Is there any way to get a Steam shortcut to launch the DX11 version directly?

rehtroboi40 · Jun 10, 2015

Well, I don't want TPA to launch automatically with DX11. My computer has proven to be ill-equipped to run TPA in anything other than DX9. I will not want auto-DX11 until I can afford a new graphics card. And that's going to be a while.....

Biff · Jun 10, 2015

rehtroboi40 said:
Well, I don't want TPA to launch automatically with DX11. My computer has proven to be ill-equipped to run TPA in anything other than DX9. I will not want auto-DX11 until I can afford a new graphics card. And that's going to be a while.....

There are two executables. One for DX9 "PinballArcade.exe" and one for DX11 "PinballArcade11.exe".

mpad · Jun 10, 2015

I would also appreciate if klicking the dx11 exe would do its thing.

Epsilon · Jun 11, 2015

rehtroboi40 said:
Well, I don't want TPA to launch automatically with DX11. My computer has proven to be ill-equipped to run TPA in anything other than DX9. I will not want auto-DX11 until I can afford a new graphics card. And that's going to be a while.....

Fair enough, but there has to be a better way to handle this than what is currently there. At the very least there should be a way to have steam remember your selection of DX9 or DX11 and then use the appropriate .exe when launching from a shortcut. Or maybe the two versions need to be split off into separate Steam game ID's so that the shortcuts will work properly. But something is terribly wrong when Steam still launches the DX9 executable even when someone creates a specific shortcut directly pointing to the DX11 one.

Metalzoic · Jun 11, 2015

Yeah, this problem and the nag-screen not going away like it should makes it really annoying to play this on a dedicated cabinet right now. I've about given up on playing it until they get it fixed.

EldarOfSuburbia · Jun 11, 2015

Epsilon said:
Fair enough, but there has to be a better way to handle this than what is currently there. At the very least there should be a way to have steam remember your selection of DX9 or DX11 and then use the appropriate .exe when launching from a shortcut. Or maybe the two versions need to be split off into separate Steam game ID's so that the shortcuts will work properly. But something is terribly wrong when Steam still launches the DX9 executable even when someone creates a specific shortcut directly pointing to the DX11 one.

That's a Steam issue not a TPA issue though. Other games with different launchers run into this issue too. Civ V is one one them, I guess there are others.

mpad · Jun 11, 2015

This is a no go. Only solution is the pirated version then... (which is OK if you own all season passes).

Or let us choose which version to download. Would save some hdd space getting rid of the dx9 stuff.

Epsilon · Jun 11, 2015

EldarOfSuburbia said:
That's a Steam issue not a TPA issue though. Other games with different launchers run into this issue too. Civ V is one one them, I guess there are others.

I've never had a problem getting a game to launch properly through a shortcut before, and I've played hundreds of games on Steam. But even if it is ultimately something that has to be done on the Steam side, I'm pretty sure the developers of the game are going to have infinitely more potential to work with them to get it resolved than just users idly complaining to Steam's non-existent support.

If nothing else, it would be nice if Farsight could give us some insight on what would happen if we just switched the executable names ourselves manually, which currently seems to be the only way to get it to work. But then presumably it would try to update the DX11 executable with DX9 data when updates are pushed out, and who knows what happens then?

Michael DiFilippo · Jun 15, 2015

So I assume this isn't fixed yet, correct? or a workaround perhaps?

I went to the system files and both exes open DX9. I may have to try opting in and out once more to get it to work.

mpad · Jun 15, 2015

Not that I know of.
If anyone finds a solution please post it here. Complete reinstall?

Metalzoic · Jun 17, 2015

Michael DiFilippo said:
So I assume this isn't fixed yet, correct? or a workaround perhaps?

I went to the system files and both exes open DX9. I may have to try opting in and out once more to get it to work.

Yes, both exe's launch the DX9 version. However if you rename PinballArcade11.exe to just PinballArcade.exe then it will launch the DX11 version.
That's what I had to do to get it to run on my cabinet.

priested · Jun 17, 2015

Metalzoic said:
Yes, both exe's launch the DX9 version. However if you rename PinballArcade11.exe to just PinballArcade.exe then it will launch the DX11 version.
That's what I had to do to get it to run on my cabinet.

Seems like an update would screw things up or not work or something? What happens when they update the game or add a table? Do you have to manually replace the exe? How would that work?

Metalzoic · Jun 17, 2015

priested said:
Seems like an update would screw things up or not work or something? What happens when they update the game or add a table? Do you have to manually replace the exe? How would that work?

I think the last update renamed them back and I had to go in and rename them myself again is all.

Epsilon · Jun 17, 2015

Metalzoic said:
I think the last update renamed them back and I had to go in and rename them myself again is all.

Oh, really? Well, that's not a huge deal then. I was just worried it wouldn't update at all if it didn't recognize the contents or something like that. So basically if it starts launching the DX9 version, that's when you know it updated and then you just have to go rename the files again?

If that's the case, I can definitely live with that. Much better than having to launch manually from Steam every time.

Metalzoic · Jun 20, 2015

Epsilon said:
Oh, really? Well, that's not a huge deal then. I was just worried it wouldn't update at all if it didn't recognize the contents or something like that. So basically if it starts launching the DX9 version, that's when you know it updated and then you just have to go rename the files again?

If that's the case, I can definitely live with that. Much better than having to launch manually from Steam every time.

Yep. Todays update added a new PinballArcade.exe and a new PinballArcade11.exe. All I had to do was rename them again so no worries.
Although the nag-screen is still popping up constantly so that still really sucks.

nudnick · Jul 11, 2015

I personally hate logging into Steam all the time. I share my PC with my kids and they have their own Windows profiles and Steam logons so when we switch around, I'm always having to logon back into my Steam account. So I wrote up a batch file that auto logs me into Steam. Here's the CMD line:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe" -login username password

Just a double click on batchfile and I'm into my Steam account. I also use Free Cam Mod and NoEx just made it so that when you launch the Free Cam Mod you can have it set so that it auto launches PBA. So that way I'm just clicking on 2 quick shortcuts on my desktop and I'm good to go. Just thought I'd throw this out there as an option for quick and easy access.

Septarius · Sep 19, 2015

I found a workaround based on something similar from Kerbal Space Program's 64 bit version back when they had a 64 bit mode.

"Method 2:
1. In the Steam games list, R-click PBA: Properties -> General -> Set Launch Options...

2. type in the following:"the path of PinballArcade11.exe" %command%

example: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\PinballArcade\PinballArcade11.exe" %command%

3. run PBA as usual"

From: http://steamcommunity.com/app/220200/discussions/0/35219681790813176/#c35219681792617623

This sets DX11 as default from a steam://runappid shortcut and doubleclicking on either exe in the folder even from my testing.

Hope this helps,

NoEx · Sep 19, 2015

Thanks Septarius! I don't know if this has been implemented in the latest update but now the DX11 version of the game seems to be startable directly.

mpad · Sep 19, 2015

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!::::::::..

mpad · Sep 19, 2015

[MENTION=5267]NoEx[/MENTION]
please add this to your cam mod instructions. lots of people will appreciate this.

thanks again septarius!

hint for dumb people like me: PinballArcade11.exe (without space), the " should be typed

edit: I guess this now also works for pinballx with the shortcut launch command?
cant test, only laptop here without pbx

Is there any way to get a Steam shortcut to launch the DX11 version directly?

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