I'm sorry I'm such NEWBIE

jhjmd

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is there a link that explains very basic visual pinball tasks such as how to direct a ball to kick out of the kicker hole, etc, etc.? also I can't seem to get the software correct to play the "commercial games" like my favorite classic fireball. any suggestions?
jhjmd
 
Solution
Getting Started with VP

JHJMD,
No need to apologize for being new at something.:) The best thing to do is first do a fresh install with the Visual Install Pack by Phoenixx, found here http://pinballnirvana.com/index.php

Be sure to uninstall what you have already, and then reinstall using the Visual Install Pack.

Make sure you have the correct rom files for whatever tables your playing in the ROM folder. When you download the rom files don’t unzip the folder. Put it in the ROM folder as is. Sometimes a table doesn’t load correctly when you run it the first time. Exiting the table and clicking the play button again usually does the trick.

Tutorials can be found here...
Getting Started with VP

JHJMD,
No need to apologize for being new at something.:) The best thing to do is first do a fresh install with the Visual Install Pack by Phoenixx, found here http://pinballnirvana.com/index.php

Be sure to uninstall what you have already, and then reinstall using the Visual Install Pack.

Make sure you have the correct rom files for whatever tables your playing in the ROM folder. When you download the rom files don’t unzip the folder. Put it in the ROM folder as is. Sometimes a table doesn’t load correctly when you run it the first time. Exiting the table and clicking the play button again usually does the trick.

Tutorials can be found here http://www.pinballnirvana.com/UpDownload-req-viewsdownload-sid-6.html You just put them in your Tables folder and load them like a regular table. Also be sure to read the help documents within the VP Pinball folder.

Hope this helps. Any questions just ask.

All the best,
Dave
 
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Solution
another ?

still not able to get it right....not sure what you mean by "
When you download the rom files don’t unzip the folder. Put it in the ROM folder as is.".......I copied and pasted the unziped file into to ROM folder in pinball folder in program folder in hard drive so the zip icon showed up in the rom folder should I unzip it there?
Jay
 
got it

was able t play my favorite all time .bally's fireball.....thanks for the help......pasted table icon from zip file into tables
Jay
 
Jay,

Glad you got it working. Sorry I was unclear about keeping the rom files zipped but I see you figured it out.:)

All the best,

Dave
 
Sometimes a table doesn’t load correctly when you run it the first time.

They do load correctly. They need to be rebooted because of this:

1.) Pinball Hardware stores its non-volatile (changable) information in so-called Non-Volatile Random Access Memory Chips (a.k.a. NVRAMs), which are battery powered so they wont loose their data when the machine is being turned off or relocated. In the case of VPinMAME these NVRAMs are created as little textfiles whenever a table (or better said the ROMs it uses) is/are started for the very 1st time.

2.) Williams SS machines (Sys6 to Sys11) do not boot into gamemode with a clear (empty) NVRAM, because the NVRAM on these machines holds data that is vital to the games operation. (Like BallsPerPlay, HighScoreLevels and PricingValues etcetera, which is usually controlled via DIP-Switches on other SS machines.) That means if the battery on such a machine runs out of power, and the data in the NVRAM gets erased, then the machine must first write the default-values held in the static ROM to the NVRAM before it can function again. This rewriting of the NVRAM is automatically done whenever the machine detects an empty NVRAM on bootup. During that time the game wont go into attractmode and instead only display the games serial number in the Player1 display. So in one word; if the NVRAM is empty then you switch the machine on once to restore the NVRAMs content, and then you switch it off and on again to send the machine into attractmode/gamemode.

And the same thing is valid for VP/VPM too. If you start such a Williams table (or better said its ROMs) for the very first time then there is no NVRAM yet, ergo the machine has no values to work with. That means in order to send them into attractmode/gamemode you will always have to reboot these games after you started them for the very first time, because on the very first bootup the game is creating the NVRAM it needs to operate. Just like the real machines do.
 
Thanks Phoenixx.

Ahhh...Now I know why tables appear not to load correctly the first time.
<O:p</O:p
Thanks for the explanation Phoenixx.
 
Welcome Jay, it won't take long to get the hang of it all , if I can work it out ( with help ) anyone can :D
Soon you'll be playing hundreds of tables , it's very addictive !!!
Have fun...
Matt :)
 
I am getting the hang of it..I'm playing about 15 different tables.......they're very realistic......I haven't been able to load the software or tables for the PinMane (?spelling?) for some reason but I'll keep trying
 
What I do first Jay is download and SAVE the ROM zip ( as is , not unzipped ) into the ROMS yellow folder. You can get the ROMS from the IPBD link that is with the game and from AJ's site, you won't have any luck
with gottleib ROMS at the IPBD so try AJ's site or go to IR PINBALL , click the DOWNLOADS ball , see if the game you're after is in the different years sections or in the IRP TEAM link as all these Visual Pinball games do not need ROMS to play the tables.
Back to Pinball Nirvana games with ROMS , once I have saved the ROMS needed , then click the Title of the game for the download to start , then I click for the download to OPEN so with the PINBALL DIRECTORY open the GAME ZIP opens then I right click and drag the game.vpt into to the tables folder , MOVE HERE etc..... and same thing with the nvrams , MP3's
etc....but if you have the newest VIP they're all included so you need to just drag the game from the opened zip ( I prefer to do that than copy and paste ) Then click the VP.EXE ball , when the grey page opens click on FILE and then OPEN , then pick the tables folder , click on your game to highlight it , then TABLES - PLAY , and you're away :D
WIth some 3 ball games you can click on F6 and change a few specs around to your own liking , especially the 3 balls to 5 :) But some you can't :( You may have already worked all this out by now as I haven't been online properly for a few days , if you haven't hope this helps ??? ...and if you have I hope you're having a ball LOL
I've now got over 5 gigs of tables saved here , and looking foreward to the next 5 , one day I might even learn how to make a table myself,
but atm I wouldn't even know where to begin or what program / software
needed etc....

Have fun , and keep asking if you're still stuck on something ...

Matt :D
 
I've worked out some of this on my own but, not all of this...I'll save your message in a woed file I'm compiling with advice, thanks for the help
 
Glad to be of any help to you :D
I knew absolutely NOTHING when I first started too and all the very kind / patient people here helped me understand and get playing also , which I am forever gratefull,
Don't hesitate to ask if you encounter any further probs ,
If I'm not online for a week or so I'm sure someone else will offer you advice with what you are stuck on ...
Good luck and Happy Pinballing :)

Matt :D
 
Whoa! Thank Phoenixx!!!

I've bee all over the pin sites for the past week, and this is the first time someone explained why my tables don't work the first time. It never occurred to me that the software COMPLETELY emulated the real pins right down to initial setup. Having not worked on an actual pin in over 20 yrs, I forgot about that. you'd have to set a pin up, then go inside the coin door where the bookeeping button was and switch it off then restart it for it to reset with all the correct (your) setup. Now I can retry some pins I'd originally gave up on just to see if that works.
 
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