Virtual Pinball project (New Pics) Scooby Doo Mystery Pinball

[jaharr01]

        Well I started I started a virtual pinball project VP/FP. We had an extra 32 inch tv, an extra 24 inch monitor, and a 17 monitor we weren't using. It took a while to convince the wife. She says I get a bit obsessed with them but that is my nature. So she was okay with it so I started. I have read most of these pinball threads and got inspiration. From the Minipin and the Multi Ball madness projects mostly. Also I have read most project threads on VPforum. I have set up both Future pinball and visual pinball. Both were kind of tough compared to Mame. The problem is I don't have a computer that will run it properly. So I will build the cabinet. If I bought a computer now it would sit around for a couple of months while I finished the cabinet
        What I have now:
Emerson 32 1080p Led TV ( Playfield)
Acer 24 Led monitor ( Backglass)
17 inch HP LCD monitor ( DMD)
I ordered 4 Williams black legs brackets and hardware.
         What I need:
Ipac
Led controller
Sound system. ( I may pull one from my old Ms pacman build.)
I have an analog plunger I built but I haven't tested completely.
About a 1000 other things I also need.
Computer. I have a p4, Athalon Xp 2800, and a newer AMD I could use. None of which are very fast.
I will probably build an I5 with a monster video card and about a 1000 watt power supply depending on how many shakers,spinners, and Leds I put on it.
         I'm not one of these guys who put every little part in sketchup. I know what I need to build and if I need to change it later I will. Probably because I am severely impatient at times.
         So I have some basic cab plans but I had to modify them somewhat. As far as a theme I don't know if I want an original or I'll use some I found on the VP forum.BTW they are very free with their artwork over there. I have about 4 or 5 templates I could use. I am leaning towards Monster Bash. My sons and my daughter wants me to use a walking dead theme I have. My wife wants a Mario theme that I also have. So as you can see if is still undecided.
Updated 6/12/14

The Theme is Scooby Doo Mystery ball. Brad on BYOAC is going to tweak it a bit then print it out for me (he's very reasonable Thanks Chance and Yotsya) I'll update when he sends me a draft
Jay

[jaharr01]

I decased the 32 inch tv to get the exact measurements

[jaharr01]

Work from a couple of days ago

[jaharr01]

More work from a few days ago. I got the bottom cabinet together without the bottom and put the rails on for the play field to sit on

[jaharr01]

I started working on the back box, drilled holes for flippers, and put some bracing on the cabinet for support.

[jaharr01]

More work that day

[jaharr01]

Work I did this weekend: I plugged and sanded most of the screw holes. Then, today I put a door with hinges inn the back to access electronics. I installed a plate at the back of the play field screen with 3  1 1/4 holes for light covers. I put attachment plates to the back of the cabinet and bolted the back glass cabinet to the play field cabinet. I was going to hinge it but I would have to get a small DMD monitor to replace the 17in monitor because the bottom part sits down in a slot into the play field cabinet.

[jaharr01]

         It's ready for some bondo and priming. I need to cut an access door in the bottom cab, in the back ( I didn't think about it till it was already together). I will have it swing vertical. Also ,I will put some drawer slides mounted to a board so that the computer, subwoofer, and all the electronics in the bottom can be pulled out for repair and maintenance. I need to mount the back glass screen and the DMD also. I to fabricate the speaker hole and DMD on a board after that
        Today I ordered some 28 inch pinball legs,hardware, and mounting plates.I need to order several big fans so I can cut the holes out. I want to put screens like Martjn did to cover the fan holes. I have to try to figure out where to get them from. Expanded metal might be too heavy.Probably something aluminum would be better.Thats all for a while I have got to go back to work tomorrow.

[Gatsu]

This looking really awesome. It's another cab project I want to add to my list. Can't wait to see this bad boy up & running.

 

[jaharr01]

Thanks, I cant wait either.

[jaharr01]

Here is some of the PSD art files I downloaded on VPforums. I like all of these.Apparently  there were a bunch more on the forum. I wanted to see what you guys think. I guess i'm still open to having original artwork. I was trying to keep costs down somewhat and maybe use that extra $ on computer parts. Its still early on in the build though.

[jaharr01]

more artwork.BTW I put them in order of the ones I like most

[jaharr01]

The last two

[thomas_surles]

Im digging the metroid.

[Malenko]

impressive! I dont think you can go wrong with any of that art.

[jaharr01]

Yea I agree I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. here is the link where I found them http://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=26497&page=1

[thomas_surles]

Great link. Just read the whole thing. My favorite is still metroid.
Maybe you could get in touch with him to do you a custom theme.

I would like to see a friday the 13th or texas chainsaw theme.

[jaharr01]

originally I wanted a to do a WW2 bomber pinup girl theme. I asked him how much he would charge to do a theme. He is very talented and by giving his artwork away he is obviously not in it for the money. The layers are not merged on those files they could  be manipulated for an arcade cabinet.

[Gatsu]

I like the art you posted, but I REALLY like the idea of the bomber Pinup Girl art. I'd say maybe try for that and see how it goes.

[Martijn]

+1 on Metroid and good luck, if you have any questions about my build let me know. 

[jaharr01]

Your pin is awesome martijn. The craftsmanship is top notch. Where did you get that sheet of aluminum with the holes punched in it for the vents?

[Martijn]

Those are aluminum sheets , I got then from a popular DIY shop in my country (gamma) they have all sorts of holes and shapes.

Only big holes though, not suitable for speaker grill. But perfect for vent holes.

[jaharr01]

I wonder if u can get it in the US?

[Automark]

I wonder if u can get it in the US?

Im sure they'll have something here
http://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Hardware-Hardware-Metal-Sheets-Rods/N-5yc1vZc2b9

[danielmarokoi]

looking good   I like the idea how you put all the 3 screen

[jaharr01]

****Update****
         I have been trying to finish the cabinet itself even though I don't have a computer yet. I will though in a few weeks when funds are available.. I am leaning towards a bomber pinup theme (which I was going to use for the space invaders cab) The problem is I'm not that great of an artist, maybe i'll get someone here to quote me a price. The art I had drawn at game on grafix was around $200 (space invaders).I would like to get someone from here to give me a quote.
I have been sanding, filling imperfections and priming the cabinet. I still have a few holes to cut and and an access door to make in the rear. The plate with the 3 holes for the LEDS by the play field needs tweaked for aluminum to cool the LEDs. I have plenty of time to work on that.

[jaharr01]

I also fit the legs to the cab and attached them before painting

[jaharr01]

Here is after one coat of satin black acrylic latex. Generally what I do is get the cab smoothed down with 3-4 coats of brush on paint.Then the last two coats I'll use rustoleum spray

[jaharr01]

This is the test fit for the screen to make sure they still fit after paint.I will probably get the cab itself done and start piecing the electrical stuff together. Which is time consuming because I only know about half of what I need to regarding wiring.I need to brush up on my electronics.No hurry though,I don't have to feed it.

[rockyrocket]

Here is some of the PSD art files I downloaded on VPforums. I like all of these.Apparently  there were a bunch more on the forum. I wanted to see what you guys think. I guess i'm still open to having original artwork. I was trying to keep costs down somewhat and maybe use that extra $ on computer parts. Its still early on in the build though.

I say monsterbash, just because that is exactly the art used on my 32 inch build - you will love it! .

[jaharr01]

***Update*** 6/12/14
Well the pinball cabinet is painted and is ready to start putting everything together.
1.The vinyl printing is in the works.
2. I still need a faster computer , but i might try to set it up with the one I already have (athalon xp x2)
3.The 3 screens are ready to be put in the cabinet
4.I need an IPAC and LED Wiz
5.I need some illuminated buttons
6.I need a coin door, preferably one that is just an access door
7.I have a mocked up analog plunger
8.I need some lawnmower solenoids
9.I need a shaker motor
10. I need tilt and nudge sensors
11.I need all the wiring
12. I need to make my custom lock down bar with zsus fastners
13. I need all of the LEDS
14.1 need 3  4 inch fans
15. i need a sound system (may take one from an old cabinet)

[jaharr01]

`Did some work this weekend. I cut an access hole in the back ( Should have done it when I first built it) My router was acting freaky so I had to use a jigsaw.It was quite a bit out of square so I had to square it up with 4 small pieces and shim it. Then I had to bondo it. It is now painted and finished. Forgot to take a picture of the hole out of square. Also I built braces for the sides to hold down the play field. I had some red T molding I put on there but I don't like it. I ordered purple T molding (more along the lines of Scooby Doo

[jaharr01]

More Pics from this weekend

[jaharr01]

More PIcs

[PL1]

More Pics from this weekend

More PIcs

Umm. . . you double uploaded those pics -- they're already here and here in the "not a project" thread.   


Scott

[yotsuya]

Looks good so far, Jay!

[jaharr01]

Thanks Yotsuya, Your buddy Brad is  tweaking my artwork and printing it up for me. Thanks for the recommendation. I am actually using purple T molding I had some red lying around so i painted those braces to match. It will be purple though. Should be nice and colorful.

[jaharr01]

More Pics from this weekend

More PIcs

Umm. . . you double uploaded those pics -- they're already here and here in the "not a project" thread.   
I tried it and it was late and I couldn't get to work. You can delete the ones on the not a project thread, sorry. I was tired I'll I just wanted to post them


Scott

[jaharr01]

***Project update***
*Still waiting on Brad to finish my artwork. That's okay I would rather it to be right than hurried. I replaced the red T molding with purple T molding ( more on the lines of Scooby Doo).
* I painted the glass braces purple to match the T molding
* I painted the LED light plate purple to also match the T molding
* I installed the access door
* I fabricated a custom lockdown bar, puttied, sanded, and painted it.

[jaharr01]

More update pictures

[jaharr01]

More update pics

[ChanceKJ]

Great job on that lockdown bar. This is a solid build. That green/purple scoobie theme is gonna look badass with the black.

Almost makes me want to build a VPin. Almost...

 

What's the slope of the playfield display, is it me, or does it look really flat in those pictures?

[jaharr01]

It slopes 3/4 of an inch across the length of the play field. It does look flat though. If I raised the slope more I couldn't put an LED plate in. I could lower the front. I will wait to see how it looks hooked up to the computer. I can also lower the front legs a bit too if i need too.
           Jay

[jaharr01]

I am just concerned that the wiring on this thing might be above my pay grade (relays ehh . I will muddle my way through it somehow.

[ViriiGuy]

I am just concerned that the wiring on this thing might be above my pay grade (relays ehh . I will muddle my way through it somehow.

I feel ya. Learn from my mistakes... If you have not already, get Zeb's boards. They are worth the money. I tried to do it the cheap way without buying his boards... and fried several expensive items... repeatedly. When I finally burned up as much as I would have spent on the boards, I bought them

Also, you will want a separate power supply for your gadgets. They have such a drain on the supplies, that they tend to burn them out.

Btw you have a beautiful build

[jaharr01]

I was going to get one. Can't decide if I should use contactors or lawnmower solenoids though. I was going to try to make my own spinner and shaker motor though.

[ViriiGuy]

I would use the contactors that we all use. We have tried just about everything in the group.. and these are as close to the right noise as you get... and even then.. they are a bit weak.

But DO buy the boards... it is a lot cheaper in the long run.. if you have luck at all like mine. And his Customer Service is second to NONE!

[rockyrocket]

It slopes 3/4 of an inch across the length of the play field. It does look flat though. If I raised the slope more I couldn't put an LED plate in. I could lower the front. I will wait to see how it looks hooked up to the computer. I can also lower the front legs a bit too if i need too.
           Jay

When I first built mine I too had a fairly flat playfield screen, due to PinDMD`s not being around yet and needing to make room for the third screen (only have 32" playfield).
However I was never at all happy with the playfield angle, so much so that after living with it for 3 years rebuilt it just to correct this angle.
Buying a real dmd and ditching the third screen made room for the angle change.
The feel of the cab now is much better.

[jaharr01]

It slopes 3/4 of an inch across the length of the play field. It does look flat though. If I raised the slope more I couldn't put an LED plate in. I could lower the front. I will wait to see how it looks hooked up to the computer. I can also lower the front legs a bit too if i need too.
           Jay

When I first built mine I too had a fairly flat playfield screen, due to PinDMD`s not being around yet and needing to make room for the third screen (only have 32" playfield).
However I was never at all happy with the playfield angle, so much so that after living with it for 3 years rebuilt it just to correct this angle.
Buying a real dmd and ditching the third screen made room for the angle change.
The feel of the cab now is much better.

So what would you recommend? the playfield slope is like 1.5 degrees( I think). The DMD is not in the way so the only way to lower it is drop the front of the play field down. it is now 3/4 of an inch pitch from front to back. Should I make it the same angle as the cab on top.That would be the easiest way? that would make the distance of between the glass and the playfield all even.

[PL1]

IIRC, many pinball playfields are inclined around 5 or 6 degrees.


Scott

[jaharr01]

I got my proof from Brad. That guy has some MAD skills. I think it looks great.
Jay

[rockyrocket]

In reference to the playfield slope, I will measure mine but I say try to get the maximum available.
Maybe dropping the front panel as close to the coin door is an option.

But realistically don`t take the word of some random bloke on a forum, fire up a game and place your screen on a table and try some angles until you are happy.

As a reference this Vpcabs build has a 29" playfield and a good amount of slope.

[brihyn]

I'm doing a lot of mental planning right now with hopes of starting my pin this fall. I'm hoping your great build can give me a bit of an idea on the one area i'm struggling with...
Can you take a closeup of the back side of the playfield...i want to get ideas on how to hide the back edge metal bezel.

[lamprey]

In reference to the playfield slope, I will measure mine but I say try to get the maximum available.
Maybe dropping the front panel as close to the coin door is an option.

I guess it depends on what you are going for. My suggestion would be to model it after a real pinball machine and scale it to fix your actual size. I modeled mine after a full-size wide body cab. I'd have to look, but I seem to recall the drop from back to front being 175-200mm. In my opinion if you do some odd angle it just looks, well, odd.

 

[jaharr01]

Alright screw it,   the more I look at the thing the more it bugs me. I think i'm going to make the angle to the play field equal to the angle on the top of the cabinet. I think it will look much better. I will eliminate that set of 3 flashers I was going to put behind the play field.
Jay

[ViriiGuy]

With my 39" LCD, It is flush to the glass at the bottom. Well.. Almost flush. And 5 inches from the glass at the back.
This is pretty much the same angle as my Addams Family Pinball Table's playfield, next to it. And it looks great this way.
In your cabinet, being a regular pin cab.. I would suggest .5 inches from the glass at the front.. and 4-4.5 inches from the glass in the back.

[Martijn]

Wiring  pff, I spend more time on the wiring then on the woodworking.

And I spend more time on the software then the wiring. 

[jaharr01]

***Update***
         The purple braces in the last post got scrapped. I started looking at my play field and turned on the TV (play field) and it was too flat. you couldn't see it very well it looked a little washed. So I removed the braces for the play field and made them even with the angle of the cabinet. the image looked much better, not washed out. So i made some braces for the glass to sit on and painted them black because the purple was too light. I doubt if I will paint them purple because there is only 3/4 of an inch between the play field and the glass. You probably wouldn't see the purple. I also drilled the holes for the front 3 green LEDs and a big red launch ball button. I also put a button on the bottom to use as a power on and off button. I cut the hole for the fused switch in the back. As far as building all I have left is a sliding board connected to the back access door to get easy access to the computer.
         I sort of built this somewhat backwards. most people, I would think put the computer together before they build the cabinet.I guess to make sure they can set it all up with 3 screens and all. I'm sure I will figure it out.I will buy a computer probably in about a week most likely.I'm going to move the cabinet in my house tomorrow because my garage is about 150 degrees right now and there is no major fabrication left. Here is some pics

[jaharr01]

More pictures:

[ChanceKJ]

Yeah, that looks way better. Good call. Having the display parallel to the sides in slope was a win.

...makes me really want to build a pin one day.

[jaharr01]

Yeah I believe it was to. Yeah I'm gonna have to start using my DSLR, those I phone pictures are horrible.

jay

[Superfrog]

Wiring  pff, I spend more time on the wiring then on the woodworking.

And I spend more time on the software then the wiring. 

  I had the same with my pinball build 

Woodwork was just relaxing time compare the software time 
Install, setup, tweaking , problem shooting 

It cost me so much time, that it holds me back to install more games 

[njay]

Nice work my friend...

I added a nice dmd box to my mini pin and also a real plasma dmd

I will update my thread again when i get the extended art work for the cab...

I would suggest also going the contactor route

my backbox



And my pin on tweakers tv without the dmd box

Hope you are getting some more inspiration

[Martijn]

Wiring  pff, I spend more time on the wiring then on the woodworking.

And I spend more time on the software then the wiring. 

  I had the same with my pinball build 

Woodwork was just relaxing time compare the software time 
Install, setup, tweaking , problem shooting 

It cost me so much time, that it holds me back to install more games 

Lol, some tables are just like installing windows xp with hardware that don't have any drivers, and you have to grind topics for some info.
Walking back and forth from pc to the cab , I done many miles 

[mike boss]

These VP machines blow me away, this is no exception.
Awesome work and great theme. Love the colors.
I'd love something like this but it would never happen. I'd have no means to start such a project.

[jaharr01]

These VP machines blow me away, this is no exception.
Awesome work and great theme. Love the colors.
I'd love something like this but it would never happen. I'd have no means to start such a project.

There are cheap alternatives to do one. I already had the TV (playfield) and the DMD screen. I bought the 24 monitor for the backglass. As far as the computer you can get by with like a 2006-2007 computer with a decent video card. Its all the bells and whistles that make one expensive. contactors, analog plungers, nudge led wiz and etc.

Jay

[jaharr01]

Wiring  pff, I spend more time on the wiring then on the woodworking.

And I spend more time on the software then the wiring. 

  I had the same with my pinball build 

Woodwork was just relaxing time compare the software time 

Install, setup, tweaking , problem shooting 



It cost me so much time, that it holds me back to install more games 

Lol, some tables are just like installing windows xp with hardware that don't have any drivers, and you have to grind topics for some info.
Walking back and forth from pc to the cab , I done many miles 

I am really dreading that part. I'm bad about starting a new project before I get the software runny correctly. But I'll finish this one.

[mike boss]

I realize you had some of the goodies used, do you have a running tally of the project costs ?
Also I know people sell Hard Drive images with HyperSpin on them. All the emulators, bells and whistles, all ready to go.
Does such a thing exist for this VP type set up ? Just curious

[jaharr01]

If they do I'll buy it. The big expense for me will be the computer. Prob $600 Then all the other stuff LED wiz boards and etc. Will prob be as much. I don't keep a running total I prob would make myself sick.A big expense in any arcade build seems like the little things wood, glue, tools,sandpaper,paint, and etc. I just buy A little at a time,my wife still thinks i spend way too much. On the other hand look what you have when your done. If you bought one completely customized it would be probably $3500 to $4500. Mike I saw you have some nice cabs yourself. It looked like 3 or 4 nice Nintendo cabs. I'm jealous. BTW there is a thread on Vpin forum for an $800 budget build.

jay

[mike boss]

I love the look of the classic pinball machines, the old Spider-Man and the old Hulk machine. Are they called boxhead or wedge head machines ? Anyway, I dont want to take away from this. This project is amazing! My wife would like a pinball machine and me liking "machines that play multiples" something like this would be AWESOME!
Personally I have no room, skills, or time to do such a project. I can only dream.

I do have 4 Nintendo machines, Mario Bros MAME, Popeye 138-in-1 Jamma, DK with a 60-in-1 and DK JR with MAME. On average I'm into the machines for between $350-400 each.

I'll look for that thread you mentioned, I'd be very interested to see. Perhaps one day I'll find a nice gutted classic. I'm not scared of the hard work, its fabricating stuff that I'm no good at.

[jaharr01]

My skills are mediocre compared to some on this board.

[ChanceKJ]

My skills are mediocre compared to some on this board.

I know exactly how you feel. Some CRAZY builds coming out of this place. It's too bad we didn't have a visual index in the wiki split up by cab type with a small thumbnail image and links to every major build thread. With the age of the forum it would be one hell of a task, but so cool to see everything in one place.

[PL1]

It's too bad we didn't have a visual index in the wiki split up by cab type with a small thumbnail image and links to every major build thread. With the age of the forum it would be one hell of a task, but so cool to see everything in one place.

You mean like this?  (Not just that page, but the series of other page links at the top)

The framework is already created.

Adding a build is really easy -- just copy/paste the code from one of the existing entries, edit the text/links/image name, and upload the image. 
(Please ask permission if you're using someone else's pics so the wiki doesn't run afoul of anyone's copyright.)

BTW, just noticed that there are currently no pincabs in there . . . hint, hint.   


Scott

[jaharr01]

Nice work my friend...

I added a nice dmd box to my mini pin and also a real plasma dmd

I will update my thread again when i get the extended art work for the cab...

I would suggest also going the contactor route

my backbox



And my pin on tweakers tv without the dmd box

Hope you are getting some more inspiration

Your pin is awesome.Your a you tube star now. Where are you from?

[ChanceKJ]

It's too bad we didn't have a visual index in the wiki split up by cab type with a small thumbnail image and links to every major build thread. With the age of the forum it would be one hell of a task, but so cool to see everything in one place.

You mean like this?  (Not just that page, but the series of other page links at the top)...

Wtf!? How did I not see that?  I need to get my eyes checked.

...ugh    thanks Scott.

Looks like I have some work to do now.

[jaharr01]

My skills are mediocre compared to some on this board.

I know exactly how you feel. Some CRAZY builds coming out of this place. It's too bad we didn't have a visual index in the wiki split up by cab type with a small thumbnail image and links to every major build thread. With the age of the forum it would be one hell of a task, but so cool to see everything in one place.

You know Chance I have only been hanging out here for a while but I feel like since I have been around the bar has increased. when I look back before I used this forum my builds were crappy. It seems like anything you need to know about the subject in general is here. I think posting your cab for the whole world to see makes you step it up a notch which is good. This forum has taught me a lot about building.

[PL1]

Wtf!? How did I not see that?  I need to get my eyes checked.

...ugh    thanks Scott.

Looks like I have some work to do now.

Don't feel bad.  The wiki structure sometimes makes it hard to find stuff like that unless you know the right keywords or follow a certain path of not-always-obvious links.

LMK if you want a wiki login -- that goes for everyone, the more the merrier.   


Scott

[njay]

I am from the netherlands !

If you need any help with things let me know..

The development of visual pinball is going a lot better now with Direct X 9 support

VP10 will be all awesome ... so keep in mind when doing the software part to get all updated tables etc.
Also for the ledwiz if you experience stutter there are some fixes available

[ChanceKJ]

Ya know Scott, that's the third time you've asked me that.

I'm already addicted to this forum, the wiki might kill too many hours of sleep

My skills are mediocre compared to some on this board.

I know exactly how you feel. Some CRAZY builds coming out of this place. It's too bad we didn't have a visual index in the wiki split up by cab type with a small thumbnail image and links to every major build thread. With the age of the forum it would be one hell of a task, but so cool to see everything in one place.

You know Chance I have only been hanging out here for a while but I feel like since I have been around the bar has increased. when I look back before I used this forum my builds were crappy. It seems like anything you need to know about the subject in general is here. I think posting your cab for the whole world to see makes you step it up a notch which is good. This forum has taught me a lot about building.

I'd agree to that. I remember spending HOURS just looking for cool builds here. Trying to figure out what ideas I could steal or warp into something that I liked so much it became obsessive in a way. I think a big thing is the details in education. Sometimes I come to a part in my build that's just a challenge because it's steps have been skipped in most other builds, simple things like a solid paint process, or how to mount those imbedded castors properly. I'd like to think as I hit one of those, I'll take extra care to document the steps I think will solve the problem for others when they run into it themselves. Take my thread on modifying IL buttons with RGBs. It's been done, but I felt we just needed a more detailed step by step. In a way you could argue that by doing it I'm taking out some of the technical problem solving fun, but by doing it I'm hoping to add solutions that give ease of access to people who want to build in some cool features, but don't understand and get scared off. This is the real way I hope to give something back. It's nothing compared to the walking dictionary of Scott, the insane knowledge base on ol'skool gaming like Randy, or the creative finished product vision Neph has. And at the end of the day, I've got a kick ass wooden box with lights that plays Donkey Kong!

[jaharr01]

You are like me I think. You like to build it more than to play it. I think it is the satisfaction you know you will get (and me too) when you walk by it in your house and you look at it finished and you say wow I built that with my own 2 hands.

Jay

[DarakuTenshi]

I want to build one of these, but I'm so worried about how to go about it. I was looking at monitors the other day and found a 47" for only $250 (think it was a Visio) I almost bought it. But, right now I have to get over my nerves about building a pin. I want to do it properly with LEDs and Knockers... just don't know how or where to start.

[jaharr01]

Well I think first you have to decide if you want a full size or a mini. In my case I had a 32 inch tv I didn't use very much so that made my decision to do a mini. Also it would depend on whether or not you are going to build the cab, find a used one, or buy a kit. Check out Martijn's build and the  digi pin build. It will give you some inspiration

Jay

[jaharr01]

***update***
Since I adjusted my screen I had to relocate the flashing rgb- w LEDS. I couldn't think of a decent place so I decided to incorporate some strobes I ordered off EBAYhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/201105766405?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 The strobes will go under the rgb-w flashers built into a 3/4 piece of wood. I have a sliding shelf to finish fabricating ( it just needs mounted) and I can move it into my nice cool air conditioned house and not in a garage that's 110 degrees.Brad is printing my artwork very soon.
Jay

[njay]

Great strobes man !

Don't forget to connect the correct power wire lol ... i messed up one set of strobes when connecting the 5v wire to the 12v output of my pc psu

[jaharr01]

The plastic light covers are cree LED RGB-W Flashers. The strobes will sit below

[jaharr01]

         Well I brought the cabinet in the house. The fabrication for the most part is finished except for a couple of small pieces. I'm ordering most everything tonight I'll post what I ordered. I hooked up the play field and the back glass. I still haven't decided what I'm going to do about the DMD. I have the monitor but apparently from what I understand you can only hook up 2 displays per video card. And you can't tell if you will be able to use the on board video (With an installed PCIE video card sometimes the on board video works and sometimes it doesn't. It depends on the individual video card). (Apparently from what I've read but I could be dead wrong) So my options are:
1.Get a computer with 2 PCI express slots (much more expensive motherboard).
2.Get a real DMD if it will fit in my opening ( very Very expensive )
3 Get a USB to VGA adapter if it will work. (Probably the cheapest option but I don't know if it will work, should though)
4 Get a USB powered monitor (easiest to set up, not very expensive but more than 3)
         I built a sliding door to access the computer also and I hooked up sound. The sub Is kind of weak I might redo it. ( repo from old build) I double checked everything with an extra computer and all the monitors work   
My to do list
1.So I have to put the computer together
2.Program the computer
3.Install graphics
4.Buy LED's
5 Tweak everything.
7. Buy analog plunger
8. Buy LED wiz
9. Buy contactors
10 Build shaker motor
11 Build spinner
12.Build knocker
13. Play with the wife's knockers
14. Wire in every thing else
15 Wire in every thing else I forgot the first time or burned up.
16 tweak everything again
17. Tweak wife's knockers again
18. Sleep

I'll probably be done around Christmas. The programming and tweaking takes forever from what I have read.

BTW if you ever need a DVI cable apparently there is more than one. This is the back of my monitor


This is what I ordered because I needed a 90 degree adapter(the wrong type). so all you have to do is take a pair of needle nose pliers and pull out the 4 pins around the blade and it will work just fine. apparently those are analog pins.


Picture of the sliding door to access the computer.


Picture of the back of the cabinet.



2 pictures of my old computer powering the playfield and the backglass



Wishing it worked


That's it for know
Jay

[yotsuya]

Looking good, Jay. I really like the purple.

[swaffar]

Those legs are installed really high up on the cab... Will you be sitting or standing while playing this?

[jaharr01]

Looking good, Jay. I really like the purple.

Thanks Yotsuya, It will look really good with the artwork brad is printing. Are you doing OK? Any new projects?

[jaharr01]

Those legs are installed really high up on the cab... Will you be sitting or standing while playing this?

Both. I'm only 5'9" it fits me and I wanted to make sure all of the kids could play it too.

Jay

[yotsuya]

Looking good, Jay. I really like the purple.

Thanks Yotsuya, It will look really good with the artwork brad is printing. Are you doing OK? Any new projects?

Well, I'm leaving for a San Diego vacation in the morning that will take me through my birthday Wednesday. When I get back, it'll be 4th of July and then I plan to do a Nintendo cab rescue-restore. Detail in the Summer of Chuff thread! Don't forget to make an announcement in there when you're done with this one!

[jaharr01]

I will. Have a good time Yotsuya. I'm gonna do a scale nintendo cab for my little girl in the next couple months. She's excited.

[Pinfritz]

your pincab is awesome  ...i like the purple (my favorite soccerclub colour *hehe*) and your back of the cabinet  is inspiring me

[jaharr01]

Here is the computer parts and other parts I ordered
1.   Computer

•   Processor: AMD A8-6500 APU CPU Dual Core  Socket: FM2, Clock Speed: 3.5 GHz, No of Cores: 2
•   Motherboard: Gigabyte F2A88X-D3H
8 x SATA3 Ports
4 x USB3.0 / 8 x USB2.0 Ports
1 x PCIe X16 3.0 / 1 x PCIe X16 2.0 Slots
3 x PCIe X1 2.0 Slots / 2 x PCI Slots
4 x DDR3 Slots Max 2133MHz / 64GB
HDMI / DVI / VGA Connector
Supports CrossFireX
•   Memory: Single 4GB DDR3-1600 Module
•   Hard Drive 500GB Sata 7200 (already have)
•   SSD: 64GB SATA3 SSD Drive
•   Cooling: Whisper cooling package
•   Video card 1: EVGA GeForce GT 740 Superclocked Single Slot 4GB DDR3 (Playfield)
•   Video card 2 Asus GeForce 610 single slot 1 GB DDR3 (Back glass and DMD)
•   Case Scrapped ATX
The computer is ordered should be here by the end of this week or the first of next week

2.   Fans
•   X1 green LED 120mm case fan
         http://www.ebay.com/itm/300708794936
•   X2 Purple LED 120mm case fan
         http://www.ebay.com/itm/350864305550?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l26494.m1497.l2649
•   X2 80mm non LED case fans

3.   LEDs
•   SUPERNIGHT 16.4ft 5M Waterproof Flexible strip 300leds Color Changing RGB   
        http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ASHQQKI/ref=pe_385040_30332200_TE_item

•   10 PCS 3W RGB Color High Power LED Light Emitter 4 pins with 20mm Star Base   
        http://www.ebay.com/itm/161057070124?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
•   Strobe LEDs FRONT HYPER BUMPER 12V 30W 12LED EMERGENCY HAZARD WARNING STROBE FLASHING LIGHTS
        http://www.ebay.com/itm/201105766405?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
4.   Cabinet
•   Smart Strip LCG3 Energy Saving Surge Protector with Autoswitching Technology, 10-Outlet
        http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006PUDQK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
•   Mot-Ion Adapter & Digital Plunger Kit
        http://nanotechent.com/mot-ionkit.php

What I Still need:
1.   LEDWIZ
2.   Contactors or solenoids
3.   Relays
4.   New 4 channel amp and dual 6” voice coil subs
5.   Knocker
6.   Glass
7.   Wire, fuses, fuse holders, and etc.
8.   Odds and ends

Vinyl is being shipped tomorrow. I need to measure the glass and order it from one day glass. I also need to fabricate a base for the flashers. This week I’m going to order the rest of the stuff I need.

Jay

[jaharr01]

**update**
         Well it is a good and a bad update. The bad is I got my computer put it together and it will power on bit it won't boot. Nothing no bios beeps or anything..It trouble shot it took all the cards and hard drive out, still nothing. I reset the CMOS, triple checked all of the connections. I used e different video cards, 2 different monitors, and swapped the memory out nothing. So I guess I have a bad board or processor. My guess is the processor, I left it running for about 30 minutes and took the processor out it was cold like it wasn't on. So I call who I bought it from and see what they want to do.The good news I put the vinyl on. and installed the virtual plunger. I have pretty much everything to do the wiring so I guess i'll work on that while I wait on the computer. It looks good but it is still dead in the water. You know i have built about a dozen computers and never had a bad board. It is good stuff a gigabyte motherboard and an AMD A8 processor. I guess I should have got an intel board and processor. Well that's what happens when you try to go cheap.Anyway here it is

[jaharr01]

Side view

[rockyrocket]

That looks great!.

[jaharr01]

now it would really great if the computer I bought for it worked,but thanks

Jay

[yamatetsu]

I had the same problem. Are you sure that you have connected the ATX_12V to power ?



If you don't, the mainboard gets some power, but not enough to start the computer.

I forgot to connect it, got a green light on the board, but it just sat there and did nothing.

Connected the 12V and it started right up.

Hope that helps.

[jaharr01]

No it was hooked up, still dead. I wish it was that simple.

[yamatetsu]

That sucks. The only thing left then would be to put the processor on a different board to see if it's dead. But that's probably not an option.

[Malenko]

such a cocktease to have it built and the CPU not boot.  Great chance to go Intel instead!
I look forward to seeing it running, youve done a stellar job 

[jaharr01]

Thanks, I will call the company tomorrow to see if I can swap it out for an intel. The only thing I didn't check was to see if that 8 pin ATX plug might not be getting 12 volts. But I really doubt it. I'm not buying anymore AMD junk. It's a good motherboard, a gigabyte ultra durable model. I can't see it being bad. Those F'ers probably will make me wait till they get my return before they send me a new one.
Jay

[stuzza]

Nice artwork!   Well done on the build.  Bummer about your PC, hopefully you get it sorted out soon.

[jaharr01]

If this is the same stuzza on vpforums. It would be ur creation. But tweaked a bit.. If it is thanks a bunch for the original.

Jay

[jaharr01]

Well I talked to technical support and ii'm gonna try to get it working one more time. I gotta dig up an old vga cable and try it. They swear they do a burn in test. So I'm out of town wishing I was home working on my stuff. As aggregating as it is, and as frustrating as it is, there is nothing like looking at that finished product. It is even hard for yourself to believe you built that with your own hands. Most everybody here has one thing in common, they are builders, and builders aren't happy unless they have a project

Jay

[welash]

Nice build!  Don't know if you got the case from the same place as the rest of the computer, but I have bought a few "scratch and dent" cases in the past, and 2 of them had bad power push buttons.  I've been through the cycle, put everything in the case, and try powering up with no luck, check the power cables, check the processor and memory are seated well, ...

The first time, I took the whole thing motherboard out, put it on a bench, and started it up by shorting the power pins, pet everything back in the case, push the power button, nothing... cuss, cuss, cuss.  Then finally thought to check the power button. 

Good Luck!

[jaharr01]

I have been going through my head to see if I have missed anything with this computer
1. Plug in big ATX cable to the motherboard
2. Plug in little 8 pin ATX to the motherboard
3. Put in memory
4. Short out reset pins
Should start up. I won't be back in town till Wednesday morning.
I'll get a vga cable
Clear CMOS
Replug everything back in
Hope that it works

[dkersten]

are you sure the psu is good?  I have had far more PSU's bad than cpu's or mobo's.. The ONLY cpu issue I ever had (out of the box) was a bad solder joint on a Pentium 2 (cartridge style) and under certain ambient temps it wouldn't boot up.  I have had quite a few bad mobo's over the years, maybe one or two bad out of the box, so after PSU I would look at mobo next.  On almost every modern mobo there is a way to troubleshoot what is going on, via LED's or an segment LED display.  When you get power, SOMETHING should light up.  Whatever is happening should be visible to some extent.  If you get nothing, I would start with the PSU first.  If you can put a verifiably good PSU on it and still get nothing, AND you can verify that you have all the proper voltages at the PSU, then I would switch to looking at the mobo.  I have put 3 good PSU's on a mobo and fried all 3, and in the end the mobo had a short that was causing problems.  I have also had mobo's that wouldn't send the right signal to the PSU to boot, but I could get it to power up by jumping the ATX pins manually (mobo issue but presented as a PSU issue). 

The first step is never to assume anything.

Totally off topic, I HAVE had cpu's fail later in life, the most spectacular was an early AMD Athlon where the fan failed overnight and the CPU literally caught fire from overheating.  Thankfully the mobo didn't burn well so the fire stopped before it burnt the building down, but that office stank for a month..

[jaharr01]

I''ll be back in town tomorrow. I have an extra power supply laying around 'll check it. I'm not using a case so I don't have any leds but could scrap some from old arcade switches. That would make sense because where I bought it did a burn in but they didn't use my power supply I bought. I'll check tomorrow and update.

[jaharr01]

        Well I figured out the problem, it was 2 fold. VERY complex. Whatever genius put the processor on the motherboard and supposedly did a burn in test, apparently bent about a dozen pins on the processor. So obviously it's not going to start up if pins are shorting out. To top off this escapade the power supply was also bad. So if you ever buy something from One Memory.com you better cross your fingers and pray because it's probably going to be jacked up. If I wasn't ass-deep in this build already I would quit, But i'm not a quitter. Because it will probably take forever to resolve this, I bought a new power supply and Processor. Well I've learned my lesson on trying to go the cheap way. Hopefully by this Friday I may be back in business.

Jay

[jaharr01]

***Update*** 7/20/14
Well I finally got the computer up and running. Man that thing is smokin fast.
A8 3.9 x4 (can over-clock to 4.3 x4)
Gidabyte motherboard with 2 16x PCIE slots
8 GB DDR3
x2 nvidia cards
Primary is 4GB DDR 1050 clock speed
Secondary is 2GB DDR 660 clock speed. (I can't remember the model num and I'm too tired to go look)
Windows 8.1
Sandisk 60GB SSD hard drive
Seagate 500GB 7200 hard drive
550 Watt power Supply ( I'm gonna get a larger one my  750watt was bad)

         After I got it all running I was too tired to load Visual Pinball. I'll fight the good fight another day.I have to change my DMD monitor out the color is off as you can see in the pics below.Somebody gave me 2# 14inch monitors and I'll change it out next week.
I tested it already so I know it's good and the color is right.Also ,I can put it in landscape instead of portrait, so VP setup will be easier.Also I built a bar for my strobe and painted it purple. and the side bars I painted purple (they go under the pieces of black aluminum angle).
The Wiring is a disaster.I need to mount every thing and put all the cords on a power distribution block. I'm not going to do much with the LEDs and strobe until I get all the basics working and organized somewhat.The wiring for these VPins are horrible. I need to brush up on my meter skills a bit too.
I forgot to post that I mounted the Nanotech analog plunger the other day. it has like 16 key encoder inputs and an accelerometer for nudge. Hopefully, I can get by without an IPAC. I'll get it basically working and then i'll install all the force feedback stuff last (contactors spinners and etc).Anyway here are some pics, not very good) I forgot to take many pics.I had quite a bit of trouble getting the video cards to work in windows 8.1, but i'm good now.

Strobes

[jaharr01]

More picss

It's ALIVE
You can see the color difference between the back glass and play field from the DMD


Strobe bar not painted yet in picture



I'll have more time in a few weeks to finish it up. See you next update.

[jaharr01]

       Well it's been a while since I posted on this project. I've been busy, haven't had much time. The machine is finished. It has three RGB flashers, 3 strobes, and 3 solenoids. RGB tape lights on bottom of the cabinet. It has full ledwiz support with Direct output framework. I have a DIY shaker,a DIY nudge device  and a DIY gear motor that still needs to be put on, just haven't had the time. It has Visual Pinball, Future Pinball with bam, and PinballFX2.
        This build had it's share of problems and still does. My original 750 watt power supply was DOA, so I put a 500 watt power supply on it. Now the power supply is  overheating and kicking the machine off.So last last night I ordered a EVGA 750 watt power supply, which should fix my problems. Also the A8 processor was heating up to meltdown heat. So I took it off the heatsink and fan put some really good thermal paste and problem fixed. now it runs 35-45C instead of 60-70C. I have plenty of fans and air movement. there is just a lot of stuff in the cab and some areas don't get good circulation.
         These pin builds are not for the faint of heart. The electronics can be a bit daunting compared to a regular arcade build. My soldering skills have improved exponentially. Also there is a lot of lessons I learned. Building on the fly without adequate and detailed planning=$$$$$. With an arcade you may be able to get by with this to an extent. With pincabs every piece builds on everything else, if you don't plan for the next step you are taking things back apart. I trashed a 32" LED TV in this build, accidentally burned the board up. So now it has a new 1080P 32" TV for the playfield. I don't have a ton of  build pictures because I would forget to take them, I will post some finished product pictures.
















http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=136713.0;attach=318396

[Generic Eric]

Oh man!  I had a reoccuring nightmare into adulthood over this guy:



How did he not make your cut?

[jaharr01]

Eric, I don't remember that episode. You doing Ok, I hadn't been on the forums as much. Been hanging out on the pinball forums trying to get everything working smooth.

[Generic Eric]

Eric, I don't remember that episode. You doing Ok, I hadn't been on the forums as much. Been hanging out on the pinball forums trying to get everything working smooth.

Welp,
Reoccuring nightmares are not always rationale, but here it is

http://www.funniermoments.com/watch.php?vid=8d7124908

But I wasn't in that show, the electro monster was in my dream.  It chased me through the woods, down the road, until I got to the neighbors driveway and jumped into a red corvette a drove away to safety.  But years before that, I would have a reoccuring nightmare that would involve me being run down by the electro monster from scooby doo.

Cool pinball BTW.

[jaharr01]

Wow u should get checked out. Thanks btw

[jaharr01]

         Update>>>> Well I fixed my heat problem, I reattached the cpu heat sink and reapplied some good thermal paste that dropped the temp 10 degrees Celsius. Also on the back of the cabinet, the drawer where the computer is located.I cut off about 2.5 inches from the top, which gave it a large air intake.Now it runs from 44 to 52 Celsius, not bad.
        Also my other problem was it was intermittently shutting off when there was a load.I thought it was a hot cpu shutting down,but I fixed that. So it was running cool as a cucumber and it still shut down occasionally under load. It had to be the power supply. all those feed back devices drain a lot of power,plus x 2 video cards. So I replaced the 500 watt power supply with an EVGA 750 watt. It has not shut down yet. I played 10 tables with every led wide open and it purred like a kitten.
       


Jay
 

[jaharr01]

New Pics Today The one on the voting thread sucks.