Visual Pinball Wrapper Problem - Howard?

[cadis12]

Im trying to install Howards VPinball wrapper.  I'm pretty sure I did everything right but for some reason I am getting a runtime error when I try to launch a table with Mala.  Can anyone help me out? 

[SGT]

I think Howard posted that he would look at that problem.  Until he resolves that, I use closemul to close Visual Pinball with the ESC key.  It does that by default with no configuration needed.  There's a million ways to do it.  Here's what I did in Mala:

Executable:
C:\emulators\Visual Pinball\closemul.exe

Commandline:
vpinball.exe -play -"%path%\%rom%.%ext%"

Rom path:
C:\emulators\Visual Pinball\Tables

Rom extensions:
vpt


Closemul download:
http://lustar.free.fr/clusters/closemul/

[Organic Jerk]

Very nice app... will definitely be bookmarking this.

[shock_]

I was getting a runtime error (code 52 I think, from memory).  Turned out to be I'd forgotten to change "%path%\%rom%.%ext%" back to just %rom% for the wrapper.     Was this it?

[cadis12]

Cool!  Can't wait to get home and try out the Closemul app. 

shock_,
Are you saying you changed:

Commandline:
vpinball.exe -play -"%path%\%rom%.%ext%"

to

Commandline:
vpinball.exe -play -"%rom%"

?

[shock_]

Not quite

Commandline:
vpinball.exe -play -"%path%\%rom%.%ext%"

to

Commandline:
vp-launch5.exe %rom%

... but you probably meant that 

[cadis12]

Ok, cool...I'll try that too...

Are you putting the wrapper in the tables folder or the main visual pinball folder?

[shock_]

I've got it in the tables folder but you could use vp-launch5.exe "%path%\%rom%" in that case.

[SGT]

I see now where Howard was referring to fixing a focus issue instead of a runtime error.  My bad.

[cadis12]

SGT thanks!
That Closemul program worked like a charm. 

[Anubis_au]

Will be looking at this with interest also. I had a similar thread a while back, trying to get pinmame going smoothly with MaLa, but couldn't get it going and put it on the backburner. Now, will try again with these suggestions.

Cadis, did you get howard's wrapper to go or did you stick with closemul?

SGT / shock, are there similar wrappers / command line settings for future pinball as well?

[SGT]

SGT / shock, are there similar wrappers / command line settings for future pinball as well?

Doesn't appear as though Future Pinball needs a wrapper.  Here's what worked for me:

While in Future Pinball, change the video settings to full screen and the desired screen resolution. 
Mala Settings:

Executable
C:\emulators\Future Pinball\Future Pinball.exe

Rom Path
C:\emulators\Future Pinball\Tables

Rom extensions:
fpt

Commandline:
/open "%path%\%rom%.%ext%" /play /exit

[cadis12]

Cadis, did you get howard's wrapper to go or did you stick with closemul?

No, I tried the closemul program, worked like a charm and didn't try the wrapper.  The only problem with the closemul program is that when it launches the pinball program you can see MS Windows environment for a brief few seconds. 

I might try the wrapper today or tomorrow if I get time. 

[SGT]

Cadis, did you get howard's wrapper to go or did you stick with closemul?

The only problem with the closemul program is that when it launches the pinball program you can see MS Windows environment for a brief few seconds. 

I'm not seeing this.  What are you seeing, the desktop and the taskbar?

[shock_]

closemul doesn't attempt to hide windows afaik - while the wrappers do, to some levels of success. 

In MaLa I have my window state set to hidden, so all I see is the taskbar, the "loading from cache"/"rendering" dialog from VP and the terrifically ugly VPinMAME splash screens.  Which is, admittedly, quite a lot of guff to see - but the tables work so I won't complain.

[SGT]

closemul doesn't attempt to hide windows afaik

It may not, but I use it, and I see neither the desktop nor the taskbar. 

[Anubis_au]

Well, I used Howard's wrapper and it worked for me.

The only problem is, the smallest sized pinmame scoreboard overlay is too big / takes up to much space when you play vpinball at 540x288 (which I am on my pc with arcadeVGA card)... have to try to fix this...

[Howard_Casto]

Well, I used Howard's wrapper and it worked for me.

The only problem is, the smallest sized pinmame scoreboard overlay is too big / takes up to much space when you play vpinball at 540x288 (which I am on my pc with arcadeVGA card)... have to try to fix this...

That's what the sizing options are for in the wrapper.  Set it to like 75% or so.

[Anubis_au]

Did all that... started with % of screen, then % of scoreboard area, then absolute pixel size.

There seems to be an absolute minimum pixel size for the PinMAME scoreboard and unfortunately this is still too big for a 640x288 display...

That's why I'm waiting on the thread I started to see what other ArcadeVGA owners have done. My gut feeling at this point: VPinball is for those who went the LCD / pc monitor route with higher res. ArcadeVGA owners probably gave up which is where I may end up...

[Howard_Casto]

Well I wasn't gonna say it, but yeah, pretty much. 

The minimum resolution for visual pinball is really 640x480.  You might want to try 640x480 interlaced for tables.... it might be a tad flickery, but it should still look better.

[Anubis_au]

Well I wasn't gonna say it, but yeah, pretty much. 

The minimum resolution for visual pinball is really 640x480.  You might want to try 640x480 interlaced for tables.... it might be a tad flickery, but it should still look better.

640x480 flickering, or 640x288 with a bit of the table obscured... those seem to be my two choices right now, unless some genius out there worked out a third way... 

I think I'd sooner abandon visual pinball than suffer the flickering screen... but I don't want to make that call unless I absolutely have to...

[Howard_Casto]

Well it's not just a pinmame issue man.  Many of the tables, especially pinmame ones, are very detailed.  Without a decent resolution you won't know what is going on.  The fact that the pinmame window is so big is actually a good thing because at that res you wouldn't be able to make it out if it were any smaller.