PinballX

How to Configure PinballX in Five Easy Steps

This is a step by step guide of how to use RocketLauncher on PinballX.

Step 1: Install PinballX

• For the remainder of the guide, we will use the H:\Pinball\PinballX as the PinballX install folder as the example.
• Go to http://www.pinballx.net/ and install the latest version of HyperSpin
• Install it to H:\Pinball\PinballX

Step 2: Install RocketLauncher

• Follow the instructions on RocketLauncher_Clean_Install
• Install it to H:\Pinball\RocketLauncher

DO NOT INSTALL ROCKETLAUNCHER ON THE SAME FOLDER AS PinballX. THIS WILL POTENTIALLY CAUSE UNFORESEEN ISSUES.

Step 3: Configure PinballX

• Open your PinballX Settings.exe configuration app (H:\Pinball\PinballX\Settings.exe)
• Choose the Advanced mode
• Configure each system that you want to use. (You can find my PinballX\Config\PinballX.ini file in the following link to serve as a reference: http://pastebin.com/LkHQ6XUJ)
• Future Pinball, Visual Pinball and Pinball FX2 must use the specific PinballX configuration screens. All other systems must be configured as a custom system. Examples are given for all possibilities bellow.

Future Pinball

Go to the Future Pinball settings and make sure that:

• Enabled is set to YES;
• Working Path points to your RocketLauncher install folder (H:\Pinball\RocketLauncher)
• Table Path points to your Future Pinball Table folder. This is required because PinballX do not launches the game icon if it does not find a valid file on the path.
• Executable is set to RocketLauncher.exe
• Parameters are set to: -s "Future Pinball" -r "[TABLEPATH]\[TABLEFILE]" -f "H:\Pinball\PinballX\PinballX.exe" -p PinballX
• FPRAM path points to your Future Pinball FPRAM folder: H:\Pinball\Future Pinball\fpRAM

Visual Pinball

It follows the same as the above only changing the system name. Go to the Visual Pinball settings and make sure that:

• Enabled is set to YES;
• Working Path points to your RocketLauncher install folder (H:\Pinball\RocketLauncher)
• Table Path points to your Visual Pinball Table folder. This is required because PinballX do not launches the game icon if it does not find a valid file on the path.
• Executable is set to RocketLauncher.exe
• Parameters are set to: -s "Visual Pinball" -r "[TABLEPATH]\[TABLEFILE]" -f "H:\Pinball\PinballX\PinballX.exe" -p PinballX
• Bypass Disclaimers is set to No. This will be handled by RocketLauncher.

Pinball FX2

It follows the same as the above only changing the system name. Go to the Pinball FX2 settings and make sure that:

• Enabled is set to YES;
• Working Path points to your RocketLauncher install folder (H:\Pinball\RocketLauncher)
• Executable is set to RocketLauncher.exe
• Parameters are set to: -s "Pinball FX2" -r "[TABLEFILE]" -f "H:\Pinball\PinballX\PinballX.exe" -p PinballX
• Wait for is set to 11 seconds.

Other Systems

For other systems, make sure that:

• Select a empty System on the Select System dropdown list
• Name the system following RocketLauncher conventions, for example, Pinball Arcade, Unit3D Pinball, MAME, Touhou Project,...
• Enabled is set to YES;
• System Type is set to custom;
• Working Path points to your RocketLauncher install folder (H:\Pinball\RocketLauncher)
• Executable is set to RocketLauncher.exe
• Parameters are set to: -s "Pinball Arcade" -r "[TABLEFILE]" -f "H:\Pinball\PinballX\PinballX.exe" -p PinballX (just change the Pinball Arcade example for your system name)

Set your Databases

• Configure your databases for each of the tables that you own by editing their xml files or opening the PinballX\Game Manager.exe app.
• More info about that can be found on the PinballX forums.

Step 4: Configure RocketLauncher

• Open the RocketLauncherUI.exe located on the RockeLauncher\RocketLauncherUI folder.
• Allow RocketLauncherUI to update your files to the most up to date version.
• Choose the RocketLauncherUI tab, and the Frontends sub tab.
• Click on the plus sign and complete the fields to configure PinballX as your Frontend.
• Make sure you click the save button to add the PinballX Frontend, and select PinballX as your Default and Active frontend.
• The systems configured ion PinballX should appear on the RocketLauncherUI left tab.
• IMAGE OF FRONTEND CONFIG PLUGIN

Configure your emulators

• Under global, choose the emulators tab and add Visual Pinball, Future Pinball, Pinball FX2, Pinball Arcade, Unit3D Pinball and any other systems that you want to run by configuring their executable paths and extensions.
• You can configure multiple emulators for Visual Pinball (VP8, VP9, VP9DX9, VPX), Future Pinball (normal or with BAM) and so on by simply creating a new "emulator" with only the executable updated.
• On this link [1] you can find an example of the global emulators settings file for the Pinball systems. If you want just update your paths and replace your RocketLauncher\Settings\Global Emulators.ini file by this.

Configure your systems

• Select the system on the left tab and on the emulators tab select your preferred emulator to run it.
• Add as many table paths you want on the rom paths files of the emulators path. It is recommend to set your table paths under a single path and enable the file matching option on PinballX because the FrontEnd requires you to have a file to launch the game.
• If the system do not have table files, like Pinball Arcade for example, make sure to set Skip Checks to "Rom and Emu" for the system on RocketLauncherUI > Settings > Main Settings > Settings > Skip Checks.

Step 5: What else?

• Nothing more. Every system configured on RocketLauncher will launch perfectly on PinballX.
• You can now enjoy RocketLauncher features at full on your pinball machine: Fade, pause, game specific options,...
• If you want to test other FrontEnds, just add them to the RocketLauncherUI frontends tab set the frontend to use the RocketLauncher.exe as their "emulators".

If you have problems read carefully the RocketLauncher_Troubleshooting If you still have problems create a thread on the RocketLauncher forums, upload screenshots of the error and provide a RocketLauncher troubleshooting log.

Troubleshooting

RocketLauncher not running after choosing table

• Check if you don't have a RocketLauncher.exe process already running on the background.
• For Future Pinball and Visual Pinball, Pinball X will only launch the table if it founds a matching file on your tables folder. Therefore you need to set the path for your tables folder or use dummy files to bypass this limitation.
• A permissions issue could still not let RocketLauncher launch after choosing a table. In this case it is probable that you have your RocketLauncher set to run as administrator and Pinball X do not have the permission to run it. Set your PinballX.exe file to run as administrator to avoid that.

ERROR: Cannot find rom

• Make sure to set Skip Checks to "Rom and Emu" for systems that do not have table files (RocketLauncherUI > Settings > Main Settings > Settings > Skip Checks).

Advanced Options

RocketLauncher Menus Following your screen Orientation

• Some pinball apps will require you to rotate the screen before playing the game (like Pinball Arcade). RocketLauncher modules will do that automatically for you. Just follow the module instructions to set that.
• For showing the RocketLauncher graphics on the correct orientation for the pinball apps that run sideways on your monitor (like Visual Pinball, Future Pinball, Pinball FX2 and Unit3D Pinball) you need to set the screen rotation angle on RocketLauncherUI.