Skee Ball V2.0 - kid sized modern skee ball

[nickels]

Since I just dropped about $300 for wood and various components, I guess it is officially time to announce my skee ball project. Quick timeline: Finished my basement and wanted a new project to entertain the kids, use my programming knowledge, and to learn new woodworking techniques. I found a manual scoring mini skee ball project on instructables. Did some more research and found a thread here called "That's how I roll" which inspired me big time. So, combining all of the elements that I've seen to date I decided to go my own way for space, money, and skill reasons. I give you, my version of skee ball (Google sketch-up comps):


View slightly twisted


The dimensions are taken from measurement found in the other project, but scaled to about 80% to fit in my basement. The front of the table is 18" width for the ramp, plus 1/2" plywood on either side making the width of the front on 19" total. The back scoring section is slightly bigger, at 22" wide plus the plywood, making it 23" wide total. The front is 24" at it's tallest point, and the back is 5'5" at its tallest point. The balls used on this table are 2.5" radius wooden balls, slightly smaller than normal skee balls. There is no ball return on the side, it is hidden below the main ramp. The size is small than a real table, but big enough for adults to enjoy.

The scoring is done by connecting scoring switches under the holes connected to an iPac. The brains of the whole machine is a PC running custom Flash software (thanks to thatpurplestuff for the idea), and the marque area will have a 19" flat monitor with a soundbar. Here is an early peek at the software, but with no additional games yet:
http://www.johnkalnin.com/skee/skeeball.html
(use keyboard controls 1-8 for scoring: 1 and 2=100, 3=50...8=0. s key resets game at end)
The software will constantly evolving and expanding with more game variations. This is really still in beta mode as I don't even have sound effects in there yet and I'm still working on additional games. If the kids enjoy playing on the table I will add the LEDWiz to add lighting controls to the games, such as highlighting which holes to aim for in an alternate game.

It took me months to find all the materials (not done yet) and to figure out all of the techniques needed to build this table. I am in way over my head, but hopefully at the least this will be a good learning experience. Wish me luck!

EDIT: sketch-up images updated 2/25/13

[Nephasth]

Good luck! Can't wait to see this one unfold. The world needs more skeeball!

[wp34]

Awesome.  I've wanted one of these for years but never thought about shrinking it to fit. 

[Unstupid]

The hardest part of the skee-ball build will be the launch ramp... getting it the right angle is very important.  If you are going to use 3" balls and you scale the ramp down 80% it will cause the balls to launch differently.  If you are scaling the ramp 80% then you'll want to use 2.4" (3"*.80) balls, or don't scale the ramp. 

[nickels]

Thanks for the tip, but I did get 2.5" balls so the scaled ramp should be pretty close. I do expect the ramp to be one of the trickiest parts. I planed on making the ramp where you can adjust the angle to make it launch balls correctly. I am not doing it the only way I've seen it done by others (cutting out a template like twenty times, connecting them, and sanding it flat as a whole). I am going to attempt to make only the side templates, and then attaching 1/2"x17" pieces of wood in the middle to make the curve. Hard to explain, but his may help:

For image #2 my boards will be touching in order to make the ramp transitions smooth. It is how skateboarders make larger ramps, but shrunk down to work for this tiny ramp. This will make the curve slightly choppy on the bottom wood layer, but fine once I add a thin layer of Masonite or 1/4 sheet of cork on top.  I expect this part to be redone a few times to get it right.

[nickels]

I decided to start with the hard part, so the ramp has begun:


Once that is done I'll do the scoring area next, as making all of the rings is another task and a half. I'm still a little worried about how to cover the plywood leading up to the ramp and the curve of the ramp itself, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. I can try to bend and attach some thin hardboard to it, but the slope is small and steep. I was also thinking about just using a thin sheet of corkboard but I feel like it needs a sturdier material on the ramp to get the same slope across the entire length of it. Decisions decisions.

Hopefully I'll have much more completed after this weekend. We'll see. This project is going to take a while.

[thatpurplestuff]

Nice!  Excited to see how this build goes

[nickels]

Nice!  Excited to see how this build goes

I've seen your work, be prepared to be unimpressed! 
I personally can't thank you enough (or shake my fist in anger in your direction). Your thread is my main inspiration, and your hard work has saved me a ton of time, effort, and money already. It is overwhelming figuring out what to do next as there as so many options. I want to complete at least 2-3 more working Flash games before it is built. Also, I don't know how you go so lucky buying your scoring switches, but they now cost $58 for 8 of them. Ouch! I have more Baby's Breath colored rubber wall base than I'll ever need.

My wife is due to deliver our third child at any moment now, so I have to get to work!

[PL1]

I've been thinking about how to make a ramp and came up with this idea.

Start with a template/jig with two holes drilled partly through. (lower half of attached diagram)

The part in red should extend no higher than 3/4" above the rest of the template so it doesn't mess with the router base.

Cut a big enough stack of blanks to span the desired ramp width.

Pressing each blank in turn against the jig, use 1/4" dowel center transfer plugs to mark the exact place to drill the holes.


Drill through the marked holes on all blanks.

Remove the dowel center transfer plugs and insert 1/4" dowels on the template/jig.

Place the drilled blank on the template/jig and use a flush trim router bit to finish it.

Use two 1/4" dowel rods for guides as you stack alternating layers of ramp slices and wood glue to the desired width.

Use clamps or put weights on top of the stack and wipe up any excess glue.

Once the glue dries, the ramp should require very little if any sanding.


Scott

[RandyT]

I've been thinking about how to make a ramp and came up with this idea.

Not a bad way to go about it.  There is one thing to be conscious of;  A small angle when drilling the holes could change the height of the parts in the stack, once the rod is knocked into them.  I'd set up a stop like you show but on a drill press table.  Make sure there are a couple of solid reference points on each end of the part, drill one end and then flip the part over and drill the other.  It doesn't really matter where the holes are, only that the position is uniform, and that they are very straight through the part.

If you know someone with a CNC router, it gets a lot easier

There's also "Kerf Cutting"

[nickels]

Worked mostly on the ramp this weekend so far. I also cut and laid out the scoring area, but still need to make the rings. Here is the ramp before adding the plywood layer:



Here is the kerf method used. Looks bad but the whole ramp will get covered with a thin layer of cork sheet so all I need is for it to work:


Let me be clear, this is the first piece of plywood that I have ever tried to kerf and bend. Literally, this is my first try ever. So, keep that in mind. I cut the slots and soaked the whole thing in hot water for about an hour before bending it onto the ramp. Yes, I went screw crazy on it. It has some cracks, but I plan on using a little wood filler across the entire face of the ramp, then sanding it smooth by hand.

Now for the big moment - the first test run:


I was a little excited at the end. I am hoping that the ramp is one of the hardest parts of this project, so I was thrilled at the outcome. Time to go cut and rivet a bunch of rubber rings.

[PL1]

Looks like it's working great.

Before you get much farther in the build, would you mind scanning the ramp side profile to make a 1:1 printable template PDF?

Thanks.


Scott

[nickels]

How about as a jpg?

Here is the profile I created in illustrator:


It was created using a file found in the other thread seen here:


Remember, for my build I took this jpg (well, I used a high res tiff) and scaled it down 80% for my smaller table.

[nickels]

The scoring area is also in progress - and yes it looks much better than the ramp 


I am holding them together with painters tape because I only have 1/4" grip rivets which are too short. I will rivet them and attach to scoring area next. Also need to drill the holes for the balls to go through.

This is how this projects continues to add up:
=================================
40 1" L brackets (to attach rings to wood) : $15
50 rivets 1/2" - $5
50 3/16 washers - $5
50' Flexico Wall base - $30
22x34 sheet of pvc cell foam - $12 (a welcome mat at HD) this will be cut and used to make the ball hitting the score area more muffled.

Not to mention:
3: 4x8, 1/2 plywood - $100
7: 1x2 wood strips - $14
2: 2x2 wood strips - $10
19" flat monitor - $40
Spare PC - free, had one laying around
One rectangular pushbutton - $4
Two triangular pushbuttons - $15
IPAC VE - $35
wire -
9: 2.5" wooden balls - $25
8: cherry scoring switches - $58
custom cut cork sheet - $50

I have spread out the cost over a few paychecks so that it doesn't crush me all at once. Be warned, this project isn't cheap, but the end result will still cost less than a new table and will have 10x the amount of gaming options.

[Xiaou2]

Even with cork overlay, the strength of the wood underneath is important  (balls tend to end up flying and bashing, rather than just
rolling) ,so I highly suggest you fill the square kerf gap holes that are in the plywood (not just the cracked areas),
with some glue or epoxy. 

 Fill it on its side, by Capping one edge with some thin strip material.  When its dried, you can cut and sand  Once its dried, you then have
a solid form to sand without any flexing happening in the process.

 Another few tips...   Put something a little gushy on the backboard to help reduce noise from impact. Unless your using tennis balls?
Maybe even a few strips of hard rubber under the backbox wood holder strips.   In a real machine, they also use something like small sandbags for certain area of the rings, to help cushion the impacts.


 Id often thought about making a version of Skeeball, in which the long table section actually folds in half, and that is then folded back
into the main backboard area, when not in use.

[Nephasth]

Looking good!

Even with cork overlay, the strength of the wood underneath is important  (balls tend to end up flying and bashing, rather than just
rolling) ,so I highly suggest you fill the square kerf gap holes that are in the plywood (not just the cracked areas),
with some glue or epoxy. 

 Fill it on its side, by Capping one edge with some thin strip material.  When its dried, you can cut and sand  Once its dried, you then have
a solid form to sand without any flexing happening in the process.

I agree with this. Skeeball machines take a BEATING.

[nickels]

Since I read the entire "How I roll" thread from front to back about 100 times, I was fully prepared knowing that the scoring area "backboard" is going to take a loud beating. If you look at my material list I already purchased a welcome mat from Home Depot during one of my many trips there. The mat is made of closed cell PVC foam and is almost 1/2 thick. You can't buy this material at this size cheaply, so finding a welcome mat made from closed cell PVC foam for $12 was pure luck. I am going to use my scoring area template to hand cut the foam so it fits around all of the rings, then glue the cut pieces inside all the spaces once the rings are attached. It will make sense when you see it. Hopefully cutting this mat into the crazy shapes will not take me a lifetime.

Now for the ramp. Glue in the kerf spaces - great idea! Any suggestions on the type of glue? Can't use gorrilla or it will expand and kill it. I have tons of wood glue, but that seems too thick and will not fully fill the gaps. These spaces are only the width of the sawblade and 18" long, so the glue has to start thin before it is dry, and dry into something hard and not flexible. hmmmmm

Thanks for all the tips and feedback!

[RandyT]

Since I read the entire "How I roll" thread from front to back about 100 times, I was fully prepared knowing that the scoring area "backboard" is going to take a loud beating. If you look at my material list I already purchased a welcome mat from Home Depot during one of my many trips there. The mat is made of closed cell PVC foam and is almost 1/2 thick. You can't buy this material at this size cheaply, so finding a welcome mat made from closed cell PVC foam for $12 was pure luck. I am going to use my scoring area template to hand cut the foam so it fits around all of the rings, then glue the cut pieces inside all the spaces once the rings are attached. It will make sense when you see it. Hopefully cutting this mat into the crazy shapes will not take me a lifetime.

Be careful of foam if it has any bounce.  Before you do this to your backboard, lay the material on a hard surface (preferably the same material and framework you intend to use for the backboard) and drop a ball onto it from about 3 feet.  If it bounces higher than the rings you made, you might not be happy with the gameplay.  Cork was used because it compresses and deadens noise, without a lot of bounce.  The sandbags were used in the smaller holes to keep the balls in them, so something which causes a near dead stop in those is a good idea as well.  Flat sewn leather beanbags would do the trick, probably forever.

But I have seen these mats and was impressed with what they were for the cost.  I remember all sorts of re-purposing things going through my head when I picked one up

Now for the ramp. Glue in the kerf spaces - great idea! Any suggestions on the type of glue? Can't use gorrilla or it will expand and kill it. I have tons of wood glue, but that seems too thick and will not fully fill the gaps. These spaces are only the width of the sawblade and 18" long, so the glue has to start thin before it is dry, and dry into something hard and not flexible. hmmmmm

It depends on what you want to spend, and how much you need to fill.  For about $25 a gallon (I think....it's been a while) Home Depot has some liquid polyester.  It's used for stone patio repairs and the like, and it's a two part resin.  It starts out thin until you add the catalyst, but when it sets, it's very, very hard and durable.  It can also be sanded, cut, etc...

[nickels]

An hour of thinking and researching - this is my solution for the kerf fix:



The balls are 2.5" tall, so the mid point would be where it hits the hardest, about 1.25" up from the ramp floor. I imagine the plywood is now curved in place since the wood was wet, attached, and now dry. My thought is to unscrew the four slats under the plywood, one at a time. Also, unscrew the plywood only on the slats being removed. Now, I can fully see the exposed kerf from underneath. Mix glue with sawdust (of which I have plenty) to make my own MDF filler. Spread it in the cracks with a putty knife, reattach the slat, move to the next one. This seems like the best way to fully fill the kerf slots quickly and efficiently. We'll see soon enough if this works.

[nickels]

Be careful of foam if it has any bounce.  Before you do this to your backboard, lay the material on a hard surface (preferably the same material and framework you intend to use for the backboard) and drop a ball onto it from about 3 feet.  If it bounces higher than the rings you made, you might not be happy with the gameplay.  Cork was used because it compresses and deadens noise, without a lot of bounce.  The sandbags were used in the smaller holes to keep the balls in them, so something which causes a near dead stop in those is a good idea as well.  Flat sewn leather beanbags would do the trick, probably forever.

But I have seen these mats and was impressed with what they were for the cost.  I remember all sorts of re-purposing things going through my head when I picked one up

Another good idea! I will test the "bounce effect" when I get home. Judging by the materials used I think I'll be fine. The balls are fairly light weight and the foam has give but it is more spongy than bouncy. I really just want to lower the noise level on impact so I am hoping I got lucky with this welcome mat. I can probably find a cork sheet fairly cheap if it doesn't work. My scoring area/backdrop is 22"x30.5" - the welcome mat is 22"x34" so it was meant to be!

[PL1]

How about as a jpg?

Thanks, Nickles.

I saw those UncleT ramp profile pictures and still am not sure if the L-square or the pencil line is supposed to be parallel with the lane surface.

There is only a three degree difference, but I figured that might be enough to make a difference in launch angle and playability.   


Scott

EDIT: According to my latest calculations, the L-square is parallel to the rolling surface of the lane.

[thatpurplestuff]

How about as a jpg?

Thanks, Nickles.

I saw those UncleT ramp profile pictures and still am not sure if the L-square or the pencil line is supposed to be parallel with the lane surface.

There is only a three degree difference, but I figured that might be enough to make a difference in launch angle and playability.   


Scott

I was confused by the pic initially as well, but I believe the cutout that unclet made has the L-square level with the top of the machine (the entire machine, not just the ramp so technically the L-square would be parallel to the ground).  That pencil line is indicating the slope of the sides of the ramp (the X's indicate the area that would be removed if you were wanting the template to not extend above the ramp sides).

It's been a long time since I've looked at the measurements but I think that's how I interpreted the image when I was making my ramp.

[nickels]

The ramp has been strengthened! That was time consuming. I took some wood glue and mixed in some sawdust, removed the slats from under the ramp, and added a layer of my sawdust/glue mix:

From this:

To this:


I went from the bottom of the ramp to almost the top, way above where the ball will impact with the most force. I filed in the gaps on both sides all the way up, and I also filled any cracks from the outside, to be sanded once dry. Right now it doesn't look great, but it works so who cares, right. It needs a good sanding and certainly has to be covered with cork or something once installed.

I have also begun making rings. Woodworking isn't my strength, but apparently I am much better at cutting rubber and using a rivet gun. These rings are looking dead on real. I can't wait to attach them and add on some vinyl numbers. Ordering the scoring switches right now, so hopefully they will arrive along with my iPac very soon. I'm getting close to having a semi playable skee ball table, which makes me want to work on it non-stop.

[nickels]

Anyone know what type of overall slope the top area should have where the ball rolls up to the ramp? All of my measurement picts don't help. I am worried that my slope is too steep. Right now it goes from about 15" from the floor at the start to about 18" just before the ramp begins about 6' from the beginning. That is a 3" slope from the front to the ramp in about 6 feet. That seems steep to me, or is it too shallow? I can adjust this still, so I'd like to get it right. These measurements are very finicky, especially after being scaled 80% from the norm.

[Nephasth]

My skeeball machine has 4 3/4" of slope across 6' of ramp.

[RandyT]

You should make the slope the same as Nephasth indicated above.  You'll want to scale only the dimensions, not the angles, if you want it to be a perfect representation.  This is something that always bugged me about the smaller "home" versions on the market.  They don't look or play correctly because they changed those.

[nickels]

I will update my google sketchup and the measured marks that I already made on the plywood. I was trying for the correct slope since the beginning, but none of the pictures I've seen had those dimensions clearly indicated. It will be an easy fix. I just need to adjust the end mark to be 1 3/4" higher. Thanks again!

Oh no! This now begs the follow-up question about the angle of the backboard. I only have 30" to work with, and my backboard is 30.5" long. It starts at about 18" up from the ground, and end about 35" tall at the back. There isn't much wiggle room here, but I can make some minor in/out/up/down tweaks within a few inches. There doesn't appear to be a fixed answer here, as most machines seem to vary on the slope of the ringed scoring area.

PS - the bounce test was a success. I put the welcome mat upside down on the backboard and dropped the ball on it from about 4 feet up. The thud was muffled and the ball didn't bounce higher than the 4" height of the rings.

[PL1]

Your slope question is part of the reason I asked you for the ramp profile scan.

The UncleT pic and your JPG are referenced to the ground instead of the slope of the lane.

If the template is referenced to the ramp slope, it is easier to make a flat-bottomed jump ramp (red) and mount it and the flat lane (green) on a sub-layer. (yellow)

Cover them with the cork/rolling surface. (blue)

This will allow you to fine tune gameplay a bit by adjusting the angle of the yellow sub-layer.


Scott

EDIT: According to my latest calculations, the L-square is parallel to the rolling surface of the lane.

[PL1]

My skeeball machine has 4 3/4" of slope across 6' of ramp.

Finally got around to checking in PowerPoint -- this works out to 4 degrees of slope.


Scott

[nickels]

I have adjusted the slope for this angle. Progress is at a standstill as my wife gave birth a few days ago. I also learned the hard way not to rush cuts on 1" of plywood (the sides are sandwiched together) or my blade will bend, snap, and ruin the cut. Had to redesign the shape a bit to save the wood after that horrible cutting incident. Thank god I started on an area where there is room for mistakes. The rings are all made so I will be attaching them to the scoring area soon. My switches have arrived and so have all of my buttons, but the iPac is still MIA.  I was told it should arrive next week. I have new blades and will take my time cutting the sides next time. Hopefully there are no more cutting incidents.

[Le Chuck]

Congrats on the birth and the fact that you still have all of your fingers!

Looking forward to watching this come together.

[unclet]

I saw those UncleT ramp profile pictures and still am not sure if the L-square or the pencil line is supposed to be parallel with the lane surface

The L-square was to provide a "square" reference point.   The "Level with the Top of the Skeeball Machine" text has an "arrow" pointing to the pencil line.  The "arrow" is faint but if you look you can see it in the pictures I have attached.   I clearly forgot to highlight the "arrow" text and the line with "blue", like I did with the gap measurements, etc.. in the picture.   

The goal was to show that if you pushed the wooden template I cut out up against the side of the skeeball machine then you would notice the "top of the machine side (covered in yellow plastic" would not be a 90 degree angle to the flat part of the ramp.   The pencil line I drew in the picture represents where the top of the machine side would be located in relationship to the cut out.    Basically, I pushed the cutout template over to the side of the machine and with a pencil drew a line to denote where the top of the machine side would be in relationship to the cutout I made.  If you look at "100_0756.JPG" picture provded below and imagines you pushed the cutout template forward against to the side of the machine in the picture then you should be able to see how the side of the machine itself would be "inline" with the pencil line mark I eventually drew on the cutout.

The gap measurements I provided at the bottom of the cutout were required since I did not do a good enough job cuting out the template.  I provided the gap measurements so you would know the true curve required.  If you see the pictures of the template on the machine (provided below) you will see the gaps between the rolling surface and the template.   

Hope this did not confuse peopler more.

** Note:  I no longer have the machine.  I sold it a year ago.

[unclet]

more pics

[nickels]

Thanks - those will come in handy when I no doubt rebuild my ramp area!

Now for a button question: are Happ illuminated switches always on when connected to a power source? Believe me I looked around a lot before asking. Here is the switch:

oops - two prongs are mislabeled. NO is NC and vice-versa. The text below still read correctly.

The 3 bottom silver prongs are COM, NO, and NC - I got them to work with my iPac so no problem there. The gold side prongs are for the LED light, I labeled them + and -. When I connect the side prongs to a 9-volt battery the light goes on. Is there a way to wire this button so the light only goes on when the button is pushed and not all the time?
From what I gather the side prongs connect to my PC power supply by picking an unused molex connector.

-edit-
I got this to work away from the iPac like this:
Battery negative connects to switch ground.
Battery positive connects to LED+ prong.
NO prong connects to LED- prong.

When you push the button the light goes on. My concern is that to connect to the iPac I'll also need to connect the NO and Ground to the iPac ground and an open slot. Will the power supply lighting the LED interfere with this or short out the iPac?

Here is the switch connect to a battery working only when pushed. Yes it is only a 9volt battery, but will be connected in the same way to the 12 volt PC power supply:

Good luck reading that chicken scratch.
-end edit-

[ds015882]

Looks good...if your rings don't work out...I've got a set of real skeeball rings..I'm going to post later

[melvinbates]

My concern is that to connect to the iPac I'll also need to connect the NO and Ground to the iPac ground and an open slot. Will the power supply lighting the LED interfere with this or short out the iPac?

You'll be feeding back voltage to the Ipac in that setup.  It only runs on 5v so the differential will feed into the ipac.  As it's a button for a skeeball machine you might be able to get away with driving a dpdt or dpst relay that could drive both the led and the Ipac at the same time, or program an LED driver to turn it on when the button is pushed.

Build's looking great so far.

[unclet]

I would recommend dropping a ball on the side of one of those rings from about a two foot height and see how the material reacts.  Does it crack or dent perhaps?   Those rings can take a real beating.

[PL1]

Thanks for the extra pics, UncleT.

I'm still not sure about what the L-square is referenced to, so I made a diagram.

The lane (blue) is at 4 degrees, per earlier in this thread leading up to the ramp. (black)

Your template (gray) has a line indicating the relative angle of the sidewall, (yellow) but I'm not sure what angle that is. 

Which of the following is correct?  The L-square is:
1. Level with the ground. (0 degrees)
2. Level with the lane. (4 degrees)
3. Not referenced to anything in particular -- need to figure out the angle of the yellow sidewall.


Scott
EDIT: According to my latest calculations, the L-square is parallel to the rolling surface of the lane and the sidewall is at 6 degrees relative to the ground, 2 degrees more than the lane.

[unclet]

I'm still not sure about what the L-square is referenced to
Which of the following is correct?

(3)

I created the wooden cutout ramp template for a user as a reference a long time ago.  The user asked if I could please place a L-square in the photo so they could accurately recreate the curve in Photoshop (or something similar) by being able to determine at what height and length the slope curves started/ended.   The L-square does "not" represent "parallel to the floor".

Anyone know what type of overall slope the top area should have where the ball rolls up to the ramp

From all of the measurements provided in the picture below someone mathematical should be able to calculate the slope of the rolling ramp area and the slope of the target area. 

[unclet]

Here is another photo if it helps someone

[unclet]

I updated the text on the following picture

[PL1]

Erroneous post removed.


Scott

[Nephasth]

On my machine, the rolling surface is parallel with the bottom edge of the side boards.

[nickels]

I would recommend dropping a ball on the side of one of those rings from about a two foot height and see how the material reacts.  Does it crack or dent perhaps?   Those rings can take a real beating.

The rings are a double layer of rubber wall base riveted at the seam. I suspect these take a beating better than or equal to real rings. They didn't budge on my test.  The 2.5" balls I am using are lighter than regular sized skee ball so that may help. I have a boatload of this material, so replacing rings over time (if necessary) will be no issue.

Today I cut the sides:

*finishing my basement is also in progress, so please excuse the padding sticking out of the carpet.

I screwed two pieces of 2'x8'x.5" plywood together, made my guides with a t-square and ruler based on the dimensions used in my Google sketch-up, laid the plywood down on some stacked 2x2s, and got to cutting. Many lessons learned. I tried to use a straight edge to help guide the jigsaw. Fruitless. Dropped that idea after about 2 small cuts. I went freehand on my drawn lines and worked out a lot better. This will look like a skee ball machine very soon. I plan on working on it a hour or so each day this week.

[nickels]

My concern is that to connect to the iPac I'll also need to connect the NO and Ground to the iPac ground and an open slot. Will the power supply lighting the LED interfere with this or short out the iPac?

You'll be feeding back voltage to the Ipac in that setup.  It only runs on 5v so the differential will feed into the ipac.  As it's a button for a skeeball machine you might be able to get away with driving a dpdt or dpst relay that could drive both the led and the Ipac at the same time, or program an LED driver to turn it on when the button is pushed.

Build's looking great so far.

Thanks! If I can pull this off nobody will be more shocked than me. haha. This info seals the deal. Too much to do for this project, so the buttons are going to be ether always illuminated or always off. I'll wire them to be always on, but if that is distracting I'll just disconnect the shared power to the LEDs.

Just did a quick test and was able to power the LED using the iPac. It was dimmer, but the button was always illuminated and went dim when pushed. This may be the winner for now.

[PL1]

Too much to do for this project, so the buttons are going to be ether always illuminated or always off. I'll wire them to be always on, but if that is distracting I'll just disconnect the shared power to the LEDs.

Another easy way is to have the LEDs shut off when you press the button.


Scott

[unclet]

Just to be sure I understand, the pencil line (highlighted in red) is parallel to the surface of the lane where you roll the ball, not the yellow siderail.

Just to make you more confused, I am going to retract my earlier statement where I mentioned the pencil line was parallel to the rolling surface (I removed this statement from my previous posting).  If you look at the measurements provided in the picture below you can see the yellow side rail is not parallel to the rolling surface.  The "pencil line" represents the angle of the yellow side rail.  As a result, the pencil line I drew probably does not really help anyone out.   The cutout template should just be used to help with creation of the ramp curvature only and all other measurements and slopes should be able to be determined by the measurements pictures I provided in this thread.  Just ignore the pencil line.  Sorry about this, but I originally provided the cutout template with the pencil mark and L-square pictures years and years ago.   I also no longer own the Skeeball machine.

Perhaps you could edit your picture above to state the pencil line is parallel to the top of the yellow side rail (not parallel to the rolling surface)?

[nickels]

Too much to do for this project, so the buttons are going to be ether always illuminated or always off. I'll wire them to be always on, but if that is distracting I'll just disconnect the shared power to the LEDs.

Another easy way is to have the LEDs shut off when you press the button.


Scott

I don't understand how this can work as there are 5 prongs:
1. Com (Ground for the switch)
2. NO
3. NC
4. LED +
5. LED -

The LED only lights up when you use connect power to the side prongs + and -. The above wiring diagram only shows connections for the button switch, not the LED light. Make sense?

[Nephasth]

There are 5 terminals in Scott's diagram, this will help clarify.

[nickels]

Add "reading wiring diagrams" to the list of things I need to figure out ASAP!

Thanks

[PL1]

The "pencil line" represents the angle of the yellow side rail.  As a result, the pencil line I drew probably does not really help anyone out.

Actually, it does help.

The pencil line is 2 degrees clockwise compared to the L-Square.

The measurements showing the distance from the rolling surface to the siderail work out to a 2 degree incline.

Therefore, the L-square is indeed parallel to the rolling surface.

Perhaps you could edit your picture above to state the pencil line is parallel to the top of the yellow side rail (not parallel to the rolling surface)?

Pic deleted and all posts scrubbed to clarify or remove any potentially confusing statements/questions.

Thanks for all your help.  Couldn't have done it without your detailed notes, pictures, and clarifications.   


Scott

[nickels]

Made some progress on the ramp section:


Didn't have time to finish the bottom ball return level, but I threw on the uncut plywood to get a sneak peek at how it will look:


Slowly, this is turning into something!
What you can't see at the bottom are small pieces of 2x2 lumber made into boxes for support. They also have screw on foot pads underneath to help with leveling.

[nickels]

Made some nice progress over the last couple of days.
Here is the bottom layer visible on ramp section. This is the "ball return". The balls come back down to the front under the table. I added some fabric to make the sound a little more muted.

The front brown part is level, which is where the balls will sit during gameplay. This was a space saving idea, using the whole bottom to store the balls instead of on the side.

Here is the entire front almost finished. I still need a panel at the front which will stop the balls from rolling out of the table when returned, and a place for the control buttons for the menu system on the screen.


I am working on the front panel and rings right now. The back section will hopefully be easier then this front area.
On a aside note when doing all of this cutting please use ear protection. I didn't notice the loud noise while cutting, but my ear has been ringing for a day now. It's getting better but it was an avoidable issue.

[Swillie]

What another great looking skeeball project!!  I have watched the thats how i roll thread for awhile now.  Strange hobby, watching other peoples build threads, lol. Actually I have a small home skeeball table with two player scoring. It only gives 6 rolls per player, which drives me crazy, that just isn't enough.  I have a keywiz ready to plug right into the existing wiring harness. What I dont have is software, or the knowledge to write my own, which would really transform this table. I think I am gonna start hooking things up and run your early software with my table for kicks, if you dont mind. And great job, keep up the good work.

Steve

[nickels]

I have updated the flash software, give me a day and I'll post it. I added three sounds: one for the hundred, one for the 50,40,30, and one for the 20,10 holes.  I also shortened the time for a double hit as I noticed the switch registers a double hit very quickly so it doesn't need to be disabled for so long. I also changed the keylistener to listen for different keys based on the iPac device. I will list which keys do what. I want to add in a volume controller now that there is sound.

I also made a ton of progress on the rings and the back area of the table. I'll post some photos shortly. Lastly, I thought of a few more games to create. The most complicated and potentially funniest game is going to be called "Skeeballs vs Zombies". My idea for that is a survival type game where zombies walk across the screen in 6 rows, and each row will be a ball value. The first few waves will be the easy numbers (10,20). The longer you play the more zombies appear, more and more in the harder number areas. They will also move faster and faster so that the game has to end. That will probably take me a month to program so I am saving it for after the table is finished. THis has crazy potential for a boss level and special attacks. The possibilities are endless.

I just got a router, so I am going to add some t-molding to the sides if I can figure it out without messing up all of my hard work to date.

[nickels]

Updated Flash software - still needs major work:
http://johnkalnin.com/skee/SkeeBallController-V1_4.swf

//5 key -Menu/Restart/Selec
//d or g key =100 pts
//r key =50 pts
//f key =40 pts
//a key =30 pts
//s key =20 pts
//q key =10 pts
//w key =0 points miss

I plan on putting in some major hours on the software once the table is done. It needs a menu system, more games, two player variations, volume control, etc.

Worked on the table some more. Long way to go, but its semi-playable. I drilled the number holes and decided to cover them with felt to protect the balls. Ran out of staples so a few are uncovered. A layer of sponge is going on top next to muffle the sound so the felt will not be visible. The blue tape on the ramp is covering the screw heads. It is a temp solution until I cover it with a cork sheet.



It's nice to see progress.  I changed the design a bit. Once I laid down the lines in pencil I decided the walls needed to be higher to keep the balls from flying off.  The kids played with it a bit even though the rings aren't  riveted in yet. Plays great! I was able to aim near all the holes no problem. The hardest throw never gets up to where the monitor will sit. The ramp angle seems perfect.

[PL1]

Nice progress on the build.

Several things about the software:

1. The "W" key registers as a gutter ball/miss instead of the "8".

2. How did you choose those keystrokes.     Not following the logic or layout here.

3. Nice to have sounds, but they don't sound like they are a part of the same game.

For example if you want to use a horn theme for your sound design, consider a progression like this:
Horse Race Bugle Call for start game
Sad Trombone or Fog Horn for gutter balls
Bike Horn for 10 points
Ahooga Car Horn for 20 points
Car Horn Honk 1 for 30 points
Car Horn Honk 2 for 40 points
Train Horn for 50 points
Air Horn for 100 points
Buzzer for out of time


Scott

[Nephasth]

I like the classic skeeball look! Change the score from yellow to red though.

[nickels]

Nice progress on the build.

Several things about the software:

1. The "W" key registers as a gutter ball/miss instead of the "8".

2. How did you choose those keystrokes.     Not following the logic or layout here.

3. Nice to have sounds, but they don't sound like they are a part of the same game.

For example if you want to use a horn theme for your sound design, consider a progression like this:
Horse Race Bugle Call for start game
Sad Trombone or Fog Horn for gutter balls
Bike Horn for 10 points
Ahooga Car Horn for 20 points
Car Horn Honk 1 for 30 points
Car Horn Honk 2 for 40 points
Train Horn for 50 points
Air Horn for 100 points
Buzzer for out of time


Scott

1. Oops - I don't really have an 8th switch on my set-up so I just put it in there for those who do. On mine if you miss everything you get a free return. My kids are too young to punish them for total misses.
2. I have an iPac. I used that as my key guide. I wanted the switches controlled by the right side of the iPac, and the buttons controlled by the left side. There wasn't much thought put into it past that.

IPAC Controls
2RIGHT: g (100)
2LEFT: d (100)
2UP: r (50)
2DOWN: f (40)
2SW1: a (30)
2SW2: s (20)
2SW3: q (10)
2SW4: w (0 - miss)

LEFT SIDE:
1STRT: 1 (up, controls menu)
1COIN: 5 (open menu, select options)
1A: p (down, controls menu)

Make sense now?

3. Like I said, this is really early so I just wanted some sounds to play. I will check these out and incorporate them into the next update. Free, good sounds are hard to find. I had a ton of trouble locating some good arcade sound effects in a short amount of time.

[nickels]

I like the classic skeeball look! Change the score from yellow to red though.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll fix that next!
See, you people are working with a graphics designer here. I am used to feedback and criticism. Please keep it coming. My skin is thick so I can take it

This software is still way in beta in my mind. I really haven't spent much time on the Flash just yet. It is working, but that is about it. While it will always be a work in progress, right now I'd say I'm about 10% to where I want to be with it.

[ids]

Love the skeeball builds, and this one in particular.  Good job!

[nickels]

Minor update - the table is now 100% playable! Not sure if the fact that we can now play the game will make me want to work harder to finish it or relax and slow down a bit.


*Wood backing is only there temporarily to keep the balls from flying out of the back until I can finish working on that section.

The rings have all been riveted together and attached to the wood piece with holes cut out. The holes are all covered in fabric to protect the wood balls. A layer of foam padding needs to be cut to size and glues to the area next to help mute the sound of balls smashing into it. The main ramp area needs to be covered in cork. My last major hurdles are adding the switches, PC, and monitor to the marque area, adding foam to the scoring ring area, covering the ramp with a sheet of cork, then giving it a good once over with wood filler and sand paper. I imagine someday I'll paint it glossy black enamel and some black t-molding as well.

Need opinions - I can get one 1/4" cork sheet custom cut to around 7'x18" for $60 shipped - or - I can get 1/8" in a roll that is 18"x30' for $45 shipped (the ramp width is 18"). The second option allows me to do a double layer of cork on the ramp to give it 1/4" depth and I'll still have a ton of cork left over to add it around the top of the machine where balls hit when thrown too hard. Not sure if I should go with the 1/4 sheet or get the 1/8 sheets which are cheaper with tons left over just in case.

[Nephasth]

Need opinions - I can get one 1/4" cork sheet custom cut to around 7'x18" for $55 shipped - or - I can get 1/8" in a roll that is 18"x30' for $45 shipped (the ramp width is 18"). The second option allows me to do a double layer of cork on the ramp to give it 1/4" depth and I'll still have a ton of cork left over to add it around the top of the machine where balls hit when thrown too hard. Not sure if I should go with the 1/4 sheet or get the 1/8 sheets which are cheaper with tons left over just in case.

I think the cork lane on my machine is 1/8" or 3/16". I'd throw down one layer of 1/8" and see how that works out. If you're not satisfied, throw down another layer. And a +1 for putting cork down around the score area and the back wall that gets impacted.

[nickels]

Design wise, I already regret using 1/2" plywood on the sides instead of 3/4". Hopefully by adding t-molding and some paint it will look better, but I'm already second guessing my initial decision. I didn't want it to weigh a ton and I'm building everything and moving it all around by myself. Cabs made with 3/4 MDF have that professional, realistic look. After all the work I am putting in on this the last thing I want is to have it look like a homemade POS.

[Le Chuck]

Design wise, I already regret using 1/2" plywood on the sides instead of 3/4". Hopefully by adding t-molding and some paint it will look better, but I'm already second guessing my initial decision. I didn't want it to weigh a ton and I'm building everything and moving it all around by myself. Cabs made with 3/4 MDF have that professional, realistic look. After all the work I am putting in on this the last thing I want is to have it look like a homemade POS.

Break out the flush trim bit and do 1/4" plywood overlay for the sides.  You could even make it removable with few well placed bolts.  It will give you that nice look you want while cutting down on the single piece weight if you have to move it. 

[nickels]

Not much to update so I'll try to be quick. I added the front panel where the balls come to rest on the table. I still need cut out the buttons to the left of the ball return slot. My cork sheet arrived - 1/8" seems just fine. I was going to do two layers but that seems like overkill. You can see it below, but it is not glued in place yet:


I have the flash software updated to have volume control since sound effects are used. Still trying to find the perfect group of sounds for when the balls go into the holes. Horns are OK, but not really my style. I'm looking for a cohesive set of chimes for each hole. Tomorrow I work a half-day, so I'm hoping to make a lot more progress on this. With a newborn in the house I haven't been able to do anything in weeks.

[mcseforsale]

subscribed.

AJ

[nickels]

I added the marque area and mounted the monitor. The cork sheet has also been glued to the table. Sorry for the terrible iPhone photos:


Here is a closer view taken before I trimmed the white wood pieces between the ramp and scoring area:


There are two pieces of wood below the monitor, these will be covered in cork as the ball can hit them if thrown hard enough. I also need to trim and add a layer of PVC Foam around the rings to muffle the sounds. The orange felt will be mostly hidden when everything is in place, that is just there to protect the wood balls from chipping on the wood holes.

Only a few more pieces of wood need to be cut (the top and back), and only a few more holes for buttons and it is almost go time. I'll be adding the buttons, switches, and PC very soon. I also need to add some speed bump bags to the bottom rings.

As for the flash game it is almost finished - it now has full sound effects and volume control. While I'm sure some people will hate it, I went with Mario Brother sound effects for the scoring, pause, and game over sounds. At least I know that my kids will love it.

[nickels]

I am so close it hurts, but I have zero time these days so the final steps will probably take all summer. Here are some shots of the process where I am cutting foam and adding it to the ring area:

My technique of cutting out construction paper and taping it until it fits the shape.


I take the shape, trace it onto the foam, and finally cut out the final form. Here is the area totally covered in foam:

This made a huge difference. The table is super quiet now. When I do test tosses the people upstairs can't hear a thing.

I also added some speed bumps at the bottom of the two large rings. They are two small pieces of Frost King Rubber Weather Strips. They have adhesive backs but I glued them in place. This keeps the ball from rolling up and down over and over and forces it down the hole. It works better than expected and I have tons left over in case I need to reapply new ones in the future.

The monitor is in place and ready to go (terrible photo)


The "public" version of my Flash skee ball controller is almost finished. I'll publish a link to it here once I have it fully tested.

There are no real major hurdles left, just busy work like adding the switches to keep score and wire them to the iPac controller. I also need to wire in a button that makes the PC power on and off. The front buttons need to be connected to the PC's molex connector in order to light up. A layer of cork is still needed on the top angled parts below the monitor for those hard shots to cushion the blow. I need to drill some holes above the monitor for the soundbar behind it. Then comes the finishing stuff like wood filling the screw holes, sanding, taping off, priming, and painting. Oh yeah, I need to add numbers to the rings as well. Sheesh, it never ends. For the rest of the forever I'll be creating, designing, and coding more games to play on it. I have some fun ideas that I can't wait to try out.

Hope to finish this before the summer is over.... we'll see.

This plays way better than I ever expected. I can hit every hole if the ball is thrown properly, and no amount of force will make it hit the monitor due to the slope of the ramp. I will probably add safety bars covered in a net in the future just to be safe. My daughter almost hit it by accidentally throwing the ball instead of rolling it.

[nickels]

My kid doing a test run, you can almost hear the sound effects in the background

[z-kun]

Man, I would have loved to have access to a kid-sized skee ball unit as a kid! XD In arcades, sometimes I would sneak part way up the skee ball machines so I'd have a bit of an easier time.

This is awesome and I love the Mario sound effects in it!

[alteredgrafix]

This is awesome! I have always wanted a skee-ball machine! My kids would go ape over something like this. I will be watching this thread for a while.

[nickels]

Since thatPurpleStuff used LED lights on his custom skeeball/flash controlled table - I MUST COPY HIS EVERY MOVE! haha
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,91011.msg955003.html#msg955003

I am replacing the iPac that controls the switches with a 16 in-out model LEDWiz controller:
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=82&products_id=306

This limits my LED lighting to only 16 separate lights, but that should be plenty, and the 16 input device controllers are more than enough to register all of scoring switches and buttons on my table without the iPac. There are 7 holes (100, 100, 50, 40, 30, 20, and 10) so I can use two LEDs for each hole: possibly yellow and blue. I imagine if I send the command to light both simultaneously I'll get a green option as well. Time to learn how to wire and control LEDs with Flash. This project just got a lot more complicated, and fun.

[nickels]

Any electronics folks here want to confirm that this diagram is correct? I sent this question to Randy at groovygamegear.com, but I am really anxious to get this all wired and working.



I can figure most of it out separately - like making a single LED light up with the software, or registering button pushes. Adding in a siren that needs more voltage makes the wiring a lot more complicated.

[RandyT]

I see some issues.

The image is showing an LED-Wiz, so you may want to make clear that it is a +GP version   Those buttons, of course, wouldn't work on a standard LED-Wiz.

The rotating lamp will likely draw too much current, so a small 12v relay is in order there.

The LED's would probably be better off on 5v power instead of 12v.  Otherwise, they are wired correctly.

[nickels]

The man himself - thanks for the quick reply. I already burnt the bejesus out of my fingers soldering some test led lights, so I'd like to keep my personal injury as minimal as possible on the rest of this never-ending project.

Sorry - yes I have the +GP model which has inputs as well as outputs!!!!

I challenge anyone to find the correct image of one online. Even on your site it doesn't show the actual +GP unit, as it is missing the crucial bank voltage select piece shown on the above GP image which is my main concern for the wiring.

Nice to know I got this right, and now I have to look up what the heck a 12 volt relay is and what it does.

THANKS!

[nickels]

Updated wiring diagram:


I think I understand how the relay works now. The connection between a device and its power source is disconnected by the relay. When you send a small current into the relay an electromagnet is formed internally, and the connection is bridged between the device and its power source. This allows me to send more than 5v to the siren light if needed. This also allows me to use the LEDwiz to power the LEDs and the relay. Hope I got this right!?!?!

[RandyT]

Updated wiring diagram:
I think I understand how the relay works now. The connection between a device and its power source is disconnected by the relay. When you send a small current into the relay an electromagnet is formed internally, and the connection is bridged between the device and its power source. This allows me to send more than 5v to the siren light if needed. This also allows me to use the LEDwiz to power the LEDs and the relay. Hope I got this right!?!?!

Sounds about right, but since you will have 12v connected to the relay anyway, you can just use a 12v relay, so long as the LED-Wiz bank you are hooking the switching voltage to is set up for 12v.

You can use a small 5v relay from the USB port the way you show, but if you are running power from the PC supply anyway, you might as well not limit yourself to to the 500ma the USB port is rated for, and connect your parts directly to the 5v line of the supply.

[nickels]

Please keep in mind that my electronic level of expertise is somewhere around "educated dummy". Let me summarize my lifetime of electronic related projects: NOTHING!
With that in mind, this is slowly making sense and I am reading articles and forums constantly. Working this all out is is very frustrating to say the least, so I greatly appreciate the feedback and support.

My LED lights have no info on them other than voltages, but I think they are rated 20mA for each light. I am controlling 14 of them (7 red, 7 blue), so that is the max that can be lit all at once: 14x20ma=280ma. Even worse case that the red is 50ma it still adds up to 490mA if all LEDs are lit at once - which would be rare.

It seems that I am not so much limiting myself by the USB power, as it covers my needs. Sure, I can use the 5v from the molex to power everything, but I'm not seeing the advantage to making the wiring that much more complicated? Again, if I was an expert it would probably makes sense, but to me it seems the simpler the better.

[nickels]

OK - here is my final wiring diagram. I have enlisted help from a friend who is more skilled than I am at electronics:


1. Even though the usb outputs enough power (500mA) - all LEDs and the relay will be powered by the PC via the red 5v wire on the molex cable.
2. The siren will be powered by an outlet.
3. The siren's cord will be fully cut and connected to the relay so that in it's NO state the connection is fully broken and it gets no power. I am cutting both the hot and ground, as it is fully disconnected this way. You could use a SPST relay and only cut the hot wire which comes off of the smaller prong on the power cord.
4. To make the siren work, the LEDWiz will send power to the relay to bridge the connection and the siren will go on, powered by the outlet.
5. I added a fuse to the 5v line as a safety precaution. I am not sure this is necessary.

This is about a full week of non-stop research and asking questions to the pros. I hope this helps out out beginners who want to know how to make all of these complex connections. If anyone sees any problems with this please let me know and I will fix the diagram. Thanks!

[nickels]

Quick update - more photos coming soon. Almost done....
Things that just arrived or are ordered and on their way:

1 Ledwiz to replace the iPac. Tested it. I can easily control 14 individual LED lights and one siren light, and also monitor the scoring switches and control buttons all with one device. The 14 lights are going in pairs under each hole - one red LED and one blue LED. The siren will signal the end of the game. These will be used for custom games that I have yet to code.

10 LEDs of Blue and Red, plus a lot of resistors. Only need 7 of each, and a few extras if any of them break in the future.

1 SPDT relay to control the siren light. This thing is tiny. Time to learn soldering like a pro, and quick.

2mm heat-shrink tubing. All these LEDs, relays, and wires will be soldered poorly, so hopefully this tubing will help keep it all together.

Vinyl numbers!!!! This is what I am most excited about. I can't wait to see the rings with actual numbers on them now. For $7 shipped I ordered 2" numbers in a nice looking font. Thanks ebay!

Finally today I plan on getting 1/2" pvc and building a box near the rings, and covering it with a net. We play with this a lot already, so I know balls can fly off the table. The worst thing to happen to this table is it became playable. All productivity has come to a screeching halt. Time to get re-motivated to finsih up the build part of this project and focus on the programming of more games.

[nickels]

Very minor update. Added the vinyl numbers:


I have my doubts about these numbers sticking. Time will tell.

[nickels]

So close to being finished with Phase 1 of this project.

The saftey net was built from 1/2" PVC, painted black, and attached to the table. I added a net and connected it with Velcro straps. Front buttons connected to power source so they light up now. The LedWiz is all hooked up and I removed the iPac. The game controls the siren as expected.

Front:


Side:


About all that is left is to add cork between the monitor and scoring area for noise reduction, sand it smooth, and paint it all glossy black. Adding more games with controlled LED lights under the holes is phase 2. Once this is built I can concentrate on coding more games. I have all the LED lights, just need to wire them in.

As promised here is the final build for the software:
http://www.johnkalnin.com/skee/SkeeBallController-V1_7_siren.exe
If you want to play with it but not download the EXE here it is as a SWF
http://www.johnkalnin.com/skee/SkeeBallController-V1_7_siren.swf

The controls are listed earlier in the thread. I made the file into an EXE so that I could put it in the start-up folder of the PC. The cursor is hidden when you open the file so don't wonder where it went.

[kahlid74]

Looking fabulous!  Thanks for sharing the program too!  Time to paint/laminate!

[nickels]

Nothing like being up till 2am on a Sunday night painting. I started at 10pm, and once I got going there was no stopping.



One last build photo coming tonight when I put the net back up and get the skee ball machine back in place, set up and working again.
The beer is in the fridge - almost ready to celebrate the end of the building process...


...and the start of me writing countless flash games for it. It never ends.

[Le Chuck]

I'm really looking forward to seeing this complete, it's looking great!  I'm also really looking forward for game uploads as I totally want to do something like this at some point. 

[nickels]

*FINISHED THE BUILD!



My kid giving the first play demo, and sticking up for my lack of skillz:


Well that was a fun 6 months or so. Time to program all of the games that I've been putting off till the last minute. The last minute is here. Back to work!

*still need to touch up the paint. This table also needs a theme so I can add some artwork on the sides. Any suggestions?

[chalfin]

I built my skeeball last year using lots of info gathered here.  I just came across your build and it looks great.  I have been waiting for a great scoring option and your software looks awesome.  What kind of computer are you running this on, do you think it would run on a raspberry pi.  I want something small and out of the way.  Thanks for the hard work!

[nickels]

Small update, working hard on some games for this custom table. I will be adding LED lights soon, and the first three games are currently in coding stage. These games are all very different and focus on different types of gameplay, such as the ability to hit precise ring numbers in order.  My first game is almost done, just need a few more in-game graphics and some sound effects, but the game code is done and working:


This is a game for 1-4 players. This began as a simple titled "Super Skee" game that featured basic gameplay but with much higher scoring possibilities. That was boring, so I added a Star Wars theme to it. There are three rounds, and with each round there is a "force" multiplier that increases from x100, to x250, up to x500. After the third ball in the third round there is a special "Yoda ball" worth 1000x the ring score (50 is worth 5000, and so on). Each player gets a 15 second time limit per throw. Programming this was very difficult and took me forever. Can't wait to play it! I have future plans for a local scoreboard where the winner enters their initials and the score is saved.


One player game that has a set number of levels. This game is based on precision under stress. You will have various amounts of time per level to diffuse the bomb. This is done by hitting numbers in a set order. For example on the lower levels you have to hit 40 then 30... on the  higher levels you must hit 20, then 100, then 50 all in a row. If you mess up you have to start over (20, 100, 50). When 5 seconds remain the red light on top of the machine will flash and a warning siren will go off. I may even add a vibration element to table to make this part even harder to concentrate as time runs out.... buzz buzz buzz. The game ends when the bomb explodes or if the players get through all the levels successfully.


The game that stars YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! I am the bad guy on the cover, but you can change that to be anyone you want. This is still being developed in my brain as we speak, so the rules/gameplay may change. There will be characters like the gunman, bartender, sheriff, etc. I am thinking about making this an endless shooter, where you have a set amount of lives and the game continues until you die - increasing in difficulty with each level. Three or four characters will appear on the screen at a time, each with ring numbers under them. You will have three "shots" to get the gunman. If you hit a number with an innocent person on the card you lose points. If you hit a number that isn't shown it is just considered a missed shot. If you don't get the gunman in three tries you lose a life. Once you kill the gunman you go to the next level. The character photos are external files so you can replace them with your own friends and family faces to make the game unique for everyone.

Finally there is also a main game select screen. I have it working but hate the current "space" design so there is no screen to show. It is coded, just needs a new design/theme.

[PL1]

I really like the idea of making the various games/scoring modes skinnable so people can easily change themes to suit their build.   


Scott

[nickels]

UPDATE:
2 LED lights added per hole (red and blue), buzzer added (vibrating device inside Xbox 360 controller), and more games are in progress. I took a bunch of photos of the entire process but I somehow managed to lose them all. Just my luck, now I have to recreate the whole process which was a pain the first time doing it for real. The games are all very detailed so they are taking a while, plus I have no time lately. One day this will all come together. Eventually...

[liquid134]

what have you been using to code/create these games??? this build is awesome!

[AzureKnight]

I'm curious too, I'll be honest I never dove into the world of skeeball outside of playing a few games here and there in an arcade.  I never knew people made various "games" for them.  I'm probably just ignorant of a subculture, but it sounds like it would keep skeeball a lot more fresh.

[nickels]

what have you been using to code/create these games??? this build is awesome!

I use Flash CS6 to code all of my games. I posted the link earlier where you can play these games on your PC using keyboard commands. Not much to it, just a lot of coding and time working out all of the logic. I also use other programs such as Illustrator and Photoshop for the graphics. The hardest part for me is finding time to make more games. I have so many ideas, and so little time!

Thanks for the compliment!

Skee Wars link:
http://johnkalnin.com/skee/games/skeewars.html

[steme7]

This is awesome!  The games you created are amazing!