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

[Epsilon]

I can't seem to get Steam shortcuts to do anything but automatically launch the DX9 version. Is there some trick or option I can add to the shortcut path or something to get it to either run the DX11 version (preferably) or at the very least get it to display the same dialog box to select the version that you get when you hit the Play button from within the Steam client? I use my own external front-end that operates from shortcuts, so I prefer not to have to launch from Steam directly if I can at all avoid it.

Thanks!

 

[AshleyAshes]

When you hit play it's supposed to ask you which of the three executables you want to launch, is it not doing that?

 

[greatdane]

When you hit play it's supposed to ask you which of the three executables you want to launch, is it not doing that?

Yes you get the choice when launching from steam but I think what Epsilon means is that a desktop shortcut always launches the DX9 version, which I can confirm. Would like to know how to do this aswell as it would be quicker. Even if you run the "PinballArcade11.exe" from the game folder it starts the DX9 version.

 

[Metalzoic]

Yes you get the choice when launching from steam but I think what Epsilon means is that a desktop shortcut always launches the DX9 version, which I can confirm. Would like to know how to do this aswell as it would be quicker. Even if you run the "PinballArcade11.exe" from the game folder it starts the DX9 version.

Did you opt out of the beta?
When I opted out of the beta launching the DX11 version (both from steam or directly from the PinballAcade11.exe) launched the the DX9 version instead (even though it says 1.38.10 DX11 version in the bottom right corner). I had to opt back into the beta to get it to work again.

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

Make sure you are opted out of the beta.

Compare the 2 exe files in your steam installation. Make sure they are different sizes.

Try verifying integrity of cache. Then try running from the steam client and choosing DX11 version and see if that works.

 

[frostyarcade]

Yes you get the choice when launching from steam but I think what Epsilon means is that a desktop shortcut always launches the DX9 version, which I can confirm. Would like to know how to do this aswell as it would be quicker. Even if you run the "PinballArcade11.exe" from the game folder it starts the DX9 version.

+1

 

[Epsilon]

Make sure you are opted out of the beta.

Compare the 2 exe files in your steam installation. Make sure they are different sizes.

Try verifying integrity of cache. Then try running from the steam client and choosing DX11 version and see if that works.

Sorry for being dense here, but what do you mean by "opting out of the beta?" I thought DX11 was a beta, so wouldn't opting out of it prevent me from having access to the DX11 version?

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

DX11 is no longer a beta, it's in the final release. (even though I'm still fixing bugs). Opt out of betas in the betas tab and you will have the latest release version 1.38.10 which has DX11 build in it.

 

[greatdane]

Actually I stopped using the beta yesterday when I read your post Mike, but still it launches the dx9 version when I run either the PinballArcade11.exe (5,42 MB (5.691.408 bytes)) or the PinballArcade.exe (5,12 MB (5.376.528 bytes)). I can run dx11 fine when selecting it from the steam client. When launching from a desktop shortcut there seems to be no way of forcing dx11 since you don't see the launch selection. Is there a dx11 launch option similar to the fps display option?

 

[Epsilon]

Actually I stopped using the beta yesterday when I read your post Mike, but still it launches the dx9 version when I run either the PinballArcade11.exe (5,42 MB (5.691.408 bytes)) or the PinballArcade.exe (5,12 MB (5.376.528 bytes)). I can run dx11 fine when selecting it from the steam client. When launching from a desktop shortcut there seems to be no way of forcing dx11 since you don't see the launch selection. Is there a dx11 launch option similar to the fps display option?

Yeah, this is what I was wondering too. It almost makes me think that the steam ID for the game is somehow tied to the DX9 executable so any shortcut using the steam:// namespace defaults to that one. Even if I could just get the shortcut to force the same menu, I could live with that, but I don't want to have to launch from Steam itself because I have a whole separate and more elegant front-end for that (but unfortunately it operates on shortcuts which is where the problem currently lies.)

EDIT: I also briefly thought about changing the name of the .exe for the PinballArcade11 to try and "trick" it into running the one I wanted, but decided against it because it would probably screw up the automatic updates. Sounds like that wouldn't have worked anyway since apparently even a direct shortcut to "PinballArcade11" still runs DX9?

 

[AshleyAshes]

Actually I stopped using the beta yesterday when I read your post Mike, but still it launches the dx9 version when I run either the PinballArcade11.exe (5,42 MB (5.691.408 bytes)) or the PinballArcade.exe (5,12 MB (5.376.528 bytes)). I can run dx11 fine when selecting it from the steam client. When launching from a desktop shortcut there seems to be no way of forcing dx11 since you don't see the launch selection. Is there a dx11 launch option similar to the fps display option?

Why don't you just change the desktop shortcut...?

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

Evidently using shortcuts or running PinballArcade11.exe causes the steam DRM to internally run the other exe. I'll look into it later once I get some free time to see if there is a solution.

 

[Locksley]

An individual thing apparently since I have run Dx11 shortcut from my desktop since it was public with no trouble.

 

[Epsilon]

An individual thing apparently since I have run Dx11 shortcut from my desktop since it was public with no trouble.

Is this shortcut one that you created from the PinballArcade11.exe directly, or one that uses the steam "Internet URL" path? The shortcuts that Steam creates for games refer to a path like "steam://rungameid/238260" for Pinball Arcade. If you're using a direct shortcut, does it still bring up the Steam overlay and everything?

 

[Locksley]

Created it directly from the PinballArcade11.exe in the TPA folder (not located on C drive).

It runs in Administrative mode to be able to use NoEx Camera mod.

I'll check the Steam Overlay... brb

Right now I can not get Steam overlay to work (should be active). I just checked if it was active but haven't dug into the problem yet. There is no overlay no matter if I start through steam or via the shortcut. A little strangeness I didn't think about - prob just a setting I've missed, but as I said I have yet to double check everything.
Wondering if starting the TPA in administrative mode could interfere... But right now nuttin' works

EDIT - Yeah, it is the Admin use that messes it up. Tried starting Steam using admin too but no luck yet...

This is the Steam app ID 238260. That is the only one and that starts Dx9 version.

I'm guessing there need to be a direct link, new app id for the Dx11.

Also I can run it with steam overlay if I run without Admin but only through steam.

EDIT - as the user under wrote. I too renamed it and it worked, but not camera I guess, never checked but trust Darquayle in his assessment.

 

[Darquayle]

For me, I had success in renaming pinballarcade11.exe to pinballarcade.exe. But then I couldn't get the cameramod to work as it seems to be looking for pinballarcade11.exe to be running... SO, I made a small AHK script to launch the pinballarcade11.exe program and compiled the AHK script as pinballarcade.exe. It all works fine now. I'm still running the beta version so I expect there will be some changes when I switch back to normal production version. Also... for those of you who are pinball cabinet users, look for a Bigboss program called showbackglass. I'm running that on my system and it allows you to show an image per table when switching between different tables in PBA. This is all temporary until FS releases their Cabinet/DMD/Backglass version of TPA.... but until the combinations of these programs is giving me a pretty good experience.... One more thing... My cabinet was built out of an old Xenon pinball machine so the latest release has truly got me inspired to using TPA. Xenon looks great in my Xenon cab.

 

[Metalzoic]

Actually I stopped using the beta yesterday when I read your post Mike, but still it launches the dx9 version when I run either the PinballArcade11.exe (5,42 MB (5.691.408 bytes)) or the PinballArcade.exe (5,12 MB (5.376.528 bytes)). I can run dx11 fine when selecting it from the steam client. When launching from a desktop shortcut there seems to be no way of forcing dx11 since you don't see the launch selection. Is there a dx11 launch option similar to the fps display option?

Same here. If I opt out launching the DX11.exe actually launches DX9.

 

[Xanija]

Same here. If I opt out launching the DX11.exe actually launches DX9.

That was the same for me even in Beta. I could never start the DX11 version other than via the Steam client.

 

[Epsilon]

For me, I had success in renaming pinballarcade11.exe to pinballarcade.exe. But then I couldn't get the cameramod to work as it seems to be looking for pinballarcade11.exe to be running... SO, I made a small AHK script to launch the pinballarcade11.exe program and compiled the AHK script as pinballarcade.exe. It all works fine now. I'm still running the beta version so I expect there will be some changes when I switch back to normal production version. Also... for those of you who are pinball cabinet users, look for a Bigboss program called showbackglass. I'm running that on my system and it allows you to show an image per table when switching between different tables in PBA. This is all temporary until FS releases their Cabinet/DMD/Backglass version of TPA.... but until the combinations of these programs is giving me a pretty good experience.... One more thing... My cabinet was built out of an old Xenon pinball machine so the latest release has truly got me inspired to using TPA. Xenon looks great in my Xenon cab.

Interesting. I don't use any mods so renaming the .exe(s) might be a suitable workaround for me, but I just wonder if things will go haywire when Steam tries to pull down updates. That's my concern at this point.

 

[Epsilon]

Evidently using shortcuts or running PinballArcade11.exe causes the steam DRM to internally run the other exe. I'll look into it later once I get some free time to see if there is a solution.

Any word on this? I know it seems like a small thing, but when you have alternative means of launching games more efficiently and a particularly large Steam library, it becomes exceedingly annoying to have to launch from the client on top of clicking through another selection dialog to play.