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Author Topic: Major League Skeeball - Skeeball Gut & Replace with Custom Software  (Read 9210 times)

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nipsmg

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Looking for the software?  Click HERE

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm far enough along that I think it's about time i can reveal my next project.  I've always wanted a Skee-Ball machine, and have been following the work of people like ThatPurpleStuff and Ixliam and was thinking about building one of my own... until I saw one on CraigsList for $200!.

Know Issues at Purchase
  • Missing marquee
  • Electronics not working (Fuses?)
  • Only had 7 balls
  • Missing right-rail plastic and metal cap
  • Lane cork cracked and dented
  • Scoring surface cork cracked, chipped, and dented
  • Broken switches
  • Bent arms for ball release






Other than that, it's in good shape.

I'm planning on restoring the physical cabinet and putting in custom electronics and a LCD Screen for a marquee.  I've developed a suite of SkeeBall games that has either heavily borrowed from or completely ripped off game ideas from ThatPurpleStuff's SkeeBall software Build. 

To follow my SkeeBall Software thread "Major League Skeeball": http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,156300.0.html

To Do:
  • Purchase and install speakers
  • Replace Incandescent bulbs with LED Bulbs
  • Purchase Lane and Scoring surface Cork
  • Replace Lane and Scoring Surface Cork
  • Purchase / have rail plastics/covers made
  • Purchase / have metal end cap made
  • Strip paint from lane
  • Strip paint from cabinet
  • Bondo and sand cabinet
  • Bondo and sand lane
  • Paint Cabinet and Lane
  • Strip and repaint metal legs

Done
  • Purchase switch replacements
  • Replace Switches
  • Purchase additional wood skee balls
  • Write initial build of SKeeBall software
  • Wire Switches and test operation
  • Purchase LCD and TV mount for marquee replacement
  • Remove Original Electronics
  • Mount TV in cabinet top
  • Create Plexi Marquee
« Last Edit: July 08, 2019, 02:38:49 pm by nipsmg »

nipsmg

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2018, 08:10:24 pm »
Tv and Mount came in today.  Plan on pulling out electronics tomorrow and seeing what’s i have to work with as far as mounting options.


Nephasth

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2018, 08:57:40 pm »
I'll be watching this one. :cheers:
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BGoulette

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2018, 11:03:17 am »
My wife loooves her some skeeball. Bookmarked this one! Looking forward to seeing your progress!

nipsmg

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2018, 11:28:38 am »
Pulled out original electronics and test fit the monitor in the marquee box.  I'm going to have to remove a bit of the shelf, but the screen size is perfect.


« Last Edit: February 14, 2018, 08:04:38 am by nipsmg »

Nephasth

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2018, 07:19:01 pm »
What size TV is that?
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nipsmg

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2018, 07:32:20 pm »

nipsmg

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2018, 02:10:46 pm »
Checking in on updates...

No new progress on the cabinet itself, but tons of progress on the software (and a video!)

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,156300.0.html

nipsmg

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2018, 09:00:30 pm »
Minor update:  screen mounted.  A few screenshots of gameplay.



« Last Edit: February 14, 2018, 08:03:33 am by nipsmg »

nipsmg

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2018, 08:33:42 pm »
Minor update.

Got a piece of smoked plexi cut for the top.  Two images below of the plexi and the screen showing through it.  Looks great.


« Last Edit: February 14, 2018, 08:01:56 am by nipsmg »

nipsmg

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2018, 10:58:58 am »
Sourced and installed the right hand metal rail cap with coin slot:




nipsmg

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #11 on: May 29, 2018, 11:53:08 am »
I finally dragged the skeeball out of the basement and up into the garage for Memorial Day, and it got a decent amount of play this weekend.  Got a lot of awesome feedback and even found a few bugs...


Also wired up a test control panel for the skeeball buttons made out of a bucket w/ lid leftover from the paver joint filling I've been dealing with.   Helped confirm the usability with everyone.. everyone seemed to like it..


nipsmg

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Re: [Unnamed] SkeeBall Restoration and Upgrade
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2018, 12:25:22 pm »
HELP NEEDED - MODIFYING THE MACHINE FOR OPTICAL SENSORS

I've been chatting with PL1, and I've purchased a bunch of optical break beam sensors to convert from the physical switches: :
Adafruit Accessories IR Break Beam Sensor - 3mm LEDs
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Adafruit/2167?qs=GURawfaeGuCJ0J7vogtCzg%3D%3D&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvNzknqqr2wIVDoRpCh0r3QuZEAYYASABEgLRvfD_BwE

PL1 brought up an excellent point about an issue I'm having.


The balls drain right down the center of the chute behind the board (for anything that actually hit a hole), then drop into the plastic drain you can see in the image below.   If it's a gutter ball, it can drop down anywhere along the length of the drain.


Does anyone know much about how the break beam sensors operate?  If I place a break beam sensor on the right and left side under the 10 ring(where I put the white boxes), would that work?   will they work that far of a distance away from each other in open natural light?


IF not, I may have to do something like below:



Create a new wood/plastic drain that extends all the way to the left.  Create some kind of a barrier that forces the ball to the left of the center chute (white bar), then put a sensor somewhere in the area in the red circle to detect a gutter shot.

Any other ideas or thoughts on how to approach?

thatpurplestuff

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Re: Major League Skeeball - Skeeball Gut & Replace with Custom Software
« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2018, 02:30:44 am »
Honestly I would avoid having the beam break sensors so far apart.  Depending on the type of Adafruit sensors you got they may not even register at that distance (I know they make 2 different distances but I'm not sure either go far enough for what you are thinking about)... just seems like a wider margin for error that could turn into a pain in the neck.  This coming from an idiot that has experimented and wasted a ton of time with different switch options... arcade pushbutton switches, the traditional metal wire switches, and IR beam breaks directly on each ring (I couldn't be happier with these, just awesome).   Your mileage may vary though.

My machine is a scratch build so I'm not sure how easy this would be to do on an original machine, but I've basically just got a padded backboard that runs parallel to the scoring area behind the holes, then another board along the bottom that guides the balls to the ball return.  The balls go into a ring, roll down the backboard and then roll to the right to enter the ball return.  Each hole has a beam break sensor on it, then there is a beam break sensor on the ball return.  Once the sensors are all set up, you just have to make your software play nice with it (ie have a "gutter" check variable that counts the amount of balls that have gone through rings vs how many balls go through the ball return).  If a ball goes through the ball return before it has gone through a ring, the software knows that the player rolled a gutter.  Not sure what language you are writing your software in, but below is a quick paste of some AS2 script bits to illustrate the concept:

When ring is triggered:
gutterCheck++; // adds 1 to gutterCheck variable

When gutter is triggered:
if (gutterCheck >= 1)
    {
        // not a gutterball, removes the 1 that we added to gutterCheck when the ball went through the ring
   gutterCheck -= 1
    } else {
        // gutterball if the gutter is triggered before a ring
   Balls -= 1
}

I'm sure this post was probably clear as mud, but unfortunately I don't have any pics of this part of my machine and it's in pieces underneath a car cover right now haha. 

edit: forgot to mention, having each hole score individually as opposed to the "drain" style gives you a lot more freedom for game types as well
« Last Edit: May 31, 2018, 02:39:34 am by thatpurplestuff »

So once again, we find that evil of the past seeps into the present like salad dressing through cheap wax paper, mixing memory and desire.

nipsmg

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Re: Major League Skeeball - Skeeball Gut & Replace with Custom Software
« Reply #14 on: May 31, 2018, 07:56:53 am »
That would definitely let me know IF a ball wen through the drain, but not really ‘when’. Maybe that doesn’t matter.. i’ll Have to mess with iit a bit and see if it really affects gameplay. 

I think  it might from a timing perspective.  Say I roll 2 balls one after another.  One bounces off the sides of the 50 hole while the other bounces off the rings and hits the board in the gutter area .  Ballls goes through 50 hole, gutter ball passes ball drain sensor. Game still thinks gutterball is the 50 ball until the 50 ball drops down the chute and drains.

Now depending on the games I’n Writing it might not matter at all. I need to think about it.

nipsmg

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Temporary Hardboard Replacement Rail Covers
« Reply #15 on: May 31, 2018, 04:05:01 pm »
I cut replacement rail covers out of some ash hardboard yesterday.  I'm installing some threaded inserts into the cabinet wood for screwing down the site rails, and bought some machine screws and finishing washers.. should look nice when done.  Also, I think I'm going to install the buttons right in the rail.

This weekend I'll finish drilling them and paint them yellow and use them for now. 

I will eventually permanently replace with better rails cut out of real 1/8 ply (birch or some other wood), once I can source it locally.

The circle cutting adapter for my dremel made quick work out of the arches/circles.  I accidentally screwed up the vertical line cut on the right side.  I may re-cut the right rail again just to correct before painting this weekend.


nipsmg

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Re: Major League Skeeball - Skeeball Gut & Replace with Custom Software
« Reply #16 on: June 13, 2018, 09:07:39 am »
I'm under the gun to get this "completed" by Friday as my wife is hosting her entire teaching staff at our house Friday afternoon, so I've been busily working.

I painted the rails I cut out of Ash hardboard.  They're mediocre at best, but whatever, they work.  I also drilled the holes for mounting and put in threaded inserts so the rails can be removed/added with machine screws.

I spent a few hours yesterday cleaning the lane with Taski Profi, that I read about in this post here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=113037.0

I have to say, it definitely did work.  I don't think this was ever cleaned before, and the soiled parts were pretty beat up.  It's not perfect, but it definitely made a difference.

Here's the scoring board before:


And after:


I scrubbed at it for a while both with a brush and with a rag, and some of this stuff just would not come up, but it is a dramatic improvement.

I also cleaned the backstop cork and the lane cork as well. The lane now looks used, but not dirty anymore:




Nephasth

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Re: Major League Skeeball - Skeeball Gut & Replace with Custom Software
« Reply #17 on: June 13, 2018, 10:00:56 am »
Keep up the good work! :cheers:
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nipsmg

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Re: Major League Skeeball - Skeeball Gut & Replace with Custom Software
« Reply #18 on: June 13, 2018, 10:47:03 pm »
So.. I cut holes for the buttons in my left rail...  just to find out I had miscalculated and they won’t fit... :(. Then I found out I didn’t buy enough reflective tape...

Oh well, ghetto mode for the party I guess.  Here’s the current state:

nipsmg

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Re: Major League Skeeball - Skeeball Gut & Replace with Custom Software
« Reply #19 on: June 14, 2018, 02:00:33 pm »
I'm sick of dealing with these rails and the crap material and my horribly mediocre job cutting the holes.

I'm going to either get these fabbed out of metal or laser cut from 1/8in wood.

Started design:

Nephasth

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Re: Major League Skeeball - Skeeball Gut & Replace with Custom Software
« Reply #20 on: June 14, 2018, 02:43:25 pm »
If you're going to have them fabbed out of metal, look into possibly getting them made out of plastic, like the originals. Not sure what the cost difference would be.

...and an observational note: might try scooting those buttons down as far as possible so people don't have to stretch too far for menu controls. If it were me, I'd try using smaller push buttons in the metal piece that sits in front of the rail.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2018, 02:45:49 pm by Nephasth »
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nipsmg

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Re: Major League Skeeball - Skeeball Gut & Replace with Custom Software
« Reply #21 on: June 14, 2018, 04:55:43 pm »
So, to do it out of plastic would require tooling and extrusion, and the startup cost would be too high.  It looks like I can get a local shop to cut it out of existing stock for much cheaper, so I might just go with 1/8in metal or 1/8 in wood, but I will ask them.

Yeah, I was thinking about maybe having a metal bar/stand/tube come up fro the side and hold a metal control panel with smaller buttons that’s at about waist height.  I’m still toying with that idea.

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Re: Major League Skeeball - Skeeball Gut & Replace with Custom Software
« Reply #22 on: August 06, 2018, 09:04:02 am »
Looking forward to tracking your progress on this. I just bought a "Roll and Score" knockoff table that uses the smaller 2.5 inch rubber balls. The feel of the game is completely different (and more difficult) with these smaller skee balls.

Anyone know of a 3 inch rubber ball that will work well for skee? My target section is molded plastic so I can't use wooden balls for fear of cracking the target area.