[GUIDE] Setup Zen Pinball FX Classic and Pinball FX Midnight in PinballX (steam version)

[DakotaPinball]

11 hours ago, Mike_da_Spike said:

Edit the post and delete my previous response

I tested it again, but now with correct parameters :

As you can see in the video, it is launching for 2 players

Did you enable cabinet mode In Pinball M ?

I would say yes, I have it activated because the menu appears and when I play without pinball X I can even choose the number of players and everything.
And what are your correct parameters? They are like the ones in my PinballFX3Launcher.ini file.

PinballFX3Launcher.ini

[Mike_da_Spike]

I reviewed your initialization file this morning, and it appeared correct.

Please follow the procedure demonstrated in the video: open a command prompt, navigate to your Steam directory, and execute steam.exe using the parameters shown in the video.

This should resolve the issue. If the problem persists, a malfunction with your pinball machine is suspected.

[DakotaPinball]

3 hours ago, Mike_da_Spike said:

I reviewed your initialization file this morning, and it appeared correct.

Please follow the procedure demonstrated in the video: open a command prompt, navigate to your Steam directory, and execute steam.exe using the parameters shown in the video.

This should resolve the issue. If the problem persists, a malfunction with your pinball machine is suspected.

I found the error in my .ini file.
Wrong
TEXT=2 Players (Hotseat)
ENABLED=1
PARAM=-gamemode hotseat_2

Correct
TEXT=2 Players (Hotseat)
ENABLED=1
PARAM=-hotseat_2

Thanks for your help again @Mike_da_Spike

[Mike_da_Spike]

6 hours ago, DakotaPinball said:

I found the error in my .ini file.
Wrong
TEXT=2 Players (Hotseat)
ENABLED=1
PARAM=-gamemode hotseat_2

Correct
TEXT=2 Players (Hotseat)
ENABLED=1
PARAM=-hotseat_2

Thanks for your help again @Mike_da_Spike

That's odd, as the parameter should be "-gamemode hotseat_2" instead of "-hotseat_2"
same as the other parameters,

I see i your INI file as well "-class -hotseat_2", this doesn't make sense as classic mode doesn't have players selection, thats only hotseat
the other parameters that Pinball FX has (like "-gamemode Challenge_BallLimited") should also work.
There are more mode's especially for PinballM, but couldn't find the parameter of it)

[DakotaPinball]

11 hours ago, Mike_da_Spike said:

That's odd, as the parameter should be "-gamemode hotseat_2" instead of "-hotseat_2"
same as the other parameters,

I see i your INI file as well "-class -hotseat_2", this doesn't make sense as classic mode doesn't have players selection, thats only hotseat
the other parameters that Pinball FX has (like "-gamemode Challenge_BallLimited") should also work.
There are more mode's especially for PinballM, but couldn't find the parameter of it)

Don't download the zip here, I don't know the ways if they are good or not the truth.
Could you pass me your ahk from your launcher?

[Mike_da_Spike]

10 hours ago, DakotaPinball said:

Don't download the zip here, I don't know the ways if they are good or not the truth.
Could you pass me your ahk from your launcher?

Check the first post in this thread; that's where my files are.

[DakotaPinball]

On 22/4/2025 at 3:54, Mike_da_Spike said:

Revisa la primera publicación en este hilo; ahí es donde están mis archivos.

 

PinballFX3Launcher.ini

[pindapoe]

Hello, 

I noticed that Pinball FX added some more Williams tables some days ago, anyone has a database updated? 

Thanks!

[Mike_da_Spike]

7 hours ago, pindapoe said:

Hello, 

I noticed that Pinball FX added some more Williams tables some days ago, anyone has a database updated? 

Thanks!

I don't have a full XML for you, but the tableID's are listed here : https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3024571947 

maybe with this list, you can add them and post them to the community
 

[pindapoe]

Thanks for that tableID, here you are

Pinball FX.xml

[DakotaPinball]

Sorry for the delay, but I'm only getting around to it in my spare time; work takes up what little free time I have. PinballFXLauncherV10 still works with Pinball FX Midnight, but since I updated it a few days ago (yes, I know it changed its name months ago, but I couldn't update until recently), it stopped working. I imagine it's because the name changed from PinballM to Pinball FX Midnight.

I asked chatgpt and gemini, but after several hours of trying everything and it just kept stopping, I had to uninstall and reinstall Pinball FX Midnight. That's why I'm asking here now. I don't mean to bother anyone, but I don't know what else to do. I downloaded PinballFXLauncherV10 again and deleted everything because the AI messed it all up, and there's no solution (yes, my mistake for not making a backup). Could someone share their AHK file with me? I'll change the directory where I have Steam with Pinball FX Midnight.

[Mike_da_Spike]

You don't need the ahk file, but the exe file and setup all in the ini

[Mike_da_Spike]

 

On 7/15/2026 at 1:53 AM, DakotaPinball said:

I asked chatgpt and gemini, but after several hours of trying everything and it just kept stopping, I had to uninstall and reinstall Pinball FX Midnight. That's why I'm asking here now. I don't mean to bother anyone, but I don't know what else to do. I downloaded PinballFXLauncherV10 again and deleted everything because the AI messed it all up, and there's no solution (yes, my mistake for not making a backup). Could someone share their AHK file with me? I'll change the directory where I have Steam with Pinball FX Midnight.

Not sure what you mean by PinballFXLauncherV10. Is that the very old AHK‑based launcher that relied on key presses?
If you’re still using that version, I strongly recommend switching to Joyrider’s PinballX Launcher instead. It’s not an AHK script but a proper Pascal application, and it launches Pinball FX Midnight directly through Steam’s APPID, that ID did not change when the game was renamed.

You can download the latest version here: https://github.com/joyrider3774/PinballX_Launcher_app

The only thing that changed is the executable name in and you need to adjust that within PinballX. Under Process to Monitor, make sure it is set to: Pinball FX Midnight.exe
EDIT: incorrect. the Process to Monitor still stays PinballM-Win64-Shipping.exe

At the moment it’s difficult to understand what your exact issue is, especially since you mentioned spending several hours trying things with AI. To help you properly, we’ll need some concrete information.

If you launch tables directly through PinballX (without extra tools), please attach:

• your PinballX log showing an attempted launch of a Pinball FX Midnight table

• your pinballx.ini

If you are using Joyrider’s launcher and it still doesn’t work, take the parameters you configured and test them first by launching Steam from the command line.
Make sure the command line correctly starts Pinball FX Midnight.
If that works, migrate those parameters into Joyrider’s launcher and test the launcher itself from the command line with a table name.
Once that works, you can add the launcher back into PinballX.

Right now there’s not enough detail to see what’s going wrong.
It would really help if you open a new thread in the General section with all relevant details, your logs, and your configuration files, so we can follow the issue step‑by‑step.

Please also describe exactly what is going wrong, what you click, what you expect to happen, and what actually happens.
Without that information, a log file alone won’t tell us whether the problem is in PinballX, the launcher configuration, Steam parameters, or something else entirely.

Edited Thursday at 07:23 AM by Mike_da_Spike
updeted incorrect text

[Mike_da_Spike]

@DakotaPinball I updated my previous message, as it was a bit short

Edit :
I did a test on my laptop
I added Pinball M as described in the first post
Steam gave me a hardtime as it stayed in the following :

A reboot fixed the issue.
I needed to launch it once from Steam completely, so all the screens and other prompts were completed.
After that, I was able to launch tables from the attached XML file in post1 from PinballX.

[DakotaPinball]

Hace 54 minutos, Mike_da_Spike dijo:

 

No estoy seguro de lo que quieres decir con PinballFXLauncherV10. ¿Es ese el antiguo lanzador basado en AHK que se basaba en las pulsaciones de teclas?
Si todavía estás usando esa versión, te recomiendo encarecidamente que cambies a PinballX Launcher de Joyrider. No es un script AHK, sino una aplicación Pascal adecuada, y lanza Pinball FX Midnight directamente a través de APPID de Steam, ese ID no cambió cuando se cambió el nombre del juego.

Puedes descargar la última versión aquí: https://github.com/joyrider3774/PinballX_Launcher_app

Lo único que cambió es el nombre ejecutable y necesita ajustarlo dentro de PinballX. En Proceso a monitorear, asegúrese de que esté configurado en: Pinball FX Midnight.exe
EDITAR: incorrecto. El proceso a monitorear sigue siendo PinballM-Win64-Shipping.exe

En este momento es difícil entender cuál es tu problema exacto, especialmente porque mencionaste pasar varias horas probando cosas con IA. Para ayudarte adecuadamente, necesitaremos información concreta.

Si lanzas tablas directamente a través de PinballX (sin herramientas adicionales), adjunta:

• su registro de PinballX que muestra un intento de lanzamiento de una tabla Pinball FX Midnight

• Tu pinballx.ini

Si estás usando el lanzador de Joyrider y sigue sin funcionar, toma los parámetros que configuraste y pruébalos primero iniciando Steam desde la línea de comandos.
Asegúrese de que la línea de comandos inicie correctamente Pinball FX Midnight.
Si eso funciona, migre esos parámetros al lanzador de Joyrider y pruebe el propio lanzador desde la línea de comandos con un nombre de tabla.
Una vez que eso funcione, puedes añadir el lanzador de nuevo a PinballX.

En este momento no hay suficientes detalles para ver qué va mal.
Realmente ayudaría si abrieras un nuevo hilo en la sección General con todos los detalles relevantes, tus registros y tus archivos de configuración, para que podamos seguir el problema paso a paso.

Por favor, describa también exactamente lo que está mal, en qué hace clic, lo que espera que suceda y lo que realmente sucede.
Sin esa información, un archivo de registro por sí solo no nos dirá si el problema está en PinballX, la configuración del lanzador, los parámetros de Steam o algo completamente diferente.

Thanks, I'll try it. I'll let you know how it goes tonight and attach the files you mentioned if it doesn't work.

[Mike_da_Spike]

7 minutes ago, DakotaPinball said:

Thanks, I'll try it. I'll let you know how it goes tonight and attach the files you mentioned if it doesn't work.

no rush. 
it will work, if you have the official Steam files, and follow the procedure from post #1
if that works, you can go a step further and use Joyrider his launcher

[DakotaPinball]

Hace 8 horas, Mike_da_Spike dijo:

No hay prisa. 
Funcionará si tienes los archivos oficiales de Steam y sigues el procedimiento del mensaje n.° 1.
Si funciona, puedes ir un paso más allá y usar Joyrider, su lanzador.

Si me funciona, ahora abre la tabla seleccionada.

Como dices, para llevar Joyrider un paso más allá y poder seleccionar el modo de juego o varios jugadores, imagino que esto es Joyrider.
Pero, ¿cómo lo ejecuto?
Lo siento, pero estaba acostumbrado a PinballFX.
Launcher

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eARxxlZ0Jyr5pB1LnPMZM8jr4PWGrGk3/view?usp=sharing
I've included a video; it takes a while to load, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. What I don't know is how to set up the DMD, since it changes size when there are two or more players.

[Mike_da_Spike]

16 hours ago, DakotaPinball said:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eARxxlZ0Jyr5pB1LnPMZM8jr4PWGrGk3/view?usp=sharing
I've included a video; it takes a while to load, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. What I don't know is how to set up the DMD, since it changes size when there are two or more players.

The load time depends on your system, it’s not caused by any setting.
I’ve noticed it takes a long time on my laptop as well.
FX3 used to launch tables almost instantly, but the current FX version is much slower. I guess we were spoiled by those old fast load times

i tested on my machine and I could launch all tables 

[DakotaPinball]

On 12/1/2023 at 2:38 AM, joyrider3774 said:

@Mike_da_Spike here are the other game modes, they seem to be working now and they had enough time to fix the issues so i'm telling them now. I've gotten these directly from the exe and i tested the challenge modes, they seem to be working (again) now at least if i tested them with biolab table

 

Challenge_BallLimited -> 1 ball challenge
Challenge_TimeLimited -> 5 minute time challenge
Challenge_DistanceLimited -> distance challenge
Challenge_FlipLimited -> flips challenge
Hotseat_2 -> 2 player hotseat
Hotseat_3 -> 3 player hotseat
Hotseat_4 -> 4 player hotseat
Practice -> practice
Pro -> pro mode (not sure if this one works but it was in the exe)
Classic -> classic mode

Do you know the game modes of Pinball FX Mindnight?
 

Segun veo en el menu de pinball fx midnight:

classic, arcade, practice,

and then this Classic Challenges

- Flips

- Distance

- Balls

- Time

 

PINBALL MODE FX MIDNIGHT

-Fear - Rescue - Survival - Madness - Chill

I mean the game modes that it puts internally as ballLimited
 

[DakotaPinball]

6 hours ago, DakotaPinball said:

¿Conoces los modos de juego de Pinball FX Mindnight?
 

Segun veo en el menu de pinball fx medianoche:

clásico, arcade, práctica,

y luego estos desafíos clásicos

- Volteretas

- Distancia

- Pelotas

- Tiempo

 

MODO PINBALL FX MEDIANOCHE

-Miedo - Rescate - Supervivencia - Locura - Escalofrío

Me refiero a los modos de juego que coloca internamente como ballLimited
 

Thanks, I've located them all.

[Mike_da_Spike]

12 hours ago, DakotaPinball said:

Thanks, I've located them all.

Can you share them? My guess is it's the same as for FX, but if they are different, I will add them to the first post.

[DakotaPinball]

10 hours ago, Mike_da_Spike said:

¿Puedes compartirlas? Supongo que son las mismas que para FX, pero si son diferentes, las añadiré a la primera publicación.

I haven't played Pinball FX yet, so I can't tell you much about it, but here's what I have:

Turn-Based Gameplay
2 Players - gamemode hotseat_2
3 Players - gamemode hotseat_3
4 Players - gamemode hotseat_4

Game Modes
Classic - gamemode classic
Arcade - gamemode pro
Practice - gamemode practice

Classic Challenges
Flip Challenges - gamemode Challenge_FlipLimited
Distance Challenges - gamemode Challenge_DistanceLimited
Ball Challenges - gamemode Challenge_BallLimited
Time Challenges - gamemode Challenge_TimeLimited

MIDNIGHT Challenges
Dread Challenges - gamemode Challenge_Dread
Rescue Challenges - gamemode Challenge_Rescue
Survival Challenges - gamemode Challenge_Survival
Challenges of Madness - gamemode Challenge_Madness
Shiver Challenges - gamemode Challenge_Shiver
----------------------

I'm including a screenshot of the menu because, according to what I read on page 1, Joyrider3774 modified the selection boxes at your request, and if I'm not mistaken, it said it could be 4x3, 4x5, or 5x4 (the last one is what I need for the menu, since my image is 800 x 1000 pixels, but it doesn't appear to be larger than 800 x 600).

[Mike_da_Spike]

I'm not a visual artist, but I made the following out of your images (adjust the background a bit)


And one with round tiles :

Added both to the first post as well