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Adding a pinball plunger
RetroBorg:
While I probably end up doing a plunger similar to the one in the earlier picture I think Xiaou2 is on the right track for the most authentic experience.
You want to be able to half pull or 3/4 pull that plunger out to make that skill shot, not have to pull it out for a set amount of time before releasing.
The feel I would like to replicate most with the plunger is when you playing pinny and you've had a bad ball and your pissed off with the machine but instead of pulling back the plunger, you bash it forward with the palm of your hand as hard as you can, man that felt good.
Sasquatch!:
--- Quote from: TheTick on May 09, 2003, 03:46:53 pm ---Variation of my suggestion...
--- End quote ---
This is quite clever. I like it!
shmokes:
I think this variation on your design will give you the desired results without having to write to the author of Visual Pinball.
Xiaou2:
In a real pinball machine... you can pull back and release the plunger in less than a second... but with this design... you only have to pull backl enuff to active the switch - then have to wait the desired (err - preprogrammed) time... then let go.
That makes it not even worth adding the device... as its only a button.
Also... due to the explosive nature of the device (using a microswitch)... youll probably have to end up fixing it more than youd like to admit.
I dont know why its so hard to write a little mail asking for a feature???!!!
If enough mails and message boards werent littered with request for artwork in mame... it probably wouldnt exist today.
Chris:
Because Visual Pinball is written by a single, fairly reclusive individual, as opposed to the large group of MAME developers. Trying to get Randy to add major features is next to impossible already; convincing him to add a feature that is only useful to a handful of people using a real plunger on MAME cabinets would be next to impossible.
However, Visual Pinball uses VBScript, so one could write a COM Object interface that would take the appropriate input and make it available to VP. You would then have to modify each table to use this interface, but it could be done.
Or, one could use a rotary encoder like those used on wheel mice to determine how far back the plunger had been pulled; these could be translated into keystrokes and used by VP. Again, each table would have to be modified to use this input method, but a COM object would no longer be necessary.
Personally, I think I'll be happy enough using the plunger with a microswitch, but if not, I can explore one of these methods...
--Chris