Help with Future Pinball Wrapper in Mala Please [SOLVED!!]

[Wade007]

[EDIT] See final solution at the end of the comment posts.

Well, I have Future Pinball working in Mala but I need help tweaking the Future Pinball Wrapper found here:
http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Wrappers

Initially, I got FP working by just using the presets in Mala. Trouble is Mala lost Focus and the Future Pinball tables weren't playable.

Enter the wrapper. Seems to have fixed the problem but the splash screen (Future Pinball Wrapper.bmp) doesn't show up on load up. I'm not sure if I even have this wrapper set up right to begin with. The splash screen didn't seem to load so I thought there might be a resolution mis-match with my monitor so I resized the .bmp image in Photoshop to match my screen resolution and then tried renaming it without spaces while matching the name in the AHK wrapper code. Still no go.

The text file that comes with the Wrapper is only helpful to a limited extent. Very brief with some choppy English. Hard to decipher in places.  

My Mala/Other Emu Config setting are as followings:
Basics tab;
Name - Future Pinball
Executable - C:\Arcade\Future Pinball\Future Pinball Wrapper.ahk
Rom Path - C:\Arcade\Future Pinball\Tables
Rom Extensions - fpt

Execution tab;
Pre commands - (empty)
Command line - /open "%path%\%rom%.%ext% /play /exit (Mala preset for Future Pinball)
Window state - Hidden

The wrapper files (both .exe and .ahk) are in the root directory of Future Pinball with 'Future Pinball.exe' as well as the Splash image that doesn't seem to ever show. How do I get it to show up to cover the ugly Future Pinball load up screens? Right now everything behaves the same as if I point Mala directly to the Future Pinball.exe file. I even tested it later and the focus issue went away. Weird.

Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong here? Is the wrapper fully implemented? The focus issue seems to have gone away but I'm not sure if I'm even using this Wrapper at all yet. Am I setting this up right? What tweaks have others here done to improve the efficiency of this wrapper?

Thanks for any and all help.

[Wade007]

Let me simplify my question...

How do I set up the Future Pinball Wrapper in Mala? What is the correct command line, execution line, and other coding elements in the "Config Other Emu" tab area? Does anyone have this wrapper working in Mala? If so, how?

Thank.

[BadMouth]

It's been a couple years since I set it up.  I should have time tonight to look at it and see what I did.

[BadMouth]

Afraid I'm not going to be a whole lot of help, as I'm not even using the wrapper or covering up the FP loading screen.  (assuming you mean the one that has the bar going accross as the table loads).  The loading screen is specific to the table, so some aren't as ugly as others.

Executable is just pointing to the future pinball exe

Command line is - /open "%path%\%rom%.%ext%" /play /exit
(yours is missing the second quotation mark, but I'm assuming it's a typo)

Everything else is the same as you have it.

To close it, I have an autohotkey script start with windows and run all the time that posts ESC when I press my exit button.

[Wade007]

Once again, Thanks Bad mouth for your reply.
I don't think the last " is a typo. I checked both ways. Not using the last quote closes both the table AND the Future Pinball. If I place the quote, then it just closes the table.

Future Pinball works but it seems that occasionally I have a focus issue. Not sure why it comes and goes. Thought the wrapper would fix it but I don't know how to set it up. I guess I'll just use the set-up I have and try and tweak it using AHK.


I'd like to use that AHK startup idea for closing and modifying keys for Future Pinball.

My script is:

#IfWinActive, Future Pinball - * ;is this right? with the - and *?
r::numpad8 ; to make the R key behave like Number Pad 8.
Ctrl::F1; to make the Ctrl button act like F1
~2 & ~4::
Send, {ESC}
Process, Close, Future Pinball.exe
return

does this look right? Where exactly do I place this on my Windows 7 - 64 bit OS. I can't find the Start folder in Windows.

If I get this script to ALWAYS RUN with Windows, will it interfere with my other AHK script I have for individual games with Demul, M2, Supermodel, etc?

Sorry I'm a Newbie at this. I suppose I can post in software if this isn't an easy thing to guide me on. Thanks.

[BadMouth]

#IfWinActive, Future Pinball - * ;is this right? with the - and *?

If that's what shows up in the title bar of future pinball when it's run windowed, it's right.
The * is a wildcard that takes the place of the table name (I think, lol).

If I get this script to ALWAYS RUN with Windows, will it interfere with my other AHK script I have for individual games with Demul, M2, Supermodel, etc?

Running multiple scripts is fine, but not sure you need both the Close and the Send, {ESC}
Depending on the timing of the other scripts and if they also send ESC, you could end up with ESC being sent twice.
EDIT: on second thought, the #IfWinActive should prevent that.

Where exactly do I place this on my Windows 7 - 64 bit OS. I can't find the Start folder in Windows.

Sorry, not on a Win7 computer at the moment.
In XP and Vista you right click on the start button in the lower left corner and select explore.
Then navigate to the folder named Startup
It's probably empty.  Anything you put in there will run at startup.
Usually I'll just put a shortcut in there to keep all my emulator stuff together in their respective folders.

EDIT: you probably can't find it because it's in a hidden folder. 
go into the control panel>appearance>folder options>show hidden files and folders

quick google search turned this up tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1401-startup-programs-change.html


On the focus thing, if it's that focus isn't returning to Mala, add
mouseclick, left
before ExitApp so it clicks on mala after exiting FP.

FYI, I have an X-Arcade in a setup that I allow my guests to abuse (and they do).
For controls, I have mouse enabled with the mouse buttons as flippers (same buttons work both sets if a table has more than 1 set),
the coin buttons as nudges, the start button as both coin and start, and down on the right stick as the plunger.  It's funny, but feeling the spring of the joystick as you pull it back and seeing it fly forward when you let it go feels like a decent substitute for the plunger.  

[Wade007]

OK, before I try and create an AHK file that ALWAYS runs in Windows to close Future Pinball the way I want and change a few of the non-configurable keys to work with my X-Arcade tankstick, I thought I'd try my hand at creating an AHK file for each table the way I've done for individual Roms for emulators such as Demul and Supermodel 3.

The following AHK code works perfectly inside and outside of MALA. The main advantage is that I can use the 2 & 4 keys together to exit AND I can map a bunch of non-configurable buttons to my X-Arcade controller. The downside is that I have to create an AHK file for each and every table I want to list and play in Mala. I've collected quite few.

____________________________________________________

SetWorkingDir, C:\Arcade\Future Pinball\
#SingleInstance force

Run, "Future Pinball.exe" /open "C:\Arcade\Future Pinball\Tables\Superman.fpt" /play /exit
   WinWait, (c)
   WinWait, BSP
   WinWait, Software
   Sleep 500
   WinActivate, ahk_class FuturePinballOpenGL
   WinWaitClose, BSP
Ctrl::F1 ;Full Table View 1
LAlt::F2 ;Full Table View 2
Space::F3 ;Scrolling View 1
LShift::F4 ;Scrolling View 2
z::F5 ; Low Angle View 1
x::F6 ; Low Angle View 2
c::F7 ; Fixed View
5::F8 ; Special Views including Apron View
[::F11 ; Free Camera View

r::Numpad8 ;To set alternate Nudge UP control. Numpad8=Nudge Up in FP preferences.
Numpad4::d ;To set alternate Nudge Right control. D=Nudge Right in FP preferences.
g::Numpad6 ;To set alternate Nudge Left control. Numpad6=Nudge Left in FP preferences.
Numpad2::f ;To set alternate Pull control. Numpad2=Pull in FP preferences.

a::Tab
s::Send, {Pause} ;To Pause and/or view high score table

w::PgUp ; To set Music Volume Up
]::PgDn ; To set Music Volume Down
e::Home ; To set Sound Volume Up
6::End ; To set sound Volume Down

~2 & ~4::
Send, {ESC}
Process, Close, Future Pinball.exe
ExitAPP
return

____________________________________________________

Of course for the above script to work, the executable under the OtherEmuConfig tab/Basics must be set to "explorer.exe"
Rom path points to a folder that holds the AHK script(s). Rom Extension is ahk. Command line is "%path%\%rom%.%.ext%".

I've also made an attempt at creating a "Table Launcher" script that would be global for all "roms" or tables passed from Mala to my AHK script compiled as an .exe file. It's my own Mala wrapper I suppose. It's NOT working, but I think it's close...maybe.  If I can't get this to work and still only want one AHK file to control Future Pinball settings,  I'll go with BadMouth's suggestion. I may have to post this in software to see if I can get some guidance. I point Mala to the my "TableLauncher.exe" file. Rom Path goes to my Tables folder, Rom extension is "fpt". Execution I think is still "%path%\%rom%.%.ext%". I'm just not sure how to pass and use the name of the table as the rom name in the script to use it to launch any table. Below is my code:

SetWorkingDir, C:\Arcade\Future Pinball\
#SingleInstance force

Table=%Rom%.fpt

Run, "Future Pinball.exe" /open "C:\Arcade\Future Pinball\Tables\%Table% /play /exit
   WinWait, (c)
   WinWait, BSP
   WinWait, Software
   Sleep 500
   WinActivate, ahk_class FuturePinballOpenGL
   WinWaitClose, BSP
Ctrl::F1 ;Full Table View 1
LAlt::F2 ;Full Table View 2
Space::F3 ;Scrolling View 1
LShift::F4 ;Scrolling View 2
z::F5 ; Low Angle View 1
x::F6 ; Low Angle View 2
c::F7 ; Fixed View
5::F8 ; Special Views including Apron View
[::F11 ; Free Camera View

r::Numpad8 ;To set alternate Nudge UP control. Numpad8=Nudge Up in FP preferences.
Numpad4::d ;To set alternate Nudge Right control. D=Nudge Right in FP preferences.
g::Numpad6 ;To set alternate Nudge Left control. Numpad6=Nudge Left in FP preferences.
Numpad2::f ;To set alternate Pull control. Numpad2=Pull in FP preferences.

a::Tab
s::Pause ;To Pause and/or view high score table

w::PgUp ; To set Music Volume Up
]::PgDn ; To set Music Volume Down
e::Home ; To set Sound Volume Up
6::End ; To set sound Volume Down

~2 & ~4::
Send, {ESC}
Process, Close, Future Pinball.exe
ExitAPP
return

[Wade007]

OK, with help from nitz in the software forum and some borrowed code from the so-called Future Pinball Wrapper (http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Wrappers made initially for Mamewah, not Mala), I've successfully created a TRUE working Future Pinball wrapper for Mala!! No need to have an AHK script always running with Windows startup either!! One file to load ALL tables in Mala's Future Pinball tables/gamelist. No focus issues!!! Use this only if you want to re-assign otherwise un-assignable buttons to your control panel and/or want to use a unique Close Emu combo not available in Mala's Hot keys.

The following is my WORKING AHK code. Edit paths and keystoke re-assignments as needed. I placed all my table.fpt files in a folder called "Tables". This was created for use with my X-Arcade tankstick controlled cabinet:

__________________________________

SetWorkingDir, C:\Arcade\Future Pinball\
#SingleInstance force

Run, "Future Pinball.exe" /open "C:\Arcade\Future Pinball\Tables\%1% /play /exit   ; %1% is where the actual table.fpt exists.
 WinWait, (c)
   WinWait, BSP
   WinWait, Software
   Sleep 500
   WinActivate, ahk_class FuturePinballOpenGL
   WinWaitClose, BSP

; This section contains keystroke re-assignments. Not required. Use as needed.
Ctrl::F1 ;Full Table View 1
LAlt::F2 ;Full Table View 2
Space::F3 ;Scrolling View 1
LShift::F4 ;Scrolling View 2
z::F5 ; Low Angle View 1
x::F6 ; Low Angle View 2
c::F7 ; Fixed View
5::F8 ; Special Views including Apron View
[::F11 ; Free Camera View
r::Numpad8 ;To set alternate Nudge UP control. Numpad8=Nudge Up in FP preferences.
Numpad4::d ;To set alternate Nudge Right control. D=Nudge Right in FP preferences.
g::Numpad6 ;To set alternate Nudge Left control. Numpad6=Nudge Left in FP preferences.
Numpad2::f ;To set alternate Pull control. Numpad2=Pull in FP preferences.

a::Tab ; To view pinball headboard
q::MButton; MButton mapped to Pause in FP Preferences.
;This way the q button will pause and show highscores. Pause/Break cannot be remapped any other way that I know of

w::PgUp ; To set Music Volume Up
]::PgDn ; To set Music Volume Down
e::Home ; To set Sound Volume Up
6::End ; To set sound Volume Down

~2 & ~4:: ; This sets up my 2-button combo close.
CloseProcess:
;Future Pinball must be closed this way instead of killing process or it won't save your last game info. i.e high scores/credits
WinHide, ahk_class FuturePinball
WinMinimize, ahk_class FuturePinball
WinActivate, ahk_class FuturePinballOpenGL
WinWaitActive, ahk_class FuturePinballOpenGL
WinWaitClose, ahk_class FuturePinballOpenGL
Send {Esc}
WinActivate, ahk_class FuturePinball
ExitAPP
return
__________________________________

Save this file as an AHK file, THEN compile it as an .exe file by selecting the file and then right-clicking and selecting "Compile".

In Mala's Options Panel use the following settings to make this script work:

>>Other Emu Config tab/Basics tab
Executable - Full path to your newly created .exe file. I named mine "FP Table Launcher.exe" and placed it in the root directory
Rom Path -Full path to where you have your Future Pinball table files (table.fpt). I put them in a folder called "Tables" in the root directory.
Rom Extensions - ftp

>>Other Emu Config tab/Execution tab
Command line - "%rom%.%ext%"
This is the info that is passed to the .exe file. Your table name is the rom coupled with the "ftp" extension. This is passed to Auto Hot Key as the %1% variable as seen in the above code.

And that's about it. Works for me perfectly.