Visual Pinball table focus issues

[timekiller]

Playing whack-a-mole with Visual Pinball issues and pulling my hair out. My _current_ issue is that when I launch a table, especially from bigbox, The stacking order of windows is unpredictable. Sometimes the DMD is on top of the table as it should be. Sometimes it's behind the table and I have to alt-tab to bring it forward like below:

The bigger problem though, is when the table is behind bigbox and I can't bring it forward, like in this video:

These issues seem to go away if I run Visual Pinball as administrator, but that opens up a bunch of other issues (like having to run BigBox as admin so it can launch Visual Pinball). 

Is there any way to make the windows display in the right stacking order?

[JoeViking245]

Try disabling the Startup Screens.  Though I didn't notice them on in your 1st video for LaunchBox, they were definitely on for BigBox.

When editing the emulator in LaunchBox, in the main screen, Details, check that Attempt to hide console window.. is un-checked.

Then in the Startup Screen section, if you have Hide All Windows that are not in Exclusive Fullscreen Mode checked, you can try un-checking that without disabling the Startup Screen, first.  If there're still issues, then go back and disable the Startup Screens and see if that fixes it.

 

[timekiller]

Thank you for your response. I tried your suggestions, but unfortunately I'm no closer to a solution. I did uncheck the "Attempt to hide console window". "Hide All Windows that are not in Exclusive Fullscreen Mode" was already unchecked, so I disabled the Startup Screens.

Now when I launch a table, I get a "Loading Game" dialog on top of the Bigbox screen, and the table still loads behind everything and I can't alt-tab to it.

Just as above, this behavior is inconsistent. Sometimes the table appears on top and the DMD is behind. In that case I can alt-tab to get the DMD on top. When the DMD is on top, the table is behind and I can't alt-tab to it.

[JoeViking245]

1 hour ago, timekiller said:

Now when I launch a table, I get a "Loading Game" dialog on top of the Bigbox screen

That's a BigBox only option (Options - Game Startup - Show "Loading Game..." Message) that shouldn't affect what you're experiencing.  My guess is that it's more on an 'indicator' showing that [at least] something's happening.   In leu of displaying a Startup Screen.

Are you running a relatively recent version of VPX? 

I recall in the past that sometimes when loading a new table, the DMD would be behind the table.  I would need to Alt+Tab to the DMD, then mouse-click on the table to make it the active window.  Exit the table and then time it loaded, the windows were all in the correct z-order.

But that still doesn't explain why, when launching from LaunchBox it's fine. But when launching from BigBox, it's only intermittently fine.

 

I'm usually in LaunchBox when starting a VPX table.  But did just test a couple tables (one being Tron Legacy) through BigBox, without issue.  I have Startup Screens disabled and the Show "Loading Game..." Message is enabled.  Not sure I can be of much help.

Hopefully someone will have some ideas of what's going on.

[sundogak]

7 hours ago, timekiller said:

Thank you for your response. I tried your suggestions, but unfortunately I'm no closer to a solution. I did uncheck the "Attempt to hide console window". "Hide All Windows that are not in Exclusive Fullscreen Mode" was already unchecked, so I disabled the Startup Screens.

Now when I launch a table, I get a "Loading Game" dialog on top of the Bigbox screen, and the table still loads behind everything and I can't alt-tab to it.

Just as above, this behavior is inconsistent. Sometimes the table appears on top and the DMD is behind. In that case I can alt-tab to get the DMD on top. When the DMD is on top, the table is behind and I can't alt-tab to it.

The DMD behind the table and it being sporadic is an issue I have had both in and out of LB/BB. Even with just VPX running I have had that happen.  It always seemed to be some tables more than others and could work fine for awhile then not.  With three different programs running at same time (VPinMAME, VPX, BB/LB) and then anything else going on in Windows, it is prone to focus issues.  However, there are a couple ways to fix the DMD glitch. One of which is 100% but requires some table code edits to embed the DMD directly into the table window.  See this link. 

On the table itself losing focus, I have not had that prior (even with PUP Packs).  Usually, that is why the DMD gets out of whack is because the table wants to pull to front as priority.  I would try altering the VPX setting for running in exclusive mode vs window and see if one is working better than other.  Double check resolution setting.  Unlikely that is the problem as typically if issue there then would see across all tables.  I would also check you are using a recent version VPX and VPinMAME.  Definitely don't do the administrator hack as that will cause all other sorts of oddities in LB and VPX.  Although unlikely culprit, I would for testing purposes reduce the number of background applications running in Windows as they can pull focus.  Lastly, would double check your launch parameters for VPX in LB and try putting the -primary switch.  If only running one screen shouldn't matter but won't hurt as it tells VPX to focus on main screen.

-primary -minimized -play