Physics bug with VPX/Baller Installer in Cabinet mode - recreated 3X with different computers and clean installs

[LifeTag]

Hello everyone,

TLDR at the bottom.

Hoping to get some help with this and see if others can confirm as well. Note that before i get told to reinstall/screwed something up, ive recreated this multiple times on multiple computers, using clean windows installs, im just not sure where the issue is....

My cabinet I used the Nov 2023 Baller Installer and then the built in updater to update the files. I installed using the 3 screen option (option C) selecting the 4k playfield setting. My monitors are a 4K playfield, 1080 backglass, 1080 fulldmd. Ive got tons of tables installed and "working" but im concerned now they arent actually working but just working well enough/havent noticed an issue

The issue appears to be that some physics interactions are different when using baller installer and selecting to install as single screen desktop vs 3 screen cabinet view. I first noticed this issue on VPW's Bram stokers Dracula https://vpuniverse.com/files/file/21968-bram-stokers-dracula-williams-1993-vpw/ where when hitting the top left mystery hole (which causes the ball to fall into a subway tunnel and expel down at the lower left side), the ball would not get kicked out of the subway. Comments/reviews on this table didnt show this as a widespread issue, but I did find at least two others that reported this, with no answer (other than it works fine for everyone else). Tried multiple things to no avail.

To troubleshoot this issue I installed vpx on my desktop using the Nov 2023 baller installer, using option Desktop. Installed and loaded the same table, but could not recreate the issue. The table plays fine and the ball is correctly kicked out. I assumed at this point that I screwed something up with my cabinet and said ok, ill reinstall it. Wiped the cabinet, clean install of windows, installed using Nov 2023 baller installer, 3 screen, 4k playfield. Installed the table and same issue, hit mystery hole and ball will not kick out. 

Went ok, still screwed up, decided to try the new baller installer (jan 2025 version). Reinstalled windows again (windows 11 this time instead of 10), baller installer 2025 version, loaded the table, still broken.

Went and grabbed my laptop, installed using baller installer 2025 in desktop mode, loaded the table - works fine. In vpx, changed the display to cabinet mode. Table still works fine. 

Went back to the table on my cab and decided to look at the coding. I found the kicker (its KickerBall55) and increased the vzelocity and zlift. This fixed the table for my cabinet, the ball would correctly get kicked out now.

So at this point, 2 devices with baller installer in desktop mode played the table correctly. 1 device in cabinet mode would not play correctly without increasing the velocity/lift.


Then i discovered a similar problem with UnclePaulies Safe Cracker table https://vpuniverse.com/files/file/19850-safe-cracker-bally-1996 . On the left hand side, there is a kicker/launcher for the "getaway". The ball would consistently fail to launch from there unless I nudged the table. Comments/reviews again dont point to there being a problem. I did quickly look at the code but couldnt find a easy fix.

Back to desktop, installed the table and the kicker for "getaway" works fine. So im back to the same problem and wondering where the actual issue is.

My next plan is to set up a vm so I can quickly recrate this over and over with different configurations but havent got there yet.

So I was wondering, am I crazy? Can others recreate the issue? Have thoughts about where/what to change? My concern is also that I noticed some of these games seem...easier...like I can make it up ramps easier for example when playing desktop vs cabinet, but that could just be me getting in my head


TLDR:

VPW's Bram Stokers Dracula and UnclePaulies Safe cracker table appear to have physics problems/different interactions when the software has been installed using the baller installer and selecting Desktop vs 3 screen setup. Recreated multiple times across different hardware with the same results. Hoping others can confirm/deny/give insight...
 

[LynnInDenver]

What controllers/encoders do you have connected to the cabinet versus the systems you've tried in desktop? Have you tried installing as "desktop" on the cabinet versus trying "cabinet" install on desktop/laptop, that seems to be a step not tried to see if it's "cabinet versus desktop modes" instead of "something with cabinet hardware configuration".

[LifeTag]

5 hours ago, LynnInDenver said:

What controllers/encoders do you have connected to the cabinet versus the systems you've tried in desktop? Have you tried installing as "desktop" on the cabinet versus trying "cabinet" install on desktop/laptop, that seems to be a step not tried to see if it's "cabinet versus desktop modes" instead of "something with cabinet hardware configuration".

Hey Lynn,

Just went and did a fresh install of windows on the cabinet and installed using the desktop option. loaded up Dracula and the table plays fine (this was a new download of the table, not the one i modified). So desktop install on the cabinet works fine, "cabinet" install on the cabinet causes physics issues

The only controller board I have is a Clevsoft Pinone mini (buttons, plunger and nudge)

[LynnInDenver]

That's still a bit weird. I've used Cabinet Mode and it works on mine - if there's a difference, I haven't hit it, because I don't play pinball anywhere but my cabinet, and for me Dracula works fine.

 

As a note, you should be able to change it manually to Cabinet mode now that you have it working. It's mostly the monitor configuration. You'll have to change it in 3 places - PinUp (there's a bat file to get into the monitor setup for that), VPX, and Future Pinball.