What Download to Use For ....

[pherfect]

Hi, new to the forum. I have Win Xp and was wondering what download to use so I can play some pinball. Thanks, Chris

[Shockman]

Click the banner on the front page that says download all needed files. Then download the games and support files for each game.

[sleepy]

The Visual Install Pack (VIP) by Phoenixx is the easiest way to install. It has Visual Pinball And VPinMame and all necessary files.
Then after the installation, for Visual Pinball tables that use no ROM like those at www.irpinball.org just download and unzip the .vpt table file to the Tables folder that VIP creates on installation. If there are other files in the table.zip then put any included Font files in the Windows\Fonts folder, any Music files in the \Music folder that VIP creates.

If you download a VPinMame table, do the same, but Make Sure to also download the ROM.zip for the specific table and KEEP IT ZIPPED. Put the ZIPPED ROM file in the Roms folder that VIP creates.

After installing the VIP then you can download newer versions of Visual Pinball, like VP9.09 and run them after installing either Visual Pinball or the VIP. With an installation of Visual Pinball or the VIP, you do not need to download and install for newer or older full versions of Visual Pinball. Just download the Visual Pinball .EXE only program file and it will use the setting that the Visual Pinball Full Install or the VIP creates.

Get VIP from this link or from the downloads link at the top of this page:

http://www.pinballnirvana.com/index.php

[pherfect]

So it looks like I have to purchase WinRAR ?

[tiltjlp]

Originally Posted by pherfect

So it looks like I have to purchase WinRAR ?

If WinRAR is an unzipping program, do a search for 7Zip, which is a free program that will unzip just about any zipped format. The only thibg is that rar files don't show up as fold folders with 7Zip, but like regular files, so you have to hunt though your tables for the rar files. Sometimes I'll miss one or two the first time I look, but I eventually find them and unzip them.

[sleepy]

Is the VIP using WinRar?
In the past, the WinRar download still worked, though they will remind you to buy. Maybe that's changed. I'm not sure.

http://www.win-rar.com/download.html

Or try the 7Zip:

http://www.7-zip.org/

[pherfect]

I'm confused. I am not computer savy I downloaded 7Zip. So when I go to download a game I get the WinRAR option block. When I get rid of that the best I can get is a pic of the virtual machine with no options. THIS SUCKS!!!

[sleepy]

No, hang on.
I don't know what's going on with the WinRar Option block.
You have the Visual Pinball editor screen and the Play button on the left.
When you click the Play button in the editor, the player opens and you can see the table.

Do you see a VPinMame error message? If so, you need the second ROM.zip file for the game(free).

You can get the ROM sometimes here, or sometimes at vpforums.org but for all ROM.zip files except for Gottlieb tables, you can download them from www.ipdb.org
You'll need to look up the machine by name and then download the PINMAME ROM.

Keep this file ZIPPED.

If the game says you do not have the ROMs, then check the ROMNAME on the error screen and download that version at ipdb.org.
Sometimes a VPinMame table uses a different version, but if the table is available, then so is the ROM.zip for it.

[sleepy]

Also, the first time you run the table, it will appear in FACTORY RESET MODE.
If you see this message in the DMD (the scoreboard), then press the 7 key at the top of your keyboard. Don't use the NUMPAD 7 key. It won't work.

Watch the DMD (the scoreboard).
If nothing immediately happens, then press the F3 key. The 7 key is used to reset to play mode and calibrate mechanical toys on the playfield, but only newer Williams/Bally games use this feature. With older games and no moving toys, press F3 to reset to Play Mode.

[sleepy]

Oh, okay. When you download the table.zip file, let 7Zip UNZIP it to the Tables folder.
If there are Font files, UNZIP those to the Windows\Fonts folder.
If there are Music files, MP3 files, etc. UNZIP those files to the VIP Music folder, usually Pinball\Music.

For VPinMame tables, there are two download files. One tables.vpt file (that usually uses the name of the game) and a second ROMS.zip file (usually with a name like corve_21). Let 7Zip UNZIP the tables.vpt file to the VIP Tables folder, usually C:\Pinball\Tables folder.
When you download the second ROM.ZIP file for the game, Do Not let 7Zip UNZIP it. Download the ROM file to the Roms folder and KEEP IT ZIPPED.

[pherfect]

Man, I appreciate your help, but I need some sleep-my brain is mush. I think what would help is to start when I clicked on the homepage download banner when I downloaded Visual Pinball, and go from there.
Thanks!

[sleepy]

Download VIP (the banner): If it needs to be UNZIPPED, then do that.
Make a note of where the unzipped folder is being created on the hard drive (known as the Directory and/ or the Folder Path. It's a fancy name for the folder address.) and then find the INSTALL or SETUP.exe or SETUP.MSI in this new folder that the UNZIP creates. Click that and follow any instructions that appear.
Then download the table and, if used by the game, the ROM.zip and follow the above instructions.

You're welcome. And don't be afraid to ask for more help.

[sleepy]

You should know that Visual Pinball will run without an installation, but it cannot run VPinMame or do much else without the installation process.
The installation process writes addresses that are the locations on the hard drive of the different component files that Visual Pinball uses, like the address for the VPinMame files, etc.
Most installed programs do this on installation.

[sleepy]

The VIP.exe on the front page of Pinball Nirvana doesn't use WinRar.
You just double-click it to run it, and then follow the instructions on the screen.
Did you need WinRar for a table.vpt (Visual Pinball Table) file?
Which table is it?

[pherfect]

I'll get on it tonite and let you know how/if it worked.

[mrschultz]

Not sure why you would need an unrar program for VP but if you do a good freeware one that I use is rarzilla.

[faralos]

I use 7zip and I never had any problems with it at all. everything here is free though as are all the tables here and at vpforums.org

[sleepy]

A correction to the above.
The VIP is downloaded as a single .exe file, so there shouldn't be any other files to install.
Just the VIP.EXE, the table.VPT file and for VPinMAME the second ROM.zip file for the specific table.

[pherfect]

Well, I'm halfway there. Got rid of winRAR. Using the VP game menu, when I click on a game it comes up "game over", and I can't play. Now what?

[sleepy]

If you are seeing the table with "GAME OVER" in the DMD (the scoreboard) in the VP player after loading the game from the top editor menu > File > Open and then clicking the Play arrow in the editor, then there is not much I can do for you.

Press the 5 key at the top of the keyboard for credits and then the 1 key to play, and I HOPE IT WORKS!
Else let us know if it doesn't. I'm only kidding you because it sounds like you got it working.

[sleepy]

Some older EM Reel or flipperless games use the S key to start play and then either the A key or the L key to release a ball, so let me know if you're having trouble.

The modern EM and Solid State games release the ball to the plunger automatically.
Press the ENTER/RETURN key to launch the ball from the Plunger and use the Left/Right SHIFT keys to flip. The Left/Right CTRL and SPACE keys are for directional nudging.

The Z and / keys are sometimes used for second flippers or, when the game has it, for Magna Save, a magnet feature that helps save a ball from draining out the outlanes.

[sleepy]

Also, some Gottlieb Premier and Bally machines from the mid 1980's need an extra NVRAM file to enable start.

What is the name of the table/game?

[sleepy]

How are we doing?

[pherfect]

So I pulled up Air Aces. 5 button gives the credits, enter button operates the plunger, r button shows rules-but that's it, no game start. I haven't given up, but need to retire tonite. I'll pick up where I left off tomorrow.

[sleepy]

No game start when pressing the 1 (one) key?
I'll have to look at it.

[sleepy]

Is this the same version of Air Aces that is from Pinball Nirvana's download page?

[sleepy]

Pressing the 1 (one) key at the top of the keyboard should start the game.
Are you using a laptop computer?
Sometimes the keyboards in a laptop use a different non-standard code than standard keyboards use, but I hope not.

Just so you know, Air Aces is a Visual Pinball only table. It doesn't use the ROM.zip.
VPinMame tables use the second ROM.zip file because the ROM is the very same software that is used in the real pinball machine to control the machine and provide the videos in the DMD (the scoreboard display) and the digital sounds.
VPinMame duplicates the way a real machine operates, though because of this fact,
it often confuses the bejeebers out of many of us first time Visual Pinball users.

You are not alone.

[faralos]

trust me you aren't it took me literally weeks to get everything up and running (vp8 and 3 versions of vp9 along with vpmame!) but once you do you will be banging your head. "it's so simple a caveman could do it" yeah providinghe has a rocket science degree, just kidding but that ishow it sometimes feels like itUNTIL you play that first table then all worries melt away as your eyes glaze over, recalling days when you were younger playing all these neat pins in dark bowling alleys or whatever...