Quick tutorial for setting up Pinball Arcade

[Metalzoic]

NOTICE: This module works with The Pinball Arcade up to version 1.50.10 (released 6/13/2016). Farsight completely changed the UI of the game (very much for the worse) with version 1.50.11 (released 6/17/2016) so this module will no longer work from that version on. If using the Steam version and want to stay on this version to use this module you will need to keep a backup of the 1.50.10 version of the game as Steam will auto-update and overwrite your files. With a backup you can restore to 1.50.10 if you want. If yours has already updated and you didn't make a backup already then you're screwed.

THIS MODULE WILL NOT WORK WITH VERSIONS NEWER THAN 1.50.10

 

 

Pinball Arcade Tutorial

This module lets you make a Hyperspin system wheel for the Pinball Arcade. The module will launch the game, automatically navigate the TPA menu, automatically scroll to the table you chose and select it and then give you back control to play it. It also lets you escape out to the hyperpin wheel like any other system. Works perfectly. Here's how to set it up.

 

(1.) First update Pinball Arcade to (version 1.50.10 as of 6-13-16), run its config.exe to set your game settings and run the game outside of Hyperspin to make sure it's working right.

The latest official RocketLauncher module 2.1.0 doesn't seem to work right so use my newest custom module & matching .isd  linked below. Paste it into a text file and name it PinballArcade.AHK and the other PinballArcade.isd. Then place them in the RocketLauncher/Modules/Pinball Arcade folder (make sure to backup your old/existing files first).

**This module has all fixes, navigates the in-game menu to the table you chose perfectly, works with both DX9 and DX11 versions, has the nag-screen/pop ups disabled (for both Steam and non-Steam versions) and is updated with every single released table from seasons 1-5. The final table released for Season 5 was TX-Sector. 

 

 

(2.) Regardless of Steam or non-Steam version, DX9 or DX11 version, your .exe must be named PinballArcade.exe to work correctly (capital P, capital A and no spaces). This means that to get the much better looking DX11 version to work you will need to rename the actual .exe file. Go to Programs (x86)/Steam/Steamapps/Common/PinballArcade and rename PinballArcade.exe to PinballArcadeDX9.exe (or whatever you want to name it. This is just to make a backup). Then rename PinballArcade11.exe to just PinballArcade.exe. 

**This is the only file change you need to make. Nothing else needs to be changed or looked at in the Windows files/folders.

**If you are using a "special" non-Steam version then you may or may not need to rename the exe and certain module setting may or may not work (such as no-nag breaking the script). You might also need to give Admin rights to both TPA and/or RocketLauncher to get it to work (most people do not).

 

 

(3.) In RocketLauncher name the system Pinball Arcade and under the emulator tab set it to the Pinball Arcade module you want to use and check the Virtual Emulator box (for non-Steam versions of the game you must also add the path to your .exe), leave the rest blank. Then in RLauncher go to the Main Settings for Pinball Arcade. At the bottom of the screen change the Skip Checks setting to Rom and Emu (for non-Steam versions set it to Rom Only), Then under the Fade - General settings tab change Mute Emulator on Fade to True. 

 

 

(4.) In RocketLauncher make sure your module settings are correct (Full_Screen true or false, Pinball_Version DX9 or DX11, your Enter Key mapping, etc...). You can click on the individual ?'s to get more info about each setting. You also need to read and follow the other module notes.

**I highly recommend that everyone keep the Start_Game module setting set to FALSE so that the module always starts you at the tables attract screen. This way you have a chance to press alternate Start Buttons (Safecracker, Judge Dredd etc...), Choose a multiplayer game or change table settings if needed. If you have Start_Game set to True it will bypass all those options and you will have to quit the table to get back to the attract screen.

**It is normal for the tables to show up red under the Games tab in RocketLauncher. This is because this system does not use roms.

 

 

(5.) If you own every single Pinball Arcade table (including the latest) then you're all set. Just change the All_Tables module setting to TRUE and leave the My_Tables module setting blank. 

If you DO NOT own all of the tables then change All_Tables to FALSE and you must list every table that you do actually have in the My_Tables module setting. The tables must be listed exactly as they are named in the database, separated by a | symbol and in the exact order they scroll past in the in-game Pinball Arcade table selection menu. For example: Getaway, The - High Speed II (Williams)|Goin' Nuts (Gottlieb)| etc...

 

The easy way to do this would be to copy the My_Tables list I've added below in the code box (which is already correctly ordered and named) paste it into the Module settings and and then just delete the tables you don't have (just be sure to get it exactly right). If you don't have every table you own listed correctly, the module will not work.

**If you are using an older version of the game (prior to 1.50.6) that is lacking some tables, then you must manually delete the missing tables from the My_Tables list in the module and from the XML database.

 

You also need your starting table listed and named correctly in the Module. By default it is set as Addams Family, The (Williams) so if you own the Addams Family table you're all set. If not then you must change it to whichever table your game starts on alphabetically. There is no RocketLauncher setting for this so you must open the module itself in notepad, find the starting table line and manually change it matching the name exactly as it is in the database.

**If you aren't using the official Steam, up-to-date version then you're on your own making sure your database, My_Tables list and settings match your older "acquired" version.

 

 

(6.) Use my updated version of the database below. It is fully updated with all tables released.

**One change from older database versions is Starship Troopers is credited to Sega instead of Stern. Sega actually made the game, Stern just owns the rights to it. So if you're coming from an already setup Pinball Arcade version you'll need to re-name your Starship troopers Wheel, Art, Themes etc... to match this module/database. Starship Troopers (Sega)

If you would rather keep it as manufactured from Stern, then just change Sega to Stern in the database and My Tables list within the module itself.

 

Module: PinballArcade.ahk

http://pastebin.com/eesyJ7pJ

 

ISD: PinballArcade.isd

http://pastebin.com/hZvBHkmw

 

Database: PinballArcade.xml

http://pastebin.com/rv460E6f

 

 

The complete and correctly named My_Tables list:

Addams Family, The (Bally)|Attack from Mars (Bally)|Big Shot (Gottlieb)|Black Hole (Gottlieb)|Black Knight 2000 (Williams)|Black Knight (Williams)|Black Rose (Bally)|Bram Stoker's Dracula (Williams)|Bride of Pin-Bot (Williams)|Cactus Canyon (Bally)|Centaur (Bally)|Central Park (Gottlieb)|Champion Pub, The (Bally)|Cirqus Voltaire (Bally)|Class of 1812 (Gottlieb)|Creature from the Black Lagoon (Bally)|Cue Ball Wizard (Gottlieb)|Cyclone (Williams)|Diner (Williams)|Dr. Dude & His Excellent Ray (Bally)|Earthshaker (Williams)|El Dorado (Gottlieb)|El Dorado - City Of Gold (Gottlieb)|Elvira and the Party Monsters (Bally)|F-14 Tomcat (Williams)|Fireball (Bally)|Firepower (Williams)|Fish Tales (Williams)|Flight 2000 (Stern)|FunHouse (Williams)|Genie (Gottlieb)|Getaway, The - High Speed II (Williams)|Goin' Nuts (Gottlieb)|Gorgar (Williams)|Harley-Davidson, 3rd Edition (Stern)|Haunted House (Gottlieb)|High Roller Casino (Stern)|High Speed (Williams)|Hurricane (Williams)|Jack-Bot (Williams)|Judge Dredd (Bally)|Junk Yard (Williams)|Last Action Hero (Data East)|Lights... Camera... Action! (Gottlieb)|Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Sega)|Medieval Madness (Williams)|Monster Bash (Williams)|No Fear - Dangerous Sports (Williams)|No Good Gofers (Williams)|Party Zone (Bally)|Phantom of the Opera, The (Data East)|Pin-Bot (Williams)|Red & Ted's Roadshow (Williams)|Rescue 911 (Gottlieb)|Ripley's Believe It or Not! (Stern)|Safe Cracker (Bally)|Scared Stiff (Bally)|Space Shuttle (Williams)|Star Trek - The Next Generation (Williams)|Starship Troopers (Sega)|Tales of the Arabian Nights (Williams)|Taxi (Williams)|Tee'd Off (Gottlieb)|Terminator 2 - Judgment Day (Williams)|Theatre of Magic (Bally)|Twilight Zone (Bally)|TX-Sector (Gottlieb)|Victory (Gottlieb)|Whirlwind (Williams)|White Water (Williams)|WHO Dunnit (Bally)|Xenon (Bally)

Here are the links to the themes and wheel I made for this system:

http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/files/file/11084-pinball-arcade-main-menu-theme-169-metalzoic-20150527/

http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/files/file/11085-pinball-arcade-default-game-theme-169-metalzoic-20150527/

http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/files/file/11086-pinball-arcade-main-menu-wheel-169-metalzoic-20150527/

 

That should do it. Now that they've changed the UI this module won't work with 1.50.11 or future versions. It's been real.

EDIT: Updated 6/18/2016 with a notice of the UI change. 8/4 with clarification of some instructions.

[jimmyuk86]

I have followed all the steps..works perfect when tested in rocketlauncher, but when i load hyperspin, select the system (Pinball Arcade) and scroll through the menu of tables, i select the table i want to play and the screen freezes. The only way to get out of this is to minimize then maximize hyperspin and the scrolling is active again but will always freeze when selecting a table from the wheel art

[Metalzoic]

That's weird.

Are you trying to play the DX9 or DX11 version? Did you rename the exe if it's the DX11 version you're trying to play?

Have you already setup your screen resolution and settings within the Steam Pinball Arcade config utility?

Are you running the latest Hyperspin and RLauncher?

[jimmyuk86]

DX11 Version

Renamed the exe to PinballArcade.exe

Set up screen resolution in settings

Running latest Rlauncher but not 1.4 hyperspin

[Metalzoic]

Some people on the tPA forums are having issues needing to Alt into a full screen when they use weird resolutions or 16:10 displays.

Maybe that's the trouble?

Ah wait. Forgot a step in my guide.

Under the Main Settings for Pinball Arcade you need to have Skip Checks set to Rom and Emu.

Try that. I'll add it into the tutorial.

[jimmyuk86]

Yeah, have set Skip Check to Rom and Emu but still freezes. It loads using rocketlauncher and goes into full screen, selects table no problem. But its when i try to load the table within hyperspin itself is when i have the freezing problem. Game wheels freeze but video still plays. I have to minimize hyperspin then maximize it again to gain back control of the game wheel scrolling

[Metalzoic]

Yeah, have set Skip Check to Rom and Emu but still freezes. It loads using rocketlauncher and goes into full screen, selects table no problem. But its when i try to load the table within hyperspin itself is when i have the freezing problem. Game wheels freeze but video still plays. I have to minimize hyperspin then maximize it again to gain back control of the game wheel scrolling

OK. Give me a sec

In HyperHQ is everything blank under the emulator tab for Pinball Arcade?

Do you have the Mute Emulator on Fade setting under the fade general tab in RocketLauncher set to true?

What do you have the module settings in RocketLauncher set too? I'll post mine below.

[jimmyuk86]

Tried all blank also tried the settings on your screen dump but still the same.

 

Mute Emulator on Fade setting is set to false

 

If i set execution to hyperlaunch it says "cannot find hyperlaunch.exe"

[andyco40]

r u using hyperspin 1.3 or new one.

[jimmyuk86]

r u using hyperspin 1.3 or new one.

1.3

[Metalzoic]

Tried all blank also tried the settings on your screen dump but still the same.

 

Mute Emulator on Fade setting is set to false

 

If i set execution to hyperlaunch it says "cannot find hyperlaunch.exe"

So you have execution set to normal instead of Hyperlaunch in HyperHQ? That sounds like the problem. That also makes it sound like you might have a path wrong somewhere which can happen when someone is using RocketLauncher with 1.3 instead of 1.4. I'm not sure what that might be, but there are numerous topics about it. Not sure that's your issue, but it could be.

You also want the mute setting set to true (although I don't think that has anything to do with your issue)

EDIT: You don't have the Roms Only setting in HyperHQ checked do you?

[andyco40]

I had a problem with hyperspin 1.3 but then I update to 1.4 and it were ok after that, all is running fine.

[jimmyuk86]

Im baffled..just installed a fresh 1.4 and rocketlauncher..set it up for pinball arcade and instead of freezing, its as if you didnt select anything..nothing happens! Think im going to give up on this one. Thanks for all your help though Metalzoic and andyco40.

[Metalzoic]

Im baffled..just installed a fresh 1.4 and rocketlauncher..set it up for pinball arcade and instead of freezing, its as if you didnt select anything..nothing happens! Think im going to give up on this one. Thanks for all your help though Metalzoic and andyco40.

Emulator is set up in RL and pointing at the module and set as a virtual emulator? Module is set up? Database is set up? Is it still launching fine from RocketLauncherUI?

Do you have everything named right and matching? For example Pinball Arcade.xml (not PinballArcade.xml) or any of your Hyperspin media not named exact or something easy to overlook like that?

Ah, do you have Steam startup when windows starts up and keep it running in the background/task tray at all times? If not that could cause Hyperspin to lose focus when it tries to launch from the wheel which could explain why you needed to minimize/maximize afterwards (Steam causes that) and maybe is also causing it to not be able to start the game.

[Metalzoic]

Im baffled..just installed a fresh 1.4 and rocketlauncher..set it up for pinball arcade and instead of freezing, its as if you didnt select anything..nothing happens! Think im going to give up on this one. Thanks for all your help though Metalzoic and andyco40.

Maybe this might help:

In HyperHQ change all the wheels from normal execution to HyperLaunch. Then in your HyperSpin folder open the Settings file -> open the settings.ini -> under the [main] section find the key HyperLaunch_Path= . Change this key's value to be your full path to the RocketLauncher.exe. (i.e. HyperLaunch_Path=C:\RocketLauncher\RocketLauncher.exe)

[jimmyuk86]

Your comment about changing ini files gave me an idea...I persevered and thought id give the transitioning tool a go incase not everything changed over properly. Ran the tool, the report at the end said it changed 7 lines in some ini's somewhere. So i went in hyperHQ and changed Pinball Arcade wheel setting to hyperlaunch and now it works! Thanks for your help Metalzoic.

[Metalzoic]

Awesome, Glad to hear!

I would have been bummed if I typed up that mini-tutorial for nothing. Also Pinball Arcade 1.40.7 has a bug in it that causes Champion Pub to freeze and then crash the game. So if that happens to you don't freak, it isn't your setup that's causing it. I'm guessing they'll have an update/fix out soon. Just remember that everytime they update we have to rename those Steam exe files.

[Metalzoic]

Added a very important step into the tutorial that I completely forgot to put in.

5. If you own every single Pinball Arcade table you're set. If you don't own them all you need to make a change to the module so that the module can navigate the TPA menu correctly. Open the module and scroll down to these lines (generally between lines 130 and 160 depending on the module). You'll see my notes at the end of the command:

; Send, {%selectKey% Down}{%selectKey% Up}300{Down Down}{Down Up}100{%selectKey% Down}{%selectKey% Up}        ; use this line to navigate the Main menu if you don't own all tables/all seasons. comment this line out if you don't
Send, {%selectKey% Down}{%selectKey% Up}300{%selectKey% Down}{%selectKey% Up}        ; use this line instead to navigate the Main menu if you do own all tables/all seasons. comment this line out if you don't

If you do not own every table Put a ";" before the second line to disable that line. And delete the ";" in front of the top line to enable that line.

[Iggy]

When i get the chance ill put this in the tutorial section

[Metalzoic]

When i get the chance ill put this in the tutorial section

Would I still be able to update it there though? I'd hate to have to re-write it all everytime something changes.

[DazzPFR]

Thank you so much!

[Metalzoic]

Sure. Hope it helps!

[Iggy]

ill have to see...permissions are a little off...for time being since you wont be able to it edit it at its current state...let me know what needs to change in the future if thats ok with you.  Ill be looking at permission issue once the backlog of tutorials are up and i finalize the layout of the tutorials section.

[Metalzoic]

New build of Pinball Arcade is up.

Version 1.40.9

Champion Pub is fixed.

SafeCracker glitches fixed

Language settings doe DX11 version

So remember to rename your .exe's to make the DX11 version work with the module again.

I'll update the tutorial now.

[Metalzoic]

Updated to newest custom module. I submitted my changes on the RLauncher forum so these changes should be in the next official module version, ut for now use this one.

Added a link to the matching custom ISD needed.

Updated some instructions.

Word