe starting when launching your fx3 table?

Tom was busy to fix an issue that I (and properly other have) that the real dmd was not closing down properly and causes that it was in use.

This normally happen with vpinmame, but same could happen with dmdext or flexdmd.

I could see in de dmddevice.log (for pinmame), that it gets an access denied when using the device, maybe dmdext will show something in the window as well

Mike, I dont see it start at all. When I launch the table I can see my .exe start that lets you select the number of player, but never see dmdext start while looking at taskmgr. I created a .bat file and do not see that ever start either. I can run the .bat file first and see it start, then start pinballX and that will work for the first table. This is why I don't think it's really a dmd issue, but more of an issue using the launch before option. If I reinstall the older version of PinballX on top of the new one it works fine again. I could not find any dmd log file. It does run from my pinmame dir tho.

**Mike_da_Spike** · April 19, 2023

Gotcha, i didn't have time today, but will trst it tomorrow as well. I have also fx3 launcher with batch files for dmd etc.

**Mike_da_Spike** · April 20, 2023

I was still running on older version of PinballX (5.85, I can't keep up with Tom :P)

I tested the External launch :

5.85 - works
5.86 - works
5/87 - works

I enabled logging for DMDext and it is showing (for me), almost the same if I run a table for VPX:

2023-04-20 06:36:46.9771|INFO|DmdExt.DmdExt|Launching console tool v1.10.2
2023-04-20 06:36:47.0181|INFO|LibDmd.Output.PinDmd3.PinDmd3|Checking port COM1 for PinDMDv3...
2023-04-20 06:36:47.0181|ERROR|LibDmd.Output.PinDmd3.PinDmd3|Error: Access to the port 'COM1' is denied.
2023-04-20 06:36:47.0181|INFO|LibDmd.Output.PinDmd3.PinDmd3|Checking port COM3 for PinDMDv3...
2023-04-20 06:36:47.1441|INFO|LibDmd.Output.PinDmd3.PinDmd3|PinDMDv3 device not found.
2023-04-20 06:36:47.1441|WARN|DmdExt.Common.BaseCommand|Device PinDMDv3 is not available.
2023-04-20 06:36:47.1441|ERROR|DmdExt.DmdExt|No output devices available.

PinballX has still my PinDMDv3 in use and DMDext isn't able to use it
When I 'turn off' the real DMD for PinballX (by setting the com port in PinDMD.ini to a port that isn't used), DMDext is able to launch it.

2023-04-20 06:41:13.7244|INFO|DmdExt.DmdExt|Launching console tool v1.10.2
2023-04-20 06:41:13.7568|INFO|LibDmd.Output.PinDmd3.PinDmd3|Checking port COM1 for PinDMDv3...
2023-04-20 06:41:13.9186|INFO|LibDmd.Output.PinDmd3.PinDmd3|Found PinDMDv3 device on COM1.
2023-04-20 06:41:13.9186|DEBUG|LibDmd.Output.PinDmd3.PinDmd3|   Firmware:    REV-vPin-01014
2023-04-20 06:41:13.9186|DEBUG|LibDmd.Output.PinDmd3.PinDmd3|   Resolution:  128x32
2023-04-20 06:41:13.9186|DEBUG|LibDmd.Output.PinDmd3.PinDmd3|   Revision:    1014
2023-04-20 06:41:13.9186|INFO|LibDmd.Output.PinDmd3.PinDmd3|Colored 4-bit frames for PinDMDv3 enabled.
2023-04-20 06:41:14.0367|INFO|DmdExt.Common.BaseCommand|Added PinDMDv3 renderer.
2023-04-20 06:41:14.0438|INFO|LibDmd.RenderGraph|Setting up Render Graph for 1 destination(s)
2023-04-20 06:41:14.0560|INFO|LibDmd.RenderGraph|Connecting Pinball FX3 to PinDMD v3 (ColoredGray2 => ColoredGray2)
2023-04-20 06:41:14.0560|INFO|LibDmd.Input.MemoryGrabber`1|Waiting for Pinball FX3 process to start...
2023-04-20 06:41:14.0844|INFO|DmdExt.DmdExt|Press CTRL+C to close.

Can you check if your logs shows a bit the same ?

To enable log, make a copy of your dmdext.log.config (this config contains to log in a window)
replace it with the config file I attached. Launching DMDext will now make a log called DmdExt.log

Maybe with the info you provided, Tom can find the answer to this issue (that is bugging me for a very long time )

dmdext.log.config

**chadman** · April 20, 2023

Thanks Mike! I just did that test and it looks like maybe this is the same issues.

Here is the log of a table that failed with the latest version

Here is the log of how it works when I install 5.81 back on.

I also notice that VPX tables sometimes fail to launch the DMD, but work most of the time. Odd because it's not consistent.

Let me know if I can do anything else to help.

Won't launch cmd for dmdext after upgrade of PinballX

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