[RESOLVED] Pinball X taking black PLAYFIELD screengrabs

[Itchigo]

I open the table and the game comes on. I am past the loading screen at this point. I don't use loading videos, only gif or png.

The table is fully open and I press Y to take a screenshot. The backglass screengrab is there, the playfield screengrab is black. Sometimes I get a picture of the loading screen with the table fully on (I'm not hitting Y too quick to get the loading screen). This problem was a problem before my graphics card issue. Attached is my screenshots, log and ini. I don't see the screengrab in the log. I'm running 6.11 right now.

 

 

I also had a prior problem with taking backglass screenshots- the DMD wouldn't come out, I never got it figured out. Right now my DMD isn't working entirely (Flex DMD, Ultra DMD) so I'll fix that next. (The DMD isn't hidden, it's not on entirely). I don't think it's related though.

 

log.txt PinballX.ini

[Mike_da_Spike]

I thought T9m was looking to get the screenshot better, as there where ,ore issues wirh it

How about using pbx recorder in the meantime? 

Setup that you only want to grab images, drag the vpx and drop it on the exe rhis should create the media as well

 

[Itchigo]

Gotcha, thanks. So it's a known issue and I can use this until there's a resolution.

[Mike_da_Spike]

Not sure if your specific issue is a known problem,  but I know there where some issues with capturing playfield images.

Scutters did a great job to keep pbx recorder up to date and add some other features. 

And I heard a rumor that he is looking to add these functions to DBM (Database Manager) as well... but as I said, it's a rumor 😉

[Itchigo]

I see. I'll take a look at PBX recorder when I get time. I don't use DBM, I edit my xml manually (I know, I'm a dinosaur...).

Screenshots are important because I'm ocd about it. I have 1,577 tables, so I should have 1,577 bg images, 1,577 wheels, etc. That's with no duplicates and I don't like reskins.

I may try to revert because, honestly a lot of the new features are lost on me. If I have a working system with preview images, I'm happy. I know Tom puts a lot into this, and I greatly appreciate it, but I don't need it to make toast in the morning.

[Draco1962]

9 hours ago, Itchigo said:

I may try to revert because, honestly a lot of the new features are lost on me. If I have a working system with preview images, I'm happy. I know Tom puts a lot into this, and I greatly appreciate it, but I don't need it to make toast in the morning.

If you revert you may void your warranty! 😛

I recommend keeping with the latest version as the original features are still there in addition to new. There are also changes in libraries, etc. that are required for OS updates in order to function properly. 

Besides, you have a great community to assist you that is "strong with the Force" and help you understand.

[Itchigo]

I hate to say it but I think I may have found the problem. If I take a screengrab with the game fully up, I sometimes get the loading screen- with the table fully on. If I wait longer I may get the table in the screenshot as normal. Given that, and long table loading times, I'm guessing my system is lagging. I just don't know if it's CPU or GPU. The tables play fine when they open. I finally got my DMD's working and everything.

I haven't tried the PBX tool yet, I wanted to get everything running right first. It would appear I'm back to normal, or slower than normal lol.

[Draco1962]

https://www.makeuseof.com/windows-11-check-ram-gpu-cpu-usage/#:~:text=Here's how you can check,usage%2C along with network info.

Might give you a clue or two. Launch it prior to launching PinballX and you should be able to Alt-Tab to it while running.

[scutters]

On 10/9/2024 at 1:00 AM, Itchigo said:

and long table loading times

Is the table loading normally but just behind PinballX initially (i.e. you can see the DMD running a while before the playfield shows) and is exclusive fullscreen checked in VPX video settings? 

Edit - if that's not it it's probably worth raising a new issue for the slow loading of tables (not that i have any other ideas if cpu/ram/gpu usage isn't very high either)

[Itchigo]

The table is loading normally, I can see and play the game as normal. When I take the screenshot the bg comes out perfect, but not the pf. The table is fully loaded and ready to play, but the screengrab is a black screen.

 

The loading time varies by table. You see the progress bar as the table starts. It seems to hang there or take a long time. If it's a JP table, no problem. If it's a VPW table, it can take as much as a full minute for the table to come up. Sometimes the table seem to lose focus and I have to click the pf. That may not be related.

 

While the table is trying to start I have core temp.exe running. It shows processor load and temp. While I'm waiting for my table I see 1 core at 100% load. That 100% load seems to change cores during the loading process. In other words the core at 100% seems to change during the table loading. I did overclock the cpu a bit to 3.6 from 3.4, which didn't seem to make much of a difference.

 

The PBX recorder seems to be geared to taking videos not screenshots. I don't do videos since I have so many tables, a screenshot is fine. I tried playing with exclusive fullscreen and it didn't seem to make a difference.

[Mike_da_Spike]

Can you post you pbxrecorder log file when it is  grabbing a black screenshot?

[Itchigo]

PBX Recorder isn't finding my XML.

PBXrecorder.log

[Itchigo]

After looking at things more closely, it looks like I have a focus issue. A lot of tables I have to click once they open to start them. Sometimes, I can take a pf screenshot- if I do it before clicking the table to start. Not all of the tables loose focus, but a lot do and I can't see why some do and others do not. The bg screengrabs work- the exception is the FlexDMD won't show on the bg screenshot.

This is through Pinball X, not PBX recorder.

My screens are configured correctly in Windows, but if I click the bg to position a dmd, the pf minimizes when I'm working on the bg. I never noticed this behavior before.

I may have to go into my b2s settings as well. Sometimes the b2s won't close with the table.

log.txt

[scutters]

12 hours ago, Itchigo said:

PBX Recorder isn't finding my XML.

I think that's because your VPX system type isn't set as Visual Pinball - change that in PinballX settings and then try.

On 10/12/2024 at 12:41 PM, Itchigo said:

While the table is trying to start I have core temp.exe running. It shows processor load and temp. While I'm waiting for my table I see 1 core at 100% load. That 100% load seems to change cores during the loading process.

The core(s) maxing out is probably the cause of the longer load times. As far as i'm aware PinballX already lowers it's CPU priority when a game is launched so not much can be done there. The only thing i can suggest is change the VPX launch parameters to 

-minimized /play -"[TABLEPATH]\[TABLEFILE]"

So VP is minimised while launching..  but tbh i can't see that making any more than a miniscule difference.

8 hours ago, Itchigo said:

Sometimes the b2s won't close with the table.

That might be the table script. Check the Table1_Exit routine - does it have a Controller.Stop line?

[Itchigo]

Ah Ha! So this is interesting...

It seems the black screenshot is only when running vpx tables. VP9 table screenshots seem to work fine for the pf and bg.

Another thing. I have vp9 tables under the #2 Visual Pinball in settings, and VPX is under other systems- custom .exe. If I put VPX in the #2 slot and vp9 in other systems, I get "VP can't load a file of that version" (for a VPX table).

If I just use #2 for VPX, and let the custom .exe line in my xml do the work, and don't enable other systems, Pinball X only sees the demo media and ignores my xmls entirely. I literally have 2 tables on the menu.

PinballX.ini log.txt

[scutters]

10 hours ago, Itchigo said:

If I just use #2 for VPX, and let the custom .exe line in my xml do the work, and don't enable other systems, Pinball X only sees the demo media and ignores my xmls entirely. I literally have 2 tables on the menu.

Did you enable system #2?, Ini file shows it as disabled.

The VPX systems #3 is still not set as a Visual Pinball systemtype as well

[System_2]
Name=Visual Pinball 9.21
WorkingPath=C:\Visual Pinball
TablePath=C:\Visual Pinball\Tables
Executable=VPinball921.exe
Parameters=/play -"[TABLEPATH]\[TABLEFILE]"
Enabled=False
SystemType=1
[System_3]
Name=VPX
WorkingPath=C:\Visual Pinball
TablePath=C:\Visual Pinball\VPX Tables
Executable=VPinballX.exe
Parameters=/play -"[TABLEPATH]\[TABLEFILE]"
Enabled=True
SystemType=4

The main / inbuilt VP system is enabled though (using VPinball995)

11 hours ago, Itchigo said:

It seems the black screenshot is only when running vpx tables. VP9 table screenshots seem to work fine for the pf and bg.

What version of VPX are you running (10.7 or 10.8, DX or GL)

[Itchigo]

Yes, it's enabled. I was playing with the settings. I am using the latest 10.8 vp (as of 2 weeks ago I think).

The only way my xml's are read correctly is to have the onboard vp (the one under FP) running 9.95. And the other systems running VPX.

I only have these 2 vp versions running and that's it. I used to have Mame and TPA, but they are disabled.

[Mike_da_Spike]

What Scutters is saying, is that your vpx system is set to "other system" instead of Visual pinball. This is why pbx tecorder skips it

1 hour ago, Itchigo said:

The only way my xml's are read correctly is to have the onboard vp (the one under FP) running 9.95. And the other systems running VPX.

That should not be the case. I dont have vp 9 running and all is working for me as well

[Itchigo]

If I VPX is set to Visual Pinball up top, I get "VP can't load a file of that version" (for a VPX table). That's why I have it in other systems.

Mame and VP 9.21 (in other systems) are not enabled. This cab started life as a vp9 cab, which is why they used to be there,

[Mike_da_Spike]

I can't imagine that If you set  only system 3 from 'other' to 'visual pinball,' , you get that error. It is just how pinballx thread that specisystem.

[scutters]

10 hours ago, Itchigo said:

If I VPX is set to Visual Pinball up top, I get "VP can't load a file of that version" (for a VPX table). That's why I have it in other systems.

Not sure we're talking about the same thing. I mean changing this setting to Visual Pinball;

[Itchigo]

On 10/16/2024 at 4:30 AM, scutters said:

Not sure we're talking about the same thing. I mean changing this setting to Visual Pinball;

 

PinballX.ini

[scutters]

@Itchigo

Ahh, i think you're using pbx recorder V1.6 as well.

Can you try V2.1 from this post - https://forums.gameex.com/forums/topic/28516-pbx-recorder-captures-playfield-backglass-and-dmd-videos-and-images/page/3/#comment-219011

 

[Itchigo]

You're right, I was on 1.6. I looked for the latest and thought that was it. I still get the same thing. It should be pointed at the same folder that my xml is in, right? I have that path correct (Pinballx/databases/VPX). Also from running this, it looks like it's geared towards videos, not screengrabs. I don't do video's on my cab. I only have screenshots.

Also, in other systems, when I change it to Visual Pinball from Custom .exe, Pinball X hangs. If I click the playfield (focus) then I have to CNTR/ALT/DEL to exit. When I exit that way, my taskbar is missing and I have to reboot to get it back.

[Mike_da_Spike]

I think you need to point it to the pinballx directory where the executable resists, not your xml