sundogak

Pinball for most part is not fully portable whether you are talking Future Pinball, VPX, or Zen Pinball FX. You can make them "kinda" portable at least for FP and VPX. VPX and VPinMAME all install things in Windows Registry. VPX is getting better about saving things outside registry but still need to re-run installer (or Baller installer) on any new setup and you may need merge registry settings depending on how setup initially. For example this key: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Freeware\Visual PinMame has DMD positioning information that VPX uses by default unless you setup a DMDDevice.ini file in your Visual Pinball\VPinMAME directory. At that point uses the file vs registry. Make sure you setup things so consistent drive mapping for both tables and the executables. I personally would never put anything in the Launchbox directory, especially pinball stuff. I map a "G" drive. That has LB, emulators, and all ROMs/Tables to run things. Moving to new computer is easier and keeps things organized. My "emulators" directory contains my pinball executable and setup files. For Tables I install each in their own folder. If you look at guides particularly at the pinball sites and even some very long term VPX folks, they will swear the world will stop revolving if you put tables in folders. I have +1K tables in folders and all work fine both for FP and VPX. Plus it is massively messy to do it the "right" way as all files such as back glass (B2S) and VPX tables get thrown in the root of the tables directly, it is insane to manage. VPX looks first there for anything it needs in the folder where the table is located and if not three looks to where it normally expects the file as fallback There are two exceptions to this: Music and Scripts. Music has to go in the Music folder and not in sub table folder. Music is still hard coded in the table code so unless you want to edit table code, placing where expected is quickest/easiest. Scripts are the other (vbs extension). I have found MOST times any scripts specific to the table can go in the same folder as the table. However, if a table author hard coded a path in their table then I have had a few tables gag if not in proper Scripts folder (usually ones I didn't keep anyway). My setup looks like this (and is one of myriad of ways to do it): If you have back glasses then if you name a "res" file the same as the table VPX will look there first and use those settings before it uses the general settings.txt file. Similarly for the B2STableSettings.xml. The "directb2s" file is the back glass and typically should be the name of the VPX table. It also helps immensely to put a note in directory (or in the file name for VPX table) as to the version of table. Your future self will thank you. I also put notes to indicate if using a color DMD or PUP Pack. Don't need that if have a few tables but it makes life easier for upkeep/version control. Overall I would would go and install the baller installer if not up to speed on all this. Make sure to use the beta Nov 2023 version as there have been lots of updates to VPX, B2S, and DMD code. Don't be thrown off on the "beta" term. ballerinsallv2311 [PinUP Virtual Pinball System] (nailbuster.com). Follow the guide here. baller_installer [PinUP Virtual Pinball System] (nailbuster.com) That will get you the key pieces of software all installed so things will work even for things you think you may not want right now (say PinupPopper, PinupPlayer, DOF). Then suggest you setup 5 or 6 tables in folder format you want to use and see how things go both outside LB and then getting things imported. Then it is wash and repeat after that. When you get cab you will have to revisit the res and DMD positioning aspects, as well as alter your VPX windows (to 3 screens) and controller mappings but you will have the base tables setup.

No, nothing that you will be able to slot directly in from a TV setup to a cab. Monitor resolutions, DMD placement, back glass setup and positioning for cab will be different than one screen TV setup. If you did a pre-cab setup with two screens so you have the back glass working you can adjust the resolutions specific to cab. But either way you will have work to do to manage.

No, you cannot leave them zipped. Those zip files contain B2S files (back glass) and music in many cases along with media. They also tend to have multiple versions in same zip (i.e. v1.01, 1.2). VPX will not know what to do with files inside the zip. VPX expects files to be in specific locations, particularly music. Stick with the folders that have "VPX" in title. Skip the others such as VP1 through VP9 and ignore VPX lower version number tables by same author. Most of the tables from VP9 and earlier have been redone in VPX at this point. There is also no reason to have 5 different versions and it will just result in a lot of extra stuff to manage. Future Pinball has advantages in some cases. Particularly now with BAM which patches some of the limitations of Future Pinball's ancient version (last updated in 2009). I have both installed, but as for tables for most part they will all be in VPX if they are recreations. Some original FP tables are not available in VPX (i.e., SlamT1LT's FP tables). I would initially stick with VPX if starting off down the pinball path.

Baller installer just gets VPX up an running with various all in one install sub components (e.g., DMDext, FlexDMD, VPinMAME). VPinMAME is key item that needs to be installed whether you use all in one or do separately. Pinup Popper is a component in the baller pack but you don't have to use it. As to LB, that is completely separate and has nothing to do with the baller installer. Outside of LB you should make sure you have a working install of VPX whether you use the all in one or otherwise. Once that is done then for LB you have to do two things: setup VPX as an "emulator" import VPX extension tables into LB. There a variety of threads on #1 but briefly this is what looks like: Key is under the "Default Command Line Parameters you enter this (note: the primary key tells VPX to play table on main monitor, not needed for one screen but doesn't hurt either): -primary -minimized -play You will see some older threads using AHK and plugins to launch, that is no longer needed with the above. For #2: you import games into LB having LB only look/import VPX extension files (the VPX tables). An example for The Addams Family looks like below: Lastly, media for Future Pinball and Visual Pinball is not simple and requires a lot of manual care and feeding. The LB database has some of the "real" pinball tables such as The Addams Family but overall you won't see a simple import into LB and search DB for media and all comes in with complete sets process. Look in the download section for various sets. Also the more your tables stick to the "Back to the Future (Data East 1990).vpx" naming convention the more likely packs done by others will match more readily. But overall there is no "standard" for pinball media (which Pinup Popper does help with).

Your Daphne log file almost always will give clue as to what is going on. It should be in same folder as your exe. You should double check you have complete VLDP set (video and audio files in VLDP folder). The OGG file (typically this format) is the sound and needs to be exactly the same name as the M2v file (video). If missing, not named the same, or an OGG file from different version of the m2V file then will get no sound.

You can use this plugin here which I have used quite a bit particularly to keep my pinball media standardized format. It won't force LB to do by default but you can rename things after the fact.

1) the MAME setup within LB was relatively new feature so likely not the case. The auto install used a command line within LB that bypassed the ini files; but if you made changes to the INI and it worked then can ignore comment. 2) Not really sure why that is working but if gets you what want then all good. Windows display numbers can be wonky and had in the past the "primary" monitor show up as #2 for listing. I use a utility called UltraMon to help with things but not needed if you got it working. 3) Open a DOS command window and go to your directory where you MAME.exe is located. Then type the command referenced. Basically launching MAME via command window and outside of LB.

In your MAME.INI file you can force screen selection (assuming didn't use LB auto MAME setup): # # OSD PER-WINDOW VIDEO OPTIONS # screen \\.\DISPLAY1 aspect auto resolution auto view auto Also can launch MAME in verbose mode within command prompt and should see a list of what MAME believes to be your monitors and which is primary (my snip of output for 2 screens) mame.exe -v Video: Monitor 256319547 = "\\.\DISPLAY1" (primary) Video: Monitor 477761167 = "\\.\DISPLAY2" You shouldn't need to do this as the "screen" with no number tells MAME this is the default monitor. However, you can also indicate which screen (for two or more screen setup) is mapped to physical monitor based on verbose output above: screen0 \\.\DISPLAY1 aspect0 auto resolution0 auto view0 auto screen1 \\.\DISPLAY2 aspect1 auto resolution1 auto view1 auto

Updated media and install info with release of December tables (11 tables including 2 South Park tables released earlier). Also updated instructions as a patch added a "physics" switch as well as some additional Game Modes.

Somewhere I got these on the LB site and believe they were from this large pack (but not seeing them in the zip, so not sure where got them). No way to make default per se but mine are named same as playlist "Nested Name" in the playlist edit box (i.e., "Europe", "Asia") and in LB\Images\Platform Icons\Platforms\ So if you have nested names all consistent under different platforms it should pick up that icon without having to duplicate for every platform.

LB itself is relatively portable assuming you have the required files needed by LB already installed. You also to make sure your drive mapping across all computers is the same. For example, I run mine off a "G" Drive and map those accordingly on any other computers. LB has a feature to move things to to another drive. I have never used as I had setup LB initially on separate drive. However, you have the emulators to contend with to make sure setup in portable configuration. LB has no control over those and although LB may run fine the emulator may crunch if not setup correctly. Most emulators can be setup as portable installs although some require you to make an conscious decision to do so when you install them. Others such as (off top of my head) things like Future Pinball and Visual Pinball require windows installations although the files such as tables/media can be on remote drive. You also have to make sure you are running any other computers in similar a configuration as to what the emulators were setup for things such as monitor resolution or you may have issues moving back and forth between other systems.

I would avoid a pre-configured drive. You won't get much (if any) help from the vendor for questions and they are invariably setup in ways that a person new to process will not be able to easily figure out or troubleshoot. You also won't get much help in most forums (including here) because it is difficult to answer questions for those "kit" systems. Particularly if you are jumping to an arcade cabinet and controllers vs just running on PC. You can use Launchbox free to try it. The features disabled in non-paid versions won't prevent you from getting things setup. Launchbox is ultimately "just" an emulator launcher but includes components to make the integration easier and polished (particularly for MAME and Retroarch). Think of it as the hub but by itself it cannot run games without emulators. Thus, you have to have some familiarity with the underlying emulators such as MAME and Retroarch. If things don't work in the emulator they won't work in LB. There are many threads here on how to work various emulators with LB. For iPAC setups there are several threads in the forums here on how that is done as well users who have way more familiarity than I do. But basically you have it reversed in that if you need to change ipac profiles (say from keyboard to xinput) you tell LB either via command line, batch file, or AHK setup. Again, more knowledgeable people on the threads or someone can chime in on this thread. Start off with several key systems such as MAME for arcade and Retroarch for things like cartridge based systems (Atari 2600, NES, Super NES). These tend to be simpler to get going as LB has some integration for installation built in. Media packs are available via LB Download section and LB database so you can get a good BigBox experience quickly. MAME + LB + iPAC should also be relatively straightforward as well.

There is plugin for this now:

Are you using Windows 7? if so there is another thread here (short version is cannot use 3.9 and Windows 7):

Use EmuSync:

what version of CEMU are you using? And...you went to that link and your windows for scripts are setup as noted in my more detailed post?

@JD78 with latest builds past 2.0 Alt F4 no longer works. See thread here. TL;DR this works ESC:: { SetTitleMatchMode, 2 WinWaitActive, Cemu WinClose }

Best to visit the ExoDos Discord site. https://discord.com/invite/37FYaUZ Plus 6.0 version is out as well that substantially changes install vs 5.0

It is Tarcisio format/style. This Photoshop PSD is one modified over time to include pinball logo platform logos. Tarcisio Style Wheel_1000x1000_My Template.psd

A few more, plus rings.