Workaround To 350 Game Max In Game Manager?

[Johngreve]

Hello All,

I've been adding quite a few game in Visual Pinball catagory of Game Manager and seemed to have hit the "ceiling" of about 350 games.

I keep reading posts from guys that have hundreds of more tables so I am wondering what the work around is for this.

 

Specifically what is happening to me now is that as I add a table it kicks the latest alphabetic entry off the Game Manager list. I am still able to see and play them through the wheel at this point but cannot locate, for example, "X Files" or "WWF Royal Rumble"on the Game Manager list to either delete or edit that table if I wanted to.

Hopefull there is a simple solution to this.

Thanks in advance

 

[freneticamnesic]

Make a second list in Game Manager, then manually merge the XML files together

[Johngreve]

Thanks Richard.

Again,I really appreciate your help last week!

Those Stern table sure are impressive!

Can give please give me a bit more detail how to " manually merge the XML files together"?

Maybe there is a topic in the Forum on this already?

I'll do some poking around there of an answer.

Thanks again, at least it can be done.

[freneticamnesic]

I think there was a topic, may have been on VPF...all the Game Manager does is give you a GUI for editing the XML files, the SML files store all the data. You can manually edit the XML files to add more tables or create a second VP list in Game Manager, which will create a 2nd XML. The XMLs are stored in PinballX\Databases folder, you can open them with notepad and copy one to the other, You'll want to back up your original XML files since one might get over-written if you try to use the Game Manager again!

 

When you copy one to the other XML, you want to remove the </menu> from the very end of the file you're copying IN to, and the <menu> from the very beginning of the file you're copying FROM

[HorsePin]

PinXCheck

 

http://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=31049

 

Link in my signature there. I am actually going to be doing more work on this now & through next week.

[freneticamnesic]

Not sure how I missed that one, I'll check it out this evening

[Johngreve]

Ok...I did create a second list and named it VP 2. I added a couple of tables to it and was able to "launch" them from the Game Manager. I then opened up Pinball X expecting to see the new tables there in the VP 2 category,however they do not show up in the wheel.

Do I have to do the manual XML files merging thing for me to see them in the wheel?

At this point the merging thing is probably above my pay grade but have a friend with a VP cabinet who can probably come over to help at some point.

Thanks

[Itchigo]

Nah, it's easy. I've never actually used the game manager, and I have 730 tables.

 

<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>   start code
<menu>       

------------------------------------------------------------------divider
  <game name="2001">
    <description>2001</description>
    <manufacturer>Gottlieb</manufacturer>
    <year>1971</year>
    <type>EM</type>
  </game>

----------------------------------------------------------------------this is the break between games
  <game name="24">
    <description>24</description>
    <manufacturer>Stern</manufacturer>
    <year>2009</year>
    <type>SS</type>
  </game>

----------------------------------------------------------------------this is the break between games
  <game name="250cc">
    <description>250cc</description>
    <manufacturer>Inder</manufacturer>
    <year>1992</year>
    <type>SS</type>
  </game>

---------------------------end code below

</menu>

 

To merge:

 

Take list 1 and open it in notepad

Take list 2 and open it in notepad as well.

Cut out (delete) the start code and end code in list 2

Copy the entire list 2 (what's left after you've taken out the start and end codes).

Paste that into list 1 at a "break point" shown in the red line. -----------------------------------------------------------------this is the break between games

Save list 1.

 

I thought Tom fixed the Game Manager cutting off large lists some time ago? Are you using an old version of Pinball X?

[Johngreve]

Hi,

I'm using version 2.03 of Pinball X. I see that version 2.05 is available, maybe I should go ahead and upgrade to that? Perhaps as you say the fix may be in there.

Thanks for the tutorial.....I think you have given me enough to go on with the merging of the lists.

I've been adding a few tablets in Visual Pinball (list 1, the original list) just experimenting with it a bit and they do show up in the wheel ok but the table count remains at 359 now. It also continues to push one game off the game manager list as before. I'm not sure at this point how many games that I add will continue to show up on the wheel.....maybe indefinetly?

Is the reason I don't see list Visual Pinball 2(the new list that I created in Game Manager) setup in the Pinball X setup wizard, you know with the paths and executable files assigned.

I'm not a computer guy.....more of a pinball guy.......hence the ignorance. Can you tell?

[freneticamnesic]

Don't think much changed between 2.03 and 2.05

If the tables show up, but the count stays at 359, that won't change just by editing the XML files since it sounds like that is already being done. I really thought this was fixed........

[Johngreve]

I stand corrected....that table count does in fact still go up. I added a couple of tables this morning just to confirm what I thought I was seeing and to my surprise the number did increase by the correct number. Up to 361 now.

Not sure what it did yesterday that led me to believe the number wasn't increasing but I was mistaken. Maybe I deleted something along the line before I added a table and ended up with the same number......not sure but obviously it was operator error.

Thanks for chiming in everyone......I believe I have a handle on things now.....

[Itchigo]

• Fixes Game List Manager truncating large lists.

[NEWS] PinblallX 1.87

[Itchigo]

Thanks for the tutorial.....I think you have given me enough to go on with the merging of the lists.

I'm not a computer guy.....more of a pinball guy.......hence the ignorance. Can you tell?

No problem at all. We were all like that once. Not knowing what I was dealing with, I spelled it out as easily as I could.

 

I guess it's just a carryover from work. I can tell drivers the simplest things, but they never seem to get it.

[Johngreve]

Thanks for the version 1.87 info.

Here's where I am with it now......

I just continued to add games in Game Manager by clicking on "Add Game". This worked till I hit about 366 games. Then, when I clicked on Add Game the empty list of Fields that would normally appear at the bottom of the game list that you would enter the game information into, only appeared in a incomplete state. Most of the fields were missing that you would normally enter information into. Pretty much rendered it useless.

I'm not sure if prior to version 1.87 the amount of games was way less prior to the list being truncated,but for now it appears 366 is the ceiling.

Guess I'll have to lean how to add tables via notepad or be content with 366 tables which really isn't a bad thing:) I could probably never get around to playing them all anyway but still, it's fun to sample everything that is out there. I believe there are a lot of diamonds in the rough out there that are waiting to be picked up yet.

I just stumbled across 4 million BC.....very cool game!

[Itchigo]

I use this tool. I've never used the game manager. I have nothing against it, just haven't had to use it. Doesn't matter how many tables you have with this. As I said, I have 734.

 

http://vpuniverse.com/forums/topic/2160-media-manager-hyperpin-editor-32-64bit/?hl=%2Bxml+%2Beditor

 

I also use this tool as well.

 

http://vpuniverse.com/forums/topic/1982-media-manager-vp-media-manager/

[dboyrecords]

+1 on hyperpin editor. Manly men go commando, but I'm fine with hp editor, my main list is 1,075 and counting...

[arngrim]

notepad++

to add a game, add this

<game name="24">

<description>24</description>

<manufacturer>Stern</manufacturer>

<year>2009</year>

<type>SS</type>

</game>

before </menu>

and change the values to your table, it's as simple as that

[Johngreve]

Hi....Ok...I was able to merge the two lists into one.

It truly was quite simple......after you guys spoon fed me!

Thanks very much to all who helped!

[Itchigo]